Shannon Balk

Olive has two primary roles, security and morale.  She makes sure that we know when anyone enters the office when she runs to greet them and see if they’re up for some snuggles! As a mini Bernedoodle, she’s no-shed and 95% hypoallergenic making her the perfect office companion. Her eagerness to please will melt even the coldest hearts. She’s a highly valued team member and our clients are lucky to be greeted by this loving little fur-person.

Nancy founded Smarter Divorce Solutions in 2011 after going through her own less-than-optimal divorce. She has been a financial advisor and planner since 1999. She provides full-service financial planning and investment management with Smarter Financial Solutions in addition to her role as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst at Smarter Divorce Solutions. In 2016, Nancy founded the Divorce Financial Planner Training Center to offer continuing education to CDFA® holders everywhere.

Nancy is a Master Analyst in Financial Forensics, (MAFF™), a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), an Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS), a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC) and is trained in both mediation and Collaborative Divorce. Nancy is an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Association of Professional Family Mediators, was on the board of directors with the Collaborative Professionals of Phoenix, 2017 to 2020, was the Finance Director for the National Association of Women Business Owners, 2014 and 2015, the 2015 NAWBO Business Owner of the Year, the 2014 Finalist in the BBB Business Ethics Awards, and was on the 2014 National Board of Advisors for the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts.

She is the author of Divorce Is Not For Dummies, How To Cover Your Assets and Divorce Financial Planning: Building a Successful Niche Practice, and co-authored The Stress-Free Divorce, Volume 2. Nancy has published articles in Huffington Post, DivorcedMoms.com, was the featured advisor in Morningstar Magazine.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, riding motorcycles, and spending time with her 4 children and 4 grandchildren.

Robin Anderson is our executive assistant and program manager, she keeps the working parts in order. With over twenty years of administrative experience, Robin anticipates needs before they even become needs. After twelve years in the television industry, she has proven herself to be indispensable in the ways of marketing and event planning. Along these lines, she is our resident graphic designer.

Among all the hats she wears around the office, Robin will be the first smiling face you see at our front desk. Her positivity and passion for community speak volumes. She is an avid volunteer, specifically at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Food Bank to name a couple.

It is her own unique walk of life that makes Robin such a special addition to the team. Her life experience includes a divorce of her own. Know that she gets the intricacies and will help see you through the rough patches. If you ask her, she just might sing you a tune.

Robin has been singing since she was five years old and competed in junior high and high school. Outside the office, she can be found refurbishing vintage furniture or of course at karaoke. She has two grown kids (fur-babies) and they STILL live at home. Rox and Pepper are certain to be serenaded daily.

Phil graduated from Butler University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. While in college, he was the captain of the Butler football team. After graduation, Phil became licensed as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Certified Financial Planner®, and Certified Long-Term Care® advisor. He has 14 years of experience in finance. No matter the financial situation, Phil considers it an honor to be an advisor as he helps clients sustainably and responsibly invest for the future. He focuses on divorce financial planning, executive compensation and benefit strategies, and tax planning strategies.

Phil and his wife reside in Fishers with their three young children. At this stage in life he has little free time, but when he does get a moment to relax, he loves spending time with his family and friends or watching sports.

Aaron is a 2020 graduate of Indiana University, Kelley School of Business where he Majored in Finance and received his Bachelor of Science in Business while maintaining his Dean of Faculties Scholar Award. Aaron has successfully passed the Securities Industry Essential (SIE) Exam, Series 7, Series 63, and Series 66 Exams. He interned throughout college for a Financial Advisor before coming to work with us.

Aaron resides in Indianapolis with his two dogs, Tink and Tito. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, camping, sports, spending time with his family, friends and his childhood sweetheart, Ashley.

Gregg is divorced and has a passion for helping others dealing with divorce to find stability and happiness again. Gregg resides in Indianapolis with his two children. Though he is often quite busy, in his free time he enjoys spending time with his two children, family, and friends, fishing, boating, traveling, and reading. Additionally, he is involved with organizations in his community such as Damar Autism Services.

