Starting from Zero with the Right Foundation
When Sam Varano joined Private Advisor Group three years ago, he wasn’t new to advising—but he was new to independence. While he brought years of experience serving clients, affiliating with Private Advisor Group marked his transition into building his own business, creating the infrastructure, team, and operating structure intentionally from the ground up.
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Sam wanted independence, but not isolation. He knew that if he spent his early years building compliance processes, operational workflows, and technology from scratch, it would come at the expense of what mattered most: building relationships and serving clients well.
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“I came in knowing I needed help on the operational side so I could spend my time actually building the business.”
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That decision to start with the right foundation set the tone for everything that followed. Today, as an IAR-only advisor, Sam has built his practice around a concierge-level, family office–style approach—delivering comprehensive planning and investment management supported by a coordinated team of professionals. He works closely with clients’ CPAs, attorneys, and bookkeeping partners to create alignment across every aspect of their financial lives, from day-to-day financial organization to long-term investment strategy.
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With that model in place, Sam has experienced meaningful growth and deeper relationships with increasingly complex households. Here’s a closer look at how he made it happen.
Why IAR-Only at Private Advisor Group Made Sense
For Sam, affiliating as IAR-only wasn’t about limiting growth. It was about creating focus early.
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What he found at Private Advisor Group was a structured, compliant environment that allowed him to move forward with confidence without forcing him into a model that didn’t fit his vision.
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From day one, he had access to:
- Established compliance and oversight
- Billing and reporting support
- A team he could turn to as questions arose
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Instead of splitting his time between infrastructure decisions and client work, Sam could stay focused on refining his service model and developing relationships.
What this meant in practice: less friction early, more momentum where it counted.
Growing the Team as the Business Demanded It
As Cypress Wealth Partners grew, so did the complexity of the work. Rather than waiting until he was overwhelmed, Sam intentionally expanded his team, adding support when it enhanced consistency and the client experience.
About two and a half years into building his practice, Sam made a pivotal hire: a financial advisor with a CFA designation. Bringing on an experienced professional strengthened the firm’s analytical depth and created more capacity to serve clients at a higher level.
Building the team allowed him to:
- Increase capacity without sacrificing responsiveness
- Delegate operational work while remaining closely involved with clients
- Create more consistency in meeting preparation, reporting, and follow-up
“I knew I could add people because the infrastructure was there to support growth.”
Having the platform in place made growth feel manageable and sustainable.
Momentum with High-Net-Worth Relationships
Alongside team growth, Sam began to see momentum with higher-net-worth households, many of whom came through referrals and professional relationships.
What changed wasn’t his philosophy or approach. It was his ability to support more complex needs with confidence and consistency.
With fewer back-office demands competing for his attention, Sam could:
- Spend more time coordinating closely with clients and their CPAs, attorneys, and other trusted professionals—delivering on the family office–style approach his practice is built around
- Bring stronger preparation and tools into planning conversations
- Be consistently present during pivotal financial decisions
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That reliability helped reinforce trust with clients, navigating increasingly complex situations.
The Value of Having the Right Support Early
Throughout his growth, Sam leaned on multiple parts of the Private Advisor Group ecosystem not for one-time solutions, but as steady, ongoing support.
Whether it was an operational question, a billing detail, or a day-to-day execution issue, he knew where to turn.
“I didn’t feel like I was figuring everything out alone.”
That support mattered most in the early years, when clarity, speed, and confidence made a meaningful difference.
Sam Varano, CFP® — Cypress Wealth Partners
I came in knowing I needed help on the operational side so I could spend my time actually building the business.
Lessons for Advisors Building from the Ground Up
Sam’s experience offers practical guidance for advisors considering an IAR-only path or starting fresh:
- Choose a platform that removes friction early.
The less time spent building infrastructure, the more time spent building relationships. - Let the business dictate team growth.
Add support when it improves consistency and client experience—not just when things feel busy. - Focus on reliability and follow-through.
Trust compounds when clients and referral partners know you do what you say you’ll do. - Use your platform as leverage, not a limitation.
Independence paired with the right support creates momentum.
Looking Ahead
Three years in, Sam continues to grow with intention—expanding relationships, refining his team, and serving clients with increasing complexity. In that time, he has surpassed $250 million in assets under management, a reflection of both steady momentum and the trust he has built with clients and referral partners.
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By starting as an IAR-only advisor with Private Advisor Group, he built his practice on a scalable foundation while preserving what mattered most: independence, control, and a client-first approach.
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Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor. Private Advisor Group is a separate entity from Cypress Wealth Partners, LLC. The investment advisor representatives of Private Advisor Group offer investment advice in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
