Building The Billion Dollar Business

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani breaks down why advisor movement data should be treated as an early warning system and not industry gossip. While the number of advisors changing firms has remained steady, a more concerning trend is emerging: more advisors are leaving the profession entirely than entering it.Ray explains that this shift isn’t driven by compensation alone. Instead, advisors are making intentional decisions based on leadership clarity, career path visibility, enterprise value, and control over their future. He outlines four critical decision points for firm leaders in 2026: rethinking retention beyond pay, recruiting for long-term fit, aligning custodian and broker-dealer relationships with strategic purpose, and putting leadership development front and center.The episode challenges RIA and wealth management leaders to confront strategic ambiguity, leadership bottlenecks, and platform misalignment before retention issues show up in the P&L. The message is clear: firms that provide a credible future will keep top talent and those that don’t won’t.Key TakeawaysAdvisor movement data is an early warning system that reveals where confidence in leadership and long-term value is eroding.More financial advisors are leaving the profession entirely than entering it, signaling a deeper industry challenge beyond firm-to-firm movement.The cost of replacing experienced advisors far exceeds the cost of retaining and developing existing talent.Firms overly dependent on a single founder or leader create bottlenecks that limit growth and retention.Clear leadership pathways and role clarity are essential to sustaining advisor confidence and long-term firm value.Questions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: What does advisor movement data reveal about the wealth management industry? A: Advisor movement data shows where advisors believe long-term value exists and serves as an early warning system for leadership, retention, and strategic alignment issues.Q: Why are financial advisors leaving firms if compensation remains competitive? A: Advisors leave when they lack leadership clarity, role clarity, and a credible long-term career path, not simply because of pay.Q: Are more advisors leaving the profession entirely? A: Yes. In 2025, more advisors exited the profession than entered it, indicating a growing talent decline in the industry.Q: What is the real cost of losing experienced financial advisors? A: Replacing senior advisors typically costs one-and-a-half to two times their total compensation when factoring in lost productivity, recruiting time, and client disruption.Q: What role does leadership play in advisor retention? A: Advisors closely evaluate leadership development, decision-making structure, and whether firms rely too heavily on a single founder or leader.Q: Why do advisors say they are “voting with their feet”? A: Advisors move firms to gain more control over their future, their clients, and their long-term career trajectory, not because they want more change.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

Most high-performing advisors can point to someone who helped shape their success. Yet many firms still leave learning to chance, assuming experience alone will do the work. In this episode, Ray Sclafani makes the case that training is not a nice-to-have but a growth imperative for advisory firms that want to scale, retain top talent, and deliver a consistent client experience.Drawing on industry data and real-world examples from ClientWise, Ray breaks down six practical steps firm leaders can use to build a learning-driven culture. He explores how professional development plans, career planning guides, and intentional training budgets create clarity and momentum for individuals and teams. Ray also shares how firmwide training, visibility around learning milestones, and gamification can reinforce accountability and engagement across the organization.The episode closes with a discussion on balancing internal and external training, preparing the next generation of leaders, and using learning as a strategic advantage. If you want your firm to grow faster, retain great people, and multiply its impact, this episode offers a clear roadmap for making training a core part of how your business operates.Key TakeawaysFirms that prioritize training consistently outperform those that treat learning as optionalTraining must be budgeted intentionally, just like hiring, marketing, and technology investmentsFirmwide training builds culture, alignment, and shared language across teamsMaking learning visible through recognition and communication reinforces its importance internally and with clientsTraining is growth insurance that drives scalability, retention, and long-term firm valueQuestions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: Why is training essential for advisory firm growth? A: Training is a growth imperative. Firms with strong learning cultures are more productive, more innovative, more profitable, and better at retaining employees than firms that undervalue training.Q: How does training impact employee retention in advisory firms? A: According to LinkedIn’s Learning Report cited in the episode, 94 percent of employees say they would stay with a company longer if it invested in helping them learn.Q: What are Professional Development Plans (PDPs)? A: PDPs are co-created plans between team members and their leaders that outline skills, competencies, and experiences needed for future roles. They are reviewed regularly and tied to measurable goals rather than treated as static HR documents.Q: Why should advisory firms budget intentionally for training? A: Research from the Association for Talent Development shows that top-performing companies spend more per employee on training and are more profitable than their peers. Training should be budgeted with the same discipline as hiring, marketing, and technology.Q: How does training support future leadership and succession planning? A: Training prepares team members to step into new roles, reduces key-person risk, and builds a pipeline of future leaders who are ready to support the firm’s long-term growth.For more information click here to visit the Best in the Business Blog. Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani dives into the concept of transfers of trust and how advisory firms can design client confidence beyond a single advisor. As firms scale, trust often remains concentrated around the founder or lead advisor, creating fragility and limiting growth. Ray explains how high-performing teams transition to shared advisory models, where multiple advisors and specialists collectively deliver advice, creating enduring client confidence, stability, and enterprise value.You’ll learn practical strategies to expand trust externally to clients, introduce advisors effectively, and build a team-centered approach that strengthens relationships and supports long-term growth.Key Takeaways Trust often concentrates around one advisor, which can make growth fragile.External transfers of trust occur when clients expand confidence from one advisor to the broader team.Internal transfers of trust involve founders delegating authority, credibility, and leadership to the next generation.Shared advisory models create client experiences that feel stable and enduring, rather than dependent on one person.Designing trust intentionally improves client retention, referrals, and long-term firm stability.Questions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: What is a transfer of trust? A: Transfers of trust describe the process of moving client confidence from a single advisor to the broader advisory team. It ensures the client experiences multiple advisors as capable, credible, and worthy of trust.Q: Why is it important to transfer trust beyond the lead advisor? A: When trust is concentrated with one person, the firm is vulnerable. Expanding trust to the team creates stability, scale, and endurance, ensuring clients continue to feel supported even if the lead advisor is unavailable.Q: How do high-performing advisory teams expand trust? A: They operate as interdependent ensembles, with distinct roles such as lead advisor, planning specialist, investment partner, and relationship manager. Each advisor contributes advice and expertise, allowing clients to experience the team’s credibility collectively.Q: How can advisors identify which clients need more exposure to the team? A: Advisors can categorize clients into advocates, engaged clients, and at-risk clients. Advocates can help reinforce the team’s credibility, engaged clients adapt naturally to new advisors, and at-risk clients may need more time and attention for trust to expand.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani explores why New Year’s resolutions fail inside advisory firms and what high-performing advisory teams do differently when designing kickoff meetings. Drawing on behavioral research and real-world coaching experience, Ray explains that the early breakdown of resolutions is not a motivation problem, it is a design problem.Ray introduces the concept of positive intent, a practical leadership approach that replaces vague resolutions with clear statements of what a team will do, how it will do it, and why it matters. He emphasizes that effective kickoff meetings begin before the meeting itself, with leaders building trust through one-on-one conversations that connect personal goals to professional alignment.The Five-Part Kickoff Meeting Framework for High-Performing Advisory TeamsRefine Annual OKRs to Align Advisory Team Outcomes Define clear objectives and measurable key results that improve client experience, advisory firm performance, and team effectiveness—starting with outcomes, not activity.Set Clear Advisory Firm Priorities With a Strong “Why” Identify the top priorities for the year and state each with positive intent, linking daily decisions to client value and long-term advisory firm strategy.Celebrate the Prior Year to Reinforce Team Performance Recognize wins, reflect on lessons learned, and reinforce behaviors that contributed to advisory team success and sustainable growth.Reinforce Advisory Firm Values Through Shared Team Experiences Bring firm values to life by highlighting real behaviors and building trust through meaningful shared experiences that strengthen advisory team culture.Align Individual Growth and Development With Team Objectives Encourage team members to state clear personal and professional growth intentions that directly support advisory firm priorities and client outcomes.Key TakeawaysMost New Year’s resolutions fail within the first six to eight weeksPositive intent provides operational clarity around what will be done, how, and whyLeaders strengthen teams by connecting personally before aligning professionallyKickoff meetings should start with outcomes, not activitiesTeams grow sustainably when individual development aligns with team goalsQuestions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: Why do New Year’s resolutions fail in advisory firms?A: Resolutions tend to fail early because they are often vague, reactive, and focused on avoidance rather than progress. According to research referenced in the episode, most resolutions break down within the first six to eight weeks, indicating a design problem rather than a lack of motivation.Q: What is “positive intent” in a kickoff meeting?A: Positive intent is a clear statement of what the team will do, how it will do it, and why it matters. Unlike resolutions, positive intent provides operational clarity and helps teams sustain momentum throughout the year.Q: What should be included in an advisory firm kickoff meeting?A: High-performing advisory teams include five parts: refining OKRs, setting clear priorities with a clear why, celebrating the previous year, reinforcing values through shared experiences, and aligning individual growth with team objectives.Q: Why is celebrating the previous year important?A: Recognition reinforces effective behavior, and reflection turns experience into learning. High-performing teams take time to acknowledge what worked and what did not before moving forward.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

