Summary

00:01:00 – A global career shaped by consulting and research

Eliza describes her path from Australian paraplanner to US consultant, joining Moss Adams before co-founding FA Insight and later launching her own firm. Her career has blended deep industry research with hands-on consulting.

00:04:20 – The move to the US and the power of industry networks

A study tour led to a relocation to Seattle for three months, paving the way for a long-term consulting career in the US market.

00:07:50 – What high-performing firms get right

Top advice firms are strategically disciplined: clear on differentiation, growth plans, leadership accountability and resource alignment. Marketing and AI adoption are poised to become major performance differentiators.

00:10:40 – Technology, margins and the next five years

Eliza predicts operating profit margins will rise as firms shift lower-value work to AI and automation. Early adopters will gain both efficiency and faster client growth.

00:14:20 – Marketing remains the industry’s weakest capability

Despite large client databases and retirement plan membership bases, most firms underutilise digital marketing, email and social channels—leaving significant growth on the table.

00:16:50 – The scaling challenge: breaking $250M and $500M barriers

With 86% of US firms under $500M, Eliza explains why most practices plateau: lack of dedicated leadership, inconsistent advice team models and underdeveloped strategic capability.

00:19:30 – Leadership evolution and the rise of the COO

At $3–5M revenue, firms must transition from tactical operations managers to strategic COOs capable of executing firm-wide initiatives and driving organisational efficiency.

00:22:00 – Human capital and strategic resource allocation

COOs often oversee HR early on, but as the firm scales, talent planning becomes more specialised. Strategic clarity determines when to invest in HR, marketing or technology leadership.

00:23:30 – Moving from founder-mode to manager-mode

Eliza encourages owners to articulate clear future-state strategy, define ideal clients, and design value propositions and service models that direct every team member to their highest and best use.

00:26:00 – Compensation, equity and evolving ownership models

While equity structures vary, US firms increasingly explore phantom ownership and structured long-term incentives as succession and adviser retirement accelerate.

00:27:00 – Introducing Ignition: A course for emerging advice firms

Launching January 5, Ignition offers seven modules, practical exercises, a workbook and six months of Q&A support—designed for firms under $250M seeking to break through early-stage growth ceilings.

00:29:40 – Lessons from building an online course

Creating Ignition required learning new technologies and dedicating far more time than expected—reinforcing the importance of expert guidance, market responsiveness and continuous innovation.