Financial Advisor Success

Ep 492: Getting Your (Virtual) Team's Best Work Through Steward Leadership On The Growth Path To $500M with Mary Chapman 02.06.2026 1時間 30分

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 Charleston, South Carolina, that oversees $500 million in assets under management for 260 client households. In this episode, Mary shares how clear communication, defined expectations, and intentional workflows can create a stronger team culture while still giving employees the freedom and flexibility modern workplaces demand. We also talk about how her firm structures its hybrid work model, what has reduced the need for micromanagement, and how they ensure the client experience remains consistent no matter where employees are located. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/492

Ep 491: Earning Premium Planning Fees By Demonstrating Hard-Dollar Tax Savings For Business Owner Clients with Patrick Lonergan 26.05.2026 1時間 30分

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 annual advisory fee revenue for approximately 100 client households. In this episode, Patrick breaks down how he structures his services around a clear, tiered tax strategy approach, starting with foundational optimizations and progressing into more advanced, high-impact planning techniques. Listen in to learn how these strategies go beyond tax savings to support better cash flow, smarter reinvestment decisions, and long-term wealth building for entrepreneurs, as well as how delivering clear, tangible value has turned his clients into powerful referral engines. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/491

Ep 490: Attracting And Retaining HNW Clients By Being More Available For Their Multigenerational Family Needs with Liz Miller 19.05.2026 1時間 30分

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 founder of Summit Place Financial Advisors, a $300M firm she built by focusing on deep relationships and multigenerational planning. Listen in to hear how she raises multigenerational conversations with clients and their children and how she converts clients' children from regular contacts to fee-paying clients. Liz also discusses how she finds that ensuring "nothing falls through the cracks" can be more valuable than chasing returns (and the value of checklists to support this task) as well as why she lets her high-net-worth prospects lead off discovery meetings with their most pressing concern rather than starting with her own qualifications and services. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/490

Ep 489: Winning More Clients By Talking Less And Reducing Friction For Prospects with Sara Grillo 12.05.2026 1時間 30分

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 an advisor's expertise and more on what their prospects are truly worried about can lead to winning more clients. Sara also shares how to reduce friction in advisior marketing so prospects are more likely to take action and her practical approach to content creation, including how to turn real client questions into high-value content and how targeted content can drive both visibility and referrals. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/489

Ep 488: Bringing Hiring In-House To Support Rapid Growth After Doubling AUM To $600M In One Year with Joe Schmitz Jr. 05.05.2026 1時間 30分

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 Retirement Planning, a hybrid advisory firm based in Columbus, Ohio, that oversees $630 million in assets under management for approximately 1,000 client households. He joins the show today to share how he built a high-performance hiring engine that attracted over 5,000 applicants in a single year and turned them into a values-aligned, growth-focused team. He also talks about how his firm uses a structured, tech-enabled hiring process to identify the right people, why recruiting straight from colleges has been a competitive advantage, and how engaging in multiple synergistic marketing tactics has led to the strong flow of prospects his firm receives. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/488

Ep 487: Building The Team And Tech To Serve Thousands Of (Advice-Only) Clients Efficiently with Lori Atwood 28.04.2026 1時間 30分

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 her "hub-and-spoke" advisor structure helps maintain culture and consistency across her firm, and how she spends 18% of her revenue on client acquisition yet ends up with a per-client acquisition cost that's lower than the industry average. Lori also discusses how prospects (who sometimes use AI tools to answer personal finance questions) often come to her for "confirmation, not information" on their financial situations and how she's found it gratifying to be the first call her (largely working-age) clients make when they face an unexpected financial contingency and to be able to provide them with meaningful solutions. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/487

Ep 486: Lessons Learned from How Mega-RIAs Are Scaling Their People to Support Growth with Lisa Crafford 21.04.2026 1時間 29分

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 discuss the importance of the human resources function for growing firms, how advisory firm leaders can start to shed the many 'hats' they wear, and why adding to the executive team can be a force multiplier despite the compensation they might earn. Listen in to learn why scaling an advisory firm eventually becomes less about clients and more about people, leadership, structure, and building an organization that can operate beyond the founder. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/486

Ep 485: Exercises to Help Clients Better Navigate the Transition to Retirement After Having Done It Yourself with Michael Kay 14.04.2026 1時間 30分

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 career. Michael Kay is a retired financial advisor and a current life coach and author, and joins the show today to share the personal challenges he faced transitioning from advisory firm owner to retiree. Listen in to learn practical exercises and questions that financial advisors can use to help clients prepare for life beyond their careers. You'll hear how to help retirees design what their weeks will actually look like, how to think through changes in social structures after leaving the workplace, and how finding new ways to make a meaningful impact can create purpose in retirement. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/485

Ep 484: Scaling To $1B AUM By Recognizing Your (Rainmaker) Strengths And Delegating The Rest with Jake Falcon 07.04.2026 1時間 29分

At some point, firm founders often find that their time is divided between attracting new clients and serving current ones (and running their business). This episode explores how it's possible to delegate technical work to a centralized planning team, segment clients by revenue, and leverage asynchronous communication tools to create client touchpoints while devoting significant time to closing new clients. Jake Falcon, founder of Falcon Wealth Advisors, has built a $1 billion advisory firm for nearly 900 client households in part by focusing on his strengths as a 'rainmaker' bringing in new clients while stepping back from day-to-day planning analyses and regular client meetings. In this episode, Jake shares how abandoning scripts and prioritizing authentic connections transformed his business development. He also discusses how he's using Instagram to meet potential clients 'where they are' and demonstrate his authentic personality, why he invests client assets directly into stocks and bonds instead of mutual funds and ETFs, and how he hopes that bringing in direct business development hires will help his firm grow well into the future. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/484

Ep 483: Closing (More Affluent) Clients in The First Meeting with an "Approach Talk" Method to Create Urgency with Erin Botsford 31.03.2026 1時間 30分

What does it take to close a high-net-worth client in the very first meeting? For Erin Botsford, the answer is for an advisor to position themselves as a risk expert and to create a sense of urgency to act in the prospects' minds. Erin is the founder of The Advisor Authority, and has developed a step-by-step formula for advisors to close more upmarket clients faster. She joins the show today to share how advisors can create positive first impressions by creating a "founders video", help prospects recognize their potential risk exposures in estate planning and insurance, and create urgency naturally. Listen in to also hear Erin's insights on setting effective fee structures as well as how founders can strategically extract themselves from every client case and ultimately scale their firms more effectively. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/483

Ep 482: Growing To $500M AUM In 7 Years by Connecting with Your Ideal Clients on LinkedIn with Justin Brownlee 24.03.2026 1時間 30分

What if just the 10 'right' people seeing your content could grow your firm faster than 10,000 random viewers? Growing an advisory firm doesn't always require reaching the largest audience. In many cases, the right audience—clearly defined and intentionally engaged—can be far more powerful than broad visibility. Justin Brownlee has built a $500 million RIA serving just 75 households by targeting a specific niche and using LinkedIn with intention. In this episode, we break down how he created focused blog and podcast content for his ideal target client, strategically built a LinkedIn network inside target companies, and prioritized quality engagement over vanity metrics. Listen in to hear why Justin focuses on revenue-per-client as a key business metric, how his fixed-fee model attracts high-net-worth clients while increasing asset consolidation, and how Justin weathered the challenging early months of business ownership on his path to success. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/482

Ep 481: Leveraging Technology To Rapidly Scale Growth Delivering Financial Planning To Next Generation Clients with Adam Dell 17.03.2026 1時間 29分

Reaching next-generation clients at scale often requires rethinking how financial planning is built, priced, and delivered. This episode explores how a tech-forward, flat-fee model can expand access to planning, create a consistent client experience, and unlock new growth channels both through direct-to-consumer marketing and partnerships with other advisory firms. Adam Dell is the founder of Domain Money, an RIA that operates virtually nationwide, serving 1,400 clients and expecting to generate approximately $10 million in revenue this year. Listen in as Adam shares how his firm built a financial planning software solution from the ground up to address the specific needs of his ideal clients. You'll learn how his firm uses AI to reduce administrative burden (while deciding what must be handled by an advisor, reviewed by a human, or automated entirely), as well as how a tech-forward, flat-fee experience attracts clients who may not fit traditional asset-based fee models. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/481

