What does independence actually look like for a financial advisor today? For many advisors, the answer is more complicated than simply “starting your own RIA.”

In this episode, Andrew Evans takes a look at what it really means to build an independent advisory business, and why many advisors are rethinking the traditional path. Instead of focusing so heavily on industry trends or one-size-fits-all models, Andrew breaks down the operational realities advisors face when leaving captive environments, transitioning to fee-only planning, or trying to scale sustainably without losing flexibility.

Andrew discusses:

• Why starting an RIA from scratch can become operationally overwhelming
• How Rossby Financial approaches independence differently from large aggregators
• The importance of separating compliance, operations, and advisor autonomy
• What advisors should focus on before making a transition
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Most financial advisors think they need better marketing. What they may actually need is better storytelling.

In this episode, Andrew Evans sits down with Alexandra Zendrian, founder of A to Z Communications, to talk about the real difference between marketing and public relations, and why so many advisors misunderstand both. Allie shares how she accidentally became an entrepreneur after a layoff, how to build strong media relationships, and why getting press coverage is about much more than promoting your firm.

Andrew and Allie also dive into some of the biggest conversations in the financial services industry right now, including AI, mergers and acquisitions, advisor succession planning, and why flexibility and culture remain major challenges for women in finance.

Andrew and Allie discuss:

• The difference between marketing and public relations
• What reporters actually look for in financial stories
• Why relationship-building matters in PR
• How AI is changing financial media conversations
• The reality behind advisor succession and M&A trends
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Alexandra Zendrian:

• LinkedIn: Alexandra Zendrian
• Website: A to Z Communications
• Email: allie@atozcommunicationspr.com

About our Guest:

Alexandra Zendrian is the founder of A to Z Communications, a public relations firm focused on helping financial professionals and organizations strengthen their media presence and industry visibility. With a background in journalism and financial services communications, Allie works closely with advisors, firms, and industry leaders to craft meaningful stories, build reporter relationships, and create authentic visibility in a crowded marketplace.

Online reviews can shape whether a prospect reaches out or keeps scrolling. But for financial advisors, testimonials come with compliance concerns, disclosure requirements, and questions about where reviews should live.

In this episode, Andrew Evans speaks with Brian Thorp, Founder and CEO of Wealthtender and Editor-in-Chief, about how advisors can use client testimonials while staying aligned with SEC marketing rules. They break down disclosure requirements, common compliance mistakes with Google reviews, and why many advisors still hesitate to ask for feedback.

Brian also explains how SEO, AI search visibility, and review platforms are changing how advisors get found online.

Key takeaways:

• Why advisors still hesitate to ask clients for reviews despite strong client relationships
• The 3 disclosure requirements tied to publishing client testimonials online today
• How review policies can help filter out non-client or outdated public feedback issues
• Why Google reviews can create compliance concerns for financial advisory firms
• How SEO and AI visibility can help advisors appear more often in online searches
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Brian Thorp:

• LinkedIn: Brian Thorp
• Website: Wealthtender
• brian@wealthtender.com

About our Guest:

Brian Thorp is the founder and CEO of Wealthtender and Editor-in-Chief.

Brian believes everyone deserves help with money matters from someone they can trust, no matter their income or stage of life.

Brian is a member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP) and its SEC Marketing Rule Working Group. Brian authored an article on the topic of advisor testimonials published by the NSCP in the February 28th, 2022, issue of Currents, the industry’s premier publication for 2,000+ compliance professionals.

Brian was recognized by WealthManagement.com as one of its top 10 innovators and influencers set to change the wealth management industry in 2024.

Brian has positioned Wealthtender as the first financial advisor review platform designed to be compliant with the SEC Marketing Rule. Brian has also published a testimonial marketing playbook to help advisors and wealth management firms succeed with online reviews and has been featured on multiple podcasts and quoted in major publications discussing the topic.

Prior to founding Wealthtender, Brian spent nearly 22 years in multiple leadership roles at Invesco. In his most recent role, Brian served as Head of Financial Advisor Platforms with oversight for Invesco’s largest strategic partnerships with wealth management firms representing over $100 Billion in assets under management.

With over 25 years in the financial services industry, Brian is applying his experience and passion at Wealthtender to help more people enjoy life with less money stress.

Most people leave conferences with a stack of business cards, a drained social battery, and no real follow-up plan.

In this episode of The Outstanding Shift, Andrew Evans sits down with Marie Loudin and Lori Zinaich to discuss what actually makes conferences worth the investment, especially for advisors, marketers, and business development professionals seeking to build meaningful relationships.

