Rita Robbins is the Founder and President of Affiliated Advisors, a Super-OSJ with Royal Alliance that supports 90 financial advisors and collectively manages $3.5 billion in assets under advisement. Rita stands out for her pioneering role in establishing one of the first woman-owned Super-OSJs nearly three decades ago. She has observed the transformation of the super-OSJ model from providing local oversight of brokers selling proprietary products to becoming back-office platforms that offer an increasingly open-architecture product shelf along with compliance, technology, marketing, business management, and other support to independent financial advisors.
Listen in as Rita shares her journey through the evolution of broker-dealer platforms, her strategies for growing her platform, and how her firm thrived during the pandemic due to its robust technological support. Drawing from her decade-long experience as a wholesaler, Rita discusses the launch of her own OSJ, the expansion of her platform's leadership, and her deep understanding of the advisor community's needs. She also opens up about early-career pressures, a traumatic embezzlement incident, and her ongoing struggle with focusing on uncontrollable factors while navigating business challenges and cycles.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/343
Nancy Hetrick is the Founder and CEO of Smarter Divorce Solutions, a consulting firm based out of Arizona that provides financial expertise to individuals and couples going through the divorce process. Nancy's unique journey from a do-it-yourself divorce to becoming a divorce expert was driven by her personal experience of non-enforceability, leading her to help other women avoid similar situations. She successfully scaled her divorce practice to 8 team members and $1M in annual revenue, while also growing her RIA to $65M AUM by assisting clients with rollovers and investment implementation post-divorce.
Listen in as Nancy shares how she overcame imposter syndrome by recognizing the value of her own life experiences, why she chose to expand her technical expertise to earn her CDFA credential and become a Master Analyst in Financial Forensics and a Certified Divorce Coach, and the strategies she used to grow her network in the divorce niche. We also discuss how she effectively communicates the value of her divorce planning work to prospects, how she earns fees on a divorce case, and what led her to sell her RIA and focus on being a solo practitioner in the divorce field.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/342
Thor McIlrath is the Owner of McIlrath & Eck, an independent RIA based out of Arlington, Washington, that oversees more than $610-million in assets under management for 970 households. The unique aspect of Thor's business model lies in the way he has organized his firm. Instead of subscribing to the conventional industry practice of fostering deep relationships between clients and a single advisor, Thor has innovated a system where clients interact with a variety of advisors each time they visit, which offers clients a diversity of insights on their situation over time, moving away from reliance on a singular perspective.
Listen in as Thor shares his successful transition to a rotating advisor system in his firm, an innovative approach that centralizes client notes and enriches both clients and advisors with diverse insights, earning approval from 80% of his clientele. We also discuss why Thor's hiring philosophy is centered on compassion and empathy, how he ensures a good fit between clients and the firm, and how he uses an adult education class on retirement to give back to the community and drive a steady stream of new clients.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/341
Melissa Joy is the Founder of Pearl Planning, an independent RIA based out of Michigan that oversees more than $175-million in assets under management for over 250 households. Melissa's unique journey in financial planning saw her rise to partner in a large firm, where she had outside counsel review the partnership and operating documents akin to a pre-nuptial agreement, to safeguard her position should the relationship deteriorate. This proved invaluable as she eventually diverged from the firm's vision, and the legal precautions she took upfront ensured a smooth transition to her next venture.
Listen in as Melissa shares why she hired outside counsel to review her firm's operating agreement during her partnership consideration, why she chose to acquire her CFP marks, even though she initially planned to have a career solely in operations, and why she eventually chose to leave her position as partner to start her own business. We also discuss how she strategically set up her firm as a DBA under the firm of a trusted advisor friend, how she incorporates a blend of the Entrepreneurial Operating System and Small Giants approaches in her firm, and how she cultivated hundreds of marketing contacts across numerous channels, including social media, local events, and webinars.
For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/340