Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa

Elite Consulting Partners
  • 4.8 (91)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa offers unfiltered guidance and advice for financial advisors, wealth management professionals, and entrepreneurs alike who are interested in maximizing both their business and personal potential. Informed by Frank's unique insights and his personal conversations with industry leaders, the dynamic discussion topics of Advisor Talk include business ownership, leadership, practice management, transition and recruiting, marketing and branding, as well as a host of financial services related topics related to wirehouse, regional, and RIA advisors, firms, and teams. Frank’s goal, and the goal of his team at Elite Consulting Partners, is now as ever to be the go-to resource for actionable information and trusted guidance to elevate you and your career at whatever stage you may be.

  1. 4d ago

    Solo vs Team: What Exception Debt Costs Financial Advisors

    Frank LaRosa says most financial advisors never notice exception debt building until it's already too late. Frank opens with a real client story, an advisor on a team who set clear non-negotiables for the business he wanted, then slowly compromised on them one at a time until he wasn't building anything close to his original vision. That same advisor is now telling Frank he isn't sure he wants his team to come with him when he moves firms. Frank explains why that kind of self-awareness is actually a good sign and why the right answer isn't always joining a bigger team, sometimes it's building a vertical structure with one clear vision at the top. Stacey challenges the idea that every advisor needs partners, breaking down why key person risk still has to be solved for even as a solo practitioner and introducing the idea that what got you here won't necessarily get you where you are trying to go next. The conversation gets personal when Frank and Stacey each share stories about helping advisors finally separate from partnerships that weren't working. Frank recalls playing referee between two wirehouse advisors who wanted completely different things, and Stacey shares how she guided a younger advisor through finally having a hard conversation with a senior partner after six months of hesitation. Frank wraps up with a mentoring story about a young advisor named Dylan, someone he originally told to join a team, then later told to build his own practice instead once he saw his work ethic and winning attitude. The episode closes with a warning worth remembering, firms often push advisors toward teams because it helps their own retention numbers, not necessarily because it is what is best for the advisor.   Questions answered in this episode include: What is exception debt and how does it quietly derail a financial advisor's vision? Should a financial advisor build a team or stay a solo practitioner? What is the difference between a vertical team and a horizontal team? Why do firms push advisors to join teams? What does it mean when people say what got you here won't get you there? How do you know when it's time to part ways with your team? Should a young financial advisor join a team or build their own book of business?   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Exception Debt 01:47 Should You Stay Solo or Join a Team 03:23 What Is Exception Debt 07:54 What Got You Here Won't Get You There 08:56 Sometimes the Team Needs to Break Up 14:48 Bet on Yourself Before You Join a Team 15:50 Why Not Every Practice Needs to Be a Team 19:12 How to Reach Frank and Stacey   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    Solo vs Team: What Exception Debt Costs Financial Advisors

  2. Aug 6

    Your Industry Defining Goal: Why Most Financial Advisors Never Find It

    Frank LaRosa says most financial advisors never take the time to find their industry defining goal. Frank opens by explaining what he calls a workation, time away from the office where real strategic thinking can actually happen. Stacey shares how she caught him working by the pool at five thirty in the morning on their most recent trip and Frank explains how that kind of deliberate space led him to write an entire internal operating playbook after reading eight books in eleven days. That same thinking space is where Frank landed on his industry defining goal, or IDG, a concept similar to the big hairy audacious goal from books like Scaling Up and Traction. Frank explains why a goal like this needs to feel nearly impossible and shares that his own goal is to help one out of every ten financial advisors who move firms. Frank gets personal about applying that framework to his own life, questioning whether the time and money he spends racing is helping or slowing down his progress. Stacey shifts the conversation into practice management, walking through how advisors should audit their client list by tier and why investing more time in fewer high value clients almost always outperforms spreading yourself across everyone. The episode closes with a direct challenge. Stacey lays out why so much of an advisor's success comes down to what they can actually control and Frank adds that once you know better, you cannot place the blame elsewhere. Together they push financial advisors to stop chasing the next move and start figuring out the right move for their business and their life.   Questions answered in this episode include: What is an industry defining goal and how do financial advisors find theirs? Why do financial advisors need a place to think outside their normal routine? How do you know if a personal passion is distracting you from your business goals? Should financial advisors segment their clients by tier? How do you know which clients are actually helping you reach your goals? Why is it important to filter out negative people in your life? What does it mean to make the right move instead of just the next move?   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Your Industry Defining Goal 02:13 Finding a Place to Think Strategically 03:34 Building an Internal Operating Playbook 09:02 What Is an Industry Defining Goal 12:48 Is Your Passion a Distraction From Your Goal 25:01 Auditing Your Clients and the People Around You 31:01 Taking Ownership and Making the Right Move 39:13 How to Reach Frank and Stacey   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    Your Industry Defining Goal: Why Most Financial Advisors Never Find It

