Why Ivory: What We're Building and Who We're Looking For

By Charles Crilly, President and Financial Advisor, Ivory Wealth Management

I'm not a recruiter.

I'm a financial advisor who spent years at AG Edwards and Morgan Stanley, managed a branch, sat in the management meetings, kept the scorecard, and eventually realized there was a better way. When I finally stopped drinking the wirehouse Kool-Aid, I found my way to independence, and I haven't looked back.

If you've been reading this series, you know the case for leaving. You know the math. You know what it's actually like on the other side. Now let me tell you about Ivory, not as a sales pitch, but as an invitation from someone who's been where you are.

Who We Are

Ivory Wealth Management has offices in Essex, Connecticut and Huntington, New York. We're approaching $750 million in assets under management with six producing advisors supported by a dedicated team of four staff members.

We're affiliated with Kestra Financial as our broker-dealer, with NFS (Fidelity) handling clearing and custody. For technology, we use Advisor Engine for CRM and Albridge for performance reporting, though if you have preferences, you can choose alternative platforms that work better for you.

We're big enough to have real infrastructure and small enough to actually know each other. That's intentional, and I plan to keep it that way.

How It Works

Joining Ivory gives you the plug-in feel of a wirehouse (support staff, technology, compliance, operations) with the economics and freedom of independence.

You have options:

You can run a siloed practice with full autonomy. You can join our ensemble and collaborate. You can build a small team within Ivory. The structure adapts to what you want to create.

You also have access to our in-house investment models at no extra charge. Use them, adapt them, or build your own. It's your choice. But if you want a proven framework on day one, it's there.

The Economics

Our payouts range from 60% to 88%, depending on your structure and what you need from us. The more infrastructure and support you use, the more we share in the economics. The more you run independently, the more you keep.

Either way, you're keeping significantly more than the 40-45% you're getting at a wirehouse, without having to build everything yourself.

We also provide hands-on transition assistance. Literally hands-on. We've done this before, we know what it takes, and we're there with you through the move.

Who We're Looking For

There's no production minimum to have a conversation with me.

I care more about quality of character than production numbers. I want to work with advisors who genuinely care about their clients. Who are honest. Who do things the right way even when no one's watching. Who want to build something real, not just collect a paycheck.

If that's you, whether you're managing $20 million or $200 million, I'd like to talk.

If you're looking for a place to coast, cut corners, or treat clients as transactions, we're not the right fit. Ivory is for advisors who take this work seriously.

Where We're Going

I see Ivory continuing to grow, adding a modest number of advisors, possibly a few new locations over time. But I'm not trying to build a wirehouse. I'm not trying to scale to the point where people become numbers.

We're also adding a full-time CFO/COO in Q4 of this year. He's currently the CFO of a publicly traded company, and he chose Ivory. He looked at our books, our trajectory, our culture, and saw growth and stability worth betting on. He'll help guide us in all things operational and strategic as we move forward.

I never want to get so big that I don't know your spouse's name. Your children's names. What matters to you outside of work.

That's not a limitation. That's the whole point. We're building a place where advisors can do great work for their clients, earn what they deserve, and actually enjoy the people they work with. That's it. That's the vision.

An Invitation, Not a Pitch

If you're sitting in a wirehouse right now, wondering if there's something better. There is. I know because I wondered the same thing for years before I finally made the move.

I'm not going to pressure you. I'm not going to sell you. I'm just going to tell you that if any of what I've written in this series resonates, I'm happy to have a conversation. No strings. No agenda. Just two people talking about what's possible.

Reach out anytime: charles@ivorywealthmgmt.com

I'll answer.