<h3>With Ricky Smith—Founder &#38; Managing Partner, Inspired Wealth Planning</h3> <h3>Overview</h3> <p><em>Jason Diamond speaks with Ricky Smith of Inspired Wealth Planning about leaving Edward Jones after 30 years, evaluating 12 firms, and building an independent business that grew to $1.25B in assets under care in less than three years.</em></p> <h3>Listen in&#8230;</h3> <p><a href="https://hubs.ly/Q04gwKc70" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&#62;</strong> Download a transcript of this episode…</a></p> <p><i data-stringify-type="italic">NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. </i><i data-stringify-type="italic">Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation.</i></p> <h3>Watch&#8230;</h3> <p>https://youtu.be/cobAfEl0_To</p> <h3><b data-stringify-type="bold">About this episode&#8230;</b></h3> <p>What happens when you stop thinking like a renter and start thinking like an owner?</p> <p>Not just in theory, but in how you run your business, make decisions, and show up for clients.</p> <p>For Ricky Smith, that question didn’t come at the beginning of his career. It came 30 years later, after building a highly successful practice at Edward Jones and beginning to see the business through a different lens.</p> <p>Today, Ricky is the founder and managing partner of Inspired Wealth Planning, the independent firm he built with Kestra Private Wealth Services. Since launching in March 2023, the firm has grown to over $1.25B in assets under its care across seven locations.</p> <p>What makes this story interesting isn’t just the move—it’s how intentional it was. Ricky didn’t rush into independence. He spent a year evaluating 12 different firms and paths, clarifying what mattered most, and ultimately making a decision based on people and alignment, not just economics.</p> <p>Ricky shares his journey with Jason Diamond, including:</p> <ul> <li>His approach to due diligence—and why he dove deeper into the weeds before he was satisfied with his next steps.</li> <li>Reconsidering the wirehouse model—and why he felt independence was the best path forward.</li> <li>The “ownership mindset”—and how that drives his values and processes.</li> <li>The early phase of independence—and why it’s less about growth and more about getting the structure right.</li> <li>Growing by 50%—and what “breakthroughs” he had in less than three years.</li> </ul> <p>Ricky offers the perspective that making the leap to independence may be “short-term hard,” but you’re working toward building a business that’s designed to be “long-term easy.”</p> <p>And there’s another broader idea worth paying attention to: Most advisors don’t lack options; they hesitate to act on them.</p> <p>Listen in for sage advice from an advisor who has lived in the wirehouse world and is now independent—and has realized the value of ownership.</p> <p><strong><em>Want to learn more about where, why, and how advisors like you are moving? </em></strong><a href="https://www.diamond-consultants.com/contact-us/"><strong><em>Click to contact</em></strong></a><strong><em> us or call 908-879-1002.</em></strong></p> <h3><b data-stringify-type="bold">Related Resources</b></h3> <p><strong><a href="https://www.diamond-consultants.com/tools-and-resources/edward_jones-advisor-transition-report-2025/">Diamond Consultants Edward Jones Advisor Transition Report 2025</a><br /> </strong>This “firm-focused report” seeks to look under the hood at movement to and from Edward Jones from January to June of 2025.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.diamond-consultants.com/the-cost-of-clarity-what-advisors-stand-to-gain-and-lose-when-their-firm-shows-its-hand/">The Cost of Clarity: What Advisors Stand to Gain and Lose When Their Firm Shows Its Hand</a></strong><br /> When firms become explicit about who and what they value, it’s time for advisors to read those signals and respond.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.diamond-consultants.com/the-advisor-transition-playbook-the-latest-on-due-diligence-the-move-and-everything-in-between-part-2/">The Advisor Transition Playbook: The Latest on Due Diligence, the Move, and Everything In Between – Part 2</a></strong><br /> Jason and Mindy Diamond revisit the transition playbook, this time focused on how advisor priorities are shifting. From AI and enterprise value to stability and flexibility, they unpack what’s changing in due diligence and what it means for advisors evaluating their next move.</p> <p><strong>Ricky Smith<br /> Managing Partner</strong></p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>Ricky Smith is the founder and Managing Partner of Inspired Wealth Planning.</p> <p>Inspired Wealth Planning is group of like minded veteran financial advisors who serve their clients and local communities across Georgia and now even Ohio.</p> <p>Before founding Inspired, Ricky worked as a financial advisor for 39 years. Primarily as an employee of a nationwide financial firm. Wanting to have more control over the outcomes for clients, his team and his own career, he left the employee model to join an independent firm &#8211; Kestra Private Wealth Services.</p> <p>After opening the Kestra based office, other advisors inquired about joining Inspired. Within the first 36 months, Inspired grew to 7 locations, 10 advisors, 14 support staff and over $1.2 billion in assets under care.</p> <p>In February 2026, Inspired was selected as the Outstanding Business of the Year for Kestra Financial (the parent company of Kestra Private Wealth). This was the first time that any firm from Kestra Private Wealth had ever been selected for that award.</p> <p>In early April the firm was on the cover of Advisor Hub magazine and in mid-April, Ricky was selected for the Forbes/Shook Best in State Wealth Advisors for the state of Georgia. An Honor that he has received 3 times in the past 5 years.</p> <p>Ricky lives in Cordele Georgia with his wife, Patti and their tuxedo cat Oreo. They have a daughter, Brooke, who lives in Maryland. Ricky has been a loyal member and participant with the local Chamber of Commerce for 42 years, serving as chairman in 1999. He and Patti are long-time members of Cordele First Church and supporters of the local chapter of Celebrate Recovery.</p>