Forty Under 40: Seth Kaffka

Seth Kaffka, 29, said the best advice he can give up-and-comers is to learn from everyone they meet. He said he’s successful because of the team The Barber Group has assembled.

“Surround yourself with people that are much smarter than you,” Kaffka said.

The Jonesboro native earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas in 1999. After a stint at The Goggans Agency, he spent two years as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Merck & Co.

In 2002, Kafka spent nine months as a commercial loan officer for Community Bank of North Arkansas before joining The Barber Group in 2004.

Although brief, Kaffka said his experience at The Goggans Agency taught him some key marketing skills and his banking tenure shaped his business practices.

“In my position I have to be a sales person to our new investors and I have to have an understanding of what lenders look for,” Kaffka said.

He said watching his father-in-law, John Ed Chambers III, who is president and CEO of Chambers Bancshares Inc., taught him a lot.

Kaffka also called Brandon Barber, chairman of the Barber Group, a mentor.

“Brandon has a fantastic sense for giving proper value to property,” Kaffka said.