The Efficient Advisor: Tactical Business Advice for Financial Planners

If you only had 20 minutes to diagnose why your advisory firm feels chaotic, where would you look first? In this episode, Libby walks you through the same rapid-fire audit she uses to identify the biggest operational bottlenecks inside an advisory practice. Instead of focusing on working harder or becoming more disciplined, you'll learn how to quickly pinpoint the systems that are creating unnecessary stress, consuming your time, and keeping you stuck as the bottleneck in your business. 

By the end of this episode, you'll have a simple framework you can use to perform your own 20-minute operational a...

If you've ever wondered whether Systems to Scale Group Coaching is the right next step for your business, this episode is for you. Libby pulls back the curtain on exactly who the program is designed for, who should wait, and why so many successful advisors eventually realize they don't have a revenue problem—they have a capacity problem. You'll hear the philosophy behind the program, what transformation advisors can expect over the 10-month coaching experience, and answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about how the program works, what the commitment looks like, and what you can ex...

If you've ever looked around your business and thought, "I know I need better systems, but I have no idea where to start," this episode is for you. In today's conversation, Libby shares one of the most impactful exercises from a recent CEO Day with her alumni community—an exercise that gives advisors immediate clarity on where to focus next. Instead of chasing every new idea, you'll learn how to identify the one or two processes that will create the biggest impact in your business over the next 90 days.

In this episode, you'll learn:

One of the biggest mistakes I see growing advisory firms make is waiting too long to define roles and responsibilities. When your team is small, it's easy for everyone to pitch in wherever needed. But as your firm grows, those blurry lines quickly turn into confusion, duplicated work, bottlenecks, and frustration.

In this episode, I share one of the exercises we teach inside our Systems to Scale Group Coaching Program that helps advisors create clear job roles before they become a problem. 

You'll learn why well-defined roles aren't about creating bureaucracy—they're about giving your tea...

Today, I am sharing one simple process that transformed our client experience, helped us stay on schedule, reduced unnecessary follow-up meetings, and ensured we walked into every meeting fully prepared. If you've ever had a client bring up a major planning question with five minutes left on the clock, this system is for you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If you've ever wondered whether a three-day workweek is actually possible as a financial advisor, this episode is your practical roadmap. In Part 2 of this series, I move beyond the story of how I built my business and dive into exactly what it takes to intentionally reduce your schedule without sacrificing client experience or business growth. From annual planning rhythms to delegation, systems, and CEO thinking, I break down the step-by-step framework I would follow if I were building toward a three-day workweek all over again.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If you're anything like most financial advisors, you've collected hundreds of valuable resources over the years: articles, calculators, PDFs, client-friendly graphics, and planning tools. But if they're scattered across bookmarks, downloads, and random folders, they're almost impossible to find when you actually need them. 

In this episode, I share one of the simplest organizational systems I've seen for creating a searchable planning resource library, inspired by one of the incredible advisors in our Systems to Scale alumni community. This easy-to-implement idea will save you time, reduce frustration, and make it easier to deliver value to clients.

If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to build a successful advisory firm while working fewer hours, this episode pulls back the curtain. After receiving more than 80 questions from advisors, I'm sharing the honest story behind my three-day workweek. From the systems and team structure that made it possible to the mistakes, trade-offs, and mindset shifts along the way, this is the first of a two-part series that dives into exactly how I redesigned my business to support the life I wanted instead of the other way around.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If there's one thing every financial advisor says they value, it's time. But when it comes to running our own businesses, many of us make decisions that protect our bank account while quietly sacrificing months or even years of our lives. In this episode, I challenge that mindset and explore why buying speed, guidance, and systems is often one of the smartest investments you can make. I'll walk through a simple way to evaluate the true cost of waiting and share a practical exercise to help you stop trading time for unnecessary trial and error.

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This week, I'm joined once again by Adam Holt, founder of Asset-Map, for a conversation every advisor needs to hear. We dive into one of the biggest challenges facing advisory firms today: technology adoption. It's easy to get excited about a new tool, but it's much harder to fully integrate it into your business and unlock its true value. We talk about why so many advisors end up underutilizing the software they already own, how successful firms approach implementation differently, and what it really takes to become a student of the tools that can help you scale.

