Transition Stories: Pathway Financial Design

In the independent advisory space, talented professionals with decades of experience, loyal clients, and hard-earned knowledge are winding down – pulling back, riding margins, and waiting for an exit.

At the same time, we’re in an era of staggering opportunity: by 2034, the industry is projected to have 33% fewer advisors than it needs while roughly 71 million Americans will have a million or more in assets. 

The advisors best positioned to close that gap are the ones coasting to the finish line.

In his latest Linkedin article, Silver Oak CEO Billy Hopkins explores the concept of Level 5 Ambition, a philosophy drawn from Jim Collins’ work on Level 5 Leadership. The best builders aren’t grinding for the sake of a bigger number. They’re disciplined, humble, and focused on building something that outlasts them.

That’s what this industry needs more of right now.

If you got your license in the 1990s, you carry with you knowledge that no seminar or AI chatbot can replicate. You survived the dot-com crash, 2008, the pandemic. Your clients, their children, and the next generation of advisors need the wisdom that will walk out the door with you if you don’t make it a point to pass it on.

Read the full article for a closer look at Level 5 Ambition, the business case for building a firm that lasts longer than you, and small moves you can make right now to ensure the independent advisory world endures.

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In Joel’s Words

When Pathway Financial Design joined Silver Oak’s team of financial professionals, firm co-founders Joel Broersma, CFP®, E.A., and Dan Korhorn, CWS® had reached a tipping point. Mutliple acquisitions and ensuing headaches led them to make a change.

Pathway Financial Design serves approximately 2,000 clients from its headquarters in Grand Rapids and offices in Holland and Traverse City, Michigan. The hybrid firm specializes in multi-generational financial planning and investment management, with a focus on serving hardworking families and small businesses with holistic plans throughout West Michigan. When looking for a new broker-dealer partner, true independence was a big priority.

Watch this interview with Joel to learn why they broke up with their broker-dealer, and why they chose to join Silver Oak.