Financial Advisor Success

Christine Teh is the founder of Teh Financial Coaching, which provides tax consulting and financial coaching services to high-income individuals and couples. Christine has built a successful coaching practice by not only systematizing her coaching packages for clients, but also systematizing her marketing process through LinkedIn. Today she joins the show to discuss why the focus of her work is on short-term cash flow instead of retirement plans. Listen in as we talk in depth about why Christine teaches her clients how to do the work so they can go out on their own and, ultimately, not end up as long-term clients. You will learn what she uses as her main marketing tool, steps she has taken to ensure she gets the number of clients needed to make her business sustainable, and how she is reaching so many clients. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/185            

Reese Harper is the founder and CEO of Dentist Advisors, an independent RIA that oversees nearly $250 million of AUM for more than 350 clients. On top of running a firm with a unique niche, Reese also runs a successful podcast—something he credits with helping to grow his business. Today he joins the show to discuss the monthly financial planning process he has developed for serving clients, as well as the technology tools he uses to implement it. Listen in as Reese shares why he thinks the future of financial advising is all about working with clients through an ongoing series of micro-interactions around their financial planning needs. You will learn about the systematized series of twelve monthly deliverables that his firm provides, the financial planning process Reese has created, and the premium price he charges for the premium service his firm provides. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/184   

Hannah Moore is a Certified Financial Planner and owner of Guiding Wealth Management. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Financial Services and Planning and Business Management, helped start the Financial Planning Association’s NexGen program, and mentors younger financial planners. If that wasn’t enough, she is also the creator of BudgetingBlocks, a system that helps consumers visualize and better understand their budgets so they can develop one that works for them. With a passion for helping people change the conversations they have about money, Hannah joins us today to discuss how she does just that in both her advisory firm and her consumer product. Listen in to hear how she manages work-life balance, one of the best things she ever did for her business, and how one of the most powerful tools she uses with her clients was bought from a kid’s toy store. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/183   

Richard Joyner is the President of Tolleson Wealth Management, a multi-family office that manages the wealth of large families with significant assets. He works with multi-generational families to address the complexities of successful wealth transfer and has expertise in many diverse areas, including estate tax planning, family dynamics and education, and investment management for the ultra-rich. Richard joins us today to discuss what financial planning looks like for multi-generational families with significant wealth, what development dynamics go along with multi-family portfolios, and some of the more diverse issues that can arise in this particular wealth management category. Listen in to hear his top advice for getting started in this field, the skills that are necessary for success, and what he wishes he could tell his younger self just starting his career. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/182

Benjamin Brandt is the founder of Capital City Wealth Management, an independent RIA that oversees $60 million in assets under management for nearly 80 households. Benjamin originally developed a focus niche after going out on his own, only to realize there were not enough people in that niche to fill his desired client base. Today he joins the show to discuss how he initially established his niche and how he has optimized his website to maximize local search engine optimization opportunities. Listen in to hear about why he decided to start a podcast to reach beyond his local market, as well as the marketing funnel he developed to turn his listeners into prospective clients. You will learn why he runs meeting surges twice a year to maximize his focus and his time off, how he has built his advisory firm to fit his lifestyle goals, and how you can bring similar flexibility to your practice. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/181         

Ryan Inman is the founder of Physician Wealth Services, an independent RIA that serves over 140 physician clients. Completely narrowed in on his unique niche, Ryan changed the name of his firm, created a Financial Residency podcast, and restructured his entire financial planning process to in-patient and outpatient services. Today he joins the show to share the mindset shift he had to go through in order to be comfortable with narrowing the focus of his practice and offers advice for those who’d like to do the same. Listen in as we discuss why having a targeted niche can make it easier when marketing, as well as what Ryan is doing to serve his niche effectively. You’ll learn how he chose to serve physicians in particular, the unique fee structure he uses, and what he is doing to bring in so many new clients every month. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/180     

Elizabeth Nesvold is the Managing Director and Head of Asset & Wealth Management Investment Banking for Raymond James, providing investment banking services for some of the largest independent advisory firms engaging in capital transactions. Today she joins the show to discuss the evolution in wealth management firms over the decades and how an investment banker looks at the evaluation of an advisory firm. Listen in as we talk in depth about how obtaining evaluation of your advisory firm can be a helpful tool in understanding whether your business is getting a good return on investment, as well as what Liz has learned as a founder selling her own firm. You will hear what investment bankers do for wealth management firms, the dynamics of raising capital when starting an advisory firm, and how Liz counsels other advisory firm founders getting ready to sell their businesses. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/179        

