RIA+

In this episode of RIA+, Mark Bruno goes “Inside the minds” of four Next Generation advisors who are with Novare Capital, Emigrant's newest partner firm. With a growing number of RIA founders looking to attract and develop young talent, this discussion features a group of rising stars about what sparked their interest in wealth management. It also focuses on what has motivated each of these advisors to continue to hone their skills and dedicate their careers to financial advice. Novare's "Core Four" of Alex Dann, Callie Huggins, John Menser and John Ryan discuss their journeys, their unique approaches to working with individuals and families – and the difference between a good and a great RIA. For anyone looking to attract and develop NextGen talent, this is a must-listen, so enjoy this episode of RIA+.

In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno sits with Sam Lewis, the founder and CEO of Fruitful, a financial wellness solution that provides its clients, or its "members", with high-touch advice that is delivered in a largely digital experience. Fruitful's "guides" are already providing advice to thousands of NextGen investors, despite the company being a relatively new entrant to the marke. Lewis shares his perspective on how the needs and demands of younger investors are evolving, and how Fruitful is using digital platforms to provide more direct access to its team of CFPs, personalized investment portfolios and customized savings products. Fruitful has found a way to scale the delivery of advice, without compromising the role and importance of 1-to-1 relationships - and in the process, may offer a glimpse into the future of wealth management. 

In this episode of RIA+, Jeff Concepcion – founder and CEO of Stratos Wealth – one of the fastest-growing, sits down with Emigrant's Mark Bruno to discuss the strategies and tactics that have fueled of one of the largest and most successful firms in wealth management. With more than $37 billion in assets across its platform, over 350 advisors and a diverse mix of businesses that are purpose-built for growth-oriented advisors and firms, Stratos has become one of the most influential firms in wealth management. Wit some major strategic investments in technology, practice management and marketing capabilities, Jeff describes how he and his leadership team have Stratos strategically positioned Stratos to write the next chapter of its impressive growth story. 

This episode of RIA+ features two key leaders at Gibson Capital – which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary and now manages roughly $2.5B for 200 families across the country. While a number of strategic decisions have contributed to Gibson's prolonged success, the notion of providing “uncommonly attentive advice” has always stayed at the core for Gibson, one of the most focused and intentional RIAs you will come across in this industry. Christine DeMao, Gibson's COO, and Chris Sidoni, Gibson's Chief Investment Officer, joined Emigrant's Mark Bruno to talk about their unique approach to building one of the industry's premier firms, and how its ability to go narrow and deep has differentiated Gibson in an increasingly competitive market. 

FL Putnam is one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the nation, and crossed $10B in assets earlier this year after successfully acquiring and integrating a number of businesses and teams over the last 24 months. The firm has evolved into a true wealth platform with a diverse mix of services – one that has the firm positioned for continued strategic growth in 2025 and beyond. Tom Manning sits down with Emigrant's Mark Bruno in this first episode of season 2 of RIA+ to offer an inside look at the drivers of FL Putnam's success. 

In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno goes "under the hood" of Pure Financial - one of the most sophisticated and strategic RIAs in the industry. Mark talks with Joe Anderson, President and CEO of Pure, and Jason Carver, Managing Partner and CFO. They dive deep into the growth story of Pure, which now has over $6 billion in assets and is exponentially outpacing the growth rates of its peers. They explore Pure's market focus and business model, its innovative content strategy - and how Pure is making investments in marketing and business development that will drive growth for years. 

The top-performing firms in the RIA industry have experienced organic growth rates that are more than double the typical firm - and Charles' Schwab's new RIA benchmarking study provides a close-up of the strategies and tactics driving their growth. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno interviews Schwab's Lisa Salvi, Managing Director, Advisor Services, about the key findings from the 2024 Schwab benchmarking study, which highlights the remarkable growth in the RIA channel. They go deep into the data to reveal the secrets of the top-performers and discuss practical approaches to referrals, talent and client communication strategies that can lead to accelerated growth. 

Have a question for Mark Bruno or the Emigrant team? Send us a textIn this episode of RIA+, Mark Bruno talks with Fidelity's Laura Delaney - one of the leading RIA M&A researchers - about dealmaking activity in the first half of 2024. While overall volume and valuations remain strong, this interview goes beyond the numbers and focuses on the drivers of successful M&A activity and uncovers what the RIA industry has collectively learned over the last five years - a period of record-breaking and transformational M&A. 

Have a question for Mark Bruno or the Emigrant team? Send us a textWhile it's been years since Leo Kelly, CEO and founder of Verdence Capital Advisors, left the wirehouse world for the independent channel, a simple governing principle continues to anchor his vision for leading one of the industry's top RIAs: Build you firm like your client is the architect. Verdence, one of the nations' fastest-growing RIAs, continues to invest in both talent and technology to build out and enhance its unique business model - while also making sure they deliver a highly personalized and consistent experience for all of its clients. In this episode of RIA+, Leo shares his growth strategy with Emigrant Partners' Mark Bruno, and also outlines what lies ahead for Verdence, the independent channel and how the needs of HNW and ultra-HNW individuals are rapidly evolving. 

