The Trusted Adviser

  In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, I sit down with our Chief Operating Officer, Nick Bordi, to unpack one of the most talked-about topics in financial planning businesses: employee ownership. At HPH Solutions, what started as a simple idea to reward and retain great people has evolved into something far more powerful. Our Team Equity Trust now plays a central role in ownership transition, long-term incentives, and what we’ve come to think of as an “internal private equity” model. Nick and I go deep into how the structure actually works – from eligibility and valuation through to funding mechanisms for younger team members and the governance required when you have dozens of employee owners. We also share the lessons we’ve learned along the way, including mistakes, structural changes, and the thinking behind key decisions like not discounting equity. If you’re a business owner thinking about succession, culture, or how to align your team to long-term growth, this conversation offers a practical and transparent look at what’s worked for us – and what we’d do differently.

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob sits down with Corey Wastle, founder of Verse Wealth, to unpack how his firm has reimagined advice delivery,  replacing the traditional SOA model with a streamlined video-first approach that has dramatically reduced paraplanning time, and elevated client clarity. Corey shares: How recording advice meetings can meet SOA compliance requirements Why Verse reduced its advice document from 15,000 words to 3,500 How they cut paraplanning time from 8 hours to 2.5 hours The structure of their 3-meeting advice process How tracking financial wellbeing strengthens long-term relationships Why the future may lie in a “CXM” — a Client Experience Manager This is a practical, behind-the-scenes look at how one firm is modernising advice delivery, without waiting for regulatory reform. If you’re thinking about efficiency, client clarity, AI integration, or the future of advice, this episode is essential listening.

Alexander “Xan” Kitchin, Managing Director of Wealth Connexion and 2025 IFA Excellence Award – Individual winner, joins Rob Pyne to share how a corporate mindset, disciplined systems, and a strong team culture are reshaping modern financial advice. In this episode, Xan explains why “you can’t scale trust,” and what that means for adviser capacity, AI, and the future of professional advice businesses. A thoughtful conversation for practice owners and advisers thinking about sustainable growth and long-term impact.

Many financial advice businesses are busy, growing, and delivering for clients — yet still fall short of their true commercial potential. In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne is joined by Dean Lombardo, Founder of Effortless Engagement, to explore the insights from Dean’s white paper The Profit Gap and why advice firms often leak profit without realising it. Dean outlines four core sources of profit leakage identified through extensive research and diagnostic work across advice businesses: Organisational misalignment Workflow complexity Capacity misuse Conversion friction The conversation focuses on how these issues quietly compound inside otherwise well-run firms, why they’re hard to see from the inside, and what business owners can do to unlock profit already embedded within their existing model — without cutting service or culture. If you’re an advice business owner who feels busy and commercially disciplined but suspects there’s more potential in your business, this episode offers a clear and practical framework to start closing the Profit Gap.

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne is joined by Chris Hill (lawyer and financial adviser) and Rafael Cohen (fintech founder) from Inherit Australia to explore a smarter, adviser-led approach to estate planning. They unpack why advisers are uniquely positioned to drive estate planning conversations, how structured questioning can surface family dynamics and risks before they become disputes, and how technology can bridge the long-standing gap between advisers and lawyers, without crossing into legal advice. You’ll hear how Inherit Australia enables advisers to: Confidently lead estate planning discussions within a compliant framework Improve client engagement, retention, and intergenerational connections Work more efficiently with lawyers through better upfront information Ensure estate plans are completed, stored, and accessible when they’re needed most A practical, future-focused conversation for advisers looking to deepen client relationships and protect their practice through the coming intergenerational wealth transfer.   

Peter Worn, co-founder of Finura Group and former paraplanner turned independent tech adviser, explores how to bring tech sanity to advice firms. He contrasts true tech stacks with messy tech piles. He flags conflicts of interest with vendors and MSPs. He outlines ROI-first prioritisation, when to pick industry platforms versus enterprise CRMs, and how document management and AI add real value.

As we wrap up the year, this short solo episode is part reflection and part recommended reading list. In this episode, Rob steps back to reflect on some of the key ideas that have shaped his thinking as a business owner, drawing on a selection of books that have had a lasting influence on how HPH Solutions has been built. What’s been especially striking is how consistently these same ideas have shown up in the real-world experiences shared by guests on The Trusted Adviser. From Jim Collins’ Flywheel concept and the power of disciplined, compounding progress, to the importance of transparency, execution, culture, and trust, this episode connects enduring business principles with lived experience inside advice firms. It’s a reflection on what really drives sustainable success in professional services businesses, and particularly in financial advice. Not shortcuts or breakthroughs, but clarity of purpose, disciplined execution, strong people, and a long-term mindset. We’re taking a short break over the New Year and will be back in two weeks with a new guest episode. Wishing all trusted advisers a happy and healthy New Year, and every success in 2026.

Most advice firms in Australia run on Xplan, but very few truly understand what’s happening under the hood, how to optimise it, where it breaks, and what it takes to integrate it into a modern tech stack. In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne sits down with Matt McGuinty (FinTech Strategic Partners), one of the rare people who has worked inside Xplan with the developers themselves, and now helps advice firms lift capacity, consistency, and scale through better systems and smarter workflow design. Together, Rob and Matt unpack: Why “the tyranny of variation” quietly destroys efficiency in advice businesses The red flags Matt looks for in tech due diligence before a merger or acquisition How to think about dual CRMs (Xplan plus Salesforce/Dynamics), data ownership, and avoiding double entry What “online SOAs” could look like through a client portal, including digital fact finds and web-style advice presentation AI in advice: what’s useful now, what’s hype, and why data security and data quality come first If you’re wrestling with scale, consistency, or tech change (or you’re considering an acquisition), this one will give you a clearer framework for what matters and what to fix first.

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne sits down with Michael Goodman, founder of Wealthstream Advisors and now President of Greenspring Advisors, for an honest and thoughtful conversation about what it really takes to build an advice firm that outlives its founders. At a time when private equity is reshaping the advice profession, Michael chose a very different path. In 2025, he led Wealthstream into a merger with Greenspring Advisors — not for liquidity, not for scale at any cost, but to strengthen multi-generational employee ownership and build a governance structure designed for the future. In this candid discussion, Michael shares: Why remaining independent required broadening the shareholder base The personal realisations that shaped his decision to avoid outside capital How his role has evolved from founder to “bench coach” and strategic partner What it feels like to step into formal governance after years of leading a smaller firm How two culturally aligned firms blended processes, values, and people Why the next generation — not external investors — should own the decision-making power The early surprises, wins, and cultural moments that affirmed the merger His hopes for the firm he will ultimately hand over, not sell off This episode offers rare insight into succession planning, governance evolution, and leadership transition from someone who has lived through the complexity — and made deliberate, values-based decisions at every step. Whether you’re a founder thinking about succession, an adviser stepping into leadership, or simply curious about what the future of independent advice can look like, Michael’s story offers clarity, conviction, and inspiration.

This special reflection episode isn’t part of our numbered series. While Rob attends the FAAA Congress in Perth along with over a thousand advisers from across Australia, we’re taking a moment to look back. Rob narrates a guided recap of the first 30 conversations from The Trusted Adviser — highlighting the ideas, strategies, and insights that have shaped the profession, and this podcast. Whether you’re new to the series or revisiting a favourite conversation, this retrospective will help you navigate the episodes that matter most to you. A curated guide. A moment to reflect. A look back at the leaders shaping advice today.