From pre-conference prep and AI-powered networking strategies to the art of balancing sessions, socializing, and follow-up, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how experienced conference pros approach events differently. Lori and Marie share practical insights on networking etiquette, content creation while attending events, memorable follow-up tactics, and why the real value of a conference often happens before and after the event itself.

Andrew, Lori, and Marie discuss:

• How to prepare before a conference so you’re not walking in cold
• Using AI tools to identify the right people to meet
• Why networking is more important than attending every session
• Conference mistakes people make without realizing it
• How to follow up so people actually remember you
• Balancing authenticity, branding, and social media at live events
• Creative ways to make meaningful professional connections
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Lori Zinaich:

• LinkedIn: Lori Zinaich
• LinkedIn: FMG Suite
• Email: lori.zinaich@fmgsuite.com

Connect with Marie Loudin:

• LinkedIn: Marie Loudin
• LinkedIn: Advintro
• Email: marie.laudad@gmail.com

About our Guests:

Lori Zinaich is part of the enterprise team at FMG, where she helps advisors strengthen their marketing and communication strategies through digital tools, social media, email campaigns, and client engagement solutions. Before transitioning into financial services marketing, Lori built her career in sports marketing, working across industries including NASCAR, PGA, and hockey, experiences that shaped her approach to relationship-building and live events.

Marie Loudin is a Charlotte-based fractional sales professional and consultant who works with multiple companies, including Rossby Financial and R Office. With a background in consulting at major financial institutions, Marie brings a strategic and highly relationship-driven approach to networking, sales, and conference engagement.

Great financial advice is not just about what you recommend. It’s about how clients experience every step along the way.

What if the biggest gap in financial advice is not knowledge, but how that knowledge is delivered, explained, and felt by the client?

In this episode, Andrew Evans continues his conversation with Zach Conway and Kelsey McKenna of Seeds, exploring why financial advisors struggle to connect client discovery with actual portfolio outcomes. They break down how poor onboarding experiences can shape client perceptions for years, the importance of understanding client feelings, and why scalable frameworks matter. The discussion also highlights how firms can turn internal processes into repeatable systems that enhance both client experience and business value.

Key takeaways:

• Why many advisors fail to connect discovery insights with portfolio decisions, creating long-term client disconnect
• How early onboarding experiences can shape client trust and perception for years after the first interaction
• The importance of understanding client feelings and feedback to improve the overall advisory experience
• Why scaling a firm requires turning personal insight into repeatable systems and documented processes
• How firms can increase valuation by proving consistent, repeatable client outcomes beyond market-driven growth
• And more!

Resources:

• Fixing the Broken Advisor Experience with Zach Conway and Kelsey McKenna (Part 1) (Ep. 13)
• Lindsay Evans on Building Products People Actually Want (Ep. 2)

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Zach Conway & Kelsey McKenna:

• LinkedIn: Zach Conway
• LinkedIn: Kelsey McKenna
• Website: Seeds
• The Advice Business Podcast
• Email: hello@useseeds.com
• Email: zach@useseeds.com

About Zach Conway:

Zach Conway is the Founder and CEO of Seeds, an investment management platform designed to improve both the advisor and client experience. With over a decade of experience as a financial advisor, Zach built his career inside an advisory firm, where he identified gaps in how investment management and client engagement were delivered. His work today centers on helping advisors streamline operations, enhance personalization, and build businesses that can grow without losing the human element.

About Kelsey McKenna:

Kelsey McKenna is the Chief Operating Officer at Seeds, where she focuses on helping financial advisory firms build scalable, client-centered businesses. With a background in advisor technology and early-stage startups, including her time at eMoney, she brings a deep understanding of how advisors can connect service, experience, and operations into a cohesive model. Kelsey is passionate about improving how firms deliver value to clients while creating systems that support sustainable growth.

Most people don’t struggle because they lack information; they struggle because they can’t clearly see what they already have.

What if the real issue isn’t strategy, but how it’s communicated and understood?

In this episode, Andrew Evans interviews H. Adam Holt, CEO & Founder of Asset-Map, about his journey from financial advisor to building a platform used by thousands of advisors. He shares how simplifying financial conversations through visualization helped him grow rapidly, why the industry often overwhelms clients, and how advisors can create stronger engagement by showing instead of telling.

Adam also introduces the concept of financial fire drills and explains how purpose, not money, drives long-term fulfillment.

