Financial Advisor Success

Standing out as a true retirement expert: today's guest shares how she systemized her service by leaning into decumulation planning and running multiple tests on client plans to give them greater confidence that they will meet their retirement goals.  Dana Anspach is the founder of Sensible Money, an RIA based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that oversees $850 million in assets under management for 330 cl...

While it can seem like video content is everywhere, creating educational videos doesn't automatically result in viewers (or new clients) for financial advisors. Which suggests that taking a structured, evidence-based approach to video content could lead to a greater return on investment and a more satisfying experience.  Today's guest joins the show to share what advisors can learn from his experi...

Making the decision to downsize after growing can be shocking, but might also be the best decision for work-life balance. Today's guest  shares the lessons she learned from growing her firm to more than 100 clients, before ultimately deciding that downsizing was the right choice.  Carolyn McClanahan is the founder of Life Planning Partners, an RIA based in Jacksonville, Florida, that oversees $300...

Key metrics can not only show how your advisory firm is performing, but also whether your team is thriving. Today's guest builds a 'killer' scorecard to track the metrics that matter – from client engagement and new business activity to employee time off and retention – as well as why she shares valuable planning insights with prospects before they even become clients and how being more selective...

How do you know  you're making the right decision, especially when every  option comes with trade-offs? Whether you're making career decisions or leading a growing advisory firm, today's guest offers practical lessons on building a business that aligns with your values while creating long-term success.   Andrew Rosen is the Executive Chairman of Diversified, LLC, and in this episode, he shares the...

What makes a financial advisor stand out? T he answer isn't  a better logo or tagline— it's  building a personal brand  that stands out in the eyes of good-fit clients and ensures their work is in sync with their values. Sheri Fitts is a marketing strategist, and she joins the show to explain why every advisor already has a brand ( whether they  realize it or not), and how intentionally shaping th...

Whether you're looking to scale your advisory firm, improve your marketing strategy, or build a stronger brand presence, today's guest offers practical insights into how he has successfully done all that and more.  David Brooks is the founder of Retire SMART, an RIA based in Omaha, Nebraska, that oversees approximately $800 million in assets under management for 1,000 client households. David join...

Your client review meetings could become your firm's biggest competitive advantage. Today's guest shares how her advisory firm has refined a structured client review process over more than 25 years, creating a consistent meeting cadence that improves efficiency while strengthening long-term client relationships. Wendy Ciehanski is a Senior Wealth Advisor at  Composition Wealth , and she joins the...

You can take all the 'right' steps for succession  planning… and it still might not go according to plan.  After building an RIA managing approximately $300 million in assets for 130 client households, today's guest discovered that even the most carefully considered succession plans can unravel, forcing firm owners to adapt and rethink their future. Rick Kahler is the founder of Kahler Financial G...

Building a highly successful advisory platform is less about running every department yourself and more about finding the right operational partners to turn big ideas into a structured reality. Today's milestone episode explores the personal frameworks, scaling pain points, and core values that propelled a solo blog into a powerhouse industry platform. Michael Kitces, co-founder of the 26-person K...

Scaling a financial advisory practice often forces a choice between capping growth or building a large, people-heavy infrastructure. Today's guest challenges that conventional wisdom, pulling back the curtain on how he scaled his firm to nearly $2 million in revenue with only one recent full-time hire. Ryan Townsley is the owner of Town Capital, an RIA based in Bel Air, Maryland, that oversees app...

Passing the torch to next-gen leaders requires more than paperwork; it demands deep cultural investment, transparent career pathing, and a training ground for collective decision-making. Today's guest highlights the profound personal and corporate transformations that happen when a firm commits to cultivating sustainable human capital. Christine DeMao is the COO of Gibson Capital, a $3B national R...

