Produced By: Ensombl
In a fast-evolving financial landscape, one of the clearest themes emerging in recent years has been the vital importance of trust, professional ethics, and strategic thinking. Financial advisers are no longer mere brokers of products; increasingly, they serve as comprehensive, long-term partners who strive to provide clarity, structure, and genuine peace of mind to clients. Among this new generation of financial planning firms stands ASO Wealth—founded by long-time friends and colleagues, Naz (Nazarii) Pochynok and Julien (Jules) Renard. While relatively new, ASO Wealth is built on a sturdy foundation of professionalism and client-centric values.
Both Naz and Julien possess a wealth of industry experience, having journeyed through support roles, paraplanning, and senior advisory positions within more traditional financial services environments. Their decision to launch ASO Wealth was motivated by an aspiration to deliver advice with greater flexibility and fewer constraints, underpinned by a bedrock of ethics. In what follows, we will explore the guiding principles behind their new venture, the challenges and opportunities arising in the broader advice profession, and the profound significance of building genuine, long-lasting relationships with clients.
1. A Shared Vision for Ethical Practice
Naz and Julien’s friendship dates back to industry events in the mid-2010s, where they found themselves as relatively younger faces in what often felt like an “old guard” environment. Their early connections were formed through organizations like XY Adviser (now Ensemble), where forward-looking practitioners gathered to share knowledge and improve the profession.
From the outset, Naz and Julien gravitated toward the same questions: How can the client experience be improved? How can advisers act more ethically and wholeheartedly in their clients’ best interests? They soon recognized in each other a parallel drive toward building a practice that was not just successful, but impactful.
“As first-generation migrants,” Naz explains, “our family values strongly influence how we do business. My father, for instance, runs his own company. Julien’s parents also came to this country when he was young. We both saw from them the importance of trust, doing the right thing, and working hard to build a future. When we discovered these shared values, it was natural to become business partners.”
Their conversation about launching ASO Wealth was shaped by three pillars—Advice, Service, and Outcome—hence the name ASO. Each pillar reflects a key element of their philosophy:
By harmonizing these three factors, Naz and Julien seek to foster the highest possible level of trust and long-term relationship-building with each client.
2. The Importance of Interviewing Your Licensee
One decision that defines many new advisory firms is whether to join an existing licensee or become self-licensed. Traditionally, new advisers or even established advisers going out on their own might default to joining a major licensee network. Naz and Julien’s experience, however, taught them the power of “interviewing the licensee” first.
“We wanted full control of the client experience,” says Naz, “and we realized that might conflict with the constraints imposed by some licensees. Often, licensees have preferred products, specific templates, or recommended software that may not align with the vision we had. When you are constructing a firm to last decades, every tool and process matters. You don’t want to be blocked from delivering the best strategic solutions. So, we flipped the script and interviewed licensees to see if they fit our vision, not the other way around.”
This process underscores a significant shift in the advice profession: advisers increasingly recognize they can and should choose the environment that best supports ethical and comprehensive advice. Where a licensee’s approach or product set might conflict with the adviser’s values, the risk of self-orientation (serving the firm’s interests over the client’s) grows. Because of that, Naz and Julien concluded that self-licensing offered the greatest degree of freedom. That said, their approach is not to disparage licensees; rather, it is to ensure the business model exactly aligns with a principled, client-focused mindset.
3. Strong Beliefs, Loosely Held
Partnerships flourish when each partner shares a purpose yet contributes a unique skill set. Naz tends toward top-down, high-level strategic thinking, while Julien often concentrates on technology, operational processes, and “how” the plan will be carried out day to day.
Early on, they adopted the mantra:
“Have strong opinions, but hold them lightly.”
This philosophy recognizes that while each can champion an idea passionately, it is crucial to remain open to better insights—be those from each other, from mentors, or ultimately from client feedback. The willingness to challenge one another on strategy ensures they arrive at solutions that are tested from multiple angles.
4. The Trust Formula: Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy, Over Self-Orientation
Central to ASO Wealth’s approach is a formula they refer to as the “Trust Formula”:
Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy
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Self-Orientation
In simple terms, trust is established when you combine expertise (credibility), consistent follow-through (reliability), and an environment where clients feel safe to share personal concerns and aspirations (intimacy), all measured against low or negligible self-orientation. If a client even suspects that a recommendation prioritizes a product sale or corporate benefit over genuine client interest, trust evaporates.
For Naz and Julien, using this formula in every aspect of the business—marketing, client onboarding, setting fees, and managing recommendations—helps keep them squarely on the client’s side.
5. Strategy Before Product
Financial advice has historically been product-driven: insurance, superannuation rollovers, or portfolio management. Many consumers still come to an adviser expecting a “solution” to be recommended immediately. Naz and Julien, however, devote considerable time—often three to six meetings—before delivering any formal recommendations.