Gregg has been a financial advisor since 1996 and a trained Financial Professional in Collaborative Law, a member of the Central Indiana Association of Collaborative Professionals, a member of the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts, the Association of Divorce Collaborative Professionals, and the Financial Planning Association. Gregg recently has been a guest speaker on Bloomberg Live and local, Indianapolis area radio shows.

Gregg graduated from Indiana State University in 1996 and 1997 with bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science respectively. From 1992-2006 Gregg served as Captain in the U.S. Army, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has earned his Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Certified Financial Planner®, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor®, and Certified Long-Term Care® licenses.

Darcy is the Executive Assistant and Client Relationship Manager for our Indianapolis office location. Darcy ensures the office runs smoothly. She spends time caring for clients by scheduling appointments, maintaining client records, assisting with client applications, estate settlements, onboarding new clients and much, much more. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of finance, having formally worked in Escrow.

Darcy resides in Anderson with her son and her dog, Lucy. In her free time, she enjoys walking Lucy and spending time with friends and family, travel, and small home improvement projects.

Leslie Blue is a Certified Divorce Financial Analysts® professional and Financial Coach. With a background in insurance, bookkeeping and customer service, she delights our clients with her professionalism and positivity.

After joining the team in 2017 and witnessing the impact that Smarter Divorce Solutions was making on the way divorce is viewed, she decided to earn her CDFA® to help increase our impact on providing a kinder, gentler divorce. She also leads the Financial Empowerment Coaching program.

She and her husband and son moved to Arizona from Detroit, MI in 2015 and they are enjoying all that Arizona has to offer. In her free time, Leslie sings and has been known to show up in the occasional reggae or funk band!

Karen’s background is in education and counseling. She was a teacher and counselor before going into private practice working primarily with children, adolescents, and families.

Karen shares her divorce experience:
“After being in a 20-year marriage, I was hit with the unexpected news that my spouse was unhappy and wanted a divorce. Even though I had a supportive family and friends telling me what I should and shouldn’t do, I had no idea about how to deal with a divorce after a long term marriage. I was feeling overwhelmed, confused, and afraid, yet I was expected to process this life-changing event and make good, rational decisions about the rest of my life!”

Looking back on this, she realized that she would have been so grateful to have a divorce coach to help her through this difficult time.

She became a Credentialed Mediator and a Certified Divorce Coach and she would like to be your thinking partner through this stressful and confusing process. She has been where you are. Please allow her to serve you and help you come through this with dignity, integrity, and strength as you create the next chapter of your life.

Shannon Balk is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, an Arizona Certified Legal Document Preparer, Financial Coach, and Certificated Paralegal. With over 20 years combined experience in the financial services and legal realms, she enjoys helping others to forge their path to a more amicable and equitable divorce.

Along with providing mediation and financial analysis to our clients, Shannon is our in-house document preparer. Her experience with family law document preparation and the required filing procedures help to simplify the divorce process for clients.

During her free time, you’ll find Shannon and her husband hiking in the white mountains of Arizona with their furry companions, or relaxing with a competitive word game or good book. She’s also an Autism Awareness advocate, and enjoys volunteering her time to various organizations.

Karen Baker is the Administrative Assistant for Smarter Divorce Solutions, Smarter Financial Solutions, and The Divorce Financial Planner Training Center.

Charismatic and collaborative, she loves being a part of a team and is passionate about serving others. She relocated from Texas in June of 2020 after deciding to pursue financial advising for her career. Karen has a B. S. in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology from Abilene Christian University. She has her Uniform Securities License and is currently studying for the Uniform Investment Advisor Exam.

After her own parents’ amicable divorce in 2017, she witnessed how impactful mediation could be, that personal experience further confirmed this career path. Karen’s goal is to become a CDFA and continue serving the clients of Smarter Divorce Solutions and Smarter Financial Solutions.

Karen has been a yoga instructor since 2013. When she is not at work, she enjoys being active, walking her dog, reading, cooking, and being outdoors. While Karen misses her Texas home and family, she loves her work family and her new home in Arizona.

Christy’s Bio Coming Soon