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Sandra Saldana Promoted to
Operations Manager
We’d like to congratulate Sandra on her recent promotion to Operations Manager! An integral part of our team since August 2019, Sandra started at PFI Advisors as an Administrative Assistant to...
“Winning Has a Price…”
– Michael Jordan
I recently completed my third viewing of the 10-part documentary series, “The Last Dance,” detailing the Chicago Bulls’ 1998 championship season, and highlighting Michael Jordan’s entire...
CEO Shares 10 Lessons From
25 Years in Wealth Management
Since entering the wealth management sector in July 1997, when he joined Merrill Lynch as a wire operator, Matt Sonnen has learned many lessons, he says. In a recent blog post marking his...
25 Lessons From 25 Years
In Wealth Management
This month marks my 25th anniversary in the wealth management industry. I started down this career path with Merrill Lynch in July of 1997 as a Wire Operator (you’ll have to look that job up – it no...
Career Advice from
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider
I recently stumbled across this tweet from Dee Snider, the lead singer of the 80’s “hair metal” band, Twisted Sister: To provide some back story, Twisted Sister rose to fame in 1984 with their third...
Danny Chajon
Joins PFI Advisors
Our team continues to grow! We are excited to announce the addition of Danny Chajon to our PFI Advisors family! Danny comes to PFI Advisors from the health care industry where he primarily worked in...
Matthew Alcorn
Joins PFI Advisors
We are excited to announce the addition of Matthew Alcorn to the PFI Advisors team! For the past several years, Matthew has led and contributed to a variety of creative projects including full...
Our Most Popular
Blog Posts of 2021
As 2021 draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the past year we’ve had here at PFI Advisors. The world seems to be developing a “new normal,” with many firms announcing their long-term plans...
A Different Kind of
#GivingTuesday Campaign
For the fourth year in a row, PFI Advisors will be participating in the annual #GivingTuesday campaign in a very meaningful way. For any RIA that purchases an annual subscription to...
PFI Advisors
is Hiring!
PFI Advisors is excited to announce our search for the newest member of our team! We are currently looking for an Associate who can think outside the box to help us serve our ever-expanding client...
How Note Taking Can (Hopefully!)
Keep My Head Straight
Previously on this blog, I detailed a strategy that I have implement which has resulted in a more productive and creative work week. Today, I want to share a strategy I am still struggling to...
How I’ve (Casually) Used Time
Blocking To Boost Creative Output
Like many of you, I’m constantly asking myself, “How do I get more done each day?” One of the common questions I pose to our guests on The COO Roundtable podcast is “Tell me about your time...
Why We Created
The COO Society
Last week you may have seen headlines announcing the launch of our new digital consulting platform, The COO Society. We are beyond excited to have the platform live and to see members...
Hey Kids! This Is Why You
Want To Be An RIA COO
If you have ever listened to an episode of The COO Roundtable podcast, you’ve probably heard Matt joke that, “As a kid, no one says to themselves, ‘When I grow up, I want to the COO of an RIA...
Attempting to “Get It Done”
Every Single Day
Work-life balance is tricky for every professional, but 2020’s work from home environment and the added stresses of a global health scare made the past 14 months a truly unique time for all of us. ...
Our Thoughts on
Content Marketing
Someone recently crinkled their nose at me and asked, “You’re an operations and technology/business consulting firm – why do you waste so much time on content marketing?” It’s a fair question, and...
Matt & Reese Sonnen Discuss State
of PFI Advisors & the RIA Industry
Note: Matt and Reese last conducted a one-on-one interview with each other back in June 2017. That interview took place at a Mexican restaurant over margaritas with chips and guacamole. ...
Our Most Popular
Blog Posts of 2020
As 2020 draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the past year here at PFI Advisors. With a global pandemic that forced companies to quickly adopt new processes and rethink the methods by which...
Lessons Learned During
A Tumultuous 2020
2020 was a year like no other. As we move into 2021, I wanted to look back at some of the articles we wrote and the lessons we learned as we navigated the crazy roller coaster of a ride this...
A Different Kind of
#GivingTuesday Campaign
For the third year, PFI Advisors will be participating in the annual #GivingTuesday campaign in a very meaningful way. A commitment of ours since 2018, any RIA that donates $10,000...
Landon Brantley
Joins PFI Advisors
We are thrilled to announce that Landon Brantley will be joining the PFI Advisors team in the role of consultant. Landon has spent over four years as a tax and financial advisor at ARGI...
Despite the Benefits, I Do Not
Recommend Waking at 3:40am
The key to content marketing is “answer the most common questions you receive from clients and prospects.” This strategy has shaped our approach in writing over 150 practice management...
Heartbroken
This tribute to Eddie Van Halen is going to seem silly to most readers, considering I never met the man, but the fact remains that I am absolutely devasted by the news of his passing today. ...
Always Focus on
the Client Experience
Below is a long, harrowing, frustrating, and oftentimes sad recount of my recent interaction with Microsoft support for our son’s Xbox. As you will see,...
