Financial Advisor Success

Hosted by Michael Kitces

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511

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The Financial Advisor Success podcast brings you real success stories and insights from the most successful financial advisors, and leading industry consultants, about how to take your advisory business to the next level. Get a glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes building a successful advisory business, and how entrepreneurial advisors navigate the inevitable highs, and lows, of growing a firm. Whether you're a new financial advisor trying to get started on the right foot, or an experienced advisor who's hit a wall, we're here to give you the insights and inspiration you need to break through and reach the level of success you want to achieve. Subscribe to the show, and get even more at the leading industry blog Nerd's Eye View at www.Kitces.com.

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60 recent

October 13, 2026Episode 5111 hr 29 min

Ep 511: Outsourcing And Managing Client Headcount To Stay Lean As A Two-Founder, $150M Firm with Ashlee deSteiger

What if growing your financial planning firm didn't have to mean giving up the lifestyle you worked so hard to create? For today's guest, building a successful advisory firm has meant finding ways to grow while protecting her time, energy, and freedom. Ashlee deSteiger is co-owner of Gunder Wealth Management, an RIA based in Birmingham, Michigan, that oversees approximately $150 million in assets under management for 100 client households. In this episode, Ashlee shares the practical decisions that have helped her create a business that works around her life rather than asking her life to revolve around the business. Listen in to hear how she freed up time for higher-value work, including by working with a virtual assistant, what helps her stay top-of-mind with potential clients, and how she's managed client headcount over time . For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/511

October 6, 2026Episode 5101 hr 30 min

Ep 510: Creating Effective Discovery Meetings To Convert 100% Of (High-Value) Prospects Into Clients with Michael Yoder

An effective discovery process not only can help an advisor better understand prospects' unique situations, but also can increase the rate at which they become full-time clients. Today's guest shares how he has developed a discovery process that has converted every prospect who has gone through it into a client over the past decade. Michael Yoder is the founder of Yoder Wealth Management, an RIA based in Walnut Creek, California, that oversees approximately $400 million in assets under management for 64 client households. In this episode, he shares how he uses an introductory call to identify whether a prospect is the right fit, prepares clients for more personal conversations about money, and uses a deep discovery meeting to uncover their values, priorities, and goals. Listen in to hear how narrowing his expertise helped him build relationships with CPAs and generate more referrals, why specialized knowledge in areas such as retirement income and equity compensation can create new opportunities, and why he decided to reduce the total client headcount he serves to better meet his lifestyle goals. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/510

September 29, 2026Episode 5091 hr 30 min

Ep 509: Systematizing Your Differentiated Service As A (True) Retirement Expert While Scaling To $850M Of AUM with Dana Anspach

Standing out as a true retirement expert: today's guest shares how she systemized her service by leaning into decumulation planning and running multiple tests on client plans to give them greater confidence that they will meet their retirement goals. Dana Anspach is the founder of Sensible Money, an RIA based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that oversees $850 million in assets under management for 330 client households. In this episode, you'll hear how Dana uses historical return sequences to stress test portfolios against real-world market conditions. She also talks about how she identifies opportunities to lock in gains and applies an asset-liability matching approach to create enough cash flow to help clients weather market downturns. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/509

September 22, 2026Episode 5081 hr 35 min

Ep 508: Leveraging Video The Right Way To Add $1M Of New Revenue In Less Than 12 Months with Nate Hoskin

While it can seem like video content is everywhere, creating educational videos doesn't automatically result in viewers (or new clients) for financial advisors. Which suggests that taking a structured, evidence-based approach to video content could lead to a greater return on investment and a more satisfying experience. Today's guest joins the show to share what advisors can learn from his experience building an advisory firm through video, going from creating financial education videos on TikTok to building an audience of nearly 80,000 followers. Nate Hoskin is the co-founder of SageContent, a platform that supports financial advisors in creating video marketing content. Listen in as Nate breaks down the lessons from his journey, including why follower numbers aren't enough and why understanding the audience you actually want to serve is critical to turning attention into business growth. You'll learn how to distinguish " performative" marketing from " performance" marketing , why data gives advisors the opportunity to improve their content faster, and how to build a funnel that turns viewers into prospects. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/508

September 15, 2026Episode 5071 hr 25 min

Ep 507: Growing Bigger For Succession And Then Intentionally Downsizing For A Simpler Lifestyle Practice with Carolyn McClanahan