Ep 480: Growing To $660M Of AUM By Leveraging SEO (And Now AEO) To Build A Durable Pipeline Of Good-Fit Prospects with Helen Stephens 10.03.2026 1時間 27分

Search has changed—and so has the way advisory firms can earn visibility online. This episode explores how early investments in SEO can compound over time, how today's "findability" now includes AI tools like ChatGPT, and what it takes to build a marketing engine that not only attracts the right prospects, but also supports sustainable firm growth for the long haul. Helen Stephens is the founder of Aspen Wealth Management, an RIA based in Fort Worth, Texas, that oversees $670 million in assets under management for 342 client households. Listen in as Helen shares how her SEO strategy evolved alongside Google's changing standards, from early location-and-service pages to consistently publishing high-quality content that demonstrates real expertise for her ideal-fit clients. We also discuss how that long-term commitment created a steady prospect pipeline that's helped drive roughly 30% annual growth over the past five years, why it's now paying off through leads coming from ChatGPT and other AI tools, and how Helen is executing an internal succession plan so that her firm remains independent for years to come. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/480

Ep 479: Maintaining Good Work/Life Balance While Adding Advisors And 4Xing The Firm To $315M with Andy Panko 03.03.2026 1時間 30分

Scaling an advisory firm is often framed as a tradeoff - more clients and complexity in exchange for less time and flexibility. This episode explores how advisors can grow in a way that protects the lifestyle they want. Andy Panko is the owner of Tenon Financial, an RIA based in Metuchen, New Jersey, that oversees $323 million in assets under management for 105 client households. He joins the show today to share why he chose to hire two additional advisors (even though his solo practice already met his lifestyle goals), as well as why he prioritized hiring mid-career professionals who could operate independently and stay for the long haul. We also discuss how his flat-fee model makes it easier to evaluate the time-and-revenue tradeoffs of adding clients, paying competitive salaries, and growing the team, as well as how he fuels a steady prospect flow through content creation, combats the loneliness of a small remote firm, and has adjusted his workload across seasons of life to be able to focus on his highest priorities. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/479

Ep 478: Fixing Advisory Firm Marketing Funnels So The Phone Actually Rings With Prospects with Kendra Wright 24.02.2026 1時間 29分

Most advisory marketing doesn't fail because advisors aren't trying—it fails because the funnel breaks in predictable places, leaving great content and good intentions without a clear path to consistent leads. This episode explores the most common "break points" in advisor marketing funnels, as well as what it takes to build a strategy that attracts the right prospects, communicates value quickly, and makes it easy for prospects to take the next step towards becoming a client. Kendra Wright is the owner of Rebel Media Agency, a marketing firm based in Austin, Texas, that helps RIAs establish and execute clear marketing strategies. She joins us today to share the four ways she most often sees advisor marketing funnels break and how advisors can get what she calls "ideal client clarity" without necessarily forcing themselves into a single ultra-narrow niche. We also discuss how firms can choose a marketing channel that fits their client profile, why it's important for advisor content to be "targeted" in order to stand out, and how advisors can better move prospects from content to client. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/478

Ep 477: Finding Real Uses For AI Tools Not Just To Gain Efficiency But Create More (Customized) Value For Clients with Christopher Haigh 17.02.2026 1時間 30分

While Artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer financial advisors the prospect of greater operational efficiency, the real opportunity goes beyond saving time. This episode explores practical ways advisors can use AI not only to streamline workflows, but also to elevate the client experience with clearer insights, stronger storytelling, and deliverables that make a firm's value instantly tangible to prospects and clients. Christopher Haigh is the CEO of Iconoclastic Capital, an RIA based in Rochester, New York, that oversees approximately $60 million in assets under management for 120 client households. Listen in as Christopher shares how he's adopted AI tools across his tech stack, including how he leverages AI inside planning, investment analysis, and tax software, as well as how he uses generalist AI tools to create and refine dynamic presentations that better communicate his firm's brand and value proposition. For show notes (including examples of the deliverables Christopher uses with prospects and clients) and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/477

Ep 476: Making The Decision To Add A Partner (After Leaving A Partnership Yourself) While Approaching $500M AUM with Kathy Longo 10.02.2026 1時間 29分

