Unlocking the Power of Employee Engagement and Culture in Financial Services

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Welcome to the Adjusted for Risk podcast.

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Join myself, Brian Nauman, as I talk

markets, investments, economics- Let's

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get started … and life as I help prepare

you for the upcoming week in market.

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This podcast is for informational

purposes only and should not be

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relied on for investment decisions.

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Hello, everyone, and welcome to

the Adjusted for Risk podcast.

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Let's go.

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We are recording on location at the

Steward Symposium, which is gonna be

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a great few days of fun conversations,

great content, and some great insights.

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You know, culture is so important,

whether you're talking about a sports

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team or a wealth management firm.

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Well, my next guest is going to provide

some great insights into the importance

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of culture, along with what it takes to

produce a successful annual conference.

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But first, today's po- uh, today's episode

is sponsored by the award-winning Zephyr,

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which helps investment professionals

make more informed investment

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decisions on behalf of their clients.

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All right, enough from me.

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Let's go ahead and bring

on the star of the show.

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I'd like to welcome, give a very

warm welcome to Maria Condon.

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Maria is the Chief of

Staff at Steward Partners.

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Maria, thank you so much for coming on.

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Really excited about this conversation.

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It's an honor to have you on this show.

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Can you please tell us a little bit more

about yourself and Steward Partners?

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Yeah, sure.

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Um, I've been at Steward Partners

now for well over 10 years.

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Been here kind of from the beginning.

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So we've really looked

at a lot of machinations,

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changes throughout the years.

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Um, and here we are at

our annual conference.

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It's our ninth one.

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Uh It's doubled, tripled,

quadrupled in size- … so we're

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super excited for this week.

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It's gonna be great.

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Lots of fun.

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Great to see everyone.

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Yeah, it's fantastic.

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I can imagine all the work.

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Is it really, like, a year-round

process of planning one of these

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annual confer- do you ever stop, like,

thinking about it or planning it?

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Oh, no, it's ongoing.

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I mean, right after, once I get home

after the, after this week It starts

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next- We're moving on to the 10-year.

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Yeah.

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So come and talk to us next year- … at

the 10-year 'cause it's gonna be a blast.

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It'll be a big party.

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Yeah.

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For anyone who hasn't

experienced a Stewart Symposium

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before, paint us a picture.

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What is it?

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Why does it exist?

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Why did you think about

starting it nine years ago?

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Sure.

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Well, by definition, it's

our annual conference, right?

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This is a chance for us to

all spend time together.

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It's our advisors, our leadership team,

our board of directors, support staff,

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and we all get together in one place

for a solid, action-packed three days.

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But in reality, it's so much more

than just an annual conference.

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It's the one time each year where

the entire firm really can get

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that chance to come together,

reconnect, and remind ourselves why

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we're all part of Stewart Partners.

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Uh, it embodies the culture

that we work so hard to build.

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Um, there's collaboration, the

forward-thinking mindset, and that small

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firm feel that generally translates

to something closer to family.

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Um, but it's also the first time m-

many of our new partners really get

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to actually experience it up close

what it actually feels like to be part

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of this firm beyond the day-to-day.

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Um, so just as importantly,

it's so much fun.

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Uh, we're super intentional about that.

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We work really hard, but this is a

chance to take that step back, enjoy

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being with one another, and really

celebrate, uh, what we've built and

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what we're building for the future.

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Um, and another really huge

part of this is access.

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It's really special.

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Our board of directors,

our senior leadership, uh,

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strategic partners are all here.

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They're all here to engage.

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Um, and it's not just,

you know, a presentation.

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It's real conversations.

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It's one-on-one time.

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Um, so all of this together,

the connection, the access,

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the energy, it's really what

makes the symposium what it is.

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Yeah, I think that's, uh, fantastic,

Maria, and is spot on because I

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think when we had COVID, which

is crazy- Wasn't that long ago.

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Mm.

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I think before then, people took

for granted interaction, human

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interaction, being till COVID

happened, it's like, oh my gosh.

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I, uh, we can't have conferences, we

can't have, like, social interaction.

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So I think it, people now realize

the importance of it, and they

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don't take it for granted.

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And like you said, I, in the

industry of creating content,

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but, you know, people can get…

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Read newsletters every day.

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Sure.

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They can watch a podcast,

but it still doesn't replace

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the, that human interaction.

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They, you know, listening to Jim

Gold onstage, right, or talking

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to Jim Gold in person, sure,

you can see him on a podcast.

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Mm-hmm.

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But is it the same?

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No, it's not.

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Right.

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You're exactly correct.

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Absolutely.

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Yeah.

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A lot of firms hold annual conferences,

um, but what makes this symposium feel

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different to the people that attend?

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I- is it the energy?

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Other than, you know, we're on the beach.

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Like, what is it?

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W- a location?

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What is it that adds energy to

a conference that makes people,

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you know, remember it and talk

about it for months afterwards?

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Well, I think the energy here

is, it really is, as we like to

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always say, it's electric here.

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It really is.

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Um, you know, there's an energy that

you feel that moment you walk in.

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Again, people are engaged,

they're excited, and they want

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to be there, like, genuinely.

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And for a lot of us, it's

a reunion in many cases.

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It's been an entire year since we've

last seen each other in person,

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so there's this genuine feeling of

reconnection and- Seeing old friends.

