Behind The Advisor

#XYPNRadio’s very own host, Maddy Roche, is interviewed on the podcast today. Maddy is XYPN’s Senior Director of Member Success, a role in which she’s entirely dedicated to helping XYPN members be successful.  As the first employee, Maddy has been part of XYPN since the very beginning, and today, she shares her experience navigating change and the growth that comes along with it. She discusses how she inspires an “embrace change” mentality within her own team and offers advice on fostering a positive company culture and preserving that culture within a rapidly growing company. Maddy shares what it’s like to manage a team of managers—which she admits had a steep learning curve. We also spend some time reflecting on the fee-only movement, and the powerful role introspection plays in bettering yourself both personally and professionally. Having connected with thousands of fee-only advisors over the past seven and a half years, Maddy offers a unique perspective on what it really means to be a part of the XYPN movement, what exactly REAL financial planning entails, and the impact XYPN advisors have on the lives of others and on the industry at large. Maddy also shares her own experience working with a financial advisor and how recently engaging advisors who are also life planners has changed her outlook and shaped her trajectory. If you’re interested in learning more about the story of #XYPNRadio’s host, Maddy Roche, what her seven and half year journey with XYPN has looked like, and how her introspective mindset and approach have helped her continuously better herself both as a team member and as a person, this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/319

We’re excited to talk with Danika Waddell today, owner of Xena Financial Planning, a long-time follower of XYPN, and a relatively new entrepreneur. As you’ll hear, Danika has experienced rapid growth in her newly-launched firm and now serves over 60 clients just 13 months in. So, what’s her secret?  As we explore today, you’ll hear that it comes down to knowing your strengths and weaknesses and creating a dream team to help you stay sane and serve your clients. Danika discusses how she relies on and leverages her community, centers of influence, and coaches to help her stay on track. She talks about the nuances of pricing in Washington state and how she expects to change her firm in the future. Danika shares the softer side of how she approaches her firm, takes care of herself, embraces the abundance mentality, and is motivated by making financial planning accessible to more people. If you’re interested in how to hit the ground running and find success when you launch your firm, then this show is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/318

We’re excited to welcome Tom Lo, XYPN Member and founder of Vested Financial Planning, on the show today. As his firm name alludes to, Tom works with Silicon Valley tech professionals and has a particular focus on helping clients through a liquidity event at their company.  Tom shares that he, too, went through a liquidity event at a tech startup and found it to be so complicated of an experience that it became one of his motivations to change careers and help others with his expertise. As Tom discusses today, a liquidity event at a tech startup is a great opportunity for sophisticated and technical planning from a third party, like himself, to provide unbiased perspective to those who are emotionally invested in the process. Tom dives into how he serves his clients effectively by outsourcing major components of his business—from asset management to bookkeeping. He discusses the softer side of being a business owner, too, like what it means to have control of your destiny, complete control of your business, and of course, flexibility.  If you’re interested in working with this niche or gaining any of what was just mentioned, then this show is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/317

Today we’re excited to have Jerry Kauffman, a Certified EOS Implementer on the show. EOS is the Entrepreneurial Operating System—a system designed to help entrepreneurs get more of what they want out of their businesses. XYPN integrated the EOS model into our organization just about three years ago, with the help of Jerry, and today we’ll discuss the core components of the system and how it can level up your business. Jerry talks through the major components of the EOS model—from setting rocks, to the meeting rhythm, to deciding measurables of your scorecard. He discusses the difference between the visionary role and the integrator role and even gives us some behind-the-scenes takeaways from working with Alan Moore and Michael Kitces, both visionaries.  Jerry will be hosting an interactive Pre-Conference workshop for advisors at XYPN LIVE, where he will share the benefits of implementing this system for your company.   EOS is a core component of how XYPN runs its business, and today's episode will give you some ideas on how to get more out of your business using EOS principles. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/316

We’re excited to welcome Daniel Kopp to the show today. Daniel is the owner and founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning—a two-year-old, 100% virtual fee-only firm that serves over 25 widows and military personnel.  Today, Daniel talks about what it was like starting his firm while navigating some difficult personal circumstances. While he waited for approval to start his firm, he conducted 100 informational interviews, prepared for his CFP®, and got clear on who he wanted to serve and how. Despite pricing himself a little low out of the gate, today, Daniel has a backlog of clients reaching out and credits a lot of his accelerated growth to the investments he made in GoogleAds early on and targeting his niche in Facebook Groups. Daniel shares the importance of a supportive advisor community as he continues to grow his firm and how he would have never started on this journey if he didn't know what was possible thanks to some of the original stories shared on #XYPNRadio. If you’re interested in what it’s like to build a niche-focused intentional firm, then this episode is for you.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/315