Making the decision to downsize after growing can be shocking, but might also be the best decision for work-life balance. Today's guest shares the lessons she learned from growing her firm to more than 100 clients, before ultimately deciding that downsizing was the right choice. Carolyn McClanahan is the founder of Life Planning Partners, an RIA based in Jacksonville, Florida, that oversees $300 million in assets under management for 65 client households. In this episode, Carolyn opens up about how she used business coaches to create clearer career paths, establish measurable expectations, and improve compensation structures, before ultimately recognizing that the firm's growth strategy was contributing to burnout. Listen in to learn why she believes the financial planning profession could benefit from medical-style residency programs and why building a great advisory firm sometimes means knowing when not to grow. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/507

September 8, 2026Episode 5061 hr 30 min

Ep 506: Building A 'Killer' Scorecard To Track Key Weekly Metrics On The Path To $275M AUM with Jenna Biancavilla

Key metrics can not only show how your advisory firm is performing, but also whether your team is thriving. Today's guest builds a 'killer' scorecard to track the metrics that matter – from client engagement and new business activity to employee time off and retention – as well as why she shares valuable planning insights with prospects before they even become clients and how being more selective about the clients she works with has helped reduce stress and create more time. J enna Biancavilla is the founder of Pearl Capital Management, an RIA based in Phoenix that oversees approximately $275 million in assets under management for 110 client households. In this episode, she breaks down how she balances weekly and quarterly metrics, sets achievable targets, and uses data to keep her team focused on the firm's biggest priorities. Jenna also explains how adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System helped her team address issues faster, run more effective meetings, and prioritize quarterly "rocks" that move the business forward. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/506

September 1, 2026Episode 5051 hr 30 min

Ep 505: Using A "Pillow Test" To Make The Hard Business Decisions On The Way To $3.5B AUM with Andrew Rosen

How do you know you're making the right decision, especially when every option comes with trade-offs? Whether you're making career decisions or leading a growing advisory firm, today's guest offers practical lessons on building a business that aligns with your values while creating long-term success. Andrew Rosen is the Executive Chairman of Diversified, LLC, and in this episode, he shares the decision-making framework he calls the "pillow test," a simple but powerful way to evaluate career moves, business opportunities, and strategic decisions. Listen in as Andrew explains how this mindset shaped his career, from choosing a lower-paying role with greater long-term opportunity to navigating acquisitions, ownership transitions, and decisions around private equity investment. You'll learn how Diversified evolved from founder-led ownership to a partner-owned firm, what matters just as much as technical expertise when earning clients' trust, and more. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/505

August 25, 2026Episode 5041 hr 29 min

Ep 504: Taking Your Growth To The Next Level By Building An Authentic Personal Brand with Sheri Fitts

What makes a financial advisor stand out? T he answer isn't a better logo or tagline— it's building a personal brand that stands out in the eyes of good-fit clients and ensures their work is in sync with their values. Sheri Fitts is a marketing strategist, and she joins the show to explain why every advisor already has a brand ( whether they realize it or not), and how intentionally shaping that brand can attract more of the right clients. Listen in to learn how to uncover what existing clients value most about working with you, identify the niche that best aligns with your strengths and passions, and test your positioning before making major marketing investments. Sheri also shares how AI can help validate market opportunities, why experimentation is essential when refining your brand, and how having the courage to be bold—and stay true to your purpose—can create a business that's both more fulfilling and more successful. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/504

August 18, 2026Episode 5031 hr 30 min

Ep 503: Organically Growing To $800M AUM In Less Than A Decade By Investing In Educational Marketing with David Brooks

Whether you're looking to scale your advisory firm, improve your marketing strategy, or build a stronger brand presence, today's guest offers practical insights into how he has successfully done all that and more. David Brooks is the founder of Retire SMART, an RIA based in Omaha, Nebraska, that oversees approximately $800 million in assets under management for 1,000 client households. David joins the show today to share his strategic approach to marketing and growth, including how educational events, radio, television, podcasts, YouTube, and social media have helped him expand his reach and build trust with prospective clients. He also talks about how he measures marketing ROI, creates value through tax-focused planning, and navigates the operational challenges that come with rapid growth. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/503

August 11, 2026Episode 5021 hr 29 min

Ep 502: Managing $240M As A 3-Person Team Through A Structured Meeting Approach with Wendy Ciehanski

Your client review meetings could become your firm's biggest competitive advantage. Today's guest shares how her advisory firm has refined a structured client review process over more than 25 years, creating a consistent meeting cadence that improves efficiency while strengthening long-term client relationships. Wendy Ciehanski is a Senior Wealth Advisor at Composition Wealth , and she joins the show today to talk about how standardized agendas, thoughtful preparation, and repeatable systems can help advisors deliver a high level of service without sacrificing personalization. Listen in to hear why leading with life conversations creates better client outcomes, how Wendy's team segments meeting frequency based on client needs, and why merging with a larger firm allowed them to spend less time on administration and more time serving clients. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/502