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At the same time, you're meeting

the new partners, you're building

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new relationships, and continuing

the traditions that really have just

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been part of the experience of- Mm

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being here at the symposium.

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Um, you see it in the sessions,

but you really feel it in those

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interactions, in those moments.

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Uh, people lean into conversations.

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There's a lot of idea sharing and

learning from each other, and it's just

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very natural, and I think, um, that's

one of the most important things.

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No one's forcing you to be here.

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They want to be here.

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Uh, and I think, um, you know, what

makes me most proud is that people

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walk away feeling that it was time

well spent, and that's always the goal

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and something we're incredibly pr-

proud of as we go ahead and plan this.

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Mm-hmm.

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No, I love that you brought

up it's just natural, right?

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Mm.

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Nobody wants to be forced

to do anything, right?

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That takes the energy

out of it and the fun.

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And, you know, when people are

spread out all over, you get…

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I think Jim said 90 offices.

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Mm-hmm.

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90-some offices around the US.

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You know, you can feel kinda isolated,

so it's nice to get together in one

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place and, and bring everyone together.

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And my next question is about

culture, and I'm sure when you do

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get everyone together, it helps,

you know, confirm that culture,

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res- you know, solidify that culture

that you're building or have built.

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You know, it's one of those

terms that gets thrown around

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constantly in financial services.

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I have conversations about

culture all the time.

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But what does it actually mean at Steward?

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When I talk to you, I've had so many

great conversations with the Steward

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folks, and I can really tell that

culture, it's not just a tagline.

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It actually means something.

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And how does the symposium bring

that culture- Mm … together?

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Uh, yeah, it's tremendously important.

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Um, at Steward, culture isn't

something that we just describe.

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It's something that- It's ingrained.

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It's built into how we

operate here at the firm.

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Um, it really starts with the ownership.

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When everyone has a stake in

the business, it creates a level

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of alignment, accountability

that's really hard to replicate.

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No matter where you sit in our

organization, you're tied to the outcome.

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It's all shared, and that changes how

people think, how they collaborate,

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and how they show up from day to day.

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Um, I remember when we actually first

started Steward Partners, if you printed

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in color at 40 cents a slice of paper-

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everyone's like, "You

can't print in color.

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It's too expensive.

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Our profit sharing."

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You know?

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Um, so just again, it, it,

it just, it really trickles

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down into everything we do.

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Um, so the structure here, it naturally

creates that environment where ideas

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are shared openly, people challenge

each other in positive ways- Mm-hmm

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and there's constant focus on how we can

improve, how we can evolve, move forward.

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Um, the symposium brings that to life

because it creates the space for those

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interactions to actually happen in person.

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It's not just about content, it's

about the meaningful dialogue.

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Mm.

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So advisors are engaging with our

leadership, sharing the ideas with the

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peers, having real conversations about

what works and where we can do better.

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Um, and a big part of that

is, again, the access.

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Our board of directors and our

senior leadership, they're here

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spending time with advisors.

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They're listening.

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They're offering perspective on the

in- on the, um, on the industry.

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There's growth- the growth

opportunities and the future of where

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this firm will sit in the industry.

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Mm.

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Uh, and that level of transparency

and engagement is what makes

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that culture really tangible.

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It's something you can actually

experience, and it's not just

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something that you can hear about.

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Yeah, I think that's fantastic.

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How many places, how many

firms allow you that access.

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I've heard, I've had numerous

conversations today, the access to

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leadership and at, you know, the

symposium, it allows that see Jim, see

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Jeff walking around, see yourself, how

open you guys are, the conversations, and

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I've noticed that in all my conversations,

Stewart really thrives on that- Mm-hmm

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on that openness.

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As chief of staff, uh, you see the

firm from a very wide vantage point.

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What do you observe about the people

at Stewart that tells you the culture

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is real and just not, like I said,

a tagline or some, you know, s-

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castle in the clouds type thing?

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Oh, culture, whatever.

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How do you know it's real?

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Well, I've been here since the

very beginning, as I said earlier.

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Okay.

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So I've really had that front row seat to

how the firm has evolved over the years.

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Um, you know, my heart and my

soul is closely tied to this firm.

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You know, I've worked in other

places, and nothing is like this.

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Um, and I take a lot of pride in that

because I'm incredibly passionate about

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the culture that's been built here.

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Um, you know, we've grown, we've brought

in new people, the structure has changed,

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but one thing that always remains constant

is how people show up for each other.

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Um, there is an expectation

of excellence, but it goes-

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Mm … beyond just performance.

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There's a genuine sense of accountability

to one another and a shared commitment

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to doing things the right way.

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Um, and again, it shows up in

very, very real situations.

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It's, it's how we make decisions.

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It's how we take the feedback in.

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It's how we work through

the challenges together.

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There's alignment around those

behaviors, not just the outcome.

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Um, I believe our leadership team

really plays a huge role in that.

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They're the best in the

business, if you ask me.

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Uh, we lead with integrity, fair-

fairness, they're collaborative,

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and they set the tone- Mm … for

everyone else in the organization.

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So it really is that trickle-down.

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Leading by example is always

the best way, if you ask me.

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Uh, so when you lead by

example, people buy into it.

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00:12:14,594 --> 00:12:15,113

Mm-hmm.

237

00:12:15,823 --> 00:12:16,113

Yeah.

238

00:12:16,193 --> 00:12:16,793

That's spot on.