They discuss:

• How visual financial mapping replaced complex reports and helped clients understand their full financial picture
• Why many advisors lose client engagement by relying on overwhelming data and analysis instead of clarity
• The six financial fire drills every client should plan for to avoid major disruptions in their lives
• How shifting from telling to showing improves trust, communication, and decision-making with clients
• Why purpose and relationships matter more than financial outcomes in both business and personal life
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with H. Adam Holt:

• LinkedIn: H. Adam Holt
• Website: Asset-Map

About our Guest:

Adam Holt is the Founder of Asset-Map, a widely adopted financial planning platform that helps advisors simplify complex client situations through visual mapping. With nearly three decades of experience in financial services, he began his career in insurance and evolved into a holistic financial planner, eventually building one of the top practices in his broker-dealer. His work focuses on improving client engagement by making financial information easier to understand and act on. Beyond Asset-Map, Adam is also passionate about purpose-driven initiatives, including building communities like Rebel Dads, which supports entrepreneurial fathers in balancing leadership at home and work.

Creating content can feel overwhelming, especially when time and skills don’t seem to align.

What actually works when it comes to video, and how can professionals stay relevant without burning out?

In this episode, Andrew Evans interviews Laura Garfield, Co-Founder of Idea Decanter, about why many advisors struggle with video content and how to approach it more effectively. They explore the pitfalls of doing everything yourself, the rise of AI-generated content, and the importance of authenticity. Laura shares insights from her State of Advisor Video Report, including how top advisors build simple, repeatable systems. The conversation also highlights trends like short-form attention grabbers and long-form depth for niche audiences.

Laura discusses:

• Why many advisors waste hours editing video instead of focusing on client-facing work that drives value
• How AI-generated content can appear convincing while delivering inaccurate or misleading information
• The importance of building a simple, repeatable content system that saves time each month
• Why specific, niche-focused content performs better in a crowded digital environment
• The balance between short-form videos for attention and long-form content for deeper engagement
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Laura Garfield:

• LinkedIn: Laura Garfield
• Website: Idea Decanter
• laura@ideadecanter.com
• The Real #Finfluencers Podcast

About our Guest:

Laura Garfield spent her teenage years idolizing Jane Pauley and Katie Couric. A thirst for learning and a love of writing had her hooked on broadcast journalism – where you didn’t have to know everything except how to ask the right questions. After graduation, Laura landed her first news gig at a tiny TV station in Hastings, Nebraska. Over the span of more than a decade, she worked her way up through stations in Omaha and New Orleans to a position at CBS News in New York and then CNN in Atlanta.

Along the way, she has written a book, worked as a foreign correspondent, and has lately been drawn to the emerging possibilities of digital storytelling. Instead of a company relying on a big ad spend, with the Internet, you can be a broadcaster of your own brand. Laura believes that all you need to pull it off is a talented content marketing team (like Idea Decanter!) to help you craft your message.

Advisors are working harder than ever, yet many still feel stuck delivering inconsistent client experiences.

What if the issue is not effort, but how services, operations, and investment management are structured in the first place?

In this episode, Andrew Evans speaks with Zach Conway, Founder and CEO of Seeds, and Kelsey McKenna, COO of Seeds, about why many advisory firms struggle to scale their services. They explore how fragmented processes, unclear positioning, and disconnected technology stacks create friction for both advisors and clients. Zach and Kelsey also explain how redefining the client experience and automating operational tasks can help firms grow without sacrificing quality.

Key takeaways:

• Why many advisors avoid building new service models due to fear of disrupting current revenue streams
• How fragmented systems and siloed thinking create inconsistent client experiences and limit scalability
• The importance of defining a clear niche to simplify offerings and improve operational efficiency
• Why advisors should focus on client relationships while automating trading and portfolio mechanics
• How aligning service, experience, and operations creates a repeatable and scalable business model
• And more!

Connect with Rossby Financial:

• (321) 209-0111
• Website: Rossby Financial
• Website: R Office
• LinkedIn: Rossby Financial
• Instagram: @rossby_wealth

Connect with Andrew Evans:

• LinkedIn: Andrew Evans
• Email: aevans@rossbyfinancial.com

Connect with Zach Conway & Kelsey McKenna:

• LinkedIn: Zach Conway
• LinkedIn: Kelsey McKenna
• Website: Seeds
• The Advice Business Podcast
• Email: hello@useseeds.com

About Zach Conway:

Zach Conway is the Founder and CEO of Seeds, an investment management platform designed to improve both the advisor and client experience. With over a decade of experience as a financial advisor, Zach built his career inside an advisory firm, where he identified gaps in how investment management and client engagement were delivered. His work today centers on helping advisors streamline operations, enhance personalization, and build businesses that can grow without losing the human element.

About Kelsey McKenna:

Kelsey McKenna is the Chief Operating Officer at Seeds, where she focuses on helping financial advisory firms build scalable, client-centered businesses. With a background in advisor technology and early-stage startups, including her time at eMoney, she brings a deep understanding of how advisors can connect service, experience, and operations into a cohesive model. Kelsey is passionate about improving how firms deliver value to clients while creating systems that support sustainable growth.