n this powerful episode, Nick Davies sits down with Amos Akinyooye, a senior financial planner with nearly two decades of experience building successful practices in both captive and independent environments. Amos shares the unfiltered truth about what it really takes to succeed as a financial advisor, from the critical importance of committing to at least three years when starting out to why attaching yourself to successful advisors is the fastest path to growth. He breaks down the myths surrounding independence versus working with a broker-dealer, reveals why most advisors fail to build teams and succession plans, and explains his philosophy on implementation over endless planning. Amos also discusses how he leveraged curiosity and genuine interest in others to accelerate his learning curve, why hiring staff early was one of his best decisions, and how focusing exclusively on revenue-producing activities transformed his practice. Whether you're a new advisor struggling to gain traction or an established planner looking to scale without sacrificing your life, this conversation delivers practical frameworks and mindset shifts that can transform your business.

Meta Description: Discover how to build a seven-figure financial advisory practice without burning out. Financial planner Amos Akinyooye shares 20 years of insights on succeeding as an advisor, from the three-year commitment rule to hiring staff early, debunking independence myths, and focusing on revenue-producing activities that scale your business.

(00:00:00) - The fastest path to success: Attach yourself to successful advisors

(00:01:00) - Starting from zero: How curiosity and questions built a career

(00:04:00) - Success leaves clues: Why asking questions changed everything

(00:07:00) - The power of adversity: How challenges define your success story

(00:09:00) - Going independent: What changes when you leave the broker-dealer ecosystem

(00:12:00) - Implementation over planning: Turn ideas into action quickly

(00:16:00) - The three-year rule: Why you must commit to succeed

(00:19:00) - Independent vs. captive: Which path is right for you?

(00:23:00) - Building your team: The biggest mistake advisors make

(00:26:00) - Buy back your time: Focus only on revenue-producing activities

(00:32:00) - Time is your most valuable asset: How top producers think differently

(00:35:00) - Final advice: Seek knowledge, commit three years, have a path forward

1. Connect with Amos Akinyooye on LinkedIn
2. Visit 7FigureAdvisor.com for more resources on building your advisory practice

Robert Johnson III never wanted to be a financial advisor. Watching his father work endless hours and miss baseball games convinced him this wasn't the path for him. But 21 years later, he's built a thriving financial planning practice working just four days a week. In this episode, Robert shares how a teacher's retirement story changed his entire perspective on the industry, why he intentionally compressed his work week after his son was born, and the counterintuitive decisions that allowed him to scale his business while spending more time with family. From hiring his first assistant when he couldn't afford it to building a self-managed practice, Robert reveals the mindset shifts and tactical strategies that transformed his business. He discusses the power of following proven systems, taking calculated leaps, and why quality always trumps quantity when it comes to client work.

Chapters:

1. (00:00:00) - Believe in Yourself and Take Action
2. (00:01:00) - How Robert Got Into Financial Planning (Despite Never Wanting To)
3. (00:03:00) - The Retirement Story That Changed Everything
4. (00:06:00) - Focusing on the "Fragile 10" Years Around Retirement
5. (00:08:00) - Building Confidence as a Young Advisor with Older Clients
6. (00:11:00) - Specializing and Simplifying Your Business as You Grow
7. (00:13:00) - The Best Investment: Hiring an Assistant (Before You Can Afford It)
8. (00:15:00) - Working 4 Days a Week: How Compression Creates Focus
9. (00:19:00) - Taking the Leap: Hiring Before You're Ready
10. (00:22:00) - Calculated Risks vs. Reckless Risks
11. (00:24:00) - Losing Contracts and Finding Better Opportunities
12. (00:28:00) - The Mindset of Bouncing Back from Setbacks
13. (00:30:00) - What Successful Advisors Must Have: Mindset, Work Ethic, and Mentors
14. (00:33:00) - Organization: The Foundation of Success
15. (00:36:00) - Building a Self-Managed Business
16. (00:40:00) - Final Advice: Do What Your Future Self Will Thank You For

Links and Resources

1. Website
2. Robert Johnson III on LinkedIn
3. 7 Figure Advisor
4. Nick Davies on

Nick Davies cuts through the New Year noise to reveal what actually drives seven-figure growth in advisory businesses. Instead of obsessing over numbers that "reset to zero," Nick shares why the most effective advisors focus on removing constraints—starting with themselves. He breaks down the "triangle of numbers" approach to tracking what matters, explains why your recurring business means you never truly start at zero, and introduces the motorcycle-and-sidecar analogy that reframes how you should think about metrics. Most importantly, Nick identifies the real bottleneck in your business (hint: it's you) and provides a practical framework for buying back your time so you can work ON your business instead of just IN it. Whether it's January or October, this episode gives you permission to reset, refocus, and build the business you actually want—without sacrificing family, health, or sanity.

Chapters:

1. (00:00:00) - You Are Both the Success AND the Bottleneck
2. (00:01:23) - Why January Doesn't Matter (Create Your Own Reset)
3. (00:02:15) - The Triangle of Numbers: Track What Actually Matters
4. (00:03:42) - Your Numbers Didn't Reset to Zero (Here's the Truth)
5. (00:04:38) - Numbers Are the Sidekick, NOT the Hero
6. (00:05:32) - What's Your Forcing Function? (Time, Meetings, or Capacity)
7. (00:06:42) - Remove Yourself as the Constraint
8. (00:07:32) - Real Example: How One Advisor Created Massive Capacity in One Week
9. (00:08:42) - If You're Not Excited, You Won't Hit Your Goals
10. (00:10:11) - Build the Business You Want on YOUR Terms

Links and Resources

1. 7 Figure Advisor
2. Nick Davies on LinkedIn

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