Between Now and Success

MILLENNIAL FINANCIAL ADVISOR JAMES OSBORNE STARTED OUT ON A TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL ADVISOR TRACK then he became disillusioned. He noticed there wasn't much difference in the services he provided to a client with a 3 or 4 million dollar portfolio versus a client with a half million dollar portfolio. As he told me, "It started to feel that the fee structure was not based on what we did for people or...

MILLENNIALS GET A LOT OF PRESS AND THERE'S GOOD REASON FOR THAT. They’re over 80 million strong, they’re digitally savvy, and they tend to think and act much differently than earlier generations. In this new series of podcasts, I interview several leading millennial advisors and explore their business models, their thinking, and how their cohort may reshape the financial industry over the next 15...

A relatively small number of RIA firms have grown faster and more profitably than their peers in recent years, according to research from InvestmentNews and BlackRock. Dubbed "Elite RIAs," these firms have cracked the code and implemented strategies, tactics, and "ways of doing business" that propelled them to the top. On average, these  Elite RIAs have > $500 million in AUM, $5.8 million in reven...

You could be a highly competent financial advisor but if few people know about you, you’ll starve for new business.   There are two main ways to become known to your ideal audience. Develop the audience yourself through marketing. Show up in the middle of somebody else’s audience and display your value. I can assure you, the second option is by far the most effective both in terms of time and mone...

Today’s podcast with Steve Sanduski is all about understanding the concept of exponential technology and how you can incorporate it in your business to accelerate your growth, your profitability, and keep you relevant for years to come.   In this episode , you’ll discover: Why your mindset is a more important asset than time. How a deep understanding of the "6 D’s of Exponentials" will prepare you...

Consumers are getting spoiled with services like Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, and the iPhone and they expect the same level of ease and access when working with an advisor. If you don’t deliver it, you’ll lose clients to advisors who will.   In today’s podcast,  I discuss the conversations I had in New York last week with Betterment founder and CEO Jon Stein, Personal Capital co-founder and CEO Bill Har...

If you want to accelerate your growth rate and create a consistent stream of new clients, you have to move beyond referral marketing and become a marketing machine. David Canter, EVP, Practice Management and Consulting at Fidelity leads an ace team that has been consulting with RIAs and researching how they can elevate their performance for years.  In today's podcast, David and I discuss what the...

Elliot Weissbluth started $30 Billion RIA firm HighTower by asking, "If we had a blank piece of paper and a blank slate and I started with my mom as the client, what would she expect from a thoughtful financial advisor?" Working backward from that premise, he built the firm into a powerhouse. In this episode, we discuss: How he raised $65 million in institutional money before even having his first...

Faced with the task of upgrading the portfolio accounting system at CLS Investment, his family's growing investment advisory firm, Eric Clarke couldn't find a suitable off-the-shelf product. So, like every great entrepreneur, he decided to build it himself. That was 1999. Today, Orion Advisor Services is a fast-growing $25 million technology company that serves as the operational hub for many of t...

Carl Richards is best known as the Behavior Gap guy and for his weekly Sketch Guy column in the New York Times. He’s now out with a new book, The One-Page Financial Plan. We had a lively conversation about the book, his writing process, financial planning conversations, and how financial advisors can use books in general to build their business.

After interviewing more than 50 of the world’s greatest investment managers, Nobel Prize winners, self-made billionaires, and leading academics for his book,  Money: Master the Game , Tony Robbins came to some startling conclusions. In this episode, he reveals a treasure trove of actionable insights and behind the scenes stories that will benefit you for years to come. Near the end of the conversa...

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING, TURN ON YOUR COMPUTER, AND DISCOVER that you have two new clients with a million in assets waiting to do business with you? It’s happening now with Robo Advisor technology and Simon Roy of Jemstep shares how. Having great technology is one thing, but leveraging it can be a whole different ballgame. Simon and I discuss how to build a business, leverage it with...

Marty Bicknell left a great job as a senior vice president at A.G. Edwards & Sons in 2006 and started over. Today, he presides over an empire of 32 companies managing more than $30 billion in AUM. He accomplished this feat through a combination of acquisitions, organic growth, and good timing. In this episode, Marty adds texture to one of the most exciting growth stories in the financial services...

Despite a dreadful childhood growing up in the Republic of Rhodesia, super entrepreneur Joe Duran has built not just one but two multi-billion dollar investment advisory firms. And along the way he had time to write three books including one that became a New York Times bestseller. Here’s an example of the type of advice you’ll hear from Joe, “The more important you are to the business, the less v...

The concept of retirement has changed dramatically over the past couple decades. Has your retirement planning changed with the times? Effective planning starts with understanding a client’s story and what their money is for. Are you asking the right questions? Are you helping your clients find “meaning” and not just “money?” Are you aware of the 67 life transitions that your clients might go throu...

If you ever wanted to know what it takes to get on Barron’s list of Top Advisors, here it is. Sterling Shea opens the kimono and takes us behind the scenes as he shares the criteria Barron's uses to rank its top advisors. From his perch as the Managing Director and Head of Advisor Programs at Barron's, Sterling is a leading authority on financial advisor practice management and one of the most plu...

DAVID BACH IS A BESTSELLING PERSONAL FINANCE AUTHOR, an expert on women investors, and Vice Chairman of Edelman Financial Services. Our wide-ranging discussion covers how he wrote 9 consecutive New York Times Bestsellers, how to raise billion of dollars in new assets, and why women make great clients. The podcast was recorded in San Diego and we have some interesting sound effects for your listeni...

MARK MOSES COACHES 30 OF THE WORLD’S TOP ENTREPRENEURS AND CEOs and kicks their butt to increase profitability and accelerate growth. As a successful entrepreneur himself, Mark discusses the 5 things every entrepreneur and CEO should focus on and delves into the world of singularity and exponential organizations.

As the #1 Independent Financial Advisor in the U.S. in 2011 and a serial entrepreneur, Steve has some great lessons to share. I call him the "Uncola" of the financial industry because he is truly a maverick. We delve into how he built his businesses, how he serves clients, and what he does differently from everybody else that helped him reach the top. He even shares how he recently brought on two...

JON STEIN, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF BETTERMENT, TELLS HOW HE co-founded the company and built it into one of the fastest growing and most innovative investment firms in the country. It’s a great story about how a smart guy with a timely idea can marshall the resources and build a company that is reshaping how business is done in the investment world.

JOHN MICHEL, CEO OF CIRCLEBLACK, SHARES HIS BEST STRATEGIES, TIPS, AND TOOLS on how to think about and incorporate innovation into your business. The world is moving rapidly and those who understand how to harness technology and use it to improve their operations and their client experience will reap tremendous rewards.

STEVE MOELLER SHARES HIS BEST STRATEGIES, TIPS, AND TOOLS on how to incorporate his concept of Endorphinomics into your life so you can maximize your emotional, physical, and financial well-being. As a long time consultant and coach, Steve details how you can use these principles to build your business and help you and your clients live their best possible life.

Paul Santello shares his best strategies, tips, and tools on how to build a brand that connects with your clients and prospects. Plus, we discuss how you can use "VIPER" as a strategic framework to build your compelling brand.

DEBORAH FOX SHARES HER BEST STRATEGIES, TIPS AND TOOLS on how to ensure your business grows in the years ahead. Plus, she goes into detail on how to build a Robo-Shield for your firm.

JASON LAHITA SHARES HIS BEST STRATEGIES, TIPS AND TOOLS on how to use public relations to enhance credibility and grow your business. Plus, he adds some bonus thoughts on how to use PR to leverage your referral marketing and social media activities.