What if you could decode a client’s financial behavior before the first meeting? Nina Hajjar has done just that by creating a custom “money personality” assessment. This innovative tool helps her advisory team better understand client behavior, tailor communication styles, and deliver more personalized, consistent service across their $500-million practice.

Nina is a partner at Stratos CA in Los Angeles, and she joins the show today to share how her framework transforms the planning process, complements traditional risk analysis, and even shapes advisor training through what she calls “the art of the meeting.” Listen in as she discusses her approach to acquisitions, lessons learned in hiring, and how personal growth—and gut instinct—have guided her leadership journey.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/440

Alvin Carlos made a strategic decision to build internal efficiency and client accountability into the heart of his planning process—a move that not only streamlined how his team manages financial plans and client tasks, but also helped him scale. Turning Monday.com into the operational core of his firm, he has carved out a niche in serving younger clients profitably, while keeping his tech stack lean and highly functional.

Alvin is the CEO of District Capital Management, an RIA based out of Washington, D.C., that generates $850,000 of annual, primarily retainer-based, revenue serving 155 households. Listen in as he shares how he uses Monday.com and RightCapital together to streamline financial plan presentations and track client follow-on tasks and also leverages AI tools like Krisp to generate meeting summaries and action items at a lower price point than industry-specific options. He also talks about how he profitably serves clients in their 30s and 40s with a complexity-based retainer model—adjusting fees to improve accessibility while monitoring labor efficiency to guide hiring decisions—and why building a mission-driven firm that allows him to serve clients from a variety of backgrounds and grow the number of job opportunities for financial planners is core to his long-term vision.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/439

In this episode, financial advisor Nikki Savage discusses her approach to enhancing client retention and satsifaction by engaging in thoughtful, intentional relationship-building—specifically asking deep questions that uncover her clients’ true needs and using that insight to create highly personalized experiences.

Listen in as Nikki reflects on filtering feedback to stay true to her values and how building her practice authentically has been at the center of her success. She also explains why a strong advisor-client fit is essential, how she addresses client misconceptions to maintain focus during market volatility, and how in-person events help connect with her ideal target prospects by creating a comfortable setting to discuss financial challenges in their lives.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/438

After the 1986 Tax Reform Act, Ed Slott made a strategic decision to specialize in IRAs—a move that not only set him apart in a niche field, but also helped him build a nationally recognized reputation as a leading expert. By leaning into his niche, he intentionally set himself apart from generalists by charging more to reflect the unique value he delivers.

Today, Ed is the President of Ed Slott and Company, a financial education firm based in Rockville Centre, New York, offering seminars and newsletters for both financial advisors and consumers, with a particular focus on IRAs. In this episode, he shares how having specialized knowledge of the ins and outs of IRAs helped him stand out among other tax experts, the marketing strategies that grew his visibility (leading to a nationwide speaking business and the launch of his Elite IRA Advisor Group), and much more.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/437

Nicole Gopoian Wirick is the President of Prosperity Wealth Strategies, an RIA based out of Michigan that oversees $70 million in assets under management for 40 households. What’s unique about Nicole is how she hired a branding consultant early on to develop a clear brand identity that reflects her financial planning philosophy and resonates with her ideal clients. This brand now acts as a filter for deciding which marketing opportunities are worth pursuing, helping her stay focused and aligned.

Listen in as Nicole shares how she developed a distinct brand identity by first exploring her ideal lifestyle and values, leading to a “brand DNA” that shapes everything from her marketing to her client experience. She explains how this branding attracts clients seeking deep financial planning around estate and legacy issues, and how she built trust and referrals by nurturing relationships with centers of influence and delivering personalized, planning-led advice. Nicole also reflects on evolving her brand as she grows her team, presenting recommendations through client-friendly summaries, and staying motivated during her transition to independence by focusing on meaningful progress over metrics.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/436

Gideon Drucker is the CEO of Drucker Wealth, a hybrid advisory firm based out of New York City that oversees approximately $1 billion in assets under management for 800 client households. What’s unique about Gideon is how he launched a “Wealth Builder” service model to support high-income next-gen clients—within a firm traditionally focused on retirees. In just five years, the offering has added 275 client households and become the primary engine of growth for Drucker Wealth.

