Harmon Smith Team
We love what we do!
We get along. We help each other. And we laugh. A lot. But at our core, there’s an incredible degree of pride in guiding people toward financial security. We are the experienced, detail-oriented and knowledgeable advisors who work with small business owners and those clients who are retirement-conscious.
And we’re always excited to plan with purpose so you can live with confidence.
Advisors
Joshua Harmon ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, WMCP®
Private Wealth Advisor
Josh Harmon ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, WMCP® is the quintessential life of the party. Always happy to see you, million-watt smile, just wants everyone to have a great time. You would never know that underneath his happy-go-lucky exterior is a secret, super nerd who actually likes learning about tax codes. Gross. Luckily for Josh, his wife Michelle and kids Jack and Grace love him anyway.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Josh is the Bossman. The Fearless Leader of this dynamic group of hardworking know-it-alls. As a young finance enthusiast, Josh began working at Northwestern Mutual on the recommendation of a family friend. He took Josh out to lunch and ordered a bottle of wine. It doesn’t take much to impress Josh. This friend's sage advice resonated with him, “it’s not all about the Benjamins baby.” Or something like that. The point is, Josh was looking for something more, something that married his altruistic nature with his weird finance obsession. And it dropped right into his lap. Annoying right? Read on, it gets worse.
In the early years of his career, Josh worked his tail off, building a business that valued team culture and trained young advisors to have emotional intelligence along with their analytical skills. For Josh, the boring finance stuff is a small piece of the pie. What really matters are the long-term relationships created with clients. When you transition from working to retirement, Josh will be there to walk you across the finish line AND handle all the pesky details so you can celebrate a job well done.
Randy Smith is never going to retire. Do you hear that, rest of the team? Never. And why would he? After almost 40 years in the financial industry he still loves his job. Randy watched his own father's transformation going from a retail career to a finance career. Suddenly, Dad was happier, he was around more, and what stuck out most to Randy, Dad developed life-long friendships with his clients. After a very brief sojourn into pre-med, Randy pursued an Accounting degree at Boise State University and did an internship with Northwestern Mutual. He has been with the company ever since. And that was in 1885. Or was it 1985…
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Randy is the SMITH so he’s basically the boss. Which is great for Randy because he has no other employable skills. Unless you count being awesome. Randy has mastered the art of taking all that financial lingo and making it digestible for his clients. He has also figured out that fine line of being approachable AND confident so as a client you feel like “YES. This is the guy I want handling all my money, and also maybe a disk golf buddy.”
Randy most enjoys the moment he gains a clients trust and knows he has made a life-long friend. When he’s not at work you can find Randy participating in road rally’s with his wife Traci and going to Grateful Dead stuff. Your old financial advisor will never be this cool.
Travis Stokes has done it all. He joined Northwestern Mutual as an intern after completing his education at Boise State University. Over the last two decades Travis has held a number of positions with the company. You can ask him anything. Travis will have a well-thought out, color-coded answer for you - set to music or performed via interpretive dance - your choice.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Travis is a financial advisor and field director. He has seen all the wrong moves when it comes to personal finance decisions. But don’t worry, he’s not judgey. He has found there are generally three reasons people fail financially. First, people are just too busy to take the time to create a financial vision. Probably because it sounds really boring. Secondly, a vision is just a mirage without a plan. And third, once you have a plan, then what? Do you take the time to learn all the ins and outs of a complex financial world? Yeah...no. Call Travis.
Originally from Orem, Utah, Travis and his darling family upgraded to Idaho. He splits his time between bustling Boise and magical McCall. All that serenity makes for a very clear-headed person. Travis can get you going down the right path with your finances AND make it feel a walk in the park.
Robert Shannon knows where he is going in life. Except for that one time, as a kid, he rode his bike into a parked bus and knocked himself out. Brutal. As a man of extremes, Robert doesn’t just run, he runs 100 mile races. And he and his wife don’t just have kids. They have five. But don’t start questioning his sanity yet..we’ve got more to cover.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Robert is a very dedicated financial advisor. He has genuinely been interested in this stuff since high school (See? Told you there would be more questionable behavior). Allegedly, Robert graduated from Southern Oregon University in Business. He has approached his work life with the familiar tenacity he approaches everything else...as a marathon, not a sprint. It’s that mentality that makes Robert so valuable to his clients. He is here for the long-haul and he loves a challenge.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to one question - will your money outlive you or will you outlive your money? You don’t want to be left wondering what side of that question you land on. And with Robert you won’t have to worry about it. He has your goals in mind, a solid plan to meet them and probably a playlist too. Robert can literally run circles around your old financial advisor.