239

00:12:16,874 --> 00:12:21,583

If, if your management team isn't on

board with that culture, then again,

240

00:12:21,594 --> 00:12:24,743

it's just this pipe dream, right?

241

00:12:24,743 --> 00:12:28,343

You- Exactly … it, it needs

to start at the top, and, um,

242

00:12:28,454 --> 00:12:30,014

you can definitely tell it does.

243

00:12:30,014 --> 00:12:33,014

And, and I, I think you brought

up a good point, too, about the

244

00:12:33,033 --> 00:12:35,123

ownership stru- uh, structure.

245

00:12:35,874 --> 00:12:39,243

I think that probably helps a

lot, too, having an openness.

246

00:12:39,603 --> 00:12:43,063

Are you gonna believe in a

culture if, you know, your views

247

00:12:43,063 --> 00:12:44,903

and opinions aren't accepted?

248

00:12:45,353 --> 00:12:46,123

Probably not.

249

00:12:46,353 --> 00:12:47,923

So- Exactly … very important.

250

00:12:48,374 --> 00:12:55,492

You know, going back to the event, the

symposium It takes a lot, especially one

251

00:12:55,492 --> 00:12:58,312

this size, uh, enormous coordination.

252

00:12:58,531 --> 00:13:02,762

You know, walk us through what goes

into making a symposium happen.

253

00:13:02,822 --> 00:13:06,632

And I always wonder, w- what is success?

254

00:13:06,682 --> 00:13:09,452

Is it the number of people that come?

255

00:13:09,812 --> 00:13:11,942

Is it the number of vendors?

256

00:13:12,242 --> 00:13:14,571

Like, what does success look like?

257

00:13:14,982 --> 00:13:19,401

Um, well, I mean, it takes a tremendous

amount of coordination, uh, but I'm very

258

00:13:19,401 --> 00:13:24,351

fortunate to have an incredibly strong

team behind me, and at this point,

259

00:13:24,351 --> 00:13:30,211

we're all balancing this alongside

our day-to-day job, uh, which makes a

260

00:13:30,212 --> 00:13:32,662

successful event even more rewarding.

261

00:13:33,031 --> 00:13:35,921

Um, but the planning really

starts months in advance.

262

00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:40,011

Uh, we think about the agenda, we

think about the flow, um, and how

263

00:13:40,052 --> 00:13:44,011

every detail would contribute to the

experience we want people to have.

264

00:13:44,371 --> 00:13:49,412

Um, the event itself has really

evolved quite a bit over the years.

265

00:13:49,421 --> 00:13:49,451

Mm-hmm.

266

00:13:49,462 --> 00:13:52,281

Our first symposium, it was 2017.

267

00:13:52,741 --> 00:13:57,511

Uh, it had just over 50

partners, barely a stage.

268

00:13:58,812 --> 00:14:01,351

I don't even know if we paid

for that many microphones.

269

00:14:01,361 --> 00:14:01,381

Yeah.

270

00:14:01,691 --> 00:14:04,202

Um, and now we're approaching 500 people.

271

00:14:04,321 --> 00:14:08,882

So the growth adds complexity, but

it also makes it that much more

272

00:14:08,882 --> 00:14:11,092

meaningful when it all comes together.

273

00:14:11,471 --> 00:14:16,071

Uh, we try to level it up by way

of experience, whether you focus

274

00:14:16,071 --> 00:14:19,961

on branding and- Mm-hmm … uh,

you know, kind of the marketing

275

00:14:19,961 --> 00:14:22,461

piece of it, or just the food- Yeah

276

00:14:22,891 --> 00:14:23,581

or the fun.

277

00:14:23,592 --> 00:14:25,191

The lunch was fantastic today.

278

00:14:25,191 --> 00:14:25,541

Excellent.

279

00:14:26,021 --> 00:14:26,341

Excellent.

280

00:14:26,581 --> 00:14:27,541

I had the mahi mahi.

281

00:14:27,541 --> 00:14:27,601

Yes.

282

00:14:27,601 --> 00:14:28,242

It was very good.

283

00:14:28,651 --> 00:14:28,681

Cool.

284

00:14:28,721 --> 00:14:32,242

Um, but for me, the success

is actually quite simple.

285

00:14:32,242 --> 00:14:36,371

It's really looking around that room

and seeing the people engaged, talking,

286

00:14:36,371 --> 00:14:40,790

reconnecting, enjoying themselves,

being present in the moments there.

287

00:14:41,191 --> 00:14:44,772

And then there are the moments that

bring it all to life, and the jersey

288

00:14:44,781 --> 00:14:49,141

ceremony on the final night is

probably the best example of that.

289

00:14:49,181 --> 00:14:53,504

And- I'd like to expand on that

a little bit Yeah, please do Um,

290

00:14:53,504 --> 00:14:56,314

because the- Because I'm gonna end

up missing it, so please tell me

291

00:14:56,314 --> 00:14:57,494

more about it You're missing out.

292

00:14:57,704 --> 00:14:58,964

You're missing out, Ryan.

293

00:14:58,974 --> 00:15:01,553

Next year you have to- Yeah, you-

you- … come to our 10-year Your 10-year.

294

00:15:01,553 --> 00:15:04,143

Yeah But the concept, uh, you

know, Jim Gold came up with this

295

00:15:04,154 --> 00:15:08,693

concept in the very beginning,

and, uh, it's like the NFL Draft.

