90 Days to Stop Wondering If You Should Leave
If you already suspect your platform isn’t the long-term fit, here’s the blunt advice: don’t wait until you’re twice as big to explore options. It won’t get easier, despite the larger recruiting offers you will likely get.
More scale adds friction: more clients to re-paper, more staff to retrain, more systems to migrate, and more change-management risk. The same concerns that made you pause today will look bigger, not smaller, after another growth spurt.
That’s why I think it’s extremely wise for advisors to get a pulse check on the market and what is out there, well before you’re “fed up” with unreliable technology or underwhelming support.
That’s why I challenge discontent advisors to try a 90-day focused plan. It doesn't suck up your time if you do this with support, and the better part is that it's free. Quite literally.
Here is the 90-day “look around” plan I walk advisors through.
Days 1 to 15: Revisit your expectations
In the first meeting, we define what variables you have the ability to control through the firms you partner with. We identify what you consider to be non-negotiable and then conduct a tiered assessment of what your additional preferences are. One of the most interesting parts of this exercise is when we assess your current firm and how well it stacks up against the kind of business you would build if you had complete freedom.
Also, just note here that if you don't have this articulated, every pitch deck will be harder to assess. The central point of reference should be what you want, not what firms are offering.
Days 16 to 45: Revisit Your Options
There are two main portions of examining your paths. The first one is identifying the High-level model that fits you best, such as:
Joining an existing RIA
Affiliating with an OSJ
Moving to a boutique broker-dealer
Or if you really can’t find what you want, start an RIA
These conversations revolve around both the short-term transition support and the long-term economics and scalability.
As we narrow down the best model for you, we then look at specific firms. Working with someone like me makes a huge difference because I can accelerate the process of helping you find firms that fit your preferences. If there is enough interest, we can walk through the introduction process. At the very least, we get a closer, very discreet look at what else is out there.
Days 46 to 70: Modeling
Build a “today versus tomorrow” profit and loss statement. Map the transition: repapering, data, staffing, and client messaging. Create a client-impact matrix that sequences high-touch clients first and plans for sensitive transitions carefully. We don't need to over-engineer this, but we need to give you enough clarity to understand just how different the math turns out when you're talking about payouts, support, and the ability to grow.
Days 71 to 90: Decision Hygiene
Sleep on it twice. Pressure-test the plan with two people who don’t get paid either way. If the answer is “not now,” schedule your next review date and write down what would change your mind.
A Few Final Thoughts
Keep perspective. You don’t need to move. You need to know. The point of this 90-day plan is to replace vague frustration with concrete facts. It's easy to waste a lot of time wondering if there is something better out there, or even worse, engaging in some research without useful conclusions. The day you’re ready, you’ll move with confidence instead of adrenaline. The future version of your business will thank you for not kicking this can down a bigger road.
I'm here to help you accelerate this process and remove the time-consuming stress. A call with me is free, fully discreet, and one of the best investments of time you can make in your business.