Financial Advisor Success

Financial advisors frequently seek out relationships with Centers Of Influence (COIs) such as accountants and attorneys, but sometimes find that it's hard to get referrals from these professionals. Advisor marketing expert Dan Allison believes this is because COIs fear putting their own reputations on the line and joins the show today to explore how financial advisors can reframe COI relationships...

After growing her AUM by $30 million in just two years, Misty Lynch has become a go-to financial planning expert for small business owners and families within her community. This is thanks in part to her reputation inside local Facebook groups frequented by her ideal target client, where she rarely promotes herself but is frequently recommended. Misty is the owner of Sound View Financial Advisors,...

James Conole's firm has experienced explosive growth over the past few years (expecting to double its revenue to more than $10 million in 2025) thanks in part to his YouTube channel, which educates and builds trust with ideal prospects before they ever book a meeting. James is the founder of Root Financial, an RIA based in Encinitas, California, that oversees $1.3 billion in assets under managemen...

When Libby Greiwe realized that most client onboarding processes felt either clunky or cold, she decided to transform her own. What she has developed—based on her years as both a financial advisor and coach—is a system designed to create a seamless, personalized client experience that not only demonstrates professionalism, but also inspires client referrals within their first 100 days with the fir...

Griffin Kirsch built a $200 million AUM firm in just five years—while maintaining a 70% profit margin. Delivering high-touch planning to business owners and real estate investors without charging fees on those assets, Griffin's focus on providing hard-dollar value to his clients (especially around tax strategy and real estate decisions) has fueled deep trust and strong referral-driven growth. Grif...

David Bahnsen has built a reputation for speaking his mind, not only on issues related to financial markets, but also on topics many advisors shy away from, like religion and politics. Which has paid off for him in the form of attracting $100 million of new client assets to his firm per month as his content has built his credibility, deepened audience engagement, and drawn in both like-minded clie...

As advisory firms grow, so does the complexity of compliance—and Leila Shaver has built a business dedicated to helping them scale without costly missteps. She provides strategic guidance that keeps firms aligned with regulatory expectations as their teams, client bases, and responsibilities expand. Leila is the founder of My RIA Lawyer, a Georgia-based legal and compliance firm serving RIAs, brok...

What if you could decode a client's financial behavior before the first meeting? Nina Hajjar has done just that by creating a custom "money personality" assessment. This innovative tool helps her advisory team better understand client behavior, tailor communication styles, and deliver more personalized, consistent service across their $500-million practice. Nina is a partner at Stratos CA in Los A...

Alvin Carlos made a strategic decision to build internal efficiency and client accountability into the heart of his planning process—a move that not only streamlined how his team manages financial plans and client tasks, but also helped him scale. Turning Monday.com into the operational core of his firm, he has carved out a niche in serving younger clients profitably, while keeping his tech stack...

In this episode, financial advisor Nikki Savage discusses her approach to enhancing client retention and satsifaction by engaging in thoughtful, intentional relationship-building—specifically asking deep questions that uncover her clients' true needs and using that insight to create highly personalized experiences. Listen in as Nikki reflects on filtering feedback to stay true to her values and ho...

After the 1986 Tax Reform Act, Ed Slott made a strategic decision to specialize in IRAs—a move that not only set him apart in a niche field, but also helped him build a nationally recognized reputation as a leading expert. By leaning into his niche, he intentionally set himself apart from generalists by charging more to reflect the unique value he delivers. Today, Ed is the President of Ed Slott a...

Nicole Gopoian Wirick is the President of Prosperity Wealth Strategies, an RIA based out of Michigan that oversees $70 million in assets under management for 40 households. What's unique about Nicole is how she hired a branding consultant early on to develop a clear brand identity that reflects her financial planning philosophy and resonates with her ideal clients. This brand now acts as a filter...

Gideon Drucker is the CEO of Drucker Wealth, a hybrid advisory firm based out of New York City that oversees approximately $1 billion in assets under management for 800 client households. What's unique about Gideon is how he launched a "Wealth Builder" service model to support high-income next-gen clients—within a firm traditionally focused on retirees. In just five years, the offering has added 2...

