Travis Makes Money Make Money by Building Teams for Advisory Firms | Steven Perry
Steven Perry’s story is one of grit, reinvention, and making the leap—from commercial fishing in Alaska at 14, to making nearly $1M/year running Fortune 100 teams, then burning the boats to launch his own recruiting firm. As founder of The Well Recruiting Solutions, he now builds revenue-generating teams for advisory firms, aiming to empower 1,000+ clients by 2030.
On this episode we talk about:
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Early hustle: commercial fishing in Alaska, learning at 14 the difference between working for a check and owning the business
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His first true entrepreneurial venture—sealing driveways, scaling a six-figure business by the end of college, and the lesson he learned when he simply shut it down instead of selling it
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Why Steven ultimately turned down a prestigious ROTC scholarship and a Navy career path to pursue entrepreneurship and finance
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His entry into financial services, starting as an intern at New York Life, becoming a top-producing advisor, and why being surrounded by high performers forced him to level up
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Lessons from sales and financial advising—mastering rejection, discipline, and the numbers game ("Whoever’s willing to be told 'no' the most wins fastest")
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How being in the right environment and seeing other people succeed reframed what's possible, pushing him to greater heights
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Reaching financial milestones by 30—making $500K/yr, giving away and saving large percentages, but discovering money alone doesn't bring fulfillment or lasting happiness
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The personal finance strategy that enabled freedom: maximizing cash value life insurance and variable universal life for tax-free, flexible, and compound growth (plus why he prefers guaranteed accounts over variable for business owners)
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Navigating the transition out of a lucrative corporate job: searching for purpose, listening to intuition, and eventually being "pushed" into launching his own firm after a job opportunity disappeared
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How The Well Recruiting Solutions emerged from listening, networking, and recognizing a deep need for white-glove recruiting in wealth management; now scaled to nearly 30 employees with a future goal of $1B in revenue
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The difference between grinding for someone else and building for yourself—now hiring for his strengths and delegating everything else for maximum impact and fulfillment
Top 3 Takeaways
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Ownership > High Salary: Building long-term wealth and fulfillment comes from owning and growing businesses, not just earning a high paycheck.
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Skill Stacks Compound: Every job, network, and hard moment (from fishing boats to insurance sales) built the resilience and expertise needed for entrepreneurial success.
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Freedom is Designed: Smart moves—like flexible, tax-efficient investments—enable you to take risks, start over, and say yes to your true calling without fear.
Notable Quotes
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“I looked up and had a great income, but I didn’t own anything. The day I left was the day there was no more equity, no more income.”
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“Whoever’s willing to be embarrassed, to be told no, the most—wins the fastest.”
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“If you operate in your gifting all day, you’ll be more profitable and productive. Now, if I don’t want to do something, I can hire someone who does it better and faster.”
Connect with Steven Perry:
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Recruiting for advisory/financial services: The Well Recruiting Solutions https://thewell.solutions/
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