Michael Kitces’ #FASuccess Podcast: Drew Waldron

Welcome back to the 249th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today’s podcast is Drew Waldron. Drew is the co-founder of Canvas Wealth Advisors, an RIA in Overland Park, Kan. that manages about $455 million for 150 client households.

What’s unique about Drew, though, is the way he and his partner take the implementation of client experience to the next level, by not just reinvesting into client service or better technology, but organizing and executing exotic once-in-a-lifetime excursions for their clients to have a truly differentiated experience as clients of the firm.

In this episode, we talk in depth about the sorts of adventures that Drew and Scott plan for their clients and prospects (and how they assemble groups specifically to foster introductions for clients who might benefit from connecting with others who are also invited along), Drew’s observations about how staging the right experience with the right group of people can help his wealth management firm stand out against competing firms, and how Drew’s prior experience as a junior advisor on other wealth management teams allowed him to build out a network of affluent professionals in his area that he can call on to make those connections that help their clients and prospects build their own new relationships.

We also talk about how, after launching in the spring of 2019 and bringing along about $50 million in client assets from his previous firm, Canvas Wealth has been able to grow to north of $450 million in assets in just two-and-a-half years with its unique experiences-based marketing approach, the lesson that Drew learned during the height of the pandemic around the importance of staying in touch with clients and being truly proactive with maintaining relationships, and how Drew creates touch-points for every single one of his clients every single month by bringing his team together to meet on Mondays and discuss what value-added items (whether it be an introduction or updated projection) they’re going to deliver to the clients they’re reaching out to that week.

And be certain to listen to the end, where Drew shares how he and his firm make a clear distinction between those on the team who live solely in the business development side of the firm and those who are in the financial planning and advice-delivery side, how Drew has integrated FinLife’s MoneyMind and HonestConversations tools to systematically onboard new clients in a way that better aligns their advice with their clients’ unique values, and Drew’s focus on recruiting a bench of younger advisors from the Kansas State financial planning program that he can develop into lead advisors so that he  continue to scale and grow his practice in the years to come.

So whether you’re interested in learning about the unique adventures Drew and his partner take their clients on, how they’ve been able to 8x their firm in just two-and-a-half years, or how he’s integrated  FinLife’s MoneyMind and HonestConversations tools into his practice, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Drew Waldron.

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