Category: Finances
Professionalizing Your Advisory Firm for Future Success

Professionalizing Your Advisory Firm for Future Success

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In this episode, veteran industry leader Suzanne Siracuse hosts the dynamic duo of Shannon Spotswood, CEO, and Abby Salameh, chief growth officer, from RFG Advisory. Listen as they wrap up Season 2 with an insightful discussion on what it takes to build the RIA of the future. From effective strategies for driving organic growth to fostering a thriving firm culture and community, this is a must-listen episode.

They discuss:

  • Key strategies for advisors to thrive in a rapidly changing industry
  • The pivotal role of technology in enhancing advisor efficiency
  • RFG’s StrongHer Money initiative and how it aims to empower female clients in financial decision-making
  • The importance of professionalizing and operationalizing your business to be successful in the future. 
  • Why ensuring everyone on your team is in the right role is critical to growth

Resources:

 Connect with Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

Connect with Abby Salameh:

About Our Guests:

Shannon Spotswood is a 25+ year industry veteran in financial services with an outstanding reputation built on leadership roles in professional management, investment banking, hedge fund management, and business development. 

Joining RFG Advisory in 2015, Shannon recognized the opportunity to combine her entrepreneurial experience with her passion to build an innovative, Advisor-focused RIA of the future. At RFG Advisory, Shannon of RFG 2.0, a fully integrated platform for independent Financial Advisors and the implementation of strategic initiatives contributing to advisor success

Abby Salameh serves as RFG Advisory’s Chief Growth Officer, where she heads the firm’s growth activities spanning marketing, recruiting, onboarding, and transitions. With over 25 years spearheading growth support and services for independent advisors, Ms. Salameh has demonstrated excellence across multiple disciplines. Most recently, she served in multiple C-suite roles at CAIS, including chief marketing officer, managing director of CAIS IQ, and head of strategic partnerships.

Prior to that, Ms. Salameh held a variety of leadership positions at multiple billion-dollar-plus RIA firms like Hightower Advisors, Private Advisor Network, and Fusion Advisor Network (now Kestra). She received the 2023 WealthManagement.com Industry Award for CMO of the year, and in 2022 won a Wealthie for Thought Leader of the Year.

Ms. Salameh serves on the Board of Invest in Others, a non-profit organization that celebrates the charitable work of financial advisors, has led the FSI Growth & Marketing Council, is a vetted industry speaker and a regular volunteer at her local animal shelter. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Hofstra University.

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Aligning Wealth with Purpose with Jon Jones

Aligning Wealth with Purpose with Jon Jones

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What does it take to build a future-proof financial advisory business? 

Veteran industry leader Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Jon Jones, CEO and co-founder of Brighton Jones, to explore his incredible journey from small-town beginnings to leading a $30 billion RIA. 

In this episode of the Focused on the Future podcast, Jon reveals how a client-centric, holistic approach has propelled his firm to the forefront of the wealth management industry.

Jon dives into:

  • The “Personal CFO” model that seamlessly integrates life goals with financial planning
  • Redefining wealth management to thrive through industry changes
  • Using strategic giving to enrich client relationships and advisor satisfaction
  • His vision for corporate responsibility through the Net Positive Consortium
  • Organic growth strategies that balance culture with accountability for long-term success

 Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Jon Jones:

About Our Guest:

Jon Jones, co-founder of Brighton Jones, helped pioneer the Personal CFO approach to wealth management alongside Charles. While many firms focused solely on managing clients’ investment accounts, Brighton Jones took a holistic approach by overseeing clients’ entire balance sheets. Financial well-being and acting as a Personal CFO remain at the core of the firm’s services. However, Jon believes that truly helping clients live richer lives requires going beyond traditional financial management.

Standing at the intersection of life and wealth, Jon and his team recognize the importance of influencing clients’ emotional and social well-being. They celebrate life’s joys—marriages, new homes, births, and retirements—and provide guidance during challenges like job loss, divorce, illness, or loss. Jon values the opportunity to encourage clients to embrace the bigger picture, focus on their whole selves, and understand that true happiness extends far beyond financial success.

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Building Resilient Wealth Management Firms: Lisa Crafford on Growth, Talent, Tech and Client Connection

Building Resilient Wealth Management Firms: Lisa Crafford on Growth, Talent, Tech and Client Connection

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Join host Suzanne Siracuse as she sits down with Lisa Crafford, Managing Director at Constellation Wealth Capital, to explore key strategies for building successful, future-ready wealth management firms.