As advisory firms close out a strong year and look ahead to 2026, many leaders are focused on hiring, capacity, and AI-driven efficiency. In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani challenges leaders to pause and ask a more important question: How does growth actually feel to the people doing the work?Drawing on research from Arthur C. Brooks, Adam Grant, Gallup, Korn Ferry, and Harvard Business Review, Ray explains why burnout is rarely caused by long hours alone and why meaning, progress, and connection to impact are far more predictive of performance and retention. He explores the hidden strain rapid growth can place on teams, long before headcount catches up, and why most voluntary turnover in advisory firms is preventable.Ray shares four practical, research-backed ways advisory firm leaders can strengthen team engagement and retention by making client impact more visible across the organization. From rethinking case studies to expanding team participation in client meetings, this episode offers actionable strategies to help firms scale without eroding culture, energy, or purpose.Key TakeawaysBurnout is driven more by futility and lack of meaning than by long hoursOnly ~16% of employees report being very satisfied at work, despite fair compensationMeaningful work predicts performance, persistence, and retention better than incentivesReplacing key talent can cost 1.5–2x annual compensation in advisory firmsGrowth without connection is fragile; growth with meaning is durableThe firms that win in 2026 will help people feel the impact of their work, not just measure itFind Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

As the year comes to a close and ClientWise marks 20 years in business, Ray Sclafani shares a thoughtful year-end leadership reflection on what it truly takes to build an enduring wealth management firm.In this short, reflective episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray explains why long-term thinking has become a competitive advantage for financial advisors and why leadership depth is no longer optional. He introduces a practical three-year planning framework that helps advisory firm leaders balance reset, execution, and compounding growth while the business remains in motion.This episode is designed to help financial advisors step back, clarify priorities, and think beyond the next quarter without losing momentum. Ray also shares powerful coaching questions to guide year-end reflection, leadership growth, and intentional planning for the years ahead.Key TakeawaysEnduring advisory firms are built through long-term leadership thinking, not short-term reactionsA three year time horizon is far enough to create clarity but close enough to remain actionableStrong leaders reset, execute, and harvest results simultaneouslyPlanning does not require pausing the business; leadership happens while moving forwardThe future of wealth management remains strong for firms willing to invest with intentionQuestions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: What is the three year planning cycle for financial advisors? A: The three year planning cycle is a leadership framework that encourages advisors to plant seeds in year one, execute in year two, and see visible impact in year three, allowing for clarity without losing momentum.Q: Why is long term thinking important for advisory firm growth? A: Long term thinking helps advisory firm leaders make better trade-offs, avoid reactive decisions, and invest in people, systems, and leadership depth that compound over time.Q: How does leadership depth impact advisory firm success? A: Leadership depth is now a competitive advantage because enduring firms rely on strong teams and next-generation leaders, not just a single founder or rainmaker.Q: How can financial advisors plan while still running the business day to day? A: Effective leaders plan while the business is in motion by resetting what no longer works, executing current initiatives, and benefiting from prior investments all at once.Q: What should financial advisors reflect on at year end? A: Advisors should reflect on who they need to become as leaders, what they must stop tolerating, where to invest earlier, and who deserves recognition for their impact.