Many advisors rely on instinct to run their business. But what happens when you replace guesswork with real numbers?

Understanding what drives growth, where prospects fall out of the funnel, and how marketing actually performs can change how a firm operates.

In this episode, Jeremy Houser interviews Molly Pierce, CEO of Track That Advisor, about how financial advisors can use data to improve marketing, hiring, and client conversion. She explains the benchmarks advisors should track, including stick rate, close rate, and cost per client. Molly also shares insights from annual industry studies covering billions in assets and tens of thousands of appointments. 

The conversation highlights when to hire staff, how seminars continue producing strong results, and why understanding KPIs can transform advisors from practitioners into business leaders.

Key takeaways:

Connect with Molly Pierce:

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About Our Guest:

Molly Pierce is the CEO of Track That Advisor (TTA), a data and analytics company dedicated to helping financial advisors understand, measure, and scale their businesses with clarity. Through TTA’s Resource Center, benchmarking studies, and Data Storytelling Course, Molly equips advisors and IMOs with the tools to move beyond vanity metrics and lead with real performance data.

Known for translating complex numbers into actionable strategy, Molly helps advisory firms understand key drivers like cost per client, close rate, stick rate, and marketing ROI, empowering them to become their own data coach instead of relying on guesswork.

She is also the host of The Advisor Summit Podcast, where she interviews industry leaders on growth, leadership, and operational excellence in the advisory space.

When she’s not diving into dashboards, Molly is raising her two mullet headed boys with her husband in Arizona. They enjoy anything outdoors, hunting, boating, & going to the dunes.

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Standing out today takes more than showing up. It requires clarity, consistency, and a message that actually connects.

Are you building a brand people trust, or just posting to stay visible?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser shares how advisors can adapt to AI, shifting consumer behavior, and the coming $84 trillion wealth transfer. He explains why Gen X is the next major opportunity, how digital presence drives credibility, and why authenticity, discipline, and consistent content are essential for advisors who want to scale nationally and remain relevant in the years ahead.

Key takeaways:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

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What would it take for your business to operate without you? And how much value are you leaving on the table by building around yourself instead of around systems?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser speaks with Bob Zamary, Partner and Director of Practice Management at Simplicity, about helping advisors build enterprise value and long-term freedom. They outline the foundations of equity value, from repeatable processes and documented sales systems to mission-driven hiring and leadership. Bob also shares how revenue diversification, data tracking, and intentional onboarding strengthen both valuation multiples and client experience.

Bob highlights:

Connect with Bob Zamary:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Bob Zamary is a Partner and Director of Practice Management at Simplicity, leading a team dedicated to empowering financial advisors. Drawing on over 25 years of experience leading operations and client services through large-scale integrations, he provides the practical guidance and streamlined operations advisors need to become confident business owners and grow their practices. Bob and his wife, Caroline, live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They enjoy spending time with their four adult children and four grandchildren nearby, and Bob’s hobbies include community service, travel, hiking, and mountain biking.

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Big growth strategies rarely fail because the ideas are bad; they fail because the business doesn’t have the systems to execute them.

What happens when you take the leap from “top producer” to “business owner”… and suddenly you’re responsible for hiring, operations, marketing, forecasting, and leadership on top of selling?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser sits down with Jeff Maxey, President at Simplicity InsurMark, to unpack what’s changed since Jeff took the helm and why building a senior leadership team became the unlock for faster execution. Jeff shares the mindset shift that comes with leadership, how Simplicity InsurMark runs weekly/monthly/quarterly planning rhythms, and why the “system for managing” (meetings, reports, dashboards, accountability) is what creates freedom, not the title of being independent.

They also break down the waterfall report, how seasonality impacts sales forecasting, and why advisors who know their numbers and plan with their teams keep winning year after year. The conversation closes with how great advisors stand out through world-class client experience (think Amazon and Chewy), plus why hiring and communication tools like the Predictive Index help eliminate bias and build stronger teams.

Key takeaways:

And more!

