Great planning begins with genuine connection.
Meet the people behind Soaring.
Soaring Investment Management was built around a shared belief that great advice blends rigorous analysis with genuine care.
Our paths into financial planning and wealth management began in different places—Lisa with Air Force families, and Eric with Kaiser Permanente physicians and their families—but we were both guided by the same purpose: to make thoughtful financial guidance accessible, personal, and enduring.
Today, our practice serves clients from all walks of life who value clarity, discipline, and long-term relationships built on trust. As independent advisors and fiduciaries, we’re free to focus on what matters most: helping every client make confident decisions and live with greater purpose.
The Value of a Fiduciary
A fiduciary is legally required to put your interests first.
At Soaring, we do that—not solely because the law demands it, but because it’s the way we believe advice should be given.
Unfortunately, not all advisors operate that way. Some earn commissions on the products they recommend, creating conflicts of interest that can cloud judgment. Others act as fiduciaries only part of the time, depending on which “hat” they’re wearing in the moment.
Not here. No way. Never.
For us, fiduciary duty isn’t a marketing phrase—it’s the foundation of how we serve.
Lisa has upheld this standard since 1998. Eric since 2015.
From day one, our promise has been simple: your best interests will always come first.
The Soaring Team
Eric Imley, CFP®
Principal & Financial Advisor
I’ve spent my career helping individuals and families bring structure, clarity, and confidence to their financial lives. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, I’ve guided clients through every market environment—grounded in a disciplined investment philosophy and a commitment to long-term relationships built on trust. I joined forces with Lisa as her Partner at Soaring Investment Management in 2025.
After earning degrees from UC Santa Cruz (BFA) and UCLA (MFA) and working for over a decade in Theatre Management, I found my true calling in personal wealth management. Today, as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), I combine the discipline of institutional investing with a personal focus on helping clients discover what joy means to them—and create financial plans that support it. My goal is simple: to help clients make decisions that align their resources with their goals so they can live with greater purpose and peace of mind.
I’ve always believed that great advice blends details, data, and heart. Working with Kaiser Permanente physicians and their families in Southern California has deepened that belief. Kaiser Permanente physicians face a uniquely intricate financial landscape, from coordinating their Common Plan and Keogh contributions and managing their investment portfolios, to maximizing the many added benefits available to Partner Physicians. I help them bring all those moving parts together into a clear, cohesive plan that integrates investment strategy, retirement readiness, and multi-generational wealth planning.
At Soaring, my personal mission mirrors that of our firm: to deliver disciplined, evidence-based portfolio management and deeply personal financial guidance.
Elisabeth Mesquit, CFP®, CFA
Founder, Principal & Financial Advisor
Founder and Partner of Soaring Investment Management LLC, I’ve been helping families and individuals make thoughtful, disciplined financial decisions for more than 13 years.
My career has spanned corporate finance, banking, and portfolio management for accounts ranging from $250 million to over $1 billion. After graduating cum laude from Oklahoma Christian University with a BS in Finance, I earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1998 and added the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) credential in 2022. My work has always been shaped by a single belief: that professional money management should be both accessible and deeply personal.
That conviction took root early. I grew up in North Texas, where life moved between the suburbs of Dallas and the wide-open spaces of Sanger. It was there I learned to respect hard work, thunderclouds, and Friday-night football—and that appearances can be deceiving. Some of the most modest folks I knew quietly built lasting wealth, while others were “all hat and no horse.” Those lessons have guided me ever since.
My professional path began in a law office during the savings-and-loan crisis, where I first saw the consequences of over-leverage and learned the value of prudence. An internship with Stifel Nicolaus deepened my understanding of how much difference a good advisor can make. At MidFirst Bank, I honed my skills in asset pricing and interest-rate risk, eventually as leading analyst of the bank’s bond portfolio. Later, at Gap Inc., I witnessed both the energy and the excess of the dot-com boom—and realized I wanted a career focused on people, not just numbers.
My mission is simple: to help clients make wise, values-based decisions that let them live fully, give generously, and soar confidently into the future.
Michael Mustian, CFP®, CKA, MDiv
Financial Planner
With 10 years of financial planning experience and over 20 years as a pastor, most recently as an executive pastor, I have taught thousands of people in financial workshops.
As I was guiding families to implement the advice I taught, I unfortunately realized that many “financial advisors” sold products that were not appropriate or aligned with their best interests. This realization stayed with me and ultimately propelled me to become a fee-only financial planner. I am passionate about helping people of all backgrounds make wise, informed financial decisions.
I bring both technical expertise and a deep sense of purpose to my work. Before joining Soaring Investment Management, I founded and led my own Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm, then partnered with Carolina Retirement Solutions where I specialized in helping clients plan for and navigate retirement.
My background as a pastor shaped my belief that an ideal financial plan is rooted in values, stewardship, and long-term impact. As a teacher at heart, I approach every client conversation as an opportunity to educate, empower, and encourage thoughtful decision-making. My strategic thinking, along with my strong knowledge of Social Security, tax strategies, and retirement planning, are valued by both our clients and our team.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion and a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Gardner-Webb University. I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), hold a FINRA Series 66 license, and am a Certified Kingdom Advisor®.