The goal is to understand the client, not just the numbers. They ask questions such as:
Julien notes that the last question, in particular, illuminates potential friction points: “We learn whether, for example, one partner wants to invest heavily in property or crypto, while the other prefers to keep cash. By asking what they would do if left to their own devices, we uncover their default behaviors—these show each partner’s risk appetite, their understanding of markets, and even how they communicate about money at home.”
Only after clarifying these behavioral and psychological elements do Naz and Julien begin to map out a strategic plan. This approach avoids the pitfall of shoehorning a client into a standard product suite. Instead, they hope to create a personalized “structure” that aligns with each client’s financial temperament and real-world goals.
6. Serving the ‘Henry’ Demographic
An emerging theme among modern advice practices is the so-called “Henry” market—High Earners, Not Rich Yet. Often these individuals or couples are professionals in their 30s or 40s, enjoying strong cash flow yet lacking a coherent strategy for building wealth and achieving financial independence.
For years, the industry skewed heavily toward retirees or those with large lump sums to invest. Naz and Julien challenge that focus. They see a vast need among high earners who want practical guidance on:
Many feel priced out by traditional fee models or believe they do not qualify because they “don’t have enough super.” However, Naz and Julien see an opportunity to add serious value, both in terms of protecting the client’s future and saving them time. In some cases, the intangible benefit—peace of mind—can be as significant as any monetary gain.
7. Pricing and Accessibility
One of the biggest barriers to professional financial advice remains cost. Some advisory firms require an upfront fee of several thousand dollars to engage. Others only work with portfolios above a certain threshold. While ASO Wealth maintains a fee-for-service structure—recognized widely as transparent and ethical—they are dedicated to longer onboarding periods. This means smaller, staged fees and more relationship-building before finalizing an overarching strategy.
“This is a trust business,” Naz says. “People need time to figure out if we’re the right fit. We invest heavily in them upfront by exploring every avenue of their financial picture. In return, we ask for a modest commitment, so they see value early and continuously. By the time the full strategy rolls out, they already know our processes, understand our credibility, and appreciate our reliability. True, we may spend more time in the lead-up, but that time is essential to building real intimacy. It’s how we operate.”
In a profession historically criticized for high entry fees and sometimes hidden product commissions, a carefully considered, transparent fee-for-service model that ties directly to the scope of advice is an ethical cornerstone.
8. Technology, AI, and the Future of Advice
The world of financial services is in constant flux. The last decade alone has witnessed the introduction of robo-advice, artificial intelligence in portfolio construction, and an explosion of digital financial tools. For new firms like ASO Wealth, technology represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
Julien, who delves deeply into technology stacks, envisions an industry where the adviser’s role becomes more “personal CFO”—orchestrating complex aspects of a client’s life, finances, and even intangible assets like goodwill and relationships. For him, the highest purpose of technology is to enhance the personal connection, not replace it.
9. Managing Growth and Marketing
Despite the importance of acquiring new clients, Naz and Julien stress that scalability had to come after building robust processes. “We asked ourselves, ‘What if 100 new clients arrived tomorrow?’” Naz recounts. “At first, the answer was, ‘We’re not ready.’ So, we spent considerable energy refining internal workflows, compliance guardrails, and our delivery model. We wanted to ensure that from the 1st client to the 101st, the quality of advice and care would remain consistent.”
Until recently, their only real “marketing” has been word of mouth from satisfied clients and partnerships with centers of influence—accountants, lawyers, mortgage brokers, and other professionals who encounter individuals in need of comprehensive financial advice. Over time, however, the duo plans to adopt a more systematic approach, possibly leveraging social media, podcasting, and other educational content.
“We do believe in content marketing that informs, not hype,” Julien says. “We see certain corners of the property or finance world making ‘get rich quick’ claims. That’s not our style. We want to stand out by being factual, strategic, and authentic.”
10. Filling the Talent Gap in the Profession
The financial advice sector has, over the past decade, lost tens of thousands of practitioners—due in part to new regulations, education requirements, and the breakup of bank-owned advice channels. Yet the need for advice is growing. Younger cohorts are entering their peak earning years, while retirees are living longer, requiring more sophisticated retirement strategies.
For Naz, addressing this workforce gap is a crucial next step. “I hope to see more pathways where people from diverse careers, like accounting or even nursing, can discover the rewards of being a financial adviser,” he says. “When you think about it, good advisers blend a nurse’s empathy with a math teacher’s clarity in explaining concepts. The key is structured education, ongoing mentorship, and an environment that values ethics as much as sales or production.”
Platforms like Ensemble (formerly XY Adviser), the professional community where Naz, Julien, and many peers connect, may be the stepping stone to fill the talent pipeline. By offering not just peer support but robust educational resources, these communities can attract and train the next generation of planners.