Drawing on her deep experience working with financial advisors, Lisa offers valuable insights into the power of mentorship, strategic growth approaches, and fostering a strong community. She also sheds light on the pivotal role of technology in positioning firms for sustained growth and resilience in an evolving industry.

Gain insight and practical tips to advance your firm as this episode highlights:

  • Lisa’s three main pillars for firm growth – strategic planning, investment in people,
  •  and leveraging technology
  • Ways advisors can connect with clients and niche segments to build relationships
  • The benefits of technology and the challenges faced due to regulatory restrictions
  • How to build financial literacy with younger generations

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Lisa Crafford:

 About Our Guest:

Lisa serves as the Head of Advisory at Constellation Wealth Capital. Her previous role as Director and Head of Business Consulting at BNY Mellon | Pershing was focused on working with wealth management and advisory firms to help them grow and strengthen their businesses. In addition to her consulting work, Lisa founded the INSITE University Student Experience, The Next Leadership Forum, and led the Pershing research efforts with industry media partners. Earlier in her career, Lisa was the Director of Business Management for an RIA in the DC Metro area.  

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Secrets of Top-Performing Firms: Bryce Skaff on Driving Growth and Success in Wealth Management

Secrets of Top-Performing Firms: Bryce Skaff on Driving Growth and Success in Wealth Management

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In the latest episode of Focused on the Future, Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Bryce Skaff of Dimensional Fund Advisors to explore his unique journey from aspiring marine biologist to a career in wealth management. Bryce offers an inside look at DFA’s investment philosophy, deeply rooted in academic research, and how the firm’s growth aligns with the rise of independent advisors. Drawing from DFA’s extensive investor studies and advisor benchmarking research, Bryce shares his perspective on the evolving needs of today’s clients and the strategies advisors must embrace to thrive in a changing landscape. He delves into what separates top-performing firms from the rest, emphasizing keys to growth, scaling effectively, and meeting the demands of the future. Bryce and Suzanne also debate the future of smaller advisory firms, discussing whether solo advisors can still compete with larger firms expanding through mergers and acquisitions—or if the solo model is truly becoming a thing of the past.

This is a can’t miss episode.

 Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Bryce Skaff:

 About Our Guest:

Bryce Skaff is Co-Head of the Global Client Group (GCG) and serves in a leadership role on several of the firm’s key strategic committees. He helps to shape the vision and oversee the management of the GCG, a global team of professionals committed to delivering an outstanding experience to advisors, intermediaries, and institutional investors around the world.

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Unlocking the Future of Financial Advising with George Nichols

Unlocking the Future of Financial Advising with George Nichols

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Suzanne Siracuse engages in a conversation with George Nichols, CEO of the American College of Financial Services, to uncover strategies for success in financial advising. Nichols shares insights into significant areas for financial advisors, such as specialization, the future of retirement planning, and the importance of representation. 

 Nichols explored how understanding the diverse needs of various communities is crucial for advisors to succeed in the future. He emphasized that financial advisors must adapt to the evolving landscape by focusing on expertise and representation.

Key focus points from their conversation include:

  • The significance of specialization in financial planning for heightened success
  • Insights into the future of retirement planning and its evolving demographics
  • The role of inclusivity and representation in driving firm growth
  • Strategies for addressing the upcoming retirement cliff within the industry

Resource: 

 Connect With Suzanne Siracuse: 

Connect With George Nichols:

 About Our Guest:

George Nichols III, CAP®, currently serves as the 10th president and CEO in the storied history of The American College of Financial Services. Nichols joined The College after a 17-year stint at New York Life, where he held principal roles in sales, P&L, strategic initiatives, and public policy. In 2007, Nichols was named to the company’s executive management committee. He also served as executive vice president in the Office of Governmental Affairs.

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Longevity Risk and the Role of Psychology in Financial Planning with Vanessa Martinez

Longevity Risk and the Role of Psychology in Financial Planning with Vanessa Martinez

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Suzanne Siracuse interviews Vanessa Martinez, CEO and managing partner of Expressive Wealth, to explore how holistic financial planning and inclusive communication can transform the client experience. Vanessa shares her journey, rooted in the values instilled by her parents, who overcame educational limitations in war-torn Central America. This background shaped her commitment to empowering clients through education and comprehensive wealth management.

