Investment: Josh Harmon

That’s not what Harmon thinks about.

“If it was all about numbers and money I would have been out of this business a long time ago,” says Harmon, who has been with Northwestern Mutual for 16 years. “People are fun. People are interesting. To see how different everybody is and how they react to things differently – the puzzle of their worlds – is just very rewarding.”

So, yes, Harmon works with numbers. And yes, Harmon knows about bonds. But he’s most proud of the bonds that he’s made with his co-workers and clients.

“I’m proud of the relationships, whether it’s the team we’ve built here and that I’ve been fortunate to work with or it’s building trust with clients over the course of many, many years,” Harmon says. “That becomes really rewarding when they value what we do and refer us on to other people. That’s a lot of fun.”

It’s also led to Harmon’s share of success in the financial world. During the past eight years he has been a top-five representative for Northwestern Mutual in the Boise area three times. He was named the Representative of the Year in 2008 and again in 2016.

“Josh has been known as one of the go-to advisors for all the young, new financial advisors,” Blake Brunk, a Northwestern financial representative wrote in recommending Harmon. “Many of us in the office have looked up to him for years, trying to model his leadership, work ethic and the way he takes care of his clients.”

As a result, Harmon has built some lasting relationships – in addition to the one he shares with his wife, Jamie, and their three children.

“I’ve got a few clients who I’ve known when the wives were pregnant and now the kids are sophomores in high school,” says Harmon, who is 37. “The parents don’t really seem to age much, but when we meet and I see how fast the kids are growing, it shows how fast time is flying by.”

During his time with Northwestern, Harmon has seen his role continue to evolve.

“I would say the biggest change has been the fact that I’m a lot more dependent on other people,” he says. “I’ve realized that I can’t do it all myself, so we’ve entrusted a lot of people in our firm to help us build this team, as opposed to being a one-man show. … And we’ve got some really great people on our team.”