Success stories.

“I remember my initial call with Mary Atwood like it was yesterday. I took the call thinking, ‘I'm super busy, but let me at least hear her out.’ I'm glad I took the call. Mary proved to be a wealth of knowledge and has provided tremendous insight, clarity, and knowledge about our industry and is helping me become a better version of myself. If you ever get the chance to speak with Mary, take the call!”

A phone call at exactly the right time.

The frustration in the advisor’s voice on the phone was palpable, “I feel like a frog in hot water. Does my current firm think the heat they are putting on me to sign a non-compete is going to work? Do they believe I will not jump? Have they forgotten who has the relationship with these clients?”

Affiliated with a wire house, this South Carolina gentleman was a former Marine who would not be intimidated. He wanted out of his current situation and while Mary Atwood could relate to his frustration, her job was to slow things down and clarify what he wanted from his next relationship with a broker dealer. She had a lot of questions. What was his vision for his firm? He was in his late fifties, so should succession planning be part of the equation? What were his non-negotiables? What absolutely needed to be a part of his next move or what absolutely could not be a part of it? What obstacles did he see in achieving his vision? What strengths could he marshal to overcome those obstacles?

When Atwood helped her client set the focus on the future and how best to proceed, things started to fall into place quickly. She determined that the best place for him was in the independent channel. She recommended that he talk with three hybrid broker dealers out of the more than 40 broker dealers with whom Advisor Consulting Hub has relationships.

The evaluation process took nearly three months. Atwood impressed upon her client that they could proceed quickly, or they could do it right. Doing it right was a unanimous decision. Today, the advisor’s business is flourishing. He had his most profitable year ever in 2020. His son has joined the firm and is positioned to carry on his father’s legacy through a succession plan.

“Mary and her team truly understand how to find individuals and teams that fit our values and culture. Advisor Consulting Hub has been an invaluable partner in the growth of our firm.”

Building staff and relationships hand in hand.

An Atlanta-based OSJ principal, with district offices in Florida and Nevada, looking to grow its footprint, had this to say, “I have worked with other recruiting firms and most of them are very transactional. They waste my time with advisors who don’t meet our criteria and don’t align with our culture. How are you different?”

Acknowledging the owner’s concerns, Mary Atwood explained that Advisor Consulting Hub’s approach to working with firms like his entails far more than matching a company with a job description Rather, it involves a deep dive to really understand the firm’s value proposition and culture. Deploying her firm’s unique approach to identifying talent, Atwood’s goal was to build a partnership with her new client and save valuable time by adding the right people to his team.

Having worked together for almost three years, Atwood has been instrumental in hiring 11 advisors, three managing directors, a district manager for the Florida office, a chief operating officer and a brokerage manager. In that time, the firm has tripled its revenue and the owner’s vision is being realized.

"I recently contacted Mary and told her about a book I had just read, Who Not How by Dan Sullivan. In the book I learned that when I had a new goal for growing the business, I was asking myself the wrong question. Instead of asking, ‘How do I do this?’ I needed to ask myself, ‘Who can do this?’ I realized in that moment that Mary and her team were my WHOs!”

A match made in Wisconsin.

The owner of a Wisconsin-based investment management firm in pursuit of continued growth and expansion, lamented, “We have been trying to find a registered client services associate for almost a year. We have run ads on Indeed and other sites but have had no luck. We know what qualities we are looking for in a candidate, but qualified individuals are not responding to our ads. How would Advisor Consulting Hub approach this search? I have never worked with a recruiting firm. What if I hire someone, and the person is not the right fit?” For the owner, hiring additional team members was imperative; the alternative was losing people because of burnout.

The recruitment process started with a Zoom call with the entire management team. Mary Atwood wanted to hear from each of them and understand why their attempts to find the right candidate had failed. She asked team participants to articulate their culture and value proposition. She described Advisor Consulting Hub’s process in detail to help them feel comfortable and understand how its approach goes beyond their capabilities. She also explained her firm’s service guarantee: In the first 90 days, if a candidate is not the right fit, the recruiting fee is refunded in full.

It took two months, but Atwood found the right candidate. The candidate was thrilled because this was a great opportunity for him to learn from a veteran in the financial services industry. The team was excited because the candidate was a great fit for their culture, and they would receive much-needed relief from the mounting workload as their firm continues to grow and expand.