The Model FA David DeCelle

In the latest episode of the Model FA Podcast, Trevor Scotto shares how he grew his financial planning firm from $30M to $500M AUM through strategic mergers and acquisitions. He details leveraging personal connections to partner with a tax practice, and how adopting technology helped convert those clients. Trevor also reflects on finding purpose and work-life balance after his father's cancer diagnosis. In this interview, he discusses integrating tax planning into comprehensive client services and applying negotiation skills from Chris Voss's MasterClass to grow his business. 
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


00:00 Welcome to the Mic: Trevor Scotto 02:15 Unpacking Trevor's Early Career and Inspirations 04:30 Striking the Perfect Balance: Work and Family Life 06:30 Entrepreneurial Spirit: The Genesis of Trevor's Firm 08:15 Networking Mastery: Connecting with Titans of the Industry 10:15 The Search for the Ideal Tax Practice Partner 12:30 The Art of the Deal: Navigating a Successful Merger 14:30 Scaling from $160M to $500M in AUM 16:30 Tax Planning: A Critical Tool for Wealth Maximization 18:30 Breaking New Ground with Schwab's Platform Integration 20:30 Secrets to Sustaining Strong Client Relationships 22:30 Trevor's Top Book Picks for Success and Inspiration  
Connect with Trevor:
 
Website: https://www.ffgwealth.com Email: tscotto@ffgwealth.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.
 

In episode 150 of the Model FA Podcast, Kristin Harad joins David to discuss the challenges of scaling second-generation advisory firms, emphasizing the importance of regularly assessing and updating business strategies. They also highlighted the need to connect advisors with service providers, embrace an abundance mindset, and document and coach the next generation to replicate success. In another conversation segment, David and Kristin discuss marketing strategies for financial advisors, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach that includes various tactics to build a strong brand and attract potential clients. They also highlight the need to focus on long-term growth, prioritize sustainability, and continuously improve marketing strategies. Finally, Kristin and David discussed the paradox of choice in the business advice industry and its impact on decision-making, emphasizing the importance of simplifying marketing strategies by eliminating choice and focusing on a few key areas.
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


0:00:00 Introduction - David welcomes Kristin Harad 0:02:06 Background - Kristin shares journey in finance industry 0:09:44 Advisor needs - Top issues clients seek help with clarity 0:11:06 Second generation - Challenges for new leadership 0:13:32 Marketing budget - How to set and track spending 0:16:45 Client gesture story - Thoughtful gift builds connection 0:21:46 Consistency importance - Strategies require patience over time 0:25:30 Simplify choices book - Focus on few key efforts 0:31:10 Relationships grow business - Podcast leads to referrals 0:35:15 Commit fully marketing - Give strategies time for results  
Connect with Kristin:
 
Website: https://fulladvisorcoaching.com Email: kristin@fulladvisorcoaching.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

David interviews Tyson Ray, the CEO of Form Wealth Advisors, about his journey in financial planning and his book The Total Relationship. Tyson shares how he started investing at a young age and bought his first firm at age 24. He emphasizes the importance of understanding clients' lives beyond finances through the "total relationship" approach. Tyson discusses implementing life plans, wealth plans, and care plans for each client. He also stresses the value of building trust through empathy and personalized service over traditional sales tactics.
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


(0:02) Wealth management and providing meaningful value with Tyson Ray. (1:15) Entrepreneurship, investing, and personal growth. (5:53) Estate planning and prioritizing clients' interests. (11:26) Building a team for a successful financial planning business. (18:20) Finding the right people for a business venture. (20:13) Financial planning, coaching, and client service. (24:27) Building client relationships through empathy and personal connections. (29:29) Personalized financial planning and branding. (35:03) Financial planning and life goals with an advisor. (40:28) Financial planning, funding, and monitoring for clients. (45:30) Branding, marketing, and idolatry in financial planning. (52:27) The value of a relationship book and leaving reviews.  
Connect with Tyson:
 
Website: https://www.totalrelationship.com Email: tyson.ray@formwealth.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Securities through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA / SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc.  FORM Wealth Advisors is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Raymond James and its advisors do not provide tax advice. Podcast guest is Tyson Ray, CEO, Founding Partner, Senior Wealth Advisor at FORM Wealth Advisors. FORM Wealth Advisors is located at 431 Geneva National Ave S, Lake Geneva, WI, 53147; 262-686-3005.