Daniel Zajac is a financial advisor and partner with Simone Zajac Wealth Management Group, a hybrid advisory firm on the Lincoln Investments platform that oversees nearly $250 million of AUM for 300 clients. Today Daniel joins the show to discuss how he built and developed a niche in working with those who receive significant equity compensation, including the years it took early on and how he accelerated his positive results. Listen in as we talk in depth about how Daniel’s firm prices and delivers its planning services, as well as how they determine whether a prospect is the right fit for the firm. You will learn why his business offers tax preparation as part of its services, how forming a niche has opened up new opportunities, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/178          

Sara Stanich is the founder of Cultivating Wealth, an independent RIA that oversees nearly $50 million in AUM for 95 ongoing client households. Sara transitioned into financial advisory in the midst of the last financial crisis, forcing her into the independent channel with less support but more flexibility to craft her advisory firm the way she wanted to. Today she joins the show to discuss her journey into the industry and her advice for people starting out during the current bear market. Listen in as we talk in depth about how Sara builds her business, as well as the software she uses to identify which potential clients would be a good fit for the firm. You’ll learn how her business has evolved over recent years as she has started to add more CFP professionals to her team, key advice for career changers or other advisors early in their career, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/177        

Mindy Diamond is the founder of Diamond Consultants, a recruiting firm that has been helping advisors evaluate and change their broker-dealer platforms for more than 20 years. Today Mindy joins the show to discuss the range in choices that advisors have in choosing a brokerage platform and how best to decide which is the right fit for your firm. Listen in as we talk about when advisors should—and should not—look at switching to another broker-dealer platform, as well as the most common reasons advisors choose to make the change. You will learn why it is crucial for an advisor to understand their own priorities before they have any chance of picking the right platform for them, the important questions you should ask yourself as an advisor, and why the decision of which platform to choose is not as simple as it once was. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/176         

Dr. Travis Parry is the founder of Make Time Institute, a company that helps business owners gain control of their time to achieve a more sustainable work/life balance. Having spent nearly a decade working as a financial advisor himself, Travis knows that the demands of working at a firm can take away from important time you should be spending with your loved ones. Today he joins the show to explain his “Make Time” approach to creating better work/life balance and how to overcome what he calls the three myths of time management. Listen in as we talk in depth about the importance of identifying your goals and ensuring your time is prioritized to align with them. You will learn how the combination of a family tragedy and the financial crisis that derailed his advisory firm led Travis to find what is now his life’s work and how to improve your time management system in order to stop overworking and start prioritizing the things that matter most. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/175        

Shanna Tingom is the founder of Heritage Financial Strategies, a dually registered advisory firm that oversees nearly $50 million of assets under management for 250 clients. Today Shanna joins the show to discuss how she has heavily automated key processes throughout her firm to service her large number of clients efficiently—and has done so by not using industry standard systems. Listen in as we talk in depth about Shanna’s journey through the advisory business itself, as well as why she is thankful she started out a large financial advisory firm. You will learn why she decided to branch out on her own, the difficult challenges she faced in doing so, and the unique advisor technology stack she has used to simplify things in her business. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/174         

Andrew Leonard is the founder of Geometric Wealth Advisors, an independent RIA that oversees nearly $250 million in AUM for 110 client households. Andrew has settled into a unique niche, which ultimately propelled his firm to organically add almost $200 million dollars of net new assets in just five years—almost entirely from a single white paper he wrote for that niche. Today he joins the show to discuss what customizing the financial process and experience to a particular type of client really entails and how he managed to do so in such an effective way. Listen in as Andrew shares the unique opportunities and challenges that accompany working with management consultants who are trained to analyze and scrutinize financial models and projections. You will learn about the live presentations he has evolved his practice to focus on, how he is able to connect with clientele that are based all around the country, and the benefits of focusing on a unique niche to accelerate your career. For show notes and more visi

