Business 1 on 1 with Brandon Christy, owner of Retirement Benefits Institute Inc.

Brandon Christy, owner of Retirement Benefits Institute Inc., 2939 McManus Road, Macon, 877-864-1145, www.retireinstitute.com.

How long have you been in business?: "We started the operation about six years ago. I am a CPA and financial planner, and we recognized the need in the federal employment community to help them understand their benefits in preparation for retirement ... and created this business to meet that need.

What do you like best about your job?: "I love it when someone's eyes light up as they realize that they will be able to retire successfully. ... When we meet people, they usually come to us, and they are in darkness about how to retire or even if they can retire. ... So we have that opportunity to shed light on that darkness, give them the tools they need to make life changing decisions. ... That is the highlight for all of us."

What is your specialty?: "What we have seen over the last decade is a reduction in HR services provided by the government ... and it's created a need for people to be helped through the process."

The company is averaging about 50 training events a year primarily throughout the Southeast. It also offers online training.

"During the last few years, we've averaged training about 1,700 federal employees a year."

What are your future plans?: "We are going to continue to expand our influence at Robins Air Force Base. ... We'll continue to grow the training events throughout the Southeast. By this point, word of mouth is spreading, and our event attendance is growing."

-- Linda S. Morris

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Business 1 on 1 with Brandon Christy, owner of Retirement Benefits Institute Inc. ."