Leading a Successful Merger, Inorganic Growth, and the Importance of Self-Care with Chris Winkler

In this episode, Steve talks with Chris Winkler of Legacy Advisors Private Wealth Management in Chesterton, Indiana.  Watching his single mother work several jobs just to make ends meet, Chris always understood that those who work hard don’t always have access to the financial advising they need. So after a healthy career in financial services, Chris went out on his own and started Legacy in 2009 with the intention of serving others. Chris’s insatiable curiosity has driven much of his personal and professional growth. While Legacy has experienced inorganic expansion along the way, Chris discusses the processes he’s put in place that have ultimately led to organic growth. Chris and Steve talk about the importance of maintaining a solid foundation, working from passion, and three things to consider before your company experiences a merger or acquisition. “Most of us have built a business to serve others. This has never necessarily been about our scoreboard. Obviously, it’s responsible to look at the important metrics of our business, but it’s not something that we obsess about. It’s really the obsession about building and operating a world-class kind of an organization that we would want to become clients of. And that’s kind of the standard that we operate from. Would we want to be a client of our own firm? ” ~ Chris Winkler Main Takeaways  The firms that survive and thrive after a merger or acquisition always have a solid foundation beforehand. If things are haywire pre-acquisition, they’ll be haywire afterward as well. Any company your firm acquires should exist for the same purpose as your company, have the same core values, operate in the same business, and serve the same clients.  For your firm to succeed, you must commit to an evidence-based philosophy. It doesn’t matter what your philosophy is, you just need to have one. Stripping away hierarchy and asking people to operate in their abilities frees up advisors to do what they do best and serve clients exceptionally well. Links and Important Mentions Chris on LinkedIn Legacy Advisors Private Wealth Management   Who Not How: The Formula To Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business   Strategic Growth  Subscribe and Stay in Touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Steve on LinkedIn Follow Buckingham Strategic Partners  on Twitter