Latest / Views from 6,230 / Unlocking the Power of Employee Engagement and Culture in Financial Services

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Unlocking the Power of Employee Engagement and Culture in Financial Services · Views from 6,230

• 0:01
  Welcome to the Adjusted for Risk podcast.
• 0:05
  Join myself, Brian Nauman, as I talk markets, investments, economics- Let's get started and life as I help prepare you for the upcoming week in market.
• 0:26
  This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for investment decisions.
• 0:26
  Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Adjusted for Risk podcast.
• 0:27
  Let's go.
• 0:27
  We are recording on location at the Steward Symposium, which is gonna be a great few days of fun conversations, great content, and some great insights.
• 0:36
  You know, culture is so important, whether you're talking about a sports team or a wealth management firm.
• 0:43
  Well, my next guest is going to provide some great insights into the importance of culture, along with what it takes to produce a successful annual conference.
• 0:55
  But first, today's po- uh, today's episode is sponsored by the award-winning Zephyr, which helps investment professionals make more informed investment decisions on behalf of their clients.
• 1:08
  All right, enough from me.
• 1:09
  Let's go ahead and bring on the star of the show.
• 1:12
  I'd like to welcome, give a very warm welcome to Maria Condon.
• 1:17
  Maria is the Chief of Staff at Steward Partners.
• 1:22
  Maria, thank you so much for coming on.
• 1:25
  Really excited about this conversation.
• 1:27
  It's an honor to have you on this show.
• 1:29
  Can you please tell us a little bit more about yourself and Steward Partners?
• 1:34
  Yeah, sure.
• 1:35
  Um, I've been at Steward Partners now for well over 10 years.
• 1:38
  Been here kind of from the beginning.
• 1:40
  So we've really looked at a lot of machinations, changes throughout the years.
• 1:46
  Um, and here we are at our annual conference.
• 1:49
  It's our ninth one.
• 1:51
  Uh It's doubled, tripled, quadrupled in size- so we're super excited for this week.
• 1:57
  It's gonna be great.
• 1:57
  Lots of fun.
• 1:58
  Great to see everyone.
• 2:00
  Yeah, it's fantastic.
• 2:01
  I can imagine all the work.
• 2:04
  Is it really, like, a year-round process of planning one of these annual confer- do you ever stop, like, thinking about it or planning it?
• 2:15
  Oh, no, it's ongoing.
• 2:16
  I mean, right after, once I get home after the, after this week It starts next- We're moving on to the 10-year.
• 2:22
  Yeah.
• 2:22
  So come and talk to us next year- at the 10-year 'cause it's gonna be a blast.
• 2:25
  It'll be a big party.
• 2:28
  Yeah.
• 2:28
  For anyone who hasn't experienced a Stewart Symposium before, paint us a picture.
• 2:33
  What is it?
• 2:34
  Why does it exist?
• 2:36
  Why did you think about starting it nine years ago?
• 2:39
  Sure.
• 2:39
  Well, by definition, it's our annual conference, right?
• 2:43
  This is a chance for us to all spend time together.
• 2:46
  It's our advisors, our leadership team, our board of directors, support staff, and we all get together in one place for a solid, action-packed three days.
• 2:56
  But in reality, it's so much more than just an annual conference.
• 3:00
  It's the one time each year where the entire firm really can get that chance to come together, reconnect, and remind ourselves why we're all part of Stewart Partners.
• 3:10
  Uh, it embodies the culture that we work so hard to build.
• 3:14
  Um, there's collaboration, the forward-thinking mindset, and that small firm feel that generally translates to something closer to family.
• 3:23
  Um, but it's also the first time m- many of our new partners really get to actually experience it up close what it actually feels like to be part of this firm beyond the day-to-day.
• 3:35
  Um, so just as importantly, it's so much fun.
• 3:38
  Uh, we're super intentional about that.
• 3:40
  We work really hard, but this is a chance to take that step back, enjoy being with one another, and really celebrate, uh, what we've built and what we're building for the future.
• 3:50
  Um, and another really huge part of this is access.
• 3:55
  It's really special.
• 3:56
  Our board of directors, our senior leadership, uh, strategic partners are all here.
• 4:01
  They're all here to engage.
• 4:03
  Um, and it's not just, you know, a presentation.
• 4:05
  It's real conversations.
• 4:07
  It's one-on-one time.
