Sarah Blankenship, MBA, CLU, CFP®

Growing up, my life was a financial roller coaster. Even as a child, I knew we were on that ride. There were times of abundance and times that were very difficult. 
When I was very young, my dad became seriously ill and was out of work overnight. What had felt stable changed quickly. My mom was raising me and pregnant with my brother, and my parents were suddenly trying to make ends meet in circumstances they never anticipated. One of my earliest memories from that time is sitting in Mighty Taco with my mom, coloring pictures because kids who colored got a free taco. At the time, it felt special. I realized later we were likely there because food was tight. That moment taught me how quietly financial stress can show up in everyday life.

Eventually, my parents divorced, adding another layer of financial strain. I watched my mom rely on her relationships for financial stability, and I saw how limiting and stressful that dependence could be. Even then, I knew I wanted something different for my own life. I wanted to choose who I was with because I loved them, not because I needed them. I wanted financial independence to be a foundation, not a fallback.
In my twenties, I found myself in an emotionally abusive relationship. Leaving was not easy. I had built enough financial stability to make a hard decision without fear dictating my next move. At the time, I didn’t think of those choices as planning. I just knew I had options, and that mattered.

I left a steady, established role at a bank to join Nicholle and help build Wilcox Financial Group in its earliest days. It meant stepping away from predictability and into uncertainty. I felt able to take that leap because of the financial foundation I had built and the confidence that we were creating something meaningful. 

When my mom suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, I needed to be with her immediately, which meant booking a flight the day of and traveling back and forth over several months. Money didn’t take away the pain of that experience, but it took away the panic. It gave me the ability to show up when it mattered most. Financial stability creates the space to care for the people you love when they need you.

You can’t plan for every curveball life throws, but looking back, I can see that the decisions I made with my money created a level of stability that helped me navigate hard moments with more clarity, more options, and less fear, and ultimately build a life filled with freedom, joy, and opportunity.
That realization is at the core of why I do this work.

Since joining Wilcox Financial Group in 2013, I’ve spent more than a decade helping individuals, families, and business owners build a strong financial foundation. I work extensively with estate planning, life and disability insurance, and long-term care planning. I’m a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), and I maintain my FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations, along with life and health insurance licenses. I’m also a member of NAIFA and a Life Happens professional.

Much of my work focuses on supporting people who are caring for others, whether that’s aging parents, family members facing health challenges, or loved ones who depend on them in unseen ways. Education is deeply important to me, because this industry never stands still and my responsibility to clients means staying informed, engaged, and prepared to guide them through an ever-changing financial landscape.
I’m also a co-author of Money Bitch: A No-BS Guide for Smart Women Who Want to Own Their Financial Future, written to help women feel confident, informed, and in control of their money so they can build lives on their own terms.

I’m especially passionate about working with women. I want my clients to be as ready as possible for life’s curveballs, because they are coming. I want daughters to be able to leave relationships that are hurting them. I want women to walk away from jobs that drain them and build something better. I want mothers to retire without worrying about grocery bills and to retire their way. I want women to meet hard moments with steadiness instead of fear, not because life is easy, but because they are prepared.

Outside of work, I love exploring new places and experiences.  Recent trips have included a safari in Africa, Alaska with my dad, and Egypt. I’m always looking ahead to the next adventure.

I’m an avid reader and spend as much time outdoors as I can, whether that’s hiking, fishing, or simply enjoying quiet moments in nature. I also love cooking from scratch, trying new cuisines, learning Spanish and Italian, and developing my photography skills with my Fujifilm.

I value time with the people I care about and am close with my friends, brother, and my cutie nephew, Cadence. I also serve on the board of Kevin Guest House, a Western New York nonprofit that provides housing for families whose loved ones are receiving medical treatment on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.