About

Ethan Dawe was born and raised in Atmore, Alabama. He attended K-12 at Escambia Academy in Canoe, Alabama, located on Cow Pen Creek Road. Convinced he was college basketball material, he was recruited to play at Jefferson Davis Junior College in Brewton, Alabama.

Ethan Dawe was born and raised in Atmore, Alabama. He attended K-12 at Escambia Academy in Canoe, Alabama, located on Cow Pen Creek Road. Convinced he was college basketball material, he was recruited to play at Jefferson Davis Junior College in Brewton, Alabama.

Ethan Dawe was born and raised in Atmore, Alabama. He attended K-12 at Escambia Academy in Canoe, Alabama, located on Cow Pen Creek Road. Convinced he was college basketball material, he was recruited to play at Jefferson Davis Junior College in Brewton, Alabama.

Ethan Dawe was born and raised in Atmore, Alabama. He attended K-12 at Escambia Academy in Canoe, Alabama, located on Cow Pen Creek Road. Convinced he was college basketball material, he was recruited to play at Jefferson Davis Junior College in Brewton, Alabama.

After one season, Ethan realized professional basketball was not in his future. He redirected his focus to earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.

During his sophomore year, Ethan helped found Global Enterprises, Inc., a wholesale distribution company. He graduated in June 1994, and a few months later partnered with his brother to transition Global Enterprises into a Direct Store Delivery company.

The years 1994 and 1996 brought two defining moments that shaped Ethan’s future.

Ethan’s father, Darryl, grew up fatherless in a one room shack with his mother and sister, without running water or indoor plumbing. Through hard work managing service stations and convenience stores, Darryl eventually opened his first store at the edge of town in Atmore called The Village Merchant.

He grew that single location into ten stores in seven years, never opening a store that did not turn a profit in its first month. In 1994, Darryl sold his stores and became an instant multimillionaire, paying approximately 50 percent in state and federal income taxes.

That same year, Ethan’s oldest brother Lance was killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Lance and his father had a strained relationship at the time of his death, and Darryl began grieving deeply. In November 1996, Darryl suffered a fatal heart attack while working outside, just 23 months after his son’s death.

As executor of the estate, Ethan received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service approximately three weeks after his father passed away, informing him that the estate had nine months to pay estate taxes. When everything was settled, approximately 50 percent of what remained after income taxes was paid again in estate taxes.

Darryl Dawe grew up fatherless and poor, built a business through hard work and skill, sold it, and lost half to taxes. Less than two years later, half of what remained was lost again, to even more taxes.

This became the defining moment of Ethan’s life.

Ethan and his brother sold their wholesale company and Ethan began studying advanced planning, estate planning, and tax code.

In August 2005, he founded Innovative Financial Solutions with the goal of providing retirement planning and strategies that fully utilize what the Internal Revenue Code allows. This website is dedicated to current and future clients who believe that the money they earn and work hard for should remain theirs.

In 2008, Ethan received an email from a close friend suggesting he attend the spring conference at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. That email began a journey he describes as providential.

Ethan purchased a booth at the conference. While setting up, a young man approached and began asking questions about investing, student loan debt, estate planning, and financial management. After about 30 minutes of conversation, the young man asked if Ethan would like to meet the VBMA president. At the time, Ethan did not know what VBMA stood for, but he was happy to meet a president.

The student introduced him to Lisa, the VBMA president, and encouraged Ethan to repeat what he had shared. After listening for a few minutes, she said, “You are exactly what we are looking for. Would you be willing to come speak to our VBMA chapter?”

Several weeks later, Ethan spoke to the student led Veterinary Business Management Association chapter at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He later learned he was the first non-faculty speaker for that chapter.

Over the years, Ethan has spoken to VBMA chapters across the United States. In 2009, he created the first for credit financial elective at any veterinary school in the country. He and Dr. Robyn Wilburn piloted the course. Ethan lectured in that class for eight and a half years and helped pilot a fourth year rotation called Practice Management. In 2016, he authored The Financial Guide for Veterinarians.

Ethan has delivered continuing education lectures nationwide and his presentations in the veterinary industry are RACE certified. He has provided hundreds of financial health checkups and assessments for veterinary clinics throughout the United States. He offers valuations and consults on the sale of veterinary clinics. He has also been a preferred speaker for Boehringer Ingelheim within its Premier Client program for many years.

Ethan lives in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, with his wife, Mirinda. They have three adult children: their daughter Myrick and her husband Eli, and their sons Lance and Drew.