• 4:08
  Um, so all of this together, the connection, the access, the energy, it's really what makes the symposium what it is.
• 4:16
  Yeah, I think that's, uh, fantastic, Maria, and is spot on because I think when we had COVID, which is crazy- Wasn't that long ago.
• 4:26
  Mm.
• 4:26
  I think before then, people took for granted interaction, human interaction, being till COVID happened, it's like, oh my gosh.
• 4:33
  I, uh, we can't have conferences, we can't have, like, social interaction.
• 4:38
  So I think it, people now realize the importance of it, and they don't take it for granted.
• 4:44
  And like you said, I, in the industry of creating content, but, you know, people can get...
• 4:51
  Read newsletters every day.
• 4:53
  Sure.
• 4:53
  They can watch a podcast, but it still doesn't replace the, that human interaction.
• 4:59
  They, you know, listening to Jim Gold onstage, right, or talking to Jim Gold in person, sure, you can see him on a podcast.
• 5:08
  Mm-hmm.
• 5:08
  But is it the same?
• 5:09
  No, it's not.
• 5:10
  Right.
• 5:10
  You're exactly correct.
• 5:11
  Absolutely.
• 5:12
  Yeah.
• 5:13
  A lot of firms hold annual conferences, um, but what makes this symposium feel different to the people that attend?
• 5:20
  I- is it the energy?
• 5:22
  Other than, you know, we're on the beach.
• 5:24
  Like, what is it?
• 5:25
  W- a location?
• 5:27
  What is it that adds energy to a conference that makes people, you know, remember it and talk about it for months afterwards?
• 5:35
  Well, I think the energy here is, it really is, as we like to always say, it's electric here.
• 5:41
  It really is.
• 5:42
  Um, you know, there's an energy that you feel that moment you walk in.
• 5:46
  Again, people are engaged, they're excited, and they want to be there, like, genuinely.
• 5:51
  And for a lot of us, it's a reunion in many cases.
• 5:55
  It's been an entire year since we've last seen each other in person, so there's this genuine feeling of reconnection and- Seeing old friends.
• 6:04
  At the same time, you're meeting the new partners, you're building new relationships, and continuing the traditions that really have just been part of the experience of- Mm being here at the symposium.
• 6:15
  Um, you see it in the sessions, but you really feel it in those interactions, in those moments.
• 6:20
  Uh, people lean into conversations.
• 6:22
  There's a lot of idea sharing and learning from each other, and it's just very natural, and I think, um, that's one of the most important things.
• 6:31
  No one's forcing you to be here.
• 6:33
  They want to be here.
• 6:35
  Uh, and I think, um, you know, what makes me most proud is that people walk away feeling that it was time well spent, and that's always the goal and something we're incredibly pr- proud of as we go ahead
• 6:47
  and plan this.
• 6:49
  Mm-hmm.
• 6:50
  No, I love that you brought up it's just natural, right?
• 6:53
  Mm.
• 6:53
  Nobody wants to be forced to do anything, right?
• 6:55
  That takes the energy out of it and the fun.
• 6:59
  And, you know, when people are spread out all over, you get...
• 7:02
  I think Jim said 90 offices.
• 7:05
  Mm-hmm.
• 7:06
  90-some offices around the US.
• 7:09
  You know, you can feel kinda isolated, so it's nice to get together in one place and, and bring everyone together.
• 7:16
  And my next question is about culture, and I'm sure when you do get everyone together, it helps, you know, confirm that culture, res- you know, solidify that culture that you're building or have built.
• 7:30
  You know, it's one of those terms that gets thrown around constantly in financial services.
• 7:35
  I have conversations about culture all the time.
• 7:38
  But what does it actually mean at Steward?
• 7:40
  When I talk to you, I've had so many great conversations with the Steward folks, and I can really tell that culture, it's not just a tagline.
• 7:49
  It actually means something.
• 7:51
  And how does the symposium bring that culture- Mm together?
• 7:55
  Uh, yeah, it's tremendously important.
• 7:57
  Um, at Steward, culture isn't something that we just describe.
• 8:01
  It's something that- It's ingrained.
• 8:04
  It's built into how we operate here at the firm.
• 8:07
  Um, it really starts with the ownership.
• 8:10
  When everyone has a stake in the business, it creates a level of alignment, accountability that's really hard to replicate.
• 8:17
  No matter where you sit in our organization, you're tied to the outcome.
