Advice

Advice and Whiskey with Gretchen Cliburn

Soaking up the sun and a few summer cocktails at Luna Modern Mexican Kitchen, Gretchen Cliburn, Managing Director of Forvis Mazars Private Client, shares how surviving cardiac arrest developed a professional passion.

by Dori Grinder

Jul 2025

Gretchen Cliburn and Dori Grinder
Photo by Katy St. ClairGretchen Cliburn (left) is Managing Director of Forvis Mazars Private Client. Purchase Photo

On Learning What You Don’t Want to Do

“I was a candy striper volunteer in the hospital for a short time. One day I got to work in the pharmacy, so I thought, ‘maybe I’ll be a pharmacist.’ And then I got to count pills all day and I decided I didn’t want to be a pharmacist.”

“I was the foreign money teller at a bank on the military base while we lived in Germany. I learned quickly that it was a transaction relationship between myself and the person on the other side of the window. I knew I wanted a deeper relationship with people than that five-minute interaction.”

On Taking Things One Step at a Time

“My husband Kenneth was injured in Iraq in December of 2009, two days after our daughter was born with unexpected health issues. As a military wife, I was used to the ups and downs of this kind of information. I took comfort in the fact that he called me himself. I knew he was still alive and things would be okay. Then it was just literally one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, to get through it.”

On the Gifts That Come From Crisis

“Eleven years ago, I had a cardiac arrest while I was running a half marathon. I don’t know why I’m still here. Only God knows that. But one of the things I realized was that it’s really important that our healthcare providers are able to focus on their patients and have the best possible patient outcome, because I am a result of that. As a Certified Financial Planner, I determined that I can help by providing wealth management service specific to physicians. We originally developed a physician wealth management niche, then we built a platform to provide physician financial wellness education for their unique career stages. I love this work, and it’s making a very impactful difference in the lives of our healthcare community.”

Financial Planning and Life Planning

“It’s easier to make an educated decision when you have the facts. Let’s look at the analysis, the cost, and then make a decision. I say that routinely to clients, and it’s something I apply in my own life.”

Gretchen Cliburn is Managing Director of Forvis Mazars Private Client.