Spicy Takes from Small-Town Maine: Nate Moody on Redefining Success as a Retirement Plan Advisor

Welcome to episode #53 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.

In this episode, Josh Itzoe sits down with Nate Moody, Partner at Lebel & Harriman, to discuss building a career in retirement plan advisory, creating authentic relationships, and navigating the evolving financial services landscape.

Nate grew up in Gorham, Maine, in an entrepreneurial household where his father owned a collision repair business. After graduating from Bowdoin College, Nate turned down opportunities in Boston and New York to stay in Maine, betting on the long game of building deep local relationships. He started as an analyst at LeBell & Harriman in 2014 making $43,000—while his peers laughed from their Wall Street jobs—and became a partner in 2023. Today, his firm manages nearly 100,000 retirement plan participants, primarily in Maine.

During the conversation, Nate explains why he chose the employer retirement plan space over private wealth management. Working with a company's 401(k) plan allows him to impact hundreds or thousands of participants through a single decision—implementing auto-enrollment, reducing fees, or improving investment options—creating an exponential community impact. He also describes how genuine care for clients creates sustainable relationships. He emphasizes that clients can detect when advisors are just going through the motions versus truly investing in their success.

As it relates to next-gen advisors, here's his best advice:

1. Define Your Success: Have an honest conversation about what success means to you—not what others think it should be.

2. Play the Long Game: Choose environments where you'll get "game time reps" and exposure to real client work, even if short-term compensation is lower.

3. Go Talk to People: Build relationships, ask questions, and learn from those who've been there—there are no shortcuts to gaining experience and empathy.

The episode also touches on how technology, regulatory changes, and shifting client demographics are transforming the retirement plan advisory landscape.