Michelle Underwood Gass, the Founding Principal of Paradigm Advisors, discusses her innovative approach to financial planning, blending standardized processes with custom solutions for clients. She details her 5-part planning framework, including unique 'Get to Know You' meetings that uncover client priorities. Michelle explains her use of technology for seamless onboarding and highlights her dual fee structure that caters to high-earning professionals. She shares her journey from hedge fund management to finding fulfillment in building a purpose-driven advisory firm.

Peter Krull, Director of Sustainable Investing at Earth Equity Advisors, specializes in aligning investments with personal values. He shares insights on the evolution from traditional investing to sustainable practices, emphasizing the importance of ESG factors. Peter discusses how focusing on specific sectors can boost business and adapt to changing client demographics post-pandemic. He highlights practical steps for building diversified sustainable portfolios and the value of self-awareness in investment strategies, ultimately guiding clients toward investments that reflect their vision for the future.

Stacey McKinnon, COO of Morton Wealth, discusses her innovative leadership training program designed for middle managers in a rapidly growing firm. As the team expanded from 30 to 60 employees, she tackled managerial challenges, identifying common archetypes and fostering effective communication. The podcast highlights the shift to a more flexible client meeting schedule, strategies for empowering a self-sustaining team, and insights from U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Coach Emma Hayes on nurturing leadership. Stacey emphasizes the importance of adjusting management styles to maintain productivity amidst growth.

Paul G McManus is the CEO of More Clients More Fun, a marketing company that helps financial advisors conceptualize and publish their own book in a consolidated 6-week process. Paul advises financial advisors to write books not for potential royalties, but rather to establish their authority, differentiate themselves from competitors, and enhance client engagement. In this episode, he talks about how even a short book can achieve these goals, as well as how advisors can use books they've written to foster initial trust with prospects. Listen in as Paul shares how he assists advisors in creating concise books that can be read quickly—enhancing the probability of completion—and using Amazon's self-publishing platform for cost efficiency and update flexibility benefits. You'll learn about his six-week book production process, what he has seen advisors do to promote their books successfully, how a book can be used to grow marketing lists, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/417

Fran Toler is the CEO of Toler Financial Group, a DBA firm under the RIA Rossby Financial, that oversees nearly $200 million in assets under management for 280 households. Fran discusses how she transitioned from an independent broker-dealer model to a 'supported independence' corporate RIA platform to reduce her compliance burdens while paying lower platform fees by partnering with a service provider that doesn't charge for functions her staff already performs. This strategic move enables her to have greater autonomy without the full list of compliance responsibilities associated with complete independence. Listen in as Fran shares how her firm's public stance on progressive values has led to client and AUM growth by attracting clients and staff who share these ideals, why she offers new hires a stable base salary to ensure she includes talented candidates who might not have the financial backing to succeed in an 'eat what you kill' environment, and how she is approaching succession planning as she contemplates her eventual retirement. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/416

Erika Wood, Director of Wealth Management at VisionPoint Advisory Group, oversees a firm managing about $3 billion in assets. She dives into innovative strategies for centralized financial planning and a ticketing workflow, enhancing efficiency across client meetings. Erika discusses client segmentation and tiered pricing based on a data-driven approach. Her insights into nurturing client loyalty and the significance of advisors finding their niche are invaluable. Plus, she shares how structured planning fosters engaged client relationships while maximizing operational effectiveness.

Eric Franklin, Managing Partner of Prospero Wealth in Seattle, shares his journey of accelerating AUM to $50 million by honing in on tech employees' unique needs. He discusses his innovative approach to financial planning, breaking it into manageable segments for busy clients. Technology plays a key role, enhancing communication through tools like Right Capital and personalized video updates. Franklin emphasizes the importance of goal-setting, tailored advice for tech-specific concerns, and cultivating a niche market to drive growth.

Kevin Leahy, CEO of Connecticut Wealth Management, shares insights from his firm's innovative training program that successfully nurtures talent straight from college. He emphasizes the importance of structured onboarding, focusing on both technical skills and communication. Leahy discusses the challenges of attracting younger advisors amid retirements and highlights the benefits of hiring in cohorts. He also elaborates on maintaining core values during growth and fostering strong client relationships, showcasing how effective training can create a robust advisory talent pipeline.

Anjali Jariwala is the Founder of FIT Advisors, a California-based RIA that operates virtually nationwide, managing $65 million in assets for 45 client households. Over the past six years, Anjali has tripled her annual revenue from $250,000 to $750,000 while only adding a net of 10 client households by focusing on physicians with complex tax needs and small business owners with revenues of $5M-$20M. She achieved this growth by enhancing her service offerings with advanced financial planning and CFO services, while raising her fees to reflect the increased value. Listen in as Anjali shares how she transitioned from paid ads to creating niche-specific blog and podcast content that continues to attract high-quality prospects long after she paused active content creation to support her clients and manage personal stress during the early days of the COVID pandemic. She discusses her strategic approach to growing her revenue by raising her minimum annual retainer fee while keeping her client base compact, and how offering tailored services like advanced tax planning and CFO-style business planning justifies these fees for her clients. Anjali also reflects on her decision to limit her client count to enhance service quality, her use of an outsourced Chief Investment Officer to conduct investment research and cue up trades for her to execute, and how she defines success now that she has built a financially thriving practice. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/412

Larry Kriesmer, Chairman of Measured Risk Portfolios, shares insights on managing market risk through innovative investment strategies. He discusses how to gain client comfort by allocating 85% of funds in safe Treasuries while using options to enhance returns. Larry highlights the tax advantages of options trading, the psychological aspects of investing during volatility, and the importance of customized risk strategies. He also reflects on the challenges of building an advisory firm and the lessons learned from the 2008 financial crisis.