Podcast Guest Appearances Featuring Duncan MacPherson
The Most Valuable Conversations for Financial Advisors
Some of the more valuable conversations in our industry don't happen on stages or in boardrooms - they happen when experienced practitioners sit down, compare notes, and challenge each other's thinking.
When Duncan MacPherson appears as a guest on leading financial advisor podcasts, it's never a one-way interview. These episodes are collaborations with other top podcasters who are deeply focused on best practices, practice management, and coaching advisors to build better businesses. The hosts bring their own perspectives from the field, and Duncan meets them there; testing ideas, refining frameworks, and translating strategy into execution.
What makes these conversations different is their shared intent. They're not about trends for trend's sake or surface-level tactics. They're about how advisors build scalable, referable practices in the real world - how they structure their time, design client experiences, lead their teams, and think like CEOs of their own firms.
The result is a series of candid, practical discussions featuring frank shares of strategic insight and proprietary frameworks. Each episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how top advisors and coaches think about growth, systems, and long-term enterprise value - and how those ideas can be applied immediately.
What follows is a walk-through of some of those podcasts, highlighting the key ideas Duncan shared while collaborating with some of the industry's most respected podcast voices.
Top Financial Advisor Podcasts Featuring Duncan MacPherson:
When Duncan MacPherson appears on someone else's podcast, the conversation usually goes in a very specific direction - and fast.
It stops being about tactics in isolation and starts being about design.
Not "What should I do next?" but "What kind of practice am I actually trying to build?"
Across these guest appearances, Duncan comes back to a few core ideas repeatedly: Clarity beats complexity, systems create freedom, and growth should never be accidental.
Here's is the current list of guest appearances:
- Wicked Pissah Podcast - Episode 109: Duncan MacPherson, Pareto Systems
- For Advisors by Advisors - Interview with Duncan MacPherson
- The Resilient Advisor Show - Actionable AI Strategies for Advisors
- The Business of Advice Podcast - Duncan MacPherson: Advising the Advisor
- Top Advisor Podcast - Building Strong Strategic Partnerships with Duncan MacPherson
- Diamond Consultants Podcast - Sustainable and Scalable Growth: A Leading Coach's Advice on How to Achieve It
- Paul Blanco - The Evolution of the Advisor (Small Steps, Big Wins)
- Total Succession - Episode 16: Exit Planning
- Elite Consulting Partners - Episode 241: Breaking the Status Quo: How Advisors Can Redefine Success
- The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast - Episode 195: Is Your Current Path Costing You?
- Advisor Mentorship Podcast - From Practice to Enterprise
Wicked Pissah Podcast - Episode 109
Why Financial Advisors Stay Busy but Stuck - Avoiding Plateaus
Listen: Wicked Pissah Podcast - Episode 109
This episode is a great entry point because Duncan starts with a simple but uncomfortable truth: Most advisors are incredibly busy - and still not building the business they want.
He talks about how easy it is to drift into a practice that looks successful on paper but feels exhausting day-to-day.
What stands out in this conversation:
- Long hours and constant urgency are not "just part of the job." They're signs of missing systems.
- When clients experience the same level of clarity and care every time, trust compounds. That's when referrals stop feeling forced.
- Don't wait until you're "big enough" to work on the business.
Hosts: Co-host of the Wicked Pissah Podcast, Brad Wright brings a financial planning lens rooted in practitioner experience, leading conversations on planning, industry trends, and professional growth for advisors.
Co-host Kathleen Kenealy helps guide discussions on financial planning topics, blending practical insight with industry context for advisors and professionals.
Regular co-host Kevin Williams joins Brad and colleagues to explore nuanced financial planning issues and interview thought leaders in the advisory space.
For Advisors by Advisors - Episode 14
Attracting Ideal Clients
Listen: For Advisors by Advisors - Episode 14
This conversation zeroes in on something almost every advisor struggles with at some point: Why does growth feel harder than it should?
Duncan reframes the issue in a way that's both clarifying and relieving - it's usually not about effort. It's about attractiveness.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Great advisors don't chase, they create professional contrast - clear value, clear process, clear expectations - so the right people lean in naturally.
