The work of a management consultant is not for the faint of heart.
A firm typically engages a management consulting organization like Select Advisors Institute at an inflection point - a moment of possibility. Growth is within reach, but clarity, alignment, or capacity may be lagging behind ambition.
The consultant’s role is to translate that ambition into structure: to bring the perspective of having seen what works across hundreds of thriving firms, to accelerate progress, and to help leadership turn potential into a deliberate path forward.
You’re asked to see what others can’t, to diagnose what others won’t, and to help a firm reimagine what it could become across its people, strategy, and operations.
But insight alone doesn’t create impact.
Real transformation happens when an entire firm sees the uphill stretch ahead and decides to climb it together. The breakthrough doesn’t come from a single idea or leader — it comes from shared endurance, when teams choose to keep pushing long after the first burst of momentum fades.
This week marks the 12th anniversary of Select Advisors Institute, and with it, a moment to reflect on the hundreds of firms we’ve helped evolve: From compensation redesigns to leadership training programs to the one catalytic idea that reshaped an entire business model.
Through it all, one truth remains constant: growth is hard-earned.
If it were easy, we wouldn’t be getting weekly calls from firms that chased the next shiny promise - the “quick win” appointment-setting system or latest marketing shortcut - only to realize it didn’t work.
They sound a bit like someone who’s just tried the newest diet pill: hopeful at first, but right back where they started, looking for something that actually lasts.
After twelve years, the patterns are clear: Sustainable growth always rests on three pillars:
Decisive leadership. The willingness to make hard calls - raising fees, redefining roles, or parting ways with misaligned team members - often framed with a consultant’s external perspective.
Meaningful investment. In people, marketing strategies, new divisions - knowing it means less in your pocket today for more in your firm’s tomorrow.
Enduring commitment. The discipline to stay the course, not for three months, but for three years and beyond…consistently. The firms that achieve the most lasting change are the ones that treat consulting as a partnership: not just seeking ideas, but bringing their own to the table, testing them, refining them, and implementing them together.
A striking example of these principles in action is my good friend Gabriel Shahin, Founder of Falcon Wealth Planning.
When we first partnered in 2020, Falcon managed approximately $250 million. Five years later, it surpassed $1.5 billion - a sevenfold increase built on strategy, conviction, and relentless execution.
In our new video conversation, Gabriel shares:
How Falcon began and how Select Advisors Institute played an instrumental role in shaping the firm’s early decisions.
How much he invests annually in marketing, and why he believes most firms hesitate to do the same.
His candid views on marketing strategy, brand-building, and what truly moves the needle for growth.
Where his personal drive and motivation come from — and how that fuels his team’s momentum.
A preview of Falcon’s 2026 marketing budget and how he’s thinking about the next phase of expansion.
As we celebrate 12 years of Select Advisors Institute, I’m humbled by how many firms have entrusted me with their most critical decisions, and have been willing to hear not just what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to.
Because the best advice often isn’t the easiest to take — it’s the kind that challenges comfort, reshapes perspective, and, over time, changes everything.
Questions we answer in this video interview:
How Much Should a Financial Firm Spend on Marketing?
Most advisory firms that grow beyond $1 billion AUM share one trait: they invest heavily and consistently in marketing.
A healthy benchmark is 10–15 percent of annual revenue.
Take Falcon Wealth Planning, which grew from roughly $250 million to $1.5 billion in assets over five years. In an interview with Amy Parvaneh, Founder of Select Advisors Institute, Falcon’s CEO explained that when the firm made about $1 million in revenue, it spent $100 K–$150 K on marketing. At $20 million in revenue, the same ratio meant $2–3 million in direct advertising and another $3 million in staff and operational support, collectively $5 MILLION on growth.
That long-term discipline—keeping marketing as a fixed share of revenue—turned steady reinvestment into exponential growth.
What Should Be Included in a Marketing Budget for RIAs?
A complete RIA marketing budget should include both direct and indirect costs.
Direct marketing covers paid media: Google Ads, Meta ads, sponsorships, events, and lead-generation campaigns.
Indirect marketing covers people and process: in-house marketing staff, business-development teams, CRM automation, video, design, and analytics.
At Falcon Wealth Planning, roughly $2–3 million goes to direct advertising and another $3 million-plus supports the staff and systems behind it. Together, those investments bring in more than 3,000 new leads each month—proof that scale requires both ad spend and infrastructure.
What ROI Should Financial Firms Expect from Marketing?
In this question, Gabe was answering based on expenses such as advertising/paid marketing on spends such as Google or Meta campaigns. For results that truly move the needle on those platforms, according to Gabe, firms should target at least a 1:1 annual revenue-to-marketing ratio.
That means if you spend $1,000 on advertising and prospect events, aim to generate $1,000 in recurring annual client revenue.
Top performers, like Falcon Wealth Planning, often exceed that benchmark—sometimes earning $3 of revenue for every $1 spent on high-performing digital channels.
Founder Gabriel Shahin credits this disciplined tracking for their success: “The math has to math. If the numbers don’t add up, pivot fast and reallocate.”
To see the difference between paid vs organic marketing, please review this article.
When firms ask whether they should focus on paid or organic marketing, the first step is understanding that they serve completely different purposes.