Working with Your Spouse May Be
Tricky, Except in a Global Pandemic
Over the past 4 ½ years many people have said to me “You work with your spouse?!? I could never do that!” And my humorous reply has always been, “What makes it work is that Reese works from home,...
Gratitude
& the Mamba Mentality
Yesterday was Kobe Bryant’s memorial service here in Los Angeles. On January 26th Kobe, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and 7 others tragically...
PFI Advisors
is Hiring!
PFI Advisors is excited to announce our search for the newest member of our team! We are currently looking for an Associate who can think outside the box to help us serve our ever-expanding client...
PFI Advisors’ 2019
Top Blog Posts
As 2019 comes to a close, we pause to reflect on the past year we’ve had here at PFI Advisors. We added two new employees to our team late Summer and our Director of Transition Amusement...
A Different Kind of
#GivingTuesday Campaign
For the second year, PFI Advisors will be participating in the annual #GivingTuesday campaign in a very meaningful way. Like we did last year, any RIA that donates $10,000 or more to the...
Jay Veale and Sandra Saldana
Join PFI Advisors
We are excited to announce the addition of Jay Veale and Sandra Saldana to the PFI team! Jay recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in Political Economy and Film...
Video: PFI Advisors’ Take on the
Breakaway Advisor Movement…
PFI Advisors is often asked our opinion of the breakaway advisor movement. Given our line of work, our answer may surprise you…
PFI Advisors
Is Hiring!
PFI Advisors is excited to announce we are adding two new members to our family! Click the links below to learn more about our Associate and Administrative Assistant…
The American Dream, Through
the Life of Geremia Papa
This is my grandfather, Geremia (“Jerry”) Papa. He arrived in the United States in 1920, at the age of 18, from his homeland of Italy. My mother assures me that “Papa” is his real last name, but...
Scott Belsky’s “The Messy Middle”: A Must Read for All Breakaways
Scott Belsky is an entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, MBA Harvard graduate, and one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. That being said, I had never heard of him until...
From Startup to Street Cred: (Re)State Your Mission
In a recent conversation with an advisor who had launched his RIA the same year we launched PFI Advisors, we were discussing our business paths and how they have somewhat paralleled each other. This...
Industry Coverage of PFI Advisors’ Recent COO White Paper
In late October, we released our latest white paper, “Exploring the Benefits of Professional Management for RIAs: A Deeper Look into Chief Operating Officers,” the sixth installment in our industry...
PFI Advisors’ 2018 Top Blog Posts
As 2018 comes to a close, we pause to reflect on the past year we’ve had here at PFI Advisors. We added a new employee to our team in June and our Director of Transition Amusement started...
What this Millennial is Thankful for: My Introduction to the RIA Industry
If you Google the term “millennial,” the top stories don’t always show my generation in the best light. “Millennials are responsible for America’s shrinking homeownership.” “Millennials want more...
Interview with Luke Sonnen, Director of Transition Amusement
While only five years old, Luke Sonnen plays a vital role at PFI Advisors. As Director of Transition Amusement, it is his responsibility to provide an air of calmness and fun to the...
Alex Webb
Joins PFI Advisors
We are excited to announce the addition of Alex Webb to the PFI team! Alex recently graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a degree in Finance. While in school, Alex interned at...
Far from Forgotten: The Impact Layla Paige Sonnen Has Made
Layla – you left us one year ago, at 3:58am on July 8th, 2017, in your mother’s arms, surrounded by your dad and big brother Luke, and more love than we ever thought possible. There was no...
PFI ADVISORS ANNOUNCED AS FINALIST IN TWO CATEGORIES
We are excited to announce that PFI Advisors has been selected as a Finalist in WealthManagement.com’s 2018 Industry Awards for our retainer-based COO Resource offering, as well as for our M&A...
Advisors Explain How They Made An Acquisition Work
Karen DeMasters of Financial Advisor Magazine detailed the strategies used by some of the most successful RIA acquirers in our industry. We were honored to cover these firms in our most recent...
Ready to Take Your Firm to the Next Level?
As RIAs grow, they continue to struggle with the optimization of their back office operations to achieve increased profitability as they gain clients and additional AUM. It’s no secret that...
Former Luminous COO to Provide Operations Consulting to RIAs
Advisors have been asking Matt Sonnen, CEO of PFI Advisors, for an outsourced COO offering since he launched two years ago. He’s no longer fighting the market…
Layla Paige Sonnen
4/9/15-7/8/17
To our business partners, associates, and clients who have tracked our daughter's struggles with her brain disorder, we are completely heartbroken to inform you that Layla Paige Sonnen succumbed to...
Matt Sonnen Concedes to an Interview with his Toughest Critic…
Below is a transcript of an interview Matt and Larissa (Reese) conducted over margaritas in Hermosa Beach, CA on June 20, 2017. Larissa: So, 20 years in the industry is a long time…How old do you...