Simplify Case Study: Eric McArdle – Magaging Director of Advisor Solutions at Simplify
Dustin:
Hi Eric, thanks for taking the time to speak with AdvizorPro. I’m excited to have you on to discuss the latest updates at Simplify and your amazing growth story over the past few years. Eric, if you wouldn’t mind, can you give us a quick introduction as to your role at Simplify?
Eric:
Sure thing, Dustin. Great to be here. Thank you for having us. So, I am technically a managing director of Advisor Solutions. And that’s a really long way of saying I help people understand how our products work, how they don’t work, and how they play in the market. As part of that, and being one of the early employees here at Simplify, I’ve also found myself being involved in our sales process—really understanding how people come to us, how we target specific demographics, and how they might use our ETFs or other investment strategies.
Dustin:
That’s fantastic. I really do appreciate that. Eric, jumping right into the subject at hand, can you share some high-level details around Simplify’s growth story over the past few years?
Eric:
Sure. I like to chalk it up to skill, but part of it is luck too. We were in the right place at the right time, launching what we consider to be an innovative lineup of ETF products following some rule changes in 2019 and 2020. For us, it was about going to our target demographic—RIAs and advisors—and saying, “Hey, we have some interesting solutions for you.”
We wanted them to try these new strategies and do so with a high-touch customer experience from due diligence to implementation and follow-up. A big part of that was knowing our audience—understanding who buys ETFs and the types of strategies they use—and building a process around that knowledge while leveraging the tools we needed.
Dustin:
Amazing. Truly, truly amazing. Especially what you’ve done in the past year as an ETF manager. Eric, how has AdvizorPro helped you in your distribution efforts?
Eric:
I’ve said this publicly and privately: AdvizorPro is what I wished we could have built on day one at Simplify. We worked hard to identify our ideal client and build a systematic process for outreach and communication. But we found our tech stack was too disjointed—it had too many pieces, and it was difficult to build the process we wanted.
Then I found you all, and I knew almost instantly that AdvizorPro was exactly what we needed. It could do the things we were dreaming of—integrating our outreach, customer management, and sales funnel into a seamless process. Most importantly, it gave us real-time feedback so we could iterate, make adjustments, and refine what worked and what didn’t.
Dustin:
That’s super helpful, Eric. In terms of launching new funds, where does AdvizorPro fit into the day-to-day strategy when Simplify is deciding to develop and market new products?
Eric:
For us, it’s really about having the information. Knowing who owns what, how they’ve gotten there, and what they’re looking for. If customers are looking to add commodity-related or fixed-income products, we can track trends over time and get a sense of whether that audience aligns with our strategy.
From there, it’s about deciding whether to pursue that market—whether through existing products or developing new ones. AdvizorPro helps us identify trends and target our communications accordingly, ensuring we’re meeting market demands effectively.
Dustin:
Awesome. One last question for you, Eric. I know you conducted extensive research on platforms similar to AdvizorPro. What stood out about our platform compared to others in the space?
Eric:
AdvizorPro offers incredible value—not just with its product, which has one of the best interfaces and infrastructures I’ve seen, but also with its support team. From the initial experience of exploring the partnership to maintaining and evolving it, your team has been outstanding.
If we’ve ever had a process need or suggested an improvement, you’ve been able to implement it, which is rare. Other platforms we’ve used feel like legacy players—they’ve built a moat but aren’t innovating. With AdvizorPro, I always feel like you’re working to improve, whether it’s the quantity and quality of data, new features, or just overall value for money. It’s been a clear win for us.
Dustin:
That’s fantastic, and we’re very thankful for that response. We love the partnership and working with you and the great team at Simplify. We really appreciate your time today and look forward to catching up soon.
Eric:
Thank you, Dustin. Likewise.
