Clear Springs Wealth and Lisa Clements: The Kansas City Advisor Who Built a Practice Around Women’s Real Lives

A lot of Kansas City success stories start with a problem someone couldn’t ignore. For Lisa Clements, founder of Clear Springs Wealth, it started with a bill. A “typical” 1% advisory fee became a gut-check moment that pushed her to reimagine what financial planning should look like—especially for women who are building wealth on their own.[1][2]

Today, Clear Springs Wealth is a fee-only, fiduciary advisory firm that focuses on helping independent

women (never-married, divorced, widowed, and mid-to-late career professionals) build confidence through planning, investing, tax-aware strategy, and practical coaching. [1] Lisa’s work is deeply personal, intentionally boutique, and proudly Kansas City–rooted—designed for readers who want clarity without jargon and expertise without judgment. [14][16][17]

The moment Lisa Clements said “Wait—what?”

Lisa Clements doesn’t tell her origin story like a marketing pitch. She tells it like a real person who had a real reaction to a real number.

The triggering moment was simple: she received her advisory bill. The relationship itself wasn’t the issue—at least not at first. But then she did the math. “1% on a million dollars is $10,000 a year,” she says.[1] And in that instant, her view of the industry shifted. “That number just hit me like a load of bricks,” she recalls.[2]

Here’s what’s important about that moment: it wasn’t only about cost. It was about scope—about what you should get when someone is trusted with your financial future.

Lisa’s mind went immediately to the life-stuff that makes money feel complicated. “What about the tax planning?” she remembers thinking.[3] “What about the estate planning?”[4] She wasn’t looking for one person to just “manage money.” She wanted holistic guidance that looked at her whole life—and she didn’t see many people doing that well.

Then she started to name what she really wanted out loud: “I wanted tax planning.”[5] “I wanted small business growth advice.”[6] And she wanted estate planning, beneficiary checks, and insurance evaluation as part of a real plan—not as optional add-ons you only discover later.[7]

That’s the part Kansas City readers will recognize. When you’re building a career, raising a family, caring for parents, or starting a business, “investing” is just one slice of the puzzle. You don’t need a spreadsheet. You need a strategy that respects your reality.

So Lisa did something bold: she decided to become the kind of advisor she couldn’t find. “I want to become a certified financial planner,” she told herself.[9] And she didn’t stop there. She got specific about who she wanted to serve: “I want to work with women divorced, widowed, or never married,” she says, describing how her niche became clear.[10]

This is where Clear Springs Wealth begins—not as a brand idea, but as a values decision.

From corporate leadership to a boutique firm built on trust

If Lisa’s story ended with “she became a financial planner,” it would still be compelling. But what makes her leadership interesting is what she brought with her when she founded Clear Springs Wealth: two decades of executive experience, coaching skill, and a deep understanding of corporate benefits.

On her public “Credentials for Journalists” page—an unusually transparent thing for a financial advisory firm to publish—Lisa lists 24 years of corporate leadership experience, along with credentials and prior leadership roles at major employers. [2] The same page notes she has been a Chief People Officer, led recruiting operations at major organizations, and built a career inside complex corporate systems. [3]

Her regulatory and disclosure documents support this arc, too. In her firm’s Form ADV brochure supplement, her professional history includes executive leadership roles and a period of leadership coaching before Clear Springs Wealth. [4]

Why does that matter to a Kansas City reader?

Because financial planning isn’t only numbers—it’s decisions. And decisions are deeply shaped by work culture, benefits packages, stock compensation, career transitions, and the invisible pressures many women carry. Lisa describes this as a tangible advantage, especially when clients are trying to decode what their employer benefits are actually worth: “My corporate career gives me an advantage… I understand how to value those, how to price those,” she says.[11]

That line connects directly to Clear Springs Wealth’s public service emphasis on maximizing employee benefits, including qualified plans, deferred compensation, and group insurance options. [5]

Lisa’s firm is also explicitly designed to be emotionally safe. Clear Springs Wealth frames the client experience as a “judgment-free zone,” saying: “We Listen and We Don’t Judge.” [5] That’s not fluffy language; it’s strategic. People don’t avoid financial planning because they hate math. They avoid it because they fear shame, confusion, or being talked down to.

Lisa built her practice to replace that fear with partnership. On her About page, she promises to be the “financial partner you wish you had sooner,” turning uncertainty into confidence. [6]

And she’s doing it from right here in our region: her public materials identify her as Kansas-based (Overland Park/South Overland Park for client-facing positioning, and Bucyrus, KS in formal business documentation). [7]

What Clear Springs Wealth actually delivers

Clear Springs Wealth is positioned clearly: financial planning and investing for independent women. [8] But if you’re a Kansas City business leader—or someone who’s never had an advisor—you may still wonder: what does that mean in real life?

