by Jim Stackpool | Aug 17, 2026 | Leadership
Last month I ran an executive planning session for a Canberra-based advice firm. There were five in the executive team. They have about forty staff, and we had a day for planning. I start these sessions the same way. Before any planning, any numbers, I ask each exec...
by Jim Stackpool | Jul 28, 2026 | Business Performance, Leadership
I ran a pricing session recently with an advice team under-pricing nearly half their client base. Nothing unusual there, most comprehensive advice teams are. What was interesting was the discussion with the newest adviser at the end of the table, Lisa. She has been in...
by Hayley Hoile | Jul 7, 2026 | Leadership, Value Proposition
Simon and Ben merged their advice firms eighteen months ago. The first twelve months were much harder than expected. Two reasons. Firstly, they predictably underestimated the HR effort. The new merged group has eight people locally with two international team members...
by Jim Stackpool | Jun 29, 2026 | Client Offerings, Leadership, Pricing Advice, Value Proposition
Two directors in a Toowoomba advice firm are having hard conversations. Their long-term clients, some going back fifteen, twenty years, are being told that access to them today costs more than it did last year. Most are paying the increase. Two other directors in the...
by Jim Stackpool | Jun 1, 2026 | Business Performance, Consultative Approach, Leadership, Pricing Advice, Value Proposition
Many senior advisers at advice firms cling to a quiet but often false assumption. They usually don’t say it out loud. It’s a very influential assumption. Particularly in client meetings, discussing workflows, and when making hiring decisions. The assumption is this:...
by Jim Stackpool | May 19, 2026 | Client Offerings, Leadership, Mindsets, Pricing Advice
Grant didn’t set out to build a big firm. Twenty-three years ago, his plan was simple. Help people who need it. Be the financial expert his clients could rely on. That’s all he focused on. Success, reputation and returns would follow. He never used words like...
