Tyson Ray is the CEO of FORM Wealth Advisors, a hybrid advisory firm based out of Wisconsin that oversees approximately $900 million in assets under management for just over 800 client households. Tyson's unique "Total Relationship" planning approach emphasizes assessing clients' immediate lump sum spending needs, such as new car purchases or vacations, to ensure their portfolios maintain sufficient cash reserves for these goals.

Listen in as Tyson talks about his firm's unique approach, their strategic growth through acquisitions, and the crucial lessons learned on due diligence. He also shares the operational challenges he experienced, as well as the solutions he found that have streamlined his firm's operations.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/382

Securities through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA / SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. FORM Wealth Advisors is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Raymond James and its advisors do not provide tax advice. Podcast guest is Tyson Ray, CEO, Founding Partner, Senior Wealth Advisor at FORM Wealth Advisors. FORM Wealth Advisors is located at 431 Geneva National Ave S, Lake Geneva, WI, 53147; 262-686-3005.

Ashley Quamme is the Founder of Beyond The Plan, a consulting firm based out of Georgia that offers a Fractional Financial Behavioral Officer service, including consulting and training to advisory firms for new or existing clients. What sets Ashley apart is her expertise in psychology and couples therapy, which enables her to assist clients in managing their financial relationships and also equips advisors with strategies to overcome client obstacles.

Listen in as Ashley shares insights into her work with advisory firms and her unique approach to understanding financial behaviors and biases. You'll learn how this has been instrumental in advising on challenging client situations, the ups and downs she experienced launching a consulting practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tools she uses to enhance clients' self-awareness regarding their money mindset.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/381

Andrew Leonard is the Managing Partner of Geometric Wealth Advisors, an RIA based out of Washington, D.C. that oversees approximately $750 million in assets under management (AUM) for 200 clients. Andrew's firm stands out for tripling its AUM in four years, achieving this growth by mirroring the management consulting approach of their clientele—focusing first on scaling their team's talent density through careful hiring and training, then determining the number of new clients they can onboard annually based on the team's growth capacity.

Listen in as Andrew shares insights on Geometric's growth strategies, from adopting management consulting firm lessons for hiring and training to the early appointment of a COO for overcoming people-management hurdles. We also discuss how he maintains a vibrant company culture virtually, provides high-touch services to affluent clients, and integrates unique investment opportunities—all while navigating the firm's expansion through the ‘dangerous middle’ from $200 million to $2 billion in AUM.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/380

Hans Blake is the founder of Intelligent Investing, an RIA based out of South Carolina that oversees $50 million in assets under management for 40 households. What’s unique about Hans is how he developed Intelligrations, a financial dashboard software that simplifies clients' financial data into a single-page, comprehensive visual overview of their assets, through his desire to create a more centralized dashboard for his clients and his deep fascination of technology as a behavioral finance tool.

Listen in as Hans shares his journey from the initial concept of Intelligrations, focusing on high-level financial goals and guiding client behaviors, to its development into a comprehensive software integrated with industry vendors. We also discuss how he positions Intelligent Investing as a boutique advisory for high-net-worth executives—emphasizing core values to highlight the firm's approach and distinguish between long-term and short-term clients—his discovery process for understanding client finances and values, and how he has transformed initial rejections into opportunities.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/379

Michael Collins is the CEO and Founder of WinCap Financial, an RIA based out of Boston that oversees $80 million in assets under management for 70 client households. Since 2021, Michael has distinguished himself by growing his firm by over $10 million in assets under management annually, utilizing leads purchased through SmartAsset and investing $5,000 per month, which has allowed him to achieve a return of $10,000 in recurring revenue within less than 100 days.

Listen in as Michael shares insights into his marketing and content creation strategies, including maintaining a $5,000 per month marketing budget with a 95% failure rate by focusing on the financial ROI from successful prospects, and enhancing his SmartAsset lead conversion with a time-efficient blog writing process involving ChatGPT. He also opens up about the transition's challenges and rewards, as well as the value of persistence, innovation, and the strategic use of technology in achieving business growth and client engagement.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/378

Meredith Moore is the Founder and CEO of Artisan Financial Strategies, a hybrid advisory firm based out of Georgia that oversees $77 million in assets under management for 120 client households. Despite facing a daunting diagnosis of a 7cm Glioblastoma tumor in her brain in 2005—which led to years of surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy—Meredith remarkably kept her firm operational and thriving, growing it to over $1 million in annual revenue while still serving her clients.

