Financial Advisor Success

Michael Kitces
  • 4.7 (683)
  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Financial Advisor Success podcast brings you real success stories and insights from the most successful financial advisors, and leading industry consultants, about how to take your advisory business to the next level. Get a glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes building a successful advisory business, and how entrepreneurial advisors navigate the inevitable highs, and lows, of growing a firm. Whether you're a new financial advisor trying to get started on the right foot, or an experienced advisor who's hit a wall, we're here to give you the insights and inspiration you need to break through and reach the level of success you want to achieve. Subscribe to the show, and get even more at the leading industry blog Nerd’s Eye View at www.Kitces.com.

  1. 4D AGO

    When The Next-Gen “Wealth Builder” Offering Becomes The Main Driver Of Growth For A $1B+ Advisory Firm with Gideon Drucker

    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 275 client households and become the primary engine of growth for Drucker Wealth. Listen in as Gideon shares how he structured his firm’s Wealth Builder division with a high advisor-to-operations staff ratio to meet the complex needs of mid-career professionals, ensured profitability by setting a minimum fee while introducing gradual fee increases for existing clients by clearly tying them to the firm’s growing value. He also discusses how his clients regularly make referrals without directly being asked to, his transition from direct client service to firm leadership and management, and how his early cold-calling days pushed him toward a content-based marketing strategy that consistently brings in qualified prospects. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/435

    1h 30m

  2. APR 22

    Attracting HNW Clients By Focusing Not On Estate But Legacy Planning Instead with Vanessa N. Martinez

    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 clients pass down not just their assets, but also the values and principles that helped them build their wealth. Listen in as Vanessa shares how she guides clients through a multi-meeting discovery process to clarify their estate and legacy plans and articulate the family values they want to pass on, encouraging them to document these legacies to avoid future misunderstandings. She also explains how her deep involvement in clients’ lives, along with neighborhood-based client events, helps foster strong relationships and organic referrals. Vanessa also discusses the unique role of her firm’s Chief Clinical Officer in facilitating family legacy conversations and how legacy planning allows clients to pass down not just wealth, but the emotional and intellectual values that shaped it. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/434

    1h 30m
  3. When You 10X Your Advisory Firm To Over $20M Of Revenue… And Want To 10X Again with Cameron Passmore

    APR 15

    When You 10X Your Advisory Firm To Over $20M Of Revenue… And Want To 10X Again with Cameron Passmore

    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, he recognized that the next phase of growth required a different approach. By combining with a larger financial conglomerate, he positioned the firm to pursue another 10X growth opportunity in the decade ahead. Listen in as Cameron shares how his firm achieved explosive growth by serving early Shopify employees, building a content engine that has served as a key driver of inbound leads, and differentiating through a planning-first, passive investing approach that is not typical in the Canadian advice landscape. Cameron also discusses his firm's investment in an institutional-grade data lake to enhance the client experience, how their planning teams operate efficiently at scale, and why always being open to new connections has led to some of his biggest business opportunities. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/433

    1h 30m
  4. Crafting ‘Input Deliverables’ That Show Financial Planning Value To Clients Without Creating Busy-work with Seth Scott

    APR 8

    Crafting ‘Input Deliverables’ That Show Financial Planning Value To Clients Without Creating Busy-work with Seth Scott

    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. By offering this tool, he not only saves time, but also builds trust with prospective clients who may later seek more comprehensive financial planning services. In this episode, Seth also discusses his transition into financial planning from previous jobs in urban planning and real estate, how he grew his business by serving retiring advisors’ client books without having to contribute upfront capital, and why he became a Certified Tax Preparer to better serve his niche. Listen in to hear how he makes inroads with his target clients by helping churches set up 403(b)(9) retirement plans and how his faith has guided him through the challenges of business growth and changing careers. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/432

    1h 29m
  5. Successfully Navigating Money Conflicts Within Client Couples with Nick Rodkin

