How Brad Connors Is Redefining Wealth With Purpose

From Tragedy to Triumph

When Brad Connors speaks about financial purpose, he’s not reciting a corporate mantra—he’s reliving a lifetime of lessons. At just two years old, Connors lost his father in a car accident that also left him hospitalized with a collapsed lung. That tragedy, coupled with a small insurance settlement locked away in a bank until his eighteenth birthday, would quietly set the course for his life’s mission.

“When that money finally became available, I thought I was invincible,” Connors recalls. “I bought the nicest car in town, clothes, and everything I didn’t need. By 21, it was all gone. That was my first real financial education.”

Today, as President and CEO of iWealth, a Minnesota-based financial planning and wealth management firm, Connors channels those early mistakes into wisdom for others. His approach is not about amassing assets—it’s about building lives of purpose.

Building iWealth: A Quarterback for Families

For more than 30 years, Connors has guided business owners and families through the complex web of financial decisions that shape their legacies. But he’s quick to clarify that iWealth isn’t a “Wall Street” shop chasing performance metrics. “I’m not a stock jockey,” he says with a laugh. “Our role is to serve as a quarterback—someone who helps organize and coordinate all the moving pieces of a family’s financial life.”

That quarterback philosophy became the foundation for his Plan on Purpose Office, a reimagined version of the family office model that emphasizes access, collaboration, and intentional living. “So many advisors claim to offer a family office, but that term’s overused,” Connors explains. “Our clients might not have $50 million to hire a personal CPA or attorney full-time, but through our curated ‘Who Network,’ they can access those same professionals when needed.”

This “Who Network”—a circle of trusted specialists spanning tax, estate, medical, and even private aviation—reflects Connors’ belief that wealth is not just about numbers. It’s about people and purpose.

Fish Don’t Clap: The Parable of Purpose

Connors’ best-selling book, Fish Don’t Clap: Planning for a Purposeful Retirement, captures his philosophy in a parable that’s both practical and spiritual. Inspired by the biblical “Parable of the Talents,” Connors tells the story of a retired public speaker who discovers that fishing—while peaceful—lacks the applause and fulfillment of his former calling.

“He realized that fish don’t clap,” Connors says. “He missed the sense of contribution, of purpose.”

That realization echoes what Connors has seen in countless retirees—successful on paper but restless in spirit. “Too many people retire from something instead of to something,” he notes. “Purpose doesn’t end when your paycheck does.”

Faith, Family, and Freedom

At the heart of Connors’ leadership is a set of guiding principles: Faith, Family, and Freedom. They shape how he lives, leads, and advises. “For years, advisors were told not to talk about religion or politics,” he says. “But authenticity matters. My clients know I’m Christian. They know truth and trust are non-negotiable.”

Those values extend into his firm’s culture. iWealth’s core values—humble, hardworking, client-centered, trustworthy, servant-hearted—reflect not only how they serve clients but also who they choose to work with. “It’s about alignment,” Connors says. “When we share the same principles, everything else just works better.”

Purpose Over Performance

In an era of AI-driven investing and automated advice, Connors believes the future of wealth management lies not in algorithms but in empathy. “If your value proposition is performance or price, you’ll get lost,” he says. “Advisors who survive will be the ones who roll up their sleeves, ask better questions, and help clients solve real-life problems.”

That’s why conversations at iWealth have shifted from spreadsheets to soul-searching. Retirement plans now begin with questions like What will make you feel fulfilled? and What legacy do you want to leave?—not What’s your target rate of return?

Redefining the American Dream

For Connors, the American Dream isn’t about accumulating more—it’s about creating memories that matter. “My wife and I just built our dream home on a lake,” he says. “But it’s not about the house—it’s about our kids and grandkids wanting to be there. It’s about the experiences we’ll share.”

He smiles as he quotes a line his wife recently shared from a sermon: “I’ve never seen a U-Haul follow a hearse.”

“That’s it,” Connors says. “You can’t take it with you. But you can use what you have to make a difference—for your family, your community, your purpose.”

Legacy With Intention

Brad Connors’ story—from a small-town fish market to leading a purpose-driven wealth management firm—isn’t just about financial success. It’s about stewardship, faith, and the power of aligning money with meaning.

As Connors puts it, “Money can buy comfort. But purpose—that’s what creates peace.”

To learn more about Brad Connors and iWealth:
Visit iwealth4me.com or explore his book Fish Don’t Clap: Planning for a Purposeful Retirement at fishdontclap.com.