Helping people manage their money
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Holmes Pettey has built a remarkable life and career in his adopted hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi—a place he not only calls home, but also holds close to his heart.
“I love Clarksdale because of its size, the people, the church system—I love the entire Delta for the same reasons,” says Pettey. “Clarksdale is a very special place. It’s been a blessing to live and work here and help others with their financial goals in the process.” He has clients in over 20 states.
Pettey is the co-founder of Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors, LLC, with offices in Clarksdale, Memphis, Oxford, Grenada, and Jackson. For decades, he has guided individuals and families toward financial security and prosperity, blending personal dedication with professional expertise.
A 1969 graduate of Memphis University School, Pettey earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi in 1973. Pettey was an SAE and is still very much involved in the fraternity. After college, he returned to his roots, working alongside his family as a cotton farmer for thirteen years.
“My grandmother, Mary Sherard, told me I am supposed a farmer because I was named after her husband,” recalls Pettey. “I didn’t have a lot of job offers at the time, so I agreed.”
Farming proved to be more than a job—it was, in his words, “an MBA in real life,” where he learned valuable lessons about machinery, banking, commodities, and leadership.
But a chance conversation on a tennis court changed his trajectory. While playing with future business partner, Dudley Barnes, Pettey inquired about his line of work. When Barnes explained he was in investments, Pettey responded, “I think I could do that.” Barnes challenged him to take the licensing exam—and he passed.
By 1983, he had transitioned from farming into finance full-time, eventually becoming a partner at Barnes-Pettey Financial Advisors in 1989. He earned the Certified Financial Planner™ certification in 1994.
“Helping people with their money wasn’t my first choice,” he admits. “But once I got into it, I knew I had found my calling.”
Pettey is known for his relentless work ethic and personal dedication to his clients.
“I work most of the time, but it’s what I love,” he says. “I’m on the phone most of the day helping and advising people. I monitor funds, build portfolios, and stay in constant contact with my clients.”
That devotion has paid off—Pettey has been a top producer at Raymond James for more than thirty-five years. Even as his business grew, his commitment to personal relationships never wavered.
“My clients are truly my second family,” he says. “They all have my cell number. I’m always available to them—no matter the time or day.
“I split my time now between Clarksdale, Memphis, and Oxford, with a condo in Fort Lauderdale where I stay once a month. I’ve been doing this for the last 18 years,” says Pettey. “And, as I’ve said, I love working with clients every day, watching the performance of the funds we currently use, and always being on the lookout for better options.
“I would not be able to accomplish this without my team. My partners, Andrew Yee and Joey Friend, along with assistants Strider Bowen and Janea Burgess, help take care of our clients,” he adds.
While Pettey ultimately found his professional path in finance, music was his first love. Inspired by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones after watching them live in Memphis in the 1960s, he saved up money working on his grandfather’s farm to buy a drum set and form a band. Though the group eventually disbanded, he stayed connected to music.
At Ole Miss, he started booking bands under a title called “Pettey Productions,” booking acts without using agents. What Pettey found after booking approximately 800 events, most of them at a young age, was discovering a hidden talent “Entertaining people is very fulfilling.” He never charged a band a booking fee. To this day he still maintains relationships with a lot of the musicians. His entrepreneurial spirit extended to working with Memphis Carnival Krewes, mostly Osiris, and other social groups for over 30 years. He has also been to over 50 concerts, “I love music,” he says.
An avid traveler, Pettey’s work with Raymond James has taken him on 27 international business trips. “I’ve been to 40 foreign countries, and travel has become a huge part of my life,” he says. “By far, my favorite country to visit is Italy. That said, Africa is absolutely majestic—nothing compares to Kenya or South Africa.”
Pettey’s love for travel goes beyond business. He went so far as to start an informal “Pettey Group” to take friends and clients on trips and was their tour guide which was more enjoyable to him than entertaining people with music. He did approximately ten of these trips.
Family and faith are at the core of Pettey’s life, both personally and professionally. “Daily prayer is paramount,” he reflects. “It’s one of the great benefits of life. Also, contributing to charities is very important to me, especially here in Clarksdale and to causes my clients are involved in.
“I also exercise every day for an hour. My routine includes resistance training and aerobic activity. I adopted this routine based on articles I have read because, in my opinion, exercise is the fountain of youth. It certainly helps with stress,” says Pettey.
Pettey credits much of his success to his family’s unwavering support. “My parents, John Pettey from Greenwood and Beverly Sherard from Sherard, always supported me in everything I’ve done in my life,” he says. “My brother, John—who is an advisor with Raymond James in Memphis—and my sister, Mary, who lives in Oxford and is a house mother at the Ole Miss KA house, are both very special to me.”
As a member of the Clarksdale Methodist Church, Pettey finds spiritual grounding in his faith. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, traveling, snow skiing, scuba diving and following college sports, especially Ole Miss athletics. Pettey has two daughters, Beverly Grace Pettey, who lives in Seattle, Washington, and Whitney Pettey Joiner, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband, Grant, and their two “precious” daughters, Pettey and Kathleen.
“My clients and friends ask me when I am going to retire. Retirement has never been a goal of mine. I love what I do,” says Pettey.