Financial Advisor Success

Yonhee Choi Gordon is a Principal and the Chief Operating Officer of JMG Financial Group, an independent RIA based out of Chicago that oversees nearly $5 billion in assets under management for close to 1,500 households. What sets Yonhee apart is how, with her nearly four decades at JMG Financial Group, she has been instrumental in the company's succession plan and has personally recruited, trained, and retained the majority of the company's employees through a stringent hiring process to ensure alignment with the company's expectations and values. Listen in as we delve into Yonhee's career, including how she has been such an integral part of the hiring, training, and development systems, and how she evaluates potential candidates based on the actual tasks of the job, and how JMG structures its leadership roles and share of ownership. We also discuss why Yonhee believes that inconsistent definitions of advisor roles are contributing to the financial industry's rising level of M&A deals, why she teaches younger advisors to find their ideal role by first understanding their personal values and culture, and how her definition of success has evolved over time to focus on the impact and value she provides in the lives of the employees she leads. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/323

Kent Skornia is the Founder of Krilogy, an independent RIA based out of St. Louis that oversees nearly $2 billion in assets under management for 1,800 client households. Having created an internal training system at Krilogy that focuses on mentorship and education, Kent joins the show today to share his insights into recruiting and developing advisors in the financial planning industry. Listen in as he discusses his creation of the Krilogy Advisor Development System (KADS) as a proprietary training system for newer advisors to gain deeper knowledge in financial planning and grow their own book of business. You'll learn why the firm offers liquidity options for senior advisors to sell their book of business to Krilogy while still serving as an advisor, why Kent focused on building a values-based approach in the firm, and why he believes that new advisors should interview other newer advisors at their prospective firms to ensure a good fit. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/322

Join Danqin Fang, Lead Advisor for Austin Asset, as she shares her remarkable journey from China to the U.S. Discover how she overcame cultural and language barriers while building her financial advisory career. Danqin highlights the power of networking and education in navigating the industry, and emphasizes the importance of clarity in career vision for aspiring advisors. She also reflects on her experiences as an immigrant and shares insights on adapting to diverse client needs, proving that personal growth and determination can redefine success.

In this engaging discussion, Jim Dickson, CEO and Founder of Sanctuary Wealth, shares his journey of building a thriving RIA platform from the ground up. He reveals why he pivoted from a lengthy career in wirehouses to support independent advisors with unique partnership structures and centralized data management. Jim dives into the unexpected surge in demand for advisor independence, the challenges of rapid growth, and the vital role of relationships in achieving success. Get insights on how to balance autonomy with support and navigate the evolving landscape of financial advisory.

Jim Niedzinski is the Co-Founder of Motive Wealth Advisors, an independent RIA based out of Detroit that oversees $250 million in assets under management for nearly 50 households. Jim and his partner have established a successful boutique firm that competes with larger firms to attract and retain ultra-high-net-worth families by implementing a unique client task management system beyond traditional CRM, ensuring their advice is followed by clients. In this episode, Jim shares why he and his partner built their firm around Asana, a project management tool, instead of the traditional CRM system, as well as how he leveraged relationships with accountants, lawyers, and other professionals to gain a steady flow of referrals. He also talks about how they used those referrals to grow the firm from $0 in AUM to $250 million in less than 3 years and why he and his partner are intentional about serving only 25 clients each at a time. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/319

Ali Swart is a Partner and Managing Director for Waldron Private Wealth, a multi-family office based out of Pennsylvania that oversees nearly $3-billion in assets under management for 280 ultra-high-net-worth clients. Ali made a unique transition from a retail brokerage firm, where she served nearly 400 clients and was also responsible for acquiring more business, to a multi-family office where she works with specialized client relationship teams that limit the number of clients per advisor to no more than 10 at any given time. Listen in as Ali discusses the "white glove" service offered by her firm, which serves ultra-high-net-worth families through specialized client relationship teams focusing on wealth planning, investing, and client service, and details the in-depth financial plan offering for prospects, which can take several weeks to months to develop and aims to foster strong relationships with clients. We also discuss Ali's personal journey, including her decision to leave her previous firm and negotiate for a formal maternity leave policy, her goal to become a partner by age 40, and the importance of maintaining alignment with her core values of family, finance, and fitness. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/318

Jennifer Climo, CEO and Senior Advisor for Milestone Financial Planning, shares her journey of merging practices during a crisis, which led to significant growth. She discusses her innovative succession plan, including a unique retirement payout structure, and the importance of creating an operating agreement with her partner. Jennifer recounts the challenges of transitioning from solo to partnership, emphasizing communication and strategy to enhance efficiency. She reflects on how these mergers improved profitability and client trust, reshaping her approach to financial advising.

Matt Sonnen, founder and CEO of PFI Advisors, shares insights from his journey in helping wirehouse advisors transition to independence. He discusses the vital role of COOs in enhancing firm efficiency, from operational management to technology oversight. Matt introduces the 'COO Society,' aimed at enriching COOs' skills, and reflects on the intricacies of navigating growth and staffing challenges in advisory firms. He also touches on personal challenges, including a family tragedy, showcasing resilience in both life and business.

Lisa Brown is a Partner and Wealth Advisor for CI Brightworth, an RIA under the CI Financial umbrella with offices in Georgia and North Carolina that oversees nearly $5 billion in assets under management for over 1,500 households. By digging deeper into an existing firm niche focus of Coca-Cola employees within the organization, Lisa was able to write white papers for these employees that eventually built her expertise and client base within the company and led to referrals and growth from being so visible at the Coca-Cola offices. Listen in as Lisa shares how she became known as a familiar and trusted financial expert in the Coca-Cola community, how she is now beginning to guide and train the next generation of advisors in the firm on how to become effective business developers, and how she was able to build her confidence and expertise as an advisor. We also discuss how she has been able to prioritize her work so she can regain more family time, as well as why she believes the key to her success now is measured by how much she can help younger advisors build their skills and confidence and find their own path to success. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/315

Sue Chesney is the owner of Delegated Planning, which offers virtual outsourced financial planning support to 55 advisory firms, and co-founder of Planning Zoo, an outsourced financial planning data entry business that helps current and recently graduated students from college CFP programs connect with advisory firms for paraplanner support. Through both of these firms Sue has pioneered one of the largest outsourced financial planning support firms in the country, and she shares her experience in witnessing how many advisory firms are scaling the delivery of their financial plans by separating the delivery of the plans from the creation of the plans. Listen in as Sue shares why she launched Delegated Planning and Planning Zoo to help advisors find planning and data entry support, why she feels it is important to help new planners get real-world experience under their belts, and how advisors have been able to better align their fees with the financial planning offering by charging by the hour. We also discuss how she navigates cybersecurity and E&O risks of being an outsourced financial planning service provider, why she believes that newer advisors should consider the opportunity to start their own firm one day, and what she considers the key to her success. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/314