Forty Under 40: Hannah Stanley

Hannah Stanley knew she was going to become a doctor. Her father was a doctor, and when she was young, he battled cancer. The two spent a lot of time together, and even when he returned to work, his schedule was flexible.

After graduating with degrees in Spanish and biochemistry from the University of Arkansas in 2010, she went to medical school in Colorado. One year in, she dropped out and took a job as a teller at a bank for $11 per hour.

It’s the best decision she’s ever made, she said.

“I wanted to be a doctor and help people … I realized it wasn’t the right path for me,” she said. “I found a way to help people in a different way.”

From her first teller job, Stanley worked her way through the ranks in the banking industry. She acquired several investment licenses and eventually moved back to Arkansas.

In 2019, Stanley and her husband, Heath Stanley, founded New Wave Wealth Advisors in Springdale. The two worked together at Arvest Bank, but when they founded the company, they were not together, she said. They married three years ago.

One of the reasons she decided to start New Wave Wealth Advisors was that she wanted to work more. She loved working at Arvest but wanted access to more customized products for her customers.

The two main objectives New Wave does for its customers are strategic tax planning and active investment management, she said.

When the couple isn’t at work, 

they love to travel with their three children — Hannah, Ashton and Walker. Stanley said she is fluent in Spanish, and Mexico is one of their favorite destinations.