Elite Symposium has always been a celebration of extraordinary performance—bringing together ESI’s top advisors and financial professionals who continue to raise the bar for growth, leadership, and impact.
But this year, the conversation went deeper.
In today’s environment, success isn’t measured by growth alone. The true mark of leadership is the ability to build something that endures—through change, complexity, and opportunity. That’s what defined Elite Symposium 2026 and its theme: Bigger. Better. Bolder. — Built to Last.
Throughout the week, advisors explored how to design success intentionally—not just in their businesses, but in their energy, leadership, and lives.
Building Momentum—Together
On the mainstage, Alex David reinforced a clear message: ESI’s momentum is real—and it’s just getting started.
He outlined four guiding principles shaping the firm’s future:
- Treat advisors like they treat their clients
- Make it easy to do business
- Lean into ESI’s permanence and long-term strength through National Life Group
- Curate the best technology—not build it
The message was simple: we’re on this journey together—and we’re building something designed to last.
That momentum was echoed by Matt Frazee, who emphasized ESI’s critical role in National Life’s next phase of growth. As a market-centric, distribution-led organization, both NLG and ESI are positioned to move faster, act with clarity, and stay closely connected to the field.
Growth, Opportunity, and a Changing Landscape
Across sessions, a few themes stood out:
- Advisory is accelerating
ESI’s advisory business is not just growing—it’s accelerating, with strong gains in 2025 and even greater momentum to start 2026. Those in the field who are leaning into advisory solutions are capturing that growth. - The future belongs to scalable, personalized businesses
From AI-driven personalization to systematized client acquisition, the firms that scale effectively will win. - Markets require perspective
As highlighted by Paul Ma of Fidelity Institutional, while consumer sentiment may feel low, underlying fundamentals like corporate profits remain strong—reinforcing the importance of staying grounded in data, not headlines.
Leadership, Ownership, and Doing Things Differently
Keynote speaker and best-selling author of It’s Your Ship, Mike Abrashoff, delivered one of the most powerful messages of the week:
Success requires a willingness to think differently—and take ownership of everything you do.
His perspective challenged traditional “command and control” leadership, replacing it with a model rooted in accountability, empowerment, and intentional action.
Designing the Future of ESI
The ESI senior leadership team took the stage to focus on one central idea: Sustainable growth requires the right infrastructure.
From technology and operations to compliance and business development, key priorities include:
- Expanding tools like Microsoft 365 and cloud storage
- Enhancing operational efficiency through platforms like RightBRIDGE and eDelivery
- Delivering practice management resources and growth consulting
- Strengthening, without complicating, compliance frameworks in an evolving risk environment
A major focus moving forward: AI.
From internal tools to advisor-facing capabilities, ESI is building a thoughtful, strategic approach to integrating AI—helping advisors move faster, make better decisions, and scale their businesses.
View from the Hill
Jillian Enoch, also of Fidelity, provided a timely policy update, with three key takeaways:
- Washington gridlock continues, making major legislation unlikely in the near term
- Policy momentum is shifting beyond Congress to agencies, courts, and states
- Deregulation remains the broader trend, with important rulemaking still ahead
Performance Starts with You
In a new addition to the program, Matt Johnson of On Target Living brought a different perspective to the mainstage—focusing on health and wellness as a performance driver.
The message resonated: If you want to perform at a high level, you have to build the capacity to sustain it.
Learning from Those in the Arena
Two advisor panels brought the theme to life:
- Better by Design: How top advisors optimize their businesses by optimizing themselves featuring Scott Maitland, Dan Wolodkiewicz, and Tim Dunneback.
- Bigger by Design: How to grow without losing what matters most included Spencer Bateman, Chuck Creighton, and Tyler Degeneffe.
These sessions reinforced a consistent truth: there’s no single path to success—but intentional design is always part of it.
Celebrating Excellence
Elite Symposium wouldn’t be complete without recognizing the individuals and teams setting the standard across ESI.
From Platinum to Silver producers, top agencies, and leading teams, the awards celebration honored the achievements that define this community—including a record-breaking year by Steve Simon and standout team performance across the firm.
The evening also included a special tribute to former CEO Ata Azarshahi, celebrating his leadership and lasting impact on ESI.
Built to Last
Elite Symposium 2026 wasn’t just about celebrating success—it was about redefining it.
Because in today’s environment, growth alone isn’t enough.
The real goal is building a business—and a life—that’s built to last.