This week, I’m back in Charleston, and my boys and I are still riding the wave of dominating Colorado — a team the Cornhuskers hadn’t beaten in over 5,034 days.

As we settle back into the humidity of the South Carolina Lowcountry, we are also jumping back into the gauntlet that is all of our Fall schedules.

For many of us, managing the day-to-day between now and the end of the calendar year is a pure juggling match.

This is also true in our businesses - where we are working to end the year on an upswing.

Of particular note, this week, our team celebrated the launch of our groundbreaking Firm Intelligence tool. This tool lets advisors rapidly level up their infrastructure through a built-in data warehouse, data connections, and analytics engine that helps your firm unlock critical insights.

Here’s this week’s Connected Advisor.

1. Something for Nothing: How Building Makes Us Better

2. Chrissy Lee of Merrit on the Podcast Discusses Seeking Ongoing Improvement

3. Bookmarks

   • Milemarker Firm Intelligence

4. Milemarker On the Road ✈️

Let’s kick this off. 🦵🏈

Something for Nothing: How Building Makes Us Better

Alright, so maybe it’s an odd week to write about the Foo Fighters—Dave Grohl has been in the media for some personal news, but I only want think about his musical contributions. Hear me out. There’s something about the Foo Fighters that set them apart as not just iconic musicians; they’re builders. Creators. Makers. And they have this way of tying the process of making music to the soul of the final product that can speak to all of us who want to build something meaningful.

A few years ago, they dropped a documentary with HBO called Sonic Highways. If you’re a music buff, this just might be your jam. The Foo Fighters recorded an album in the heart of America’s musical cities—Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and more—taking the sound of each place and blending it into their music. Grohl said, “The environment in which you record an album influences the end result,” and that really hit me. They stripped things back, recorded more analog, and reconnected with the process of making music, which is honestly what gave the album its raw edge.

It’s not just about creating something for the sake of creation; it’s about the connection to the process that makes the outcome special. That idea of returning to your roots, but building something new from it—there’s something powerful in that.

The Builders Behind the Music

It takes me back to my own experience in Omaha, Nebraska. I was in college, and I had the privilege of spending time with music producer Mike Mogis, one of the masterminds behind Omaha’s indie music scene. He’s part of the Saddle Creek Records crew, and man, the stuff they did shaped an entire genre. Mogis was the driving force behind bands like Bright Eyes and The Faint and one of my personal favorites, Cursive.

Mogis’ influence stretched far beyond Omaha.

Maybe you’re familiar with Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning? That’s Mogis. His production elevated that album into one of indie rock’s most revered records. He’s also produced Ruminations by Conor Oberst and worked with bands like Rilo Kiley and Monsters of Folk. Mogis understood that creating something real, something that lasts, means getting deep into the work. And when you do, you end up with something greater than just a sum of parts—you build something meaningful.

What Does This Have to Do With Business?

Here’s where I’m going with this: when it comes to business, especially building businesses, we rarely give ourselves credit for the work involved. We live in a culture that prizes fast results, but when was the last time you truly went all-in on the process?

In my world, we’re working on scaling a platform that serves the financial industry with data and analytics. It’s not glamorous on the surface—data pipelines, BI solutions—but man, when you get into the nitty-gritty of it, it’s like producing an album. Every detail matters. It’s a craft.

It’s easy to just throw ideas over a wall and hope they stick. But that’s not where greatness comes from. It comes from discipline, focus, and a willingness to remix, rework, and rethink. That’s the key.

Three Things You Need to Build Something Great

1. Disciplined Process, Open to Change: The Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways was recorded in a different way than previous albums, but they didn’t completely abandon their roots either. They balanced the old with the new. That’s a key. Don’t abandon what’s come before, but you don’t get stuck there either. In business, we must be adaptable. Keep the foundation, but always push forward.

2. Focus on What Actually Matters: We’ve all got a million things pulling for our attention, but what truly drives the needle? Foo Fighters recorded in eight different cities because they knew it would shape the album in a way no other approach could. In my world, we look at the massive data challenges for our clients and distill them through the lens of outcomes. Why? Because that’s how you find what matters. Figure out the thing (or things) that actually impacts the bottom line and chase after it with abandon.

3. Build with Intent: Whether it’s a song, an album, a business, or a product, the intent behind the work is everything. What’s the purpose? Who are you serving? For us, we’re creating solutions that affect real people—financial advisors, their clients, plan participants. This work matters, and that’s why we bring our full selves to it.

The Work Refines Us

The process of building isn’t just about the outcome—it’s about what happens to us along the way. You can’t grow without being refined by the work itself. The process is where you get better, where you sharpen your craft, where you learn.

So, what’s your album?

What are you building?

More importantly, how are you building it?

Let’s go beyond the shortcuts and start focusing on the process. That’s where the magic happens.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on and how the process is shaping you.

________________________

On the Pod: Kaizen—Nothing Is Ever Complete, And There Is Always Room For Improvement

In this week’s episode,  Chrissy Lee, Chief Operating Officer of Merit Financial Advisors, highlights the importance of operational efficiency in wealth and asset management.

Chrissy discusses the challenges of integrating technology, the significance of human relationships in wealth management, and how technology should enhance, rather than replace, these relationships.

Key Highlights:

1. Operations and Technology Integration: Operations and technology are essential and complementary.

2. Streamlining Processes: Integrating advanced technology improves efficiency and client interactions.

3. Focus Areas for Firms: Firms should focus on operational efficiency, careful planning, and client-centered strategies.

4. Technology's Role: Technology helps automate tasks, allowing advisors to better serve clients.

Bookmarks

Milemarker Launches Firm Intelligence

I’m very excited to announce the launch of Firm Intelligence. This groundbreaking software solution sits right at the heart of the key problems I’ve seen wealth management firms navigate for well over a decade: controlling your data to transform your firm.

I’d love to have our team walk you through how it can work for you.

Milemarker on the Road

Catch our team on the road at the following events or cities:

1. September 15-18 - Huntington Beach, CA

2. October 8-10 - Birmingham, AL

3. October 28-30 - San Francisco, CA

If you’re in any of those cities and want to arrange a meeting time, reply to this email, and we’ll get something on the calendar.

Jud Mackrill