Episode 138: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Michael Vedders, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Enterprise Resources at NorthRock Partners. In his role, Michael is responsible for extending NorthRock's reach and reputation. With more than a decade of experience in marketing and leading complex organizational projects, Michael has helped build teams, launch major branding initiatives, produce compelling creative, develop multi-channel planning, and use insights to inform strategy.

Michael talks with Kyle about how wealth management firms can build deep client relationships at scale. He discusses the importance of storytelling in creating a strong brand narrative, how NorthRock's personal office business model works, and why the future belongs to firms that use data and automation to serve more people and build deeper human connections.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:38) - Michael's money moment

(04:58) - Michael's frustration with traditional wealth management

(07:24) - What marketing really means in wealth management

(10:02) - How to build trust and deeper client relationships

(12:48) - The "quarterback" model of financial advice

(16:42) - How NorthRock manages deep relationships at scale

(21:52) - NorthRock's personal office business model

(22:54) - Michael's outlook on the future of financial advice

(29:03) - Redefining performance beyond returns

(30:57) - Michael's Milemarker Minute

Key Takeaways

Don't rush to promote. Get your story right first. It's tempting to jump straight into marketing tactics, but without a clear, compelling story, even the best campaigns fall flat. Take the time to define what truly sets you apart before amplifying your message.

If you want deeper client relationships, create space for them. You can't force meaningful connections, but you can design for them. Offload technical tasks to specialists so advisors can focus on what matters most.

Use technology to create time, not just efficiency. AI and automation aren't the end goal. The real opportunity is what you do with the time they create. The best firms will reinvest that time into deeper relationships and better service.

The future belongs to firms that balance tech and humanity. Efficiency through data and automation is table stakes. The real edge comes from using that efficiency to deepen human connection, not replace it.

Quotes

"Marketing is the privilege of telling the story, the story of your firm and what differentiates you. You can spend a lot of money and generate a lot of activity without results if you don't provide a clear story for people first." ~ Michael Vedders

"Deep relationships lead to better advice." ~ Michael Vedders

"The future of our industry belongs to those who can create efficiencies and space through data and automation, and then use that space to serve people more effectively and deepen relationships." ~ Michael Vedders

Links 

Michael Vedders on LinkedIn

NorthRock Partners

Think Again

Switch

Unreasonable Hospitality

Love Does

The Ideal Team Player

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

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