The COO Roundtable

In this episode, Matt is joined by Dawn Claussen, Chief Operating Officer at Mutual Group, and Michael Young, President and Managing Partner at Integrated Advisors Network. Mutual Group specializes in providing operational, strategic, and advisory support to financial service firms. Their goal is to help organizations optimize their processes, scale efficiently, and focus on what they do best―serving clients. Integrated Advisors Network is a collaborative platform for independent financial advisors. They provide resources, technology, and support to help advisors grow their businesses while maintaining their independence and delivering exceptional service to their clients. Dawn and Michael share expertise in helping firms define their growth strategies, identifying their ideal clients, and serving those clients more effectively.  The conversation dives deep into essential topics for growing and scaling businesses, including:   The importance of documented processes, both for their own businesses as well as for the firms they support How their firms have navigated remote vs. in-office work, and the pros and cons of each approach The longstanding tension between Sales and Operations, and how fostering collaboration between these departments can drive businesses forward Whether RIAs should focus on building their own AI tools or rely on the AI advancements from tech vendors Real-world examples of how firms are leveraging AI in today’s business environment The views and opinions expressed by guests on The COO Roundtable are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Coldstream Wealth Management. Guest statements regarding their firms, including assets under management and business performance, have not been independently verified by Coldstream.

Matt welcomes Josh Brier, Chief Operating Officer of Connecticut Wealth Management, and Aldo Tarantini, Managing Director and former Director of Operations at Family Management Corporation. Connecticut Wealth Management, founded in 2010 out of an accounting business, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. Today, the firm manages approximately $5 billion of client assets with a team of 70 employees. Family Management Corporation, based in New York City, began in 1989 as a family office for the two founders. Since then, it has grown to manage approximately $5 billion in client assets with a lean team of 23 professionals. After sharing their professional journeys and backgrounds, Josh, Aldo, and Matt explore a range of impactful topics, including: How a great COO can eliminate friction for advisors, enabling them to better serve clients The role Operations plays in shaping the client experience and driving firm success Leveraging technology to create efficiencies and improve workflows Lessons learned from mid-project pivots and how to adapt when things don’t go as planned The future of the RIA industry and how Operations teams can harness the current growth trends to increase their stature The views and opinions expressed by guests on The COO Roundtable are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Coldstream Wealth Management. Guest statements regarding their firms, including assets under management and business performance, have not been independently verified by Coldstream.

With Episode 84, Matt welcomes Ben Littman, Founding Member and Head of Corporate Development at Pure Financial Advisors, and Henry Lao, Vice President of Investments at Mercer Advisors. Pure Financial Advisors manages approximately $11 billion of client assets with a team of nearly 200 dedicated professionals. Mercer Advisors operates from over 100 offices nationwide, employing nearly 1,500 people, and oversees around $90 billion of client assets. Ben and Henry share how their professional friendship has enriched their careers and offer deep insights into the operational strategies behind their firms’ impressive growth. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why operational strength is critical in every M&A conversation How each firm decides which services to centralize and which to delegate to advisory teams The advantages of owning your data, and how a robust data warehouse empowers RIAs to connect and leverage their tech stack Strategies for aligning investment professionals with operations teams to ensure seamless implementation in client portfolios How operations teams directly shape and elevate the client experience   *The CFA Institute owns the certification marks CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst®. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ in the U.S. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. References to third-party firms are based on self-reported information and are not verified by Coldstream.

In this episode, Matt is joined by Alli Jordan, President at LibertyFi, and Emily Wilcox, COO at Practifi, for a discussion on how leading RIAs are using innovative technology, operational excellence, and smart leadership to drive scalable growth. LibertyFi empowers growth-oriented RIAs to drive revenue and scale with the Envestnet platform, enabling seamless outsourcing of reporting, billing, and trading. Using technology and defined processes in their own business, LibertyFi currently supports 23 RIAs managing approximately $21 billion in assets with just eight employees. Practifi offers a unified workspace for financial advisory firms, blending CRM, practice management, compliance, and marketing features to streamline workflows and deepen client relationships. Alli and Emily aren’t just consultants to RIAs navigating change; they are practitioners at the forefront of their own firms’ growth stories. Together, they join Matt to explore how RIAs can grow profitably and efficiently. Other key topics covered include: The importance of treating the components of your tech stack as an operational strategy, not just a technology choice Dos and Don’ts for creating a tech stack designed to fuel growth in 2026 How to lead successful change across your firm by focusing on your team’s “hearts and minds” Time management tips and how to escape the daily grind and focus on strategic growth The top attributes of an effective RIA COO

In Episode 82, Matt sits down with two well-accomplished RIA operators: Hannah Koch, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Chicago-based Altair Advisers, and Joe Walker, COO of Bradley, Foster & Sargent (BFS), headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, with nine total office locations. Altair Advisers serves individuals, families, foundations, and endowments, offering investment management, financial planning, and client education. BFS provides investment management services to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, professionals, non-profits, and institutions. This episode dives deep into the real-world challenges and opportunities of RIA technology. Matt, Hannah, and Joe share candid insights on why successful tech implementation hinges as much on people and process as it does on the tools themselves. The conversation also covers: Why defining a specific business problem must come before choosing any technology solution The critical role of data governance and training before introducing AI across your firm Tips for approaching change management and setting your team up for long-term success The importance of seamless integration and data flow when designing your firm’s tech stack How focusing solely on the fiduciary duty can sometimes overshadow your people, and ways to become an employer of choice

Matt is joined by industry veterans Jason Mirabella and Randy Lambert for Episode 81. Jason returns for his second appearance, having first joined Episode 37 nearly four years ago. Randy, the former COO of Orion, brings decades of experience after spending 30 years building and scaling one of the industry's leading organizations. Now, Jason and Randy have teamed up at Intention.ly to launch a new operational consulting arm, specifically designed to tackle the unique operational and growth challenges faced by RIAs and the fintechs that serve them. Together, Matt, Jason, and Randy dive into topics including: The complexity of scale and why it’s important to “keep score” How growing firms can remain “quick and nimble” instead of becoming “bloated and slow” as they transition into enterprises The fundamental differences between a Director of Operations and a Chief Operating Officer, and how to determine which role your firm needs Why change is so hard for organizations to navigate, and how COOs can become true change agents Will AI replace the traditional CRM, or make it even more powerful? How the COO role is evolving and what to expect going forward

