Tag: Growth Strategy
RIA Edge Podcast: Building a National RIA Brand Without Losing Identity with Kay Lynn Mayhue

RIA Edge Podcast: Building a National RIA Brand Without Losing Identity with Kay Lynn Mayhue

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In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Kay Lynn Mayhue, president of Merit Financial, about the firm’s approach to growth as it reaches $24 billion in assets under management and celebrates its 50th acquisition. Mayhue discusses Merit’s recent capital partnership with Constellation Wealth and how the firm balances aggressive M&A activity with organic growth initiatives.

Mayhue explains Merit’s three partnership models—succession, leadership, and growth—and how the firm has evolved to attract larger, more sophisticated advisory practices. She emphasizes Merit’s philosophy that organic growth responsibility belongs at the company level rather than with individual advisors, allowing advisors to focus on client relationships while the firm develops strategic alliances and referral programs to drive new business.

Key insights:

  • How Merit Financial maintains a unified brand across all 50+ offices, which Mayhue credits with creating operational efficiencies while still allowing advisors significant autonomy within established guardrails
  • How the firm’s approach to advisor efficiency varies based on client demographics and advisor growth potential, with top producers receiving additional support to maintain growth capacity
  • How strategic partnerships with CPAs, banks, and retirement plan advisors serve as critical organic growth channels for Merit advisors
  • How Merit’s leadership team development has been crucial to its scaling strategy, with Mayhue advising firms to hire strategic leadership positions earlier than they think necessary

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Kay Lynn Mayhue:

About Our Guest:

Kay Lynn Mayhue, CFP®, AEP®, RFC®, has played many roles in the financial advisory industry: as a successor, partner, seller, and buyer. This unique and diverse background allows her to be able to relate to advisors in all phases of their careers and mergers and acquisitions.

With a background in financial planning and leadership, her career spans several areas, including advising clients, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic growth. Kay Lynn worked her way up from an entry-level position to earn her seat at the C-Suites table as President of Merit, which oversees $15.96 billion* in RIA and Brokerage assets under management. She holds her CFP®, AEP®, and RFC® and has been a critical decision-maker for two firms over the past twenty years.

Kay Lynn has overseen multiple mergers and acquisitions over the past four years and has been recognized for her position as a female leader in the financial services industry. She is passionate about helping people take their careers – and themselves – to exceptional levels. Kay Lynn’s influence in the industry and her drive for success a driving factors in Merit’s ongoing growth and appeal to growth-oriented advisors. 

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RIA Edge Podcast: Building Out the ‘Anti-Aggregator’ RIA, with David Hefty

RIA Edge Podcast: Building Out the ‘Anti-Aggregator’ RIA, with David Hefty

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In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong interviews David Hefty, founder and CEO of $3.4 billion AUM Credent Wealth Management. Hefty narrowly escaped pursuing a career trading commodities on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, and instead started an independent wealth management firm shortly after college. But it wasn’t until the past few years that he and his team implemented an aggressive growth strategy, doing over a dozen deals in short order and uniquely being fueled by a relationship with a private credit firm (keeping the undiluted equity in the hands of the advisors). Hefty and his team put the client experience at the forefront of all decisions, and for them, that means full assimilation of onboarded teams into the Credent brand and the workflows. 

Top takeaways from this episode include:

  • Credent’s assimilation strategy when it comes to M&A and what it means to be an “anti-aggregator.”
  • Why most acquisitive RIAs are building out an “advisor-centric” model of a wealth management firm, and why that’s not always good for the client. 
  • What motivated the decision to access private credit instead of equity funding to fuel Credent’s growth strategy, and the firm’s relationship with lending shop Crestline Investors.
  • The detailed onboarding process that every one of Credent’s 13 recent acquisitions underwent when they joined the firm. 
  • With a dozen more deals in various stages of pursuit, Hefty reveals his future ambitions for the firm and what it will take to become truly “unbuyable” by all but a few national firms. 

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With David Hefty:

About Our Guest:

There are few people more passionate about changing financial lives than David Hefty. As Chief Executive Officer, his vision and leadership have built Credent into a firm dedicated to doing what’s best for hardworking Americans, all with the highest standards of transparency.

Believing all Americans should have access to high-quality, independent advice, David is committed to fee-only financial partnerships. He co-founded Hefty Wealth Partners in 2000 and joined Oak Point Financial Group in 2018 to form Credent Wealth Management.

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