296

00:15:08,693 --> 00:15:12,304

So each new partner is assigned a

number based on when they joined the

297

00:15:12,304 --> 00:15:19,584

firm, so you might be partner 87,

142, at this point 360-something Wow

298

00:15:19,993 --> 00:15:21,493

um, or whatever it may be.

299

00:15:21,923 --> 00:15:24,143

There's actually a lot

of excitement around it.

300

00:15:24,174 --> 00:15:28,303

At this point, people are eager to

find out what their number will be,

301

00:15:28,823 --> 00:15:32,254

and there was even a big push around

who was going to get number 100.

302

00:15:32,424 --> 00:15:34,904

I'll never forget- Right … that

was like, "Do I, did I get 100?

303

00:15:34,933 --> 00:15:35,623

What's my number?

304

00:15:35,623 --> 00:15:35,963

Am I…"

305

00:15:36,733 --> 00:15:38,413

99 was so disappointing.

306

00:15:38,423 --> 00:15:38,443

Yeah.

307

00:15:39,533 --> 00:15:42,004

But double digits is

better than triple, right?

308

00:15:42,084 --> 00:15:42,114

Right.

309

00:15:42,164 --> 00:15:42,314

Exactly.

310

00:15:42,324 --> 00:15:45,973

Um, we- How are you gonna

fit 1,000 on a jersey?

311

00:15:45,974 --> 00:15:47,753

Oh, you could, you could

fit a lot on a jersey.

312

00:15:47,753 --> 00:15:47,849

You could?

313

00:15:47,849 --> 00:15:47,897

Okay.

314

00:15:47,897 --> 00:15:48,753

It's an XL size.

315

00:15:48,864 --> 00:15:48,944

Yeah.

316

00:15:49,303 --> 00:15:49,913

It's an XL.

317

00:15:50,564 --> 00:15:52,534

We bring them up on stage one by one.

318

00:15:52,843 --> 00:15:56,363

We present them with the football jersey

with their name and their number on it.

319

00:15:57,023 --> 00:15:58,484

The whole room is engaged.

320

00:15:58,583 --> 00:16:01,104

The music's- Mm … playing,

people are cheering.

321

00:16:01,104 --> 00:16:02,273

It's, it's super special.

322

00:16:02,273 --> 00:16:03,904

We even have people now dressing up.

323

00:16:03,943 --> 00:16:06,493

We had chains- I love it … and

sunglasses, hats, everything.

324

00:16:06,913 --> 00:16:09,144

Uh, and then we even

take it a step further.

325

00:16:09,163 --> 00:16:10,603

The jersey gets framed.

326

00:16:11,134 --> 00:16:15,303

It's paired with the photo from that

night on stage with Jim and High

327

00:16:15,314 --> 00:16:19,663

holding your jersey up loud and proud,

and it's sent back to the office.

328

00:16:20,123 --> 00:16:24,543

You'll walk into the advisor offices

and you see them hanging on the wall.

329

00:16:25,244 --> 00:16:28,403

So it becomes this conversation

piece and something they're really

330

00:16:28,403 --> 00:16:32,073

proud of, and people even, you know,

they, they compare their numbers.

331

00:16:32,384 --> 00:16:37,633

Um, the Clearwater office has all

of their conference room plastered.

332

00:16:37,663 --> 00:16:38,974

I mean, it's double layered.

333

00:16:39,424 --> 00:16:39,843

Love it.

334

00:16:39,843 --> 00:16:40,593

It's, it's awesome.

335

00:16:41,013 --> 00:16:44,233

Uh, we've even incorporated the

numbers into their name badges now,

336

00:16:44,233 --> 00:16:48,244

so it becomes part of how people are

identifying themselves at the firm.

337

00:16:48,693 --> 00:16:51,074

Um, so that's what

success looks like to me.

338

00:16:51,074 --> 00:16:55,233

It creates moments like that,

um, something fun, memorable, and

339

00:16:55,233 --> 00:17:00,624

reinforcing, again, that sense of

belonging in that very real, real way.

340

00:17:01,044 --> 00:17:01,693

I love that.

341

00:17:01,744 --> 00:17:03,194

That's, that's a lot of fun.

342

00:17:03,214 --> 00:17:03,913

That might be…

343

00:17:04,173 --> 00:17:09,708

You know, I've been to more industry-wide

conferences, not so much, um- Firm-wide

344

00:17:09,708 --> 00:17:14,088

conferences, but that might be my favorite

little- It's so cool … you know,

345

00:17:14,137 --> 00:17:17,867

end, uh, e- end of event, um, event.

346

00:17:17,887 --> 00:17:21,757

That, that's a lot of fun and-

I remember holding up my jersey.

347

00:17:21,768 --> 00:17:21,788

Yeah.

348

00:17:21,798 --> 00:17:26,228

I held it as taut as

possible- As proud and-

349

00:17:26,228 --> 00:17:26,608

with a grin from ear to ear.

350

00:17:26,608 --> 00:17:27,317

I love it.

351

00:17:27,567 --> 00:17:27,988

That's awesome.

352

00:17:27,997 --> 00:17:28,907

Manager six.

353

00:17:28,948 --> 00:17:29,937

Manager six.

354

00:17:30,178 --> 00:17:37,418

So, um, not to go too off track here,

for the NFL Draft, they had each player

355

00:17:37,428 --> 00:17:40,287

sign their football card on stage.

356

00:17:40,297 --> 00:17:40,508

Oh, that's cool.

