July 2, 2025

Scaling Impact: Ben Cruikshank’s Playbook for Advisor Innovation

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“Everything is a first draft. Nothing is perfect the day you do it.” – Ben Cruikshank

In this episode, Ben Cruikshank, President at Flourish, unpacks why implementation is the new frontier in wealth management. You’ll hear how Flourish Cash is helping Advisors capture held-away assets, how same-day ACH is flipping expectations, and Flourish’s integrations. Ben also opens up about leadership, hiring, and how his team is working to turn referrals into real-time opportunities for growth.

Throughout the episode, he and host Dr. Jordan Hutchison dig into what it takes to lead fast-growing fintech teams, the power of “bad first drafts,” and how to meet Advisors where they are—whether they’re scaling fast or running a lifestyle business. If you’ve ever wondered what the future of Advisor tech looks like, this one’s a must-listen.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why “implementation” is critical to Advisor success
  • How Flourish Cash changed the Advisor-client cash experience
  • What same-day ACH and embedded CRM tools really mean
  • What “bad first drafts” have to do with scaling innovation

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About Our Guest

Ben is President of Flourish, where he oversees all client-facing teams, including Sales, Relationship Management, Partnerships, and Support.

Ben is a frequent commentator on issues related to investment advisors and has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Marketwatch, and numerous industry publications.

Prior to Flourish, Ben was a founding member of the Betterment for Business team and led the 401(k) sales team. Prior to Betterment, Ben discovered his love for start-ups at NewsCred, a marketing technology company where he ran the Financial Services sales vertical and built the sales operations organization as the company grew from 15 to 200+ employees. Outside of Flourish, Ben spends time with his wife and son, volunteers for Hour Children, an organization that helps families impacted by incarceration, and is fixing up an 1880s farmhouse in upstate New York. Ben has a passion for personal finance, which directly led to his work with financial advisors and their clients.

Ben holds a degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and holds his Series 7, 24, 63, and 99 licenses.

Fun Fact: Ben is dedicated to brewing the perfect cup of coffee, including roasting his own beans.

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The views expressed here are those of our guest. They do not necessarily represent those of RFG Advisory, its employees, or its clients. This commentary should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by RFG Advisory, or performance returns of any client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice.

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