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani dives into how financial advisors can turn strategy into action using a Sorkin-style approach. Rather than relying on thick slide decks or polished documents, Ray emphasizes that strategy should be a story your team can act on today. Learn how to identify a single strategic intention, confront uncomfortable truths, and facilitate productive team dialogue that drives execution. Discover practical steps to align your team, prioritize high-impact decisions, and build a scalable, enduring advisory firm.Listeners will walk away with four actionable coaching questions to guide their next strategic moves and insights on developing leadership, succession, and enterprise growth in their advisory firm.Key TakeawaysChoose one clear strategic intention for your firm.Identify the top 2–3 obstacles threatening that strategy.Focus on execution, not perfect documents.Develop leadership and bench strength within your team.Questions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: What is a Sorkin-style approach to strategy?A: A Sorkin-style approach treats strategy like a compelling story, focusing on dialogue, decisions under pressure, and clear stakes. For financial advisors, it emphasizes team involvement, prioritization, and actionable direction rather than lengthy slide decks or abstract documents.Q: How can financial advisors turn strategy into execution? A: Advisors can turn strategy into execution by choosing one strategic intention, identifying top obstacles, confronting uncomfortable truths with their team, and facilitating structured retreats or discussions to make decisions and assign responsibility.Q: Why is single-intention strategy important for advisory firms? A: Focusing on one strategic intention prevents confusion, ensures alignment across the team, and allows advisors to make high-impact decisions that drive measurable growth and sustainable leadership.Q: How does this approach help build a scalable advisory firm? A: By clarifying priorities, delegating responsibilities, and developing leadership within the team, advisors create capacity for growth, reduce founder dependency, and build a firm that can endure and thrive over time.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, Ray Sclafani dives into the strategies that top advisory firms use to level up their teams. Discover how feedback, self-reflection, and merit-based career paths drive engagement, performance, and growth. Ray shares actionable ideas for both leaders and team members to create a culture where ambition, curiosity, and development are rewarded.Learn why high-performing advisory teams invest in clear career paths, regular feedback, and stretch opportunities, and how these practices can accelerate talent development and firm growth. Whether you’re a firm leader or an advisor aiming to maximize your impact, this episode is packed with insights backed by research from Gallup, Harvard, Deloitte, McKinsey, and more.Key Takeaways:Career paths and performance expectations fuel engagement and development. Employees receiving meaningful feedback develop 3–4x faster.Challenging assignments cultivate skills that formal training alone cannot.Open communication about goals, learning needs, and strengths creates high-performing teams.Employees who actively manage their own development are more likely to become leaders.Questions Financial Advisors Often AskQ: How can financial advisors level up their team? A: Advisors can level up their team by providing regular feedback, creating clear career paths, promoting merit-based performance, and offering stretch opportunities for skill growth.Q: Why is feedback important for team development? A: Meaningful feedback accelerates employee growth, improves performance, and increases engagement, helping advisors develop high-performing teams.Q: How can team members take ownership of their growth? A: Team members can take ownership by reflecting on their performance, asking for feedback, volunteering for stretch responsibilities, and actively pursuing development opportunities.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray explores one of the most overlooked leadership disciplines in advisory firms: off-boarding with intention, respect, and alignment. While most teams invest heavily in creating world-class onboarding experiences, few bring the same rigor to the moment when a team member exits. Ray shares why offboarding is not about correcting failure—it's about stewardship. When leaders navigate departures with clarity, dignity, and structure, they strengthen the culture, protect client relationships, and create space for the team to evolve.Through a candid example from his own team, Ray demonstrates how mutual clarity, co-creation, and a disciplined framework can turn a transition into an empowering moment for both the departing individual and the organization. He also walks through a seven-part offboarding framework inspired by SHRM best practices and years of coaching elite advisory firms, offering a practical blueprint firms can use to elevate their own internal processes.Ray closes with coaching questions leaders can use to refine hiring, strengthen feedback loops, and ensure that offboarding reinforces, not erodes, the culture they’ve worked hard to build.Key TakeawaysOffboarding is about stewardship, respect, and protecting your culture.Fit and alignment matter as much as skills.Clear, honest communication prevents surprises during transitions.Use a structured offboarding framework to stay consistent and professional.How you handle goodbyes shapes your culture just as much as onboarding.For more information click here to visit the Best in the Business Blog.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this Thanksgiving episode, Ray Sclafani reflects on why gratitude is more than a seasonal sentiment for advisory leaders — it is a strategic advantage. Drawing from research, industry insights, and personal experience at ClientWise, Ray explores how appreciation strengthens culture, deepens engagement, and elevates performance across advisory firms.He highlights why recognizing people’s contributions is essential to leadership, offers meaningful reflection questions for advisors, and underscores that gratitude should lead to action: developing talent, raising standards, investing in future leaders, and preparing for the growth ahead.Ray closes with a message of appreciation to the ClientWise team and the advisory professionals they serve, encouraging leaders to use this season not as an endpoint but as a launchpad for impact in 2026.