Ep 445: Leveraging Educational YouTube Videos To Drive Hundreds Of New Clients Per Year with James Conole
James Conole's firm has experienced explosive growth over the past few years (expecting to double its revenue to more than $10 million in 2025) thanks in part to his YouTube channel, which educates and builds trust with ideal prospects before they ever book a meeting. James is the founder of Root Financial, an RIA based in Encinitas, California, that oversees $1.3 billion in assets under management for 630 client households. In this episode, he shares his YouTube strategy, including how narrowing his content focus to the needs of wealthy pre-retirees and retirees led to fewer views but better-fit clients. Listen in to learn how Root was able to implement a “one-meeting close” with prospects partly due to their familiarity with how the firm operates as well as how the firm systematized client onboarding into a five-meeting process. James also talks about creating the tech-centric “Root University” to ensure consistent advisor training, how his firm builds culture in a remote-first team, and what comes next as the firm continues to scale. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/445
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Ep 444: Driving More Client Referrals In The First 100 Days By Crafting An Exceptional Onboarding Experience with Libby Greiwe
When Libby Greiwe realized that most client onboarding processes felt either clunky or cold, she decided to transform her own. What she has developed—based on her years as both a financial advisor and coach—is a system designed to create a seamless, personalized client experience that not only demonstrates professionalism, but also inspires client referrals within their first 100 days with the firm. Libby is the founder of The Efficient Advisor, a coaching and consulting business based in Loveland, Ohio, that helps financial advisors build systems to run their firms with less stress and more efficiency. Listen in as Libby shares how she breaks down onboarding into three 30-day phases, how her firm tracked client “intel” for meaningful personalization, and what she believes is the key to client loyalty and long-term growth. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/444
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Ep 443: Going Deep With Business Owners And Real Estate Investors To Grow $200M Of AUM In 5 Years with Griffin Kirsch
Griffin Kirsch built a $200 million AUM firm in just five years—while maintaining a 70% profit margin. Delivering high-touch planning to business owners and real estate investors without charging fees on those assets, Griffin's focus on providing hard-dollar value to his clients (especially around tax strategy and real estate decisions) has fueled deep trust and strong referral-driven growth. Griffin is the owner of GK Wealth Management, an RIA based out of Nevada that oversees $200 million in assets under management for 450 households. In this episode, he shares how his unconventional model helped him scale quickly, how proactive outreach to businesses during the COVID pandemic sparked major momentum, and why he segments clients by complexity rather than AUM. He also explains how he developed partnerships with CPAs that generate ongoing referrals, as well as how outsourcing investments and empowering junior advisors allow the firm to grow sustainably—without necessarily relying on him at the center. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/443
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Ep 442: Attracting $100M Per Month Of Like-Minded Clients By Being Vocal About (Divisive) Issues You’re Passionate About with David Bahnsen
David Bahnsen has built a reputation for speaking his mind, not only on issues related to financial markets, but also on topics many advisors shy away from, like religion and politics. Which has paid off for him in the form of attracting $100 million of new client assets to his firm per month as his content has built his credibility, deepened audience engagement, and drawn in both like-minded clients and those who respect his authenticity. David is the Founder of the Bahnsen Group, an RIA based out of California that oversees approximately $7.5 billion in assets under management for 1,800 client households. In this episode, he shares how his unconventional content strategy has driven firm growth, why he made the strategic decision to step away from serving clients directly to focus on scaling the business, and how his unique compensation and development model fosters long-term success for his team. He also discusses integrating tax prep as a value-add rather than a profit center, expanding into smaller markets to build a national brand, and his commitment to mentoring his advisors as he plans for the firm’s future. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/442
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Ep 441: What It Really Takes To Implement And Scale Compliance As An Independent RIA Grows with Leila Shaver
As advisory firms grow, so does the complexity of compliance—and Leila Shaver has built a business dedicated to helping them scale without costly missteps. She provides strategic guidance that keeps firms aligned with regulatory expectations as their teams, client bases, and responsibilities expand. Leila is the founder of My RIA Lawyer, a Georgia-based legal and compliance firm serving RIAs, broker-dealers, and other financial services companies. In this episode, she shares insights into when firms typically seek outsourced compliance support, the key differences between broker-dealer oversight and RIA regulation, and why firms might consider including their compliance professionals in business strategy business strategy decisions. You'll also hear about the latest developments in advisor-facing compliance technology and how Leila's own entrepreneurial journey mirrors that of the clients she serves. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/441
The Financial Advisor Success podcast brings you real success stories and insights from the most successful financial advisors, and leading industry consultants, about how to take your advisory business to the next level. Get a glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes building a successful advisory business, and how entrepreneurial advisors navigate the inevitable highs, and lows, of growing a firm. Whether you're a new financial advisor trying to get started on the right foot, or an experienced advisor who's hit a wall, we're here to give you the insights and inspiration you need to break through and reach the level of success you want to achieve. Subscribe to the show, and get even more at the leading industry blog Nerd’s Eye View at www.Kitces.com.
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