On the firm’s Services page, Clear Springs Wealth describes a broad planning scope that includes:

• retirement planning and “order of operations” for tax-efficient accumulation and distribution

• tax reduction strategies (including Roth conversions and tax gain/loss harvesting)

• risk management and insurance review (without selling products)

• estate planning review: titling, beneficiaries, wills, trusts, powers of attorney

• investment strategy aligned to risk tolerance and time horizon

• “look around the corner” planning for career transitions, sabbaticals, and life changes

• education planning and student loan strategy

• employee benefits optimization

• charitable planning and legacy building

• debt payoff systems and cash-flow planning [9]

That breadth directly matches the reason Lisa created the firm in the first place.[3][4][5][6][7]

Clear Springs Wealth services at a glance

Note: Clear Springs Wealth explicitly states it does not sell products and operates under a fiduciary standard. [1]

Pricing and business model: what’s publicly available (and what isn’t)

Most advisory firms hide pricing behind “schedule a call.” Lisa doesn’t fully do that. Clear Springs Wealth lists at least one entry-point offering right on its Services page: the Financial Freedom Session, described as two

focused sessions with an “Investment: $497.” [10] That’s a very Kansas City move: make the first step feel doable.

The same page also describes a Comprehensive Financial Planning offering with “Investment: $3600 per year + 0.8% AUM.” [11]

For deeper detail, Clear Springs Wealth publishes its Form ADV brochure (dated Jan 8, 2024), which describes:

• discretionary AUM of $2,949,218 as of Dec 31, 2023 [12]

• an example investment management fee of 0.60% annual, billed quarterly in arrears (noting fees may be negotiable) [13]

• recurring financial planning fees ranging from $60 to $367 per month, depending on complexity [13]

Those figures may differ from current pricing and packages (pricing evolves), so the cleanest takeaway is: Clear Springs Wealth uses fee-only structures and publishes meaningful transparency through public disclosures. [14]

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I thought fee-only meant no percentage of assets?”—fee-only means compensation comes only from the client (not commissions), and can include AUM, flat fees, or hourly fees, depending on the firm’s model. Clear Springs Wealth’s FAQ emphasizes that it is fee-only and fiduciary. [15]

Who Lisa serves—and why that focus is a Kansas City advantage

Kansas City is full of strong women carrying big responsibilities: executives, entrepreneurs, single moms, caregivers, physicians, nonprofit leaders, and women who quietly run the “family CFO” role while also running a career.

Lisa’s niche isn’t just “women.” It’s women who are building wealth on their own, often without a built-in financial partner. That focus is explicit across Clear Springs Wealth’s content and FAQs. [16]

In the interview, she describes the moment the niche clicked: “I want to work with women divorced, widowed, or never married,” she says.[10] That’s not a marketing segment. That’s a lived category of life—where money decisions are often heavier because you’re carrying them alone.

Lisa also notices patterns many advisors miss. One of her most telling observations is about cash behavior. “Women in particular are more likely than men to have more in savings than what they need,” she says.[15] Sometimes that looks like strength. Sometimes it’s fear. Often it’s both.

Then she gets even more specific: “The women I’ve met with… they have one to two years of living expenses in savings,” she says.[16] She’s not mocking that. She’s translating it. She’s saying: you’re trying to feel safe. The planning job is to help you feel safe and make your money work.

That’s where her process becomes a kind of emotional strategy. She says she starts with listening: “I ask a lot of questions and do my best to listen hard,” she explains.[13] Then she moves into building a complete picture: “Look at their life… and attack it area by area,” she says, connecting today’s choices to retirement, taxes, protection, and long-term planning.[14]

Client snapshots: Kansas City business owners, not “mystery millionaires”

Lisa offers a grounded picture of who she actually works with. “I have a couple small business owners,” she says.[18] And then she gives an example that feels very Kansas City: “One owns a dog grooming company.”[19] Another is in real estate: “One owns a real estate company,” she adds.[20]

Those details matter because they’re relatable. They also explain why her firm stands out: she’s not only helping people with generic retirement math; she’s helping Kansas City women integrate income variation, tax complexity, and real-world business challenges into their plans.

Public-facing content reinforces this focus. Clear Springs Wealth’s blog is titled “Solo Women’s Money Guide,” and recent posts address retirement for solo agers, caregiver money boundaries, the “single tax,” and tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies. [17]

If you want a window into how Lisa thinks, read her post “Why Retirement Planning Looks Different for Solo Agers,” where she blends practical planning frameworks with emotionally honest reflection about aging, decision-making, and building a “family of choice.” [18]

And if you care for aging parents (welcome to the Kansas City midlife reality), her post on caregiver boundaries is a must-read—because she treats caregiving costs as part of retirement planning, not a side issue. [19]

Boutique by choice: culture, community, and what’s next

Some founders grow by asking, “How big can this get?” Lisa’s growth question is different: “How good can this stay?”

She says it outright: “My current aspiration is to run a boutique financial planning firm.”[17] And she draws a boundary around the kind of firm she doesn’t want to build. “I don’t have any aspirations to become the next Charles Sc… or Vanguard,” she says (with the transcript truncation reflecting a longer phrase).[21]

That choice is operational, not poetic. It’s how she protects quality.

Her “north star” is capacity. “My goal is to get up to no more than 50 households,” she says.[22] That’s the kind of statement that makes business owners nod, because it sounds like a leader who understands constraints and deliberately designs around them.