In this episode, Matt sits down with Linda Bready, a renowned operations consultant to RIAs and author of the new book, The Exit Equation – M&A Strategies, Tools, and Insights for Financial Advisors.  What started as a guide for sellers preparing for mergers or acquisitions, Linda’s book reveals itself as a comprehensive blueprint for operational readiness. It’s packed with practical strategies that empower firms to run more profitably and efficiently, whether or not a sale is on the horizon. As Linda writes, “a well-run firm isn’t just easier to sell, it’s easier to grow, scale, and live with.”  Linda’s expertise is extensive. She was a trailblazer in the field of RIA performance reporting during her 17 years running B-Ready Outsourcing Solutions, which she led until its acquisition by Envestnet in 2010. After serving in a leadership role at Envestnet for six years, Linda became Executive Vice President of Operations & Client Service at FolioDynamix―until, in a twist of fate, Envestnet acquired FolioDynamix in 2018. Today, Linda is back in the consulting sphere as the founder of CleverX Consulting, where she delivers fractional executive support and board-level insight to financial services firms and fintech innovators.  During this far-reaching conversation, Matt and Linda discuss her new book and a wide range of RIA operations and technology topics, including: Why so many RIAs struggle with operational efficiencies The common pitfall: mistaking technology ownership with technology optimization Why now is the time for RIAs to focus on scalability and repeatability across their organizations The critical role of culture and why it’s so often overlooked in M&A transactions Strategies for effective change management Why not all AUM is created equal Overcoming the reluctance to document workflows and processes The power of client segmentation and why understanding the true cost to serve each client is more important than focusing solely on top-line revenue To learn more about how Linda works with advisors and operations professionals, please visit https://www.cleverxconsulting.com/ To purchase Linda’s amazing book, click here.

In Episode 79, Matt welcomes two long-time friends and industry experts: Lisa Crafford and Morgan Bell of Constellation Wealth Capital (“CWC”). CWC is a Chicago-based private equity firm founded in 2023 that specializes in making minority investments in growth-oriented wealth management firms across the United States. Lisa and Morgan first met at BNY Mellon Pershing, while consulting for RIAs. Today, Lisa serves as Managing Director, Head of Advisory, and Morgan leads technology consulting at CWC. Matt has long considered both Morgan and Lisa fellow “operations nerds,” and has enjoyed collaborating with them on content aimed at helping operations professionals run better firms. After sharing their career stories, the conversation dives into: The evolution of the COO role as the wealth management industry matures The need for leadership and next generation training in the industry, and how Lisa and Morgan addressed these needs – both historically and now at CWC Solving the complex puzzle of building a scalable, efficient, and integrated tech stack Where the COO is headed in the next five years Common mistakes firms make, and how to avoid them at your RIA Advice for first-time COOs and for RIAs hiring their first COO And, of course, a short tribute to Mark Tibergien’s immense impact on our industry The article, “The Importance of Strategy and How a COO Can Help” can be found here.

Episode 78 dives deep into a challenge many COOs contend with on a daily basis: mastering M&A integration. Matt hosts a dynamic discussion with two former COOs who have recently stepped into groundbreaking roles focused exclusively on business integration: Eric Stephenson and Shelly Kapoor.  Eric is Managing Director of Integration and Optimization at Pathstone, a firm spanning 22 office locations, 800 employees, and managing over $100 billion of assets for clients.  Shelly is a colleague of Matt’s at Coldstream, where she has taken on the new role of Manager of Business Integration. Coldstream now has approximately $13 billion of AUA, eight office locations, and more than 200 employees. Eric and Shelly explain how they leverage their varied experiences as COOs in their integration work, as well as: How their new roles extend beyond traditional M&A integration work Their firms’ unique philosophies and approach to M&A Why the human side of integration and change management remains the greatest challenge The critical role of technology in supporting seamless integration Essential advice for COOs considering or transitioning into dedicated integration roles The article, “Growing RIAs Must Focus on Process, Not Technology” can be found here.

Episode 77 finds Matt interviewing two seasoned RIA operators: Brad Cox and Michael Walliser, for an insightful conversation on growth, technology, and collaboration in the wealth management industry. Brad is COO, CCO, and Partner at Diversified Portfolios, Inc., based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  The firm was founded in 1993 and has grown to approximately $1.8 billion of client assets, with a team of 19 employees. Michael serves as President and CCO at Condor Capital Wealth Management in Martinsville, New Jersey. Established in 1988, Condor Capital oversees about $2 billion for clients and employs 28 professionals. In this episode, Brad and Michael discuss their 32-year-old study group, the Council of Independent Financial Advisors (“CIFA”), as well as: How to structure your study group to ensure each member gains the most from it The processes at each of their firms that have needed to change as their firms have grown The pros and cons of building a “best-of-breed” technology stack vs. adopting an “all-in-one” solution Both guests’ approach to AI and how they have implemented it to enhance client service and streamline operations at their firms What cybersecurity tools and protocols both firms use to protect sensitive employee and client data To learn more about the Council of Independent Financial Advisors (“CIFA”), please visit: https://www.katiecalaguiconsulting.com/council-of-independent-financial-advisors

We are excited to return to our traditional interview format for Episode 76, but this time with a twist! For the first time, we are interviewing an RIA who is actively searching for a Chief Operating Officer. In this episode, we delve into the responsibilities they envision for their new COO, once hired. Sage Mountain Advisors, founded in 2018 out of Goldman Sachs, has experienced remarkable growth. Starting with just six employees, the firm has expanded to 25 employees, managing approximately $5.5 billion for their clients. To date, the COO role has been filled by Whitney Imeraj, IACCP®, who also serves as the CCO and Partner of the firm. Whitney has shared many operational duties with Tony Cox, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer. In this episode, Whitney, Tony, and Matt discuss why Sage Mountain believes it is the right time to bring in a new COO, as well as: How they are conducting their COO search process The “Technology and Innovation” components of the new COO’s job How they hope the new COO will impact “Team Leadership and Culture Building” Where Whitney sees the candidate driving “Operational Leadership” What direction Tony sees the COO taking “Strategic Growth and Vision” The “Compliance and Risk Management” responsibilities the new role will encompass How Sage Mountain plans to engage in M&A, and the expected impact of the new COO on these goals Other key areas of the firm beyond Technology, HR, Business Administration, and M&A that the new COO will hopefully influence To apply for this role and/or to see what a comprehensive COO job description looks like, please see Sage Mountain Advisors’ job posting here. You can read Matt’s recent article, Smart Hiring for RIAs: Aligning Talent with Team Needs