  3. Jul 30

    Nobody Is Training Young Advisors Anymore

    Frank LaRosa says the problem with young financial advisors is not work ethic, it is training. Frank opens with a story about a young advisor he has been mentoring, a twenty-three-year-old working on the asset management side at a wirehouse who was outperforming his targets but getting dinged for small administrative mistakes. Frank explains the advice he gave him and why building your own book of business might be the harder but more rewarding path compared to joining an established team. Stacey widens the conversation into something bigger, the age gap opening up in the industry between advisors in their late fifties and sixties and the wave of twenty-three to thirty-year-olds coming in behind them, with almost nobody in the middle. Frank frames it as a barbell problem, pointing out the gap in the middle where mid-career advisors should be and explains why it is creating real opportunity for young advisors, even if most of them do not fully realize it yet. Frank does not soften his opinion on where the real failure sits. He argues that big firms preach hard work while their own people clock out at five and that most of the industry has quietly abandoned the old school training programs that actually produced successful advisors. He breaks down what real training used to look like, why cold calling still works and why rushing new advisors toward designations like the CFP before they understand the business is a mistake he has watched play out for years. The episode wraps with a direct challenge to firm owners and independent practitioners. If you are bringing young people into this business, you owe them a real system and enough time to succeed, not just a desk and a quota.   Questions answered in this episode include: Should a young financial advisor join a team or build their own book of business? What is the age gap problem happening in the financial advisor industry right now? What is the barbell approach and why does it matter for advisor recruiting? Why do old school training programs work better than what most firms offer today? What mistakes do firms make when training young financial advisors? How many cold calls should a trainee financial advisor be making every day? Why is it a mistake to push new advisors toward designations like the CFP too early?   Chapters: 00:58 Introduction: Nobody Is Training Young Advisors Anymore 01:59 The Mentoring Story That Changed Everything 03:19 Wirehouse vs Building It Yourself 08:34 You Don't Know What Hard Work Really Is 17:05 Why Firms Need to Bring Back Old School Training 21:42 Getting Younger Blood Back Into the Business 24:05 The Barbell Problem in Financial Advisor Recruiting 29:10 How to Reach Frank and Stacey   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    Nobody Is Training Young Advisors Anymore

  4. Jul 23

    This Market Won't Last Forever: Why Advisor Deals Are at an All-Time High

    Frank LaRosa has been in this business for thirty-two years and he says he has never seen deals like this. Frank opens by explaining why he cannot see how financial advisor transition deals get any more lucrative than they are right now. Stacey backs that up with the numbers, pointing out that deals sitting at 100 percent of trailing twelve or 100 basis points today were only 40 or 50 just four or five years ago. That is not an opinion, it is math. From there, the conversation turns personal. Frank talks candidly about being in his mid-fifties and watching people his age face serious health scares or pass away without warning. That perspective drives his argument for why advisors with real practices should think seriously about taking chips off the table now, without selling their business, especially since transitions have become dramatically faster than they used to be. Frank also raises a fear a lot of advisors quietly carry, the worry that a new firm could eventually get acquired by the same company they left. Stacey breaks down why advisors still come out ahead in that scenario, since negotiating a move almost always comes with a lower cost of affiliation and a higher payout, meaning the money is already in the bank regardless of what happens years down the road. The episode wraps with a challenge Stacey poses directly, does your family or your spouse actually know about the decision you are making to stay put. Frank follows it up with a story from his branch manager days about closing deals over dinner with a recruit's spouse and why staying exactly where you are is still a decision that deserves a real conversation at home, not silence.   Questions answered in this episode include: Why are financial advisor transition deals at an all-time high right now? What does it mean to take chips off the table without selling your practice? Why is choosing to stay at your current firm still considered a decision? Should advisors worry about their new firm getting acquired down the road? How fast can financial advisors realistically transition their book of business? Why do family conversations matter when deciding whether to move firms? Is complacency costing financial advisors real money right now?   Chapters: 00:52 Introduction: This Market Won't Last Forever 02:54 Why Advisor Deals Are at an All-Time High 04:27 Mortality, Chips Off the Table and Taking Action Now 07:52 Choosing to Stay Is Still a Decision 10:58 The Risk-Reward Gap Advisors Are Ignoring 14:06 Your Head Is in the Sand 18:13 The Family Conversation Every Advisor Needs to Have 23:23 How to Reach Frank and Stacey   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    This Market Won't Last Forever: Why Advisor Deals Are at an All-Time High