In a boutique model, relationships aren’t a brand tagline—they’re the product. Lisa says it plainly: “I want to know my clients.”[23] And she backs it up with accessibility: “I want them to feel like they can text me anytime.”[24]

Clear Springs Wealth’s site also emphasizes that the relationship is judgment-free and accessible, including online tools designed to be usable on your phone or laptop, and the ability to work with clients nationwide through a location-independent model. [20]

A Kansas City leader’s version of “community impact”

Not every community impact story is a donation check or a gala sponsorship. Sometimes it’s quieter—and more consequential: a woman finally building a plan that lets her sleep.

Lisa’s impact shows up in the way she targets women who often go underserved by traditional planning models. It shows up in the way she writes about solo aging and caregiving, topics many firms avoid because they aren’t “sexy.” [21]

It also shows up in her long-form conversations. Lisa hosts a podcast called “Money Talks with Female Leaders,” where she interviews women about careers, wealth-building, and life experience. [22] That’s not just marketing; it’s community-building for women who want to normalize money conversations.

And she’s showing up beyond Kansas City, too. Lisa has appeared on other podcasts—including The Next 100 Days—where she discussed marketing to single women executives and the entrepreneurial leap from corporate leadership to advisory work. [23]

What’s next for Lisa and Clear Springs Wealth

Lisa is already thinking about expansion—but not the “double our staff” kind. The direction she describes is deeply Kansas City: multigenerational planning and caregiver clarity. “One thing I’ve been thinking about expanding into… ties into their parents’ finances,” she says.[25] She notes how often adult children don’t know their parents’ plans until a crisis hits, and she sees an opportunity for proactive planning.

That topic isn’t hypothetical—her February 2026 blog post on caregiver money boundaries directly addresses the “quiet financial propping-up” that many women do for parents while still funding their own retirement. [19]

In other words, Clear Springs Wealth’s future isn’t about becoming bigger. It’s about becoming more relevant—meeting Kansas City women exactly where life is most complicated.

• [1] 06:53 — “And 1% on a million dollars is $10,000 a year.”

• [2] 07:00 — “And that number just hit me like a load of bricks.”

• [3] 07:05 — “And I thought, oh, my gosh, what about the tax planning?”

• [4] 07:08 — “What about the estate planning?”

• [5] 07:37 — “I wanted tax planning.”

• [6] 07:39 — “I wanted small business growth advice.”

• [7] 07:42 — “I wanted… estate planning and checking of beneficiaries and insurance evaluation.”

• [8] 07:56 — “When I realized that’s what a certified financial planner did…” (transcript line truncated)

• [9] 08:04 — “I want to become a certified financial planner.”

• [10] 08:07 — “I want to work with women divorced, widowed, or never married…” (transcript line truncated)

• [11] 12:01 — “My corporate career gives me an advantage…” (transcript line truncated)

• [13] 17:09 — “I ask a lot of questions… listen hard…” (transcript line truncated)

• [14] 18:00 — “Look at their life… attack it area by area…” (transcript line truncated)

• [15] 19:51 — “Women… are more likely than men to have more in savings than what they need.”

• [16] 20:09 — “They have one to two years of living expenses in savings.” (followed by 20:19 note about not being in high-yield accounts)

• [17] 25:36 — “My current aspiration is to run a boutique financial planning firm.”

• [21] 25:42 — “I don’t have any aspirations to become the next Charles Sc… or Vanguard…” (transcript line truncated)

• [22] 26:26 — “My goal is to get up to no more than 50 households.”

• [23] 25:52 — “I want to know my clients.”

• [24] 25:54 — “I want them to feel like they can text me anytime.”

• [18] 33:05 — “I have a couple small business owners.”

• [19] 33:09 — “One owns a dog grooming company.”

• [20] 33:11 — “One owns a real estate company…”

• [25] 33:27 — “Expanding into… decisions around care… ties into their parents’ finances.” (transcript line truncated)

[1] [5] [8] Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/

[2] [3] [7] Credentials | Empower Your Financial Future Today — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/credentials

[4] [12] [13] porcupine-kazoo-3sl3.squarespace.com

https://porcupine-kazoo-3sl3.squarespace.com/s/CSW-ADV-Part-2A-2B-01-08-2024.pdf

[6] About Clear Springs Wealth — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/about

[9] [10] [11] Financial Planning and Investing for Women — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/services

[14] Disclosures | Empower Your Finances Today — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/disclosures

[15] [16] [20] Frequently Asked Questions re: Financial Advisor for Women — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/faqs

[17] Blog | Empower Your Wealth Journey – Get Inspired — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/blog

[18] [21] Why Retirement Planning Looks Different for Solo Agers (and What to Do About It) — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/blog/soloaging

[19] Loving Your Parents Without Going Broke: Healthy Money Boundaries for Caregivers — Clear Springs Wealth Finance for Women

https://www.clearspringswealth.com/blog/moneyboundariesforcaregivers

[22] Money Talks with Female Leaders

https://moneytalkswithfemaleleaders.buzzsprout.com/

[23] #505 - Lisa Clements - Financial Advisor - The Next 100 Days Podcast

https://thenext100days.org/505-lisa-clements-financial-advisor