    APR 1

    Successfully Navigating Money Conflicts Within Client Couples with Nick Rodkin

    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 additional expertise allows him to address relationship dynamics that may hinder financial decision-making and the implementation of his financial planning recommendations. Listen in as Nick shares how he helps client couples navigate their financial relationships by using structured conversations to uncover money mindsets, encouraging them to become “budget buddies” rather than “expense enemies.” He explains how his service model allows for AUM-based financial planning, flat-fee coaching, and hourly therapy sessions, enabling him to serve a diverse client base. Nick also reflects on how his own therapy journey reshaped his approach to financial planning, shifting from a product-focused mindset to a more human-centered practice that emphasizes actionable advice and meaningful client conversations. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/431

    1h 30m
  6. Navigating The Fast-Growth Hiring Challenges Of Scaling From Scratch To $5M Of Revenue In Just 7 Years with AJ Ayers

    MAR 25

    Navigating The Fast-Growth Hiring Challenges Of Scaling From Scratch To $5M Of Revenue In Just 7 Years with AJ Ayers

    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 in revenue in just seven years. Their strategic approach to systems and processes allowed them to sustain growth while maintaining efficiency and service quality. Listen in as AJ shares how she and her firm rapidly scaled their advisory business, growing to 14 new clients per month while building a structured training program to onboard advisors in their specialized equity compensation niche. She explains how they leveraged LinkedIn’s Recruiter platform for proactive hiring, developed Gemifi software to streamline equity compensation planning, and implemented a three-part fee model to align revenue with client needs. AJ also reflects on delegating firm operations to reduce her own work schedule, hiring an HR professional to strengthen company culture in a remote environment, and overcoming impostor syndrome by earning niche-relevant certifications and gaining hands-on client experience. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/430

    1h 30m
  7. What It Takes To Really Help (HNW) Business Owners Navigate Their Wealth With Purpose with Ali Nasser

    MAR 18

    What It Takes To Really Help (HNW) Business Owners Navigate Their Wealth With Purpose with Ali Nasser

    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 their entrepreneurial mindset, even when it conflicted with traditional financial planning advice, Ali's approach was so effective that he eventually sold his advisory firm to focus exclusively on coaching and consulting services for entrepreneurs. Listen in as he explains how he helps entrepreneurs manage concentration risk, overcome reluctance to invest outside their business, and address lingering financial scarcity mindsets despite their significant wealth. You'll hear about his journey from advisory firm owner to full-time coach, the challenges of ensuring a team delivers a consistent, high-level client experience, and why he ultimately decided to focus on empowering business owners and the advisors who serve them. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/429

    1h 30m
  8. Leveraging (Salesforce) CRM To Really Systematize A Mid-Sized Advisory Firm with Lorie Jones

    MAR 11

    Leveraging (Salesforce) CRM To Really Systematize A Mid-Sized Advisory Firm with Lorie Jones

    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 and workflows while working at a mid-sized advisory firm without the need for costly Salesforce developers, demonstrating how a well-optimized CRM can enhance efficiency across the firm. Listen in as Lorie shares how she leverages Salesforce’s "clicks not code" functionality to create custom automations—such as her innovative "magic buttons"—that streamline firm operations, from client onboarding to money movements. She also discusses her journey from an administrative role to firm partner, her transition into full-time advising to focus on serving high-net-worth women, and how she overcame the challenges of launching her own practice. Lorie also reflects on balancing earning her CFP and MBA while raising five children, how starting a podcast helped her gain confidence in prospecting, and why learning from mentors empowered her to take bold career risks. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/428

    1h 30m
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    About

    The Financial Advisor Success podcast brings you real success stories and insights from the most successful financial advisors, and leading industry consultants, about how to take your advisory business to the next level. Get a glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes building a successful advisory business, and how entrepreneurial advisors navigate the inevitable highs, and lows, of growing a firm. Whether you're a new financial advisor trying to get started on the right foot, or an experienced advisor who's hit a wall, we're here to give you the insights and inspiration you need to break through and reach the level of success you want to achieve. Subscribe to the show, and get even more at the leading industry blog Nerd’s Eye View at www.Kitces.com.

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