Listen in as Gideon shares how he structured his firm’s Wealth Builder division with a high advisor-to-operations staff ratio to meet the complex needs of mid-career professionals, ensured profitability by setting a minimum fee while introducing gradual fee increases for existing clients by clearly tying them to the firm’s growing value. He also discusses how his clients regularly make referrals without directly being asked to, his transition from direct client service to firm leadership and management, and how his early cold-calling days pushed him toward a content-based marketing strategy that consistently brings in qualified prospects.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/435

Vanessa N. Martinez is the CEO of Expressive Wealth, an RIA based out of Chicago that oversees $135 million in assets under management for approximately 70 client households, including 10 ‘core’ ultra-high-net-worth families. What’s unique about Vanessa is how her firm goes beyond traditional estate planning to help high-net-worth clients engage in in-depth legacy planning. This approach ensures clients pass down not just their assets, but also the values and principles that helped them build their wealth.

Listen in as Vanessa shares how she guides clients through a multi-meeting discovery process to clarify their estate and legacy plans and articulate the family values they want to pass on, encouraging them to document these legacies to avoid future misunderstandings. She also explains how her deep involvement in clients’ lives, along with neighborhood-based client events, helps foster strong relationships and organic referrals. Vanessa also discusses the unique role of her firm’s Chief Clinical Officer in facilitating family legacy conversations and how legacy planning allows clients to pass down not just wealth, but the emotional and intellectual values that shaped it.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/434

Cameron Passmore is the CEO of PWL Capital, a wealth management firm based out of Ottawa, Canada, that oversees just over $5 billion Canadian dollars (or approximately $3.5 billion U.S. dollars) in assets under management for 2,400 client households. What’s unique about Cameron is that after growing his firm’s revenue from $2 million to over $20 million as an independent firm over the past decade, he recognized that the next phase of growth required a different approach. By combining with a larger financial conglomerate, he positioned the firm to pursue another 10X growth opportunity in the decade ahead.

Listen in as Cameron shares how his firm achieved explosive growth by serving early Shopify employees, building a content engine that has served as a key driver of inbound leads, and differentiating through a planning-first, passive investing approach that is not typical in the Canadian advice landscape. Cameron also discusses his firm's investment in an institutional-grade data lake to enhance the client experience, how their planning teams operate efficiently at scale, and why always being open to new connections has led to some of his biggest business opportunities.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/433

Seth Scott is the founder of Heartwood Financial Planning, an advisory firm in Fresno, California that manages $100 million in assets for 850 client households. What makes Seth’s approach unique is his development of an “input deliverable” that simplifies tax planning for his ideal target client, allowing him to demonstrate value without creating time-intensive, custom reports for each individual. By offering this tool, he not only saves time, but also builds trust with prospective clients who may later seek more comprehensive financial planning services.

In this episode, Seth also discusses his transition into financial planning from previous jobs in urban planning and real estate, how he grew his business by serving retiring advisors’ client books without having to contribute upfront capital, and why he became a Certified Tax Preparer to better serve his niche. Listen in to hear how he makes inroads with his target clients by helping churches set up 403(b)(9) retirement plans and how his faith has guided him through the challenges of business growth and changing careers.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/432  

Nick Rodkin is the managing partner of Stoic Financial, an LPL-affiliated advisory firm based in Florida that oversees $107 million in assets under management for 70 client households. What’s unique about Nick is that after nearly 15 years as a financial advisor, he pursued a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy to enhance his ability to help couples resolve financial conflicts. This additional expertise allows him to address relationship dynamics that may hinder financial decision-making and the implementation of his financial planning recommendations.

Listen in as Nick shares how he helps client couples navigate their financial relationships by using structured conversations to uncover money mindsets, encouraging them to become “budget buddies” rather than “expense enemies.” He explains how his service model allows for AUM-based financial planning, flat-fee coaching, and hourly therapy sessions, enabling him to serve a diverse client base. Nick also reflects on how his own therapy journey reshaped his approach to financial planning, shifting from a product-focused mindset to a more human-centered practice that emphasizes actionable advice and meaningful client conversations.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/431