In the midst of volatile markets and a bustling tax season, Matt faced a unique challenge for Episode 75: he was unable to secure guests for the show. Rather than skipping an episode, he opted for a second monologue in a row, a format he typically reserves for special occasions. While he prefers to spotlight those leading operations at their firms, he chose a topic that resonates deeply with our listeners: leveraging technology to enhance the experiences of both teammates and clients. Drawing on insights from his recent panel at the RIA Edge Nashville conference, titled Crafting a Memorable Client Experience With WealthTech, and his latest article, Why AI Isn’t Your RIA’s Top Technology Priority, Matt delves into the current landscape of RIA technology. He provides a thoughtful analysis on how to construct a tech strategy that underscores your firm’s value proposition for your ideal clients. Additionally, he discusses Matt Beecher’s compelling article, The Tech You Use Doesn’t Matter, along with several of his own writings on RIA technology. Key Takeaways from the Episode: Clients expect advisors to use technology to manage their assets and enhance their relationships, not to provide DIY investment tools. The client experience should prioritize human interaction, augmented by technology, rather than replacing personal connection by placing technology in the hands of the client. Many RIAs fall into the trap of adopting new technology without fully understanding its impact ― an “Impact Filter” can help prevent “Shiny Object Syndrome.” Focus on core technologies that support daily operations (like CRM and portfolio management) and use satellite tools (such as AI analytics) as enhancements that align with firm goals. Many RIAs struggle with insufficient, misaligned, or excessive technology, making it essential to address foundational issues before tackling advanced solutions like AI. While AI offers exciting opportunities, it shouldn't take precedence over resolving core technology challenges. Ultimately, clients value personal support and confidence in their financial journeys more than the intricacies of an RIA’s tech stack. We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe. Resources: Matt’s recent article can be found here: Why AI Isn’t Your RIA’s Top Technology Priority Matt Beecher’s article can be found here: The Tech You Use Doesn’t Matter Matt’s article High Tech vs. High Touch: What Are Clients Really Asking For? can be found here. Matt’s article RIAs That Excel at Technology Do Not Look Like Tech Firms can be found here. Matt’s article Identify Your Ideal Client Before You Determine Your Tech Stack can be found here. Matt’s article RIAs Are Struggling With Too Much Technology, Not Too Little can be found here.

In Episode 74, Matt steps away from our usual interview format to share a vital message that could reshape how you approach your business.  Drawing insights from his recent article in RIABiz, titled, How Fiduciary Duty Is Causing Confused Advisors to Run Bad Businesses, he dives deep into the crucial themes of firm capacity and RIA scalability.  The primary function of a COO is to strategically allocate resources -- both human and technological -- across an expanding client base in a way that ensures every client experiences white glove service.  In Matt’s mind, success as a COO hinges on a maniacal focus on Client Segmentation.  Because we are all constrained by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day, if an RIA is overly focused on providing extensive services to smaller clients, it stands to reason that larger clients may be underserved. This imbalance not only affects client satisfaction but also undermines business growth.  In this enlightening episode, Matt addresses a common issue: many advisors and RIA owners are misinterpreting the concept of Fiduciary Duty, leading to poor client segmentation practices. Here are the key takeaways: Two major misconceptions about Client Segmentation The four primary benefits of Client Segmentation, according to Fidelity, and their relevance to a COO’s responsibilities Various methods for a COO to calculate their firm’s cost to serve clients Four steps RIAs should take to assess team capacity and the profitability of client relationships, according to Julie Littlechild The importance of both Quantitative and Qualitative aspects of Client Segmentation How to build a matrix of client service tiers Why the 80/20 Rule is critical to your Client Segmentation analysis Matt’s recent RIABiz article can be found here: How Fiduciary Duty Is Causing Confused Advisors to Run Bad Businesses Fidelity’s research on Client Segmentation can be found here: Four Steps to Successful Client Segmentation Fidelity’s research calculating the national average cost to serve a client ($9,222) can be found here: Scaling Your Financial Advisory Business Julie Littlechild’s Kitces.com article can be found here: 11 Action Steps to Design an Extraordinary Client Experience  

With Episode 73, Matt welcomes two thoughtful RIA operators to the podcast: Carrie King and Jay Tarno, CFP®.  Carrie is Partner, Chief Compliance Officer, Director of Trading, and a Wealth Advisor at Ullmann Wealth Partners, located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  Ullmann Wealth Partners was founded in 2002 and has grown from approximately $400 million in 2018 when Carrie joined, to about $1.1 billion today.  Jay is the Chief Operating Officer at Cornerstone Planning Group in Fairfield, New Jersey.  Cornerstone launched in 2020 with about $100 million of assets and today manages approximately $700 million for clients. Matt, Carrie, and Jay discuss the career paths that led them to where they are today (including Carrie’s time as a French restaurant owner!), as well as: The mindset they use for tackling each day to ensure they are as productive as possible Favorite books that have shaped their approach to their careers (Getting Things Done by David Allen and Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell) How their firms have used specialized client niches to propel their growth The hiring, onboarding, and training practices they use to set teammates up for success The importance of documenting their firms’ processes and how those documented processed can cut employee training time in half Specific tech initiatives their firms are focused on

We welcome Brittany Manning and Brian Habas for Episode 72!  Brittany is the Chief Operating Officer at MCF Advisors, with offices in Covington, Lexington, and Louisville, Kentucky.  The firm manages approximately $3.2 billion for both private clients and institutional clients and has 34 employees. Brian joined AlphaCore Wealth Advisory about six months ago as Chief Operating Officer. Alphacore is headquartered in La Jolla, CA, with additional offices in five other states. The firm manages around $3.5 billion and employes 49 team members. Britanny, Brian, and Matt discuss career paths for non-advisors in the wealth management industry, as well as: How they identify different skillsets across their team and ensure they have the right people in the right seats The importance of documented processes, especially at firms experiencing hyper-rapid growth The complexities of technology integration How each are approaching AI at their firms Strategies both guests have implemented to successfully lead change across their organizations

Matt was joined by Amy Flourry, Director of Operations of Rehmann Wealth, and Maria Millner, Partner and Head of Operations of Transcend Capital Advisors. Rehmann Wealth is headquartered in Lansing, MI, with additional offices in Ohio and Florida, and advises on approximately $4 billion across private client and retirement plan assets. Transcend Capital Advisors is headquartered in Madison, NJ, with additional office locations in Michigan and Florida, and works with approximately $3 billion in client assets and has 40 employees. Matt, Amy, and Maria have a deep conversation on the struggles of work/life balance in a hybrid environment, as well as: The need to feel uncomfortable sometimes by raising your hand for projects and career opportunities that may be out of your comfort zone The power of formal and informal mentorship, and how it benefits both the mentor and the mentee How to best navigate growth and determine the roles and responsibilities among team members Why teamwork makes the dream work! How both guests not only drive change, but survive in a rapidly changing work environment The mindset needed to find motivation and purpose in a sometimes underappreciated career in Operations

Matt was joined by Jeremy Massullo of Concurrent and Dr. Jordan Hutchison of RFG Advisory for Episode 70.  Jeremy was Concurrent’s very first employee seven years ago, and currently serves as VP of Operations. The firm is headquartered in Tampa, FL, started as an OSJ on Raymond James’ platform, and currently has approximately $9.5 billion of client assets. Jordan serves as RFG’s Vice President of Technology and Operations. RFG Advisory is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, and manages approximately $5.5 billion with 65 employees. Matt, Jeremy, and Jordan tackle many operational topics that RIAs struggle with, including: What day-to-day services they have centralized for advisors How they both are approaching the hiring of new Operations staff The evaluation of technology vendors and the challenge of “shiny object syndrome” Steps they both take to ensure clean data is flowing across their tech stack How they have designed their CRMs to support their advisors’ organic growth goals Change Management techniques both have incorporated to limit the “change fatigue” felt by their firms’ advisors and staff