357

00:17:40,508 --> 00:17:43,368

The Topps had their

football card right there.

358

00:17:43,787 --> 00:17:46,498

So maybe next you could take it-

Don't be surprised if you see it

359

00:17:46,498 --> 00:17:51,867

a step further, and each one can get their

own f- because y- my son loves baseball.

360

00:17:51,868 --> 00:17:53,337

I've created baseball cards for him.

361

00:17:53,337 --> 00:17:57,217

He loves baseball cards, and now

he'll autograph them, so maybe

362

00:17:57,217 --> 00:18:00,378

next time we could take it a step

further and have football cards.

363

00:18:00,458 --> 00:18:01,517

Put them in the little frames too.

364

00:18:01,528 --> 00:18:03,357

Yes, and then they can autograph them.

365

00:18:03,717 --> 00:18:03,857

Little protectors.

366

00:18:04,147 --> 00:18:04,357

Yes.

367

00:18:04,907 --> 00:18:08,637

Then you can start trading

football cards at your next one.

368

00:18:08,637 --> 00:18:10,277

I think you're onto something, Ryan.

369

00:18:11,077 --> 00:18:14,868

Do you need me to be, like, on your

staff for putting together items?

370

00:18:15,598 --> 00:18:16,337

You're in charge.

371

00:18:16,477 --> 00:18:16,577

Yeah.

372

00:18:16,687 --> 00:18:17,447

You're in charge.

373

00:18:17,807 --> 00:18:20,007

I think I- That's a great idea … I

think I better stick to podcasting.

374

00:18:20,017 --> 00:18:20,808

I might steal that.

375

00:18:21,227 --> 00:18:21,997

I might steal it.

376

00:18:22,068 --> 00:18:23,107

I better stick to podcasting.

377

00:18:23,117 --> 00:18:24,178

You gotta come to the 10th.

378

00:18:24,367 --> 00:18:25,107

Okay, sounds good.

379

00:18:25,108 --> 00:18:26,067

You might have your own card.

380

00:18:26,108 --> 00:18:26,448

Done.

381

00:18:28,598 --> 00:18:28,937

All right.

382

00:18:29,047 --> 00:18:37,566

Um, let's- Fast forward so that, you

know, the, the firm is growing super fast.

383

00:18:37,626 --> 00:18:37,766

Mm.

384

00:18:37,806 --> 00:18:41,785

Um, I guess I've, I had some great

conversations with folks at Steward,

385

00:18:41,786 --> 00:18:45,976

and they just talk about the growth in,

like, nine years, how much it's grown.

386

00:18:46,176 --> 00:18:48,195

How do you keep up that culture?

387

00:18:48,746 --> 00:18:54,306

And when new people are joining all

the time, and it's growing, and it's

388

00:18:54,356 --> 00:18:57,596

not just, like, in one office, it's

across the country, so I'm assuming

389

00:18:57,596 --> 00:19:02,975

culture is even harder to go across

the country growing as fast as it is.

390

00:19:03,075 --> 00:19:06,946

How do you make sure that culture

resonates in a growing firm?

391

00:19:07,915 --> 00:19:08,705

It's work.

392

00:19:09,016 --> 00:19:09,595

You know?

393

00:19:09,705 --> 00:19:10,416

It's work.

394

00:19:10,426 --> 00:19:14,165

It really comes down to being

intentional, uh, because culture

395

00:19:14,185 --> 00:19:15,945

just doesn't scale on its own.

396

00:19:16,216 --> 00:19:16,586

Mm-hmm.

397

00:19:16,615 --> 00:19:17,225

It can't.

398

00:19:17,746 --> 00:19:21,495

Uh, so as we've grown, we've

been very thoughtful about

399

00:19:21,575 --> 00:19:23,135

who we bring into the firm.

400

00:19:23,295 --> 00:19:26,735

It's not just about

production, growth potential.

401

00:19:26,766 --> 00:19:28,356

It's about alignment.

402

00:19:28,755 --> 00:19:30,445

Going back to what you were saying- Mm

403

00:19:30,455 --> 00:19:35,245

if you don't align with the values

and the mission, it's gonna be

404

00:19:35,246 --> 00:19:38,225

hard to be a part of that culture.

405

00:19:38,645 --> 00:19:43,136

Uh, we're looking for people who want to

be a part of something, who value how we

406

00:19:43,136 --> 00:19:48,466

operate, and who are going to contribute

to the culture in that meaningful way.

407

00:19:49,446 --> 00:19:54,025

Uh, you know, once people are here, now

it's about the consistency, their shared

408

00:19:54,025 --> 00:19:58,875

expectations around how we work, how

we communicate, how we make decisions,

409

00:19:59,105 --> 00:20:03,246

and how we support one another, and

that consistency is what helps kind

410

00:20:03,246 --> 00:20:08,295

of maintain that cohesiveness, um,

even as we just continue to grow.

411

00:20:08,725 --> 00:20:12,016

Um, the symposium plays a really

important role in that as well.

412

00:20:12,016 --> 00:20:16,585

It's where people really experience the

firm in that, you know, that concentrated

413

00:20:16,586 --> 00:20:21,485

way, how our leadership engages, how

our peers interact, and what it feels

414

00:20:21,486 --> 00:20:27,525

like to be part of Steward just beyond

that team that they work with locally.

415

00:20:27,946 --> 00:20:32,446

Um, I think that the key is that we don't

assume culture will just carry forward.

