{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"RIA Unpacked","title":"Balancing Automation & Personalization - Lessons from RIA Edge 2026","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3853,"description":"In the first episode of RIA Unpacked, SoftPak's Shah Anas sits down with CMO Erica Landry to debrief on a recent RIA Edge conference in Nashville — and the conversation quickly moves past small talk into the pressures actually shaping the RIA industry in 2026.They cover:Why AI dominated conference hallway conversations, and the \"love-wariness\" advisors feel toward itHow the right technology can shift client meetings from report-first to advisory-firstThe looming shift in custodian referral programs — and why the pipeline advisors have relied on for years may be drying upA framework Erica introduced in a recent keynote — Product, Packaging, Pricing — for how mid-market RIAs can differentiate in a market where every firm's website says the same thingThe case for (and against) flat-fee pricing models over traditional AUM-based feesThis is a conversation about business strategy, not a product pitch — Shah and Erica are explicit that they're not here to sell Urebal. If you're an advisor or firm owner trying to figure out where to spend limited time and budget next, this one's for you.Note: Editorial disclosure — SoftPak builds rebalancing software for RIAs. Rebalancing comes up as one example among several; it is not the focus of the episode.\nShow Notes / Chapters\n\n[00:00] Intro — Shah and Erica introduce RIA Unpacked and SoftPak.[~02:00] Setting the scene — The episode is built around takeaways from a recent RIA Edge conference (Informa) in Nashville.[~05:00] The four themes from the conference floor Erica breaks down what she heard repeatedly in conversations with attendees:AI and its impact on business growth and client relationsNew technology tools (increasingly AI-embedded)Talent acquisition and M&A as growth leversCompliance and the legal complexity of running an advisory practice[~10:00] The AI push-pull Erica and Shah discuss the tension advisors feel between efficiency (what clients now expect) and the personal, trust-based relationships that have...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/fEJhtgT-LSujY1zymp0olQDzPN50PihgUBIu5JrJYdo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mODg5/ODIwNDRiMTAzM2I2/Mzk0MjY0OTY2YzMw/MGRmYS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}