In this episode Eric Negron shares his journey as an entrepreneur and advisor in the industry. He discusses how he structures his time and manages multiple businesses. Eric emphasizes the importance of mindset, character, and activity in achieving success. He recommends collaboration over competition and building a supportive board of mentors. Eric encourages listeners to ask for help and contribute value to others on their personal development journey.
“Ask for help. There's always a book you could read. Somebody that you can talk to and in today's day and age, a YouTube video you could watch or podcast you could listen to. So please ask for help." - Eric Negron
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


Entrepreneurship, ADHD, and mentorship in the advisor space. (0:10) Building a successful financial services business and managing multiple entities. (4:03) Time management and empowering team members. (9:13) Work-life balance and efficient email management. (15:52) Developing a financial advisor's mindset, heart set, and skill set. (23:50) Business success and mindset. (28:34) The benefits of collaboration over competition in the financial industry. (36:31) Building relationships, mentorship, and personal growth. (40:15)  
Connect with Eric:
 
Website: https://forefrontan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericjnegron/  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

In this episode we are joined by Joe Moss to discuss leveraging online communities. Joe enjoys using the Skool platform to create simple yet effective communities for advisors. David suggests advisors could offer community-based courses to complement subscription services. Joe sees potential for advisors to work with multiple clients at once in a group setting. Overall, their discussion focuses on innovative ways for advisors to grow their businesses through community building.
“With a traditional funnel, you've got the top of the funnel, middle of funnel, bottom of funnel, and then the client out the bottom. But a group funnel is where all of your different platforms, all of the ways you're doing marketing, you funnel people towards a free community.” - Joe Moss
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


Building a community for financial advisors and showcasing top tech platforms. (0:10) Leveraging a subscription model and downselling for financial advisors. (14:57) Using LinkedIn data to connect with industry peers and gain exposure. (21:05) Building an audience and network. (26:55) Tim Ferriss' book "Tribe of Mentors" and its insights on success and goal-setting. (34:21)  
Connect with Joe:
 
Website: https://www.skool.com/proadvisorsuite Email: joe@proadvisorsuite.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Arielle Minicozzi-Figueroa is the founder and co-owner of Sphynx Automation, a virtual CTO firm that helps financial advisors gain efficiency and maximize their client impact using technology and automation. In addition to her work with Sphynx, Arielle is a partner and financial planner at Modern Money Advisor, where she focuses on working with young, female professionals. Arielle resides in sunny Arizona with her husband (and business partner) Mark Figueroa, and their cat (the namesake of Sphynx), Nigel.
Arielle Minicozzi joins us to discuss how her company Sphynx Automation helps financial advisors automate tasks like onboarding new clients and gathering documentation. Automating routine work frees up time for advisors to focus on building relationships. Arielle discusses tools like AI transcription, Zapier automations, and pre-populating forms. Compliance considerations with AI were raised. David offered coaching and free automations through Sphynx for advisors who contact him. Overall the discussion focused on leveraging technology to improve efficiency and client experiences.
“There are some things that a human just does better than a computer. But there are a lot of things, data entry for example, that computers will do better and faster than a human.” - Arielle Minicozzi
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


Leveraging technology for financial advisors with Ariel Mina. (0:10) Automating business tasks for financial advisors. (5:11) Automation's impact on business operations and employee roles. (10:21) Automation in financial planning and its impact on time and energy. (13:36) Improving client experience and onboarding process. (20:59) Streamlining onboarding process for financial planning clients. (25:04) AI integration in financial advisor practices. (30:25) AI note-taking, compliance, and time management in business meetings. (35:38) Automation and coaching for financial advisors. (44:53)  
Connect with Arielle:
 
Website: https://www.sphynxautomation.com Email: team@sphynxautomation.com  
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About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.