Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

Take Your Next Step With Confidence. Use this step-by-step guide to establish your brand and effectively communicate with clients about your transition.

“So, the first thing from a marketing standpoint that I always want to explain and help people understand is that to attract clients, they need to first know you, they need to know about you, then they need to like you, and then eventually they need to trust you to manage their money.” – Mahesh Odhrani

From India to Dubai and now Las Vegas, Mahesh Odhrani is no stranger to change. Now as founder and president of Strategic Wealth Design, Mahesh and his firm specialize in working with physicians, dentists, and business owners, helping them reduce taxes, optimize savings, and invest efficiently. Mahesh built his practice on his vision to, “enrich the lives of people we touch by helping them create financial freedom and security.” Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Mahesh shares how his vision for his business brought him into the independent space and the risks he and his family had to take to make the successful transition.

“I think that when you break down that fear of the unknown with education, it makes a huge difference and I look for a lot of stories to make something more relatable, like, you know; Rebalancing your portfolio is just like getting your hair trimmed, like your hair grows at all different lengths and you have to get it back into balance.” – Kristina Paz

As a strong advocate for women in the financial services industry and one of the only all-women financial advisor firms in the state of Colorado, Kristina Paz of Sopris Wealth Advisors specializes in working with women in transitions, particularly health care workers. While her firm and relationships with her clients continue to evolve, Kristina credits her family for her passion to serve others. You don’t want to miss episode of Cambridge Stronger as Kristina shares how she helps her clients take back their financial freedom through education, and why she believes being relatable is the key to empowering her clients.

“We all have our families and friends, we all value all of it, but in different ways and different things. So, it's just so crucial to really find out what people value and what's most important to them.” – Adam Freeland

Whether he’s building relationships with clients or establishing a value system with his firm, Adam Freeland of Harford Financial Group understands the importance of teamwork. Tune in as Adam shares his journey from the military to financial services and what his day-to-day responsibilities look like as the firm’s managing principal. Among many topics, he dives into his military experience and how it has contributed to the way he runs his business, and why he puts so much focus on learning and training. As someone who transitioned to financial services as a second career, Adam also shares the importance of mentoring the next-generation of financial professionals. Aligning with his growth mindset, Adam explains how he’s trained himself to remain detail-oriented while also looking at the big picture, playing dueling roles to appropriately meet his clients’ needs.

“I kind of think we got back to what we do best, and that's to be in front of our clients, talk to them directly, sit at their kitchen tables, and we felt the best way to continue to grow is really with the two of us doing what we do best.” – Walter Scott

For more than 20 years, Walter Scott and his business partner Thomas Whelan have been helping businesses and families work towards their financial goals, while continuing to help their firm, Whelan Scott Asset Management, evolve. Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Walter shares why his family was a driving force behind his decision to join our industry and how flexibility plays a role in his decision-making. Walter also explains why he chose SEI, a company that partners with Cambridge to provide up-to-date research and anticipate changing investor needs, and how he’s using technology offerings to grow his business and open up more time to spend with his family.

“I think loyalty is another piece. I have a deep loyalty to my clients, as does my team to their clients. So, the idea that we're trying to do right by our clients as human beings – that's the most important thing; I think that also is in the military values as well.” – Lucila Williams

After turning down law school to become a financial professional, Lucila knew not becoming an attorney was the second most important decision she ever made. As for the most important decision – she credits a female mentor who took her under her wing and showed her the value of the independent space. Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Lucila shares how she manages her business and how she discovered a service need for her niche clientele. She also highlights how she discusses legacy planning with clients, and the importance of playing to her clients’ unique needs. As a Veteran who served as a Korean linguist for five years, Lucila walks listeners through her time in the Army and what ‘superpowers’ she learned and continues to leverage today.