Vanessa N. Martinez is the CEO of Expressive Wealth, an RIA based out of Chicago that oversees $135 million in assets under management for approximately 70 client households, including 10 'core' ultra-high-net-worth families. What's unique about Vanessa is how her firm goes beyond traditional estate planning to help high-net-worth clients engage in in-depth legacy planning. This approach ensures c...

Cameron Passmore is the CEO of PWL Capital, a wealth management firm based out of Ottawa, Canada, that oversees just over $5 billion Canadian dollars (or approximately $3.5 billion U.S. dollars) in assets under management for 2,400 client households. What's unique about Cameron is that after growing his firm's revenue from $2 million to over $20 million as an independent firm over the past decade,...

Seth Scott is the founder of Heartwood Financial Planning, an advisory firm in Fresno, California that manages $100 million in assets for 850 client households. What makes Seth's approach unique is his development of an "input deliverable" that simplifies tax planning for his ideal target client, allowing him to demonstrate value without creating time-intensive, custom reports for each individual....

Nick Rodkin is the managing partner of Stoic Financial, an LPL-affiliated advisory firm based in Florida that oversees $107 million in assets under management for 70 client households. What's unique about Nick is that after nearly 15 years as a financial advisor, he pursued a master's degree in marriage and family therapy to enhance his ability to help couples resolve financial conflicts. This add...

AJ Ayers is the co-founder of Brooklyn Fi, an RIA based in Brooklyn—but operating as a fully remote business—that oversees $370 million in assets under management for more than 400 client households. What's unique about AJ is how she and her business partner successfully tackled the hiring, training, and operational challenges of rapidly scaling their advisory firm from the ground up to $5 million...

Ali Nasser is the Founder of the Wealth Integration System for Entrepreneurs (WISE), an education and coaching company based out of Houston that works with entrepreneurs facing a liquidity event and trying to figure out what's next—as well as the financial advisors who serve them. Having built a successful advisory business by helping high-net-worth entrepreneurs align their financial goals with t...

Lorie Jones is the Wealth Manager at Fearless Financial Advisors, a DBA of hybrid advisory firm Fidelis Wealth Advisors based out of Colorado, where she oversees $30 million in assets under management for 88 households. What sets Lorie apart is how she maximized the capabilities of Salesforce CRM—typically used by larger firms due to its advanced features and higher cost—to streamline processes an...

Sten Morgan is the owner of Legacy Investment Planning, a hybrid advisory firm based in Franklin, Tennessee, that oversees $220 million in assets under management for 90 client households. Today Sten joins the show to share how he made the difficult decision to turn over his entire original team and rebuild with a new director of operations to create a stronger foundation for future growth. He exp...

Jennifer des Groseilliers is the CEO of The Mather Group, an RIA based in Chicago, Illinois, that oversees $15 billion in combined assets under management and advisement for approximately 4,400 client households . Today Jennifer shares how her firm has designed an program of broad-based equity awards across the firm to align the interests of employees with the firm's long-term client service and g...

Sebastian Guerra is the President of Guerra Wealth Advisors, a hybrid advisory firm based in Miami with nearly $15M of revenue and almost 60 team members, supporting over 1,700 client households. What's unique about Sebastian is how his firm has implemented a quality control system where a team member follows up with clients right after their advisor meetings to gather feedback and ensure high ser...

David Grau Jr. is the president of Succession Resource Group, an advisory consulting and valuation business based out of Oregon that serves independent financial advisors with RIAs and broker-dealers. What sets David apart is his two decades of experience supporting financial advisory firms, which has allowed him to identify best practices for founders and successors navigating increasingly comple...

Cristina Livadary is the CEO of Mana Financial Life Design, an RIA based in Los Angeles (that works virtually with clients nationwide) overseeing approximately $70 million in assets under management for 119 client households. Cristina's firm helps "sandwich generation" clients by crafting financial plans that address their personal needs and goals while also offering optional add-on planning engag...