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to starting or scaling a practice, and today, we sit down for a conversation with XYPN member Spencer Stephens who has taken his own path starting and scaling his firm. Stephen, like many folks, is interested in building a lifestyle practice vs. an enterprise practice. He founded Rooted Interest, a fee-only firm in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2017, and today, he discusses why he serves a smaller client base than other comparable firms.  He discusses why he continued to stay employed at his father’s CPA practice full time while building his firm. Spencer is a dad of five, and it was important for him to get into the giving profession to help his clients in the ways that work best for them while not sacrificing what is best for himself and his family. Spencer talks about his intentionality in building slowly, his annual expenses (hint, it's still under the 10k mark), and what his plans are for ramping his business up. If you’re considering starting a practice at a slower rate or on a part-time basis, then this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/314

We’re excited to introduce you to Cathy Curtis, founder of Curtis Financial Planning, a fee-only firm out of Oakland, CA. Cathy has run her firm for over 20 years and shares just a sliver of her experience on the show today. Cathy is a solo advisor—and always has been. She serves women, specifically breadwinning women, and to this day, finds 1:1 client work her favorite part of running her firm. Cathy discusses flow and how to find it, the kind of insecurities women face as they try to understand their finances, and what it’s like to vision board your future. She reminds listeners that outsourcing should be considered an investment, and there’s no reason to try to do everything on your own, whether you hire or not. Cathy shares that her imposter syndrome went away when she finally niched, and since then, has found major success and fulfillment.  Cathy has some incredible advice to share with you today, and if you’re interested in what it’s like as a solo advisor 20 years in, then this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/313      

We’re excited to welcome Vinicius “V” Hiratuka, founder of Elevated Retirement Financial Services, on the show today. V serves just over 50 client households on an AUM basis, folding his financial planning and investment management into a single comprehensive fee. Despite being relatively young, V serves almost exclusively pre-retirees—and loves doing it. He talks about the oh-so-familiar feeling of wanting to do things differently and why breaking out on his own was so important to him. He reminds listeners to pay themselves first, from his own experience to not to be in a rush to venture out on your own. He talks about why his previous experience was integral in his decision to focus on this niche, how he’s been able to leverage his youth as a value to his clients, and why he continues to work for a different business owner on the side. V’s simplicity to his approach, along with his dedicated focus on the things that matter, is truly inspiring.  If you’re interested in the pre-retirement and retirement space but want to do it your way, then this episode will be for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/312   

We’re excited to have Alan Moore, the CEO and Co-Founder of XYPN, on the show today. XYPN just celebrated its 7th year, and it’s been about a year and a half since Alan hosted his last #XYPNRadio episode.  Today, he joins us to discuss what this whole journey has been like—from starting the business to managing a team through COVID, all while being a dad (now with three kids). Alan opens up about nerves, some worries that have lingered over the years, and reminisces on some of his favorite times at XYPN. He talks about the importance of hiring a team that complements his strengths and weaknesses and what it’s been like to work alongside Michael Kitces as a co-founder. Alan gives valuable advice to our listeners through telling his stories—from which books helped him change his perspective to how to think of entrepreneurship as a creative outlet. If you want to know how XYPN and Alan Moore have evolved over the years, then this show is for you.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/311  

We’re excited to welcome back Shane Mason and AJ Ayers, co-founders of Brooklyn FI, for a check-in on their growth trajectory since we last spoke with them on episode #221. Brooklyn FI now has 10 fully remote employees, serves over 200 client households, and is pushing the two million dollar mark in revenue.  On the show today, we discuss what that growth has been like—from identifying great new talent for their team to handling the crazy demands of this year’s tax season. They talk about why hiring an operations teammate was vital for their scalability and how their fee calculator helps with transparency. Shane and AJ share their take on their impact, why they got into this business, and how they’ve managed to keep up with the demands of their growing firm. You can sense their authenticity and their passion for what they do in this interview, and it’s hard not to want to be part of their superstar team. If you’re looking for some advice about growing and scaling your business, then this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/310