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Centralization = Scale: The Hidden Power Behind Credent’s Growth

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May 8, 2025

Most RIAs hit a wall when it comes to scaling. Growth slows down, operations get messy, and the client experience becomes inconsistent. Why? Because most firms are structured around individual advisors who wear every hat.

Each advisor becomes their own mini-business, juggling operations, planning, compliance, service, and growth. That means one firm isn’t really one firm—it’s 10 or 20 small businesses operating under the same roof. The result is duplication, inefficiency, and a lack of scalability.

David Hefty, CEO of Credent Wealth Management, saw this problem early on—and he solved it by flipping the model.

Building Systems, Not Silos

Instead of building Credent around star advisors, Hefty built it around centralized operations. The vision was simple but powerful: create a scalable infrastructure where advisors can focus on what they do best—serving clients—while the firm handles the rest.

At Credent, this meant:

  • Shared services that eliminate repetitive tasks across advisors.
  • Standardized processes for onboarding, compliance, and reporting.
  • Unified branding and client experience across every office.

By centralizing these functions, Hefty created leverage. Advisors no longer had to reinvent the wheel for every client or every decision. They could plug into a high-performance system designed to scale.

Consistency Builds Trust

For clients, this centralization meant one thing above all: consistency. Whether a client works with one advisor or another, their experience feels the same—high-touch, professional, and reliable.

That consistency builds trust not only with clients but also with centers of influence (COIs) like CPAs and attorneys. Instead of referring into an unpredictable system, COIs know exactly what their clients will experience with Credent. That trust fuels organic growth.

Growth by Design, Not by Chance

Centralization unlocked Credent’s ability to scale without chaos. Instead of bottlenecking growth at the advisor level, the firm created systems that could handle more clients, more assets, and more complexity—without losing quality.

The difference is stark:

  • Growth dependent on individuals eventually breaks down when those individuals hit capacity.
  • Growth designed through systems scales smoothly, creating a firm that can thrive long-term.

For Hefty, this wasn’t just an operational decision—it was a growth strategy. By centralizing operations and freeing advisors to focus on relationships, Credent positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the country.

The Takeaway for RIAs

If your firm feels stuck or chaotic, ask yourself:

  • Are your advisors running their own mini-businesses?
  • Do you have systems in place that scale beyond individual capacity?
  • Is your client experience consistent no matter who they interact with?

Credent’s story shows that centralization isn’t about taking control away from advisors—it’s about giving them the support and structure to succeed at scale.

Because at the end of the day, growth isn’t just about adding more clients. It’s about building a system that makes growth inevitable.

These insights are inspired by the latest episode of Next Mile podcast featuring David Hefty, CEO of Credent Wealth Management. Dive deeper into the growth strategy behind one of the fastest-scaling RIAs in the country. Listen to the full episode here and explore more articles in this series.