We are joined by Jina Yi of Wealth Architects and Victoria Latham of Parallel Financial and the Fiduciary Alliance for Episode 69. Jina has been with Wealth Architects, headquartered in Mountain View, CA, since 2007 and was appointed the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer in 2021. The firm employes 25 team members, managing close to $2 billion in assets under management for approximately 400 clients. Victoria is the Director of Operations for Parallel Financial, located in Greenville, South Carolina, and also the Chief Compliance Officer for Fiduciary Alliance, a roll-up of which Parallel Financial is one of 11 member firms under Fiduciary Alliance. Matt, Jina, and Victoria have a wide-ranging conversation covering their varied histories in the industry (including Victoria’s time as a police officer!), as well as: How they approach their to-do lists every morning Hiring and interviewing strategies to identify the right candidate for the right role Tips to ensure their firm’s culture remains intact as they add more and more employees The Technology and People challenges with integrating new tools into their tech stack How they leverage technology to tackle their Compliance responsibilities Suggestions for making the quarterly billing process more streamlined and consistent

Episode 68 could very well be the most impactful episode we have recorded. For five and a half years, The COO Roundtable has highlighted the incredible work COOs perform daily across the RIA industry. As such, we’ve tended to focus on the tactical elements of the job: How do you effect change at your organization? How do you approach technology or process implementations? How do you tackle your never-ending to-do list? In this episode, Matt focuses on the essential soft skills required for the COO role and interviews author Rachel Lebowitz about her research and new book, “Empowered COO – Eliminate Burnout, Resentment and Self Doubt as a Second-in Command.” After revealing his own past insecurities related to the role of COO, Matt asks Rachel to not only define the role of “Second-in-Command,” but to explain what about this unique position leads to burnout in so many cases (Rachel points out that the average COO engagement at a firm lasts about two and a half to five years).  During this far-reaching conversation, Matt and Rachel discuss: How a COO can easily lose themselves in the role if they aren’t intentional Why only 5.5% of the population is truly cut out to be an Empowered COO How the Visionary/Integrator relationship is so often a codependent one The similarities between an Empowered COO and a triage nurse What three soft skills must be mastered by successful COOs How Assertiveness, Decisiveness, and Discernment (ADD) are the backbone of an Empowered COO

With Episode 67, we are joined by Meghan Martin of Apella Wealth and Chrissy Lee of Merit Financial Advisors.  Meghan is the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at Apella Wealth, headquartered in Hartford, CT.  The firm advises on approximately $4.35 billion and has 93 employees across 16 office locations.  Chrissy is the Chief Operating Officer at Merit Financial Advisors headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The firm manages approximately $12 billion of client assets and currently has close to 250 employees firmwide, with 48 locations around the United States. Matt, Meghan, and Chrissy focus their conversation on the operational aspects of mergers and acquisitions in the RIA space, but also hit on other topics near and dear to our listeners, including: Why RIAs should get into M&A in the first place How to articulate the value a buyer can offer an advisor looking to join Important messaging every advisor should address when getting clients excited about the transition Tips and suggestions for successfully transitioning employees during a merger How to examine the tech stack of the merging firm and slowly transition them to your tools and processes Why it is so vital to have a successful transition to point future merger partners to, so they feel comfortable joining your firm What one thing each guest wants our industry to understand about RIA operations

For Episode 66, we break the rules of a “roundtable” and have only one guest, Carolyn Armitage, joining Matt for a deep conversation around our industry’s continuing evolution of turning practices into businesses.  It was a real thrill for him to interview one of his most respected RIA leaders for this conversation.  As he states in the introduction, his Mount Rushmore of RIA practice management leaders consists of Mark Tibergien, Michael Kitces, and Carolyn Armitage.  You will see very quickly why he holds Carolyn in such high regard.  From her time heading up LPL’s enterprise business management consulting business, to acting as a “change management catalyst” as managing director at Echelon Partners, to running Thrivent Advisor Network, Carolyn has become an expert in strategic planning, organizational design, succession planning, and maximizing enterprise value.  She has now hung her own shingle and started Carolyn Armitage Consulting, where she acts as a CEO Whisperer – helping RIA owners better lead their people, form more precise strategic plans, drive change within their organizations, and create better enterprise value and succession solutions.  During this deep conversation, Matt and Carolyn discuss: The fact that the RIA industry is fragmented and in need of central leadership Whether or not there truly is a “Succession Planning Crisis” in our industry Why “We want more…” is not a complete strategic plan Advice for building high performance teams The pros and cons of relying on industry compensation reports How to use equity to retain your key employees A fantastic framework for successfully driving change within your organization And the most elusive question of them all: How to increase enterprise value

We are joined by Rebecca Davis of Greenspring Advisors and Joe Klein from The Bahnsen Group for Episode 65.  Rebecca is the Director of Operations at Greenspring, headquartered in Townson, MD with additional offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  The firm has 41 team members and manages approximately $6.8 billion.  Joe has the dual role of Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the firm’s Family Office offering.  The Bahnsen Group is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA with offices in 6 other states.  The firm manages about $5.5 billion of client assets and employs 60 team members.  Matt, Rebecca, and Joe discuss what makes their firms unique from a cultural standpoint, as well as: How both firms leverage content marketing to drive organic growth What services and client experience they offer to make client relationships “sticky” The uniqueness of working at a founder-led RIA and how they both have worked to transition responsibilities away from the founder Time management techniques employed by both guests What strategies they execute to keep team members motivated and engaged

In this episode, Matt welcomes COO Adrian Chastain of Gratus Capital and Partner and COO Kailee Ostroski from Connecticut Wealth Management.  Gratus Capital manages approximately $3 billion of client assets, has 50 team members, and is located in Atlanta, GA.  Connecticut Wealth Management, in Hartford, CT, has 65 team members and oversees about $3.3 billion of client assets.  Matt, Adrian, and Kailee discuss what it means to be an RIA Operations professional, the core focus on People, Process, and Technology, as well as: How to best promote a “Culture of Operations” at your RIA Tips for getting “buy in” from team members for the adoption of new technology tools The “Goldilocks” scenario of trying to hire new employees at “just the right time” Different approaches to building your firm’s technology roadmap Why everything seems to come back to Process

