Blair Lewis is the President of GRN Mid-Cities, an organization that specializes in executive and senior-level search in the financial services industry. With over 10 years of experience as an executive search professional, Blair leverages his vast experience in finance to help client companies acquire the right talent for strategic hiring initiatives. He is also the creator and host of Namastir, a podcast that celebrates the relentless pursuit of happiness.

Blair joins me today to discuss the process of staffing and recruiting financial advisors. He details his professional background and explains why he changed his career from wholesaling to recruiting. He describes the challenges of recruiting financial advisors. He also reveals the perfect time for independent financial advisors to recruit employees and highlights how business owners can maintain strong relationships with their executives.

 

“Part of building a great team is knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, and trusting that you hired the right person who’ll put the right things in place.” - Blair Lewis

 

This week on The Model FA Podcast:

• Blair’s background and how he kick started his career in the financial services industry
• How Blair pivoted from being a wholesaler to becoming a recruiter
• The challenges of recruiting financial advisors
• The right time for independent financial advisors to build or expand a team
• The first C-level executives that financial advisors typically hire when their firms grow
• How ambition drives independent financial advisors to find success on their own
• How the unrelenting need for control impedes a business owner’s relationship with their team
• Why financial advisors need to appreciate their teams
• The monetary advantages of remote working
• Thinking outside the box and the lessons Blair learned from reading American Icon

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: American Icon: Alan Mulally and The Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman
• Book: Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman

 

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “There’s the visionary and the integrator—they’re different people who can't live without each other.” - David DeCelle
• “Focus on your organization’s culture, appreciate your team, and take care of people who take care of you in the firm.” - David DeCelle
• “So much of life is timing and chance. And with wholesaling, you’re only as good as your contacts.” - Blair Lewis

 

Connect with Blair Lewis:

• GRN Mid-Cities
• Podcast: What’s Next with Dave and Blair
• Podcast: Namastir
• GRN Mid-Cities on LinkedIn
• GRN Mid-Cities on Twitter
• Blair Lewis on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

 

About the Model FA Podcast

The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 

 

Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 

 

Our Team:

President of Model FA, David DeCelle

 

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