Nicole Cantrill is an expert negotiator. With two young boys and feisty girl dog, Nicole, and her adoring partner Matt, have mastered the art of navigating life with as few meltdowns as possible. While at the University of Colorado, Nicole honed her super nerd skills (budgeting and planning) and has been putting them to good use in the finance industry ever since.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Nicole manages the planning and investment department. Her laser-like focus helps clients (and her coworkers too because let’s be honest) set realistic goals for their financial future. She’ll give it to you straight - every time. She’s like the Russian judge at the Olympics, but cuter.
Nicole’s passion is telling people what to do, especially those young professionals. Helping them sift through the noise and mess of life to create a manageable path to their financial goals fills her with all the warm fuzzy feelings.
Nick Brown is here to win. You know how every kid either wants to be a professional athlete or a magical unicorn when they grow up? Nick became both. Not only did he become a professional golfer after completing his education at New Mexico State University, but he’s also a well-rounded, kind, thoughtful person. See? Magical Unicorn. But really, this guy from Cody, Wyoming is headed straight to the top so you probably want to hitch your wagon to him now, before he gets famous.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Nick is a Financial Planning Specialist. He works directly with clients to help them achieve their financial goals. He measures his success by his clients success and overall happiness. Truly. That’s not just jargon getting tossed around like pizza dough.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Nick relishes the continuing education opportunities available in the industry. He believes the more he learns, the more valuable he is to clients. No matter the task, Nick is on it. Full of tenacity, Wyoming grit and an oddly charming fashion sense (probably because of that whole golf pro thing).
Rich Freer is one fascinating person. Underneath that warm exterior is a big-brained, deep thinking dude. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rich and his family are growing deep roots in Idaho. As a kid, he was an early pioneer of understanding financial growth and valuing your assets. In second grade, Rich packed up his comic books and at recess he let his friends read them, for the bargain price of $.25 per book. TINY. EVIL. GENIUS.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Rich is an associate financial representative. That sounds cool, but what does that actually mean? Like that DNA test you got for Christmas, Rich helps prepare strategies to create a comprehensive financial plan specific just to you. His innate sense of compassion fueled by his studies in sociology helps Rich guide his clients to the heart of their financial goals.
Rich is one of the most genuine and empathetic people you will ever meet. No matter where you have been or where you are going, he is ready to meet you where you are. Eventually, Rich would like to use his financial knowledge to educate underserved communities on wise financial choices and build multi-generational wealth for their families, just like he is building for his. Don’t you wish everyone was this awesome?
PERSONAL
A lifetime resident of Idaho, I attended the University of Idaho. In 1996 I moved back the Boise valley and married my wife Kristine, and we have two beautiful children, Adeline and Collin.
Our family enjoys anything and everything that the beautiful Idaho outdoors has to offer.
I typically focus my time fly fishing the many waters of Idaho and hunting big game in the high-country.
PROFESSIONAL
After 11 years of managing and training sales teams in the Tech Sector, I knew there was something more meaningful out there for me. Purely out of desire to develop others I began my Masters work in Adult Learning and Development. Still there remained a void.
After losing my father to a very aggressive form of cancer in late 1996, I became all too familiar with the need for a financial plan for the family. I got involved in the planning that my father had done and was introduced to the Network of Specialists at Northwestern Mutual. Little did I know this was my first step in making a career change as a Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing and Finance from the University of Idaho.
Your Support Team
Deborah La Scala will tell you she’s been around since “Jesus wore knickers.” And while we aren’t here to debate religious relics let’s just say Deborah has wisdom on her side. Originally from Long Island, New York, Deborah dreamed of being a Radio City Rockette when she was a kid. She loved the glitz and glamour of show business. But instead she received her telecommunication degree from Arizona State University. So pretty much the same.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Deborah is the new kid on the block but she’s no rookie. Having been with Northwestern Mutual since 1998, Deborah could do this work in her sleep. She has been an operations assistant, investment operations manager, and now she sits at the table with all the cool kids.
Deborah knew she was the perfect fit for Harmon Smith the first time she met the group years ago. Her whole ‘mother hen’ vibe is well loved among this group. So! Moral of the story. Always trust your gut people. Be like Deborah.
Daphne Decoteau has the best name ever. And also the most spontaneous, inquisitive nature.
