The Advisor Summit Podcast: From Stuck to Scaling: The Real Role of an IMO in Advisor Growth with Mark Bigler

Welcome back to another episode of the Advisor Summit Podcast, where industry leaders and innovators share the strategies, systems, and mindset shifts helping advisors grow stronger businesses.

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Bigler of Advisors Excel to unpack a big question in the advisory world: what should IMOs and FMOs actually be doing for advisors?

If you’ve ever wondered whether your IMO is truly helping you build the business you want, this episode is for you.

5 Key Takeaways:
Not all IMOs serve advisors the same way.
Mark breaks the IMO landscape into three levels: vendor, platform, and true partner. The strongest firms do more than provide product access — they help advisors build toward a long-term business vision.

Most advisors grow by brute force until they hit a ceiling.
A common pattern Mark sees is advisors becoming great salespeople without ever learning how to run a scalable business. That gap shows up in leadership, delegation, systems, and team development.

Better data leads to better business decisions.
From seminar tracking to appointment stick rates and average case size, Mark emphasizes that growth should not be based on gut instinct alone. Advisors need real metrics to know what is working.

Growth requires delegation and leadership development.
If advisors want to move from production to scale, they have to let go of doing everything themselves. That means documenting processes, training staff, and investing in becoming a stronger leader.

Community can accelerate growth.
One of the biggest differentiators Mark highlights is being surrounded by other successful advisors. When advisors are plugged into a strong community, they gain ideas, accountability, and momentum they would not get alone.

Timestamps:
01:06 – Mark shares how a cold call about life insurance unexpectedly opened the door to Advisors Excel
04:27 – What a great IMO should actually do for advisors
07:08 – Why Mark believes most FMOs are underserving their advisors
10:33 – What Advisors Excel does differently: business plans, data, and real consulting
14:02 – Why monthly coaching calls matter and how support evolves as firms grow
15:21 – The biggest gap Mark sees in advisor businesses today
18:30 – The three growth levers advisors should focus on
21:07 – Why delegation is one of the hardest but most necessary parts of scale
24:28 – Why advisor community is such a powerful growth catalyst
29:11 – The KPIs Mark watches most closely in advisor marketing
31:21 – Where advisors should begin when building a team
36:55 – Why younger advisors can absolutely succeed in this industry
37:48 – Common mistakes advisors make when trying to grow
41:11 – Where Mark sees the IMO and FMO landscape heading over the next 5–10 years
43:25 – Mark’s personal focus this year: becoming a better leader

Visit Advisor's Excel website:
https://www.advisorsexcel.com/

⛰️At Track That Advisor, we believe that independent financial advisors shouldn’t have to struggle with overwhelming spreadsheets and confusing reports.

⛰️Our mission is to simplify data analysis, providing clear, actionable insights that help advisory firms grow and thrive.

⛰️With years of experience in financial analytics, our team understands the challenges advisors face. We don’t just provide numbers—we provide a roadmap to success.

Contact us at: hello@trackthatadvisor.com

Connect with Molly Pierce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-pierce-9a9270108/

Connect with Erica Pauly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-pauly-56330219/