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One of the hardest conversations advisors have is about changing expectations with long-time clients. If you've created (or maybe inherited) a service model that's packed with quarterly meetings simply because "that's how it's always been," this episode will help you rethink what truly delivers value. I'll share a simple client script you can use to confidently transition appropriate clients to fewer meetings while strengthening—not weakening—the relationship.

In this episode you will learn: 

As advisors, we spend a lot of time working in the business—but not nearly enough time working on the business. 

In this episode, Libby pulls back the curtain on the exact quarterly CEO Day framework she recently led for her Systems to Scale alumni community. With Q2 coming to a close, she shares how to create the space for strategic thinking, avoid turning your CEO time into a glorified catch-up day, and walk away with a clear plan for the next 90 days. Whether you're a solo advisor or leading a growing team, this episode will help you...

If you've ever struggled to come up with meaningful gifts, memorable client experiences, or even remember the little details that matter most to your clients, this episode is for you. In this Efficient Friday episode, Libby dives into the power of building a Client Intel Process—a simple but powerful system for gathering, storing, and using personal information to deepen relationships and create remarkable client experiences. 

More importantly, she shares the common mistakes advisors make when collecting client intel and how to avoid turning something thoughtful into something transactional. Based on conversations from a live Q&A wit...

What if you could get back 100 to 200+ hours a year without sacrificing the quality of your investment management?

In this episode, Libby sits down with Darol Ryan, Managing Partner of Main Management, to discuss one of the biggest hidden time drains in many advisory firms: portfolio management. From researching investments and preparing for review meetings to managing custom portfolios and rebalancing accounts, advisors often spend countless hours on work that may no longer be the highest and best use of their time. Together, they explore how custom model portfolios can help advisors create scale, increase consistency, and...

As the end of the quarter approaches and the halfway point of the year comes into focus, many advisors are planning CEO Days to step back and think strategically about their businesses. But before you jump into goal-setting, planning, and big-picture thinking, there’s one important step that can dramatically improve the quality of your strategic work. In this episode, Libby shares why an Admin Day—or at least a few dedicated admin hours—should come before every CEO Day and how clearing mental clutter creates the space for better decisions, deeper thinking, and more productive strategy sessions.

In t...

Efficiency is one of the most common goals financial advisors share, but very few can actually define what it means—or measure it. In this episode, Libby challenges the traditional metrics advisors often use to gauge success and introduces four simple KPIs that provide a much clearer picture of productivity, efficiency, and scalability. If you've ever wondered whether you're truly building a business that gives you more freedom, more impact, and better results without simply working longer hours, this episode will help you start tracking what really matters.

In this episode, you'll learn:

If you've been listening to the podcast lately, you know we've been talking a lot about client experience, onboarding, and the first 100 days. And this week, I’m coming to you from the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, where I’m speaking at a conference and taking notes on one of the most recognized customer experience brands in the world. As I’ve watched the little details and thoughtful touches that make the Ritz-Carlton experience so memorable, I couldn’t help but think about how easily many of those same principles can be applied inside an advisory firm. In this episode, I’m brea...

In this episode, Libby sits down with Summer Webb from American Estate & Trust to unpack what alternatives actually are, why more advisors are exploring them, and how firms can offer these types of investments in a more streamlined and compliant way. Whether you're completely new to alternatives or already managing some private investments for clients, this conversation helps demystify the process and explores what it can look like to bring more sophisticated solutions into your practice without losing efficiency.

In this episode, you will learn:

When onboarding feels chaotic behind the scenes, clients feel it too. In this episode, Libby breaks down one of the simplest yet most powerful systems she ever implemented to reduce client anxiety, improve communication, and create a more professional onboarding experience: the weekly client update email, also known as the “Domino’s Pizza Tracker” for your practice. Drawing from real-world lessons and a major onboarding mishap, she shares how proactive communication can completely transform how clients experience those critical first 30 days.