Listen in as Meredith shares how she navigated significant challenges and drove her firm’s growth through strategic early hiring, a pivotal revamp of the hiring process, and specializing in advising women senior executives and entrepreneurs. She also discusses the impact of her TEDx talk on couples’ dynamics with money and leveraging it as social proof to expand her professional network, as well as what has been crucial to her sustained success.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/377

Eric Simonson, Founder & CEO of Abundo Wealth, joins the show to share how his 'advice-only' RIA model revolutionized the financial planning landscape. Despite launching just four years ago, Abundo has soared to oversee $600M in assets for 420 client households, with a unique approach generating over 30 new clients monthly. In this episode, Eric shares his strategies for empowering clients to implement investment decisions, maintaining advisor workload balance, and navigating the evolution of Abundo's fee structure, all while embracing the entrepreneurial challenges and growth opportunities of building a groundbreaking firm. 

Listen in to hear why Eric believes the younger generation is shifting direction when it comes to giving up control of their finances, how his team schedules meetings with clients to ensure they feel comfortable, and the steps his team takes to set expectations for their clients. You'll learn about the pivotal role of referrals, the future of social media marketing, and Eric's unwavering commitment to his vision, even during the early days when financial sacrifices were necessary. 

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/376  

Rob Schultz is the Senior Partner of NWF Advisory, a hybrid firm based out of Los Angeles, where he oversees nearly $500 million in assets under management for 200 households. Rob has uniquely developed a streamlined meeting process with a standardized agenda that enables him to focus on individual client needs while managing over 20 meetings weekly, ensuring his firm's growth is both sustainable and efficient.

Listen in as Rob shares how he efficiently manages those meetings through a structured agenda and the assistance of a paraplanner for preparation, alongside utilizing Microsoft Word's audio transcription for quick note-taking. He also discusses his unique journey from kinesiology and med school to finding his passion in financial planning at UCLA, a field that marries his desire to help people with his affinity for numbers, and his growth strategy through acquiring retiring advisors' practices and enhancing operational efficiency with outsourced TAMP providers and ETF model portfolios.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/375

Dianne Nolin is the Managing Partner of Argent Bridge Advisors, a hybrid advisory firm based out of Virginia that oversees $500 million in assets under management for 350 households. Dianne uniquely enhanced her firm's marketing and profitability by transforming its loss-leading divorce financial planning service into a profitable revenue stream, recognizing its value and charging appropriately for the extensive time invested by her team. This shift in strategy capitalized on the existing benefits provided to clients and ensured fair compensation for their efforts.

Listen in as Dianne shares her journey at Argent Bridge, from becoming aware of the firm's impactful service offerings to establishing new client relationships through divorce financial planning, which enhanced the firm's growth and referability in the divorce niche. We also discuss her transition to a more formal partnership structure, her approach to clear value communication, and the realization that her strength lies in knowing whom to consult rather than having all the answers.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/374

Ben Hockema is the Founder of Illuminate Wealth Management, an RIA based out of Illinois that oversees $100 million in assets under management for 55 households. Ben's unique journey in the advisory world saw him rise from intern to partner over 13 years at a growing firm, only to discover a cultural mismatch. He navigated this challenge by engaging passive equity investors for his new startup RIA, enabling him to acquire a portion of his client base and establish the business he truly envisioned.

Listen in as Ben shares his strategic journey in the financial advisory world and details his rapid growth from $16M to $100M in assets under management in three years. You'll also hear about his evolution from intern to partner, his realization of a misalignment with his firm's vision, and how he navigated the emotional challenges of leaving long-standing business relationships, finding invaluable support in a peer advisor study group and learning the power of asking 'dumb' questions for career growth.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/373

Melody Townsend is the President of Townsend Financial Planning, an RIA based out of Kentucky that oversees $112 million in assets under management for 160 client households. Embracing a transformative business model, Melody's strategy centered around providing a comprehensive suite of services, blending financial planning with investment management. This significant shift from a fee-based to a value-based model underpinned the firm's remarkable growth trajectory, leading to a near-million-dollar revenue stream.

Listen in as Melody shares the intricacies of her 20-year journey, detailing the pivotal transition from financial planning to a more inclusive wealth management approach, and how this strategic shift not only quadrupled the firm's revenue, but also enhanced the quality of client services. The discussion also covers the challenges of scaling a business, the importance of team building, and the evolution of Melody's role as a leader and advisor in the financial industry.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/372