About Us
We built this firm for people who expect more.
Foothills Financial Strategies exists because we saw what most advisory firms were offering, and we knew it wasn't enough.
The short version
Most advisory firms follow the two-question business model. “How much money do you have?” and then “When can we have it?” Lost to these types of firms is the fact that after all is said and done — you are the owner. Custody and advisory is not ownership.
At Foothills Financial Strategies, we think that model is broken. It misses the complexity, the proactive tax and investment strategies, and most importantly the relationship that actually makes a wealth strategy successfully navigate today's volatile world.
So we built something different. A firm that collaborates with your other subject matter experts like your CPA and your trust attorney. Like an architect designing a custom home, tax strategies are year-round — not once-in-a-lifetime advice, but proactive check-ins.
Over 80% of our clients tell us they never received proactive planning for their taxes from a previous advisor. We take that personally.
Both Chip and Cary were raised by educators, and that foundation shaped the philosophy behind Foothills Financial Strategies. They believe that understanding why is always more valuable than simply being told what to do. That's why FFS was built as an education-first financial firm.
We believe informed clients make better decisions. Rather than selling financial products, we focus on helping you understand your options, your opportunities, and the strategies that can help you achieve your goals. After all, people enjoy making confident decisions — they don't enjoy feeling like they're being sold something.
Time and time again we hear about the obstacles that keep people from living the life they've worked so hard to build — unnecessary taxes, inefficient retirement plans, uncertainty about the future, and missed financial opportunities.
Our mission is to identify those barriers, educate you on your options, and develop personalized strategies that help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Schedule time with us — interview us, if you will. We would welcome the blessing of hearing your story, your roadblocks. Then we'll meet again and educate you on how our strategies can remove those barriers to a life with both peace and purpose with your finances.
“The path from overly taxed to more fairly taxed begins with education. Let’s have a conversation.”
How we think about advice
Collaboration over isolation
We coordinate with your CPA, your Attorney, and any other advisors in your life. Your wealth strategy shouldn't be fragmented and live in a silo. You and you alone are the Owner; we strive to steward the trust you place with us.
Proactive over reactive
We don't wait for problems to surface. We review, adjust, and anticipate so you're positioned before things change.
Education over sales jargon
We speak plainly. We explain the "why". We want you making confident decisions from a place of understanding and not trust alone.
Our Team
Meet the people doing the work.
Chip Strickland
Principal
Chip entered the financial planning field in 2009 after more than a decade of running his own small business in Northeast Georgia. That experience shaped his understanding of what business owners truly need—and it continues to guide his work today. Over the last 15 years, Chip has blended his time at a national insurance company and a regional bank into a personalized, independent practice built around real‑world insight.
His firm, Foothills Financial Strategies, focuses on helping business owners and their families feel confident about their investments, prepare for smooth succession transitions, and reduce tax burdens through thoughtful planning. Chip’s background as a former business owner gives him a unique ability to relate to the pressures, decisions, and opportunities that shape family‑run enterprises.
Chip and his wife, Lark, married in 2009 and welcomed their daughter, Lucy, in 2014. Together, they enjoy outdoor activities and Saturdays spent cheering for the Georgia Bulldogs. They make their home in a small town outside Athens, Georgia.
Cary Hise
Principal
Cary has over two decades in the financial services industry. He is dual licensed, having both insurance licensing as well as Investment Advisor Representative/Fiduciary (IAR).
His philosophy is straightforward: if a client doesn't understand the advice, it's not good advice. He takes the time to educate, explain, and make sure every decision is made with confidence.
Financial literacy is top-of-mind in today's world. "Who" you are is always more important than "What" you do — a core value deeply ingrained by being raised in a schoolteacher family. Cary's mom was his kindergarten teacher, his dad was his principal, and two uncles were in the university system in Texas.
Cary specializes in high-income and high-net-worth retirement strategies. His focus is building lasting relationships grounded in trust, education, and transparent advice.
Scheduling a brief visit will be focused on problem-solving your roadblocks to achieve financial success. "This firm is like tax and investment architects" and "highly educational versus sales pitchy" are the words most of Cary's clients use when they describe their work with him and his firm.
Your takeaway will be simple, powerful financial literacy tools that you can use for home, work, pre-retirement, and post-retirement.
In his free time, Cary enjoys volunteer work with his church as well as conducting and speaking at Financial Wellness and Leadership workshops. He also enjoys golfing, reading, and traveling with his beautiful wife Kathy, who he has been married to for almost 41 years.
Whit Brown
Portfolio Manager
Whit brings over a quarter century of experience working with fee-only advisors and brokers. From 1995 to 2009, he accelerated quickly through the ranks to become CIO and Portfolio Manager of a $600 million firm that specialized in portfolio construction utilizing Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA).
In that role, he chaired the Investment Policy Committee and spoke at hundreds of engagements around the country, in addition to interacting with high-net-worth clients and their advisors. In 2009, Whit brought his unique portfolio management expertise to CORE, managing assets throughout the US on national platforms.
Whit received his B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Georgia in 1990. Beginning in 1995, he passed his Series 4, 7, 24, 63, and 65 exams and later went on to receive designations as an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, Certified Fund Specialist, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary.
Whit is currently registered in Georgia and Texas for both Broker/Dealer and RIA business.
Our Platform
Powered by Arkadios Capital
Foothills Financial Strategies operates on the Arkadios Capital platform. The professionals below are Arkadios employees who provide operational, compliance, and investment support to our advisors and clients.
Kiliaen Ludlow
Director of Advisor Services
Kiliaen brings nearly three decades of experience managing highly successful teams specialized in developing scale and efficiency in the financial services industry.
In his role at Arkadios, he leads the technology, operations and revenue teams, optimizing operational structures, ensuring appropriate staffing, and leveraging the latest technology to enhance the advisor experience. Previously he served as COO of Arden Trust Company, with senior roles spanning operations, technology, project management and relationship management at Fidelity, Synovus, Triad Advisors and Continuum Advisory.
Claire Marshall
Director of Client Services
Claire has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Arkadios Capital, Claire was VP of Operations at an Atlanta independent broker.
Her strengths are relationship management and evaluating workflows and procedures to find ways to improve them - implementing long-term goals that improve client experience and increase operational efficiency. Claire holds Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses.
M. Michael McComb
Chief Compliance Officer, Arkadios Wealth
Michael leads the compliance program for the RIA and provides comprehensive compliance and business support to Arkadios' advisors. With over three decades of experience, he has held pivotal compliance roles across retail, institutional and independent broker/dealers as well as RIA firms, including ING, Barclays and UBS.
His background includes leading the compliance program for a $110B fixed income advisory platform and an $80B RIA, and overseeing due diligence teams for corporate acquisitions.
Lance Stafford
Alternatives Investment Director
Lance has over 25 years of capital markets and securities industry experience, working with both institutional and retail investors. He managed institutional equity sales and trading operations in the Southeast for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods prior to the firm's merger with Stifel.
Since then he has advised high-net-worth investors and families seeking wealth management and tax planning solutions in senior roles at global, regional and Atlanta-based investment management firms. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Emory University and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, and is a CFA charterholder.
Want to learn more about how we work?
We're happy to walk you through our approach. No pressure, no pitch.
Schedule a Conversation