Advertising is a faucet — turn it on, and leads flow; turn it off, and they stop. It’s built for speed, not endurance. Paid campaigns can generate quick results, but they depend on constant spending to stay alive.
Organic marketing, on the other hand, is a well — it takes longer to dig, but once built, it produces for years without constant effort and spending. It builds reputation, trust, and authority — the kind of brand equity that lowers your client acquisition cost over time and makes every future interaction more efficient.
At Select Advisors Institute, we focus on the latter: helping firms build that deep, trust-based foundation through humanized, organic marketing — while also offering strategic support for those who choose to supplement with paid campaigns, from messaging and analytics to funnel design.
What Does “Fail Forward” Mean in Marketing Strategy?
“Fail forward” is the mindset of testing quickly, learning fast, and adjusting immediately.
Gabriel Shahin of Falcon Wealth Planning uses this principle across campaigns. If a Google Ad or region underperforms, his team tweaks the creative, target, or budget within days. That agility has led to unexpected success stories—like explosive lead growth in Boston, prompting the firm to open a new office there.
In short, failing forward means never waiting for perfection. It’s about momentum and course-correction instead of hesitation.
How Should Firms Split Organic vs. Inorganic Marketing?
Organic marketing builds credibility—think educational blogs, thought-leadership videos, and authentic social content.
Inorganic marketing drives reach—Google Ads, Meta Ads, sponsored placements, and SEO.
Falcon Wealth Planning spends millions across both categories. Its nine-person in-house marketing team (most RIAs have zero to 1 in-house marketing person) produces continuous content while running large-scale paid campaigns. The result: visibility on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even within AI search tools like ChatGPT and Grok, where prospects now discover the firm directly.
What If a Firm Doesn’t Want to Spend on Marketing?
If your firm isn’t ready for large-scale ad budgets, maximize referrals and relationships through organic marketing.
Falcon Wealth Planning still gets 15–20 percent of new clients from structured referral systems:
Asking for introductions during every client meeting.
Hosting “bring-a-friend” events.
Holding private, client-only appreciation events.
Organic marketing enhances referrals within firms by helping it show its “open for business.”
Strong service fuels referrals. As Shahin puts it, “Be so competent that clients want their friends to work with you.”
Should You Hire a Salesperson Instead of Investing in Marketing?
A great salesperson can jump-start growth—but they’re not a substitute for marketing.
Gabriel Shahin says, “The chicken came first—hire the salesperson.”
Early revenue from a skilled closer can fund marketing campaigns, creating a virtuous cycle: sales converts, marketing scales.
The smartest firms pair both—a rainmaker who drives relationships and a marketing system that multiplies reach.
If you don’t want to hire a salesperson, increase your firm’s sales skills through the Select Advisors sales training programs.
How Can Financial Firms Improve the Prospect Experience?
Most firms focus on client experience. The real opportunity is prospect experience—how potential clients feel before they sign.
Falcon Wealth Planning engineered this into its process: automated follow-ups, personalized communication, and even sending a signed copy of founder Gabriel Shahin’s book, How the Rich Get Richer, to every lead.
“Everyone loves a package in the mail,” he says. “We want prospects to experience our value before they even meet us.”
What’s the Secret Behind Falcon Wealth Planning’s Growth?
The firm’s rise from $250 million to $1.5 billion AUM came from three things:
Consistent investment in marketing (10–15 % of revenue).
Clear brand positioning, developed early with Select Advisors Institute.
Relentless execution—tracking, pivoting, and scaling systems with a 9-person in-house team
That mix turned a 20-person practice into a 100-person national firm in five years.
How Can Advisors Stay Motivated in a Competitive Industry?
Confidence is currency.
Shahin tells advisors to stop idolizing bigger firms: “The biggest names aren’t that special. You can compete if you believe in what you offer.”
His motivation comes from competition and purpose, not status. “Winners win. Shooters shoot. I’d show up to work the day after winning the lottery. That’s how much I love this.”
Key Lesson for Firms Planning Growth by 2026
Marketing isn’t an expense—it’s a multiplier.
The firms that commit a set percentage of revenue, test relentlessly, and trust the process are the ones that break through.
“If you’re waiting for certainty, you’ll wait forever. The firms that win are the ones willing to bet on themselves first.” — Gabriel Shahin
Summary: Growing Your Firm’s AUM the Right Way
Growing your Assets Under Management (AUM) isn’t just about gathering more accounts — it’s about building the kind of firm that earns trust, delivers value, and sustains momentum. The same principles that helped Falcon Wealth Planning scale from $250 million to $1.5 billion apply to every growth-minded advisory firm.
Sustainable AUM growth starts with exceptional client service — proactive communication, personalized advice, and transparent relationships that turn clients into advocates. From there, leveraging referrals and building professional alliances with CPAs, attorneys, and centers of influence can open powerful new pipelines.
The most successful firms also expand their target markets through niche specialization and educational outreach, while broadening their service offerings to include holistic financial planning, tax strategy, and family office coordination.
At the same time, technology plays an essential role. Using CRM tools, marketing automation, and digital content platforms helps advisors stay connected and top of mind — turning every interaction into an opportunity to deepen loyalty and increase retention.
Ultimately, increasing AUM comes down to one thing: a clear, consistent value proposition. When you combine personalized service, disciplined marketing, and long-term commitment, growth stops being a gamble and becomes a process — one that compounds like any good investment.
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