RECORDS TO WEALTH: Century Wealth Management owner Jay Healy's new East Memphis office is decorated with mementos from his days in the music business, including Billy Joel's triple platinum album "Storm Front," which Healy engineered.

Seven years ago, Jay Healy changed careers the way talented musicians change tempo mid-song - seamlessly, fluidly, effortlessly. Like a virtuoso, he simply found a new beat and continued playing.

Musical analogies are appropriate for the New Jersey-bred Healy, who spent the early stages of his working life as a recording engineer for a number of popular artists including Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, John Mellencamp and R.E.M.

Now, as the owner of Century Wealth Management LLC, Healy applies the same principles to managing money that he once did to mixing music.

"The things that made me a good record producer make me a good financial adviser," he said. "It's about trust. Artists take you into their team and allow you to help them reach their goals. Artists want you to help them make their vision a reality. When you're working with a family, they want you to do the same thing."

Second becomes first

Healy's transition between the disparate worlds of music and money wasn't as difficult as some might think. Though he wanted to produce records since age 12 and worked hard to achieve that goal, Healy also developed a solid foundation in investing as he began earning larger paychecks from his mixing and producing gigs.

He eventually became as fascinated with finance as fine-tuning a recording.

"I read everything I could and embraced a much more institutional mindset about the whole thing," he said. "I knew what mattered, knew what didn't. Ultimately, I knew I could do this for other people. I had always had it in the back of my head that this could be a good second career for me."

And during the late 1990s, he realized it might be time to pursue that second career. The musical landscape was changing. It was going digital - and corporate - and Healy wasn't sure he would fit into this new world order.

"I could see the perceived value of music going down," Healy said. "I could see the consolidation of the record industry, and I just knew there would be fewer chances to make good albums going forward."

Making progress

Around that time, Healy's father-in-law was selling his Memphis engineering and construction firm, which required the need for some deft financial planning. It offered an ideal chance for Healy to try his hand at being an adviser.

"I saw an opportunity to start this business and take him on as my first client," Healy said.

Thanks to the success he realized with that first client, Healy launched his own company, Progress Capital, in 2000. The business name was a nod to his ideals and also to his roots in the music biz.

"I wanted a name that was evident of what the business was about," he said. "I love the word 'progress.' It's always been very meaningful to me. My company in New York was called Progress Audio - it was a natural transition to Progress Capital."

Healy, who would later earn the certified financial planner designation, established a business model for Progress Capital as a referral-based wealth management company for select customers.

"We call ourselves a multi-client family office, which is an industry term for a boutique financial advisory firm ... geared specifically toward high net-worth clients," he said.

With its organic growth stemming primarily from the portfolios of friends and family members, Progress Capital focused on growth that was steady rather than explosive.

"What I wanted was a business that provided conflict-free, comprehensive and client-centered advice - what I call 'The Three C's' - to just a small group of families," Healy said. "I didn't want 100 clients, I just wanted a dozen."

Rebranding

About one year ago - nearly six after venturing away from music - Healy was able to move out of his home office and into a shared executive suite. And he recently moved into his own office space, at 5350 Poplar Ave.

Another big change came when Healy chose to rebrand the company; he chose the moniker Century Wealth Management after careful consideration.

"I didn't think Progress Capital said anything about what we actually did," he said. "I wanted a name that was more self-evident. I thought it was also a good opportunity to refresh and reintroduce ourselves to the community."

The company has broadened its scope by soliciting more clients. Its assets under management have grown to $90 million. And Healy hired an associate, John Sadlow, to handle accounting and administrative duties.

Century Wealth Management's new Web site, www.centurywealth.com, will be up soon, meaning Healy can concentrate on expansion.

"As we grow the business, we have a staffing plan that will take us from where we are now to where we need to be," he said.

That means Healy can change the tempo or the tune as needed.