This article originally appeared in Collierville Magazine: The Future of Collierville, August, 2024
Collierville had always been on Katie Pickler's radar. Growing up in Germantown and attending Houston High School, Pickler knew all about that beautiful small Town just east down Poplar. She knew Collierville had small town charm and a beautiful town square. Her dad, David Pickler, also recognized the charm, but, just as important, he recognized just how fast Collierville was expanding and the opportunities that expansion could offer. In 2005, David Pickler opened Pickler Companies in Collierville.
Katie remembers, "Collierville looked a little different than it does today, but it really was a great place for him [her father] to put his roots down and start a new chapter in his life." All three entities of the Pickler Companies - Pickler Law Firm, Pickler Wealth Advisors, and Pickler Accounting - found their home. It was a perfect spot to offer a one-stop shop for the most important personal matters: legal and financial, and the firm's current location on Halle Park Circle was a prime location for accessibility to clients all over the area, as well as offering room to grow.
Katie Pickler's own professional story began with a degree from Middle Tennessee State University in organizational communications in 2012, and a job with the nonprofit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation [JDRF]. It was there that she gained firsthand knowledge of philanthropy in Collierville as well as the larger business community.
"I really got to see the different businesses and learned how I could engage them" in the efforts of JDRF. Such experience helped prepare her for a future with Pickler Companies. When her dad approached her about joining the family business in 2018, she had already learned the importance of keeping things in perspective.
"From day one of working in the for-profit world, I had the same feeling I had when I worked for a non-profit. Each day I'm making a difference." This time, it was making a difference for clients' financial and legal well-being.
Katie Pickler is proud of the "family business" approach the company has adopted. The Pickler "family" encompasses both employees and clients. She is equally proud of the way their company approaches balance and diversity when it comes to the Pickler family. "We have a diverse group of individuals who are employees. But we also have great diversity with our clients. People feel like they are part of the family."
Her experience with JDRF honed her ability to recognize the importance of philanthropic engagement within the community, and Pickler Companies pride themselves on their various partnerships throughout Collierville, and, in some cases, across the country. When it comes to philanthropic efforts, she notes, "Getting involved in our community allows us to get to know what is needed and where it's needed."
Katie Pickler is a forward thinker, always investigating and adopting new ways of communicating with clients. While she embraces new technologies, she is also aware that new technologies are not always the best or simplest way to communicate with clients. "We want our clients to know that they are our top priority... People have my and David's cell phone numbers." It's the direct connection to the personal side of the Pickler Companies that can't be replaced by any manner of new technology. It's the close relationship with clients that they treasure.
On a personal note, she and her husband moved to Collierville after their wedding in 2019, when they went looking for a starter home and a place for a growing family. She is proud to call the Town of Collierville home both personally and professionally.
Katie Pickler's future and the future of the Pickler Companies are deeply connected to the growth of the Town of Collierville. "We love the people and the leadership in the town." Opening Pickler Companies Event Center in August 2023 in Halle Park Professional Complex cemented that commitment to the Town.
There's a smile when she says, "We're a national firm with small-town values. It's Wall Street to Main Street."
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Originally published in Collierville Magazine, August, 2024