416

00:20:32,446 --> 00:20:34,435

We actively reinforce it.

417

00:20:34,876 --> 00:20:37,945

Uh, so it's something that we talk

about, something that we model,

418

00:20:37,946 --> 00:20:41,185

and something that we're very

deliberate in protecting as we grow.

419

00:20:41,665 --> 00:20:42,095

Mm-hmm.

420

00:20:42,615 --> 00:20:43,375

That's fantastic.

421

00:20:43,405 --> 00:20:48,095

So tying that culture into the

symposium, is there a moment from

422

00:20:48,096 --> 00:20:52,735

past symposiums where, that really you

remember, could have been nine years

423

00:20:52,736 --> 00:20:57,216

ago, could have been last year, where

you were like, "That really is…

424

00:20:57,415 --> 00:21:00,655

That captured what the culture

at Steward really is," where

425

00:21:00,915 --> 00:21:02,126

you were like, "You know what?

426

00:21:02,155 --> 00:21:06,415

That moment right there is all about

Steward and the culture that we built"?

427

00:21:07,176 --> 00:21:07,386

Yeah.

428

00:21:07,386 --> 00:21:10,385

I was like, I was thinking

back, you know, when I was…

429

00:21:10,575 --> 00:21:14,535

I was thinking back at the

years and, you know, we had a

430

00:21:14,535 --> 00:21:16,656

really cool moment last year.

431

00:21:16,685 --> 00:21:19,755

Um, but one, it, it stood out.

432

00:21:20,085 --> 00:21:22,136

We unveiled Stew-opoly.

433

00:21:22,225 --> 00:21:26,055

So again, Jim, our CEO,

came up with this idea.

434

00:21:26,055 --> 00:21:30,152

He says, "You know, Maria-" I think

we should make like a Monopoly

435

00:21:30,162 --> 00:21:34,402

game with Stewart, and let's, let's

put our offices on there, and, you

436

00:21:34,402 --> 00:21:37,322

know, we, you know, you keep talking

about it and you're crafting it.

437

00:21:37,602 --> 00:21:40,872

On the surface, it was just meant to be

something that was just fun, creative,

438

00:21:40,882 --> 00:21:42,262

that we were just gonna display.

439

00:21:42,272 --> 00:21:42,292

Yeah.

440

00:21:42,302 --> 00:21:44,542

Something really cool and

send it out to everyone.

441

00:21:44,862 --> 00:21:47,471

But it ended up representing

something a lot bigger.

442

00:21:47,481 --> 00:21:54,472

We took something that was super familiar,

it was reimagined, uh, every detail about

443

00:21:54,472 --> 00:21:59,402

it in a way that really reflected our

story, um, our partners, our journey,

444

00:21:59,402 --> 00:22:01,231

and what we've built together as a firm.

445

00:22:01,251 --> 00:22:06,391

So we made it so memorable that it wasn't

just Monopoly and that's cool that you

446

00:22:06,391 --> 00:22:08,892

just made it Stewart Partners Monopoly.

447

00:22:08,902 --> 00:22:13,082

It was how the people were

looking at it and reacting to it.

448

00:22:13,121 --> 00:22:14,361

They saw themselves in it.

449

00:22:14,362 --> 00:22:17,272

They're looking at the streets

and they're seeing their branch.

450

00:22:17,621 --> 00:22:20,851

Um, and it, you know, creates

the, another connection.

451

00:22:20,851 --> 00:22:25,891

It sparked the conversation, tons of

laughs, uh- … lots of pride in what

452

00:22:25,901 --> 00:22:30,151

we've created together, and it was,

it was really, really neat because

453

00:22:30,151 --> 00:22:33,462

it really was that reflection, you

know, as you're kind of going down the

454

00:22:33,462 --> 00:22:40,531

streets- Yeah … and again, no detail

was n- was left, left behind there.

455

00:22:40,841 --> 00:22:44,161

Um, but again, just to be able

to take a game like that- Yeah

456

00:22:44,161 --> 00:22:48,452

and make it meaningful, bring

people in, they loved it.

457

00:22:48,452 --> 00:22:49,051

It was great.

458

00:22:49,082 --> 00:22:49,112

Good.

459

00:22:49,301 --> 00:22:52,361

And now we, now we send it

out to our new hires, so.

460

00:22:52,362 --> 00:22:52,771

Love it.

461

00:22:52,921 --> 00:22:59,161

Be- so between, um, Stewart

Monopoly and then the jerseys, their

462

00:22:59,182 --> 00:23:01,541

offices are full of good stuff.

463

00:23:01,571 --> 00:23:01,891

Yeah.

464

00:23:01,921 --> 00:23:04,671

Talking po- On Zoom calls, you see the

Stewopoly on display- The Stewopoly

465

00:23:04,682 --> 00:23:05,921

in everyone's offices.

466

00:23:05,921 --> 00:23:06,631

Engagement.

467

00:23:06,682 --> 00:23:07,032

Yeah.

468

00:23:07,032 --> 00:23:09,481

It all- Yeah … leads to engagement.

469

00:23:10,952 --> 00:23:13,592

The chief of staff role

is often misunderstood.

470

00:23:14,462 --> 00:23:17,312

What does your role actually

look like at Steward?

471

00:23:17,392 --> 00:23:17,962

Is…

472

00:23:18,082 --> 00:23:20,802

And why is it so important

at a high-growth firm?