There's often a direct correlation between an RIA's growth and its approach to talent recruitment, development and advancement. There's no better example of this than Moneco Advisors, which joined Emigrant as a Partner Firm in mid-2023 and has seen some impressive accelerated growth rates over the last year. Charlie Rocco, Managing Partner at Moneco, joined this episode of RIA+ to share how he and his leadership team have hard-wired Moneco to ensure everyone is focused on growth and client experience – while also making sure that the firm is continuously adding and developing NextGen talent to support and drive its ongoing growth. This emphasis on NextGen talent is a key differentiator for Moneco, and Charlie shares more on Moneco's human capital strategy, how it approaches a path to partnership and how he sees the competition for talent in the RIA industry shaking out over the next several years.  

Several "megatrends" are rapidly re-shaping the dynamics of the wealth management industry -- seemingly in real-time. A massive intergenerational transfer of wealth, the emergence of new technologies, and the need to provide clients of all ages with comprehensive planning and investment services has created a new era for financial advice. Or, "Wealth Management 3.0" as Flourish CEO Max Lane describes it in this in-depth interview with Emigrant Partners' Managing Director Mark Bruno. Max and Mark discuss how these megatrends are unfolding, and how advisors can capitalize on a number of new growth opportunities. 

As RIAs continue to experience accelerated growth in their businesses, client bases and teams - an Enterprise Operating System has become an important framework for many leaders across the industry. The EOS framework, detailed in Gino Wickman's bestselling book Traction is now being embraced by scores of RIAs - with good reason. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno interviews Mike Paton, who has helped thousands of leaders around the globe run better businesses (and live better professional lives). An EOS Implementer and sought-after speaker, Paton succeeded Gino Wickman, spent five years as EOS Worldwide's Visionary, and co-authored two books in the Traction Library – Get A Grip and Process! In this interview, he details why Traction has gained so much traction with RIAs, and offers insights into how its transformed their firms.

This episode of RIA+ features a timely interview with Tylor Bordelon Seaman, the CEO of Maslow Wealth Advisors - the $1.5 billion RIA formerly known as Durbin Bennett until the beginning of March 2024. Tylor sat with Emigrant Partners' Mark Bruno to share the details of the firm's rebranding strategy, along with the vision and objective for Maslow moving forward. As this interview details, a rebrand is more just a change of logos and website address - it's an opportunity to launch the next generation of Maslow, clearly define and articulate its current and future value proposition, and crystalize its identify as it continues its impressive growth.

Very few RIAs are strategically approaching the development of their team, talent and culture like Dakota Wealth Management - and a quick walk through their offices, which could also double for an art gallery, will give you an immediate sense for the firm's unique personality. That "Dakota energy" might explain why the firm has experienced some of the most exceptional growth in the RIA industry - recently surpassing $5 billion in assets under management in just its fifth year since launch.  In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno sat down with Dakota's founder and CEO, Peter Raimondi, Chief Strategic Officer Bryan Keller, and General Counsel Leslie Arsenault Metz. This in-person interview with the Dakota leadership team details the story behind Dakota's growth, how the firm is approaching M&A opportunities, and what's next for one of the RIA industry's fastest growing firms. 

Mergers and acquisitions have dramatically reshaped the RIA landscape over the last several years, with hundreds of deals taking place annually. Now, however, the best leaders in the RIA industry are focused less on just "the art of the deal" - and are placing an even greater emphasis on "the art of the manage", according to industry icon Mark Tibergien. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno sits down with Mr. Tibergien, one of the most thoughtful and influential executives in the RIA community, to discuss the true keys to success in RIA M&A. 

The leaders of Morton Wealth Management have a different way of thinking about growth and success in the RIA industry. Building and maintaining a firm that empowers its employees and values growth starts at the top - and it requires a unique balance of learning and leading. In this episode of RIA+, Jeff Sarti, the CEO of Morton Wealth, and Stacey McKinnon, the COO and CMO of Morton Wealth, share their personal stories and journeys as leaders in the RIA industry. More specifically, they reflect on some of the most important shifts they have made in their personal leadership styles and how it has directly translated to Morton's impressive growth and vibrant culture. 

This episode of RIA+ features Jonathan Maxwell, the founder & CEO of Sustainable Development Capital, a U.K.-based investment manager and one of Emigrant's 20 partner firms. The episode focuses on Jonathan's entrepreneurial journey and what led him to launch SDCL, why he authored his new book – “The Edge” and why SDCL's unique perspective and focus on sustainable energy is gaining traction with institutional and individual investors across the globe. 

Just several months after a re-launch and re-brand of his San Diego-based wealth management business, Jeff Brown has his sights set on one very specific goal: Building a one-of-a kind national firm that provides financial planning, investment management and life coaching services for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Jeff sat down with Emigrant Partner's Mark Bruno to share his vision and his plan for continuing to accelerate the growth of his firm, Stratos Private Wealth, which is a division of Stratos Wealth Partners, one of Emigrant's Partner Firms. In this episode, Jeff specifically discusses his approach to delivering a truly differentiated client experience - as well as his strategy for growing of Stratos Private Wealth through a mix of creative marketing and recruiting approaches. 

The first-ever episode of RIA+ features Reza Zamani, founder and CEO of SteelPeak Wealth Management, one of the fastest-growing and most strategic RIAs in the industry, and one of Emigrant's 20 Partner Firms. Reza and his team started SteelPeak 11 years ago after leaving the wirehouse world and now operate an enterprise that has roughly $2.7B in assets - with some aggressive growth goals that Reza outlines for the next several years. Mark and Reza caught up to discuss the SteelPeak story, the primary contributions to the firm's organic growth, how they have leveraged custodial referrals - and how SteelPeak is thinking about M&A and recruiting in its next growth phase.