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode of "Building the Billion Dollar Business," host Ray Sclafani delves into the strategies and insights behind successful financial advisory firms, focusing on organic growth and new client acquisition. He outlines six steps to boost growth, emphasizing the importance of client relationships, team collaboration, and strategic planning. Ray also discusses the significance of setting intentional goals and fostering a culture centered around growth.Key TakeawaysOrganic growth is a critical indicator of a firm's health.Understanding total relationship value (TRV) is essential.Generational continuity is key for long-term success.A focused marketing plan aligns with client needs.Utilizing CRM effectively identifies growth opportunities.Reframing culture around growth attracts talent.For more information click here to visit The Best in the Business Blog.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani discusses the implications of avoiding growth targets in business. He highlights a case where a company decided to stop setting growth targets to focus on client service. However, he argues that this decision led to challenges in managing capacity, planning succession, and fulfilling client promises. The conversation emphasizes the importance of balancing client service with the need for growth targets to ensure effective business management.Key TakeawaysGrowth happens whether you plan or notTrack revenue per professional, revenue per client, and time per client segmentMap retirements against junior advisor readiness and create a 3–5 year development planLet data guide leadership decisions by using dashboards and metrics to prevent overextension and burnoutPrevent “success outgrowing structure” by conducting quarterly capacity checks to evaluate workload, client demand, and team readinessFind Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani discusses the importance of finishing the year strong and how it impacts the upcoming year. He emphasizes the need for a proactive mindset, strategies for success, and the significance of setting clear goals. He also covers overcoming challenges and maintaining motivation as key components of achieving success.Key TakeawaysHow you finish the year will determine how you start next year.Set clear goals for the new year to guide your actions.Overcoming challenges is part of the journey to success.Reflect on your progress this year to identify areas for improvement.Mindset shifts can lead to breakthroughs in performance.For more information click here to visit The ClientWise Blog.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani discusses the critical importance of having a well-defined compensation philosophy in financial advisory firms. He highlights the common pitfalls of compensation planning without a clear strategy and emphasizes the need for a structured approach that aligns pay with performance, culture, and profitability. The conversation covers the essential building blocks of a strong compensation philosophy, how to implement it effectively, and the impact it has on employee engagement and trust in leadership.Key TakeawaysMore than half the industry lacks a clear compensation strategy.Clear pay philosophies lead to lower turnover rates.Transparency in compensation processes fosters trust among employees.Regularly review and adapt your compensation philosophy to align with business changes.Involve team members in defining key performance metrics.A strong compensation philosophy reflects the firm's values and leadership style.For more information click here to visit the Best in the Business Blog.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani explores how advisory firm leaders can move from solo leadership to shared, high-performing teams. Using the metaphor of a musical ensemble, Ray shares lessons from his high school band and real-world coaching with billion-dollar firms to show how clarity, trust, and accountability create lasting success. Learn how to define team roles, foster trust, and lead through leadership transitions while keeping your firm’s performance in harmony.Key Takeaways Leadership is most effective when responsibility is shared across the team.Clear roles help every team member understand how they contribute to the bigger picture.Trust among team members strengthens performance and accountability.Transitions in leadership are opportunities to evolve and sustain firm value.Every team member’s contribution is essential, like instruments in a symphony.Click here for the Decision Making Problem Solving Model™. Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

The advisory industry is facing one of its greatest challenges yet; a looming shortfall of nearly 100,000 advisors over the next decade. In this episode of Building the Billion Dollar Business, host Ray Sclafani unpacks how firms can overcome the "Great Talent Squeeze" and become an employer of choice for next-generation advisors. Ray explores the critical mindset, cultural shifts, and strategic investments firms must make to attract, develop, and retain elite talent not just for today, but for the future of the business.Key Takeaways1. Culture isn’t invisible, it’s your most powerful advantage. Build an environment rooted in trust, inclusion, and authentic leadership to attract the best.2. Next-gen advisors expect modern tools. Investing in technology signals that your firm is forward-thinking and committed to advisor productivity.3. Go beyond salary. Explore rev-share, equity, or performance-based incentives to align advisor goals with firm success.4. Recruit ahead of capacity needs, benchmark