For many advisors and business owners, 2021 was a year to remember. Despite a pandemic that refused to morph into a memory, record-breaking revenues in the wealth management industry prompted a positive outlook among many—and served as proof that with creativity, initiative and determination you can move forward.

In the 46 episodes that we launched in 2021, all those exceptional qualities and many others were demonstrated by our guests, the breakaway advisors in particular.

In each of their individual conversations, a common thread weaved a story line throughout: that is, the desire to serve clients to the very best of their abilities—and the “pull” or strong attraction toward something better.

Most expressed the need for greater control and to remove any possible limitations and conflicts—and to give them unrestrained ability to do more for clients.

And several of our guests even left the big firms they built their businesses in, amid a global health crisis, to achieve their goals.

In this annual digest of some of our best interviews of the year, we take a step back to glean the key lessons candidly shared by advisors who demonstrated unstoppable determination and whose stories contained valuable and relatable lessons for all, including:

What motivated them to consider—and ultimately—make a change;
Why they chose independence—and the model or options that aligned best with their goals;
Whether they are able to achieve all they set out to—that is, to serve their clients and grow their businesses without limitation;
What ultra- and high-net-worth clients really want from their advisors—and what they can do differently for clients in independence;
And much more …

The 2021 most valuable lessons come from a distinguished roster of recent breakaways and seasoned business owners: