

Behind The Advisor
XYPN
Behind the Advisor, an XYPN Podcast, takes you behind the scenes of what it really takes to launch, run, and grow a successful fee-only financial planning firm. Through candid conversations with industry leaders and real-life advisors, we uncover the challenges, victories, and lessons learned along the way. Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, this podcast delivers the front-line insights and actionable strategies you need to build a thriving, purpose-driven firm—on your terms.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 11, 2018 • 1h 4min
Ep #160: Getting Through The “What Did I Do” Phase of Entrepreneurship - A One Year Check-In with Ryan Frailich
Many listeners have requested that we bring back some of the interviews and see where their businesses are after a year. Today we get the chance to catch up with Ryan Frailich who has now been in business for about 18 months. He opens up about the changes, challenges and successes that he and his business has gone through over the past year since we last got a chance to chat. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/160

Jul 4, 2018 • 58min
Ep #159: From Orphan to RIA Firm Owner - How Chris Jackson Overcame All Odds to Find Success
When it comes to interesting stories, Chris Jackson certainly has one of those. He also has some great advice on how to use theatre skills to serve your clients better and have confidence in your meetings. Chris shares the crazy story about how he got into financial planning with almost no experience and why he stuck with it. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/159

Jun 27, 2018 • 1h 1min
Ep #158: Helping Clients Live Their Life After Grief – The Career of Chris Dale
Dealing with clients who are grieving or going through a great loss requires a great deal of courage, compassion and wisdom. Chris Dale is an advisor and planner who has gone through significant loss and channeled that into a practice of his own that caters specifically to people going through a hard time. He has some extremely valuable advice and information for us that will shed some light on how to truly be what our clients need during their hard times. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/158

Jun 20, 2018 • 1h 5min
Ep #157: From Massage Therapy to Financial Planning, How to Build a Business That Works For You - The Career of Debbie Gallant
Many people are in search of a career that supports their lifestyle and feeds their passions. Debbie Gallant has done just that and is here on the show to share her journey with entrepreneurship and the various careers that brought her to the sweet spot where she is today. She offers some valuable advice on how to get started in financial planning, who to reach out to, where she would have done things differently and much more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/157

Jun 13, 2018 • 56min
Ep #156: Bringing on a Partner to Accelerate Growth - The Careers of Jirayr Kembikian & Ryan Cole
There’s no right way to structure a partnership and this can make things confusing when building a business relationship between partners. Jirayr Kembikian and Ryan Cole have successfully navigated a 50/50 partnership and they’re here to share how they did it. This episode will be all about how they are building their growing business and how they use their different skills to benefit each other. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/156

Jun 6, 2018 • 59min
Ep #155: From the Wirehouse to RIA with a Break as a Marketing Consultant - The Career of Stephanie Sammons
You might know Stephanie Sammons as the founder of Wired Advisors, but as of last year, she’s also the founder of Sammons Wealth Management, a fee-only firm handling $7.5 million in assets. Now focused on high net worth clients in the LGBTQ community, Stephanie has overcome more than her fair share of struggles in the industry. In this episode, she opens up about the difficulties she faced being a gay woman in the advisory world, and ultimately how she has prevailed and continues to grow her practice to support her ideal life. Listen in to hear about her inspiring journey, as well as the major lessons she learned along the way. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/155

May 30, 2018 • 1h
Ep #154: New Job, New Baby, New City: Starting a Firm in the Midst of Major Life Changes - The Career of Scott Snider
Today’s guest is XYPN member and founder of Mellen Money Management, Scott Snider. After starting his career on the sales side, briefly working at a bank, and finding his way to a wealth management firm, Scott ultimately decided to start his own firm—and did so while also dealing with moving across the country, his wife starting a new job, and having his first child. Though this path certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, it has worked out well for Scott and taught him some very important lessons. In this episode, he shares his unique journey, as well as key things he learned along the way and advice that anyone hoping to start a firm should take to heart. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/154

May 23, 2018 • 1h 9min
Ep #153: The Merging of Two Practices with Gabe Anderson & Scott Bell
Have you ever wondered about or considered teaming up with another advisor? If so, this episode is for you. Both Gabe Anderson and Scott Bell started their own practices and ended up merging their financial planning and investment businesses to create a business that provides a quality experience for all clients. They discuss the process of merging and where they want to go with their partnership. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/153

May 16, 2018 • 1h 3min
Ep #152: Leveraging Their Passion for the Environment to Grow Their SRI Focused RIA - The Careers of Courtney & Morgan Randstrom
Today I’m excited to have siblings and XYPN members Courtney and Morgan Randstrom on the show! Co-founders of Trailhead Planners, the two have an interesting niche in working with clients who have a passion for their environmental footprint and want to build carbon-neutral portfolios. With complimenting skill sets—Morgan is more of the big-picture idea person and Courtney is the realist who focuses on the operations of the firm—the pair really works well together to provide real financial planning for their clients. Offering an awesome blend of comprehensive financial advice with investment expertise, they are incredibly dynamic and doing some really interesting things in their business. Listen in to hear all about it. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/152

May 9, 2018 • 1h
Ep #151: Becoming Financially Independent at 35 While Running an RIA – The Career of Kyle Mast
Kyle Mast joins us on the show to talk about his career journey that started in a family business through a succession plan and ended up with him owning his own RIA. He discusses the details of his business and the strategies he has used to build it successfully. Kyle talks about how he has hit a place he’s happy with and ready to pull back and spend more time with family. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/151