— About Us

Partnering with Ambitious Business Owners to Accelerate Growth

Your business should be a source of wealth, freedom, and opportunity—not a job you own. At Purpose First Advisors, we help business owners maximize profitability, build transferable value, and create a business that works for them, not the other way around.

We know the work we do is deeply personal. Our job is to help you understand your business at a deeper level, optimize its performance, and position it for long-term success.

Everything we do is guided by our core values: Abundance, Equity, Connection, Immersion, and Integrity.

Christy Maxfield, MBA, CEPA

President & CEO

A strategic advisor & value builder like no other

Founder of Purpose First Advisors, Christy Maxfield is dedicated to empowering business owners to achieve maximum income, wealth, and freedom from their ventures. With expertise in business performance optimization, business growth acceleration, succession planning, and exit planning, Christy helps clients understand their businesses deeply, drive profitability, and ensure successful transitions. She is passionate about generational wealth-building strategies, especially for women and entrepreneurs of color.

Christy’s entrepreneurial journey began in her family’s floral business in New Jersey and evolved through her early career as a professional fundraiser. She co-founded her first startup in 2010 and launched Purpose First Advisors in 2017. She has taught entrepreneurship courses at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis and co-hosted the Entrepreneurially Thinking podcast.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Montclair State University and an MBA from Webster University, Christy is a professional facilitator for The Communication Protocol and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). She is a Vistage Trusted Advisor and participates in the EO Accelerator program. Christy has been named a Top Business Advisor by St. Louis Small Business Monthly and a 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year Award Champion.

Colleagues and Collaborators

Dr. Donna Marino

Family Business Psychologist

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Debra Roberts

Communications Experts

Quentin Ortega

Business Consultant

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Heidi McKeever

PFA Executive VA

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Jess Dewell

Business Consultant

Driven by purpose & aligned by values

Abundance

We believe there is an abundance of opportunity for business owners from every walk of life to build profitable businesses, create generational wealth and contribute to thriving communities.

Equity

We believe that in order for businesses and communities to thrive we need to focus on getting more money, talent, knowledge, specialized services, and opportunities into the hands of historically marginalized and underestimated entrepreneurs. We strive to create a future where an entrepreneur's ability to raise money, attract talent, and scale their venture is no longer predictable by race or gender.

Connection

We believe our job is to be deeply connected with the owners and leaders we serve. We pride ourselves on helping people connect the dots to unlock the untapped potential in their business, remove limiting beliefs about what they and their business can achieve, and create the life they love.

Immersion

We believe successful business advising requires us to be thoroughly involved in understanding our clients’ personal, financial, and business goals. By understanding their vision we can commit to transformational rather than transactional work.

Integrity

We believe integrity is a state of being fully aligned with those we serve. We work with people who share our values through their words and deeds. We show up consistently. We own our mistakes and have compassionate and challenging conversations. We love deeply and will always try to do better.