CHAIRMAN'S COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN'S COUNCIL

ADVISERS INTELLIGENCE

The Real Math Behind Million-Dollar Practices

Why Most Advisors Get It Wrong!

Jul 28, 2025
∙ Paid

professional doing math

We spent two years analyzing the financials of top advisory practices, and what we found will probably surprise you. The advisors making $2M+ aren't just "better at sales" or "luckier with referrals"—they're operating their practices using completely different math.

Think about it like this: if you've ever wondered why some advisors seem to effortlessly scale while others get stuck grinding at the same revenue level year after year, it's not because they're smarter or work harder. They've figured out the mathematical relationships that actually drive revenue growth.

Here's the kicker: 95% of advisors are flying blind when it comes to these numbers. They know their AUM and maybe their conversion rate, but they don't understand how these metrics work together to create compound growth. Meanwhile, the top 5% who cross $2M have dialed in very specific mathematical relationships that create predictable, scalable growth.

The difference isn't subtle—it's exponential. A practice that gets these relationships right will generate 347% more revenue over five years than one operating at industry averages. Not 47% more. 347% more.

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

The Revenue Formula That Changes Everything

Every advisory practice, whether they realize it or not, operates according to this basic formula:

Your Annual Revenue = (Current Clients × Average Revenue per Client) + (New Clients × Your Average Client Value) + (Revenue Growth from Existing Clients)

Seems obvious, right? But here's where it gets interesting. When we looked at the actual numbers from $3M+ practices, they're hitting very specific benchmarks in each part of this equation:

What $3M+ Practices Look Like:

  • Average revenue per client: $15,000-$25,000 (industry average is $4,200)

  • New clients per month: 4-6 (industry average is 1.2)

  • Revenue per employee: $400K-$600K (industry average is $185K)

  • Profit margins: 40-55% (industry average is 23%)

  • Client retention: 96-98% (industry average is 89%)

  • Prospect conversion: 55-70% (industry average is 28%)

Now, you might be thinking, "Of course bigger practices have higher numbers." But here's what's fascinating—it's not just that these numbers are bigger. It's how they work together.

Ready to See the Exact Numbers Behind $3M+ Practices? What you've read so far is just the foundation. The real intelligence is in the specific benchmarks, optimization strategies, and implementation frameworks that follow.

Chairman's Council Premium subscribers get:

  • The exact mathematical benchmarks for each revenue lever

  • Specific optimization strategies used by $3M+ practices

  • Step-by-step implementation frameworks with timelines

  • Access to our Revenue Architecture Calculator and other premium tools

  • Monthly deep-dive case studies of mathematical optimization in action

This level of strategic intelligence is what separates systematic builders from intuitive operators.

[UPGRADE TO PREMIUM - Get Full Access]

*Already a subscriber? Log in to continue reading.*

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Chairman's Council.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Chairman's Council · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture