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Top Advisor Podcast™
Ep. #104 – Building an 8-Figure Financial Practice with Julia Carlson
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“To grow to an 8-figure business, you have to fire yourself – let go of doing all of the things that you think you have to do as the founder, as the advisor, and really let go so you can step into this visionary leadership role that most founders want to be in.”
– Julia Carlson
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In this conversation, Julia Carlson shares how she grew her practice from scratch, building a dynamic team and eventually stepping into a visionary leadership role (yes, “firing herself” in the process).
You’ll hear about her dedication to helping both retirees and entrepreneurs, her passion for holistic financial planning, and her mission to inspire 1,000 entrepreneurs to each give $1 million to causes they care about, ultimately creating a $1 billion movement for good.
Whether you’re looking for insights on scaling a business, creating meaningful differentiation, building a powerful team culture, or simply finding happiness and balance as an advisor, you’ll find Julia brings both practical strategies and a refreshingly authentic perspective.
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Bill and Julia Discuss:
- How leaders shift from rugged self-reliance to collaborative leadership as their firm scales.
- How her Retirement Readiness Checklist becomes a magnet for her Right-Fit Clients.
- The power of serving both pre-retirees and business owners and how this dual focus fuels deeper relationships.
- Why Julia chose organic growth over acquisitions and what that has meant for her firm’s culture, trust, and scalability.
- The impact of embedding generosity into a business model and how the $1 Billion for Good movement inspires teams and clients alike.
- Why modern advisors must blend investment + insurance + planning into one holistic approach.
Episode Sponsor:
Connect with Julia Carlson:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliacarlson/
- Website: https://www.thejuliacarlson.com/
- Writers Island: https://www.writersislandtv.com/julia_carlson
Resources:
- RapidFire Referrals
- Get a copy of “The Language of Referrals”
- Get a copy of “Radical Relevance”
- Grab your copy of “The Hidden Heist” today!
Connect With Bill Cates:
About Our Guest
Julia Carlson is the Founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group, a nationally recognized firm ranked in the top 1% of the industry. An entrepreneur, speaker, author, and educator, Julia has become a respected thought leader on tax-efficient retirement strategies, distribution planning, and exit planning for business owners. She launched her firm at the turn of the century and has since built a reputation for exceptional client service and visionary leadership.
Julia is the author of Money Loves You and has a new book forthcoming in February 2026: Let’s Get You Fired – How Entrepreneurs Scale to 8 Figures by Letting Go and Leading with Vision. Through her coaching and guidance, she helps entrepreneurs grow beyond the hustle, build companies that thrive without their constant presence, and create a legacy of generosity. Her bold mission: help 1,000 entrepreneurs scale to 8 figures and give $1 million each to causes they care about—fueling a $1 billion movement for good.
A frequent voice in the media, Julia has been interviewed by Barron’s, Forbes, Financial Advisor Magazine, MSN, Reuters, InvestmentNews, USA Today, Yahoo! Finance, and Nasdaq. She has been named an InvestmentNews Women to Watch honoree, and a multi-year Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisor.
She works from the firm’s office in the beautiful coastal community of Newport, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
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About Your Host
Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE, works with established financial advisors to speed up their growth without increasing their marketing budget. Advisors tap into Bill’s proven process to multiply their best clients through introductions from advocates and Centers of Influence (such as CPAs and attorneys), communicate their value proposition more effectively, and create a reputation in a profitable target market. Bill helps advisors move from push prospecting to magnetic marketing – to attract more Right Fit Clients™.
Bill is the author of four best-selling books, Get More Referrals Now, Don’t Keep Me a Secret, Beyond Referrals, and Radical Relevance. Bill is a highly sought-after international speaker and coach, as well as the founder of The Cates Academy for Relationship Marketing™.
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Do you have a topic you’d like to see covered?
Contact Bill Cates directly: BillCates@ReferralCoach.com
