Discover how CMC Financial activated RFG’s full suite of marketing features, from podcast strategy and in-house production to event design and digital branding, to scale client engagement and deepen multigenerational relationships.
From Conformity to Connection
For Jim Sumpter, financial planning has never just been about numbers. It’s about families, legacies, and helping people navigate life’s most important transitions with confidence. But for the better part of his career, Jim worked in the wirehouse world, a world where marketing was one-size-fits-all and relationships felt transactional.
“Marketing was whatever corporate wrote for you,” Jim recalls. “It wasn’t personal. It wasn’t me.”
Client communications were templated. Events were routine. Creative ideas? Rarely encouraged. Despite building a successful book of business, Jim couldn’t shake the feeling that he was operating inside someone else’s mold.
He wanted more. He wanted to build a firm with a voice and a mission of its own.
Discovering a Partner Who Understood the Vision
When Jim began looking for a platform to support his transition to independence, he wasn’t just searching for operational support. He was searching for alignment. He wanted a true partner that would help him build a firm that reflected his values, voice, and long-term vision.
That’s when he found RFG Advisory.
“What stood out to me about RFG was that they weren’t going to put me in a box,” Jim says. “They saw my vision and wanted to help me build something uniquely mine.”
With RFG, Jim was able to design a brand that was unmistakably his. It reflected his personal values, honored his family story, and aligned with his vision for multi-generational planning. Together, they built the foundation for a business rooted in legacy, authenticity, and connection. He named it CMC Financial, a tribute to his three children, Carson, Madison, and Cassidy, and a daily reminder that thoughtful planning is about more than managing money.
“I believe in multi-generational planning. This is about creating something that lasts,” Jim says. “CMC isn’t just a brand. It’s my ‘why.’”
Empowered to Amplify His Voice
RFG’s marketing team and in-house creative agency rallied around Jim’s mission, helping him shape a brand that connected with clients and prospects on a deeper level. With a clear message, a content strategy, and the right tools, Jim began showing up in ways he never could under the wirehouse model.
With RFG’s support, Jim launched The Financial Puzzle Playbook, a podcast that breaks down complex financial topics into simple, relatable conversations.
“I had no idea how to start a podcast,” Jim admits. “But RFG had the studio, the strategy, and the support to help me bring it to life.”
Each episode centers around the metaphor that everyone has a financial puzzle, some with 50 pieces, some with 500. Jim’s job is to help clients put those pieces together, especially when life knocks them off the table.
But the podcast was just the beginning.
Marketing in Motion: How RFG Helped CMC Engage and Grow
RFG helped Jim turn that initial idea into a full-fledged marketing ecosystem. Podcast episodes were repurposed into newsletters, social media content, and evergreen email campaigns that kept clients engaged long after recording day.
“Our content is timeless,” Jim says. “We can still use it three, five, even eight years from now. It keeps the conversation going.”
And when it came time to connect with clients in person, RFG’s events team helped bring Jim’s vision to life in thoughtful, meaningful ways.
One standout moment was Tea in the Garden, a fully branded client appreciation event hosted at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. From custom tea tins and seed packets to elegant event details, every element reflected the CMC brand and left a lasting impression.
“The event brought in people from 19 to 75,” Jim shares. “It sparked conversations, and we booked several meetings the next week from attendees and their referrals.”
A Marketing Flywheel Built to Last
Today, CMC Financial has what every growth-minded firm wants: a marketing flywheel that works. Everything connects. Everything compounds.
Podcast content fuels newsletters and social media. Events deepen relationships. Emails drive referrals. And it all aligns under one brand voice: Jim’s.
“We’ve built a system where everything reinforces everything else,” Jim says. “It’s consistent, it’s scalable, and it’s working.”
Best of all, it’s built to grow with him, helping him reach the next generation of clients while continuing to serve the families who have trusted him for years.
What’s next for Jim? More podcast episodes. More signature events. More content that resonates across generations.
“I’ve just scratched the surface,” Jim says. “With RFG, I’m not just building a business. I’m building a legacy.”
Ready to Build a Business That Reflects Your Vision?
If this sounds like the kind of business you’re trying to build, RFG has the team, tools, and platform to help you do it.
Schedule a call and let’s talk about what your next chapter could look like.