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Jeff Maxey is the President at Simplicity InsurMark. Since stepping into the role, Jeff has helped lead a period of strong growth with a major focus on leadership development, building a senior leadership team, and implementing systems that help advisors and internal teams execute at a higher level. He’s passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and helping advisors move from frustration to freedom through structure, accountability, and repeatable business rhythms.

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Big financial strategies rarely fail because of numbers alone; they fail when expectations are unclear.

What happens when interest rates rise, returns pause, or assumptions change after a plan is already in motion?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser interviews Vincent Munno, Partner at Simplicity Group, about premium financing strategies for ultra-high-net-worth clients. Vincent explains how setting conservative expectations, modeling zero-return scenarios, and focusing on client need helps advisors maintain trust through market shifts. The conversation covers interest rate risk, policy performance, ideal client profiles, and why estate and succession planning should lead every discussion.

Key takeaways:

Connect with Vincent Munno:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Vince Munno is the CEO and Founding Partner of Universal Financial Consultants, as well as a principal of USAnnuity Partners with over 30 years of experience in estate and retirement planning. Vince built and developed Universal Financial Consultants to become one of the top insurance marketing firms in the nation, built on the values of hard work, integrity, and the value of relationships.

UFC’s primary goal is to become a true partner in helping you build the Premium Practice. Vince trademarked “PremiumLife”, which is a sales system that encompasses everything an advisors needs to set their clients up for a secure financial future, bringing the advisor and the client closer to their vision of the life they’ve always dreamed of. To Vince, the “PremiumLife” consists of family, friends, rich experiences, great memories, and the confidence in personal success and that of clients and friends.

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Most advisory firms look similar on the surface, yet growth often stalls when everything is built around one person or a single approach.

What happens when you intentionally step away from one-size-fits-all thinking and design a firm around individuality, adaptability, and long-term vision?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser welcomes back Mike Milligan, CFP®, Founder of 1.oak Financial, to talk about his firm’s rebrand and the thinking behind it. He shares why scalability required a shift away from personality-driven branding, how client-centered planning became the foundation, and what advisors need to rethink as they prepare for the future of the industry.

Resources: 

Connect with Mike Milligan:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Mike Milligan is the founder of 1.oak Financial. Mike’s interest in business and money started early. At age 11, he helped his grandmother count her cash each day after work, acting as her informal “CFO” since she did not use a bank. Watching her build a small collard sandwich business later in life shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and respect for purpose-driven work.

That experience influenced Mike’s approach to financial planning, learning to value every dollar and connect money to intention. Over more than 25 years in financial services, he has worked with individuals, advisors, banks, and independent firms, gaining perspective before founding his own firm nearly a decade ago.

A lifelong learner, Mike holds his CFP® certification and is licensed in life and health insurance. His professional focus is building a client-first financial planning firm rooted in purpose and thoughtful decision-making. Outside of work, he values family life as a husband, father, grandfather, and proud dog owner.

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As we kick off 2026, the economic headlines are loud, but the real story is in the data and the incentives behind it.

In this episode, Jeremy Houser sits down with Dr. Campbell Harvey, Duke professor and Research Affiliates Director of Research, known for early work on the inverted yield curve, to break down what matters most for growth, markets, and resilience in 2026.

Campbell discusses:

Resources:

Connect with Campbell Harvey:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Campbell R. Harvey is a Professor of Finance at Duke University and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served as Editor of The Journal of Finance from 2006 to 2012 and as the 2016 President of the American Finance Association. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Chicago.

Professor Harvey has served as Partner and Director of Research for Research Affiliates, LLP, and Investment Strategy Advisor to Man Group, PLC, contributing to both research and product design.

Professor Harvey received the 2015, 2016, 2022, and 2023 Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy Award for the Best Article from the Journal of Portfolio Management for his research. He has also received ten Graham and Dodd Awards/Scrolls for excellence in financial writing from the CFA Institute. He has published over 125 scholarly articles on topics spanning investment finance, emerging markets, corporate finance, behavioral finance, financial econometrics, and computer science.

