Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL 145: Lindsey Lewis - Why Women Will Drive the Next Era of Advisor Growth (According to the Data)
Advisors everywhere are feeling the pressure to scale, hire, and prepare for a wave of retirements that will reshape the industry. At the same time, firms are struggling to attract women, keep next-gen advisors engaged, and build teams that actually create freedom instead of more work.
That’s why I wanted to bring Lindsey Lewis on the show. After building a $200M book in her first year at Vanguard, Lindsey shifted her career toward research at The American College so she could help the profession fix its biggest blind spots—especially around women in finance, advisor retention, and the future talent pipeline.
We dig into the data shaping the next decade of financial services: what women uniquely bring to advisory firms, why Gen Z is more interested in this profession than any generation before them, and how training, compensation, and career clarity determine whether young advisors stay or disappear.
4 of the biggest insights from Lindsey …
#1.) The Biggest Talent Gap in Advisor History
We’re staring down a generational shift in this profession. Tens of thousands of advisors are aging out. And when you run the math, the industry would need to hire over a million new people just to meet today’s demand. Lindsey walks through the data behind this massive workforce gap and why the firms who build real training, career paths, and development now will be miles ahead of everyone else over the next decade.
#2.) Women Advisors Are a Huge Missed Opportunity
The numbers don’t lie: women make up 25% of CFPs… but only a small fraction are in sales/growth positions. And it’s not a talent issue, it’s how the industry has shaped roles, pay structures, and expectations over time. Lindsey breaks down why women often outperform in retention, personalization, referrals, and relationship depth, yet get pushed into service tracks or stay risk-averse because of cultural narratives, confidence gaps, or biases inside firms. The upside for the firms who fix this is enormous. Women represent one of the biggest untapped growth engines in financial services.
#3.) Gen Z Wants In, But Poor Onboarding Pushes Them Out
Here’s the part no one expects: financial services is now Gen Z’s top-preferred industry over tech and medicine. But at the same time, 1 in 4 early-career advisors say their onboarding wasn’t effective — and those are the same people who leave within seven years. Lindsey lays out exactly what this generation needs to stay: mentorship, sponsorship, clear career paths, ongoing education, and roles that evolve with their confidence. If you want a talent pipeline that sticks, it starts with the first 12–18 months.
#4.) Compensation Makes or Breaks Your Team
Comp plans aren’t just about money, they’re about psychology. Young advisors need stability before they’re ready to take on variable comp. Others crave upside and hate the idea of a flat salary. Lindsey explains the difference between income risk tolerance and income risk capacity, and why misalignment between the person and the pay structure is one of the biggest drivers of turnover. When firms get comp wrong, they churn through talent. When they get it right, people stay, grow, and eventually step into the very roles the industry is desperate to fill.
SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/145
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