“I don’t think that I can change the world in any way, shape or form, but I do think that I can change my little corner of it.” – Rob Young

From earning a history degree to serving in the Army and, shortly after, joining the world of finance, Rob Young has experienced a lot of change in his journey. Don’t miss this special episode of Cambridge Stronger as Rob shares why he credits his family’s history as a driving passion for helping other people plan for the future. He also focuses on his desire to mentor and why he feels it’s important to support and guide the next generation of our industry. Finally, Rob explains the lessons he learned from his time in the Army and how his experience serving others shaped his meaning of “leave no person behind.”

Learn how to identify key growth needs, streamline operations, minimize pain points, and execute an intentional growth plan to help your practice reach its full potential.

"Don't be afraid to change things. Our business changes, we change. If it's not working, change it up." – Steve Nearman

From a wire house to the independent space, Steve Nearman of Nearman Financial Consulting has experienced a lot in his over 30 years in the financial services industry. Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Steve shares how the challenges he’s had to overcome throughout his career have equipped him to run his own independent business. He also highlights how he’s managed to grow his firm over the years and what he believes is the key to attracting and onboarding new clients. Finally, Steve explains how he stays active in his community through the gift of hockey, from which he was named a 2022 and 2023 Invest in Others Honorable Mention.

“I think empathy is the place to start. For me, my clients realize when they first meet with me that I’m empathetic to their situation, and that I care and I want to help them. I’m genuinely there, I’m part of their team.”

After finding herself in North Carolina, looking for a fresh start, Debbie Ash found herself searching for a career where she could help people. This is when she realized she wanted to explore the financial services industry as a financial advisor. You don’t want to miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Debbie explains why she’s chosen the independent space from day one, and how her unique business model works for her. She also shares how she figured out her niche clientele and what marketing tools she leverages while searching for new clients.

“Listening and empathizing with clients comes very easy to me and I think that in turn builds trust, which I think is the most important attribute an advisor can have than any technical skill.”

As a first generation Indian-American whose family came to the U.S., Divam experienced the challenges that come with building the foundation of a financial plan. These experiences were part of what drove his inspiration and passion to become a business owner in the financial services industry. Don’t miss this brand-new episode of Cambridge Stronger as Divam shares how he went from research analyst to financial professional, and how the skills he learned early on influence his decisions today as a business owner. He also shares how his past experiences on Wall Street prepared him for life in the independent space. You’ll hear how Divam continues growing his client base, and how he’s found success in guiding individuals and families along their financial journey by designing dynamic, actionable, and organic financial plans.

We have almost 400 advisors at TAG now and we have 399 different business models and we embrace that because we are fiercely independent.” – April Booth

With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, April Booth’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as April shares how she ‘accidentally’ found her way into the industry and what true independence means to her and the financial professionals she serves. As Partner and Chief Operating Officer (COO), April also walks listeners through what to expect as a transitioning financial professional and how the TAG team offers support. She also highlights her experience as a member of Cambridge’s Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Advisory Council and offers advice to next-gen financial professionals.

Life is made up of the decisions we make, some proving much more challenging than others. During discussions on succession planning, we often ask financial professionals how many have spent at least three months planning their dream vacation and about 75 percent of the room usually raise their hand. When asked how many of them have spent three months planning the sale of their business, only a few hands remain. Maybe we don’t want to admit our own mortality or that the work remains too engaging, but the facts are that most independent financial professionals do not have a plan or know how to begin the process of selling their business. Let’s look at six key steps to take when planning your succession.

“I don’t pretend to be the smartest advisor out there, but I promise you it’s going to be hard to find someone who cares like I do and that’s to me the heart of it.”

Since the age of 10, Jamie Blakley of Successful Financial Strategies knew she was meant to build a career in the financial services industry. For more than 20 years, Jamie has helped families and business owners understand their financial lives in her role as a financial professional and business owner. Don’t miss this episode of Cambridge Stronger as Jamie takes listeners on a trip down memory lane, walking through how she made the journey into the independent space. She also provides insight into her life as a business owner and how she’s built a team to surround and support her and her business.

“I’m always trying to better my clients’ experience and figure out how I can make that experience better. What value-add can I continue to give my clients?”