BRIAN HAMBURGER: Through Market Council, we consult with investment advisors, and those who are looking to become investment advisors. We talk to them about the movement into independence, and how to create an investment advisor. We talk to them about building of businesses and recruiting of new talent to the firms. We talk to them about protecting the firms once they have it built, and to gaining efficiencies. And then thereafter, we talk to them about where the firm is headed, and help them with strategic issues.
Now the folks who are really intrigued by independence aren't only those that dreamt of entrepreneurship, but they now include those that were willing, are willing, to be entrepreneurs. They're willing to be entrepreneurs because it means something better for them, for their teams, and primarily, at the end of the day, it means something better for their clients.
But when advisors are coming to us, they're not coming to us as a blank slate. They are coming to us packed with questions, and information, and unfortunately, a good deal of misinformation. And so they're coming to us and they're saying, so here's what I want to do and here's how I want to do it, and here's when I want to do it. And we're saying, timeout. Timeout. Let's start with the end. Close your eyes and what does this look like at the end? What does this look like to your clients? What does this look like to your team? How are you making this announcement? And we'll work backwards. We've done this before. We can draft off of that experience and we can get you there. But you're not going to direct this movie. This is one that we have to direct. You just tell us what you want it to look like.
The one thing I wish that advisors looking to become independent really understood is that they sit in a really unique position to take decades that they've spent in a really meaningful career, and just leverage that to the hilt. Finally, turn that into being an expert in your craft to being a business owner that's able to make decisions that impact a team. Being part of a group who are making investment decisions not based upon what a firm says is available to them, but out of the entire spectrum of investments, and securities, and non-securities. And being able to sit in front of clients and say we built this firm. We built this firm so that we can act in your best interest so that we're not riddled with the conflicts that are just inherent in a large organization involved in multiple business lines.
It is a bit of a rollercoaster ride. You are in for some of the most exhilarating and exciting times that you've had. Some of our… you know, many of our clients will come back and report to us that they felt their heart pumping again, that they finally reinvigorated the passion they had for the business. They felt that they were resetting and doing what they loved, but now for all the right reasons.