Ep 474: Gaining The Skills, Experience, And Team Needed To Serve UHNW Clients Effectively with Blair duQuesnay
Release Date: 01/27/2026
Financial Advisor Success
Scaling a financial advisory practice often forces a choice between capping growth or building a large, people-heavy infrastructure. Today’s guest challenges that conventional wisdom, pulling back the curtain on how he scaled his firm to nearly $2 million in revenue with only one recent full-time hire. Ryan Townsley is the owner of Town Capital, an RIA based in Bel Air, Maryland, that oversees approximately $200 million in assets under management across 155 client households. In this episode, Ryan shares how he shattered traditional solo advisor capacity limits by aggressively outsourcing...
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Evolving a financial advisory practice is less about individual client ownership and more about aligning multiple practices under a unified corporate mission. Today’s guest pulls back the curtain on the operational, cultural, and logistical realities of transforming a decentralized partnership into a centralized enterprise ensemble. Shane Morrow is the CEO of Iron Bridge Wealth Counsel, a hybrid advisory firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, that manages $3.3 billion in assets under management across more than 2,600 client households. In this episode, Shane discusses his professional...
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Scaling a financial advisory firm from a startup with no clients into a national enterprise managing tens of billions of dollars: Today’s guest offers practical insights into scaling, whether you're building an advisory firm or leading a growing organization, without losing sight of people, purpose, and client service. Shannon Eusey is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Beacon Pointe Advisors, one of the largest RIAs in the country. In this episode, she shares how she and her father launched a firm with a vision for scale, why acquisitions became a key growth strategy, and how Beacon Pointe...
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What does it take to build a successful advisory firm using a flat-fee model instead of charging based on assets under management? And how can advisors scale effectively while still delivering highly personalized retirement income planning and maintaining strong client relationships? Bradley Clark is the founder of Clark Asset Management, a remote RIA overseeing $1.6 billion in assets under management for 340 client households. In this episode, Bradley shares how he has grown his firm by focusing on flat fees for clients nearing and in retirement, and why he...
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What does it take for next-generation advisors to become confident in business development without feeling overly sales-focused? And how can they build stronger relationships, have more authentic conversations, and generate warmer leads over time? Kristin Harad is the founder of Full Advisor Coaching, a marketing and coaching firm for financial advisors that teaches all of that and more. In this episode, Kristin breaks down how to make prospecting feel far more natural and effective for newer advisors, as well as how advisors can overcome the fear of sounding “salesy.” We also discuss...
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Budgeting – less about rigid restrictions, more about changing mindsets on using income effectively. Today’s guest shares a different approach to financial planning: one that focuses less on restricting spending and more on creating intentional systems that help clients save automatically and use their income more effectively. David Mozeika is the founder of TOMORO, an RIA based in Red Bank, New Jersey, that oversees $350 million in assets under management for 600 client households. In this episode, David explains how his “income under management” philosophy helps clients treat...
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It takes intentionality to build a thriving hybrid workplace without losing accountability, culture, or client experience. In this FASuccess, Mary shares how she has successfully blended remote flexibility with high standards by applying the principles of steward leadership. Mary Chapman is the chief operating officer of Cummings Wealth Management Group, a hybrid advisory firm based in Charleston, South Carolina, that oversees $500 million in assets under management for 260 client households. In this episode, Mary shares how clear communication, defined expectations, and...
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What would it take for a client to happily pay you $70,000+ per year… and feel like they’re getting a bargain? In the case of today's guest, it's building a high-value advisory firm by helping business owners unlock significant tax savings, often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Patrick Lonergan is the founder of Vital Wealth, an RIA based in Clinton, Iowa, that generates $2.5 million in annual advisory fee revenue for approximately 100 client households. In this episode, Patrick breaks down how he structures his services around a clear, tiered tax strategy approach,...
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For high-net-worth clients, financial planning is often not just about managing their money during their lifetimes, but also a matter of preparing the next generation to inherit family wealth. Which suggests that meeting with clients' children can both offer value for current clients and also begin a relationship with the next generation that could last for decades to come. Liz Miller is the founder of Summit Place Financial Advisors, a $300M firm she built by focusing on deep relationships and multigenerational planning. Listen in to hear how she raises multigenerational conversations with...
info_outlineServing ultra-high-net-worth families requires more than technical expertise. It demands deep attention to detail, a strong supporting team, and a planning approach capable of navigating complex tax, estate, and investment structures. This episode explores what it really takes for advisors to successfully move 'upmarket' and support clients whose financial lives involve high stakes, fast-moving parts, and opportunities measured in millions.
Blair duQuesnay is a Lead Advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management, an RIA based in New York City that oversees $6.5 billion in AUM for 3,900 households. Listen in as Blair shares how she transitioned from working with traditional wealth-management clients to serving ultra-high-net-worth families, and what she learned about applying advanced expertise in real-world scenarios where accuracy and timeliness are critical. You'll hear why flat-fee models often make more sense than AUM fees at the highest wealth levels, how she demonstrates multimillion-dollar planning value through sophisticated tax and estate strategies, and how UHNW clients’ biggest fear isn’t running out of money but making a catastrophic financial mistake. We also discuss how Blair manages impostor syndrome, the confidence that comes from having a strong team behind her, and why advisors can thrive with any client segment as long as they intentionally choose the work they enjoy most.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/474