2) Your process is part of your value proposition. If a client can't describe how you work, they can't explain why you're different.
3) Referrals are more consistent when the experience is engineered, not left to chance.
Host: Creator of For Advisors by Advisors, Evan J. Mayer spotlights industry leaders and actionable ideas to help financial advisors grow their practices and deepen client impact.
The Resilient Advisor Show - Episode 253
Actionable AI Strategies for Financial Advisors
Listen: The Resilient Advisor Show - April 11, 2025
This episode is especially useful if you've been curious about AI but unsure where it fits in a professional, client-centered practice. Duncan isn't interested in AI hype. He's interested in one question: Does AI make the advisor more effective where it matters most?
What stands out in this conversation:
- AI should give you time back, not create more noise. It lets you focus on high-value conversations and decisions.
- Tech works best when it supports a system. AI on top of chaos just creates faster chaos. Paired with processes, it becomes powerful.
- Human judgment matters most. Empathy, trust, and discernment aren't being replaced.
Host: CFP and host of The Resilient Advisor Podcast, Jay Coulter interviews top performers and experts to help advisors build resilient, client-centered, and future-ready practices.
For additional insights on leveraging AI in your advisory practice, check out our Pareto Systems Blog Post - Master The Art Of Ai Prompting.
The Business of Advice Podcast - Episode 22
The Evolution of Your Business - Building an Enterprise
Listen: The Business of Advice Podcast - Episode 22
Here, Duncan steps back and looks at the advisory profession as a whole - where it's been, and where it's going.
The conversation touches on growth, but also on responsibility: If advisors want to be treated as professionals, their businesses need to operate like professional enterprises.
What stands out in this conversation:
- Clients need to see your value before they can trust it.
- Every touchpoint either reinforces confidence - or quietly erodes it.
- Structure creates opportunity. With generational wealth transfers ahead, advisors with defined models will be positioned to lead.
Host: Co-founder of Advisors Excel and host of The Business of Advice Podcast, Cody Foster brings business leadership and growth strategy conversations to advisors looking to scale and lead with purpose.
Top Advisor Podcast - Episode 80
Strategic Partnerships for Financial Advisors
Listen: #80 Building Strong Strategic Partnerships with Duncan MacPherson
Here, Duncan zeroes in on one of the most overlooked growth levers in an advisory firm: strategic partnerships. Not referral-for-referral arrangements, but intentional alliances built on elevating the client experience.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Partnerships must be designed, not improvised. Random alliances create noise; structured ones create leverage.
2) Credibility compounds through association. Who you align with signals your standards.
3) Process protects relationships.
Host: Bill Cates is a renowned referral strategist and author focused on helping advisors grow through relational marketing principles - reputation, relevance, referrals. He's a professional speaker and coach with decades of experience guiding financial professionals.
Diamond Consultants Podcast - Sustainable and Scalable Growth: A Leading Coach's Advice on How to Achieve It
Listen: Diamond Consultants Podcast - Sustainable and Scalable Growth
This conversation focuses on the difference between growth that looks good on paper and growth that actually lasts. Duncan challenges advisors to examine whether their success is dependent on them - or supported by a business that can scale beyond them.
What stands out in this conversation:
- Not all growth is healthy growth. If complexity rises faster than clarity, scale becomes fragile.
- Systems and defined processes create freedom and reduce reactivity.
- Sustainability is a leadership decision. Burnout is often the cost of unmanaged success.
Host: Louis Diamond is CEO of Diamond Consultants, guiding advisory teams through transitions and independence. With deep experience in recruiting, strategic growth, and multi-generation team development, he helps advisors accelerate business performance and navigate evolving wealth management landscapes.
Paul Blanco's Small Steps, Big Wins Podcast - Episode 71
Financial Advisor Evolution Through Incremental Improvement and Consistent Execution
Listen: Paul Blanco's Small Steps, Big Wins Podcast - Episode 71
This episode explores how the advisor role has shifted - and why incremental change often produces the biggest results. Rather than dramatic reinvention, the conversation centers on steady refinement of habits, mindset, and client experience.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Evolution happens in inches, not leaps. Small changes, applied consistently, reshapes your practice.
