Building a Resilient Financial Advisory Practice and Navigating Uncertainty With Will Richardson

Will Richardson is a Financial Advisor with Pacific Prosperity Partners under the Northwestern Mutual umbrella. He helps individuals and families navigate uncertainty through thoughtful, long-term financial planning. Having started his career during the 2008 financial crisis, Will brings firsthand experience guiding clients through market volatility and major life transitions. He is also the host of the 10X Podcast, where he shares insights on communication, leadership, and building resilient advisory practices.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[01:54] Will Richardson shares how a childhood cassette tape podcast sparked his entrepreneurial spirit
[04:48] Why Will’s fear of sales didn’t stop him from succeeding
[08:14] Proven strategies to grow a network from scratch
[12:23] Tips on calming financial volatility anxiety amid relentless negative news
[15:51] Northwestern Mutual’s unique advisor business structure explained
[17:43] The impact of podcasting on business growth and client relationships

In this episode…

Uncertainty has a way of exposing the cracks in some of the most successful businesses. When markets swing, headlines fuel anxiety, and clients feel uneasy, what can help a financial advisory practice remain stable and continue to grow?

For Will Richardson, a veteran financial advisor, the answer starts with having a plan built for turbulence, not perfection. He explains that market drops, political shifts, and ominous headlines are not exceptions but regular features of the financial landscape, and resilient practices prepare clients for that reality upfront. When expectations are set correctly, uncertainty becomes something to navigate calmly rather than something that derails long-term decisions.

In this episode, John Corcoran is joined by Will Richardson, Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual’s Pacific Prosperity Partners, to discuss building a resilient financial advisory practice in uncertain times. They explore how advisors can help clients stay focused during market volatility, why long-term planning matters more than decisions based on the latest headlines, and lessons learned from starting a career during major economic downturns.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments

“I just remember having fun with it and just having real and fake conversations on cassette tapes back then.”
“We have to show that we understand the situation and why they’re concerned about what’s going on.”
“What we’re seeing is a lot of private equity money come in to start to acquire some of these smaller operations.”
“There’s always going to be uncertainty.”
“Their plan was built to withstand whatever might happen.”

Action Steps

Build financial plans that assume volatility: Preparing clients for downturns upfront reduces panic and supports better long-term decision-making.
Focus client conversations on understanding, not headlines: Acknowledging concerns while reinforcing the plan helps clients stay disciplined during uncertainty.
Leverage existing relationships for growth: Warm introductions from trusted contacts create stronger connections than cold outreach alone.
Develop systems that support resilience, not heroics: Consistent processes and team coverage ensure stability when unexpected events occur.
Use content and conversations to educate at scale: Sharing insights through podcasts or discussions builds trust and reinforces expertise over time.

Sponsor for this episode…

EO San Francisco

This episode is brought to you by EO San Francisco.

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 14,000+ influential business owners with 198 chapters in 61 countries.

If you are the founder, co-founder, owner, or controlling shareholder of a company generating over $1 million a year in revenues, and want to connect with other like-minded successful entrepreneurs, EO is for you.

The EO San Francisco chapter enables leading entrepreneurs in the Bay area to learn, grow, and achieve greater success.

The EOSF chapter was founded in 1991, and today we have over 100 members in industries ranging from marketing to agriculture to tech and professional services.

To learn how it works, or to come do a test drive come join us at www.eonetwork.org/sanfrancisco/.

This episode is also brought to you by my company, Pacific Crest Group.

Pacific Crest Group provides outsourced CFO, Controller, and bookkeeping services. You can learn more about us at https://www.pcg-services.com/

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