Managing Your Practice
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Managing Your Practice is dedicated to providing financial professionals with best practices in key areas such as driving growth, business efficiency, and the client experience. Dimensional Fund Advisors delivers insights based on our history of industry-leading financial advisor benchmark studies and client surveys. We help advisors leverage those insights when making the critical business decisions successful firms face every day.
The information is provided in good faith without any warranty and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, recommendation, or an offer of any services or products for sale and is not intended to provide a sufficient basis on which to make an investment decision.
All expressions of opinion are subject to change.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The information is provided in good faith without any warranty and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, recommendation, or an offer of any services or products for sale and is not intended to provide a sufficient basis on which to make an investment decision.
All expressions of opinion are subject to change.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Episodes
Mentioned books
13 snips
Jan 31, 2025 • 45min
Health Meets Wealth: The Power of Transformational Financial Advice
Brady Fineske, president of TFO Wealth Partners, and Richard Stott, CEO of Connectum Capital Management, dive into the powerful link between health and wealth. They share personal stories illustrating how financial advice can be holistic and transformative. The conversation emphasizes building authentic connections with clients and the importance of open communication. They also discuss the emotional impact of financial legacies and the significance of proactive, honest guidance in enhancing overall well-being.
24 snips
Dec 19, 2024 • 1h 20min
2024 Wrapped: Practice Management Trends That Shaped the Year
Guests Steven Demand, Dale Scaly, Cameron Logar, and Mark Colasso share their expertise in practice management trends that defined 2024. They dive into the significance of strategic planning and organizational efficiency while managing talent. The discussion highlights the evolving role of AI, illustrating how it complements human touch in advisory firms. They also explore effective compensation structures to retain top talent and emphasize crafting detailed client profiles for enhanced engagement. Insights on client advisory boards reveal their impact on growth strategies.
Nov 22, 2024 • 43min
Leading with Purpose: How Your "Why" Drives Growth in a Financial Advisory Firm
In this episode, Gordon Bernhardt and Scott Oeth discuss how storytelling and incorporating their own personal "why" into various interactions can support deeper client relationships and drive growth in their advisory firms. Bernhardt, a wealth manager and principal with Modera Wealth Management, and Oeth, a wealth manager and principal for Cahill Financial Advisors, dive into the connection between personal passion and professional success—hear how Bernhardt's Camino de Santiago journey plays a role in client conversations and the ways that Oeth's wilderness survival skills shape his approach to wealth management and leadership.
Oct 25, 2024 • 41min
Feedback as Fuel for Growth: Why Your Clients' Point of View Matters Most
Helen Stephens, President and CEO of Aspen Wealth Management, brings over 30 years of experience in serving diverse clients, particularly focusing on women and money. She discusses the critical role of client feedback in business growth and enhancing relationships. Helen shares insights on establishing advisory councils to gather valuable feedback while tailoring services to meet client needs. She emphasizes clear communication to build trust and improve engagement. Helen also explores optimizing digital experiences through client input and identifying ideal clients for purposeful growth.
Sep 3, 2024 • 58min
Ingredients of Engagement: How Trust, Presence, and Values Make for a Winning Combination
Helen Learmonth, a financial planner at WealthFlow, and Matt Hall, cofounder of Hill Investment Group, share insights on enhancing client engagement. They emphasize the crucial role of trust in client relationships and discuss how empathy and shared values can elevate the client experience. Key strategies include cultivating a client-centric culture and prioritizing communication. They advocate for feedback as a tool to improve service and satisfaction, ensuring clients feel heard and valued, ultimately driving referrals and retention.
Jul 19, 2024 • 41min
From Growth Within to Success Throughout: Nurturing Employee Development for Firm Prosperity
Mark Johnsen, CEO of Wealth Architects, and Rob Greenman, Chief Growth Officer of Vista Capital, share their expertise on nurturing employee development for firm success. They discuss the significance of cultivating a growth mindset and a competitive yet collaborative culture. Mark emphasizes the role of incentives in driving team behaviors, while Rob reflects on aligning growth strategies with core values. Together, they explore how empowering employees enhances client relationships and fosters long-term prosperity in the advisory sector.
Jun 21, 2024 • 55min
Building Brain Habits that Accelerate Your Team and Practice
Art Markman, PhD, is vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of more than 150 scholarly works on cognitive science and related topics. In this podcast episode, he shares his expertise on "smart" thinking and decision-making. With tens of thousands of decisions to make every day, what allows us to move from basic functions to strategic thinking and, as business leaders, form innovative ideas? Hear how you can actively optimize those thoughts to build effective habits and approach problem-solving in advisory firms. Markman's book Smart Thinking: Three Essential Keys to Solve Problems, Innovate, and Get Things Done is listed on Dimensional's Summer Reading List, which you can download here.
May 16, 2024 • 1h 1min
Custodian Roundtable: The Industry Landscape, Options, and Innovation in 2024 and Beyond
With more options than ever, how do advisors decide on a custodial partner? Ben Harrison of BNY Mellon Pershing, Gabe Garcia of SEI, and Thomas Moore of Betterment for Advisors join us in a roundtable discussion on how their custodial firms are going beyond asset security to offer services in other major operational and strategic capacities. They each offer internal perspective on what advisors should look for, priorities to consider, and key questions to ask when choosing a partner.
Apr 10, 2024 • 44min
How Leaders Can Map Career Journeys to Drive Growth and Innovation
Jennifer Climo, CEO of Milestone Financial Planning, and Martine Lellis, chief talent officer at Mercer Advisors, work in advisory firms that are vastly different in size but have the common goal of creating an environment that fosters growth in both revenue and talent. They share their experience in bringing on new employees, how their firms continue to develop internal opportunities for progression, and the importance of clearly defined career paths that emphasize advocacy on the part of both the employee and manager, as well flexibility in roles, all while prioritizing the bottom line of the business.
Mar 5, 2024 • 44min
Future Proofing your Practice: How to Prepare for Succession and Transactions in a Period of Growth
David DeVoe, founder of DeVoe & Co., appropriately nicknamed the "RIA M&A Guru," has spent 15 years helping advisors buy, sell, and merge their firms. With so much to consider in a deal, how are advisors avoiding analysis paralysis when preparing for a transition? Hear from the expert on why you should get purposeful and have a succession plan in place today, what might affect a firm's value in the current landscape, and how to retain your talent and culture, all while continuing to grow.
