Estia Focused Financial is a Virginia-based firm that builds its work around longstanding client relationships and a practical approach to planning. It views financial planning as a partnership, supporting people as their priorities evolve while keeping communication grounded in clarity and trust.
The firm took shape after President Derilyn Freeman and CEO David Dlugacz spent years working side by side, recognizing that their distinct strengths created a meaningful dynamic for clients. Over time, that collaboration developed into the foundation for Estia Focused Financial, a holistic financial planning firm shaped by a shared interest in experience, culture, and purpose.
"We wanted to build something that reflected how people felt when they worked with us, and by that I mean feeling comfortable, understood, and confident enough to engage openly," Freeman shares. The firm's name reflects that philosophy. Inspired by Hestia, the Greek goddess associated with the hearth and the home, the name emerged through conversations with clients who, according to Freeman, often described their experience using words tied to ease, comfort, and positivity.
Those principles extend beyond the firm's name and into its organizational design. Estia operates with a three-person leadership team, a structure designed to balance vision and execution. As the President, Freeman's role centers on aligning people and purpose. She focuses on helping each team member work within their natural strengths while fostering an environment where motivation and collaboration can develop organically. "When people feel supported and clear about how they contribute, the entire experience can improve for clients and advisors," she notes.
Dlugacz complements that structure through his ability to connect across personalities and backgrounds. Known within the firm for bringing humor and warmth into conversations, he helps create engaging meetings. "Trust often builds faster when people feel at ease," Dlugacz shares. "A little laughter can open the door to more honest discussions, and those conversations may lead to better decisions over time." His presence reinforces the firm's emphasis on relationships as a meaningful foundation for planning.
COO Gresham Walmsley joined the firm later and quickly became a key connector between ideas and execution. He speaks about expansion in terms of influence and reach rather than scale alone. "Impact guides every operational decision we make, from how processes flow to how clients experience our service," Walmsley remarks. His operational focus helps translate vision into repeatable systems that support growth while staying aligned with the firm's values.
That shared direction is supported by a set of core values developed collaboratively by the entire team. Meaningful work, a commitment to excellence, healthy ambition, strong relationships, and personal well-being serve as reference points for internal decisions and client conversations. Estia extends this values-based framework into its planning process by inviting clients to define their own guiding principles, creating a shared language that brings clarity to financial choices and life priorities.
Estia Focused Financial offers a range of planning and advisory services that touch the key areas of a client's financial life, including retirement planning, fee-based financial planning, and investment management. The firm's consultative approach often includes guidance on cash flow, investments, risk awareness, tax-efficient strategies, and long-term planning.
Its process typically begins with a conversation meant to introduce how a partnership might take shape rather than frame the relationship as a transaction. The goal is for clients to gain a clearer sense of their current position, potential opportunities, and ways thoughtful adjustments could support their goals. Ideas are discussed openly, and any recommendations are shared with consideration for each client's pace, comfort level, and preferences.
"For us, the conversations don't stop after the first meeting," Freeman says. "We try to keep learning accessible, whether that's through webinars or other touchpoints that help people explore planning topics and the broader financial themes that matter to them." These sessions carry the firm's commitment to clarity beyond individual meetings, giving clients accessible ways to stay informed and engaged throughout the year. In doing so, Estia also reflects the adaptability that has influenced its own development.
Several milestones have contributed to Estia's evolution, including an early embrace of virtual and hybrid service models that increased flexibility for clients and advisors. The addition of advisor Karen Buckley further strengthened the firm. "When Karen joined us, we felt her experience and collaborative way of working fit naturally with how our team operates," Freeman shares. "Her presence has helped us strengthen the way we support our advisors and, in turn, the clients they work with."
Overall, Estia Focused Financial aims to welcome another advisor who shares the firm's commitment to meaningful work, relationship-driven service, and cultural alignment. The goal is to expand capacity while preserving the environment that clients and advisors value. Through shared purpose, Estia intends to continue shaping a model of financial planning that feels personal and built to last.