compensation, and hold out for the right candidates to strengthen long-term growth.5. Focus on potential and leadership qualities. Build a clear career path and communicate it early in the hiring process.Click here for CFP Board 2024 Compensation StudyFind Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this short but powerful episode, Ray Sclafani tackles a topic many financial advisors avoid: pricing. As firms expand their services beyond portfolio management into multi-generational planning, tax coordination, and family governance, their value has increased, but too often, their pricing hasn’t.Ray challenges advisory leaders to view pricing not as a financial figure, but as a leadership decision that impacts enterprise value, team compensation, and client perception. He breaks down the mindset and mechanics required to evolve your pricing model with clarity, confidence, and consistency.This episode is a must-listen for firms committed to delivering premium services and ready to price like it.Key TakeawaysMost advisory firms are undercharging, not because clients can’t pay more, but because firms haven’t clearly defined and communicated their value.Legacy pricing models (flat AUM basis points) are misaligned with modern, complex service offerings.Advisors must embrace clarity, confidence, and consistency in how they present pricing.Top firms are evolving with tiered basis points, flat planning fees, and project-based pricing to reflect complexity.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani dives into a key leadership habit that high-performing advisory firms revisit every year: a structured marketing review. Far from a compliance audit, this annual reset is a strategic opportunity to realign messaging, optimize marketing systems, and attract the right clients for the future.Ray walks through the five essential areas to evaluate:Marketing calendar and planIdeal client segmentationValue proposition and capability deckMarketing collateral and communicationDigital presence and marketing systemsWhether your team is large or lean, in-house or outsourced, this episode outlines how to make marketing a firm-wide responsibility, not a side project. If you're ready to move beyond generic outreach and lead with intentional messaging, this is your playbook.Key TakeawaysA structured annual marketing review helps firms stay aligned, relevant, and client-focused.Without regular evaluation, your messaging can become outdated, misaligned, or unclear.Marketing should be collaborative and cross-functional, not owned by one person or department.Set 3–5 high-impact marketing priorities every quarter for measurable progress.Align internal messaging before launching external campaigns.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani challenges advisory firm leaders to rethink how they attract new clients. He exposes why many firms are unintentionally sabotaging their growth by relying on outdated, ad-hoc approaches to client acquisition like waiting for referrals or operating off of a founder’s charisma.Ray dives deep into what it takes to build a scalable, repeatable, and measurable lead generation engine. He covers:Why most firms can’t answer “How many new clients can we take on this year?”How to define and align your firm around the ideal future clientWhy a compelling, differentiated capability deck is essentialWhat it really means to “own your niche”The difference between a hope list and a functioning pipelineThis episode is a wake-up call, and a roadmap, for advisors who want to lead their growth, not just react to it.Key TakeawaysFirms must calculate their true client carrying capacity before setting growth goals.Growth requires clarity around the ideal future client, not just a general idea of your current book.True differentiation comes from owning a niche so specifically that you become the obvious referral.Firms that rely on one person’s memory or relationships aren’t building a business, they’re creating a vulnerability.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.

In this episode, Ray Sclafani introduces a critical metric that leading wealth management firms—and the private equity firms evaluating them—are using to assess the health and enterprise value of their businesses: the Rule of 40. Originally born in Silicon Valley to evaluate SaaS companies, this simple but powerful formula (Revenue Growth % + EBITDA Margin %) has crossed over into the RIA world and become a litmus test for intentional, sustainable growth.Ray breaks down:What the Rule of 40 really means in a recurring revenue business like an RIAHow to calculate it (with real examples from ClientWise client firms)Where it falls short if misusedHow the most forward-thinking advisory firms use it as a leadership, compensation, M&A, and strategy toolPlus, you’ll get five coaching questions to spark powerful conversations with your team—and begin leading like a CEO, not just a lead advisor.Key TakeawaysThe Rule of 40 = Revenue Growth % + EBITDA Margin %, and if the total equals or exceeds 40, your firm is financially healthy.Many firms overestimate their growth by including capital market gains or acquired AUM—only organic growth tells the real story.Leading RIAs use the Rule of 40 not just as a metric, but as a strategic lens.Tracking Rule of 40 over time and by business segment (organic growth, next-gen, core team) uncovers the real levers driving enterprise value.If your growth is passive or your margin is inflated, the Rule of 40 exposes the imbalance and forces better leadership decisions.Find Ray and the ClientWise Team on the ClientWise website or LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTo join one of the largest digital communities of financial advisors, visit exchange.clientwise.com.