In his third ever monologue “rant,” Matt takes a break from our normal interview format to speak directly to RIA owners and COO candidates to discuss the “Do’s and Don’ts of COO Onboarding.”  Referencing conversations with COOs, past articles he’s written, and former podcast guests, Matt urges RIA owners to have a clear understanding of what they need from their next Operations hire before beginning a search (how will you know you’ve found a good candidate if you don’t know exactly what you are hiring for?).   He also recommends that newly-appointed COOs consider the firm’s capacity for change as they look to make recommendations to add efficiency and scale to their new RIA.  His ultimate goal is for COO candidates and RIA owners to use this episode as the foundation for productive conversations during the interview process to ensure the right people, with the right level of experience, are being hired for the right roles.  During this episode, Matt hits on the following topics: The definition of “Founder’s Bias” and how it derails a newly-appointed COO Why he’s not a fan of the fractional COO role Things COO candidates should look and listen for during the interview process to ensure they will be set up for success David Canter’s four action items every COO should perform after accepting a new job Why Ted Lasso was the perfect COO The difference between an Operations Manager, Director of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer The ultimate sin RIA owners can commit when hiring a COO

We are joined by Megan Hannah of Emerald Advisors and Spencer Rand from Five Oceans Advisors for Ep 62.  Megan has the unique position of Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager.  Emerald Advisors is located in Bellevue, WA and manages approximately $700 million of client assets.  Spencer has the dual role of Director of Operations and Chief Compliance officer at Five Oceans Advisors, headquartered in Los Angeles with a fully remote staff, managing around $500 million.  Matt, Megan, and Spencer discuss their varied histories in the business, the fact that both guests have earned their Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, as well as: How their background in investments has shaped their approach to Operations What led both firms to land on their ideal client persona Services offered outside of traditional wealth management Recuriting and hiring strategies The importance of employee retention and culture We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

We welcome Janelle Anderson and David Lehman for Ep 61!  Janelle is the Operations Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at Grand Wealth Management, located in Grand Rapids, MI.  The firm manages approximately $600 million and has 13 employees.  Matt and Janelle met at a DFA study group in May 2023.  David is a financial advisor and the Chief Operating Officer with Wealthbridge Advisors, headquartered in Lake Oswego, OR.  Wealthbridge is affiliated with Ameriprise Financial, has 18 employees and manages around $760 million for clients.  David has been a member of the COO Society since March of 2023.  Janelle and David discuss with Matt how they both juggle dual-title responsibilities at their firms, as well as: Their approach to finding and retaining employees How they have both impacted culture at their organizations Productivity tips to ensure they are getting the most important tasks accomplished each day Career paths for Operations staff How they have both approached the “Valley of Doom,” made famous by Echelon Partners’ Dan Seivert We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Episode 60 marks our 5-year anniversary, and Matt was feeling nostalgic for this conversation with Amber Salzman of Capstone Financial Advisors and Jean Paul Atallah of RZH Advisors.  Amber is Manager of Client Services and a partner of the firm, which is located in Downers Grove, IL, and manages approximately $1.8 billion with 35 employees.  She also has her Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP®) certification.  Jean Paul has spent his entire career in the financial services industry, but only joined RZH Advisors about 18 months ago, where he is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.  The firm is located in Stamford, CT, manages about $1.6 billion and has 11 employees.  Listeners of this episode will realize quickly that Amber and Jean Paul are true students of the industry, and they discuss with Matt different sources and industry groups they rely on for best practices, as well as: How they each have approached CRM implementations at their respective firms The search for the RIA Operations “holy grail” and how they ensure clean data is flowing across their tech stack The optimal firm structure for delivering services to their ideal clients What strategies they implement to best serve and motivate their employees How they both approached the crunch of year-end tasks this year Here is the Wealthmanagement.com article that Amber mentioned: Growing RIAs Must Focus on Process, Not Technology We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

With “The Sabbatical Episode,” Matt welcomed two highly respected RIA professionals to tackle a topic not often discussed in our industry: mental health.  Allison Felix, a two-time guest to the podcast, is Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Cassaday & Co.  Erika Yelle is Chief Compliance Officer at Coldstream Wealth Management.  Both guests have been with their firms for over two decades and have held various positions and witnessed incredible growth at both RIAs.  Cassaday & Co. is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, has 86 employees and currently manages just under $5 billion of AUM.  Coldstream Wealth Management employs approximately 160 employees, manages just under $7 billion of client assets, and has 7 office locations in the Pacific Northwest.  Matt, Allison, and Erika have an honest conversation around the internal pressures we tend to place on ourselves to always be available, the fear of setting an Out of Office reply, our industry’s slow movement away from Gordon Gekko’s comment in the ‘80s that “lunch is for wimps,” as well as: Their respective firms’ policies around sabbaticals How employees who are so integral to the day-to-day operations of their firms can plan for an extended time away The benefits sabbaticals have not only to employees, but the broader organization Tips for “re-entry” after time away so as not to be too overwhelmed We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.  

For this episode, we step away from our normal format of speaking with operations professionals in the trenches, to speaking with an author and entrepreneur about the role of the COO.  Cameron Herold has written a fabulous book directed at CEO’s who are contemplating hiring a COO, titled, Second in Command – Unleash the Power of Your COO.  He is also the founder of the COO Alliance and the host of his own podcast dedicated to the role of COOs, Second in Command.  Cameron has sat in the COO seat himself, overseeing the growth at 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $2 million to $106 million in revenue in just six years. Matt and Cameron have an honest conversation around the CEO’s need to hire for their blind spots, as well as: The difficulty business owners have in finding the right person to fill the COO role Why RIAs need to keep the rate of change inside their organizations greater than the rate of change outside their businesses The seven types of COOs and what each brings to their organization Cameron’s advice for those who aspire to be a COO How a CEO and COO should work best together, and the proper expectations from both sides of that working relationship How CEOs can best judge the success of their COO When RIAs should consider replacing their COO for the next phase of growth We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To purchase Cameron’s book, click here. You can view Cameron’s COO Scorecard here.  

