Financial Advisor Success

Tiffany Charles is the Chief Growth Officer for Destiny Capital, a hybrid advisory firm based near Denver that oversees $260 million in assets under management for nearly 200 households. Tiffany has crafted a unique role for herself within an independent advisory firm with a focus on building scalable marketing systems to power the growth of the entire firm, instead of focusing on personally prospecting for new business. Listen in to find out how she moved from focusing on business outcomes to measuring her activity, as well as how this made a positive impact on the firm’s growth. You’ll also learn how she took on the Chief Growth Officer role with her firm as a tie-in to a next-generation succession plan and how she co-created a new vision with the firm to pursue a new niche of working entrepreneurs. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/191

Stacey McKinnon is the Chief Operating Officer for Morton Capital Management, an independent RIA based in Los Angeles that oversees nearly $2 billion worth of assets under management for nearly 1,000 households. Stacey was formerly a wedding coordinator and operated a Pilates studio before entering into the financial services industry, which is indicative of Morton's non-traditional hiring approach that has been such a major part of their success. Listen in as Stacey discusses the shortage of talent in financial services and why many firms may be casting the net too narrowly when looking for the right people to hire. You’ll learn why Morton hires for personality and culture fit before hiring for skills, why trust is so important within a team, and the importance of building something unique at the firm level in order to create a more rewarding environment for advisors and more financial security for the firm. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/190  

Taylor Schulte is the founder of Define Financial, an independent fee-only RIA that oversees $76 million of assets under management for 60 families that are in, or approaching, retirement. Taylor has grown his practice through proactive marketing initiatives and niching down to a very specific target clientele—even though it meant firing his mother and grandfather as clients. Listen in as he shares some of the hits and misses he experienced along the way to growing his practice to what it is today. You will learn what he did to break through a revenue ceiling, how he turned podcast listeners into clients, and how investments in his website have paid off to the tune of 75% of new clients arriving through organic web traffic. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/189

Rich Arzaga is the founder of Cornerstone Wealth Management, a hybrid advisory firm that oversees nearly $70 million in AUM for 65 affluent clients. Rich is just one of a handful of advisors across the country who, in addition to holding a CFP certificate, holds the CCIM designation to advise clients on commercial real estate. Today he joins the show to discuss how he incorporates advice on directly held real estate into his practice and the APOD (Annual Property Operating Data) analysis he prepares as part of his financial planning. Listen in as Rich shares the tools he uses to track and analyze directly held real estate, as well as why he charges an upfront fee for his real estate analysis. You’ll learn what he did to stand out from the crowd and how he turbo-charged his firm in the early years to overcome the challenges often faced by career-changing entrepreneurs. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/188  

Emlen Miles-Mattingly is the founder of Gen Next Wealth, an independent RIA based in Madera, California that provides wealth management for 70 client households. Emlen’s goal is to change the complexion of wealth, and he does this by focusing his advisory firm on working with underserved communities of color and moving toward a subscription model instead of traditional assets under management. Listen in to find out how Emlen structures his monthly subscription business model, as well as how he developed different tiers that all provide a baseline of advice but vary in implementation support. We also discuss how the change in business model is accelerating his growth path, the key question he asks at the beginning of every introductory meeting with clients, the real-world challenges he faces as an advisor of color serving communities of color, and so much more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/187

Samantha Bezar is the Director of Digital Marketing for Thrive Financial Services, a hybrid RIA and Insurance Agency based out of the Greater Philadelphia Area that serves nearly five hundred clients. Through a combination of digital marketing and in-person events, Samantha has built a scalable marketing solution for Thrive that has catapulted their revenue from a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $6 million in under three years. Samantha joins us today to share her in-depth expertise on all things digital marketing, including marketing automation tools that have increased retention and response rates, how Thrive segments and targets their audience, and how compelling ad copy comes into play when converting prospects to clients. Listen in to learn what personal touches Thrive uses to incorporate a more human element to their process, as well as the “secret sauce” for getting people to actually show up to webinars. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/186

Christine Teh is the founder of Teh Financial Coaching, which provides tax consulting and financial coaching services to high-income individuals and couples. Christine has built a successful coaching practice by not only systematizing her coaching packages for clients, but also systematizing her marketing process through LinkedIn. Today she joins the show to discuss why the focus of her work is on short-term cash flow instead of retirement plans. Listen in as we talk in depth about why Christine teaches her clients how to do the work so they can go out on their own and, ultimately, not end up as long-term clients. You will learn what she uses as her main marketing tool, steps she has taken to ensure she gets the number of clients needed to make her business sustainable, and how she is reaching so many clients. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/185            

Reese Harper is the founder and CEO of Dentist Advisors, an independent RIA that oversees nearly $250 million of AUM for more than 350 clients. On top of running a firm with a unique niche, Reese also runs a successful podcast—something he credits with helping to grow his business. Today he joins the show to discuss the monthly financial planning process he has developed for serving clients, as well as the technology tools he uses to implement it. Listen in as Reese shares why he thinks the future of financial advising is all about working with clients through an ongoing series of micro-interactions around their financial planning needs. You will learn about the systematized series of twelve monthly deliverables that his firm provides, the financial planning process Reese has created, and the premium price he charges for the premium service his firm provides. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/184   

Hannah Moore, a Certified Financial Planner and owner of Guiding Wealth Management, shares insights on time management and personalizing advisory practices. She discusses achieving work-life balance, using creative constraints to fuel productivity, and the transformative power of genuine client engagement. Notably, she integrates innovative budgeting tools, including a unique system called BudgetingBlocks, to help clients visualize their finances. Hannah also emphasizes the importance of networking and mentorship in enhancing success within the financial planning industry.

Richard Joyner is the President of Tolleson Wealth Management, a multi-family office that manages the wealth of large families with significant assets. He works with multi-generational families to address the complexities of successful wealth transfer and has expertise in many diverse areas, including estate tax planning, family dynamics and education, and investment management for the ultra-rich. Richard joins us today to discuss what financial planning looks like for multi-generational families with significant wealth, what development dynamics go along with multi-family portfolios, and some of the more diverse issues that can arise in this particular wealth management category. Listen in to hear his top advice for getting started in this field, the skills that are necessary for success, and what he wishes he could tell his younger self just starting his career. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/182