What does it mean to build a wealth management firm around advisors? It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves since the beginning, and one that continues to shape how we operate, grow, and support our advisor community.

This year, Designed Wealth Management was featured for the first time in Investment Executive’s 2026 Dealers’ Report Card, an annual research study examining financial advisors’ experiences with their dealer firms across Canada.

For us, the significance isn’t simply being included in the report. It’s having the opportunity to hear directly from advisors about what’s working, where we can improve, and whether the environment we’re building is delivering on its original promise.

What Our Advisors Had to Say

The 2026 Dealers’ Report Card gathered feedback from 542 advisors across 13 firms, examining areas such as compensation, technology, leadership, and operational support.

Designed received strong feedback across several categories, particularly its compensation model, freedom of product choice, and culture and leadership responsiveness. The firm also achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 100, the highest possible score. NPS measures how likely someone is to recommend a company to others, on a scale ranging from -100 to +100. A score of 100 means every responding advisor was classified as a promoter, reflecting an exceptional level of willingness to recommend Designed to their peers.

These results are meaningful to us because they speak to the principles on which Designed was founded: giving advisors the independence to build their businesses on their terms, supported by the infrastructure, flexibility, and relationships they need to succeed.

Built Around Advisors, From the Beginning

Designed didn’t start with a large organization or an established network of advisors. It started with a belief that there was room for a different approach to the traditional dealer model.

Reflecting on the results, Co-Founder and CEO Gillian Kunza shared:

“I am humbled by the results. I am proud of where Michael Konopaski and I started – no advisors, no office, no staff. Just an idea that advisors need somewhere to go that is designed for them, that’s created to support their ideas, and a place where they can be themselves.”

That philosophy continues to guide us. We don’t believe every advisor should have to build the same kind of practice, or that growth should come at the expense of individuality. Our goal is to provide the right foundation while giving advisors the room to build businesses that reflect who they are and the clients they serve.

Of course, we’re still building. Growth brings new challenges, and the feedback highlighted opportunities to strengthen our technology, tools, and support. We see those insights as equally valuable because they help inform where we go next.

A Reflection of Our Advisors

The Dealers’ Report Card isn’t an award or a competition. It’s independent editorial research that offers a perspective on the industry through the experiences of advisors themselves.

We’re proud of the results, but even more appreciative of the advisors who took the time to share their perspectives. Their feedback helps shape Designed’s future and reinforces why we started this business in the first place.

To our advisors: thank you for helping us build something that reflects you.

Read the full 2026 Dealers’ Report Card and Investment Executive’s feature on Designed Wealth Management.