The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors

This podcast is designed for financial advisors like you - who are interested in learning more about the evolving wealth management industry through in-depth dialogues with breakaway advisors, C-suite executives, and industry thought leaders.<br /> Launched in 2017 as Mindy Diamond on Independence, the show has taken on a broader perspective beyond the independent space to include topics, insights, and candid conversations around financial advisor transitions, growth, and an ever-changing industry landscape. Each episode is designed to offer objective guidance and actionable advice with some of the industry’s brightest movers and shakers. <br /> At Diamond Consultants, our mission is to help financial advisors live their best business life. We guide elite advisors in search of the right place for their business and their clients, whether it’s at a wirehouse, regional, boutique, or independent firm. We’ve transitioned more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets under management in the past decade. <br /> But we’re far more than just recruiters. We’re future-proofers, business coaches, and career sherpas who meet advisors where they are, years before they’re ready to move. We educate advisors on the latest trends, help them evaluate economic models, understand their enterprise value, and create a personal roadmap of options they might never have considered otherwise. <br /> And unlike most recruiters, our business is built on relationships, not transactions. Making a move is a big deal and we would never sell you into a move. We offer unbiased guidance that puts advisors’ interests first, with no cost or obligation to you. Even when that means staying where you are.<br /> Learn more at <a href="https://www.diamond-consultants.com/">Diamond-Consultants.com</a> or call us at 908-879-1002.<br /> <br /> NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Guests appearing on this podcast are NOT compensated in any way for their appearances.

Succession and Liquidity: Key Considerations and Options for Founders and Next Gens

Succession and monetization are hot topics for advisors in every model. LPL Financial’s Liquidity and Succession program representatives discuss what advisors, independent business owners, and next gens need to consider as they grow their businesses and explore long-term and short-term options, plus best practices to prepare for a transition and maximize business value.

07-18
56:29

Crafting the Perfect Employer Value Proposition: The Key to Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

A special episode designed for firms with their sights set on enhancing recruiting efforts and advisors looking to attract new team members, offering the steps to craft an effective Employer Value Proposition (EVP), with examples on usage and potential impact on hiring success and retention.

03-13
49:18

The Leap from IBD to RIA: Unpacking a $700mm to $1.7B Growth Story

Scott Pinkerton of FourThought Private Wealth offers a perspective on outgrowing the independent broker dealer model, transitioning to an independent RIA, and the extraordinary growth realized as a result of the change. Scott unpacks the difference between the models, shares why he opted to sell equity to Focus Financial, and more.

03-27
56:40

A Prescription for Independence: A Merrill Breakaway’s “Financial Physician” Approach to Client Care and Growth

Alex Markowitz, a former Merrill advisor, shares how independence gave him freedom to build a firm defined by empathy, collaboration, and a “financial physician” approach to client care.

11-06
52:41

How to Avoid the Dreaded TRO: Legal Strategies for Advisors in Transition

As TROs and lawsuits make headlines, two top attorneys who specialize in transitions share how advisors can minimize risk, protect client relationships, and make a clean move with confidence.

10-30
46:35

Rise and Reinvent: Joe Duran on Building and Rebuilding World-Class Firms

Having built and sold two world-class firms, the founder of Rise Growth Partners shares lessons on leadership, innovation, and how growth requires constant reinvention.

10-23
01:03:24

Life After Edward Jones: How One Advisor Built a Lean, Focused Independent Firm

Former Edward Jones advisor Steve Davis shares how he built a lean, focused independent firm with LPL and what freedom really means.

10-16
49:19

Sanctuary 2.0: How Adam Malamed Is Reframing Growth with Advisor Autonomy

The CEO of Sanctuary Wealth shares how the firm doubled in size, redefining supportive independence and advisor growth in wealth management.

10-09
56:57

The Advisor Transition Playbook: Inside Baseball on Due Diligence, the Move, and Everything In Between

A guide to advisor transitions: due diligence, culture, deals, client comms,and lessons from the $129B Merrill breakaway.

10-02
46:44

The $129B Blockbuster Move: Shirl Penney on Why This Transition Marks a New Era for the Industry

A $129B team left Merrill to launch OpenArc Corporate Advisory, the largest breakaway in industry history. In this special episode, Dynasty’s Shirl Penney joins Louis Diamond to share an inside perspective on why the deal is about more than scale, what drove the move, and how it signals a new era for independence and the industry at large.

09-29
38:43

Running It Back: What It Takes to Build a Multi-Billion-Dollar Firm—Twice

Few advisors build a multi-billion-dollar RIA. John Krambeer has done it twice. In this candid conversation, the Validus Capital CEO reflects on his journey, how independence has evolved, and the hard-won lessons that guide him now.

09-25
50:34

Balancing Scale and Service: CEO Mike Durbin on Growth and Cetera’s Future

The CEO of Cetera Financial Group shares insights on independence, private equity, and balancing scale with service, plus what the future holds for advisors and firms.

09-18
54:57

2025 Mid-Year Report on Deals, Transitions, and Recruiting A Special Industry Update

A special mid-year update with Jason and Louis Diamond on deals, transitions, and recruiting trends shaping 2025—and what advisors can expect in the months ahead.

09-11
41:04

Not Just Charity: How Donor Advised Funds Help Advisors Add Value and Assets

Julia Healey, CEO of United Charitable, shares insights on DAFs, their value to clients, and the potential positive impact they can have on an advisor’s business.

08-28
31:01

Doing Well by Doing Good: A UBS Breakaway on Building a $2.9B Mission-Driven Enterprise

Ben Valore-Caplan, founder of Syntrinsic, shares how he built a $2.9B mission-driven RIA to serve foundations, endowments, and values-driven institutions, the evolution of impact & ESG investing, why he sold to IMA Financial Group, and more.

08-21
50:07

Attracting, Advising, and Advancing Women: A Guide for Forward-Thinking Firms

Cary Carbonaro learned from her own experience that there was both a gap and an opportunity in attracting and retaining women clients and advisors. In this episode, Cary shares specific advice on what firms are doing wrong and how they can get it right.

08-14
51:18

Firms That Win in 2025: What Advisors Are Really Looking For

With advisor expectations evolving, not all “good firms” are winning the talent. Mindy and Louis Diamond share what today’s top advisors really value—and why some firms are standing out while others fall short.

08-07
51:44

When Values No Longer Align: An Ex-Wells Fargo Advisor’s Leap to Independence

Brian Pultman discusses why he chose independence over taking a wirehouse transition deal. However, as he candidly shares, building your own RIA is not always a smooth process, yet it resulted in aligning his values while building $1B+ Correct Capital Wealth Management.

07-31
38:12

Growth from Practice to Enterprise The Evolution of an Ex-Wirehouse Advisor’s $3B Business

Joel Guth shares how stepping out from under the Hightower umbrella to become a fully independent RIA opened up a new world of opportunity for his firm Gryphon Financial Partners. He shares how that transition allows them to create a $3B firm designed around turning client problems into opportunities.

07-17
47:02

The Seamless Path to Independence: A Billion-Dollar RIA’s Evolution

Tony Parr shares the journey of Parr McKnight Wealth Management Group, a team that built their practice at Wells Fargo Private Client Group and leveraged the firm’s independent channels to achieve a “frictionless” launch of their RIA.

07-10
52:03

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