Merrill Breakaway Advisor Roundtable: How to Recreate the Community, Culture, Camaraderie, and Competitive Spirit of the Wirehouses

Allan Boomer, the CIO of Momentum Advisors, shares his journey from a working-class background to an internship at Merrill and later landing at Goldman. In this episode, he discusses leaving Goldman to gain the ability to act as a true fiduciary in independence, the role of diversity as his “superpower,” his vision for a “100-year business,” his focus on long-term growth, and more.

Susan McKenna, CEO of eMoney, explores the fintech firm’s evolution, competitive edge, and the role of technology in wealth management. She discusses how eMoney’s tools foster client conversations and enhance experiences, shares insights on the future, and more.

Dylan O’Shea offers a unique perspective from a growing advisor with a long runway who could have easily opted for a transition check but instead chose independence. He discusses why he joined Quorum Private Wealth, the value of their shared vision, infrastructure, and more.

Advisors often face the fear of the unknown, feeling dissatisfied but stuck in “what ifs.” Erin Rocchio, coach and Managing Partner at Evolution, joins Mindy Diamond to share strategies that help advisors break free of this inertia, acknowledge fear, and open their minds to transformational change.

Many advisors are drawn to independence for the control and equity-building potential it offers, yet find themselves wondering if monetization in the short term might be the better way to go. Jason Diamond and Mindy Diamond provide insights and guidelines to help advisors navigate these choices with strategies to assess factors like growth, profitability, succession planning, and short- vs. long-term goals.

Realizing common behavior gaps led Carl Richards to explore ways to simplify financial concepts and processes for clients. As a result, he’s become an industry thought leader who offers a unique perspective on the true value of an advisor and how to access that to better serve clients and foster growth.

Nate Harris recognized that the firm he first built his business at no longer aligned with what he deemed as his North Star. After extensive soul searching and due diligence, he decided to leave his team at Merrill and opted for the independent broker dealer model, which he felt would allow him to achieve all he desired and then some.

Justin Berman shows that change is constant. After leaving Goldman Sachs in 2010 and growing his business from $1B to $5B in 10 years, he sought greater impact. He merged with Cresset Asset Management, boosting revenue from $17M to $27M in just 3 years.

Three Merrill breakaways offer unique perspectives on the process of considering change, life outside the wirehouse, and filling the gaps that one might experience when leaving a big brand name behind to become an independent business owner.

Jason Diamond turns the tables on Mindy who offers a first-hand glimpse into her book, Should I Stay or Should I Go?, created specifically for financial advisors who are looking to optimize their businesses or thinking through the biggest decision of their lives.