Mia grew up in southern Oregon and now lives in DeLand, Florida, where she and her husband Aaron, a retired military veteran, settled into their forever home. They have four children and, so far, one grandchild.

She holds a BA in human resource management and two MBAs, one in general management and one in IT management, along with undergrads in finance and HR management. She also holds the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) and Financial Planning & Wealth Management (FPWM) designations.

The name Octus comes from two places. Auctus, the Latin word for increase, abundance, and prosperity—the same root that gave us the word “author.” And the octopus, an animal with a brain in every arm: adaptable, capable, relationship-driven, and built to pass something on to the next generation. That is the practice Mia set out to build.

She works primarily with people approaching retirement and people already in it. The work starts with two questions rather than a product: what do you want your retirement to look like, and what are you trying to leave behind? From there, the education focuses on the decisions that matter to you so you can see your options clearly and choose your direction. Making you the author of your golden years.