Matt welcomes two long-time RIA operations professionals for Episode 57. Trevor Hodges is the relatively new Director of Operations at Sax Wealth Advisors, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey with a few offices in the New York and New Jersey area. While he has spent his entire career within the RIA space, Trevor joined Sax Wealth a few months ago. Sean Chen has known Matt since they were both 21 years old and working together at Merrill Lynch, and continued their professional relationship at Luminous Capital. Sean is the COO and CCO at Validus Capital in Los Angeles. Sax Wealth Advisors formed in the late ‘90s underneath their parent company, Sax LLP, which is an accounting and tax practice firm. Today the firm manages roughly $1.7 billion and employs a team of 21. Validus Capital launched in 2022 out of a predecessor RIA, manages approximately $1.4 billion of client assets, and currently has 13 employees and one remote employee in Texas. Matt, Trevor, and Sean discuss what makes Sean unique among all previous guests on the podcast, how operations professionals can prove their worth in this client-focused industry, as well as: How they view the systems and processes utilized by their firms The additional services beyond wealth management offered by both firms to attract and retain more of their ideal clients How they both leverage portal technology to deliver services to their clients The importance of CRM for their internal teams and the delivery of consistent and scalable service Each guest’s approach to inorganic growth We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The COO Roundtable Episode 56 Powered by Coldstream Wealth Management For Episode 56, Matt invited two operations professionals that he met at a DFA Operations Strategy session earlier this year.  Rachel Rant is a partner and Director of Operations at Aspen Capital Management, located in Boise, ID.  Scott Swanson is a partner, Chief Operating Officer, and financial advisor with Quantum Financial Advisors, with several office locations in the Los Angeles area.  Aspen Capital management was founded in 2002 as a solo advisor practice and stayed that way until about 2017.  Fast forward to today, the firm manages approximately $900 million in assets and employs 9 full-time employees.  Quantum Financial Advisors was launched in 2022 out of a larger RIA and today manages approximately $900 million of client assets and employs 13 people.  Rachel, Scott, and Matt discuss the pros and cons of adding institutional complexity to the organization as you add more technology tools over time, as well as: When and how each guest landed in wealth management after successful careers in other industries What metrics they study to help determine when their growing firms need to add more staff The deliberate planning that has gone into the organizational structure of each of their firms Their early attempts to segment their client base and determine the appropriate service level Each guest’s approach to remote work vs. in-office work, and how the definition of “productive” changes from day to day We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The COO Roundtable Episode 55 Powered by Coldstream Wealth Management Matt was joined by two thoughtful and experienced Operations professionals for Episode 55. Tee Meeks is the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Waddell & Associates, headquartered in Memphis, TN.  Cory Jackmuff, from BLB&B Advisors in Montgomeryville, PA, is the firm’s Operations Manager. Waddell & Associates was founded in 1986, currently manages approximately $1.4 billion of client assets, and has 7 advisors with 19 full-time employees. BLB&B Advisors dates its inception to its broker dealer days, all the way back to 1964. The firm currently has 30 employees and has approximately $2 billion of assets under management. After detailing their career paths that led them to where they are today, Tee and Corey discuss the following topics with Matt: How they each approach the tricky task of integrating the various vendors that make up their RIA infrastructure What initiatives both have implemented at their firms to best achieve scale How those initiatives have allowed advisors at their respective firms to spend more of their valuable time on client-facing activities Hiring strategies they both have designed to ensure the best people are coming to their organizations How they promote personal growth at their firms, for themselves and their employees We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The COO Roundtable Episode 54 Powered by Coldstream Wealth Management In Episode 54, Matt is joined by two operations professionals he has worked with in the past.  Bryce Wisan is the Managing Director, CFO, and CCO with Sepio Capital, headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.  Angie Tower is Managing Director and COO at Prairie Capital Management, located in Kansas City, MO.  Sepio Capital manages approximately $7 billion for high net worth and ultra high net worth clients, many who have recently experienced an exit from a startup.  The firm currently has 28 employees and is contemplating a shift in focus from wealth management to asset management.  Prairie Capital Management’s team of 40 employees oversees more than $6 billion for individual clients, foundations, and endowments.  They consider themselves a holistic wealth manager with a focus on private equity and alternative investments.  Bryce and Angie both joined their firms about 18 months ago, and they discuss with Matt how they’ve looked to add scale and efficiencies to their organizations, as well as: How they each approach the people management side of their roles Strategies they both have implemented to increase user adoption of new tools and processes Where they see their firms getting more complex in the years ahead, and how they have started addressing that complexity today Their approach to client segmentation

The COO Roundtable Episode 53 Powered by Coldstream Wealth Management With episode 53, Matt welcomes two guests that both take a very measured approach to Operations at their firms:  Julie Higgins, Chief Operating Officer at Geometric Wealth Advisors and Kevin Galvin, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor with Hopwood Financial Services.  Geometric Wealth provides comprehensive financial planning for executives and partners in management consulting.  The firm is roughly 8 years old, manages approximately $600 million of client assets, and has 21 employees, all working remotely full-time (the firm was fully remote pre-COVID).  Hopwood Financial Services is headquartered in Reston, VA, was founded in 2003 by Herb Hopwood, has approximately $500 million assets under management, and has 11 employees.  Matt, Julie, and Kevin discuss how they view people and process to best poise their firms for future growth and much more, including: Their take on the industry’s “old thinking” with respect to how Operations supports client service and ultimately, business development How both firms rely on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to better align their employees with the firm’s vision and values Each guest’s approach to hiring and onboarding employees How they design their org chart to ensure the right employees are in the right seats Client segmentation strategies used by both guests to determine the best service offering for their clients We hope you listen, share, and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. You can read the full transcript here.

The COO Roundtable Episode 52 Powered by Coldstream Wealth Management In episode 52, Matt assures our listeners that no major changes will occur with the podcast moving forward, despite its new sponsor (and Matt’s new employer), Coldstream Wealth Management.  As of May 1, 2023, Matt has taken the role of Chief Operating Officer at Coldstream, headquartered in Bellevue, WA.  The firm employs 135 people and manages roughly $6.5 billion of client assets, spread across 7 client service teams.  Coldstream has three affiliated businesses (Fit Insurance, Ascent Capital, and Rainier Group) and has additional office locations in Portland, OR, Boise, ID, and Kenai, AK.  During this monologue episode, Matt discusses why he’s excited to join Coldstream, what his major responsibilities will be as COO, and much more, including: Advice for any RIA operations professionals approaching a transition to a new firm How to approach change management at your firm While referencing several past episodes, he reminds listeners how to ensure their success when joining a new organization and mistakes to avoid The five common business situations leaders may find themselves moving into Why his passion for professional management across the RIA industry will propel both the COO Roundtable podcast and COO Society coaching platform into the future Each guests’ career path and how they became operations professionals We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can read the full transcript here. You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Here is a link to Michael Watkins’ book, The First 90 Days  

The COO Roundtable Episode 51 By PFI Advisors For our 51st episode, Matt welcomed two operations professionals who run relatively new firms, Vince Crane, COO, CCO and Partner of Flower City Capital and Zach Morris, Managing Partner and Founder of Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors. Flower City Capital was founded in 2016 and is located in Rochester, New York. They are currently a team of 5 and manage roughly $200M in AUM.  Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors was founded in 2018 and is located in Atlanta, Georgia. They have 6 employees and manage approximately $300M in assets. Matt, Vince, and Zach chat about how, from Day 1, our guests have set in place systems and processes with future scalability in mind and much more including: Each guests’ career path and how they became operations professionals The pros and cons of a centralized back office vs a pod structure Each firm’s ideal client and how that persona drives the services they offer How each guest approaches their firm’s “next hire” How each guest shapes their firm’s culture We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

