What Are We Climbing Toward?

This past week has been a lot of fun.

The company where I got my start in 2004 just hosted its largest-ever conference—1,800 advisors and attendees. A massive success for Orion.

Even more, it was a great moment to reconnect with so many people and companies I've spent significant parts of my life serving.

The market is compounding—not just financially, but structurally. Firms are jamming businesses into businesses, trying to make sense of it all.

It's a cycle we see over and over:

✅ Advisors start at Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, LPL, et. al.
✅ They move toward independence.
✅ They join or launch their own RIA.
✅ Then they need help and ask—Do I build? Do I buy? Do I partner?

And in all of this, there are so many models:

• Lean and efficient firms.

• PE-backed aggregators.

• Hyper-specialized niche players.

• Independent, uniquely structured firms.

But beyond how firms are growing, I think there's a bigger, more important question:

What Are We Actually Climbing Toward?

Are we just aggregating for the sake of growth and shareholder value?

Or are we creating something truly extraordinary—something that wouldn't exist outside of this construct?

As the industry accelerates, three things should be top of mind:

1️⃣ Is what we're building improving the client experience? Making it more future-proof, more valuable?

2️⃣ Is it giving us more time? To be present—with our clients, our teams, our families?

3️⃣ Are the solutions we are using increasing the value of our firms, or is it creating yet another mediocre feature that my advisors won't use?

The industry will 3x in the next few years—just look at the research, the PowerPoints, the endless Cerulli name-drops.

We all know RIAs are the most exciting segment in wealth management.

But let's not get caught up in the rush.

Let's play with our cards up.

The more we define why we're growing, the more we can align with the right partners, the right values, and the right vision.

So—What Are We Climbing Toward?

Would love to hear your thoughts.