Many advisory teams are built around a book of business. Bryan Farwell and Jesse Hernandez built theirs around a belief. In Episode 20 of Gray to Great, the partners at Prevail Innovative Wealth Strategies join host Dan Dal Degan for a candid conversation about passion, partnership, and what it takes to serve plan sponsors and participants the way they deserve to be served. Jesse brings over 30 years of experience on the record keeping and wholesaling side of the business, and Bryan brings a deep background in banking, private wealth, and entrepreneurship. Together they make the case that the advisors who show up the same way for every client are the ones who build something that lasts.
Bryan and Jesse don’t just talk about their philosophy. They demonstrate it. The way they speak about their clients, their team, and each other makes it clear that their partnership is the differentiator. At Prevail, the team is not a supporting structure behind the service. It is the service. For advisors at any stage of their career who are wondering what it looks like to build a practice that actually reflects their values, this conversation is worth the listen.
More About Jesse Hernandez:
Jesse Hernandez spent 30 years on the road as a wholesaler before making the decision to cross over to the advisory side as a fiduciary consultant at Prevail Innovative Wealth Strategies. His career spans roles at American Century Investments, Marshall & Ilsley Trust Services, and two decades as Regional Vice President of Retirement Plans at Voya, giving him a firsthand understanding of what separates plans that work from plans that fall short. At Prevail, Jesse focuses on plan design, fiduciary oversight, participant education, and financial wellness, bringing the same hands-on commitment to every client relationship that he has carried throughout his career. Outside of work, Jesse is a devoted family man and lifelong coach and mentor in wrestling, football, judo, and jiu-jitsu.
More About Bryan Farwell:
Bryan Farwell leads Prevail's Corporate Retirement Division with more than two decades of experience across private banking, investment management, and financial services. His background includes serving as CEO and Principal of his own investment management firm, Director of Private Banking at a regional bank, and Chairman of the Board of a local children's hospital, a range of experiences that shaped a leadership style built equally around strategic thinking and genuine care for the people he serves. At Prevail, Bryan brings that same energy to every client relationship, pairing deep fiduciary expertise with a belief that great service is not a differentiator but a baseline. He and his wife Emily have been married 19 years and are the proud parents of four children.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to Prevail Innovative Wealth Strategies
02:33 – Jesse and Bryan's Journey in Financial Services
07:22 – The Importance of Team Dynamics and Culture
10:42 – Passion and Energy in Client Relationships
12:54 – The Philosophy Behind Prevail’s Approach
18:14 – Engaging Plan Participants Effectively
26:39 – Advice to Their Younger Selves
Disclosures:
Bryan Farwell, Jesse Hernandez, and Prevail Wealth Management, LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by, Great Gray Trust Company, LLC.
Great Gray® and Great Gray Trust Company are service marks used in connection with various fiduciary and non-fiduciary services offered by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC.
What is Gray to Great?
Rewrite your practice growth playbook.
Hosted by Dan dal Degan—known to many as Triple D—this bi-monthly podcast pulls back the curtain on what it takes to thrive as a corporate retirement plan advisor in an increasingly tech-centric business world.
As a former powerhouse sales leader at Salesforce and Oracle, now sitting on the board of Great Gray Trust’s holding company, Dan’s sales experience and curiosity provoke compelling conversations with top advisors.
Each episode of ‘Gray to Great’ focuses on the crucial parts of the business that often get overlooked: prospecting, referral business, challenger selling, client service, tech adoption, and cutting-edge marketing tactics.
This is where the playbook is rewritten, offering listeners sharp, actionable insights that go beyond investing to fuel lasting growth and success.
Tune in to learn the strategies that separate the leaders from the pack—because in sales, there are no gray areas.