• 8:22
  It's all shared, and that changes how people think, how they collaborate, and how they show up from day to day.
• 8:28
  Um, I remember when we actually first started Steward Partners, if you printed in color at 40 cents a slice of paper- everyone's like, "You can't print in color.
• 8:40
  It's too expensive.
• 8:41
  Our profit sharing."
• 8:42
  You know?
• 8:43
  Um, so just again, it, it, it just, it really trickles down into everything we do.
• 8:50
  Um, so the structure here, it naturally creates that environment where ideas are shared openly, people challenge each other in positive ways- Mm-hmm and there's constant focus on how we can improve, how we can evolve, move forward.
• 9:03
  Um, the symposium brings that to life because it creates the space for those interactions to actually happen in person.
• 9:10
  It's not just about content, it's about the meaningful dialogue.
• 9:14
  Mm.
• 9:14
  So advisors are engaging with our leadership, sharing the ideas with the peers, having real conversations about what works and where we can do better.
• 9:24
  Um, and a big part of that is, again, the access.
• 9:27
  Our board of directors and our senior leadership, they're here spending time with advisors.
• 9:32
  They're listening.
• 9:33
  They're offering perspective on the in- on the, um, on the industry.
• 9:37
  There's growth- the growth opportunities and the future of where this firm will sit in the industry.
• 9:43
  Mm.
• 9:43
  Uh, and that level of transparency and engagement is what makes that culture really tangible.
• 9:48
  It's something you can actually experience, and it's not just something that you can hear about.
• 9:54
  Yeah, I think that's fantastic.
• 9:56
  How many places, how many firms allow you that access.
• 10:01
  I've heard, I've had numerous conversations today, the access to leadership and at, you know, the symposium, it allows that see Jim, see Jeff walking around, see yourself, how open you guys are, the conversations, and I've noticed that in
• 10:16
  all my conversations, Stewart really thrives on that- Mm-hmm on that openness.
• 10:21
  As chief of staff, uh, you see the firm from a very wide vantage point.
• 10:27
  What do you observe about the people at Stewart that tells you the culture is real and just not, like I said, a tagline or some, you know, s- castle in the clouds type thing?
• 10:39
  Oh, culture, whatever.
• 10:40
  How do you know it's real?
• 10:42
  Well, I've been here since the very beginning, as I said earlier.
• 10:45
  Okay.
• 10:45
  So I've really had that front row seat to how the firm has evolved over the years.
• 10:51
  Um, you know, my heart and my soul is closely tied to this firm.
• 10:55
  You know, I've worked in other places, and nothing is like this.
• 10:59
  Um, and I take a lot of pride in that because I'm incredibly passionate about the culture that's been built here.
• 11:06
  Um, you know, we've grown, we've brought in new people, the structure has changed, but one thing that always remains constant is how people show up for each other.
• 11:16
  Um, there is an expectation of excellence, but it goes- Mm beyond just performance.
• 11:21
  There's a genuine sense of accountability to one another and a shared commitment to doing things the right way.
• 11:28
  Um, and again, it shows up in very, very real situations.
• 11:35
  It's, it's how we make decisions.
• 11:37
  It's how we take the feedback in.
• 11:39
  It's how we work through the challenges together.
• 11:42
  There's alignment around those behaviors, not just the outcome.
• 11:46
  Um, I believe our leadership team really plays a huge role in that.
• 11:51
  They're the best in the business, if you ask me.
• 11:54
  Uh, we lead with integrity, fair- fairness, they're collaborative, and they set the tone- Mm for everyone else in the organization.
• 12:04
  So it really is that trickle-down.
• 12:07
  Leading by example is always the best way, if you ask me.
• 12:11
  Uh, so when you lead by example, people buy into it.
• 12:14
  Mm-hmm.
• 12:15
  Yeah.
• 12:16
  That's spot on.
• 12:16
  If, if your management team isn't on board with that culture, then again, it's just this pipe dream, right?
• 12:24
  You- Exactly it, it needs to start at the top, and, um, you can definitely tell it does.
• 12:30
  And, and I, I think you brought up a good point, too, about the ownership stru- uh, structure.
• 12:35
  I think that probably helps a lot, too, having an openness.
• 12:39
  Are you gonna believe in a culture if, you know, your views and opinions aren't accepted?
• 12:45
  Probably not.
• 12:46
  So- Exactly very important.