  5. Jul 16

    Complacency Is Costing You More Than You Realize

    A client once told Stacey Frank he was losing $20,000 a day by doing nothing. That number changed the whole conversation. Frank and Stacey open by unpacking a real story from one of Stacey's clients, a junior partner at an independent firm stuck with outdated technology, a flat payout and a senior partner unwilling to change. When Stacey ran the math with him, the true cost of staying became impossible to ignore and complacency became the real competitor in the room. From there, the conversation shifts into something more personal. Frank references a recent story about an advisor in his fifties, a founder of a respected RIA, who passed away suddenly. That story becomes the jumping-off point for a bigger conversation about financial advisor transitions, why payouts and transition deals are at an all-time high right now and why waiting to explore your options carries real risk. Frank also breaks down dual monetization, a concept he has trademarked, where advisors sell their practice to a W2 firm, keep running the business, grow it further and then sell it again years later. He walks through real-world numbers, including a three-million-dollar producer who turned a transition deal into twelve million dollars upfront while still earning over a million dollars a year running the business. The episode wraps with a challenge every advisor needs to hear. Staying exactly where you are is still a decision and it is one that deserves the same scrutiny advisors give their own clients every single year.   Questions answered in this episode include: What is complacency actually costing financial advisors every day? Why are transition deals and payouts at an all-time high right now? What is dual monetization and how does it work? Should advisors consider moving from a 1099 practice to a W2 firm? How do advisors calculate the true cost of staying at their current firm? What happens to a financial advisor's practice valuation if something happens to them unexpectedly? Why is making no decision still considered a decision?   Chapters: 01:04 Introduction: Complacency Is Costing You More Than You Realize 02:11 The $20,000-a-Day Wake-Up Call 05:27 When an Advisor's Death Changes the Conversation 08:19 Why Transition Deals and Payouts Are at an All-Time High 09:57 The W2 Acquisition Trend Advisors Aren't Talking About 14:39 Introducing Dual Monetization 17:06 Why Staying Put Is Still a Decision 18:16 How to Reach Frank and Stacey   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    Complacency Is Costing You More Than You Realize

  6. Jul 9

    To Build an OSJ or Not to Build: The Mistake Costing You Your Multiple

    Building an OSJ sounds like the obvious move if you want a bigger valuation. Frank LaRosa says that logic is exactly what's costing advisors their multiple. Frank and Stacey open with a question most advisors never actually ask themselves before recruiting other advisors into their practice. What is your unique ability and is managing people part of it? Frank shares a story from a coaching client who built out an OSJ, then found himself spending his day solving other people's problems instead of doing the work that made him successful in the first place. That shift from servicing clients to servicing advisors is one of the biggest hidden costs in this model. From there, the conversation turns to ownership. Frank explains why collecting an override on another advisor's business will never get you the same financial advisor multiple as owning the revenue outright and why some of the most successful firms in the industry deliberately choose not to play that game. The episode wraps with a challenge for any advisor thinking about their next move. Stop building toward what you think you're supposed to build and start building around what you're actually great at.   Questions answered in this episode include: What is your unique ability as a financial advisor? Should you build an OSJ or focus on growing your own practice? What's the difference between owning revenue and owning an override? Why do advisors get a lower multiple when they don't own the underlying business? What's the difference between a vertical business and a horizontal business? Why are financial advisors more demanding to service than clients? How do you decide what your business should look like as it grows?   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: To Build an OSJ or Not to Build 01:10 What Is Your Unique Ability as an Advisor 03:23 Why an OSJ Has to Earn Your Trust Every Day 06:43 The Multiple Advisors Are Leaving on the Table 07:31 Vertical Business vs Horizontal Business 12:55 Don't Get Trapped by the Enterprise Fad 14:13 Do What You Love or Make Money Being Miserable 17:23 How to Reach Elite Consulting Partners   Learn more about Elite and our resources: - Elite Consulting Partners: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com - Elite Marketing Concepts: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com - Elite Advisor Successions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com - JEDI Database Solutions: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com - Elite Wealth Management Insights Report: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report - Listen to more: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-consulting-partners/

