When I stepped on stage at Future Proof, I laid flat on my back and told a story. Years earlier, I did the same thing in a team meeting and said, “I’ve just had a medical emergency. I’ll be in the hospital for three months. What are we going to do?”

Silence—then action. Someone finally said, “If Derrick can’t see clients, we’ve got to figure out who can.” That was the day my practice shifted from a me show to a we show.

Make every system “Derrick-optional”

I discovered I was the bottleneck. Our processes worked only if I touched them. We rebuilt everything to be leader-optional: intake, planning workflows, service calendars, review prep, follow-up—so anyone on the team could run it. The result? People took ownership. Morale went up. We scaled into three Texas cities and acquired practices because our engine was predictable and consistent—without requiring me.

Later, when I sold the firm, those same systems added roughly $2 million to the sale price. A buyer could step in, I could step out, and the team and client experience kept rolling. Systems don’t just grow revenue; they grow enterprise value.

“Clients of the firm” create safety (and stickiness)

Stop assigning clients to an individual as if that’s their only lifeline. Shift your language to “You’re a client of the firm.” Name a primary contact, but emphasize the whole team serves them. Clients quietly worry about key-person risk—what happens if you get sick, retire, or move on? A firm relationship gives them safety. Bonus: at any moment your client might not love you—make sure they love at least one other person on your team. That’s retention.

Specialize like a surgeon (and charge like one)

Ask yourself: in your market, are you the Hershey bar or the Godiva? Specialists command waitlists, higher fees, and greater trust before the first meeting. Define a niche you solve deeply—equity comp for tech leaders, retirement income for physicians, multi-gen planning for business owners—then build your packaging, process, and messaging around that specialty.

Words equal wealth: connect with pain

When someone asks what you do, saying “I’m a financial advisor” shuts the conversation down. Lead with an instantly relatable problem your ideal client already feels:

“You know how successful founders worry they’ll leave a great business—and a great fortune—to kids who aren’t ready? I help fix that.”

If you want to make it rain, connect with pain. Speak the Friday-night-on-the-patio worries in your client’s own words, then outline your system and the “so that” outcome they actually care about.

Empower next-gen talent

A young advisor told me prospects looked at her and thought, “Are you even old enough to drive?” We coached her to call it out and flip it: “I get that a lot—and it’s precisely why the firm recruited me. Our clients want their adult kids coached into financial responsibility, and that’s my specialty. Oh, and I also run the tech that powers your experience.” Her “liability” became her advantage. Teach your rookies the dialogues that build credibility and put them in roles where they shine.

Bottom line: build a firm that doesn’t need you to be brilliant every day. Make every process leader-optional. Make every client a client of the firm. Specialize like a surgeon. And use words that connect with real human pain. Do that, and you’ll grow faster now—and get paid for it later.