• 12:48
  You know, going back to the event, the symposium It takes a lot, especially one this size, uh, enormous coordination.
• 12:58
  You know, walk us through what goes into making a symposium happen.
• 13:02
  And I always wonder, w- what is success?
• 13:06
  Is it the number of people that come?
• 13:09
  Is it the number of vendors?
• 13:12
  Like, what does success look like?
• 13:14
  Um, well, I mean, it takes a tremendous amount of coordination, uh, but I'm very fortunate to have an incredibly strong team behind me, and at this point, we're all balancing this alongside our day-to-day job, uh, which makes a
• 13:30
  successful event even more rewarding.
• 13:33
  Um, but the planning really starts months in advance.
• 13:35
  Uh, we think about the agenda, we think about the flow, um, and how every detail would contribute to the experience we want people to have.
• 13:44
  Um, the event itself has really evolved quite a bit over the years.
• 13:49
  Mm-hmm.
• 13:49
  Our first symposium, it was 2017.
• 13:52
  Uh, it had just over 50 partners, barely a stage.
• 13:58
  I don't even know if we paid for that many microphones.
• 14:01
  Yeah.
• 14:01
  Um, and now we're approaching 500 people.
• 14:04
  So the growth adds complexity, but it also makes it that much more meaningful when it all comes together.
• 14:11
  Uh, we try to level it up by way of experience, whether you focus on branding and- Mm-hmm uh, you know, kind of the marketing piece of it, or just the food- Yeah or the fun.
• 14:23
  The lunch was fantastic today.
• 14:25
  Excellent.
• 14:26
  Excellent.
• 14:26
  I had the mahi mahi.
• 14:27
  Yes.
• 14:27
  It was very good.
• 14:28
  Cool.
• 14:28
  Um, but for me, the success is actually quite simple.
• 14:32
  It's really looking around that room and seeing the people engaged, talking, reconnecting, enjoying themselves, being present in the moments there.
• 14:41
  And then there are the moments that bring it all to life, and the jersey ceremony on the final night is probably the best example of that.
• 14:49
  And- I'd like to expand on that a little bit Yeah, please do Um, because the- Because I'm gonna end up missing it, so please tell me more about it You're missing out.
• 14:57
  You're missing out, Ryan.
• 14:58
  Next year you have to- Yeah, you- you- come to our 10-year Your 10-year.
• 15:01
  Yeah But the concept, uh, you know, Jim Gold came up with this concept in the very beginning, and, uh, it's like the NFL Draft.
• 15:08
  So each new partner is assigned a number based on when they joined the firm, so you might be partner 87, 142, at this point 360-something Wow um, or whatever it may be.
• 15:21
  There's actually a lot of excitement around it.
• 15:24
  At this point, people are eager to find out what their number will be, and there was even a big push around who was going to get number 100.
• 15:32
  I'll never forget- Right that was like, "Do I, did I get 100?
• 15:34
  What's my number?
• 15:35
  Am I..."
• 15:36
  99 was so disappointing.
• 15:38
  Yeah.
• 15:39
  But double digits is better than triple, right?
• 15:42
  Right.
• 15:42
  Exactly.
• 15:42
  Um, we- How are you gonna fit 1,000 on a jersey?
• 15:45
  Oh, you could, you could fit a lot on a jersey.
• 15:47
  You could?
• 15:47
  Okay.
• 15:47
  It's an XL size.
• 15:48
  Yeah.
• 15:49
  It's an XL.
• 15:50
  We bring them up on stage one by one.
• 15:52
  We present them with the football jersey with their name and their number on it.
• 15:57
  The whole room is engaged.
• 15:58
  The music's- Mm playing, people are cheering.
• 16:01
  It's, it's super special.
• 16:02
  We even have people now dressing up.
• 16:03
  We had chains- I love it and sunglasses, hats, everything.
• 16:06
  Uh, and then we even take it a step further.
• 16:09
  The jersey gets framed.
• 16:11
  It's paired with the photo from that night on stage with Jim and High holding your jersey up loud and proud, and it's sent back to the office.
• 16:20
  You'll walk into the advisor offices and you see them hanging on the wall.
• 16:25
  So it becomes this conversation piece and something they're really proud of, and people even, you know, they, they compare their numbers.
• 16:32
  Um, the Clearwater office has all of their conference room plastered.
• 16:37
  I mean, it's double layered.
