Free yourself. Dream Big. Live Well.
Integrity is the Foundation of Who We Are
Your team at Freedom Financial Group is dedicated to improving our clients’ lives by delivering the best possible services and advice. We work as a team, YOUR TEAM. Your team will provide the expertise you need in all areas of your financial life, from planning, investments, tax minimization strategies, estate planning, and beyond.
Marissa D. Nehlsen
Chief Executive Officer, Financial Professional
Marissa, is the founder and CEO of Freedom Financial Group. Starting from the humble beginnings of a North Dakota farm girl, Marissa developed a unique approach and strategy to business that established her as an accomplished leader with proven results. Over her 28-year career, she has led thousands of clients to achieve extraordinary results. Fueled by other people's growth, Marissa serves her clients through her holistic planning firm based on the core principles of informing, empowering, and equipping individuals, organizations, and businesses to make wise choices.
As a business leader, Marissa has built multiple multi-million-dollar companies for herself and thousands of her clients.
As a money and business strategist, Marissa has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading professionals with expertise on building wealth, minimizing taxes, and repositioning profits.
As an active philanthropist, when she isn't helping business owners’ future-proof their businesses around the world, she can be found on her mountain, changing lives in Costa Rica through the Foundation of Latin America.
Nick Mock
Chief Operations Officer, Financial Professional
Nick Mock grew up in a family owned business, watching his dad and grandfather navigate generational leadership and legacy planning.
They taught him lessons about saving, investing and hard work. Nick was blessed to have two wonderful role models teach him about business and finance. He soon realized he had a real niche for finance and focused all of his education on it. After graduating high school in Minot, North Dakota, he attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, and graduated with a bachelors in finance. Shortly after graduating, in 2009 he returned to Minot to start his career. First, as an intern with Freedom Financial Group, and then working himself through the ranks in 2018 to his current role as chief operations officer and advanced planning team lead.
Today he is an essential member of the Freedom Financial Group team - a dependable and devoted sounding board for his clients as well as his fellow colleagues. He has drive to help impact those around him in every aspect of their financial planning. His common sense approach to designing your ideal plan and maximizing strategies for tax, legal, risk and wealth management have earned him the respect and gratitude from all who know him.
As a partner in Freedom Financial Group, Nick's professional and personal goals are the same… To build lasting relationships with his clients to educate, empower, and equip those around him.
Outside the walls of Freedom Financial Group, Nick is a devoted husband and father. As a dad, Nick enjoys coaching their sports teams and loves every minute of watching them grow and develop. Nick understands the beauty and hard work that comes with raising two young boys in a family owned business. Nick and his wife Ashley are modeling values based leadership in their community, businesses and home. Nick looks forward to getting to know you your goals and helping you build your freedom plan.
Minot Team
Troy Mantz
Financial Professional
Troy is a dedicated advisor that helps our clients not only achieve their financial goals, but also enjoy the ride while they plan for their financial future. Whether you have met with him before or not, he will have you leaving our office with a smile and a coordinated plan to tackle even the largest of obstacles.
Troy graduated from Minot State University with a Business Management degree in the mid-80s. Prior to joining our team in early 2015, Troy spent 28 years working as a sales representative in Minot. Troy holds his Securities Licenses (Series 63,65 and 7) along with his Insurance Producer Licenses. He is a vital part of our team and is always willing to lend a helping hand.
When Troy isn’t at work, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife Sue and two boys Garret and Clay. They often spend their weekends making memories traveling or at the lake riding jet-skis until they run out of gas.
Troy has always said that he would never recommend anything for clients that he would not do himself. While building a Comprehensive Retirement plan, he treats our clients as if they were his own family. You will see what makes us different in that we don’t take a Cookie cutter approach to our Planning and every clients plan is different and done so that is both understandable and attainable. Come on in and see what we have to offer.
Meggan Urban
Financial Professional
As a dedicated Advisor, with a fondness for building relationships with those she works with, Meggan works hard to make sure you feel heard. Through experience and growth, Meggan has become a passionate Financial Professional, who goes the extra mile making sure no stone gets left unturned when it comes to your financial planning process. Meggan strives to continue the relationship after the initial planning is complete. She calls these “warm fuzzy" relationships. As you go through changes in your life, you know that you have a qualified and reliable thinking partner on your side at whatever stage you are in.
