Ep 404: The Evolution Of Specializing In College Planning To Work With Mid-Career Professionals Who Save with Ann Garcia
Release Date: 09/24/2024
Financial Advisor Success
Nicole Gopoian Wirick is the President of Prosperity Wealth Strategies, an RIA based out of Michigan that oversees $70 million in assets under management for 40 households. What’s unique about Nicole is how she hired a branding consultant early on to develop a clear brand identity that reflects her financial planning philosophy and resonates with her ideal clients. This brand now acts as a filter for deciding which marketing opportunities are worth pursuing, helping her stay focused and aligned. Listen in as Nicole shares how she developed a distinct brand identity by first exploring her...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Gideon Drucker is the CEO of Drucker Wealth, a hybrid advisory firm based out of New York City that oversees approximately $1 billion in assets under management for 800 client households. What’s unique about Gideon is how he launched a “Wealth Builder” service model to support high-income next-gen clients—within a firm traditionally focused on retirees. In just five years, the offering has added 275 client households and become the primary engine of growth for Drucker Wealth. Listen in as Gideon shares how he structured his firm’s Wealth Builder division with a high...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Vanessa N. Martinez is the CEO of Expressive Wealth, an RIA based out of Chicago that oversees $135 million in assets under management for approximately 70 client households, including 10 ‘core’ ultra-high-net-worth families. What’s unique about Vanessa is how her firm goes beyond traditional estate planning to help high-net-worth clients engage in in-depth legacy planning. This approach ensures clients pass down not just their assets, but also the values and principles that helped them build their wealth. Listen in as Vanessa shares how she guides clients through a multi-meeting...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Cameron Passmore is the CEO of PWL Capital, a wealth management firm based out of Ottawa, Canada, that oversees just over $5 billion Canadian dollars (or approximately $3.5 billion U.S. dollars) in assets under management for 2,400 client households. What’s unique about Cameron is that after growing his firm’s revenue from $2 million to over $20 million as an independent firm over the past decade, he recognized that the next phase of growth required a different approach. By combining with a larger financial conglomerate, he positioned the firm to pursue another 10X growth opportunity in...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Seth Scott is the founder of Heartwood Financial Planning, an advisory firm in Fresno, California that manages $100 million in assets for 850 client households. What makes Seth’s approach unique is his development of an “input deliverable” that simplifies tax planning for his ideal target client, allowing him to demonstrate value without creating time-intensive, custom reports for each individual. By offering this tool, he not only saves time, but also builds trust with prospective clients who may later seek more comprehensive financial planning services. In this episode, Seth also...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Nick Rodkin is the managing partner of Stoic Financial, an LPL-affiliated advisory firm based in Florida that oversees $107 million in assets under management for 70 client households. What’s unique about Nick is that after nearly 15 years as a financial advisor, he pursued a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy to enhance his ability to help couples resolve financial conflicts. This additional expertise allows him to address relationship dynamics that may hinder financial decision-making and the implementation of his financial planning recommendations. Listen in as Nick shares...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
AJ Ayers is the co-founder of Brooklyn Fi, an RIA based in Brooklyn—but operating as a fully remote business—that oversees $370 million in assets under management for more than 400 client households. What’s unique about AJ is how she and her business partner successfully tackled the hiring, training, and operational challenges of rapidly scaling their advisory firm from the ground up to $5 million in revenue in just seven years. Their strategic approach to systems and processes allowed them to sustain growth while maintaining efficiency and service quality. Listen in as AJ shares how she...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Ali Nasser is the Founder of the Wealth Integration System for Entrepreneurs (WISE), an education and coaching company based out of Houston that works with entrepreneurs facing a liquidity event and trying to figure out what’s next—as well as the financial advisors who serve them. Having built a successful advisory business by helping high-net-worth entrepreneurs align their financial goals with their entrepreneurial mindset, even when it conflicted with traditional financial planning advice, Ali's approach was so effective that he eventually sold his advisory firm to focus exclusively on...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Lorie Jones is the Wealth Manager at Fearless Financial Advisors, a DBA of hybrid advisory firm Fidelis Wealth Advisors based out of Colorado, where she oversees $30 million in assets under management for 88 households. What sets Lorie apart is how she maximized the capabilities of Salesforce CRM—typically used by larger firms due to its advanced features and higher cost—to streamline processes and workflows while working at a mid-sized advisory firm without the need for costly Salesforce developers, demonstrating how a well-optimized CRM can enhance efficiency across the firm. Listen in...
info_outlineFinancial Advisor Success
Sten Morgan is the owner of Legacy Investment Planning, a hybrid advisory firm based in Franklin, Tennessee, that oversees $220 million in assets under management for 90 client households. Today Sten joins the show to share how he made the difficult decision to turn over his entire original team and rebuild with a new director of operations to create a stronger foundation for future growth. He explains how he identified cultural and operational misalignments, navigated tough conversations with employees, and structured his hiring process to ensure the right people joined his firm. ...
info_outlineAnn Garcia is a partner of Independent Progressive Advisors, an RIA based out of Portland that oversees approximately $115 million in assets under management for 120 clients. Ann has distinguished herself by developing a nationally recognized expertise in college financial planning, a specialty that has grown alongside her advisory business, now focusing on mid-career professionals who balance saving for their children's college education with their own retirement planning. This dual focus reflects the evolving needs of her clientele as they navigate significant financial milestones.
Listen in as Ann shares how she developed her reputation as a college planning expert by transforming client queries into a specialized blog that gained national attention, eventually leading to the publication of a book on college planning and the creation of an online course. She also discusses how her expertise has attracted mid-career professionals, to the point where her firm is nearing capacity in its current form, how purchasing a retiring advisor’s practice laid the groundwork for the firm she desired, and how she refined her sales skills early on by taking meetings with all prospects who approached her, even if they were not a good fit for her firm. Ann also emphasizes the importance of initiating early discussions on college affordability within families and describes her decision to leave a prominent firm to create one that aligns with her values, allowing her to serve clients she truly understands and appreciates.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/404