Advisors Off Script
Advisors Off Script is the podcast where financial advisors step away from the polished talking points and get real about what it takes to build, break away, and boldly grow. These are stories from the independent front lines. Every advisor has a choice: follow the script laid out by the industry—or write your own.
Formerly known as Kick It Open, the show is hosted by Shelby Nicholl, founder of Muriel Consulting and known as the “RIA Whisperer.” She brings candid conversations, insider insights, and practical strategies that help advisors move from uncertainty to clarity and from frustration to freedom. Because this isn’t just a podcast—it’s your playbook for building boldly and living off script.
Get ready for amazing guests, including advisors who have tread the journey before, leaders from the firms serving independent advisors and partners who help advisors create thriving practices.
Here at Muriel Consulting, we're helping advisors kick the door open on their personal success by living a life off script.
About the Host
Shelby Nicholl is the founder and lead consultant at Muriel Consulting, where she helps financial advisors break free from limits, align their businesses with their ambitions, and build thriving practices. With 25 years in leadership roles at firms like LPL Financial and Edward Jones, she combines deep industry experience with her passion for empowering advisors to take bold steps toward independence and success.
She is also the founder of Muriel Network, a digital community for women in wealth management seeking connection, inspiration, and growth.
Advisors Off Script
The Value Stack Framework Top RIAs Won't Stop Using | Steve Lockshin
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Steve Lockshin has been doing things differently since before "going independent" was a trend. He founded his first RIA in the 1990s, co-founded Advice Period, and is now chairman of Vanilla — an AI-powered estate planning platform built specifically for advisors.
In this conversation with Shelby, Steve gets direct about the things most advisors won't say out loud: that AUM fees create a structural conflict of interest, that asset management is largely commoditized, and that the biggest gap in most advisory practices isn't investments — it's estate planning.
They also get into how AI is reshaping what advisors can deliver, where the real differentiators will be in five to ten years, and why Steve keeps building new things even when he tells himself he's going to stop.
Whether you're running a growing practice or just getting started, this episode will challenge how you think about your value and your model.
Hosted by Shelby Nicholl. Produced and edited by Aaron Sherman. Operations and Guest Coordination by Shelly Hadel.
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