2) The advisor's role is expanding beyond portfolios.
3) Consistency builds credibility. Clients trust what feels steady and intentional.
Host: Paul Blanco is CEO of Barnum Financial Group and host of "Small Steps, Big Wins." He focuses on real-world financial industry insights, exploring what shapes success for advisors and professionals through practical conversations and actionable takeaways.
Total Succession - Episode 16: Exit Planning
Succession Planning for Financial Advisors
Listen (Apple Podcasts): Total Succession - Episode 16: Exit Planning
Listen (Spotify): Total Succession - Episode 16: Exit Planning
This episode reframes succession planning as a leadership responsibility, not an end-of-career task. The discussion highlights how early, thoughtful planning protects clients, teams, and enterprise value.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Succession starts sooner than most advisors think. Waiting narrows options and erodes value.
2) Buyers invest in systems, not personalities. Transferability depends on structure.
3) Client trust must outlast the founder.
Host: Tyson Ray is a veteran financial advisor and co-host of Total Succession. Drawing on decades in practice and his SPACE exit framework, Tyson guides advisors through planning intentional transitions while supporting clients' long-term needs.
Advisor Talk - Episode 241
Redefining Success for Financial Advisors Beyond Traditional Benchmarks
Listen: 241: Breaking the Status Quo: How Advisors Can Redefine Success - Advisor Talk
This conversation challenges traditional benchmarks of success - AUM, production, and growth at all costs. Instead, it invites advisors to define success on their own terms, aligned with lifestyle, team health, and client impact. It's a push away from default thinking.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Success is not one-size-fits-all. Borrowed goals lead to borrowed stress.
2) Intentional design beats inherited models. Advisors must choose their version of "enough."
3) When goals are defined, distractions lose power.
Host: Frank LaRosa is CEO of Elite Consulting Partners and host of "Advisor Talk." With extensive experience in recruiting, transitions, and practice growth, he delivers candid, tactical insights to help advisors build resilient, differentiated businesses.
The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast - Episode 195: Is Your Current Path Costing You?
Identifying Hidden Opportunity Costs in Your Business Model
Listen (Apple Podcasts): 195 The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast With Sten Morgan
Listen (Spotify): 195 The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast With Sten Morgan
This episode asks a direct but necessary question: what is your current business model quietly costing you - in time, energy, or opportunity? The discussion examines hidden trade-offs advisors accept without reevaluating them.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Success can mask misalignment. Just because it works doesn't mean it fits.
2) Opportunity cost is real. Every "yes" limits future flexibility.
3) Course correction is a strength. Reassessment is a sign of maturity, not failure.
Host: Sten Morgan, CFP, ChFC, is a recognized financial advisor and thought leader. Host of "The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast," Sten offers practical, mindset-driven guidance to help advisors increase value, strengthen client relationships, and grow with clarity and confidence.
Advisor Mentorship Podcast Episode 91 - From Practice to Enterprise
Listen: From Practice to Enterprise - Advisor Mentorship Podcast
This conversation explores the shift from running a book of business to leading a true enterprise. The focus is on mindset, leadership, and the infrastructure required to move beyond founder-dependence.
What stands out in this conversation:
1) Enterprises require leaders. Management and vision become critical skills.
2) Roles must be clear to scale. Undefined responsibilities create bottlenecks.
3) Enterprise value is intentional and created through process, culture, and continuity.
Host: The Advisor Mentorship Podcast is hosted by Stephen Martin (commonly), a seasoned advisor and mentor committed to helping financial professionals grow their businesses through proven frameworks, leadership lessons, and enterprise-level thinking.
The Common Thread for Advisors in Every Podcast Conversation
Clear Positioning, Systems, and Client Experience as the Foundation of Advisor Growth
Different hosts. Different topics. Same underlying message.
Duncan consistently comes back to the idea that successful advisory practices are intentionally built through proven strategies and coaching:
- Not busier.
- Not louder.
- Not more complicated.
- Just clearer.
- Clear positioning.
- Clear processes.
- Clear experiences.
When those are in place, growth stops being something you chase - and starts becoming something that happens as a byproduct of how you operate.
By Mike Lane
Media and Content at Pareto Systems
