The Trusted Adviser

The Trusted Adviser — Reflections from 30 Conversations

This special reflection episode isn’t part of our numbered series. While Rob attends the FAAA Congress in Perth along with over a thousand advisers from across Australia, we’re taking a moment to look back.
Rob narrates a guided recap of the first 30 conversations from The Trusted Adviser — highlighting the ideas, strategies, and insights that have shaped the profession, and this podcast.
Whether you’re new to the series or revisiting a favourite conversation, this retrospective will help you navigate the episodes that matter most to you.
A curated guide. A moment to reflect. A look back at the leaders shaping advice today.

Inside the Numbers with Dan Heckendorf: Lessons from AZ NGA and the Power of a True CFO Function

Former AZ NGA CFO Dan Heckendorf, now founder of Astilla, joins Rob Pyne to discuss what it really takes to scale a professional services firm with strong financial discipline and intent. Dan shares lessons from overseeing 30+ advisory firms during a period of rapid growth and reveals the one mistake business owners make that can cost hundreds of thousands to fix later.

Inside the HPH Client Experience: A Conversation with Zac Leeson

In this episode, Rob Pyne sits down with Zac Leeson, Senior Financial Adviser and HPH Solutions Next-Generation Leader, to explore how the client experience has evolved from being investment-centric to truly life-centred. Zac shares the practical tools, processes, and conversations that help clients connect their financial decisions to what really matters, and reflects on what makes great advice both meaningful and sustainable.

The Technologists: Practical AI, Platforms & Productivity for Advice Firms

In this special roundtable episode of The Trusted Adviser Podcast, Rob Pyne is joined by four technologists who are transforming the way advice firms approach technology and AI:
Pat Gardner (Collins SBA / Rubica) – on avoiding the “Salesforce plus-plus fallacy” and how Whisper Flow is changing the way advisers interact with AI.
Nick Downey (Direct Wealth / Halosoft) – on building Meeting Ally and Advice Ally, the secret to managing 40+ acquisitions, and why process and accountability are the true foundations for AI adoption.
Stephen Bell (Captegra) – on using process mining to cut through “workflow spaghetti” and how Zoom has become a powerful all-in-one hub for communication, documents, and automation.
Glenn Elliott (Meldus) – on using Cursor to accelerate proposals, presentations, and branded content, and the one killer question firms should ask every vendor: “How has AI transformed your own business in the past three years?”
Together, they unpack what’s working, where advice firms are getting stuck, and the practical steps to take when adopting new technology. From AI-powered file notes to full-scale workflow redesigns, this episode is a deep dive into the future of advice tech.

Profitability, Pricing & Capacity: Data-Driven Insights with Rob Jones of Peloton Partners

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser podcast, Rob Pyne speaks with Rob Jones, co-founder of Peloton Partners and a leading authority on pricing and profitability in financial advice. Rob shares why many firms leave money on the table, the limitations of traditional benchmarking surveys, and what his unique data reveals about capacity, adviser pay, and the real drivers of profitability.
If you want to understand how to price advice fairly and build a more sustainable, profitable business, this conversation is packed with practical insights.

Strategic Scaling Up: How Calder Wealth Joined Forces with Coastal Advice

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne speaks with Ben Calder, Managing Director of Calder Wealth Management, about the recent merger with Coastal Advice Group. Ben shares the backstory of how years of collaboration and cultural alignment with Dan Brown led to one of Australia’s fastest-growing financial advice businesses. They discuss the role Merchant Investment Management played in bringing the deal to life, the challenges of integration, and the opportunities the merger creates for clients, staff, and the future of the business

What If Your CRM Could Think? Glenn Elliott on AI in Financial Advice

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne speaks with Glenn Elliott, co-founder of Practifi and founder of Meldus, about how AI and automation are reshaping the advice profession. Glenn shares insights from his journey building Practifi, the importance of open platforms and APIs, and the practical ways agentic AI is already transforming CRM data, compliance, and client engagement. A must-listen for advice firms wanting to future-proof their technology and unlock new levels of productivity.

The Rise of Digital Staff: Nick Perrett on AI Workflow Automation at Yarra Lane

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne sits down with Nick Perrett, CEO at Yarra Lane Group, to explore how his firm is leveraging AI agents and robotic process automation (RPA) to transform operations across financial planning, tax, and professional services. Nick shares how bots like “Henry” and “Grace” are automating everything from review prep to data entry, running 24/7 inside their Microsoft environment and freeing up valuable human time.
They dig into the real numbers, implementation process, cultural impacts, and what this all means for the future of advice delivery. Whether you’re curious about getting started or wondering how far automation can go in a professional advice firm, this is a must-listen episode.

Future-Ready Advice: Talent and Scale with Apt Wealth’s Andrew Dunbar & Abbie Gellatly

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne speaks with Andrew Dunbar and Abbie Gellatly from Apt Wealth Partners—an award-winning advice firm known for its strong culture and focus on talent development. They unpack how Apt is preparing for the future of financial advice through structured graduate pathways, transparent career progression, leadership development, employee ownership, and a flexible benefits program that drives engagement and retention. If you’re looking to build a future-ready advice business, this conversation is full of practical takeaways.

Philip Palaveev on G2 Leadership and the Future of Advisory Firms

What does it take to grow a financial planning firm beyond the founder? In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob Pyne speaks with Philip Palaveev, CEO of The Ensemble Practice, about what it really means to lead a team-based advice business.
Philip unpacks why leadership is more burden than privilege, how to shift from founder-led to team-driven models, and what it takes to embed vision and trust into culture.
👉 Listen as Philip shares:
Why the best leaders stop seeking personal validation and start coaching others
How to make the leap from individual to team performance
The difference between ownership, leadership and management — and why titles don’t define influence
This conversation is a masterclass in next-generation leadership, succession planning, and building a firm that outlasts any one person.