473

00:23:21,482 --> 00:23:24,501

Well, it's definitely hard to

define, I guess- … uh, 'cause it

474

00:23:24,502 --> 00:23:29,681

could be different, um, and it spans

across so many areas of the firm.

475

00:23:30,092 --> 00:23:36,021

Um, at its core, I guess, my role

is about alignment, execution.

476

00:23:36,461 --> 00:23:40,581

I work very closely with Jim and High,

our founders, and our senior leadership

477

00:23:40,582 --> 00:23:46,351

team, um, and I have visibility across

all of our business departments.

478

00:23:46,541 --> 00:23:50,652

Um, so it allows me to help connect

priorities, people, and all of

479

00:23:50,652 --> 00:23:54,041

the initiatives that we're trying

to work on in a meaningful way.

480

00:23:54,052 --> 00:23:54,062

Mm.

481

00:23:54,561 --> 00:23:58,862

Um, so in many ways, I'm helping ensure

that we're setting out to do as a

482

00:23:58,862 --> 00:24:04,131

firm actually, what we're trying to

do actually translates into action.

483

00:24:04,692 --> 00:24:09,052

Um, and that means keeping a pulse on

what's happening across the businesses,

484

00:24:09,052 --> 00:24:14,652

anticipating where support is needed,

and kinda removing that friction there

485

00:24:14,652 --> 00:24:20,331

so things can kind of move forward

effectively, smoothly, um, like that.

486

00:24:20,331 --> 00:24:25,031

So in a high-growth environment, there's

a lot happening, and my ho- my role

487

00:24:25,041 --> 00:24:29,842

really helps create that continuity

and just keeping the alignment there,

488

00:24:30,212 --> 00:24:35,681

um, the communication, making sure that

it remains clear, and that we're kinda

489

00:24:35,712 --> 00:24:40,091

executing in a way that's carrying

out those strategic priorities.

490

00:24:40,151 --> 00:24:43,981

Um, so because I've been here

since the beginning, there's also

491

00:24:43,981 --> 00:24:48,191

that responsibility to stay close

to the culture, making sure that

492

00:24:48,221 --> 00:24:50,031

as we grow, we don't lose it.

493

00:24:50,661 --> 00:24:54,981

Um, it's a role that sits right

at the intersection of strategy

494

00:24:54,981 --> 00:24:59,512

and execution culture, and in a

firm like ours, it's so important.

495

00:24:59,811 --> 00:25:00,261

Mm-hmm.

496

00:25:00,642 --> 00:25:01,721

Let's talk about that.

497

00:25:01,721 --> 00:25:08,361

That's fantastic, Maria, and you know,

there's culture I feel like y- and

498

00:25:08,371 --> 00:25:10,332

we're in such a competitive space.

499

00:25:10,392 --> 00:25:15,941

This space is m- more competitive

than ever, so you need any competitive

500

00:25:15,941 --> 00:25:21,481

advantage you can get, and culture can be

that, I believe, if, you know, if it's a

501

00:25:21,481 --> 00:25:26,741

real thing, not just a castle in the, in

the clouds, and it can be a competitive

502

00:25:26,741 --> 00:25:29,261

advantage in recruiting and retention.

503

00:25:29,271 --> 00:25:34,151

Do you think the industry really fully

understands how much culture drives

504

00:25:34,191 --> 00:25:37,311

business outcomes, or do they just

think, "Well, it's a nice to have.

505

00:25:37,331 --> 00:25:40,661

We say we have it," but,

um, do you think it's kinda

506

00:25:40,661 --> 00:25:43,371

misunderstood or underappreciated?

507

00:25:44,621 --> 00:25:49,664

I don't think that everyone

really- appreciates how directly it

508

00:25:49,674 --> 00:25:53,224

translates into successful outcome.

509

00:25:53,623 --> 00:25:55,363

Um, at Steward, we've seen it.

510

00:25:55,543 --> 00:25:57,363

Culture isn't separate from the business.

511

00:25:57,373 --> 00:25:59,293

It's what drives it, actually.

512

00:25:59,744 --> 00:26:04,274

Um, it impacts who you attract,

who you retain, and how people

513

00:26:04,274 --> 00:26:06,384

ultimately perform when they're here.

514

00:26:07,283 --> 00:26:10,673

Going back to that alignment,

uh, when people feel that

515

00:26:10,674 --> 00:26:13,063

alignment, they feel invested.

516

00:26:13,103 --> 00:26:16,823

When they understand what they're

a part of, it changes how they

517

00:26:16,823 --> 00:26:18,723

show up, just like anything else.

518

00:26:19,343 --> 00:26:20,593

Uh, they collaborate more.

519

00:26:20,603 --> 00:26:21,954

They take the ownership.

520

00:26:22,173 --> 00:26:24,184

They're more committed

to long-term success.

521

00:26:24,193 --> 00:26:26,133

It's not just the short-term result.

522

00:26:26,573 --> 00:26:30,313

Uh, and it shows up very,

in very tangible ways.

523

00:26:30,343 --> 00:26:35,403

There's strong recruiting here,

high retention, and again,

524

00:26:35,434 --> 00:26:40,202

that level of engagement that's

really hard To replicate.

525

00:26:40,202 --> 00:26:40,341

Mm-hmm.

