Hosted by Adam Carolan and Rohan Sivajoti (Co-founders of Plannex), this is the podcast for ambitious UK financial planning firm owners. We sit down with top-performing advisers to unpack how they build client banks, scale profitable firms, hire well, structure fees, and navigate regulation - without the fluff. If you want practical insights on growing a modern advice business, this is for you. Find out more about our Community by searching 'Plannex' on Google.
What does it really take to scale a financial planning firm? In part two of our conversation with Laura Pearson, founder of Storeton Rose, we explore the systems, people and leadership decisions that have fuelled the firm's growth. Laura shares how client experience has become their biggest marketing channel, why hiring the right people matters more than hiring the most experienced, and the…
Building an advice business is one thing. Building one without existing clients, recurring income or previous wealth advice experience is another. In Part 1 of the Plannex Podcast, Laura Pearson shares the journey from corporate mortgage management to launching Storeton Rose from her spare bedroom. We discuss: Leaving corporate life Starting with no clients Why she chose independence Building…
AI is dominating conversations across financial planning but what does it actually mean for advice firms? In Part 2 of our conversation with Juniper founder Jon Doyle, we move beyond the hype to explore where technology is genuinely creating value, and where the industry risks getting carried away. Jon shares how his team has built automations that save time, why he's sceptical of claims that AI…
When Jon Doyle launched Juniper in 2018, he didn't set out to build the fastest-growing financial planning firm. He set out to build the right business for his life. Starting with £18 million of assets under management and around 40 client families, Jon shares the lessons from growing Juniper to more than £140 million while balancing family life, navigating difficult hiring decisions and building…
What makes a financial planning business valuable? And more importantly, what makes it sellable? In Part 2, Gaynor Rigby and Vicky go behind the scenes of more than 100 financial planning transactions to explain what buyers are really looking for, why some firms struggle to sell, and how owners can maximise the value of their business. We discuss: • How financial planning firms are valued • Why…
From £120m TO £1bn After helping grow Equilibrium from £120m to more than £1bn in assets under management, Gaynor Rigby learned a simple truth: Most advisers become business owners by accident. In this episode, Gaynor and Vicky discuss what it really takes to build a successful financial planning business, from leadership and culture to marketing, systems and growth. We discuss: • How Equilibrium…
After helping build a £700m advice business over nearly two decades, Dave Carter made one of the biggest decisions of his career. He left the firm he helped build to become CEO of Absolute Financial Planning. In Part 2, Dave explains why he took the leap, the vision behind Absolute, and why he believes independent financial planning still has a major role to play in the future of the profession.…
In Part 1, Dave Carter joins Adam to share the story behind his rise from a cashier at Bradford & Bingley to becoming Managing Director of a £700m financial planning firm. The conversation covers the pre-RDR world, building a client bank from scratch, generating hundreds of referrals, developing advisers from non-traditional backgrounds, and the lessons learned from nearly two decades in one…
In Part 2, Dominic McLoughney and James Thompson unpack how Becketts is approaching technology, AI, automation, and the future of financial planning. The conversation explores the development of Beckett’s Connect, solving the advice gap, integrating AI into the client journey, and why the firms that embrace technology early will have a major advantage over the next decade. But despite all the…
In Part 1 with Becketts Financial Services, Dominic McLoughney and James Thompson unpack the journey of building the firm from the ground up. From losing advisers and surviving the early years to scaling through culture, client experience, and strategic hiring. The conversation explores the turning points that shaped the business, why growth requires mindset shifts, and how they built a firm…