• 16:39
  Love it.
• 16:39
  It's, it's awesome.
• 16:41
  Uh, we've even incorporated the numbers into their name badges now, so it becomes part of how people are identifying themselves at the firm.
• 16:48
  Um, so that's what success looks like to me.
• 16:51
  It creates moments like that, um, something fun, memorable, and reinforcing, again, that sense of belonging in that very real, real way.
• 17:01
  I love that.
• 17:01
  That's, that's a lot of fun.
• 17:03
  That might be...
• 17:04
  You know, I've been to more industry-wide conferences, not so much, um- Firm-wide conferences, but that might be my favorite little- It's so cool you know, end, uh, e- end of event, um, event.
• 17:17
  That, that's a lot of fun and- I remember holding up my jersey.
• 17:21
  Yeah.
• 17:21
  I held it as taut as possible- As proud and- with a grin from ear to ear.
• 17:26
  I love it.
• 17:27
  That's awesome.
• 17:27
  Manager six.
• 17:28
  Manager six.
• 17:30
  So, um, not to go too off track here, for the NFL Draft, they had each player sign their football card on stage.
• 17:40
  Oh, that's cool.
• 17:40
  The Topps had their football card right there.
• 17:43
  So maybe next you could take it- Don't be surprised if you see it a step further, and each one can get their own f- because y- my son loves baseball.
• 17:51
  I've created baseball cards for him.
• 17:53
  He loves baseball cards, and now he'll autograph them, so maybe next time we could take it a step further and have football cards.
• 18:00
  Put them in the little frames too.
• 18:01
  Yes, and then they can autograph them.
• 18:03
  Little protectors.
• 18:04
  Yes.
• 18:04
  Then you can start trading football cards at your next one.
• 18:08
  I think you're onto something, Ryan.
• 18:11
  Do you need me to be, like, on your staff for putting together items?
• 18:15
  You're in charge.
• 18:16
  Yeah.
• 18:16
  You're in charge.
• 18:17
  I think I- That's a great idea I think I better stick to podcasting.
• 18:20
  I might steal that.
• 18:21
  I might steal it.
• 18:22
  I better stick to podcasting.
• 18:23
  You gotta come to the 10th.
• 18:24
  Okay, sounds good.
• 18:25
  You might have your own card.
• 18:26
  Done.
• 18:28
  All right.
• 18:29
  Um, let's- Fast forward so that, you know, the, the firm is growing super fast.
• 18:37
  Mm.
• 18:37
  Um, I guess I've, I had some great conversations with folks at Steward, and they just talk about the growth in, like, nine years, how much it's grown.
• 18:46
  How do you keep up that culture?
• 18:48
  And when new people are joining all the time, and it's growing, and it's not just, like, in one office, it's across the country, so I'm assuming culture is even harder to go across the country growing as fast as
• 19:02
  it is.
• 19:03
  How do you make sure that culture resonates in a growing firm?
• 19:07
  It's work.
• 19:09
  You know?
• 19:09
  It's work.
• 19:10
  It really comes down to being intentional, uh, because culture just doesn't scale on its own.
• 19:16
  Mm-hmm.
• 19:16
  It can't.
• 19:17
  Uh, so as we've grown, we've been very thoughtful about who we bring into the firm.
• 19:23
  It's not just about production, growth potential.
• 19:26
  It's about alignment.
• 19:28
  Going back to what you were saying- Mm if you don't align with the values and the mission, it's gonna be hard to be a part of that culture.
• 19:38
  Uh, we're looking for people who want to be a part of something, who value how we operate, and who are going to contribute to the culture in that meaningful way.
• 19:49
  Uh, you know, once people are here, now it's about the consistency, their shared expectations around how we work, how we communicate, how we make decisions, and how we support one another, and that consistency is what helps kind of
• 20:03
  maintain that cohesiveness, um, even as we just continue to grow.
• 20:08
  Um, the symposium plays a really important role in that as well.
• 20:12
  It's where people really experience the firm in that, you know, that concentrated way, how our leadership engages, how our peers interact, and what it feels like to be part of Steward just beyond that team that they work with
• 20:26
  locally.
• 20:27
  Um, I think that the key is that we don't assume culture will just carry forward.
• 20:32
  We actively reinforce it.
• 20:34
  Uh, so it's something that we talk about, something that we model, and something that we're very deliberate in protecting as we grow.
