From Intern to Partner: The Long Game No One Talks About

How He Used Facebook Ads to Build AUM

“My parents went through a divorce and both of them really struggled financially.” (00:31) “I had 450 clients and a little over a billion dollars in assets I was responsible for.” (05:23) “We were getting about 120 prospects a month put on my calendar at one point.” (13:23) “We hit the holy grail with Facebook ads.” (13:53) “I created a sister company for divorce planning so there’s a clear line between services.” (12:56) “We have 200+ people on the waitlist and are adding about 100 a month.” (32:50) Jamie Lima [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamielima/] founded SecureSplit after leaving large firms and launching an RIA in April 2020, two weeks into COVID. Drawing on childhood experience with his parents’ divorce, he niched into divorce financial planning, built a funnel that booked 100+ prospects a month via Facebook ads, then turned that demand into Allegiant and SecureSplit: an AI-enabled, case-management platform that modernizes divorce planning and court-ready outputs.  This episode is a blueprint for niche focus, productizing lived problems, and scaling with purpose. ------------------ Advisor Freedom is the podcast for financial advisors who want to learn what it really takes to build a thriving advisory career & what wealthy clients are actually doing with their money. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conner Young⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-young-856553110/], who launched his own independent RIA firm in 2021, the show shares real stories from advisors who’ve broken away, built their books from scratch, and refined their client service models through experience. Each episode dives into how advisors got started, how they attracted their first clients, the systems they use today, and the best practices that help them grow. We also open the doors to the other side of the table: interviewing high-net-worth investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs about the investments they love, the strategies they use, and the legacy they’re trying to build. Whether you're just launching your RIA, growing your practice, or exploring new ways to create generational impact, Advisor Freedom is your behind-the-scenes guide to building a business and a life of lasting value.

How His Systems Built Around the Right Clients

“What is the worst that happens if I bet on myself?” (02:53) “I’m fee-only and pretty thoughtful about how I grow and who I build around.” (05:45) “Calendar. Cashflow. Balance sheet, that was the framework.” (10:05)  “I’ll show them everything upfront, I’m the worst poker player.” (09:10) “I don’t think I want to build an enterprise, I want to reduce complexity.” (17:53) “One of the best parts is having something that is a reflection of you.” (21:20) “The more we can build each other up, the better off everyone’s gonna be.” (26:05) Brett Koeppel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettkoeppel/], founder of Udaymonia Wealth, left a wirehouse at 30 to build a fee-only RIA focused on retirement transitions. By prioritizing alignment over returns, an anti‑sales intake process, and intentional, bounded growth, he's proving a firm can reflect who you are without chasing scale. ------------------ Advisor Freedom is the podcast for financial advisors who want to learn what it really takes to build a thriving advisory career & what wealthy clients are actually doing with their money. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conner Young⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-young-856553110/], who launched his own independent RIA firm in 2021, the show shares real stories from advisors who’ve broken away, built their books from scratch, and refined their client service models through experience. Each episode dives into how advisors got started, how they attracted their first clients, the systems they use today, and the best practices that help them grow. We also open the doors to the other side of the table: interviewing high-net-worth investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs about the investments they love, the strategies they use, and the legacy they’re trying to build. Whether you're just launching your RIA, growing your practice, or exploring new ways to create generational impact, Advisor Freedom is your behind-the-scenes guide to building a business and a life of lasting value.

How He Turned LinkedIn Posts into 17 New Households This Year

“I was promoted five times in eight years.” (2:27) “I joined Sunpointe with zero clients.” (08:10) “Calendar. Cash flow. Balance sheet. That was the framework.” (10:05) “We added 17 households and all of it primarily was from referrals.” (13:55) “I think that that comes with the work ethic of, you know, if you're dependable and you're trusted, you start to get different flexibilities.” (17:23) “I try to write 15 or 20 posts in an hour…do it every other week.” (21:37) Ben Tuscai [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentuscai/], director of planning at Sunpointe, started in finance to pay student loans, stumbled into Vanguard, and climbed fast despite a rough resume and terrible test-taking. During COVID, his priorities reshaped. Transitioning from wholesaling to planning, and joined Sunpoint with zero clients to build a planning framework around calendar cashflow, and balance sheet.  Now, fully remote he balances fatherhood, content-driven prospecting, and deep planning work. Listen to how Ben adds households through consistency, referrals and showing up for his clients.  ------------------ Advisor Freedom is the podcast for financial advisors who want to learn what it really takes to build a thriving advisory career & what wealthy clients are actually doing with their money. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conner Young⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-young-856553110/], who launched his own independent RIA firm in 2021, the show shares real stories from advisors who’ve broken away, built their books from scratch, and refined their client service models through experience. Each episode dives into how advisors got started, how they attracted their first clients, the systems they use today, and the best practices that help them grow. We also open the doors to the other side of the table: interviewing high-net-worth investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs about the investments they love, the strategies they use, and the legacy they’re trying to build. Whether you're just launching your RIA, growing your practice, or exploring new ways to create generational impact, Advisor Freedom is your behind-the-scenes guide to building a business and a life of lasting value.

