Leilon Emory Willingham
Financial Advisor
Hi, I’m Leilon!
As a dad, it’s important for me to know that as my kids grow older, they will see me as a man of integrity. As someone who fights for a better future for all who I encounter and who helps the people around him grow into their true potential.
Prior to working as a personal trainer for the last decade, I worked as a program manager for a youth detention residency, and a high school football coach. All of these roles, as well as the most important role of all (fatherhood), instilled a desire to help others discover and acknowledge their goals.
Whether they are looking to hit a personal best on the football field, in the gym, or planning for retirement, all too often I find that people don’t take the time to write down their goals or verbalize them.
This is why I love my work so much. As a financial planner, I love to help my clients realize what they truly want out of life and create a tangible, sustainable plan to help them get there. It is one of the key reasons why I chose this path.
I wanted to be able to lead, educate and build others up through a different lens than they might see themselves through. To give them hope, strategy, and a plan to help them achieve their dreams. Working alongside so many other great people in this industry who have a similar vision has just been the icing on the cake so far.
Be an example. Be brave.
Do it for the people who count on you.
And while there is no doubt that I love my career, I also love my downtime with my family! When I’m not in the office with clients, you’ll find me camping, biking, or out on the water fishing with my fiancé Madison, our little ones, and our bullpup, Gotti.
If we’re not on an adventure enjoying the great outdoors, I am more than likely lounging at home watching a football game with the family while our cat, Nakia snuggles up next to me and our 92-year-old turtle Charlie watches from the sidelines!
I would love to connect with you to learn more about you and your goals for the future of your family or business.
Let’s Connect!
Awards and Memberships
- 2021 PaceSetter40 & PaceSetter60 Award Winner
- 2021 Life Impact Award Winner
- 100 Lives Club
Years of Experience
Representing Northwestern Mutual since August 2020
Licenses
Life & Health
Securities Industry Essentials
Series 6
Series 63
Education
Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Northern Colorado (2015)
Leadership Roles & Memberships
College Unit Director – Top 10 Internship — As a College Unit Director, I lead a team of college financial representatives at Northwestern Mutual-Fargo. Our Top 10 internship program provides each college student an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of financial planning and test-drive their career as a financial representative. Through the experience, young professionals also develop important business skills ranging from networking to time management.
If you are determined to grow, no one can stop you
Have you ever asked yourself if you’re saving enough for retirement? Or your kids education? Or wondered how all of these big businesses get so many breaks while you’re slugging it out on your own?
Whether you are passionate about traveling and time with your family or growing a business from the ground up, we want to help keep you on the positive side of the balance sheet, build strong savings habits and achieve your goals.
We help create financial security and organize your finances so you can spend your time and energy focusing on the important things in life without the stress.
Parents need to know that their kids will have the financial support they need well into retirement, and entrepreneurs need to know that they’re not handing unnecessary dollars to the government.
Our clients - families, business owners, and working professionals alike - learn how to find financial security and freedom in life and business.
Who we serve
Families, Business Owners, Attorneys, Engineers, Medical Professionals
Emerging Affluent – Early 30’s who are passionate about growing, traveling and spending time with their family and desire to increase their income and build for their family
Approaching & Thriving Through Retirement – 40+ established driven professionals that are passionate about giving back, accumulating wealth and securing resources for the future
Let’s create a financial plan for you that works…together.
When everyone else tells you to ‘rise to your potential,’ we recognize that we do not rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our systems.
Building structures and systems that are designed for you to thrive means that you won’t have to spend years on end worrying about what to do with your finances.
No more stressing about retirement, your kids college fund, or an emergency “just in case” fund for your business — because we will have already figured it out together.
We get to know your dreams, goals, and vision for the future and put together a plan that makes sense for you, your family, and your busy lifestyle.
I'm Ready to Get Started!
Our Approach
Our team helps YOU to become in charge of your own future and decide your own destiny. The clients who work with us learn how to control their freedom and achieve financial security for themselves and their family.
Guidance for your business
The life of an entrepreneur can feel lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. With a focused expertise on the growing business owner, I can provide guidance for any stage of your business:
As a business owner, you have questions, like:
- How can I attract the best people to grow the business?
- If I get hurt or die, what happens to my business?
- Do my suppliers and vendors feel confident that my business will offer continuous service?
- Can my business fund the retirement I envision?
Our firm can assist you with:
- Minimizing risk by preparing for surprises.
- Safeguarding your business with coverage to help offset the loss of cash flow in case you become sick or hurt.
- Transition your business smoothly with a well-designed business succession plan.
- Integrate all aspects of financial planning for your business as well as your personal life.
Lending a hand in my community.
As part of Northwestern Mutual, I'm proud to help accelerate the search for better childhood cancer treatments while supporting families undergoing treatment, and survivors from late effects. Here are some of the organizations we partner with:
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
ALSF funds cancer research, raises awareness, and supports the families of children with cancer. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual, its employees, and financial professionals like me have donated more than $20 million to support ALSF and fund over 400,000 research hours.
Beads of Courage
Beads of Courage is an art-in-medicine program that helps kids with cancer tell their unique treatment story through colorful beads that are symbols of their courage.
Here are my areas of expertise
Financial Planning
Insurance Protection Strategies
Life Insurance Strategies
Retirement Planning & Income Strategies
Education Planning & Funding
Disability Planning
Multigenerational Planning
Estate Planning
How Northwestern Mutual helps you live the life you want.
When people feel better about their money, good things happen—they become more confident and feel more secure. For more than 160 years, Northwestern Mutual has helped people achieve the financial flexibility they need to live more and worry less.
Being a mutual company means Northwestern Mutual reports to its clients, not Wall Street. They don't believe in chasing fads or taking undue risk for short-term gains. Instead, they take a long-term approach—both in the way we help people plan to reach their goals, and in the way they do business. This has served their clients (and mine) well through all kinds of economic ups and downs, including wars, recessions, even the recent pandemic.
It's why I'm happy to be part of a company that's in it for the long-haul and prioritizes clients over profit.
