Brett Miller

Brett Miller’s grandfather was a dentist, and so were his uncle and brother.

But Miller wasn’t going to pursue the family trade, instead joining a Big Four accounting firm after college. That’s when an opportunity to work with business owners — like those in his family — came along in 2007.

He ran into an acquaintance who was starting a new wealth management firm that just happened to focus on dental businesses and their owners. The forerunner to what is now CI Brightworth had just four employees and $100 million in assets at the time; now, the firm has 35 employees and $2.5 billion in assets, all built by serving dental business owners.

“What we noticed was a large area of need for help coping with a family of business,” Miller said. “My favorite question to ask clients is, ‘What inspired you to become a dentist’? And I’ve never heard back that they wanted to be a small business owner. We help them increase revenue, lower taxes and expenses, and focus of course on better financial planning for dentists and the firm.”

“At that time my grandfather retired, he said to me, ‘If only I had someone like you to talk to about my business,” he said. “And my brother has probably been my best client.”

—Bruce Kelly