One Page, Millions Served: The Story Behind AssetMap

“I wanted high‑resolution satellite imagery to try to trade commodity markets.” (01:25) “I started drawing everything out. By hand. One page.” (05:05) “I tripled my production the first year. Then tripled it again. Then again.” (06:29) “I built confidence in my process, and then I could walk into any meeting.” (13:20) “We lose people because we come in thinking they want an 80‑page report.” (19:31) “If you combine the visual and the auditory, you’ve got 95% of learning.” (20:30) Adam Holt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadamholt/], the founder of AssetMap, walked into financial services by accident, turned a single hand-drawn “financial x‑ray” into a repeatable process, and built a global platform by making complex finances visual, simple, and human.  We cover the moment that changed everything, why clarity beats complexity in client meetings, and how repeatable processes create confidence and growth. [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZWW4FNB] Responsible Entrepreneur Balanced Leader Dad [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZWW4FNB] ------------------ Advisor Freedom is the podcast for financial advisors who want to learn what it really takes to build a thriving advisory career & what wealthy clients are actually doing with their money. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conner Young⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-young-856553110/], who launched his own independent RIA firm in 2021, the show shares real stories from advisors who’ve broken away, built their books from scratch, and refined their client service models through experience. Each episode dives into how advisors got started, how they attracted their first clients, the systems they use today, and the best practices that help them grow. We also open the doors to the other side of the table: interviewing high-net-worth investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs about the investments they love, the strategies they use, and the legacy they’re trying to build. Whether you're just launching your RIA, growing your practice, or exploring new ways to create generational impact, Advisor Freedom is your behind-the-scenes guide to building a business and a life of lasting value.

The Right Way to Start Your RIA Firm

“My grandparents would come over on Saturdays and talk about how their investments performed.” (00:29) “I didn’t want to just look at spreadsheets—I wanted to work with people.” (03:18) “Financial planning felt like the perfect mix of numbers and people.” (03:48) “You can study all you want, but seeing real conversations accelerates everything.” (06:36) “There was no pressure to sell, just pressure to learn.” (08:32) “A lot of younger professionals have high-stakes decisions with very little margin for error.” (15:43) “If I was ever going to take the leap, it had to be before life got more complicated.” (18:09) “I’m not trying to grow fast, I’m trying to grow right.” (19:39) “I want clients to walk away feeling less stressed and more in control.” (25:20) Today’s guest is Chris Arnold [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisarnold20/], founder of Refresh Wealth, and his story starts earlier than most. Not with a job or a degree, but at the kitchen table, listening to his grandparents talk about dividends and investing on Saturdays. That early exposure shaped everything. Chris didn’t rush into production or chase quick wins. He took the long path, from paraplanner to associate advisor, sitting in client meetings from day one and learning how money decisions actually impact real people, without pressure to sell. Along the way, he worked with business owners on succession and legacy planning before shifting into the world of tech professionals, helping clients navigate equity compensation, career moves, and high-stakes financial decisions. Seeing a gap in how those clients were being served, he took the risk and launched Refresh Wealth. Today, he’s building a firm focused on clarity, intentional growth, and helping clients navigate the moments that actually matter. ------------------ Advisor Freedom is the podcast for financial advisors who want to learn what it really takes to build a thriving advisory career & what wealthy clients are actually doing with their money. Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conner Young⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-young-856553110/], who launched his own independent RIA firm in 2021, the show shares real stories from advisors who’ve broken away, built their books from scratch, and refined their client service models through experience. Each episode dives into how advisors got started, how they attracted their first clients, the systems they use today, and the best practices that help them grow. We also open the doors to the other side of the table: interviewing high-net-worth investors, family offices, and entrepreneurs about the investments they love, the strategies they use, and the legacy they’re trying to build. Whether you're just launching your RIA, growing your practice, or exploring new ways to create generational impact, Advisor Freedom is your behind-the-scenes guide to building a business and a life of lasting value.