Bryan Whiting runs the technology division at Milestone Advisors, covering IT, development, data, and automation for the firm and its clients. Two years ago the partners could see the growth ahead of them: prospects in the pipeline, plans they wanted to execute, and no route to any of it that did not mean longer days.
The Paths to Growth
The partners worked through the options in front of them. Working longer hours, hire a larger team, outsource, or look at merging with another firm. None of the options were perfect and each one meant stretching in ways that weren’t going to be sustainable.
What Changed
Milestone watched Hartle & Rees join Baysora a year earlier and saw every commitment met. They decided to jump in with Baysora. After Milestone joined, the recruiting load moved without the decision moving with it. “I still interview them, make the decision, and in the end it’s my decision who I’m going to hire.” The pattern held elsewhere. The partners still set direction, and now have a group of experienced operators to test that direction against. Bryan contrasts it with the private equity acquisitions he has watched, where change arrives fast and wide. Released from optimizing each month for profitability, the partners started planning in years.
Results Achieved
Since joining, the firm has:
- Added recruiting, marketing, and operational capacity behind decisions the partners still make
- Grown its staff and client base while scaling efficiently, without lengthening partner workdays
- Gained a peer group of firm leaders to pressure-test decisions against
- Shifted from month-to-month profitability decisions to long-term planning
Thinking about what comes next for your firm?
We would like to hear what you have built and where you want to take it. Start a conversation whenever you are ready.
