Three Merrill breakaways offer unique perspectives on the process of considering change, life outside the wirehouse, and filling the gaps that one might experience when leaving a big brand name behind to become an independent business owner.

Jason Diamond turns the tables on Mindy who offers a first-hand glimpse into her book, Should I Stay or Should I Go?, created specifically for financial advisors who are looking to optimize their businesses or thinking through the biggest decision of their lives.

Duncan MacPherson from Pareto Systems offers actionable advice for financial advisors looking to unlock greater value in all that they do to build their business. It’s like having a free session on growth with one of the best coaches in the business.

Kelly Milligan describes his journey at Merrill from zero to $1.5B in AUM, his role as Chair of the ACTM, the change in culture at the firm and how that motivated him and his team to launch independent firm Quorum Private Wealth.

Phil Fiore and his team felt limited at UBS in their ability to grow and customize services for their largely institutional client base. So they launched Procyon Partners, have expanded services and are achieving extraordinary M&A success.

A financial advisor’s move should be to improve client service because it’s the clients who drive business growth and value. Here’s how to communicate “what’s in it for them” so they can see the positive impact of the change.

Bill Cates has helped financial advisors move from incremental growth to exponential growth by communicating more compelling value and multiplying their best clients by accessing the power of referrals. Bill shares his best tips to create your own referral process with Louis Diamond.

While advisors successfully transition out of non-Protocol firms each and every day, doing so comes with added risks. Attorney David Gehn, whose expertise is in representing advisors in transition, shares advice with Jason Diamond.

What does it take to garner the attention of one of the leading private equity firms in the world? Beacon Pointe’s President Matt Cooper and Sasank Chary, Managing Director of KKR, answer that question and more.

UBS breakaways John Klaas, Jr. and David Millington share their journey to launching independent firm Puzzle Wealth Solutions with Gladstone Wealth Partners and resulting growth to $2B in assets year one.

Jim Dickson, founder and CEO of Sanctuary Wealth, revisits the show as the firm celebrates its 4th anniversary, recapping the early days of Sanctuary, discussing where the firm is today, the growth of supported independence and more.

Grier Rubeling, Advisor Transition Services, joins this special Industry Update episode to share practical portability tips and actionable transition advice for financial advisors considering or preparing to change firms.

Gary Hirschberg began to question if he was able to act as a true fiduciary to his clients at Goldman Sachs. Plus, he had the nagging desire to build a brand of his own. So in 2018, he left to launch Aaron Wealth Advisors.

Dustin Cali and Daniel Ventura of Praetego Private Wealth broke away to: Build a business designed for the future, poised for growth and scale, with the freedom to serve clients’ unique needs.

Steve Dimitriou built his book in firms like MFS, Alex.Brown, AdVest and later FiNet, growing to $1.3B in AUM. Yet the call for greater independence became the motivation to launch RIA Mayflower Advisors which today manages over $1.7B.

On his 25th anniversary with Merrill, Craig Robson resigned to launch RIA Regent Peak Wealth in Atlanta, GA. It was a bold move designed to “liberate and empower” him and his team to serve their clients completely and with objectivity.

Andy Harris of Evergreen Wealth Solutions describes his journey from building a business at ING, transitioning to an IBD at Commonwealth Financial Network, and later sliding over to their RIA platform, with key learnings about both models.

Part 2 of 2 on M&A: For advisors who are reviewing their firm’s retire-in-place program, considering a recruitment deal, or looking to launch an independent firm, understanding the value on the open market is critical.

The excitement around M&A activity has many financial advisors considering their future. Is independence the right path? And if you build an independent firm, who will buy it? This episode compares and contrasts options.

Dan Katz of Revolve Wealth Partners talks about his role as the next gen of a business started by his father, opting to build an RIA firm from scratch, and how their past experiences at UBS and Oppenheimer shapes the vision of their firm today.

What’s the secret to the success of top financial advisors? John Bowen of CEG Worldwide, coach to elite financial advisors, shares the “real gamechangers” that help advisors break through to the next level and accelerate growth.

Katherine Forrester Schneewind left a country music career behind to follow her dream of becoming a financial planner and instead became a star at Northwestern Mutual. In 2019, she left to launch RIA High Note Wealth with brother Michael Forrester.

For Brock Moseley, the choice to leave Morgan Stanley for a 2nd time in 2007 to launch RIA Miracle Mile Advisors was about living true to his ethos by building a business from the ground up, based on everything he couldn’t find anywhere else.

Mindy Diamond and Louis Diamond explore 10 of the most common practices and behaviors of elite wealth management teams based on their experiences in guiding many of the industry’s top players.

Expert industry attorney Corey Kupfer offers advice to all advisors, whether considering change or not, including perspectives on contractual obligations and potential landmines one might encounter in a move, plus how to prepare your business for change, with actionable best practices to adopt today.

Vince Finney and Joe Panfil of Bibler, Finney, Panfil Private Wealth Management Group left UBS for Wells Fargo Advisors with Ryan Bibler. A departure for a show on independence, it’s a candid conversation with a young team who didn’t go independent.