For the past nine years, Professor Harvey taught Innovation and Cryptoventures – a course that focuses on the mechanics and applications of blockchain technology and web3. He offers a certificate in Decentralized Finance on Coursera. He also teaches the advanced elective Global Asset Allocation and Stock Selection which focuses on systematic investment strategies.

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As advisors wrap up 2025 and look ahead to 2026, many are rethinking how their practices operate day to day. Growth goals often stall when execution cannot keep pace with changing expectations, especially around digital visibility and team capacity.

In this episode, Jeremy Houser explains how advisors are preparing for 2026 by putting structured systems in place rather than relying on last-minute effort. He shares how AMP ASSIST and AMP Premium help advisors and their teams handle content creation, editing, and posting in-house, allowing digital marketing to become part of the business instead of a side task.

Jeremy also outlines why omnichannel marketing is emerging as a key focus going into 2026, how platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube fit into long-term planning, and how training staff with repeatable processes reduces friction as offices scale. 

Key takeaways:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

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Markets can shift quickly, and understanding the tools behind index design can help you guide clients with more clarity.

How do you sort through complex crediting strategies, and what can index ratings reveal about long-term performance potential?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser speaks with Laurence Black, Founder of The Index Standard®, about how his team evaluates index construction, why volatility control remains important, and how advisors can use clearer forecasting to support client conversations. He explains how metal ratings are assigned, what drives intraday volatility control, and why diversification protects clients as trends shift. Laurence also talks about forecasting methods, expected returns across regions, and the role that transparency plays in product due diligence. 

Key takeaways:

Connect With Laurence Black:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Laurence Black is the founder of The Index Standard® and an index advisor to Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Economics at Yale University.

Before founding The Index Standard®, Laurence was Managing Director and Head of Quantitative Indices and Strategies at Barclays, where he oversaw the development of the Barclays index family. In addition to designing some of the first smart beta/factor indices, Laurence spearheaded Barclays’ index partnerships with Professors Robert Shiller and Nouriel Roubini, as well as Novus Partners.

Before Barclays, Laurence was Head of Indices at ABN AMRO in London, where he successfully launched indices with well-known investors such as Jim Rogers and Joel Greenblatt. Before ABN AMRO, Laurence worked at Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank, and Credit Suisse.

Laurence holds an MBA from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Town. When not thinking about financial matters, he can mostly be found on a tennis court.

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What happens when traditional financial planning falls short for families caring for loved ones with disabilities?

How do you create a comprehensive plan that addresses not just money, but government benefits, legal structures, and quality of life for someone who will need support forever?

In this episode, Jeremy Houser interviews Mary Anne Ehlert, CEO and Founder of Protected Tomorrows, about her personal journey caring for her sister with cerebral palsy and building a specialized practice serving Americans with disabilities. 

Mary Anne shares her eight-step planning process, why most advisors overlook this demographic, and how the SECURE Act transformed planning strategies for these families.

Key points:

Connect With Mary Anne Ehlert:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Mary Anne Ehlert is a nationally recognized expert in special needs planning. As a Partner of Simplicity Group and Founder of Protected Tomorrows, a Simplicity Group commitment, she leads the organization in providing advocacy, education, and planning support to families with loved ones who have disabilities.

Mary Anne founded Protected Tomorrows more than 35 years ago after her family’s personal journey with special needs planning for her sister Marcia’s future revealed a lack of available resources. She has since dedicated her life to building those resources for others.

Prior to founding the company, Mary Anne spent over two decades in corporate financial services. Today, she speaks at national conferences, hosts educational webinars, and leads virtual training programs for families and caregivers of people with special needs and disabilities.

Mary Anne has served on the boards of several disability-focused organizations, including the National Disability Institute, Special Olympics Illinois, a SEDOL Foundation and Gateway to Learning. She currently serves on the boards of the Special Olympics Illinois Foundation, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation, Integrative Touch, and the Tails for Life Advisory Board.

Mary Anne resides in Barrington, Illinois with her life partner and her three pups. She is a proud mother of three stepsons, one who lives independently and shares his life experiences with his peers with disabilities.

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