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What does the future of financial advice look like? Mark Akeroyd from UniSuper joins Alisdair Barr to discuss AI in advice, lessons from the U.S. wealth industry, and how advisers can deliver better, more personalised experiences while scaling advice to more Australians.

What makes a firm a place where young professionals genuinely want to join? Alisdair and Whitney explore the "vibe," the expectations, and the make-or-break moments in the hiring journey—and how simple communication can transform the whole experience.

In this episode of the Striver Podcast, I sit down with Julia Newbold – founder of the Stella Network – to discuss how financial advice can reach more Australians and reflect the clients it serves. We cover practical ways advisers and firms can service clients across every demographic, the relaunch of the Stella Network, and the power of networks to drive change and growth in the profession. If you're interested in expanding your impact and seeing how diversity, collaboration and fresh thinking can transform advice delivery, you'll want to tune in.

How do we make quality financial advice accessible to more Australians? In our latest Striver Podcast, we sit down with Rachel White from Vanguard to explore both local and global solutions — from fresh industry approaches to international innovations — that could help solve this urgent challenge.

Introducing the 'New Class of Advisors' that promises to enhance accessibility to financial advice amid upcoming legislative changes.  I speak to Ben Marshan from Marshan Consulting about the impact of new legislative proposals, including the introduction of a "new class of advisor" and how this could reshape accessibility, affordability, and career pathways in financial planning. We discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the profession—how businesses can better serve under-advised clients, the role of new advisors in bridging the generational wealth gap, and how firms can leverage these changes to grow sustainably. If you're interested in the future of financial advice and what it means for both clients and industry professionals, this episode is a must-listen.

I asked Sharyn Baker, Head of Service and Operations at BT, "What does successful customer 'service' mean to you?"   In Sharon's words, it means providing predictable, consistent and reliable service to both your internal and external customers. Hear how success is measured and how optimisation is driven by Net Promoter Score (NPS) data from the service frontline of BT Panorama, which celebrates 10 years of enabling quality financial advice to thrive with intuitive technology.   It may surprise you - that from the simplest of feedback, the biggest of improvements can be made. Listen now.

Iress, in collaboration with Deloitte Access Economics, has launched a landmark report on the future of financial advice in Australia. Hear from Marcus Field, Head of Growth and Partnerships at Iress as we unpack the seven megatrends set to usher in a new era of opportunity for advice and highlight the strategic choices that advisers, business owners and industry stakeholders need to make to come out on top Read more: info.iress.com/thebigshift

We often think about efficiency in business to be focused around process and software but what about individual effectiveness. My chat with Vanessa Bennett highlighted some ways to find 25% more effectiveness and at the same time manage burn out. I really enjoyed this chat....

Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. How do you get on the bandwagon to get results? Looking at current processes and easy wins is sometimes the best way to get on the efficiency wagon (or a bus, which is generally faster!). I spoke with Conrad Travers from Tangelo Advice Consulting, who has practical ideas of easy-wins to leverage your existing processes before you add any more 'efficiency software to your business. More importantly, we talk about the measurable impact of these changes! Hope you enjoy the chat... Practical Tips Worksheet

Phone call first, instant gratification and keeping it simple. This is what we expect from most experiences in our lives. But our attention spans are getting shorter and our digital habits are changing so how will that shape the next generation of apps? Speaking with Peter Worn from the Finura Group challenged some of the processes that we have and where we can get in our own way. Some interesting ideas here...and ones you may already have thought of yourself.

The beauty of technology is that it can be data-driven at every decision point. How can this apply to the very personable advice industry? I speak to Paul Feeney, Founder and CEO at Otivo, to tick off items from the wish-list of every at-capacity adviser.

In an evolving landscape, brand is crucial at every phase of your business lifecycle. In this thought-provoking episode, Joshua Grace, Customer Office Group Executive at Colonial First State, explores how a robust and distinctive brand can help you attract your ideal clients, establish the right client expectations, enhance your profitability and fuel sustainable growth.

How will financial advice from a Super Fund change the game? To answer this question, Alisdair talks to Renae Anderson, Select Advice Manager, about UniSuper's 3-year strategy to increase their adviser talent pipeline, deliver advice to members moving into retirement and making advice more accessible to more Australians. More players in the advice game means more financial 'wins' for more Australians. Hear how that's going to impact advisers, super fund members and the playing field for the profession going forward

Segmentation is vital for advice practices, impacting financials, cost-to-serve, and fee consistency. How are top firms managing  segment identification and potential client off-boarding? Jackie Clark, National Education Manager at Colonial First State, joins us again to provide practical tips for getting started without excessive time or financial investment. Tune into this week's episode and drive success through segmentation strategies.

Are client surveys a more powerful tool than we realise? This week, we unpack the full potential of a humble client survey. What's the best approach to them - ad hoc, formal, or a combination? With Jackie Clark, National Manager Education at Colonial First State, we reveal how surveys can fuel business innovation and anticipate future client needs. Apart from the validation, let's unlock the potential of client surveys in transforming your business.