• 20:41
  Mm-hmm.
• 20:42
  That's fantastic.
• 20:43
  So tying that culture into the symposium, is there a moment from past symposiums where, that really you remember, could have been nine years ago, could have been last year, where you were like, "That really is...
• 20:57
  That captured what the culture at Steward really is," where you were like, "You know what?
• 21:02
  That moment right there is all about Steward and the culture that we built"?
• 21:07
  Yeah.
• 21:07
  I was like, I was thinking back, you know, when I was...
• 21:10
  I was thinking back at the years and, you know, we had a really cool moment last year.
• 21:16
  Um, but one, it, it stood out.
• 21:20
  We unveiled Stew-opoly.
• 21:22
  So again, Jim, our CEO, came up with this idea.
• 21:26
  He says, "You know, Maria-" I think we should make like a Monopoly game with Stewart, and let's, let's put our offices on there, and, you know, we, you know, you keep talking about it and you're crafting it.
• 21:37
  On the surface, it was just meant to be something that was just fun, creative, that we were just gonna display.
• 21:42
  Yeah.
• 21:42
  Something really cool and send it out to everyone.
• 21:44
  But it ended up representing something a lot bigger.
• 21:47
  We took something that was super familiar, it was reimagined, uh, every detail about it in a way that really reflected our story, um, our partners, our journey, and what we've built together as a firm.
• 22:01
  So we made it so memorable that it wasn't just Monopoly and that's cool that you just made it Stewart Partners Monopoly.
• 22:08
  It was how the people were looking at it and reacting to it.
• 22:13
  They saw themselves in it.
• 22:14
  They're looking at the streets and they're seeing their branch.
• 22:17
  Um, and it, you know, creates the, another connection.
• 22:20
  It sparked the conversation, tons of laughs, uh- lots of pride in what we've created together, and it was, it was really, really neat because it really was that reflection, you know, as you're kind of going down the streets-
• 22:34
  Yeah and again, no detail was n- was left, left behind there.
• 22:40
  Um, but again, just to be able to take a game like that- Yeah and make it meaningful, bring people in, they loved it.
• 22:48
  It was great.
• 22:49
  Good.
• 22:49
  And now we, now we send it out to our new hires, so.
• 22:52
  Love it.
• 22:52
  Be- so between, um, Stewart Monopoly and then the jerseys, their offices are full of good stuff.
• 23:01
  Yeah.
• 23:01
  Talking po- On Zoom calls, you see the Stewopoly on display- The Stewopoly in everyone's offices.
• 23:05
  Engagement.
• 23:06
  Yeah.
• 23:07
  It all- Yeah leads to engagement.
• 23:10
  The chief of staff role is often misunderstood.
• 23:14
  What does your role actually look like at Steward?
• 23:17
  Is...
• 23:18
  And why is it so important at a high-growth firm?
• 23:21
  Well, it's definitely hard to define, I guess- uh, 'cause it could be different, um, and it spans across so many areas of the firm.
• 23:30
  Um, at its core, I guess, my role is about alignment, execution.
• 23:36
  I work very closely with Jim and High, our founders, and our senior leadership team, um, and I have visibility across all of our business departments.
• 23:46
  Um, so it allows me to help connect priorities, people, and all of the initiatives that we're trying to work on in a meaningful way.
• 23:54
  Mm.
• 23:54
  Um, so in many ways, I'm helping ensure that we're setting out to do as a firm actually, what we're trying to do actually translates into action.
• 24:04
  Um, and that means keeping a pulse on what's happening across the businesses, anticipating where support is needed, and kinda removing that friction there so things can kind of move forward effectively, smoothly, um, like that.
• 24:20
  So in a high-growth environment, there's a lot happening, and my ho- my role really helps create that continuity and just keeping the alignment there, um, the communication, making sure that it remains clear, and that we're kinda executing in
• 24:37
  a way that's carrying out those strategic priorities.
• 24:40
  Um, so because I've been here since the beginning, there's also that responsibility to stay close to the culture, making sure that as we grow, we don't lose it.
• 24:50
  Um, it's a role that sits right at the intersection of strategy and execution culture, and in a firm like ours, it's so important.
• 24:59
  Mm-hmm.
• 25:00
  Let's talk about that.
• 25:01
  That's fantastic, Maria, and you know, there's culture I feel like y- and we're in such a competitive space.