Building an advisory firm that can outlast its founder often requires challenging decisions, especially for entrepreneurs who intentionally left prior partnerships to lead a firm on their own. This episode explores what it looks like to design succession on your own terms, balance growth with cultural clarity, and make partnership, hiring, and operating-system choices that can lead to sustainable growth. Kathy Longo is the founder of Flourish Wealth Management, an RIA based in Edina, Minnesota, that oversees $455 million in assets under management for 163 client households. Listen in as Kathy shares why she chose to bring on a partner after previously leaving a partnership at a previous firm to build a business she could drive individually (while also applying lessons learned from her own experience), how she completed an acquisition while minimizing risk by bringing on clients in smaller tranches, and how she adjusted her firm's operational, hiring, and career development practices to build a firm that can thrive for the long haul. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/476

Ep 475: Adding Deeper Tax Planning Capabilities (And Generating More Google Reviews In The Process) To Grow To $600M Of AUM with Erik Brenner 03.02.2026 1時間 30分

Tax planning has become an integral part of a comprehensive financial planning service offering and a way for advisors to offer hard-dollar value for their clients. In this episode, we explore how integrating tax preparation, proactive tax planning, and outside tax expertise can deepen client value, diversify revenue, and accelerate firm growth. Erik Brenner is the CEO of Hilltop Wealth and Tax Solutions, an RIA based in Mishawaka, Indiana, overseeing approximately $600 million in AUM for 830 client households. Listen in as Erik shares how he doubled his firm's AUM in three years in part by building a comprehensive, three-pronged tax strategy that combines in-house tax preparation, advisor-led tax planning analysis, and outsourced expertise for complex cases. We also discuss why he chose to launch a separate but integrated tax business that is profitable in its own right rather than treating tax prep as a loss leader, how in-person dinner seminars focused on retirement tax strategies drive nearly half of the firm's new clients, and how taking a systematic approach has helped Erik's firm boost the number of Google and other online reviews it receives. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/475

Ep 474: Gaining The Skills, Experience, And Team Needed To Serve UHNW Clients Effectively with Blair duQuesnay 27.01.2026 1時間 30分

Serving ultra-high-net-worth families requires more than technical expertise. It demands deep attention to detail, a strong supporting team, and a planning approach capable of navigating complex tax, estate, and investment structures. This episode explores what it really takes for advisors to successfully move 'upmarket' and support clients whose financial lives involve high stakes, fast-moving parts, and opportunities measured in millions. Blair duQuesnay is a Lead Advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management, an RIA based in New York City that oversees $6.5 billion in AUM for 3,900 households. Listen in as Blair shares how she transitioned from working with traditional wealth-management clients to serving ultra-high-net-worth families, and what she learned about applying advanced expertise in real-world scenarios where accuracy and timeliness are critical. You'll hear why flat-fee models often make more sense than AUM fees at the highest wealth levels, how she demonstrates multimillion-dollar planning value through sophisticated tax and estate strategies, and how UHNW clients' biggest fear isn't running out of money but making a catastrophic financial mistake. We also discuss how Blair manages impostor syndrome, the confidence that comes from having a strong team behind her, and why advisors can thrive with any client segment as long as they intentionally choose the work they enjoy most. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/474

Ep 473: Defending Against AI By Focusing On The Uniquely Human Aspects Of (Fiduciary) Life Planning with George Kinder 20.01.2026 1時間 30分

Amidst speculation that Artificial Intelligence-powered software could take business from human advisors, some of the most meaningful work advisors do involves something software can't replicate: deep human-to-human connection. This episode explores how life planning, active listening, and values-based discovery can help clients articulate what truly matters and achieve a sense of freedom that goes beyond financial outcomes. George Kinder is the founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, which trains financial advisors globally in fiduciary, client-centered planning. Listen in as George explains why life planning is fundamentally social, and why even the most advanced AI tools can't replace the empathy, presence, and silence required to understand a client's inner motivations. You'll learn how his EVOKE framework guides advisors through exploratory conversations, how the famous "three questions" help clients clarify what an ideal life looks like under different time horizons, and how confronting an illness himself led him to revisit his personal answers—and reshape his legacy with intention. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/473