From Minot, ND Meggan has always needed to understand the value of a dollar. Stepping into the financial planning world by chance, Meggan is constantly willing to learn more! You will work well with Meggan if you believe a penny saved is a penny earned, but a penny leveraged is a penny gained. Meggan joined the Freedom Financial Group team in 2014 as an intern through Minot State University and has had several roles throughout her time but feels most comfortable building financial confidence within families!
In her free time, Meggan enjoys getting her hands dirty in the garden. She’s an advocate for the benefits of a yoga practice but also encourages Pizza Friday.
Danielle Nehlsen
Administrative Assistant
Growing up at Freedom Financial Group is where Danielle started with the team. Being part of a family business is something she learned from birth. As part of a family-owned business since birth, she learned how to take great care of our clients, meet their needs, and answer the calls to action that are required to help people achieve their goals.
Danielle’s primary role within FFG is to coordinate the team, the events, and connect the right team member to the right advisor or service team member. She helps plan, assist and coordinate all upcoming speaking events, workshops and client centered experiences.
Danielle joined our team in 2021 and works with our executive leadership team to provide continuity and continued success for our clients. She is passionate about serving people and helping them get what they want when they need it. She also oversees our client communications and several areas of compliance within our team.
Ellen Warner
Office Administrator
In the early stages of Freedom Financial Group, Ellen worked very closely with Marissa, since their desks were so close their chairs would touch. Ellen moved with Marissa into their first office location and assisted with anything that needed to be done including reception, answering phones, filling out applications, calling clients back, and maintaining compliance among other tasks.
Ellen left Freedom Financial Group in 2011, to be home with her two young sons. As her boys, Beckett & Taeson, both started elementary school, she pursued jobs that would allow her to work during school hours and found her love of organizing and merchandising. As time has passed, so have Marissa and Ellen’s paths. Everything seemed to align with both, a position at FFG and Ellen’s season of life, as if it were meant to be.
It has always been a passion of Ellen’s to assist others. She takes pride in pushing others higher and being the light for clients and team members. She is a great fit as an Office Administrator as well as working on some of the Human Resources at Freedom Financial Group.
Some of Ellen’s favorite things are her two boys, her pets, her family, her home, and white cheddar popcorn. When Ellen is not at work, she enjoys keeping her house and yard tidy, going for walks with her dogs, and spending time with her boys and family who live in Minot. Being born and raised in Minot, she usually doesn’t venture too far away but when she does it’s usually driving to see her sister in MN. When her brother comes to town, you can find them doing various activities like roofing, laying flooring, trimming trees, etc. Finding something that needs to be done and wanting to accomplish it is a trait both her parents have passed down to her and she is grateful for it. This trait has been an asset to our team at Freedom Financial Group.
Jake Mock
Jacob Mock is a Service Assistant at Freedom Financial Group. With an education in business and accounting at Minot State University and a passion for accuracy, Jake is dedicated to providing top-notch service to our clients. His primary role is to create and maintain client reviews with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that each client receives accurate and comprehensive information. He stives to go above and beyond to exceed expectations with our clients and is committed to assisting advisors in their goal of helping individuals and families achieve financial freedom and security.
Outside of work, you can find Jake spending quality time with his family and two playful dogs. He enjoys outdoor activities at the lake and traveling to new places with his loved ones. His family and dogs bring him balance and motivation to give his best in all that he does.”
Bismarck Team
Jay Caldwell
Financial Professional
An accomplished leader with 17 years of experience, Jay Caldwell is an award-winning financial advisor whose dedication and drive brings a unique perspective to help clients achieve their loftiest goals. Jay works with clients to create a comprehensive financial plan to better manage their money, making adjustments to bring optimal growth.
Operating as a “thinking partner”, Jay communicates every step of the process and is always a phone call away to address any questions clients may have. With his client-first mentality, Jay will always have your best interest at heart, working with you to build a better future.
Growing up, Jay was inspired to pursue a career in finance by his great-grandfather, who served on the Federal Reserve board, along with several relatives in financial services. Jay went on to graduate from DePauw University with degrees in both economics and communications. He currently holds his Series 7, Series 66, and Insurance Provider licenses. Post college, Jay held many successful positions working at Transamerica, Curian Capital, and later, at his own independent financial advising practice. In 2018, Jay joined the Freedom Financial Group team when, after years of doing things all on his own, he realized that it’s impossible to be all things to all people
and a team perspective is the most beneficial for clients.
When he’s not busy with work, Jay focuses on being a husband and a father. Jay and his wife, Alli, work as a team in raising their two young daughters, Reese & Piper. For fun, Jay enjoys exercising, golfing, and traveling with his family.