From a very young age, Daphne has been a water lover. As a child she was enchanted by Jacques Cousteau’s adventures at sea. And as she grew, so did her recreation skills. Whether snow skiing, water skiing, kayaking, or swimming - Daphne slays. Pro Tip: Always pick Daphne for any office or group contest. You won’t regret it.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Daphne provides client services support for the whole team. No small task with this group of overachievers. After years of creating detailed 360 marketing plans for various corporate entities, Daphne retired and moved to paradise (or Boise as some people call it). But, like a fish out of water, Daphne needed to get back into the pond. Retirement was a bit too...tired for her.
Throughout her life this theme of adventure and water has taken her on some wild rides. And it’s given her a ton of perspective in life. Daphne knows what works, and what doesn’t. Just stand back and let this marketing genius do her thing. This is not her first rodeo.
Tawni Finke is the ultimate wingwoman. She’s got skills that pay the bills and is a hoot and a half to hang with. Hailing from Washington state (where the fruit is bougie and the wine is not) Tawni and her family have a very “Boise-ish” story for how they ended up here. For whatever reason (let’s not judge) they decided to drive to Boise from Seattle to buy a car many moons ago. The salesperson gave Tawni and her family tickets to the Broncos game and...the rest is history.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Tawni is a Service Coordinator. But what does that mean? Tawni keeps the Financial Representatives organized as they manage their relationships with the client. Think that sounds easy?! Think again fools. Tawni’s whole job is making sure the reps “look” like they “know” what they are doing. From calendaring to case notes to changes in clients products and profile. Whew!
Tawni is right where she wants to be in life and she isn’t wasting a minute. She’s that rare person with a “pinch me I’m dreaming” zest for life. And maybe that’s because getting to this place wasn’t easy. Tawni knows good luck comes and goes but hard work never fails you (and….mic drop).
Samantha Kaminski grew up in the blink-and-you-miss-it town of Cascade Idaho. But that doesn’t mean life was boring. Oh no. Samantha and her siblings loved the opportunities of small town life. The family excelled at sports and it’s a good thing too. All that athletic training prepared Samantha well for the future. She needs the stamina of an ultramarathon runner to keep up with her three kiddos who are just as athletic as she is.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Samantha is the master of phones, emails, and schedules. Picture it like a virtual game of whack-a-mole. Samantha came to Harmon Smith from a temp agency and ended up staying. It’s no surprise she clicked with the crew so quickly. Harmon Smith is like that small town, underdog basketball team Samantha grew up with. Nothing too fancy, all heart, and ready to take on the big dogs.
Samantha and her family take in all that Idaho has to offer. Camping, fishing (following those Salmon!), outdoorsy-galore and of course doing the “who-is-getting-the-kids-to-practice-on-time” shuffle. Life really is just one big game of whack-a-mole isn’t it?
Liz Fields is a Renaissance woman of the highest order. How many people do you know who can publish novels, act, produce television, twirl a baton, AND speak four languages? Hailing from Los Alamos, California, Liz’s path to greatness started in California at Allan Hancock College and continued at the University of London studying Shakespeare and British Literature.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Liz is the Director of Operations and Human Resources. Which is probably where she finds inspiration for her horror novels. Just kidding. Everything is on the up and up at Harmon Smith because NO ONE wants to disappoint Liz. She’s the person you always want on your side. Clever and resourceful, she’s like the sole survivor in every horror film...the one person who says, “yeah...I’m not going back into that house.”
Liz loves exceeding client expectations. She wants a client to walk out in a better place than when they walked in. Her logistical mind digs the details and her side-eye keeps this team a well-oiled machine.
Kristin Shannon is that perfect mix of smart and scrappy. Raised in the white-capped wonderland called Salt Lake City, Kristin was the family comedian. She would entertain her family with her budding skill - mastering accents. Kristin attended college at Utah Valley University, received an associate degree in Science and has licenses in life and health insurance. Watch and learn folks. Total package gal right here.
At Harmon Smith Financial Group, Kristin is a Service Coordinator. She’s there to keep the financial advisors on task, organized, updated and placated. They are a needy bunch but Kristin can handle it. She can herd cats too if needed.
Kristin worked really hard to get where she is today. She’s got that never-say-die spunk and if you give her some time she can figure out anything. No matter what you need from Harmon Smith, give Kristin a call. And if you are really nice she might just do her Forrest Gump accent for you.
Team Stats
Father of the Year
Richard Freer
Office Comedian
Josh Harmon
Road Rally Enthusiast and Participant
Randy Smith
Color Commentator
Nicole Cantrill
Accomplished Small Film Director
Liz Bowen
Resident Golf Pro
Nicholas Brown
Resident Virtuoso
Bob Shannon