23. Being All-In and Iterating Towards Excellence with Shannon Spotswood, President of RFG Advisory

In the Suite
In the Suite
Episode • Oct 8, 2020 • 1h 1m

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Today’s episode of In The Suite with Shannon Spotswood brings me back to the glory days when we first met at the Orion’s Fuse Hackathon in Park City, Utah. Surrounded by teams of resilient coders and developers pulling all-nighters against the backdrop of the majestic mountains of Park City felt like a reality TV show⸺with Shannon and I playing supporting roles as judges, taking power walks to the set of The Fuse House. 

Fast forward nearly 5 years later and Shannon’s career is still energized. As President of RFG Advisory, a hybrid RIA, multi custodial, based in Birmingham, Alabama, Shannon was presented with an amazing opportunity to help build RFG 2.0 with her partner Bobby White, Chairman and CEO of RFG Advisory. 

It was a chance encounter of what she describes as a quest to “seek the intangible.” But in true reality show format, it started out simply as a filler-meeting with Bobby marked by the proverbial, ideas engraved on a cocktail napkin. 

At the time of this interview, RFG has 55 independent advisors in 14 locations across the United States with $2.2 billion and growing. Rick Wedell, RFG’s Chief Investment Officer, also joined the C-suite at RFG as a partner creating the ideal trifecta of Bobby, Shannon, and Rick. “We're never trying to make it perfect. We just want to keep iterating towards excellence,” says Shannon.

In this podcast episode, Shannon shares some of her guiding philosophies in her professional life at RFG and at home, being a wife and a mother of 3 children. She also takes me by complete surprise in talking about hitting a wall in her career which led to a major pivot in her personal life. It was a moment I didn’t expect but one we can all relate to, right? “Either you’re all in or you’re not,” Shannon declares. They are unforgettable words-to-live-by Shannon Spotswood, In The Suite. 

Join the conversation to hear about:

  • Fond memories of how Shannon and Tina met (5:05) 
  • How a crisis can lead to inspiration and innovation (8:45)
  • Meeting her business partner, Bobby White, Chairman & CEO of RFG Advisory (10:00)
  • Building the RIA of the future (11:30)
  • The power of the commitment to be all in (24:40)
  • Finding what lights your fire (32:40)
  • Describing building RFG 2.0 with her partners Bobby White and Rick Wedell (35:20)
  • Building a collaborative workplace and work culture (38:20)
  • Unleash the entrepreneurial spirit at your firm (43:50)
  • Why this is the most exciting time in wealth management (48:00)
  • Careers and getting hired as a women in a male-dominated industry (52:05)
  • What is Shannon’s magical superpower? (58:40)


Referenced Materials

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