Our Story

The Beginning

It all started cold-calling out of a dorm room at 11 Abel on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1983.

Ron Carson, then fresh off the farm, decided he wanted to have a job where he could wear a suit and tie every day rather than continue the unpredictable farming life. He pulled out the book, Best Jobs of the Future, and discovered the occupation of “Financial Planner” had a bright future. Intrigued, he earned his insurance license, got out a phone book, and started dialing from his dorm room.

The rest is history.

From that inauspicious start, Ron Carson has become the #1 independent financial advisor in the country, according to Registered Rep magazine, and the #9 financial advisor in the country out of all advisors in all channels, according to Barron’s magazine. On top of that, he oversees more than $3 billion in assets under advisement and generates in excess of $14 million per year in overall production.

In 1993, his phone started to ring from advisors who wanted to learn his secrets to success. Flattered, he started Peak Advisor Alliance and developed a one-day financial advisor training program where he shared the concepts and strategies that led to his growing success. With demand for his workshops growing, he developed The Coaching Program and The Resource Center. These two programs formalized the process and provide on-going, year-round support to financial advisors who are serious about improving their businesses and their lives.

The Present

Today, Peak Advisor Alliance is blessed to help coach top financial advisors from across the United States and Canada who are committed to building stronger practices, providing better client service, and living a principled and fulfilled life. In fact, more than 20 percent of the top 100 independent financial advisors in the country trace their roots as a Peak Advisor Alliance member, according to Registered Rep magazine’s 2010 ranking.

Due to our members' success, we’ve become known as the “Advisor’s Advisor.” As the only financial advisor coaching and resource program in the country that is headed by a $14 million producing financial advisor, advisors turn to us because they get real-time advice and guidance from a company whose main principal is right there in the trenches with our members every single day. We do not teach theory. We coach and advise from what really works in the field.

And it’s not just Ron’s success that makes us unique. After having worked with thousands of successful financial advisors since 1993, we know what works and what doesn’t. So, even though you may not be at $14 million in production—or have any desire to get to that level—we have strategies and tools that can help you based on where you are in your practice today. We are here to help you reach your peak.

We offer you the best of both worlds—real-time, Tested-in-the-Trenches advice from one of the country’s top producers plus the accumulated wisdom of thousands of successful financial advisors. No other firm can offer that powerful combination.

To support financial advisors, Peak Advisor Alliance is built around three core concepts.

1. Coaching: One-on-one and group coaching support delivered by knowledgeable, experienced coaches that addresses the specific needs of our members.

2. Content: Multi-media delivery of detailed Tested-in-the-Trenches resources, strategies, systems, and tool-kits for financial advisors.

3. Community: An unparalleled network of unique individuals, all with something to share, all with a strong desire to connect with other professionals and to learn from and support each other.

The Future

There’s a simple reason why more than 20 percent of the top 100 independent financial advisors in the country trace their roots to the Peak Advisor Alliance community—it works. Since 1993, we’ve helped great financial advisors become extraordinary advisors and we’ve been doing it in a supportive, collegial community. You really have to join the community to feel what it’s like to be part of something special, something that you’ll consider your “third place,” right behind your home and your office…and before your local Starbucks.

While we stand on the shoulders of giants, we don’t rest on our laurels. As we enter our third decade of serving financial advisors, we have accelerated the development of our tools and resources so we can be even more proactive to our members' needs. The world we live in changes so rapidly, and only the swift will thrive—and we intend to be among the swiftest. Given our unique position in the industry, we have our “ear to the ground” and are able to see trends as they develop and create tools, strategies, and resources that enable you to stay ahead of the curve. Remember, a bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn. As a Peak Advisor Alliance member, we help you see around the bends so you can make the turns safely, profitably, and with your clients’ best interests in mind.

Our Mission

We enhance the lives of financial advisors and the families they serve through inspiration, innovation, and implementation.

What does that really mean? Often, mission statements are just words on paper that are talked about at strategy meetings and then promptly forgotten. Not so at Peak Advisor Alliance. Let’s look at each component.

We enhance the lives…

This states what we do; we’re helping make life better. We specifically avoided saying things like “we help you double your money in 12 months” or “we help you earn more while only working 2 days a week” or any variation of the “something for nothing” concept. Our focus is on the totality of you. If you participated in our program and tripled your revenue in three years…but became a workaholic and it led to a divorce, then we’ve failed. We want to enhance your life so that you feel good about striking the right balance among family, work, play, and other aspects of your life that are important to you. We can help you identify your values and your priorities, then help you create a plan that delivers your desired lifestyle.

... of advisors and the families they serve…

This states who we serve; we’re focused on helping you, which in turn, will enable you to do a better job serving your clients. We firmly believe that if we can elevate the quality and level of professionalism in our industry, we can have a positive impact on families around the country as they will be able to meet their life goals and dreams.

... through inspiration, innovation, and implementation.

This states how we do it; we’re focused on helping you ignite your burning desire to succeed, providing you with innovative tools, strategies and resources so you can stay ahead, and holding you accountable for results through our coaching and online progress tracking system. This is a proven three-part formula that has helped thousands of advisors of all shapes and sizes reach their peaks of success.