You’ll hear practical ways to keep clients informed without overwhelming them, how to create more accounta...

In this episode, we’re diving into one what can be one of the biggest friction points of the onboarding process: helping clients gracefully leave their previous financial advisor. While most advisors focus on paperwork and transfers, this conversation is all about the psychology behind the transition and how small process tweaks can dramatically reduce friction, hesitation, and transfer delays. You’ll learn how to create a more concierge-level onboarding experience by equipping clients with the language, confidence, and support they need during a vulnerable stage of the relationship.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why th...

In today’s episode, Libby breaks down exactly what The First 100 Days course is, who it’s designed for, and why a remarkable onboarding experience can completely transform a financial advisory business. From creating smoother operations to increasing referrals and client retention, this episode gives advisors a behind-the-scenes look at how intentional onboarding impacts every stage of the client relationship.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The GOAT is here!!! If you’ve ever referenced client experience, onboarding, or retention in your business, you’ve probably already felt his influence. This conversation goes deep into why the first 100 days matter more than most advisors realize, and why so many businesses are leaking clients before they ever have a chance to become long-term relationships. If you’ve ever thought “our onboarding is fine,” this episode might challenge that in the best possible way.

Today’s episode is a powerful reminder that even the best financial planning recommendations can be overshadowed by a broken onboarding experience. Libby shares the story of how a process mistake during a client onboarding led to losing a nearly $2 million account — and the lessons advisors can take away to create smoother, more intentional client experiences during the first 100 days.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

In this episode, Libby sits down with advisor Aaron Schmerling to unpack what happens when you take a process most advisors overlook and turn it into a strategic advantage. 

Aaron shares how his business was already successful and growing, but like many advisors, he hadn’t given much intentional thought to the onboarding experience. After being introduced to the First 100 Days framework, he began implementing a few key changes and quickly realized the impact on both his client experience and internal efficiency. From reducing delays in paperwork to creating a more engaging and confidence-building experience for clients, thi...

It’s not just *what* you give, it’s *when* you give it. And that timing alone can completely change how your client perceives your gift or gesture. 

In this episode, we’re breaking down a counterintuitive but powerful approach to client gifting that helps you move from transactional relationships to deeply personal client connections. You’ll learn how to use timing, intention, and personalization to make your clients feel seen, valued, and remembered for the right reasons. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your client experience feel more meaningful without just adding more “stuff,” this one’s for...

In this episode, I’m getting really tactical about what delegation actually looks like in real life—not just the idea of it. I’m joined again by Kyle Willis  from Belay, and we’re breaking down exactly what you can hand off to a virtual assistant, how to do it, and what changes when you stop trying to do everything yourself.

I share what I’m seeing inside my coaching programs as advisors step into the CEO role—building processes, defining responsibilities, and then hitting that very real question: “Okay, but how do I actually delegate this?”

Wh...

Have you ever noticed how polished and proactive your process feels when you’re winning a new client… and then how it subtly shifts once the paperwork is signed? In this episode, we’re digging into what really happens in that first 100 days after a client says yes, and why it might be the most overlooked and highest-impact part of your entire business. If you’ve ever felt like your onboarding is “fine” but could be better, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what’s possible and show you what happens when you design that experience with intention instead of let...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re the bottleneck in your business, or like you just need a few more hours in the day to get everything done, this episode is going to challenge that thinking. In this conversation, we unpack the real cost of trying to do it all on your own and explore what it actually looks like to buy back your time in a way that moves both your business and your life forward. From delegation to decision-making to stepping into your role as CEO, this episode is all about helping you create more capacity with...

If you’ve ever had a client ask for something and your immediate reaction was “ugh… I really don’t want to do that,” but then you said yes anyway… this episode is for you. We’re talking about one of the most important skills for advisors: how to say no without making it weird, without damaging the relationship, and without creating a bunch of friction in your business.