Vanessa also discusses the need for financial advisors to shift their strategies in the face of longer lifespans, emphasizing longevity risk as a critical factor in planning. She highlights the importance of understanding diverse and blended family dynamics, going beyond assumptions, and focusing on meaningful communication with clients.

Highlights from this episode include:

  • The role of psychology in financial planning
  • Why wealth management is not just about numbers, but about understanding clients’ behaviors, motivations, and family structures
  • Her fresh perspective on how advisors can build more impactful and sustainable practices by embracing diversity
  • How advisors can better serve clients of the future by adapting to evolving trends and truly listening to their client’s unique needs

 

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Vanessa Martinez:

 

About Our Guest:

With 15+ years of wealth management expertise, Vanessa is dedicated to aligning your financial goals with holistic well-being. Vanessa traveled abroad for her undergrad and earned her BBA in Guatemala, C.A. Returning to Chicago; she received her MBA in finance at North Park University while gaining insights from her time at JPMorgan Chase. Her commitment to comprehensive client wealth advisory led her to earn FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 certifications.

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Brian Hamburger’s Advice to Advisors and Firms: Hope is not a Plan

Brian Hamburger’s Advice to Advisors and Firms: Hope is not a Plan

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Are you ready to learn the keys to building a profitable, sustainable, and impactful business in the ever-evolving financial landscape?

 Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Hamburger, the visionary founder, president, and CEO of MarketCounsel Consulting, and founder and chief counsel of the Hamburger Law Firm. In this episode, Brian sits down with host Suzanne Siracuse to share his journey through the wealth management industry, exploring the challenges advisors face today. Together, they dive into the critical role of objective advice and strategic planning in successfully navigating these complexities.

Brian and Suzanne discuss:

  • How his father’s career in wealth management shaped his journey in the industry
  • Common frustrations and challenges faced by Independent Wealth Managers
  • The critical role of objective advice in helping advisors navigate their careers
  • The value of planning, discipline, and seeking external, unbiased guidance 
  • Avoiding the most common pitfalls that advisors and firms face in transition

 Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Brian Hamburger:

 About Our Guest:

Brian is an entrepreneur, attorney, columnist, and outspoken industry advocate for independent investment advisers.  For the past 19 years, he has served at the helm of the MarketCounsel companies and the Hamburger Law Firm. Brian was named an Innovator in InvestmentNews’ 2020 class of Icons & Innovators and included in “The IA25: Investment Advisor Magazine’s Annual List of the Top Influential People in the Industry” in 2020.  In 2015, Wealth Management named Brian as one of the top thought leaders in wealth management saying, “Over the past decade, Hamburger has been the architect behind almost all of the highest-profile breakaway deals in the industry, helping advisors navigate the legal thicket of transitioning away from brokerages and into independent business models. 

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Building Community Through Planning with Sibyl Slade

Building Community Through Planning with Sibyl Slade

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On the latest episode of Focused on the Future, host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Sibyl Slade, founder and president of IntegriVest Wealth Advisors. Sibyl shares her journey from working at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to establishing her own independent financial planning firm. Their conversation delves into the evolution of her career, the what she learned after starting her own firm, and her innovative approach to structuring her fees in order to meet clients where they are.

 Highlights from today’s episode include:

  • An overview of Sibyl’s time at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and how she focused on ensuring underserved communities had access to financial products and services
  • How her desire to aid families burdened by student loan debt drove her to establish her own independent firm, IntegriVest Wealth Advisors
  • Her fee structure that adds flexibility in order to serve all interested parties
  • The importance of non-judgmental and unbiased client interactions
  • Effective client event strategies that drive organic growth
  • How her Small Business Mastermind group has impacted her overall practice

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Sibyl Slade: 

 About Our Guest:

Slade is the founder and president of IntegriVest Wealth Advisors, LLC. an independent financial services firm. She lends her 28 years of banking and finance experience to provide personalized comprehensive financial planning and advisory services to small business owners and professionals. In 2022, she was recognized as a Visionary for Advisor Group’s Women Forum. In 2019, she was a nominee for the Ladenburg Institute of Women & Finance. Before founding IntegriVest Wealth Advisors, LLC, Slade began her financial services career as a financial advisor with Waddell & Reed, where she was recognized as a recipient of Waddell & Reed’s 2015 Pacesetter as well as received her Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Designation. In 2017, Slade became an independent financial advisor and became an industry thought leader. A 21-year veteran of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, in this capacity, Slade served as a senior regional community development manager for the Atlanta Fed’s community and economic development (CED) team whereby she provided regional and national input around these areas.

