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

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Advisor? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify and leave us a review!

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Davies, a business coach specializing in helping financial advisors scale their practices and avoid the common pitfalls that keep them stuck. Nick shares his unique journey from spending 20 years working for major banks across the globe to becoming a Tony Robbins coach, and ultimately finding his calling in coaching financial advisors. He reveals the critical importance of clarity and vision in business, explaining why most advisors struggle not because of capability, but due to a lack of clear direction. Nick discusses his concept of building a "hub" in your business to prevent overwhelm as you scale, the dangers of the "slow sacrifice of ambition," and why being reminded is far more valuable than learning something new. He also introduces his ambitious goal of helping 100,000 financial advisors in the next three years and shares practical strategies for building a dream team, creating effective masterminds, and using tools like the Mind Scan assessment to gain clarity on thinking patterns. This conversation is packed with actionable insights for any financial advisor or business owner looking to break through their current plateau and create lasting impact.

Chapters:

1. (00:00:00) - Nick's Epiphany: Walking Away from 20 Years in Banking
2. (00:01:15) - The Journey from London to Wall Street to Coaching
3. (00:03:27) - Becoming a Tony Robbins Coach and Finding Financial Advisors
4. (00:04:38) - The Ambitious Goal: Helping 100,000 Financial Advisors
5. (00:06:32) - Building the Hub: Your First Hire Should Become Your COO
6. (00:09:14) - The Free Ebook: Why Advisors Stay Stuck Managing People
7. (00:11:03) - Avoiding the Slow Sacrifice of Ambition
8. (00:13:22) - Building Your Dream Team: It Starts with Vision
9. (00:16:48) - You Need to Be Reminded More Than You Need to Be Taught
10. (00:18:12) - The #1 Mistake: Creating Strategy Without Clarity
11. (00:20:27) - The Hallway of Doors: How to Cut Through Distractions
12. (00:22:15) - Mind Scan Assessment: An MRI of Your Thinking Patterns

Links and Resources

1. Stan Miller on LinkedIn
2. Katie Beth on LinkedIn
3. 7 Figure Advisor
4. Nick Davies on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Advisor? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on

Vern McCarty shares his unconventional approach to building a seven-figure advisory practice while maintaining what matters most—family and presence. From taking a week-long Vegas trip completely sober to implementing systems that allow his assistant to filter 90% of his communications, Vern reveals the mindset shifts and tactical strategies that transformed his business. He breaks down why authenticity beats everything, how to structure your first (or next) strategic assistant hire, and why most advisors struggle with the busy work that kills momentum. Vern also shares his proven referral process that generates consistent introductions, the importance of standard operating procedures at every stage of growth, and why being yourself is the ultimate competitive advantage in a world starving for authenticity.

Chapters:

1. (00:00:00) - Welcoming Vern McCarty to the 7 Figure Advisor
2. (00:01:00) - The Vegas Trip: Staying Sober and Present
3. (00:04:00) - The Power of Presence with Your Kids
4. (00:06:00) - Conference Experience Without Alcohol
5. (00:08:00) - Vern's Business Model: Life Insurance and Living Benefits
6. (00:11:00) - Activity Absorbs Anxiety: Managing Busy Work Early in Your Career
7. (00:13:00) - The Strategic Assistant: Your Most Valuable Hire
8. (00:18:00) - Profit First: Managing Your Business Finances
9. (00:20:00) - Embrace Technology and Authentic Communication
10. (00:23:00) - Be Yourself: The Power of Authenticity in Marketing
11. (00:28:00) - Standard Operating Procedures: The Foundation of Scale
12. (00:31:00) - The Referral Process: Give, Give, Give, Ask
13. (00:36:00) - Never Stop Growing: Personal Development as a Lifelong Journey

Links and Resources

1. Website
2. Vern McCarty on LinkedIn
3. 7 Figure Advisor
4. Nick Davies on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Advisor? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify and leave us a review!

Nick Davies of 7 Figure Advisor joins David Desel on the Model FA podcast to explore the transformative power of masterminds for financial advisors and the critical importance of relationship-centric client service. Nick shares his journey from 20 years in banking across London, Asia, and Wall Street to becoming a Tony Robbins coach and ultimately specializing in helping financial advisors build seven-figure practices. The conversation dives deep into the three keys to mastermind success—commitment, collaboration, and consistency—and Nick's FOCUS framework for structuring effective peer groups. They discuss optimal mastermind size (4-10 members), meeting cadence (weekly or bi-weekly virtual sessions with quarterly in-person gatherings), and how to avoid the common pitfalls of study groups that feel comfortable but lack transformation. Nick emphasizes that the deepest client relationships create a "guilt layer" that provides grace during mistakes, and technology should augment—not replace—human connection. David shares Model FA's AI tool that prompts advisors weekly with personalized client touchpoints, demonstrating how technology can systematically support relationship building without sacrificing the human element. This episode is essential listening for any advisor looking to scale their practice through peer collaboration while maintaining the deep client relationships that truly differentiate their business.

