Build Your Firm Like You’re Selling It: Lessons from Scaling a $10B Fee-Only RIA

Every advisory firm wants to grow — but few think like an acquirer when building enterprise value. This session will unpack how independent RIAs can create enduring, transferable value even if they never intend to sell. Drawing on real-world experience from Pure Financial Advisors’ growth to $10B AUM, we’ll explore the drivers of valuation, the inflection points that determine scalability, and how to design your firm’s structure, compensation, and culture to thrive for decades. Participants will leave with a practical roadmap for operating like a buyer — and thinking like a builder.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the key value drivers that institutional buyers and private investors look for in fee-only RIAs — and how to build those elements internally.
2. Evaluate their firm’s stage of growth against critical “inflection thresholds” (e.g., $600K Revenue, G2 readiness, client density) to prioritize the next stage of development.
3. Design compensation, leadership, and operational systems that increase enterprise value without compromising planning quality or culture.