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Embracing the Personal in Planning with Beth Bosworth

Embracing the Personal in Planning with Beth Bosworth

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Join us on this episode of Focused on the Future as host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Beth Bosworth, wealth advisor and head of planning at Perigon Wealth Management. Beth highlights her effective strategies for attracting and retaining next-gen clients, how being a member of the LGBTQ community influenced her planning services with clients, how she participates as a team member and leader, and her recommendations for evaluating which tech tools work best for your firm.

Key discussion points include:

  • Her unique journey from a banker on Music Row in Nashville to a leading financial planner 
  • Why her mantra is “living life alongside her clients” 
  • The importance of leaning into the personal 
  • Why using inclusive language matters
  • Why advisors should throw traditional minimums “out the window” to attract next-gen clients
  • How offering financial education for clients’ children leads to engagement and retention
  • How tech assists with efficiency, but human’s own personalization.  

This episode is a must-listen for financial professionals looking to modernize their practices, deepen client relationships, attract new clients, and embrace inclusivity as a core component of their firm.

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect With Beth Bosworth:

About Our Guest:

Beth Bosworth is a Wealth Advisor with Perigon Wealth Management and oversees the firm’s financial planning operations alongside the Planning Team. Her passion is to help clients manage the risks associated with accumulating and preserving wealth. Her favorite part about her career is that she has the privilege of living life alongside her clients. She is an avid advocate of the independent wealth management space, and values protecting her fee-only practice.

Beth is a CFP® professional and holds a BA from the University of Georgia. She helps manage the Atlanta office and resides in Asheville, NC with her wife and two sons. She is an avid tennis player, enjoys golf, and spends the weekends hiking with her family and dog in the Mountains. Beth is also passionate about dedicating her time to worthy causes and has served the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for over 15 years.

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Liz Nesvold: M&A is not a Business Strategy

Liz Nesvold: M&A is not a Business Strategy

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Join us on this episode of Focused on the Future as host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Liz Nesvold, Chair of Emigrant Partners. Liz highlights the three critical areas that firms need to focus on to ensure future success, discusses the key levers that contribute to obtaining a high firm valuation, and the profound impact her mother had on her leadership style.  

Key discussion points include:

  • The subconscious influences that shaped her career path
  • The story behind her current role at Emigrant Partners 
  • The importance of nurturing and retaining top talent
  • How next gen talent plays into your firm’s valuation
  • Why reinvestment into your business is key for future growth
  • Her advice for buyers and sellers’ post-deal. 
  • The essential question every firm must consider before deciding to buy or sell
  • Why business evolution cannot exist without business continuity and succession planning 

Join Suzanne and Liz for an insightful episode filled with career reflections, industry expertise, and practical advice that can help elevate your firm’s success. Whether you’re an industry veteran or just starting your journey in wealth management, this episode offers valuable perspectives on leadership, growth, and strategic decision-making.

Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:

Connect with Liz Nesvold:

About Our Guest:

Liz serves as Chair of Emigrant Partners and Vice Chair of Emigrant Bank. In her dual roles, Liz works closely with all units of the bank that provide solutions to the wealth management industry, including Emigrant Partners, New York Private Trust, Sarasota Private Trust, Cleveland Private Trust, Summitas and Personal Risk Management Solutions. Liz has 30 years of experience as a passionate advisor, investment banker, and executive. Over her career, she has specialized in mergers and acquisitions, capital planning and fundraising, succession and liquidity planning, strategic advisory, compensation structuring, deep-dive financial and businessanalysis, and organic growth consulting. Liz began her investment banking career providing M&A and strategic advisory services to asset managers and securities firms in 1991 at Berkshire Capital. She cofounded the industry’s first-ever specialist M&A practice serving wealth management firms in 1996. In 2007, Liz launched Silver Lane, a boutique investment bank that routinely ranked as the #1 or #2 most active M&A advisor to the industry. Liz and her partners sold Silver Lane to a Fortune 500 company in 2019, and she transitioned from investment banking four years later to joining the wealth management industry. A proud advocate and mentor for women in financial services, Liz was named 2024 Finance Executive of the Year on behalf of WSR Pathfinder Awards. She was honored with the prestigious M&A Advisor’s Leadership Award in 2021, and was inducted into the M&A Hall of Fame. In 2019, Liz was recognized as a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews.

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