Welcome to Surge

BUSINESS

CONSULTING

Tailored business solutions

to maximize growth

SURGE Business Consulting engages with financial professionals to create tailored business solutions to maximize growth in their respective businesses. Through our 20/20 process, Surge holds itself and the financial professional accountable to reaching new heights together.

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Surge Business Consulting is not a sales coaching or traditional track consulting program. It is an exclusive bespoke process to bring out the very best from financial advisors who understand they are better than present. They desire to Surge in every aspect of their business.

FOUNDATION

(STRATEGIC)

RISKS + GROWTH

OPPORTUNITIES

(TACTICAL)

EXECUTION

(ACCOUNTABILITY)

Whether examining our personal relationships or the home we live in, it all begins with the foundation. If the foundation is not rock solid, everything built upon it shall remain weak in perpetuity. Now more than ever, financial services professionals face unparalleled risk and a plethora of opportunity. From new regulation to technologies and talent, identifying and forecasting through risks and growth opportunities is paramount to future success.

Imagine the ability to finally execute all of the great ideas brought forth mentally, or with the help of mentors and industry leaders. Great business people require accountability to fully execute.

DISCOVERY

Since birth we have used discovery as the basis for theory and assumptions, and it is the key driver in learning. Through our initial discovery process we discuss the most important macro factors in your business.

GATHER + OBSERVE (GO)

In a one to two day live engagement Surge consultants will visit your firm and its attachments to conduct thorough research on strategic and tactical forces within your organization, and with most of your associates. This is the basis for all future recommendations and accountability tactics.

DEVELOPMENTAL OUTPUT (DO)

Surge uses the data gathering phases of Discovery and GO to create a world-class facts and findings output completely tailored to your firm. This is unique and is not a collection of business growth modeling from other firms. It surrounds you, and contains all that is needed for you and your business to break through resistance, and perfect what you have so proudly built.

SUMMATION CALL

Other consultants may provide materials and then leave you to interpret. On this call we will review the entire DO together for you to ask questions, challenge findings, and get clarity on why recommendations were made. This is also the stage where you and your key colleagues will prioritize execution.

ACUTE ACCOUNTABILITY

This differentiates Surge from most consultant offerings. A requirement to our program is acute accountability. For one fiscal year we will hold each other accountable to optimal results. You must commit to a minimum of one call per month to be eligible for Surge 20.20.

Businesses of all sizes must make time to

examine risks and opportunities that will

impact sustainability and growth.

Your business is not exempt.

SURGE ON CALL

Any successful career encompasses a challenging journey between learning experiences and victories. More so for financial advisors. To do it right will require extensive time, knowledge, and resources. At best, it’s a process that takes precious time away from your family and personal life. At worst, you may make a decision that negatively impacts your clients, your staff, and your future.

For those instances when you would like an unbiased third-party to provide feedback and counsel, we offer Surge On Call. Use the link below to schedule a 30-minute call with a Surge business consultant. You could ask about a potential technology solution, how other advisors handle a particular issue, or seek an unvarnished opinion of your latest marketing idea. It’s up to you. The call is an opportunity to experience what our Surge alumni already know; it’s smart to exchange ideas with professionals who understand financial services. Think of Surge On Call as a hotline to your very own trouble desk.

THE 20.20

PROCESS

Surge has developed a proprietary process to deliver optimum results to its exclusive members and their business.

The NEXT step in your business evolution.

Next is our proprietary continuity and succession planning module created exclusively for our advisors. Next delivers a complete succession plan called Successful Succession. It includes a coaching process, needed materials, and side-by-side guidance to accompany you on your journey. We look forward to working with you to create your own Successful Succession.

ABOUT US

Dave Hostetler

VP Strategic Development and Senior Consultant

Dave Hostetler comes to Surge Business Consulting from Ameriprise Financial after serving their independent financial advisors for 31 years.

During his tenure at Ameriprise, Dave gained an enormous amount of experience working in various capacities. Here a just a few:

Business coach to 400 independent advisors and their teams
Recruiter of novice and experienced advisors and staff
Department head of competitive intelligence
IT technician
Financial advisor
COO of a large Ameriprise independent wealth management firm and
Senior practice management consultant

Dave enjoys being a resource for financial professionals and has a passion for helping them grow their business through his strong service ethic. He is often sought after for advice on organizational structure, processes, marketing, and leadership by sole proprietors across various industry sectors.

Dave is FINRA Series, 7, 66 and 24 licensed. Additionally, he has Life and Variable licenses along with the CLTC designation.

Dave married his high school sweetheart, Anita, while he was serving in the US Army Infantry. They have two grown daughters and a granddaughter (all beautiful of course)! In 2004, the Hostetler family relocated from their native Minnesota to Charlotte, North Carolina. They spend their time hiking throughout the Carolinas, boating on Lake Wylie, and remodeling their 1967 lake home.

Dave’s Top Six Values are:

Integrity Meaningful Work Relationships

Spirituality Independence Helping Others

NICHOLAS ROSS

Senior Consultant

Nicholas Ross created SURGE with a vision of helping financial professionals maximize personal and business success by systematic engagement and being accountable to execution. Nicholas has been in financial services for over 20 years and his passion for the financial sector is relentless. From careers as a retail financial advisor and executive at a registered investment advisor broker-dealer, to ten years inside one of the largest privately-held brokerage general agencies in the world, Nicholas knows how to build a sustainable and successful financial services business. For over five years Nicholas has tailored solutions for entrepreneurial financial professionals with one goal in mind – to fulfill the vision of becoming the very best. Nicholas and his wife Jennifer have two children and reside in Cornelius, NC. Nicholas is a dedicated runner, has a passion for investments and insurance he calls his “sickness” and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family. One of Nicholas’ favorite quotes and philosophy he often uses in business consulting comes from the Wells Fargo team handbook – “Sales will not necessarily increase service but increases in service will drive sales”.

SAMPLE OF THE ISSUES ADDRESSED