Powering Independence Podcast

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, John is joined by Harris Baltch, Head of M&A and Capital Strategies, to talk about how advisors can prepare for M&A pre-launch, prepare for M&A post-launch, and create a credible and repeatable M&A strategy.

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, John is joined by Jon Morris, Chief Legal and Governance Officer at Dynasty Financial Partners. Jon shares some of the essential items advisors need to know from a legal perspective before breaking away.

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, John is joined by Frank Coates, Chief Technology Officer. Technology is a vital component of any business, but its rapidly evolving environment can make it more difficult for advisors to stay abreast of the latest capabilities and features. Tune in as Frank and John discuss the most common questions advisors have regarding technology.

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, Angela Gingras, Chief Administrative Officer, joins John. Angela has deep experience in RIA operations and can provide great insight into best practices for advisors transitioning to a fully independent model.

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, John is joined by Gordy Abel, Chief Marketing Officer, to discuss how advisors should approach their brand development and marketing strategy as they transition to a fully independent RIA model.

Welcome back to another episode of the Independence Playbook. In today’s episode, John is joined by Caitlin Douglas, Director of Transition Services, to discuss the transition to the independence model. Caitlin shares the checklist for advisors considering the move to independence and how the pandemic altered some ways we approach transition services today.

Welcome to the Independence Playbook Podcast! Join John Sullivan, Head of Network Development and Sean Lindenbaum, Director, South East Division, as they lay the foundation for this series and discuss all things due diligence. Some of the questions they will answer are what are the benefits of independence? What does independence even mean?

Episode 32: The Future of Wealth Management Guest Speaker: Anand Sekhar, Vice President, Practice Management & Consulting at Fidelity There are many forces driving innovation in wealth management and lots of questions around the future of wealth management. Anand shares his point of view based on his extensive work with some of the top RIA(s) across the country. Listeners should expect to gain some great perspective and best practices coming out of this podcast.

Episode 31: How Great Leaders Combine Data and Instinct to Produce Results Guest Speakers: Steve Tenney, Founding Partner & Chief Executive Officer at Great Diamond Partners. Nikolee Turner, Managing Director, Business Consultant, Advisor Services at Charles Schwab. Data is an important theme in all types of businesses, especially wealth management. In this episode, we explore the intersection between data and instinct. How wealth management entrepreneurs use benchmarks and quantitative information to track activity and drive results. Steve and Nikolee illustrate these themes through personal and professional stories.

Episode 30: Getting the Inside Scoop on the Independent Space: A Conversation with Ben Harrison In this episode, Austin speaks to Ben Harrison, Co-Head of Wealth Solutions at BNY Mellon | Pershing. Their discussion covers Ben’s professional journey and some of the lessons he has learned along the way, as well as, his insights into the future of the independent space. Austin and Ben also cover the importance of financial literacy and the wealth management industry’s responsibility to help people understand their wealth and finances.

Episode 29: How to Find and Keep the Best Talent within Your Organization With more than 30 years of experience in Financial Services, Mason Salit, Chief Talent Officer at Dynasty Financial Partners, has a very unique vantage point on identifying and growing human capital. Mason brings passion and joy to his day-to-day duties and discusses the importance of a strong culture of mentorship in this podcast. Having known each other for more than 16 years, Austin and Mason share lots of stories and laughs—definitely worth a listen.

Inside the Deal Part 4: Integration Zero in on how to integrate an RIA, a new team, or a new advisor into your firm. In Part 4: Integration, Harris Baltch is joined by Jack Petersen, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Summit Trail Advisors. With 9 M&A deals completed since launching their firm, Summit Trail has deep experience in structuring transactions and integrating advisors and teams into their business. Join the two as they delve into integration best practices, common pitfalls that buyers should be aware of to be successful on their next deal and more.

Inside the Deal Part 3: Closing Zero in on negotiating & closing RIA deals, and learn best practices for RIAs contemplating a sale. ​​​​In Part 3: Closing, Harris Baltch, Dynasty Head of M&A and Capital Strategies, is joined by​​​​​​ Marty Bicknell, CEO of Mariner Wealth Advisors, to discuss how to negotiate and close RIA M&A successfully. Join the two as they delve into how to close deals in a virtual world, how a buyer can differentiate themselves from the pack, repeatable M&A tactics to move a deal from signing to closing and much more.

Inside the Deal Part 2: Execution Zero in on RIA deal execution behind closed doors and learn best practices for RIAs contemplating a sale. Harris Baltch, Dynasty's Head of M&A and Capital Strategies, is joined by Liz Nesvold, Managing Director and Head of Raymond James' Asset and Wealth Management Investment Banking Unit, to discuss how to execute RIA M&A successfully. Join two of the most accomplished RIA dealmakers in the space as they delve into a review of the evolving M&A landscape, how execution has changed throughout the pandemic, structural considerations, valuation best practices and much more.

Inside the Deal Part 1: Deal Readiness How do RIAs know if they are M&A ready? How are deals sourced? Harris Baltch is joined by Mark Tibergien, Founder of Mark Tibergien Insights, former CEO of Pershing Advisor Solutions and current Board Member of Pathstone Family Office, and Brad Armstrong, Partner at Lovell Minnick Partners, to delve into the key criteria for ‘M&A deal readiness’, how to access the best COIs for originating high quality M&A opportunities, and more.

Episode 28: Improving Your Communication as a Leader This podcast focuses on a very important theme for leaders—communication. I am joined by Adam Piandes, who is a coach, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. We discuss how to have authentic conversations with fellow team members in the work environment. We unpack how to be compassionate, even when the stakes of running a business are high. Finally, we touch on the impact of social media on our lives and our connections to others. This one is worth a listen.

Episode 27: Trends in the Off-Shore Advisory Space As one of the major wealth management institutions exits the international market, we sit down with Miguel Sosa, Founder and Partner at Premia Global Advisors. After more than 30 years at Merrill Lynch, Miguel founded Premia. Miguel shares his view on the space, his process, and the opportunities for advisors to move away from a transactional business model. This conversation spans both the on-shore and off-shore focused advisor and is certainly a timely topic in today’s wealth management environment.

Episode 26: In this year’s final podcast, I speak with Lisa Crafford, a principal within the Platform Strategy and Consulting Group at BNY Mellon | Pershing. A former Australian National Trampoline Champion and world-wide traveler, we discuss a wide variety of themes relevant to the independent advisory movement. You’ll want to listen in order to understand the relevance of “hungry, humble, and smart.”

Episode 25: What it means to be a “Schwabie”—Examining the Powerful Culture of Charles Schwab through the Stories of its People Guests: Brad Losson, VP & National Managing Director, Relationship Management at Charles Schwab Advisor Services Jerry Cobb, Managing Director, Business Consulting at Charles Schwab Leslie Tabor: Managing Director, Business Consulting at Charles Schwab In this episode of the Powering Independence Podcast, we explore the people and culture of Charles Schwab. Our guests talk about what is different about their place of work and why they are so enthusiastic about promoting their firm. With varying levels of experience and career paths, each story helps to illuminate the power of being a Schwabie.

Episode 24: Making the Uncomfortable, Comfortable: How to Discuss the Meaning of Wealth as a Financial Advisor Guest: Tobias Donath, Vice President, Fidelity's Center for Family Engagement The roles of financial advisors have morphed over the years. With the democratization of products and most services, building deeper relationships with clients is critically important. However, the path towards conversations about family values, the significance of wealth, and legacy can be challenging for some. In this episode of the podcast, Tobias Donath from Fidelity’s Center for Family Engagement and I discuss the importance of this discussions and how to start them. If you are an advisor thinking about how to engage with your clients in new and meaningful ways, this podcast is for you. Dynasty Financial Partners is an independent entity and not affiliated with Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Institutional SM(FI) provides investment products through Fidelity Distributors Company LLC; clearing, custody, or other brokerage services through National Financial Services LLC or Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Members NYSE, SIPC; and institutional advisory services through Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC. 946333.1.0