Chapters:

1. (00:00:00) - The Gap in Advisor Masterminds: Why Growth Officers Need Support
2. (00:01:00) - Setting Audacious Goals: The Power of Thinking Big to Serve More Advisors
3. (00:02:57) - From London Banking to Coaching: Nick's Journey to Serving Financial Advisors
4. (00:06:00) - The Foundation of Masterminds: Why Surrounding Yourself with High Standards Matters
5. (00:09:00) - Peer-Led vs. Facilitator-Led Masterminds: What Actually Works
6. (00:12:00) - The Three Keys to Mastermind Success: Commitment, Collaboration, and Consistency
7. (00:14:00) - The FOCUS Framework: How to Structure Your Mastermind for Maximum Impact
8. (00:17:00) - Creating Your Mastermind Agenda: Moving Beyond "What Should We Talk About?"
9. (00:20:00) - Study Groups vs. Masterminds: Comfortable vs. Transformational
10. (00:23:00) - The Sweet Spot: Why 4-10 Members Is the Optimal Mastermind Size
11. (00:24:00) - Building Relationship-Centric Practices: Why Clients Call You Third
12. (00:26:00) - Using Technology to Augment (Not Replace) Human Connection
13. (00:29:00) - The Guilt Layer: How Deep Relationships Create Grace When Mistakes Happen
14. (00:33:00) - Connect with Nick

Links and Resources

1. Website
2. David DeCelle on

Former Prudential regional director Jay Duffy shares his bold decision to walk away from a near-seven-figure guaranteed income to co-found Frame Wealth, a culture-first advisory firm built on ownership, equity, and strategic leverage. In this conversation, Jay breaks down the leadership principles that guided his transition from managing 53 advisors to building his own practice—including why culture eats strategy for breakfast, how to protect white space for strategic thinking, and the critical shift from working harder to creating systems that scale. He reveals his approach to asking for introductions (not referrals) by treating top clients as advisors, explains the "who not how" framework that keeps him focused on high-impact work, and shares the books and mental models that helped him embrace failure, step out of the fog of business, and design a practice with 70% growth potential. If you're ready to think like a CEO instead of just an advisor, this episode is packed with actionable insights on delegation, leadership development, and building a firm you actually own.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - Opening: Clients Become Your Advisors
• (00:01:25) - Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
• (00:02:42) - Burning the Boats: Walking Away from Guaranteed Income
• (00:04:10) - Control, Equity, and Building Something You Own
• (00:06:00) - Working Hard vs. Creating Leverage
• (00:08:18) - The Science of Scaling: Thinking Beyond Linear Growth
• (00:10:45) - Building Leaders to Scale Your Firm
• (00:14:38) - Protecting White Space and Strategic Time
• (00:18:02) - The Fog of Business: Stepping Out to See Strategy
• (00:21:20) - Who Not How: Finding Experts Instead of Becoming One
• (00:22:45) - Asking for Introductions: Replicating Your Top 10 Clients
• (00:26:35) - Must-Read Books for Advisors and Leaders
• (00:28:00) - Embrace Failure and Keep Moving Forward

Links and Resources

• Website
• Jay Duffy on LinkedIn
• 7 Figure Advisor
• Nick Davies on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Advisor? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify and leave us a review!

In this episode, Nick introduces the Diamond of Success framework—a powerful lens for building a seven-figure advisory business without sacrificing family and health. He breaks down the four critical areas that shape your life: business, relationships, health, and contribution. Most advisors achieve early success by running hard and doing more than others, but eventually that approach runs out and creates an imbalanced, misshapen diamond. The key isn't static balance—it's dynamic equilibrium, where you're intentionally moving between areas with clear purpose. Nick shares real examples from recent client calls about being present, making intentional trades, and remembering that success isn't just about the money—it's about becoming the person you want to be while living life on your terms.

(00:00:00) - Introduction: Success Through Running Hard Eventually Runs Out

(00:00:23) - Introducing the Diamond of Success Framework

(00:01:17) - The Four Points: Business, Relationships, Health, Contribution

(00:02:28) - Why Early Success Comes From Going Fast

(00:03:12) - When the Diamond Gets Misshapen

(00:03:59) - Business Merit vs. Most Important Relationships

(00:04:37) - Balance Is Not Stationary: Dynamic Equilibrium

(00:06:27) - Making Intentional Trades in Your Life

(00:07:24) - Real Client Examples: Being Present vs. Vacation Mode

(00:08:42) - Living Life on Your Terms with Intention

Links and Resources

• 7 Figure Advisor
• Nick Davies on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to 7-Figure Advisor? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify and leave us a review!