In this episode, Dan Dal Degan speaks with Andrew Mirolli, co-founder of buyAUM, about the unique challenges and opportunities faced by financial advisors, particularly in the context of succession planning and retirement. Andrew shares his journey from a financial wholesaler to a business owner focused on helping advisors navigate their transitions. The conversation delves into the emotional aspects of selling a business, the importance of planning for life after work and the need for a structured approach to succession. Andrew emphasizes the significance of finding purpose in the next chapter of life and offers advice for business owners looking to prepare for their future.

More About Andrew Mirolli:

Andrew Mirolli, CEPA®, is Co-Founder and Head of Client Services at buyAUM.com, where he partners with Registered Investment Advisors to grow through acquisition and navigate succession planning with confidence. He works with both buyers and sellers to structure transitions that protect enterprise value, preserve client relationships, and honor the legacy that advisors have built.

Prior to buyAUM.com, Andrew worked directly with advisors in roles across wholesaling, capital markets, and advisory consulting. Early in his career, he worked closely with RIAs and independent advisors, building relationships across the industry and gaining a foundation for how advisory practices are built, scaled, and eventually transitioned.

Andrew is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and he holds his Series 63 license. His practical focus is on helping advisors think beyond discretionary revenue to the structural and relational elements that drive valuation and continuity. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Real Estate Development and currently resides outside Atlanta.

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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Introduction and Andrew's Journey with BuyAUM
04:29 The Importance of Succession Planning
06:36 Finding Purpose After Retirement
07:38 Creating a Third Act Business Plan
13:02 The Emotional Transition of Selling a Business
15:18 Timing the Transition: When to Start Planning
18:07 Understanding Buyer Perspectives
21:06 The Role of Advisors in Personal Planning
23:57 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

In this episode of Gray to Great, Doug Bermudez, Managing Director at Strategic Retirement Partners, joins Dan Dal Degan to discuss the role clear communication plays in improving retirement outcomes for plan sponsors and participants. Doug shares how his background as a bilingual advisor has shaped his approach to participant education. He explains how organizations can simplify complex retirement concepts and communicate in ways that reflect employees’ real-world needs, time constraints, and financial realities.

Doug explores how advisors can balance brevity with impact, use technology to improve engagement, and apply thoughtful messaging to support better decision-making. He also shares his perspective on collective investment trusts, fiduciary responsibility, and the lessons from his career that continue to shape how he serves plan sponsors, participants, and advisory teams.

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More About Doug Bermudez:

Doug and his team work with both organizations and professionals, along with their families, to help work towards their life dreams through establishing long-term, trusting relationships and delivering comprehensive financial services. He works with each client to create customized wealth management solutions and provides ongoing services through a complete range of financial resources.

Doug’s team provides advisory consulting services to organizations for pursuing retirement plan success through best practices that provide plan design and administration, fiduciary responsibility, and employee retirement readiness. When working with individuals and families, his team provides clients with comprehensive advice that seeks to build, manage, preserve, and transition wealth.

Doug recognized early in his career that providing comprehensive financial advice was his true passion. He helps achieve this by understanding his or her current financial situation through investment, liability management, risk management, and legacy planning needs. By working one-on-one with his clients, Doug defines his success when his clients can achieve a dignified retirement. Doug also has developed an extensive knowledge of employer-sponsored benefit programs, such as 401(k), 403(b) plans, and 457 deferred compensation plans. He works directly with decision makers in designing, administering, and servicing their retirement plans.

Doug began his career in the financial services industry in 1994 with Empower Retirement. He later joined ABD Insurance & Financial Services, a predecessor firm of Wells Fargo Insurance Services. In 2007, he joined Wells Fargo Advisors and formed the Bermudez/Hall Retirement Group with his associate, Erin Hall. They provide high-level service to both corporations and individuals through comprehensive financial advice. Doug and Erin joined SRP in June of 2019, opening the Los Angeles area office. In 2005 and 2012, respectively, Doug earned the Certified Fund Specialist® and Certified 401(k) Professional certifications after completing approved educational programs, passing rigorous examinations, and meeting stringent experience requirements

Doug is dedicated to the ongoing development of the financial services industry—recently participating as a member of the NAPA Next Generation committee and the NAPA DC Fly-In Forum steering committee. He is also devoted to the betterment of his community with his participation in Leadership Manhattan Beach (LMB) and the Kiwanis Club of Manhattan Beach. Above all, Doug values his time with his wife, Nuria (an accountant), and his three children—Emma, Alissa, and DJ. Doug also enjoys a good round of golf with friends and is an avid cyclist.