Live from Triad’s Scale Summit in Atlanta, I got the opportunity to sit down with two Triad members who are driving SHP Financial’s incredible growth—founding partner Keith Ellis Jr. and Chief Operating Officer Michelle Short.

In this behind-the-scenes conversation, we unpack how SHP went from a 4-person startup to a 55-person firm who gathered $380M of total assets in 2024, growing to $1.6B of AUM.

You’ll hear how they scaled without burning out, built career tracks that turned interns into $80M producers, and created a culture-backed onboarding system that scales consistency, deepens trust, and reinforces what makes SHP different.

3 of the biggest insights from Keith and Michelle…

#1.) How SHP Gathered $380M of Total Assets in 2024

SHP didn’t grow by grinding, they grew by stepping back. Instead of meeting with every client, SHP’s founders focused on high-net-worth clients while their team of specialists handled planning, follow-up, and client management. The result? $380M of total assets without burnout or bottlenecks.

#2.) The Onboarding System That Scales Consistency, Trust, and Referrals

Every SHP hire starts with a Vision Session, a 1:1 with a partner, and a deep dive into the firm’s culture handbook. From “Shipmates” to Enneagram walls, everything is built to align the team and protect the client experience. That’s how SHP builds internal trust—and earns referrals without ever asking.

#3.) SHP’s 3-Tier Client Model That Protects Founder Time

By segmenting clients into three tiers, SHP ensures their founders only meet with $2.5M+ prospects—while newer advisors gain reps with clients under $1M. The result? More capacity, clearer career paths, and 4x the asset growth with half the meetings.

SHOW NOTES

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DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.

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