The COO Roundtable Episode 50 By PFI Advisors For our milestone 50th episode, Matt is joined by two guests who are equally committed to highlighting the importance of professional management across the RIA industry: Allison Felix, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Cassaday & Co. and Scott Brown, President of Pinnacle Associates.  Celebrating their 30th anniversary, Cassaday & Co was founded in 1993 and is a hybrid broker dealer and RIA.  They are located in McLean, Virginia, have 85 employees, and currently manage $4.5B in AUM.  Pinnacle Associates was founded in 1984 and has both an institutional and a wealth management component to their business model.  They are located in New York City, have 65 employees, and currently manage just over $7B in AUM.  Matt, Allison, and Scott discuss how the COO role impacts their teams internally, their firm holistically, and themselves personally, and much more including how each guest: Navigated their career path, including Allison’s journey from Executive Assistant to Chief Operating Officer, and Scott’s beginnings as General Counsel, to CCO, COO and now President Has continued to grow their skillset and advance their career Tackles the HR portion of their job Has affected their firm’s client experience and service offerings Manages to stay sane as they tackle all their role requires And don’t miss Scott’s Godfather impression at the top of the interview! We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

The COO Roundtable Episode 49 By PFI Advisors Our latest episode of The COO Roundtable features two guests who challenge our audience to think of the COO role in different ways - Edgar Collado of Tobias Financial Advisors and Alex Satterfield of Byron Financial.  Tobias Financial Advisors is based in Florida and has a strong foundation in tax planning.  They were founded in 1980 as a CPA firm and currently manage about $700M in AUM and have 19 employees.  Byron Financial is headquartered in North Carolina and began in 1985 with a focus on life insurance.  Currently they have 7 employees and grew from roughly $175M in AUM in 2019 to approximately $700M in AUM today.  Matt, Edgar, and Alex talk about the COO role from both the day-to-day operations of a firm to a high-level, strategic point of view and much more including: Each guests’ background, career path, and how they landed in an Operations role How each guest involves their team in the firm’s strategic planning process How they prioritize the goals and needs of their respective firms The “Myth of Outsourcing” The HR component of the COO role We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

The COO Roundtable Episode 48 By PFI Advisors   For our first podcast of the new year (and our fourth year running!), Matt is welcomed by two exciting guests – Daryl Seaton, President at Sowell Management and Barrett Karvis, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Edge Capital Group. Sowell Management is headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Founded as a TAMP, they recently celebrated 20 years in business and have 29 employees. They currently manage $4B in AUA. Edge Capital Group is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 2007, their AUM as of last year was approaching $5 billion and currently have 37 employees. Matt, Daryl, and Barrett chat about how their roles as operations professionals intertwine with their firm’s inorganic growth strategies and much more including:   Who supports them running their larger than average RIAs The role of the COO in talent acquisition and talent management How each guest balances scalability with customization What metrics they use to judge the health of their organization   We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe!   You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.   Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.  

The COO Roundtable Episode 47 By PFI Advisors For our final episode of 2022, we were joined by two incredible members of our COO Society community: Julie Allen, Vice President of Business Operations at FirstWave Financial, and Chris Pelch, Chief Operating Office of Vance Wealth.  FirstWave Financial began as a CPA firm in 1995 with a strong family foundation aimed to help its clients “deal with the complexity that wealth brings.”  They are located in Satellite Beach, Florida, and currently have $400M in AUM and a team of 12 employees.  Vance Wealth was founded in 2003 and helps its clients tackle important questions they face when looking to retire. They have two offices in California, $450M in AUM, and a team of 18 employees.  During their discussion with Matt, Julie and Chris tackle both the Human Resources and Operations component of their roles and much more including: The different strategies each firm has used to successfully onboard new employees How each guest handles ongoing new-employee engagement and career development The steps each guest takes when evaluating different vendors Time management tips and tricks Their top initiatives for 2023 We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

The COO Roundtable Episode 46 By PFI Advisors Our latest episode of The COO Roundtable features a rare single-guest format.  Stacey McKinnon of Morton Wealth recently wrote an important paper titled, “Your Career is Up to You” which features Philip Palaveev of the Ensemble Practice.  Matt and Stacey discuss the paper by turning the spotlight inward and instead of focusing on how listeners can help their firms achieve more growth, they discuss ways everyone can be more fulfilled and successful in their professional life.  Matt and Stacey have an honest and revealing conversation about their own career paths and much more including: What it means to really “own” your career How you can’t become the best version of yourself without the help of others Common obstacles people face in their careers and how to overcome them Keys to standing out in your organization to ultimately advance your career How to keep your sanity through it all! We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

The COO Roundtable Episode 45 By PFI Advisors Our latest episode of The COO Roundtable features two leaders of relatively young and evolving RIAs. We are joined by Michael Wagner, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Omnia Family Wealth and Ben Gurley, Director of Heartwood Wealth Advisors.  Omnia Family Wealth was launched in 2015 and started with a team of 5 members. Currently headquartered in Aventura, Florida, they are now a team of 11 people and advise on $2.2B in assets.  Heartwood Wealth Advisors joined the RIA space in 2019. They are headquartered in Richmond, VA, have 11 employees, and $1B in AUM.  Together, Matt, Michael, and Ben (who both service clients in an advisory capacity in addition to operations) tackle the question, “Does make you better at operations or vice versa?” and much more including: Each guests’ career path, including Ben’s background as a middle school teacher and Michael’s experience joining the family business How each guest manages both the operations portion of their role as well as the additional responsibility of firm ownership How each firm is evolving to meet the needs of their clients Each guest discusses how operations has helped their firm grow organically How each guest approaches talent management, a hot topic at many RIAs today! We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.  

 In the “Reggie Jackson episode” of The COO Roundtable, Matt welcomes two thoughtful leaders of their organizations, Principal and Chief Compliance Officer of SYM Financial Advisors, Crystal Creekmore, and returning guest Gary Bonner, COO of Southwestern Investment Group.  SYM Financial Advisors is headquartered in Winona Lake Indiana and has 5 offices across Indiana and Michigan. Founded in 1968, they are currently in their 3rd generation of ownership. They manage $3.7B in AUM and have 68 employees.  Founded 20 years ago, Southwestern Investment Group is headquartered Franklin, Tennessee. They currently have 11 offices across 5 states and manage $5.5B in AUM with 176 employees.  Together, Matt, Crystal and Gary discuss how solid operations can better communication both within the firm and with clients directly, and much more including: Professional background of each guest, including how Crystal's kindergarten teacher served as a job reference when she applied at SYM Financial Advisors Each guest’s view on the dual-hatted role of COO/CCO Guests discuss whether it is best to centralize or silo operations How each firm tracks the status of projects and tasks How RIAs can leverage portal technology to communicate with clients Each guest shares how they have used the EOS framework within their firm We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

In our latest episode of The COO Roundtable, Matt welcomes two impressive guests: Amanda Barrale, Chief Platform Officer of Moneta and Eric Sontag, President and Chief Operating Officer of Wealthspire.  Moneta is headquartered in St Louis and has offices in Kansas City, Denver, and Boston and currently manages $32.8B in AUM with 440 employees. Wealthspire is headquartered in New York City and has 19 offices around the country.  Founded in 1995, they manage $19B in AUM and have 270 employees. Together, Matt, Amanda, and Eric have a great discussion about building RIA Operations at scale and much more, including: The crucial role Operations plays in M&A The balancing act of offering customization to clients in a scalable fashion The conundrum of centralizing operational tasks vs. allowing advisory teams to work independently How each firm uses data intelligence and transparency to communicate to the broader firm, especially in a hybrid work environment Career paths for Operations team members We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

