Financial Advisor Success

Vanessa N. Martinez is the CEO of Expressive Wealth, an RIA based out of Chicago that oversees $135 million in assets under management for approximately 70 client households, including 10 core ultra-high-net-worth families. Whats unique about Vanessa is how her firm goes beyond traditional estate planning to help high-net-worth clients engage in in-depth legacy planning. This approach ensures clients pass down not just their assets, but also the values and principles that helped them build their wealth.

Listen in as Vanessa shares how she guides clients through a multi-meeting discovery process to clarify their estate and legacy plans and articulate the family values they want to pass on, encouraging them to document these legacies to avoid future misunderstandings. She also explains how her deep involvement in clients lives, along with neighborhood-based client events, helps foster strong relationships and organic referrals. Vanessa also discusses the unique role of her firms Chief Clinical Officer in facilitating family legacy conversations and how legacy planning allows clients to pass down not just wealth, but the emotional and intellectual values that shaped it.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/434

Cameron Passmore is the CEO of PWL Capital, a wealth management firm based out of Ottawa, Canada, that oversees just over $5 billion Canadian dollars (or approximately $3.5 billion U.S. dollars) in assets under management for 2,400 client households. What’s unique about Cameron is that after growing his firm’s revenue from $2 million to over $20 million as an independent firm over the past decade, he recognized that the next phase of growth required a different approach. By combining with a larger financial conglomerate, he positioned the firm to pursue another 10X growth opportunity in the decade ahead.

Listen in as Cameron shares how his firm achieved explosive growth by serving early Shopify employees, building a content engine that has served as a key driver of inbound leads, and differentiating through a planning-first, passive investing approach that is not typical in the Canadian advice landscape. Cameron also discusses his firm's investment in an institutional-grade data lake to enhance the client experience, how their planning teams operate efficiently at scale, and why always being open to new connections has led to some of his biggest business opportunities.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/433

Seth Scott is the founder of Heartwood Financial Planning, an advisory firm in Fresno, California that manages $100 million in assets for 850 client households. What makes Seth’s approach unique is his development of an “input deliverable” that simplifies tax planning for his ideal target client, allowing him to demonstrate value without creating time-intensive, custom reports for each individual. By offering this tool, he not only saves time, but also builds trust with prospective clients who may later seek more comprehensive financial planning services.

In this episode, Seth also discusses his transition into financial planning from previous jobs in urban planning and real estate, how he grew his business by serving retiring advisors’ client books without having to contribute upfront capital, and why he became a Certified Tax Preparer to better serve his niche. Listen in to hear how he makes inroads with his target clients by helping churches set up 403(b)(9) retirement plans and how his faith has guided him through the challenges of business growth and changing careers.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/432  

Nick Rodkin is the managing partner of Stoic Financial, an LPL-affiliated advisory firm based in Florida that oversees $107 million in assets under management for 70 client households. What’s unique about Nick is that after nearly 15 years as a financial advisor, he pursued a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy to enhance his ability to help couples resolve financial conflicts. This additional expertise allows him to address relationship dynamics that may hinder financial decision-making and the implementation of his financial planning recommendations.

Listen in as Nick shares how he helps client couples navigate their financial relationships by using structured conversations to uncover money mindsets, encouraging them to become “budget buddies” rather than “expense enemies.” He explains how his service model allows for AUM-based financial planning, flat-fee coaching, and hourly therapy sessions, enabling him to serve a diverse client base. Nick also reflects on how his own therapy journey reshaped his approach to financial planning, shifting from a product-focused mindset to a more human-centered practice that emphasizes actionable advice and meaningful client conversations.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/431

AJ Ayers is the co-founder of Brooklyn Fi, an RIA based in Brooklyn—but operating as a fully remote business—that oversees $370 million in assets under management for more than 400 client households. What’s unique about AJ is how she and her business partner successfully tackled the hiring, training, and operational challenges of rapidly scaling their advisory firm from the ground up to $5 million in revenue in just seven years. Their strategic approach to systems and processes allowed them to sustain growth while maintaining efficiency and service quality.

Listen in as AJ shares how she and her firm rapidly scaled their advisory business, growing to 14 new clients per month while building a structured training program to onboard advisors in their specialized equity compensation niche. She explains how they leveraged LinkedIn’s Recruiter platform for proactive hiring, developed Gemifi software to streamline equity compensation planning, and implemented a three-part fee model to align revenue with client needs. AJ also reflects on delegating firm operations to reduce her own work schedule, hiring an HR professional to strengthen company culture in a remote environment, and overcoming impostor syndrome by earning niche-relevant certifications and gaining hands-on client experience.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/430