11. Bridging the Gap Between Spouses
One nuanced area where Naz and Julien see a real impact is in bridging financial mindsets between spouses. It is not uncommon for couples to arrive with stark differences in approach—perhaps one wants to invest aggressively, the other is more risk-averse. Such divergence can lead to conflict, especially when one partner unilaterally makes decisions (e.g., investing a large sum in a volatile asset) that result in losses.
By conducting separate assessments and gathering each spouse’s perspectives, they help couples discover alignment or, at least, craft a combined plan everyone can support. “The best calls we get,” Naz notes, “are from clients who say, ‘My partner and I no longer argue about money. We just refer to the strategy you helped us create.’ That’s a life-changing outcome.”
12. Lessons Learned and Ongoing Evolution
When asked to identify the biggest mistakes in the industry, Naz and Julien highlight two predominant issues:
Their own journey is, of course, far from complete. While the large pieces are in place—an overarching structure for delivering comprehensive advice, a self-licensed business model that enables autonomy—they readily admit they will perpetually refine processes. Changes in technology, regulations, and client expectations mean constant adaptation.
“We are comfortable with evolution,” says Julien. “We did a lot of due diligence to build a sturdy foundation. But we know the industry will shift. Everything from artificial intelligence to new compliance requirements might prompt us to change certain processes. As long as we keep that trust formula at the core, we’ll be ready.”
13. The Value of Ensemble and Community Initiatives
From the early days when it was called XY Adviser to its present expansion as Ensemble, the professional community has played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among advisers. Naz and Julien are quick to credit platforms like Ensemble for exposing them to new ideas and best practices.
In turn, they aim to contribute by sharing their own journey: from interview-style licensee evaluations to adopting a strategy-focused approach that equally serves younger, high-earning clients as well as retirees. Their message to other advisers is simple: we’re not competitors; we’re in this together. There is ample demand for advice, and a collective spirit elevates the entire profession’s reputation.
14. Embracing the Role of “Personal CFO”
For many practitioners today, the ultimate value they provide transcends product recommendations. It’s about becoming a Personal CFO—somebody who organizes a client’s entire financial life, including investments, insurance, estate planning, tax strategy, and even lifestyle aspirations.
Naz and Julien’s method revolves around:
This is a shift away from episodic, product-based advice toward a lifelong advisory relationship—one that needs to be rooted in strong ethics and a desire to see real, positive transformation in a client’s life.
15. Looking Forward
As the adviser population stabilizes, the dynamic at play is positive for the future of the profession—quality over quantity. The exodus of advisers who did not fit the new ethical and educational standards has, in some ways, purified the space. Meanwhile, the influx of technology and community-driven collaboration platforms provides fresh energy. Advisers who remain have unprecedented opportunities to stand out by delivering a bespoke, transparent experience.
Firms like ASO Wealth represent the leading edge of this new wave of financial advice. Rather than throwing product brochures onto a table, they commit to a deeper process: thorough data collection, extensive client conversations, multi-step risk profiling, and—above all—genuine connection and empathy. The payoff is that clients not only find solutions to immediate problems but gain a trusted partner for the long term.
16. Conclusion: A Model for Ethical and Professional Advice
The story of ASO Wealth highlights an exciting, transformative moment in Australian financial planning. Naz and Julien—both first-generation Australians—embody the essence of ethical, client-focused advice. They have:
At the heart of ASO Wealth is the Trust Formula—Credibility, Reliability, and Intimacy, held above any self-orientation. It informs how they treat clients, deal with prospective partners, and plan their own business trajectory. By aligning with that formula, they aim to remove the suspicion that often still lingers in the public consciousness around financial services.
There are lessons here for advisers of all stripes: listen deeply, adapt quickly, be transparent, and always place the client’s best interests first. In a profession that spent decades shaking off an image of product sales and commissions, ethical strategists like Naz and Julien herald a more enlightened era. They illustrate how thoughtful professionals can take the leap to build something that prioritizes people over profit, ensuring profits follow naturally from the trust they earn.
For clients, the message is equally encouraging. Comprehensive advice—and the peace of mind that accompanies it—is increasingly accessible. Whether you are a retiree safeguarding a lifetime’s work or a “Henry” looking to transform robust earnings into long-term freedom, a new wave of advisers stands ready to serve as your personal CFO. By insisting on openness, clear processes, and partnership, you can find a guide who focuses on what matters most: unlocking the power of your wealth to live the life you truly desire.
If you wish to learn more about ASO Wealth or connect with Naz and Julien, you can find them on LinkedIn or via their official website, where they continue to share insights on strategy, ethics, and best practices in financial planning. For anyone passionate about shaping a more ethical and inclusive future for the profession, their example—rooted in family values, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to doing right by the client—offers both inspiration and a practical road map.
Accreditation Points Allocation:
0.10 Technical Competence
0.10 Client Care and Practice
0.10 Regulatory Compliance and Consumer Protection
0.10 Professionalism and Ethics
0.40 Total CPD Points