Tag: Practice Management
How Advisors Can Use AI, Data, and Referrals to Grow Smarter with David DeCelle (Ep. 115)

How Advisors Can Use AI, Data, and Referrals to Grow Smarter with David DeCelle (Ep. 115)

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For financial advisors trying to grow in a world where AI, digital marketing, and client expectations are changing fast, one of the biggest questions right now is this:

How do you use technology to scale without losing the human connection that actually builds trust?

In this episode of the Advisor Mentorship Podcast, Jeremy Houser sits down with David DeCelle, Co-Founder of WealthReach and CEO of Model FA, to unpack how advisors can use AI, marketing data, and modern growth strategies to build more meaningful client relationships while scaling their businesses.

This conversation is especially relevant for advisors, firm owners, and growth-focused professionals who want to improve prospecting, create more intentional marketing systems, and better understand how discoverability is changing across Google, AI tools, YouTube, and social platforms.

David discusses:

  • Why most advisor marketing still feels disconnected from how people actually search for financial guidance today
  • How AI tools can help advisors create efficiency without replacing trust or relationships
  • What website visitor tracking and intent data can reveal about prospective clients
  • Why many advisors struggle with referrals, even when clients are happy
  • And more!

If you’re an advisor trying to balance growth, visibility, and authentic relationship-building in a rapidly changing digital environment, this episode offers a practical perspective on where the industry is headed and how to adapt intentionally. 

Resources: 

Connect with David DeCelle:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Most financial advisors are great at managing money. They are not always great at growing a business.

That gap is what David has spent the last decade working to close.

David is the CEO of Model FA, a consulting and coaching company built specifically for financial advisory firms that want to grow with intention. Model FA works with advisors who are serious about building systems, not just chasing tactics. The foundation of everything they do is the Feedback Marketing methodology, a behavioral science-based approach to referrals and relationship-driven growth that actually moves the needle, originally created by Dan Allison.

He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Partnership Officer of WealthReach, an AI-powered Growth Platform built for advisors.

Put simply, David helps financial advisors grow their firms in ways that feel authentic and sustainable, whether that is through coaching, content, technology, or all three.

Along the way, he has hosted over 200 episodes of the Model FA Podcast, co-authored the book “Organic Growth Revolution” with Dan Allison, and had the privilege of working with some of the most growth-minded advisors and firms in the industry.

If you are a financial advisor looking to build a firm that runs like a real business, or a platform or enterprise looking to support advisor growth at scale, David would love to connect.

This is the work he is most excited about, and he is just getting started.

Disclosure #: 5441226 – 0626

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Building Equity Value and Freedom Through Systems, Teams, and Strategic Growth (Ep. 108)

Building Equity Value and Freedom Through Systems, Teams, and Strategic Growth (Ep. 108)

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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:

  • Why documented sales, onboarding, and service workflows increase valuation and scalability
  • How revenue diversification expands enterprise value and attracts stronger multiples
  • The role of mission-driven hiring in retention and long-term team alignment
  • Why data tracking and CRM visibility are essential for strategic growth decisions
  • When is an advisor truly ready to scale and bring on a business consultant?
  • How efficiency must translate into a better client experience to sustain referrals
  • And more!

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.

Disclosure #: 5207200 – 0226

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Building a One-of-a-Kind Advisory Firm That Can Scale with Mike Milligan, CFP® (Ep. 105)

Building a One-of-a-Kind Advisory Firm That Can Scale with Mike Milligan, CFP® (Ep. 105)

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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.

Key takeaways:

  • Why personal brands can limit growth when a firm is designed to scale beyond one individual
  • How one-size-fits-all planning models often overlook client stories and individual goals
  • The role listening plays in converting prospects into long-term clients
  • Why creativity and partnerships matter more than repeating old solutions
  • Some tips on how to run a virtual practice across the country
  • How advisors can plug into training platforms to grow faster
  • And more!

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.

Disclosure #: 5098837 – 0126

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Numbers into Clarity: How Steve Goldstein Empowers Advisors with Retirement Analyzer (Ep. 93)

Numbers into Clarity: How Steve Goldstein Empowers Advisors with Retirement Analyzer (Ep. 93)

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What began as a clunky Excel-based solution has transformed into a tool used by thousands of advisors to help clients make informed financial decisions with clarity and precision.

In this episode, Jeremy Houser sits down with Steve Goldstein, CFP®, ChFC®, Founder of Thomas Gold Solutions, to explore how Retirement Analyzer has evolved over 15 years into a highly detailed yet accessible financial planning software. 

They discuss how user feedback, thoughtful development, and a focus on simplicity help advisors deliver more confident and customized client experiences.

Steve discusses:

  • How Retirement Analyzer developed from a vague spreadsheet tool into a detailed, client-focused software solution
  • The importance of simplifying financial concepts for clients while giving advisors full control over plan depth
  • How new features like client portals and docu trackers foster stronger advisor-client collaboration
  • The role of community feedback in shaping ongoing updates, features, and training opportunities
  • Why focusing on planning outcomes, not products, creates longer-lasting client relationships
  • And more!

Connect With Steve Goldstein:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Steve, a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, resides in Western Pennsylvania. He began his career in the financial industry 1983, where he worked on Wall Street for 22 years trading stock and index options in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Steve was a Partner at Liberty Capital Group through the late 1990s and a Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing of a large FMO from 2008 to 2010. 

In 2010, Steve teamed with partner Brooke Thomas to purchase Cravens & Associates and form Thomas Gold Solutions. His experience as an advisor is an asset when creating software solutions that help advisors and clients understand the value of the financial planning process. Steve and Brooke work continuously to keep the Retirement Analyzer software cutting edge with updates and new functionality. Steve holds his CFP® and ChFC® designations.

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From Practice to Enterprise: Scaling with Intention with Duncan MacPherson (Ep. 91)

From Practice to Enterprise: Scaling with Intention with Duncan MacPherson (Ep. 91)

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Growth in financial advising demands a balance between serving current clients effectively and exploring transformative strategies for business development.

This week, Jeremy Houser engages Duncan MacPherson, founder and CEO of Pareto Systems, to uncover principles for scaling a financial advisory practice while enhancing client relationships. From mastering practice management to leveraging technology like AI, Duncan provides actionable insights to redefine value and elevate advisory practices.

Duncan discusses:

  • Strategies to strengthen client advocacy by focusing on existing relationships
  • The evolution from organic growth to scalable, team-oriented practices
  • The significance of creating structured processes to enhance business efficiency
  • The importance of balancing emotional intelligence with technological advancements
  • Steps for crafting a robust exit strategy that maximizes business value and legacy
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Duncan MacPherson:

Connect with Jeremy Houser:

About Our Guest:

Driven by a deep passion for unlocking potential, Duncan MacPherson steers Pareto Systems in his role as CEO. Together with financial professionals and visionary firms, he is committed to designing businesses that achieve both profitability and purpose.

Duncan, alongside his team, leverages the unique ‘The Blue Square Method’ – a methodology inspired by best practices – to guide professionals toward discovering their ‘Blue Square.’ This represents the ideal state where their business activities are in perfect harmony with their passion and purpose.

As a speaker in high demand, he travels extensively throughout North America and around the world, conveying dynamic and fact-rich presentations that have made him a popular spokesperson for the Financial Services industry.

His expertise in demystifying business development and marketing in the financial world has universal appeal, from the high-level advisor to the successful wholesaler, to corporate financial institutions. His primary goal is to help Professionals achieve liberation and order in their businesses through step-by-step methodology and execution.

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