In this episode, we’ll discuss: 

In this episode, we dive into the future of client communication for financial advisors. Tom Fields shares how combining technology, AI, and a client-first mindset can transform the advisory experience through a white-labeled app. From streamlining workflows to keeping clients genuinely engaged, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for advisors ready to elevate their practice.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

There’s a phrase that shows up in a lot of advisory firms that seems harmless on the surface, but quietly creates friction in both the team dynamic and the client experience. In this episode, we unpack why the term “junior advisor” might be doing more damage than you realize and how small language shifts can have a big impact on trust, confidence, and the way your clients perceive your team.

In this short but impactful episode, Libby shares two simple yet powerful phrases that can completely change the way you communicate with clients, guide conversations, and ultimately drive better outcomes. Inspired by real coaching conversations and even insights from psychology, these small language shifts can help you set boundaries, reduce resistance, and lead clients more effectively. She also opens with an important reminder for advisors who feel behind in their business—growth requires evolution, and it is okay to build systems as you go. 

In this episode, we’re flipping the script on how financial advisors approach growth and process-building. Instead of chasing perfection or trying to build everything at once, you’ll hear why thinking smaller is actually the fastest way to make meaningful progress. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start, this conversation will give you a practical and refreshing way forward.

In this episode you will learn:

There are two types of advisors heading into Q2: those stuck in reactive mode, feeling busy but behind, and those who intentionally step back to lead their business forward. In this episode, Libby walks through what it actually looks like to shift into CEO mode by conducting a quarterly business review. Drawing from her own recent CEO retreat, she breaks down simple but powerful ways advisors can step out of the day-to-day, recalibrate their priorities, and make smarter decisions about where to focus next. This is about getting out of the weeds long enough to design a business that...

If you’ve ever wondered why some advisors seem to keep leveling up no matter how successful they already are, this episode is a powerful reminder that it’s not about knowing more—it’s about staying open. After speaking to a room full of elite, top-performing advisors, I walked away noticing a shared trait: they’re relentlessly coachable, curious, and willing to tweak even what’s already working.

In this episode you will learn:

This episode dives into a powerful and often overlooked strategy for financial advisors: using targeted digital marketing to consistently attract high-net-worth clients. Through a real-world case study, you’ll hear how a repeatable system using short-form video ads can generate meaningful conversations with qualified prospects every single week. The discussion highlights not only the marketing strategy itself, but also the importance of clarity in messaging, operational readiness, and long-term commitment to growth.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: 

Imagine your inbox is multiplying like rabbits, your calendar looks like a jigsaw puzzle, and every client seems to need you yesterday. Overwhelm is real, especially for financial advisors juggling tax season, client requests, and life outside the office. In this episode, Libby Greiwe walks you through practical strategies to regain clarity, take control of your time, and move from feeling paralyzed to feeling empowered and productive.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Bartenstein (President) and Scott Wilson (Senior Managing Partner), the co-founders of Kestra Private Wealth Services, to explore how the industry has evolved over time and what independence looks like now. From their early days at broker dealers to leadership roles at major wirehouses, they share the pivotal moments that led them to build a business centered around the advisor-client relationship. We talk through the challenges advisors face within traditional firm structures and what it really takes to transition into a more supported, independent model.

In this episode you’ll le...

In this episode, Libby explores one of the most common sources of friction inside advisory firms: the homework advisors give their clients. While assigning tasks like uploading statements, linking accounts, or completing paperwork may seem efficient from the advisor’s perspective, it often slows the process down and creates frustration for clients who already have full, busy lives. Libby shares practical examples from her own firm and her First 100 Days onboarding framework to explain why client homework creates drag in the planning process and how advisors can redesign their workflows to make doing business easier for clients.

In this episode, Libby and Robyn Crane tackle a topic that makes a lot of advisors uncomfortable: referrals. But instead of rehashing outdated scripts or awkward one-liners, this conversation goes much deeper into the psychology behind why clients do or do not refer, what makes referral conversations actually work, and how advisors can position themselves to attract better-fit clients more consistently. They also explore the connection between capacity, client experience, messaging, and marketing, making this a valuable episode for advisors who want to grow intentionally instead of just hoping the next introduction shows up.