Question 1: Tony Sirianni: Let’s talk about what’s been going on in the RIA and independent world for the past decade. We’ve seen incredible growth and scaling across the board, and OneSeven has grown right along with it. What’s driving that for you guys?

Todd Resnick: Tony, it really comes down to a pretty simple philosophy that a lot of firms give lip service to but fail to execute: we actually put the advisor first.

Too many aggregators and platforms try to force an independent advisor into a rigid, pre-packaged box. They want control. At OneSeven, we built a platform designed to back entrepreneurial advisors, not micromanage them. We provide the heavy lifting—the infrastructure, compliance, technology, and scale—so they can retain the exact freedom that made them want to go independent in the first place.

But what really moves the needle for us is our “done-for-you” approach. We don’t just hand an advisor a login to a piece of software, wish them luck, and walk away. We get in the trenches with them. For example, we use AI-driven tools to create compliance-approved, personalized content that sounds like the advisor, not a corporate robot. It helps them build their brand and drive organic growth without sucking up all their time. If you remove the administrative friction, advisors do what they do best: take care of clients and grow their businesses. When they win, we win. It’s that simple.

Question 2: Tony Sirianni: The RIA space is becoming incredibly crowded. Every week there’s a new platform or a new capital injector. How does OneSeven actually differentiate itself when competing for top talent?

Todd Resnick: Everybody throws the word “partnership” around, but for us, it’s an operational reality. We look at an advisor relationship as a long-term equity play, not just a service-provider contract.

The real differentiator, though, is the sheer scale we can bring to a mid-sized independent practice through our relationship with Merchant Investment Management. OneSeven is pushing $10 billion in AUM, which is a great milestone, but Merchant’s broader network represents over $300 billion. That gives our advisors institutional-grade resources, massive tech purchasing power, and M&A expertise that an individual $500 million or $1 billion firm simply can’t access on their own.

More importantly, we believe in true economic alignment. When an advisor joins us, they aren’t just building value in their own local silo—they have the opportunity to participate in the growth and enterprise value of OneSeven as a whole. You get the autonomy of a boutique, the muscle of a $300 billion network, and a piece of the upside. That’s a tough combination to replicate.

Question 3: Tony Sirianni: Technology and artificial intelligence are completely reshaping wealth management. It feels like it’s creating a massive gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”—leaving smaller firms either nimbler or stranded because they can’t spend $500 million a year on R&D. Frankly, the whole AI thing makes a lot of advisors nervous. How is OneSeven approaching this innovation without losing the human touch?

Todd Resnick: You’re spot on, Tony. A lot of advisors look at AI and see a threat or a compliance nightmare. Our view is that technology should enhance the advisor-client relationship, never replace it. The future belongs to firms that pair human empathy with intelligent automation.

We aren’t chasing shiny objects or buying tech just to put it on a brochure. Our innovation is entirely advisor-driven. To tackle that anxiety head-on, we launched the OneSeven AI Governance Committee. Instead of management handing down rules from an ivory tower, we put leadership, compliance, tech guys, and actual practicing advisors in a room together.

The committee looks at emerging tools and figures out real, compliant use cases. Right now, we’re helping advisors use AI to automate meeting prep, streamline back-office workflows, and draft content. It turns a three-hour administrative headache into a fifteen-minute task. We’re giving smaller, entrepreneurial teams the tech firepower of a wirehouse without the bureaucracy.

Question 4: Tony Sirianni: You talk to advisors every single day. Aside from the obvious tech and AI talk, what are they telling you is the most critical thing they need from a partner firm right now? How are you responding to that?

Todd Resnick: They want a voice, and they want real help with succession and organic growth. Advisors are tired of joining firms only to feel like a number on a spreadsheet three months later. They want to know that when the industry shifts, their partner firm is actually listening to them.

We realized we needed to institutionalize that feedback loop, so we created the Advisor Advocacy Council. It gives our partner advisors a literal seat at the table to help dictate where we invest capital and how we evolve the platform.

Beyond that, advisors are craving peer-to-peer collaboration. It can get lonely out there on an island. We’ve invested heavily in creating small, focused mastermind groups and study circles within OneSeven. Some of the best ideas don’t come from me—they come from our top advisors trading playbooks on how they won a big client or solved a local hiring issue. We’re building a community, not just an aggregation platform.

Question 5: Tony Sirianni: As you look ahead to the next five years, what’s your vision for the industry, and where does OneSeven fit into that picture?

Todd Resnick: This is a huge milestone year for us—we’re celebrating OneSeven’s 10-year anniversary. Looking back at where we started versus supporting advisors nationwide today is incredible. But honestly, I’m way more excited about the next five years than the last ten.

The wealth management landscape is consolidating rapidly, which means the gap between average firms and elite growth partners is widening. Our goal over the next five years is to be the premier growth engine for independent, entrepreneurial advisors.

We’re going to keep pouring capital into our people, our AI infrastructure, and our community. The industry is changing, but the core need remains the same: advisors want to grow their businesses, protect their clients, and eventually monetize their life’s work. We’ve spent a decade building the foundation for that, and we’re just getting started.

Previously published on AdvisorHub