#301 - Going Independent Without Going It Alone with Bridget Grimes, CFP®

What does it really take to leave an established firm and build a financial planning practice on your own terms? In this episode of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Jackie Walsh, CFP®, founder of 30 Point Financial and Treasurer of FPA New England, sits down with Bridget Grimes, CFP®, President of WealthChoice and co-founder of Equita Financial Network. Bridget shares her journey from working as an employee at a fee-only RIA to launching WealthChoice nearly a decade ago. She explains why she wanted greater control over how she served clients, how she structured her business, and ultimately, how she valued her own work. But independence came with another realization: running your own firm can be lonely, and trying to handle financial planning, investments, compliance, technology, operations, marketing, and business development yourself can quickly become a barrier to growth. That experience ultimately helped inspire Equita Financial Network, a community of independent, women-led financial planning firms that provides advisors with shared resources while allowing them to maintain their own brands, clients, and vision. Jackie also shares her own experience as a newer firm founder and Equita member, including how access to a community of other women advisors has helped her navigate the early stages of building her practice. Bridget and Jackie discuss the importance of delegation, investing in your business before you feel completely ready, finding a community of advisors willing to share their experiences, and recognizing that independence does not have to mean doing everything yourself. They also explore the continued underrepresentation of women in financial planning and why mentorship, collaboration, and intentional succession planning could play an important role in bringing more women into the profession and helping existing women-led firms remain women-led. For advisors considering independence, building a firm, or simply looking for a stronger professional community, this conversation offers a candid look at both the opportunity and responsibility that come with owning your own practice. In this episode: Why Bridget left an established RIA to launch WealthChoice The realities of starting a financial planning firm with no clients Why community matters for independent advisors How Equita Financial Network grew from two advisors sharing resources Delegating compliance, investments, technology, and operations Why trying to save money by doing everything yourself can limit growth Supporting career changers and women entering financial planning Maintaining independence while gaining the advantages of scale The difference between being a business owner and being a W-2 advisor Creating succession opportunities for women-led advisory firms Why Bridget believes investing in yourself can change the trajectory of your firm About Bridget Grimes, CFP® Bridget Grimes is President of WealthChoice, a boutique financial life planning firm serving women executives, and co-founder of Equita Financial Network, a collaborative community supporting independent women-led financial planning firms. She is also a CFP Board Ambassador and author of Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom. Her work centers on helping women gain greater confidence and control over their financial lives while supporting women advisors who want to build successful firms on their own terms.