526

00:26:40,692 --> 00:26:45,672

Um, so I think where some firms miss it

is they treat the culture as something

527

00:26:45,682 --> 00:26:50,502

you just, you define it instead of

something that you kind of live by,

528

00:26:50,512 --> 00:26:54,601

you continue to build it, and you kind

of, you put it into the decisions that

529

00:26:54,601 --> 00:26:57,331

you make, um, on a day-to-day basis.

530

00:26:57,562 --> 00:27:01,151

So for us, it's part of our structure,

it's our expectation, it's how we

531

00:27:01,152 --> 00:27:04,351

make the decisions, and it's not

a layer on top of the business.

532

00:27:04,371 --> 00:27:08,432

It drives that business, and I think

that's the most important part.

533

00:27:09,341 --> 00:27:10,801

Yeah, that's fantastic, Maria.

534

00:27:10,801 --> 00:27:14,841

And like I said, I've said it a lot in

all these conversations, you can see it.

535

00:27:15,041 --> 00:27:20,382

It's not, um, it's not,

you know, a fake culture.

536

00:27:20,382 --> 00:27:22,272

You can see it, uh, in everyone.

537

00:27:22,801 --> 00:27:28,901

Lastly, for the advisors or employees

out there listening to this, and maybe

538

00:27:28,902 --> 00:27:33,422

they've never been to a symposium, the

Steward Symposium, what would you say to

539

00:27:33,422 --> 00:27:37,981

them to make sure they never miss another

one, other than next year, the jerseys

540

00:27:37,981 --> 00:27:39,911

and the baseball card, football cards?

541

00:27:40,161 --> 00:27:44,071

What, uh, what can you tell them that,

uh, they're gonna come back every year?

542

00:27:44,712 --> 00:27:46,241

You've got- Or

sorry- … to experience it.

543

00:27:46,312 --> 00:27:47,871

You have to experience it.

544

00:27:47,871 --> 00:27:49,891

You can hear the people talk about it.

545

00:27:49,892 --> 00:27:53,581

You can look at all the pictures that we

send around, but until you're actually

546

00:27:53,581 --> 00:27:59,491

there feeling the energy, having the

conversations, and seeing how people

547

00:27:59,492 --> 00:28:02,201

come together, you don't, you don't- Mm

548

00:28:02,212 --> 00:28:04,161

really fully get it.

549

00:28:04,822 --> 00:28:07,772

Um, it's three days where you

step away from day to day.

550

00:28:08,331 --> 00:28:12,941

You're reconnecting with your firm,

with your peers, and with the bigger

551

00:28:12,941 --> 00:28:17,041

picture of, like, what we've built

and what we're building in the future.

552

00:28:17,051 --> 00:28:21,661

So you strengthen those relationships,

you get a new perspective, and you

553

00:28:21,661 --> 00:28:25,081

walk away with a different level

of energy and appreciation for

554

00:28:25,081 --> 00:28:26,601

what this partnership that we- Mm

555

00:28:26,611 --> 00:28:28,021

built really is.

556

00:28:28,271 --> 00:28:32,061

Um, and once you've experienced

that, you won't miss it again.

557

00:28:32,161 --> 00:28:33,251

You're, you're hooked.

558

00:28:33,551 --> 00:28:33,761

You're hooked.

559

00:28:33,761 --> 00:28:34,141

That's it.

560

00:28:34,661 --> 00:28:35,351

I love it.

561

00:28:35,541 --> 00:28:38,102

Maria, fantastic conversation.

562

00:28:38,121 --> 00:28:39,131

So much fun.

563

00:28:39,131 --> 00:28:39,811

I loved it.

564

00:28:40,721 --> 00:28:44,491

Loved talking about the symposium

and all the different fun things

565

00:28:44,492 --> 00:28:46,411

happening at, uh, Steward.

566

00:28:46,422 --> 00:28:47,441

Thank you so much for coming on.

567

00:28:47,441 --> 00:28:47,521

It's an honor.

568

00:28:47,521 --> 00:28:49,102

Oh my goodness, thank you for having me.

569

00:28:49,102 --> 00:28:49,912

This was fun.

570

00:28:50,072 --> 00:28:50,462

Good.

571

00:28:50,471 --> 00:28:53,982

Where can our audience get

more information about Steward

572

00:28:53,982 --> 00:28:55,572

Partners and the symposium?

573

00:28:57,841 --> 00:29:02,121

Well, you could visit us

at www.stewardpartners.com.

574

00:29:02,441 --> 00:29:05,541

Um, as for the symposium, it's

not super public, but if you

575

00:29:05,542 --> 00:29:09,262

reach out, um, yeah, if- Perfect.

576

00:29:09,292 --> 00:29:14,211

Reach out to, um, Maria yourself,

and we'll put all that information

577

00:29:14,212 --> 00:29:19,221

in the show notes for, uh, for

anyone looking for more information.

578

00:29:19,542 --> 00:29:20,931

Maria, thank you so much.

579

00:29:20,962 --> 00:29:25,432

And thank you everyone for listening to

this episode of Adjusted for Risk podcast.

580

00:29:25,912 --> 00:29:30,082

You can watch all of our other podcasts

on the Zephyr YouTube channel, Spotify,

581

00:29:30,121 --> 00:29:31,872

and anywhere else you get your podcasts.

582

00:29:31,872 --> 00:29:33,152

Let's get started.

583

00:29:33,302 --> 00:29:35,742

Thank you very much and have

a great rest of your week

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