# How to Build a Thriving Independent Wealth Management Firm with Brett Bernstein

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/next-mile-6421303/how-to-build-a-thriving-independent-wealth-management-firm-with-brett-bernstein
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/next-mile-6421303/how-to-build-a-thriving-independent-wealth-management-firm-with-brett-bernstein.md
Podcast: [Next Mile](https://stenobird.com/podcast/next-mile-6421303)
Published: 2026-07-14T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODRYL4511341621.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODRYL4511341621.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2154

## Resource

Episode 153: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Brett Bernstein, CEO & Co-founder at XML Financial Group. Brett is an active financial advisor assisting clients with his holistic approach to goal-setting and problem-solving. Before co-founding XML in 2004, he was a Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He is also a serial entrepreneur, actively investing in many startups, and has led his firm through three acquisitions. Brett talks with Kyle about why advisors are going independent. He discusses why independence continues to attract both advisors and clients, what it takes to build trust and brand recognition as an independent advisory firm, and how firms can balance scale with personalization. Brett also addresses the realities of scaling a modern advisory firm, including aligning operations across multiple teams, attracting the next generation of investors, investing in cybersecurity, and thoughtfully adopting AI without compromising compliance.  In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:03) - Brett's money moment (05:34) - How to build brand credibility and trust as an independent firm (07:52) - How Brett defines independence (11:36) - Unifying operations and compliance while preserving advisor autonomy  (13:15) - XML's social media and content strategy  (18:15) - Referrals, seminars, and community-driven growth strategies (20:04) - How to build a successful business from the ground up (22:08) - Cybersecurity as a non-negotiable investment (25:02) - How XML adapts to technology and AI (27:17) - Leading with compliance: XML's approach to using AI (29:16) - What Brett thinks about data and AI  (31:24) - What the future holds for XML Financial Group (33:53) - Brett's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Don't chase growth. Build for i…

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