Adam Melom
Financial Professional
“Dream big, work hard, stay humble.”
A hard worker with a passion to help others, Adam is a determined financial advisor who will always be in your corner when you need him. Fully aware that finance can be challenging and ever-changing, Adam works with our clients to holistically manage their financial world and put them in control of their financial future. With his relationship-oriented mindset, Adam will always go the extra mile to help clients achieve their goals.
Being a Minot native, Adam graduated from Minot State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. While attending college, Adam started at Freedom Financial Group as an intern in 2016 and later achieved his Series 65, 7, and Insurance Producer licenses.
In his free time, Adam enjoys sports, hunting, fishing, and spending time with his beloved wife, Paige, and their two sons, Asher and Cooper. Adam is very family oriented. He believes not only planning for your future, but also using your resources to enjoy the little things in life.
Arianne Ehlis
Administrative Assistant
“Throw kindness around like confetti!”
Upon entering Freedom Financial Group Bismarck, you’ll be greeted by the friendly face of Ari Ehlis. Known for her bubbly personality and strong work ethic, Ari is someone who enjoys getting clients the help they need. Working alongside our financial professionals, Ari assists in activities including (but not limited to) scheduling, data input, and helping prepare documents. A true people person, Ari is always there to provide a helping hand with anything clients may need.
Born and raised in North Dakota, Ari deeply loves her community. She is passionate about serving not only those who are involved with Freedom Financial Group but also those who need a helping hand.
Ari joined our Freedom Financial Group team in 2020 and continues to bring smiles and laughter to our FFG family daily. When she is not playing in her competitive Corn Hole League, you’ll find her outside enjoying her two dogs – Thea and Reacher - or elbow-deep in their gardens!
Jared Wittenberg
A determined and goal-oriented person, Jared uses his love for problem solving to assist our advisors while building financial plans.

Jared has lived in North Dakota his entire life enjoying everything it has to offer. He joined
Freedom Financial Group in 2023 to further his career and help the community around him.
Outside of Freedom Financial, Jared spends his time disc golfing, hunting, and playing softball and basketball.
Fargo Team
Carl Wallin
Financial Professional
Carl Wallin began his journey of partnering with clients to help them set and achieve their goals back in 2013.
During these five years, he discovered some universal keys to achieving the results you want in your life. He consistently helped individuals find their way, overcome obstacles, setbacks and create adaptive plans. This helped ensure ongoing success with their life, health, and fitness goals.
His passion to serve clients evolved into financial planning in 2018. Carl knew he could help people create a holistic plan, so he joined Freedom Financial Group. He now helps take the complicated world of finance and make it simple for our clients.
By optimizing the Core Four for tax, legal, risk, and wealth Carl’s clients are able to prepare versus repair. He is passionate about helping families, business owners, and retirees create a plan of prosperity for them, and future generations.
Jamestown Team
Linda Panchot
Operations Manager
Linda Panchot is the voice often heard when calling Freedom Financial Group Jamestown, and she serves in a more behind-the-scenes role for our Bismarck office. She’s a caring and hard-working personality whose main goal is to serve clients and their unique situations. Finance can be confusing, so it’s her mission to make financial matters run as smoothly as possible for clients and our office. This may involve preparing documentation, conducting a call, or just listening to the client’s concerns. For her, every client is a top priority and is seen as a real person, not just a business opportunity.
Raised in Marion, ND on a small family farm, she was taught the importance and impact of hard work and helping others. After our Jamestown team joined Freedom Financial Group in 2019, she has come to truly appreciate the value of using a team to offer a holistic planning approach instead of narrowly focusing on a specific financial need.
A rural and family girl at heart, she loves spending her time with her husband and four growing
daughters on a little farm and enjoys gardening, cheering for local high school teams, connecting with
the community, and serving through church and Camp Good News.
Dave Falk
Financial Professional
David Falk has been serving clients from the Jamestown area and beyond since 1980. He thrives on building relationships and friendships with his clients and multiple generations of their families. If you need to know who is related to whom, he is your guy. Dave was an Equitable/AXA agent for 35 years before venturing into the world of being an independent financial professional – allowing him the opportunity to better customize products and services to meet his clients’ unique needs. He joined the Freedom Financial Group team in 2019 so he and his clients could benefit from a locally-based true team approach for their financial and family legacies. When Dave is not in the office, you’ll likely find his wife and him court or field side enjoying his grandchildren’s many sporting events.
