$2.5B RIA Exit: What Advisors Get Wrong About Selling Their Firm
Most advisors think the exit is the finish line.
It’s not.
In this episode of Your NEXT, Jerome Myers sits down with Jon to unpack the real journey from building a wealth management firm to $2.5 billion in assets to ultimately navigating an acquisition by a larger company.
But this conversation isn’t just about growth or the deal.
It’s about what happens before, during, and after the exit.
Jon shares his transition from professional football to financial advisor, how he built an RIA serving athletes and entertainers, and why they evolved into an aggregator model to scale through acquisitions. He also opens up about the integration process post-sale, stepping away from day-to-day operations, and what he wishes more advisors understood before they start down this path.
If you’re building a firm, thinking about inorganic growth, or considering an exit in the next few years, this episode will challenge how you think about the entire journey.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The real reason most founders misunderstand the exit
Transitioning from professional sports to financial services
Building a niche RIA for athletes and entertainers
Scaling through acquisitions and becoming an aggregator
Lessons learned growing to $2.5B in AUM
What actually happens during the acquisition process
The emotional and operational realities after the deal closes
Why integration is harder than the transaction
How to think about your role after stepping away from the business
What advisors should do now if they plan to sell in the future
Chapters (Timestamps)
00:00 St. Patrick’s Day traditions and family stories
03:45 Family vacations: Puerto Rico vs Hawaii
12:18 From NFL to financial advisor
19:27 Building an RIA for athletes and entertainers
27:00 Shifting to an aggregator model
35:00 Lessons from acquiring other firms
45:15 The acquisition process and integration challenges
55:00 Stepping away from day-to-day operations
01:05:00 Identity and “what’s next” after the exit
01:17:32 Advice for advisors considering an exit
Key Takeaways
The exit is not the finish line. It’s a transition into a new phase.
Scaling through acquisitions introduces complexity most founders underestimate.
Integration risk is often greater than transaction risk.
Your role after the deal needs to be designed, not discovered.
The best exits are planned years in advance, not months.
#RIA #FinancialAdvisor #BusinessExit #WealthManagement #Entrepreneurship #MergersAndAcquisitions #ExitPlanning #YourNEXT #FounderJourney