Jeriod and Leah Turner with their sons: Jase, Grant, and Ian.

/BFG Spotlight - Jeriod Turner

It was 2004—shortly after the arrest of Saddam Hussein—when a young soldier named Jeriod Turner arrived in Iraq to help run convoy support. 

Deployed during his first semester at Hannibal-LaGrange University, Jeriod found himself just north of Baghdad, transporting fuel and supplies along dangerous routes. 

He recalled a tense period after an attack on Fallujah hit a sister unit, along with several other units. They were attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, which was recalled to the field mid-flight. 

“We were running on roads that required general-level approval,” Jeriod said. “You could see the aftermath from the attacks—it was eerie. For about two weeks, there was hardly anyone around. We didn’t get attacked, but that quiet time made it one of the most intense stretches.”

While most of his time overseas was uneventful in terms of conflict, deployment always carries a weight.

“There was always some unknown,” he said, “but as a Christian, I put my trust in the Lord. You don’t worry about what you can’t control; you focus on what you can. We knew we had a job to do, so we did it.”

Growing up in Bevier, Mo., Jeriod’s eight-year commitment in the Army Reserves began in 2002, before he graduated high school. He completed basic training the summer between his junior and senior year, followed by advanced training in 2003, the summer after he graduated.

After a year in Iraq and missing three semesters of college—also missing his high school sweetheart—Jeriod wasted no time when he returned. 

He married Leah in 2005. In 2007, they both graduated from HLGU, Jeriod with a business degree with an emphasis on finance, and Leah earned a nursing degree.

Already feeling ingrained in the community and not too far from family, Jeriod and Leah decided to make Hannibal their home. 

They are now raising three boys together: Ian (15), Grant (11), and Jase (7) who was adopted from South Korea.

“We enjoy playing sports and board games together,” Jeriod said. “Ian is beginning to drive, Grant enjoys shooting BB guns, and Jase enjoys everything.”

Before working at BFG, Jeriod worked in the banking industry for nine years, and during that time, he was deployed to Kuwait for a little less than a year.  

Looking back, Jeriod sees he was being prepared for a future only God knew.

“I would say most soldiers who are deployed at age 18 definitely come out more mature at a younger age,” Jeriod said. “I was put in a leadership position early-on, and the discipline and work ethic I learned has become part of me.”

Jeriod—a first-team all-conference player—first dreamed of playing professional basketball but he gained a new perspective early in high school.

“The Lord saved me between my freshman and sophomore year, and my priorities changed. I started looking at life differently,” he said. “My height wasn’t quite what I needed for a full-ride basketball scholarship. College was expensive, and I knew the military would help with that. I also knew the personal discipline would be good for me.” 

Jeriod got to know Pat and Connie Benson through various Bible studies he participated in over the years.

Around 2014, Jeriod and Pat joined the same weekly Bible study for men in business where they often lingered after the meeting to talk. One morning Pat asked Jeriod if he’d ever thought of being an entrepreneur.

“I told him that I had thought about it many times, because I am entrepreneurial-minded,” Jeriod said. “I didn’t feel fulfilled in banking, so I was searching for something new.”

This conversation sparked a series of discussions with Pat and Connie. In 2016, Jeriod accepted a position as a financial planner, soon after that he moved into part ownership of the firm. 

With Benson Financial Group’s foundation built on Christ and dedicated to offer servant hearts to clients and employees, Jeriod saw his own values reflected in the BFG culture.  

The team has more than doubled since Jeriod joined the firm, and they work continually to cultivate the Christ centered and service-minded atmosphere. 

As BFG grows, leadership turns to those on the front lines of the firm. 

“Good leaders are always listening, and we can’t see everything that happens, so that’s why we ask employees at least once a year what they are seeing that we don’t,” he said. “They are the ones picking up phones and greeting clients at the door.”

“A lot of our best ideas—big and small—have come from our staff,” Jeriod continued. “The other side of that is when the staff know they are being seen and heard, they are empowered to take ownership themselves.”

With a growing staff and clientele, Jeriod looks forward to what the future of BFG holds. 

“At the end of the day, our growth pattern is so we can help more people,” he said. “The more service we can offer, the more people we can serve.”

As Jeriod walks through life as a husband, father, financial planner, and business owner, he considers this verse.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. –Colossians 3:17

“Whatever we set out to do, we should do for our Lord Jesus Christ,” Jeriod said. “Whether that is working or enjoying what the Lord has given us.  We should also do it with a thankful heart to the Lord.”

Is Bitcoin the same thing as Cryptocurrency?

Not quite!

Bitcoin is the most well-known cryptocurrency, but it’s just one of thousands out there. Cryptocurrency is the broader term for digital currencies that exist online and are secured by advanced coding and record-keeping systems.

While Bitcoin leads the charge, today’s cryptocurrency market is wide and varied.