In our latest episode, Matt welcomes two incredible guests: Kristie Clayton, Integrator at iMatter and the Visionary Forum, and Melissa Bushman, VP of Operations at AltruVista.  Kristie’s experience in banking and credit unions led her to wealth management where she found her true passion – leading teams and developing people to their full potential.  Melissa brings a history of project management consulting, sports and entertainment, and non-profits to her current role at AltruVista.  In this episode, Matt, Kristie, and Melissa discuss their role as an “integrator” and the impact it has on their firms. Other topics of discussion include:     How each guest was introduced to the EOS system and how they have implemented it in their roles Kristie’s creation of FIM (Female Integrator Mastermind) developing from a desire to foster a community of likeminded individuals The difference between “Chief Operations Officer” and “Chief Operating Officer” How each guest gets everything done in their busy schedules Training and career paths for operations roles We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

For the 41st episode of The COO Roundtable, Matt welcomes three special guests from Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors – CEO and Co-founder, Lauren Oschman, Co-founder and board member, Tommy Martin, and Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Brad Quick. Vestia has offices in Fort Wayne, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Los Angeles, CA, and Omaha, NE. They currently manage $500M and specialize in serving physicians. Together, Matt, Lauren, Tommy, and Brad have an insightful discussion about how focusing on their niche has helped Vestia become more efficient, knowledgeable, and consistent in providing stellar service to their clients’ unique needs.  Other topics of conversation include:   Each guests’ career paths and the skills they bring to Vestia’s leadership team How Vestia uses the EOS framework in their firm Their approach to succession planning The specific metrics Vestia uses to gauge the health of the organization (their answers are amazing, and we suggest you have a notepad handy!) How they use a physician’s heart transplant model as a roadmap for their employee development We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

In the 40th episode of The COO Roundtable, Matt welcomes two extremely thoughtful and strategic guests, Yonhee Gordon, Principal, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer of JMG Financial Group, and Christine DeMao, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner of Gibson Capital.  JMG Financial Group is headquartered in Downers Grove, IL just outside of Chicago. They recently celebrated 38 years in business, have 86 employees, and currently manage $4.7B in AUM.  Celebrating 33 years in business, Gibson Capital is headquartered in Wexford, PA, currently manages $2.3B, and has 15 employees.  Together, Matt, Yonhee, and Christine have a comprehensive discussion on the many ways a COO impacts the firm, including culture, creating a consistent and outstanding client experience, and much more, as they cover:   Their firms’ respective backgrounds, including ideal clients, service offerings, and growth trajectories Their professional backgrounds, including Yonhee’s lengthy tenure at JMG and the experience Christine brings with her 15 years at Gibson Capital   How to promote RIA ownership within the firm for not just those on the advisor track, but for those in operations roles as well Which Key Performance Indicators each guest keeps their eye on Steps each firm is taking to balance in-person vs. remote work to ensure everyone is on the same page We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! Read the full transcript here. You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.

This month’s episode features two incredible guests: Rob Ziliak, Chief Operating Officer at Buckingham Wealth Partners and Ryan Armock, Head of Operations at Thrivent Advisor Network.  Founded in 2019, Thrivent currently has 450 employees, and manages $6.5B in AUM.  Buckingham Wealth Partners, a well-known RIA founded in 1994, currently manages $65B in collective assets between Buckingham Strategic Wealth and Buckingham Strategic Partners and has 540 employees.  Together, Matt, Rob, and Ryan discuss the effect their respective roles play in creating and ensuring a great client experience and much more, including: An overview of each firm and their respective strategies for growth How each firm has adapted their business throughout the pandemic and the long-term effects of these changes What our guests are doing to attract the best talent in the current job market How our guests’ roles in operations impact their firm’s M&A strategy  We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.   Investment advisory services offered through Thrivent Advisor Network, LLC., (herein referred to as “Thrivent”), a registered investment adviser. Advisory Persons of Thrivent provide advisory services under a “doing business as” name or may have their own legal business entities. However, advisory services are engaged exclusively through Thrivent Advisor Network, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Thrivent Advisor Network reported over $5.3 billion in AUM in its latest annual Form ADV filing. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is ranked 369 on the Fortune 500. (Fortune Magazine, June 2021). Correction: When Ryan Armock states, "…and that brings us to where we are at today with about six and a half billion in assets under management, about 450 employees and about 300 IARs.” the correct number is 200 IARs.

For our latest episode, Matt welcomes two fantastic guests: Jennifer Wagoner Kirksey, Managing Director of Wealth Operations at Tolleson Wealth Management, and Trevor Phillippi, Chief Operating Officer of 6 Meridian. Originally founded as a single family office, Tolleson Wealth Management currently has $10B in assets under oversight and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  6 Meridian, founded in 2016, is located in Wichita, Kansas and currently manages $1.8B in AUM.  Matt, Jennifer, and Trevor discuss how their role is critical to “running the business,” what excites them about the future, and much more, including: An overview of each firm, and how they have both grown organically Each guests’ professional background, specifically looking at Trevor’s long tenure at Meridian and Jennifer’s path from entry level to Managing Director The role of the performance reporting analyst and the importance of reliable, high-quality data The services each firm offers their clients beyond traditional investment management The challenges each firm contends with in acquiring talent in today’s market We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! To read our article, “Adding to Your Team? Consider a Performance Reporting Analyst” published in Wealth Management.com, click here. You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.The views and opinions expressed here today do not necessarily reflect the view of Tolleson Wealth Management.  The information discussed is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy a security or instrument or participate in any other service offered by the firm.

For our first episode of the new year, Matt welcomes two highly accomplished guests: Jason Mirabella, Chief Platform Officer of Wealthsource Partners, and Tom Preston, Director of Client Service of Brighton Jones.  Founded in 2009, Wealthsource Partners is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, has 35 employees and manages $1.8B in AUM.  Brighton Jones was founded in 2000 and currently has 225 employees.  They are headquartered in Seattle, Washington and manage $8.5B in AUM.   Matt, Jason, and Tom discuss how operations plays a key role in firm growth, client experience, and much more, including:    An overview of each firm, including how each guests’ role fits into their overall firm structure Our guests tackle the “Sales vs. Operations” divide in the industry KPIs each guests calculate to gauge the health of their organization How to create actionable steps from those KPIs and implement them in a firm Where both guests see the industry trending in the next 18 months We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe! You can listen and subscribe on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Sign up here to be notified of new practice management content added to our blog on a regular basis.