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The Admired Advisor Podcast


May 2, 2022

When Chris Williams began his career in a small accounting department, he missed interacting with the people on the other end of his spreadsheets. As he transitioned into financial services and advanced through large advisory firms, that desire to build close relationships with clients persisted. While he got close, nothing compares to the bond you establish with clients building an RIA of your own. 

So Chris did just that. Today he serves a niche client base – primarily baby boomers and serial entrepreneurs. He’s an intimate player in his clients’ financial lives and that responsibility has more than fulfilled his desire to work closely with the people he serves. In fact, Chris views clients as an extension of his family rather than a cohort of strangers. Even when he left a larger firm to launch his RIA, Chris’ primary concern wasn’t his own well-being, but that of his clients who faithfully followed.

In this episode, Steve and Chris discuss how Chris built a team of experts to serve clients holistically, his selective approach to onboarding new clients, how previous experiences at larger firms shaped his current practice, and Chris’ secret to maintaining strong relationships with clients through good times and bad. 

 

Key Takeaways

  • [01:58] - An introduction to Chris and Capital Fiduciary Advisors. 
  • [03:16] - What prompted Chris to launch his own RIA and the niche market Chris serves today. 
  • [06:44] - How the desire to serve and develop deeper relationships with clients drove Chris’ career decisions.
  • [08:51] - How Chris determines if potential clients are a strong fit. 
  • [13:46] - Why Chris prioritizes maintaining relationships in times of change.
  • [17:19] - How Chris brought over tools and resources from his previous firm into his own RIA.
  • [20:56] - What key mistake Chris made throughout his career. 
  • [21:58] - How Chris offboards clients who aren’t the best fit. 
  • [27:02] - What Chris’ ongoing client meetings look like. 
  • [30:31] - How Chris built out an expert team to deliver strategies beyond a client’s investment portfolio. 
  • [36:21] - What Chris wishes he could do differently. 
  • [38:02] - What Chris is working on now. 

 

Quotes

[14:01] - “I’ve always believed that you take the high road and you be honest with everybody along the way. It usually comes full circle — providing complete transparency and just having those difficult conversations.” ~ Chris Williams

[35:37] - “If you think about why I evaluate clients the way that I do, I guess it resonates like this: I am applying for a job with somebody, and do I want to work for that person?” ~ Chris Williams

[38:49] - “There is enough people for us all to serve, but how can we really refine it to serve those people as best as we can? And that’s been very refreshing for me in the independent advisory group, of a lot of people like-minded such as yourself trying to put this type of material out there to help other people and advance the greater good in our profession.” ~ Chris Williams

 

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