Minoti Rajput is the founder and president of Secure Planning Strategies, a hybrid advisory firm that oversees nearly $300 million of AUM for 350 client households. Minoti has built her advisory firm by creating a specialization in working with families with special needs children, and she joins the show today to discuss her niche and how she gathered the expertise needed to support special needs families. Listen in as we talk in depth about the unique marketing opportunity she has been able to create by working with school systems, where as many as 10% of students have some form of special needs. You will learn how she handles the compliance challenges that come with providing this kind of specialized advice, her unique fee structure, and what it’s like working in such a rewarding and fulfillng niche. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/172     

Tom Kennedy is a wealth advisor at Global Wealth Advisors, where he works with a base of nearly 400 clients. After 10 successful years of being a wholesaler to advisors, Tom decided to make the transition into becoming an advisor himself. Today he joins the show to discuss how he networked his way to a fast-growing number of clients and how he was able to use the people skills he learned in wholesaling to build deeper relationships with his clients. Listen in as Tom shares what it was like transitioning into an advisory firm, knowing he was going to make less money than what was available in the short-term with wholesaling. You will discover how he assessed the varying firms he came into contact with in order to decide which would be the best to work with as an advisor. If you have been wanting to improve your networking skills or you are considering becoming a financial advisor, this is the episode for you. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/171      

Patrick Tucker is the founder of True Measure Wealth Management, an independent RIA that oversees nearly $150 million in AUM for 89 client families. Patrick has a background in business operations and financial management from having started his career with UPS and has managed to transfer those business skills to managing his own advisory firm. Today he joins the show to discuss how he built his intentionally-designed advisory firm by overcoming the growth imperative pressure that the industry tends to put on us all. Listen in as we discuss why Patrick splits his advisory fee structure to accommodate his different groups of clients, as well as the key business metrics he focuses on to ensure he is spending his time and business resources properly. You’ll learn what it takes to triple your business in the first two years, why Patrick keeps his internal team lean by using contractors, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/170    

Alexandra Levi is the founder and managing partner at Element Financial Group, a hybrid RIA that oversees nearly $430 million of assets under advisement for 170 clients. As a firm providing both investment management and financial planning services, it may surprise you that Alexandra has been able to grow her revenue to be split almost 50/50 between the two. Today she joins the show to share how she has combated the risk of fee compression and her unique approach to running a hybrid firm. Listen in as we discuss how Alexandra shows her clients how she will keep their money organized in a way they can understand, why she continues to do quarterly meetings but keeps the majority of them virtual, and more. If you have ever wondered whether you should hire a business partner or are ready to control the direction of your career, this is the episode for you. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/169              

Erin Botsford is the founder of Botsford Financial Group, a hybrid RIA with the LPL platform that oversees $1 billion in assets under management. Erin has built and evolved her firm over the years, starting out with it being centered around herself as the lead advisor and ultimately selling the firm but keeping her name on the door. Today she joins the show to discuss how she built her business over the past 30 years, as well as the transformation she made in the first decade of her career. Listen in as we discuss the shift she made from lead advisor to CEO and how she nearly tripled the growth of the firm in the three years that followed. You will learn how she developed herself into a lead rainmaker role (despite admittedly not being a natural businesswoman), how she shifted control of client relationships, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/168   

Scott Frank is the founder of Stones Steps Financial an RIA that has rapidly grown to 67 clients with over 400,000$ of annualized revenue in just five years. Scott has evolved his advisory firm from a highly technical base to a financial planning approach with clients based on the George Kinder life planning process. Today Scott joins the show to share how he incorporates life planing questions into the first three meetings of his financial planning process as a way to understand his clients better. Listen in as Scott shares how he convinces his clients to implement the strategies he recommends by creating a buy-in into the financial planning process. You will learn where traditional financial planning software intersects with the life planning approach and how he has built his business around this life planning approach. If you are intrigued by the George Kinder life planning approach or you want to simplify your pricing, this is the episode for you. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/167

Peter Mallouk is the founder and president of Creative Planning, an independent RIA that oversees nearly 50 billion in assets under management for over 30,000 households. Peter has built his firm to the impressive size that it is within the last 16 years without any mergers, acquisitions or outside capital along the way. Today Peter joins the show to discuss Creative Planning’s growth path and how that has shifted over the years to referrals from existing clients. In this episode we talk in depth about Peter’s thoughts on broader industry trends including why Creative Planning remains committed to the AUM model and not charging separately for planning. You will learn what he plans to do with the outside capital that his firm raised, the firms aggressive growth plan over the next three years and much more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/166