Financial Advisor Success

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, a Certified Financial Planner and owner of Guiding Wealth Management, shares insights on time management and personalizing advisory practices. She discusses achieving work-life balance, using creative constraints to fuel productivity, and the transformative power of genuine client engagement. Notably, she integrates innovative budgeting tools, including a unique system called BudgetingBlocks, to help clients visualize their finances. Hannah also emphasizes the importance of networking and mentorship in enhancing success within the financial planning industry.

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