I’m headed back East after a great week with our leadership and engineering teams in Denver. Along the way, I caught up with a few friends and grabbed some solid pizza with our crew at my go-to spot in Idaho Springs, Beau Jo’s.

One theme that’s been pressing on my mind this past week is improvement—not the 1% better kind (James Clear nailed that years ago), but the 10x kind. What does radical improvement actually look like for a team, a process, or a business?

That question gave me the freedom to dream a little bigger—and I believe it sparked some truly exciting developments in our world.

So this week on The Rising Tide, we’re talking about giving yourself (and your team) permission to dream at that level again.

Here’s this week’s issue 👇

1. The Secret of Breaking Out of the Wealth Management Industrial Complex™️

2. Next Mile: The Myth of Independence in Financial Advice 🎧

3. Bookmarks

   1. Talking Data with FP Transitions

   2. Why Growing RIAs Need AI & Automation

4. Milemarker On the Road ✈️

The Secrets of Breaking Out of the Wealth Management Industrial Complex™️

When you’re 8 years old, anything is possible.

You can be an astronaut. A rockstar. An inventor with a flying car and a robot butler.

No one tells you your dream needs a SWOT analysis.

You dream big because the world is limitless. Your imagination hasn’t been downsized by reality yet. Your ambition hasn’t been cornered into a cubicle.

That’s what happens to most of us.

Somewhere between student loans and a Series 65…

Between compliance reviews and quarterly targets…

The dream starts shrinking.

Not all at once. Slowly. One drop at a time until the bucket is nearly empty.

Welcome to the Wealth Management Industrial Complex™

You get promoted. You hit targets. You go to conferences where everyone’s “crushing it.”

And yet… your 8-year-old self would probably be disappointed.

Not because you failed. By most measures, you’re winning.

But you stopped dreaming.

Instead of imagining bold new ways to serve clients, build companies, or redefine financial advice, we chase incrementalism.

Shave a few basis points here.

Tweak the CRM there.

Launch another monthly newsletter.

We start calling that progress and think that it might be enough.

This Isn’t Just a Wealth Management Problem.

It’s cultural.

It’s the “play it safe” virus that spreads in boardrooms, vendor decks, even advisory teams. No one wants to break the mold. The mold has a retainer agreement. And an NPS.

But the mold can kill us.

Kill momentum.

Kill purpose.

Kill joy.

So Let’s Talk Reset.

Not the “airport business book” kind.

Not the “just hustle harder” grindset.

Something simpler.

Ask yourself — seriously, like write it down on paper:

“What if we made this 10x better?”

What if your onboarding was 10x faster?

What if your advice model was 10x more aligned with client values?

What if your firm was 10x more magnetic to top talent?

No limits. No disclaimers.

The Magic of the ‘What If’

That single question does something wild:

It gives you permission.

• Permission to be bold again.

• Permission to imagine something better.

• Permission to throw a crazy idea on the wall and say, “Why not us?”

It reawakens that 8-year-old brain. The one not afraid of “unrealistic expectations.”

So, What If…

…you rebuilt your tech stack around actual client needs, not just integrations?

…you hired that one unconventional candidate you’ve been unsure about?

…you partnered with that startup you secretly admire but aren’t sure how to pitch?

What would 10x thinking do for your clients?

Your team?

Your legacy?

Here’s Your Permission Slip

You don’t need another keynote speaker.

You don’t need another PDF full of KPIs.

You need permission.

So here it is:

You are allowed to dream again.

Because thinking bigger isn’t naïve — it’s necessary.

The Rising Tide isn’t built by maintaining status quo.

It’s built by the ones bold enough to raise it.

Want help thinking 10x?

I’m here for it.

– Jud

______________________

On the Pod: The Myth of Independence in Financial Advice

Episode 103: On this week’s episode, Kyle Van Pelt sits down with Brad Shepherd, President and CEO at Founders Financial, about redefining independence in financial services. With nearly three decades in the industry, Brad blends deep financial expertise with a passionate commitment to helping advisors grow intentional, values-driven practices.

Kyle and Brad discuss the myth of independence in the financial services industry and the power of interdependence between firms and advisors. They dive into Founders’ unique Strategic Enterprise Program, how to scale while staying true to your mission, and why Brad believes staying small and focused can beat the industry’s race toward consolidation.

(00:00) - Intro

(02:05) - Brad's money moment

(06:38) - Brad's transition from advisor to CEO

(10:16) - What sets Founders Financial apart

(14:08) - Why advisors want to become independent

(17:16) - Founders' Strategic Enterprise Program (SEP)

(21:59) - What it means to be a purpose-driven, servant-led financial planning firm

(25:27) - Simplifying internal complexity

(31:07) - Founders' ideal partners

(37:16) - Leveraging technology wisely

(43:24) - Brad's outlook on the future of the industry

(50:39) - Brad's Milemarker Minute

⚡️Bookmarks

Talking Data with FP Transitions

A few weeks back, I had the chance to sit down with Brodrick Lothringer of PodPony and Eric Leeper at FP Transitions. We talk RIA infrastructure and how it impacts the ability to deliver value at scale.

Why Growing RIAs Need AI & Automation

Most RIAs are buried in spreadsheets and siloed data. The fastest-growing firms? They’re using AI and automation to scale smarter—with less chaos.

Join us and Beemo on August 21 at 1:30 PM ET to see how top RIAs are doing it. No fluff—just real strategies you can use now.

Register here!

Milemarker on the Road
Catch my team on the road at the following events or cities:

1. August 7 - Baltimore, MD

2. August 17-20 - Lincoln, NE

3. September 3-4 - New York, NY

4. September 7-10 - Los Angeles, CA

5. September 10-12 - San Diego, CA

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

Jud Mackrill