Evolving a financial advisory practice is less about individual client ownership and more about aligning multiple practices under a unified corporate mission . Today's guest pulls back the curtain on the operational, cultural, and logistical realities of transforming a decentralized partnership into a centralized enterprise ensemble . Shane Morrow is the CEO of Iron Bridge Wealth Counsel, a hybrid...

Scaling a financial advisory firm from a startup with no clients into a national enterprise managing tens of billions of dollars: Today's guest offers practical insights into scaling, whether you're building an advisory firm or leading a growing organization, without losing sight of people, purpose, and client service. Shannon Eusey is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Beacon Pointe Advisors, one of...

What does it take to build a successful advisory firm using a flat-fee model instead of charging based on assets under management? And how can advisors scale effectively while still delivering highly  personalized  retirement income planning and  maintaining  strong client relationships?   Bradley Clark is the founder of Clark Asset Management, a remote RIA overseeing $1.6 billion  in assets under...

What does it take for next-generation advisors to become confident in business development without feeling overly sales-focused? And how can they build stronger relationships, have more authentic conversations, and generate warmer leads over time? Kristin Harad is the founder of Full Advisor Coaching, a marketing and coaching firm for financial advisors that teaches all of that and more. In this e...

Budgeting – less about rigid restrictions, more about changing mindsets on using income effectively. Today's guest shares a different approach to financial planning: one that focuses less on restricting spending and more on creating intentional systems that help clients save automatically and use their income more effectively. David Mozeika is the founder of TOMORO, an RIA based in Red Bank, New J...

It takes intentionality to build a thriving hybrid workplace without losing accountability, culture, or client experience. In this FASuccess, Mary shares how she has successfully blended remote flexibility with high standards  by applying the principles of steward leadership.  Mary Chapman is the chief operating officer of Cummings Wealth Management Group, a hybrid advisory firm based in Charlesto...

What would it take for a client to happily pay you $70,000+ per year… and feel like  they're getting a bargain? In the case of today's guest, it's building a high-value advisory firm by helping business owners unlock significant tax savings, often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Patrick Lonergan is the founder of Vital Wealth, an RIA based in Clinton, Iowa, that generates $2.5 million in...

For high-net-worth clients, financial planning is often not just about managing their money during their lifetimes, but also a matter of preparing the next generation to inherit family wealth. Which suggests that meeting with clients' children can both offer value for current clients and also begin a relationship with the next generation that could last for decades to come. Liz Miller is the found...

For financial advisors, it might seem intuitive to spend time with prospects explaining the value they can offer. However, doing most of the talking can leave prospects unsure whether the advisor truly understands their needs, potentially discouraging them from becoming a client. In this episode, we welcome Sara Grillo, a marketing specialist for financial advisors, to discuss how focusing less on...

How do you scale a financial advisory firm to 40+ staff and $630M AUM in just a few years   without breaking your hiring, culture, or client experience? In this episode, you'll hear about the hiring and marketing strategies fueling this kind of growth and how being open about a firm's values can lead to greater retention of both clients and team members.  Joe Schmitz Jr. is the founder of Peak Ret...

Growing a client base from the hundreds into the thousands requires both tech and talent. Today's guest discusses how she's done both in order to serve more than 3,000 advice-only clients over the past three years. Lori Atwood is the founder of Fearless Finance. In this episode, she shares why she built her own internal planning software platform to meet the needs of her ideal target clients, how...

What does it take to scale an advisory firm from a small practice into a true enterprise? Today's episode offers a deep look at what really happens as firms grow into multi-billion-dollar businesses, including hiring strategies, leadership team growth, and equity strucutres for employees.  Lisa Crafford is the Head of Advisory at Constellation Wealth Capital, and she joins the show today to discus...

While financial advisors and their clients often focus on creating a succesful retirement income plan, a successful, meaningful retirement goes well beyond dollars and cents. In this episode, we dive into the deeper side of the retirement transition and why many high-performing professionals (including financial advisors) underestimate the psychological shift that comes with leaving a decades-long...