Ep 503: Organically Growing To $800M AUM In Less Than A Decade By Investing In Educational Marketing with David Brooks
Release Date: 08/18/2026
Ep 512: Winning Clients And Moving ‘Upmarket’ By Being Confident In Telling Your Value Story with Chris Smith
Financial Advisor Success
A discovery meeting can either feel like a sales conversation or the beginning of a relationship where a prospect feels genuinely understood. Today's guest believes the difference comes down to how advisors lead the conversation, listen to what prospects are actually saying, and guide them towards the next step. Chris Smith is the founder of PSBLTY, a brand strategy, design, and implementation firm working with financial advisors, teams, and firms. In this episode, Chris shares how leadership shapes the discovery process, why advisors should spend most of the initial meeting...
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Ep 511: Outsourcing And Managing Client Headcount To Stay Lean As A Two-Founder, $150M Firm with Ashlee deSteiger
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 510: Creating Effective Discovery Meetings To Convert 100% Of (High-Value) Prospects Into Clients with Michael Yoder
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 509: Systematizing Your Differentiated Service As A (True) Retirement Expert While Scaling To $850M Of AUM with Dana Anspach
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 508: Leveraging Video The Right Way To Add $1M Of New Revenue In Less Than 12 Months with Nate Hoskin
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 507: Growing Bigger For Succession And Then Intentionally Downsizing For A Simpler Lifestyle Practice with Carolyn McClanahan
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 506: Building A ‘Killer’ Scorecard To Track Key Weekly Metrics On The Path To $275M AUM with Jenna Biancavilla
Financial Advisor Success
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. Jenna Biancavilla is the founder of Pearl Capital Management, an RIA based in Phoenix that oversees...
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Ep 505: Using A “Pillow Test” To Make The Hard Business Decisions On The Way To $3.5B AUM with Andrew Rosen
Financial Advisor Success
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...
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Ep 504: Taking Your Growth To The Next Level By Building An Authentic Personal Brand with Sheri Fitts
Financial Advisor Success
What makes a financial advisor stand out? The 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...
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Ep 503: Organically Growing To $800M AUM In Less Than A Decade By Investing In Educational Marketing with David Brooks
Financial Advisor Success
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...
info_outlineWhether 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