Happy Thursday,

AI isn’t slowing down—and neither should we. This newsletter is your shortcut to practical ideas and smarter strategies to grow, lead, and adapt as tech reshapes our industry.

To take it one step further, I’ve launched a new YouTube series. Each month, I’m sharing quick, tactical videos showing how advisors can use tools like ChatGPT to save time, think better, and scale more efficiently—starting with the work you're already doing.

Watch my latest episode here

The AI Edge

Helping advisors scale from 1 person to many people.

AI Application:

Julius

Overview:

Julius is essentially a data analyst that lives in your browser. Think of it as having a conversation with your spreadsheets, portfolio reports, billing data and really any data without needing to learn Python or hire a data scientist. You upload files or connect data sources like Google Drive, Snowflake, or SharePoint, then ask questions in plain English. What makes Julius different from other AI tools is the transparency - it shows you exactly what code it's writing and how it's analyzing your data, step by step. Instead of black box analysis, you can see the methodology behind every insight. It's designed for people who need real analysis but don't have time to become data engineers. The tool handles everything from basic statistics to complex trend analysis, all through natural language conversations.

How to apply Julius to the business today:

• Analyze quarterly billing data in minutes.

• Get insights from CRM data without needing to build dashboards and intricate reports.

• Gain trend analysis on portfolio performance across similar clients or multiple time periods.

• Analyze new client onboarding data.

• Review expense reports and operational data.

• Create conversational dashboards based on real time data.

Advanced:

• Create automated data pipelines by connecting Julius to your data warehouse, enabling real-time analysis of client portfolios, billing cycles, and operational metrics

• Develop client-specific data folders containing portfolio reports, financial plans, and meeting notes, then query across all documents to understand complete client relationships

• Build custom analysis workflows for compliance reporting by asking complex questions about trading patterns, fee structures, and client communications

• Integrate multiple data sources (CRM, portfolio management, billing systems) to create comprehensive business intelligence through conversational queries

• Use Julius for scenario planning by uploading market data and asking "How would our fee structure perform under different market conditions?"

What could this application mean for the future of our business?

We're moving toward a world where every advisor can be their own data analyst. Instead of waiting for quarterly reports or struggling with Excel pivot tables, we'll ask questions and get answers immediately. This changes how quickly we can respond to client needs and identify business opportunities. The competitive advantage goes to firms that can turn data into actionable insights faster. Imagine preparing for client meetings by simply asking your data "What trends should I discuss with the Johnson family?" or making business decisions by querying "Which service lines are most profitable for clients with $2M+ portfolios?" The barrier between having data and understanding what it means is disappearing. Firms that embrace this conversational approach to data analysis will operate with a speed and precision that others can't match.

See Julius in action:

Watch as Julius takes a simple request - "analyze this billing data" - and automatically discovers that 70% of fees come from very long-term clients, identifies the one account with insufficient cash, and creates visualizations showing fee distribution by client tenure. The most striking moment comes when it correctly analyzes complex client patterns using plain English, eliminating the need for expensive data specialists. You'll see exactly how transparent AI analysis can transform your relationship with your firm's data.

-Matt