Jerry Lombard, President of Janney’s Private Client Group talks about the regional firm’s exponential growth over recent years, plus how their unique balance of freedom and flexibility makes the employee model an attractive alternative for advisors.

Jim DeCota started his career in wealth management in the financial advisor training program at Edward Jones, building his business to $85mm in AUM in just over a decade, before leaving to build what is today $2B+ Enso Wealth Management.

Many advisors are coming off their best years ever, driven by increased client demands and a run-up in the financial markets. So why disrupt momentum and take-on the risk and hassle of a move, to change jerseys or break for independence?

Matt Liebman, Founding Partner and CEO of RIA firm Amplius Wealth Advisors discusses the complexity of considering change with a multi-generational team, the difficulty of walking away from a big brand name, and how that influenced his choice to build an independent firm.

Kimberly Sanders, Senior Vice President of Advisor Solutions for LPL Strategic Wealth Services discusses the evolution of the supported independence space and dives into how models like LPL’s address the changing needs of advisors and their clients.

Josh Brown went from mechanical engineer to the Merrill training program, building a business from 0 to $650mm. Firm changes prompted him and his team to consider their options, launching Northend Private Wealth on LPL Strategic Wealth Services.

Rockefeller Capital Management has become one of the most sought-after options for advisors looking to deliver concierge-level service to ultra- and high net worth clients. National Field Director Michael Outlaw shares an insider’s perspective.

Ron Carson joins the show to discuss the key drivers behind the rise of the Carson Group, sharing his journey from a Nebraska farm to his tenure with Private Ledger, and on to how he built a nearly $20B independent wealth management enterprise.

Key insights shared by recent breakaway advisors and independent business owners curated from the 2021 season of the podcast series for financial advisors. Topics include why they chose independence, motivations to change, impact to clients and more.

In a world managed to the lowest common denominator and driven by heavy-handed compliance, every employee advisor is vulnerable. In this episode, Mindy and Louis break it all down, share warning signs all advisors should pay attention to and proactive steps an advisor can take to protect themselves.

What can advisors expect as they head into 2022? In this episode we explore 11 key areas – including deals, advisor movement, evolving models, and more – and the impact each might have on advisors and the wealth management industry at large.

Richard Saperstein rose out of the ‘08 financial crisis to build the now $20B+ Treasury Partners. He discusses that journey, his decision to affiliate with Hightower Advisors, plus the firm’s unique business model, the secret to their success and more.

How did a bank out of Canada rise to the ranks in the US wealth management space? RBC Wealth Management–U.S. President Tom Sagissor shares an insider’s perspective, plus why their “Wall Street meets Main Street” culture is attracting some of the industry’s top advisor talent, and much more.

Rich Mullen of $1.75B RIA platform Pallas Capital Advisors shares creative ways he grew the business serving ultra-high net worth clients with a level of continuity that he could not achieve on his own or as an employee of UBS.

Advisors’ desire for greater agency in serving clients and growing their businesses is driving growth toward regional firms like Raymond James & Associates. Tash Elwyn, President and CEO, discusses how choice is the foundation of the firm’s culture.

Merrill’s recognition of the incongruence with their advisors via Project Thunder and limiting comp changes leaves some unanswered questions. This episode delves into those questions, what’s bugging advisors most and if it’s all too little too late.

Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel Financial Corp., shares how the firm serves as an example of what a regional firm is representative of today, and discusses their extraordinary growth, the appeal of their entrepreneurial culture, and more.

Monish Verma describes an instructive breakaway journey, from due diligence and decision-making, foregoing an outsized recruiting deal check, opting to sell equity and how his choice to go independent with Summit Financial is resonating today.

To Greg Franks, the “bankifying” of Merrill, which he served at for nearly 3 decades, was nothing short of “tragic.” The former Merrill leader shares his experience and the story of his own leap to independence to the helm of Snowden Lane Partners.

Next gen Tom Stadum realized that he had a long runway and greater opportunity beyond UBS. So once his partner/father fulfilled the obligations of his retirement agreement, Tom left to build independent firm Fjell Capital with Sanctuary Wealth.

Building a firm from $120mm in assets to over $7.5B in just 6 years is an incredible feat. Mike Dolberg describes how he and the team at Apollon recognized the value of culture, partnership, and the freedom to serve clients—and how that realization ultimately drove their astounding success.

The convention of offering a forgivable loan or recruitment deal has been the subject of a long-standing debate in the wealth management industry. Should advisors take the upfront deal or opt for the long-term potential of independence?

Ex-UBS $5B advisors, Rob Sechan and Jeff Kobernick found that servicing their UHNW clients became difficult at the wirehouse and wanted more than other firms offered. So they built RIA NewEdge Wealth with EdgeCo Holdings and other UBS veterans.

Few in the financial services media that have the experience and name recognition of Bob Veres—and less are as outspoken. He candidly discusses the advisory firm of the future, growth, client service, technology, and the role of financial advisors.