• 25:10
  This space is m- more competitive than ever, so you need any competitive advantage you can get, and culture can be that, I believe, if, you know, if it's a real thing, not just a castle in the, in the
• 25:24
  clouds, and it can be a competitive advantage in recruiting and retention.
• 25:29
  Do you think the industry really fully understands how much culture drives business outcomes, or do they just think, "Well, it's a nice to have.
• 25:37
  We say we have it," but, um, do you think it's kinda misunderstood or underappreciated?
• 25:44
  I don't think that everyone really- appreciates how directly it translates into successful outcome.
• 25:53
  Um, at Steward, we've seen it.
• 25:55
  Culture isn't separate from the business.
• 25:57
  It's what drives it, actually.
• 25:59
  Um, it impacts who you attract, who you retain, and how people ultimately perform when they're here.
• 26:07
  Going back to that alignment, uh, when people feel that alignment, they feel invested.
• 26:13
  When they understand what they're a part of, it changes how they show up, just like anything else.
• 26:19
  Uh, they collaborate more.
• 26:20
  They take the ownership.
• 26:22
  They're more committed to long-term success.
• 26:24
  It's not just the short-term result.
• 26:26
  Uh, and it shows up very, in very tangible ways.
• 26:30
  There's strong recruiting here, high retention, and again, that level of engagement that's really hard To replicate.
• 26:40
  Mm-hmm.
• 26:40
  Um, so I think where some firms miss it is they treat the culture as something you just, you define it instead of something that you kind of live by, you continue to build it, and you kind of, you
• 26:53
  put it into the decisions that you make, um, on a day-to-day basis.
• 26:57
  So for us, it's part of our structure, it's our expectation, it's how we make the decisions, and it's not a layer on top of the business.
• 27:04
  It drives that business, and I think that's the most important part.
• 27:09
  Yeah, that's fantastic, Maria.
• 27:10
  And like I said, I've said it a lot in all these conversations, you can see it.
• 27:15
  It's not, um, it's not, you know, a fake culture.
• 27:20
  You can see it, uh, in everyone.
• 27:22
  Lastly, for the advisors or employees out there listening to this, and maybe they've never been to a symposium, the Steward Symposium, what would you say to them to make sure they never miss another one, other than next year,
• 27:37
  the jerseys and the baseball card, football cards?
• 27:40
  What, uh, what can you tell them that, uh, they're gonna come back every year?
• 27:44
  You've got- Or sorry- to experience it.
• 27:46
  You have to experience it.
• 27:47
  You can hear the people talk about it.
• 27:49
  You can look at all the pictures that we send around, but until you're actually there feeling the energy, having the conversations, and seeing how people come together, you don't, you don't- Mm really fully get it.
• 28:04
  Um, it's three days where you step away from day to day.
• 28:08
  You're reconnecting with your firm, with your peers, and with the bigger picture of, like, what we've built and what we're building in the future.
• 28:17
  So you strengthen those relationships, you get a new perspective, and you walk away with a different level of energy and appreciation for what this partnership that we- Mm built really is.
• 28:28
  Um, and once you've experienced that, you won't miss it again.
• 28:32
  You're, you're hooked.
• 28:33
  You're hooked.
• 28:33
  That's it.
• 28:34
  I love it.
• 28:35
  Maria, fantastic conversation.
• 28:38
  So much fun.
• 28:39
  I loved it.
• 28:40
  Loved talking about the symposium and all the different fun things happening at, uh, Steward.
• 28:46
  Thank you so much for coming on.
• 28:47
  It's an honor.
• 28:47
  Oh my goodness, thank you for having me.
• 28:49
  This was fun.
• 28:50
  Good.
• 28:50
  Where can our audience get more information about Steward Partners and the symposium?
• 28:57
  Well, you could visit us at www.stewardpartners.com.
• 29:02
  Um, as for the symposium, it's not super public, but if you reach out, um, yeah, if- Perfect.
• 29:09
  Reach out to, um, Maria yourself, and we'll put all that information in the show notes for, uh, for anyone looking for more information.
• 29:19
  Maria, thank you so much.
• 29:20
  And thank you everyone for listening to this episode of Adjusted for Risk podcast.
• 29:25
  You can watch all of our other podcasts on the Zephyr YouTube channel, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
• 29:31
  Let's get started.
• 29:33
  Thank you very much and have a great rest of your week