Prior to becoming a Financial Advisor, James was a successful entrepreneur and business owner. This background led him to join Raymond James as a Financial Advisor due to the firm's core values of client-first, conservatism, independence, and integrity making it the premier alternative to Wall Street.

James approaches financial planning with an entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to seek expertise in every aspect of his clients’ overall financial picture. This dedication led him to earn numerous designations, including Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®), Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS™), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC^®), Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®), and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).

Active in the community, James has been involved with the Greenville Rotary, Metropolitan Arts Council, United Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Phillis Wheatley Community Center and his church. A graduate of North Greenville University in Marketing, he received Clemson University's Arthur M. Spiro Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship when he attended Clemson. He also received the South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneur Award, was a national runner-up for the North American Collegiate Entrepreneur, and was an award finalist for the InnoVision Technology Awards.

The South Carolina native lives in Greenville with his wife, a university public health professor, and their two children. They are members of Christ Church Episcopal in Greenville.