After more than three decades of leading BFG Financial Advisors, Eric Brotman is stepping into a new chapter, not by stepping away, but by leaning into what comes next. As BFG prepares for a leadership transition on January 1, 2026, Eric will move from CEO to Chief Growth Officer, passing the CEO role to longtime colleague and trusted leader Lena Nebel.

In this conversation, Eric reflects on the decision behind the transition, what the change means for the firm’s future, and how his focus is shifting toward growth, mentorship, and expanding BFG’s impact nationwide. He shares candid insights on leadership, legacy, and why this evolution is less about letting go and more about building something that lasts.

After leading BFG as CEO for so many years, what inspired you to transition the position to Lena?

The decision was twofold. One, I think I’m ready for a new adventure and a change after three-plus decades in the same kind of role. But secondly, I thought the company would benefit from some fresh leadership, fresh vision. And Lena was someone I’ve known for a very long time, and I knew she would be a perfect choice to take the reins.

I think I got the company to a certain level, and I am not necessarily the right person to get us to the next level. And I think that’s what Lena brings to the table.

How are you going to continue to be involved at BFG?

Well, anyone who knows me knows I’m never retiring. I’m graduating to a new role, but I plan to be highly involved.

Number one, I’m going to be chief growth officer of the firm, involved in mergers and acquisitions and recruiting advisors, and finding opportunities for our advisors to continue to grow the organization. I’ll still be Chairman of the Board, running our Advisory Board meetings, our shareholder meetings, and being highly involved in the financial life of the firm.

What is changing is that I won’t be the relationship manager for individual clients anymore. Instead, I’ll be much more involved in mentoring, coaching, and guiding the next generation of financial advisors to be great.

And how do you feel about passing the baton to Lena but still continuing to shape the direction?

I feel confident that I’ve got the right person and am incredibly comfortable that Lena is going to do an amazing job.

I also feel a little funny because this is kind of like having your child grow up and leave the nest. I haven’t had a new job since I was basically right out of school.

I would say I’m enthusiastic, optimistic, energized, but also nervous. Not for the future of the company, but maybe a little nervous or a little anxious about what’s coming for me personally. I literally have a new job for the first time in over 30 years, and that’s exciting but daunting.

What is this going to let you focus on now that you weren’t able to before?

This gives me the opportunity to not only grow BFG because I’ll be able to find 50, 100, 150 clients at a time instead of one at a time. It allows me to continue shaping and inspiring financial advisors to do great work, which I love.

It’s also going to let me spend more time on consulting. I’m doing a lot of consulting for financial advisors across the country, and I love it. Facilitating their advisory board meetings, planning summits, and executive teams. That is a labor of love I truly enjoy. I also expect to be doing more publishing, more public speaking, and creating as much financial literacy content as I can to support an industry I love.

What are you hoping to see change with the firm under Lena?

My candid answer is that I want her to put her vision into action and develop it. I know she’ll do it thoughtfully.

But I’m not sure what’s going to change. I do expect we’re going to continue to grow and thrive, and that’s exciting. I don’t know what the changes will be, but I do have confidence in the change agent.

I’m not sure she knows yet, either. I know she has a vision for the future, but she’s stepping into a new role for the first time, too, and has never had to make those kinds of executive decisions. Her desire to continue what’s working and to adjust things we could do better is part of the benefit of this shift.

What are the biggest opportunities that you see for BFG’s future?

One of them is the desire to inspire financial wellness for employees at the organizational level. It is an opportunity for us to continue to grow our financial wellness program that we run for profit and nonprofit organizations alike, where we are actually helping employees get advice that they can’t get elsewhere. I think there’s a huge opportunity for financial wellness across many different arenas.

I also think there’s a huge opportunity for more discussion around philanthropy and doing well by doing good. I think a lot of people, particularly people of means, want to do more than just leave behind a pile of money for their kids. I think there’s more to it, so that’s exciting.

I also think that taxation is becoming increasingly onerous in many parts of the United States. And so, by creating solid tax plans, I think families can keep more of what they’ve worked hard to earn and, ultimately, that’s a huge opportunity, too.

As Chief Growth Officer, one of your focuses will be M&A. What does that look like to you?

40% of financial advisors are going to retire in the next 10 years. Most of them are in their 60s, do not have a succession plan, and are just going to close up shop or die at their desks. We can be an incredible landing pad for some of those folks where we can help them monetize their life’s work, care for their clients, care for their employees, and continue the legacy that they started well beyond their working years.

How has the firm evolved since you started it, and what do you think has been the key to its success?

Well, we’ve evolved from a startup with one full-time and one part-time person into a national presence, which has been remarkable to watch. We will have grown from basically zero to a billion dollars under management by January, which is completely amazing.

The key to success has been identifying great people, giving them the tools and resources to succeed, and getting the heck out of their way. We’ve made sure we’ve got people who are doing the right thing for clients, whose integrity doesn’t waver.  And we’re giving them everything they need to be successful and serving as sounding boards, not micromanagers.

I think we’ve been able to build careers that are really thriving, and that’s been fun to watch and fun to be a part of.

What are you most proud of when it comes to the leadership team that’s in place and the people who are taking over?

I feel like I’ve been an interesting combination of star identifier and star maker. Our leadership team is amazing. I think some of it was finding those people, and some of it was helping to craft and direct their careers a little bit.

I hope the support I’ve given them has helped propel them not only in terms of their actual roles, but also in the occasional imposter syndrome moments they’ve experienced in life. People often wonder if they’re capable, and I’ve tried to push them to know that they are and lead them to higher heights. I think being a coach, a mentor, and a cheerleader has been helpful in that regard.

I’m also very proud of the incredible diversity within our advisory and employee group that has developed over time. It was not done deliberately; it was completely organic. I’m proud of the talented women who are part of our leadership team and that we’ve created a terrific place to work for lots of different kinds of people from lots of different backgrounds.

What kind of legacy are you hoping to leave as CEO after stepping down?

That is the hardest question there is. On the one hand, I want to know that by handing off the captaincy of this firm that I’ve built, it will outlive me–not just survive beyond my working years, but hopefully continue to thrive beyond my living years.

If there’s a legacy, it’s that BFG will last longer than I will–professionally and maybe even chronologically. And that, to me, is the greatest type of legacy–creating something incredibly valuable which lasts for generations.

How are you going to continue to focus on and promote mentorship?

I’ll certainly still be a part of our leadership team, and I’ll be a sounding board for anything that they need. I’m also going to be working with all of our advisors on their planning techniques, skills, and business development. So I expect to be highly involved with our advisory team and their continued growth and development, as well as identifying future stars we haven’t even hired yet.

We have such a young team. Ten years from now, we may have hired budding new financial advisors who are currently in eighth grade, which is kind of an amazing thing when you think about it. As we grow, we are recruiting young people and offering them meaningful internships, apprenticeships, and career paths in ways other firms don’t. We’re a bit of a unicorn, and I’m proud of that.

What is the most important thing that you want people to know?

I’m not going anywhere! My schedule will change, so I’ll now be available to any client of our firm to offer guidance and advice during significant events, whether it’s an opportunity or a tragedy. When one of our clients or advisors needs me most, I intend to be there.