Bubble Wrap

Dave Kennon made one mistake when he and his wife, Dalanee, decided to move from Pittsburgh to Sarasota in 2009.

The lifestyle was doubtlessly an upgrade. So too, obviously, was the weather. And, with three young children, being near a large extended family was a tangible plus.

Kennon's miscalculation: The fast success he found in financial planning in Pittsburgh didn't materialize at his new firm, Gulf Coast Insurance Advisors, which has offices in Sarasota and Bonita Springs. Kennon, who taught English in Japan after college, built a thriving money-management business in less than five years in western Pennsylvania. By the time he turned 30, Kennon was a member of the Million Dollar Roundtable, an elite group of financial professionals. His firm, Kenmar Financial Advisors, had 1,000 clients.