    To Build an OSJ or Not to Build: The Mistake Costing You Your Multiple

  7. Jul 2

    Hire Slow Fire Fast: The $400,000 Lesson We Learned

    Some decisions get more expensive the longer you wait to make them. Frank LaRosa and Stacey Frank open up about the cost of holding on to people too long, whether that is an employee, a junior partner or even a client who drains more energy than they are worth. Frank breaks down how his firm used data to identify which new hires were likely to succeed and which ones were not, a process that ended up saving the company over $400,000 in a single year. They walk through the honeymoon phase every new hire goes through, why the first ninety days can be misleading and how watching what someone does matters more than listening to what they say. Frank shares a personal story about hiring someone for a leadership role, sensing early on that it was not the right fit and eventually having to call that person into his office and own the mistake himself. The conversation moves into the ripple effect negativity has on a team, including a story about a three million dollar producing team that left the firm and the surprising relief that followed. Frank and Stacey also discuss the moment every advisor eventually faces, realizing someone who once helped the business grow can no longer help it get to the next level.   Questions answered in this episode include: Why does hire slow fire fast actually save money instead of costing it? How do you tell the difference between a rough first ninety days and a real red flag? What is the qualitative side of managing people that most owners overlook? How do you know when your gut instinct is telling you something real? What should you say to someone when you admit you made a hiring mistake? How do negative team members affect productivity even when they are still performing? When does a good employee stop being the right fit for where your business is going?   Chapters: 00:00:58 Believe Them The First Time 00:02:49 No Good Deed Goes Unpunished 00:05:52 The $400,000 Hire Slow Fire Fast Lesson 00:07:45 Watch Their Feet Not Their Words 00:11:57 Your Gut Instinct Is Trying To Tell You Something 00:14:08 Owning The Mistake And Letting Someone Go 00:20:37 Booster Rockets And Knowing When People Move On 00:22:20 The Day The Negativity Left The Office   Learn more about Elite and our resources: Elite Consulting Partners | Financial Advisor Transitions https://eliteconsultingpartners.com Elite Marketing Concepts | Marketing Services for Financial Advisors https://elitemarketingconcepts.com Elite Advisor Successions | Advisor Mergers and Acquisitions https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com JEDI Database Solutions | Technology Solutions for Advisors https://jedidatabasesolutions.com Elite Wealth Management Insights Report https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/insight-report Listen to more Advisor Talk episodes https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/

    Hire Slow Fire Fast: The $400,000 Lesson We Learned

  8. Jun 25 ·  Bonus

    Greatest Hits: Direct Affiliation vs. OSJ - Which Model Is Right for You?

    Key topics include: -The core differences between direct affiliation and OSJ / enterprise models. -Why payout percentages don’t tell the full financial story. -How scale, support, and service models impact long-term net income. -When outsourcing operations can accelerate growth - and when it doesn’t. -How larger teams and solo practitioners should think differently about affiliation. -Why affiliation decisions are business decisions, not just platform decisions. Whether you’re considering independence for the first time, reassessing your current setup, or planning your next stage of growth, this episode offers a clear, practical framework to help you evaluate your options and avoid costly mistakes. Learn more about our companies and resources: -Elite Consulting Partners | Financial Advisor Transitions: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com -Elite Marketing Concepts | Marketing Services for Financial Advisors: https://elitemarketingconcepts.com -Elite Advisor Successions | Advisor Mergers and Acquisitions: https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com -JEDI Database Solutions | Technology Solutions for Advisors: https://jedidatabasesolutions.com   Listen to more Advisor Talk episodes: https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/

    Greatest Hits: Direct Affiliation vs. OSJ - Which Model Is Right for You?
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4.8
out of 5
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About

Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa offers unfiltered guidance and advice for financial advisors, wealth management professionals, and entrepreneurs alike who are interested in maximizing both their business and personal potential. Informed by Frank's unique insights and his personal conversations with industry leaders, the dynamic discussion topics of Advisor Talk include business ownership, leadership, practice management, transition and recruiting, marketing and branding, as well as a host of financial services related topics related to wirehouse, regional, and RIA advisors, firms, and teams. Frank’s goal, and the goal of his team at Elite Consulting Partners, is now as ever to be the go-to resource for actionable information and trusted guidance to elevate you and your career at whatever stage you may be.

Information

  • Creator
    Elite Consulting Partners
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    352
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Elite Consulting Partners
  • Show Website
    Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa

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