Financial planning often begins with a simple objective such as preparing for retirement, managing investments, or protecting a family's long-term financial future. Yet for many professionals and business owners, those goals eventually intersect with broader strategic questions involving taxes, succession, risk management, and long-term continuity. According to Darby Heidemann, Co-Founder and Private Wealth Advisor with Elevation Wealth Planning, addressing those interconnected issues requires a planning model that looks beyond a single financial product or service.
Elevation Wealth Planning is a planning-centered wealth management firm overseeing approximately $600M (As of March 2026. Figure refers to brokerage assets with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and advisory assets with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company) for more than 3,000 clients nationwide. They practice wealth management through disciplined, comprehensive planning, integrating investment strategy, risk management, retirement design, tax coordination, and estate alignment within one cohesive framework.
As part of the Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group, the team draws on more than two decades of experience advising individuals, families, and business owners. Recognized by Forbes as one of the Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams (Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors (April 2025), based upon data as of 6/30/2024. Research & ranking provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Northwestern Mutual and its advisors do not pay for placement on 3rd party rating lists, but do pay marketing fees to these organizations to promote the rating(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success), Elevation Wealth Planning remains committed to trust, truth, and transparency. Their role is to bring structure and clarity to complex financial lives.
"Clients often start with one question about their finances," he says. "But once you begin looking at their broader picture, there are usually several other areas that connect to that decision. Our job is to help them see how all those pieces work together."
From his perspective, effective planning rarely happens in isolation. Heidemann notes that his advisory practice works with a network of professionals across multiple disciplines so that clients can receive input from their specialists with different areas of expertise. That collaborative structure allows advisors to approach financial decisions from multiple angles rather than focusing solely on one category of planning.
Heidemann explains that each partner in the practice brings a different background and client focus, which helps expand the types of situations the team can address. Some advisors concentrate on business owners, while others frequently work with professionals in industries such as healthcare, engineering, or technology. According to him, the diversity of experience makes it easier to assemble a team around a specific client situation when necessary.
The firm's internal structure has also evolved in recent years. Heidemann explains a significant operational transition that occurred when multiple advisory practices combined to form a unified organization. That merger required the team to reevaluate nearly every aspect of how the business operated.
"We essentially had to rebuild the infrastructure of the company from the ground up," he says. "That meant revisiting everything from payroll and accounting systems to workflow processes and compensation structures. It forced us to think about how we could make the business more scalable over time."
The operational shift was not limited to systems and processes. According to Heidemann, the transition also required a cultural alignment across the advisory team so that each advisor approached client relationships with the same expectations and service standards.
A key part of that process involved establishing consistent workflows across the entire organization. From Heidemann's perspective, scalability requires every advisor to follow similar procedures so that clients receive a consistent experience regardless of which professional they work with.
He notes that the firm also expanded its internal team during this period, growing from a smaller advisory group into a larger organization of 20+ team members capable of supporting more complex client relationships. While growth brings new opportunities, he acknowledges that building an experienced team takes time.
"When you bring new people into the organization, it can take several months before they fully understand the systems and processes," he says. "Developing that internal expertise is essential if you want the business to operate smoothly for clients."
Beyond operational changes, Heidemann emphasizes that the culture of the advisory practice plays a central role in how the team works with clients. Regular internal discussions focus on maintaining a service mentality that encourages advisors to think about how small actions can strengthen long-term relationships.
From his perspective, client service often comes down to consistent attention rather than a single major gesture. Maintaining communication, responding quickly to questions, and anticipating future needs are all part of the advisory process.
"Our goal is always to think about what additional value we can bring to the relationship," Heidemann says. "If you focus on helping people make thoughtful decisions about their financial future, the relationship tends to grow naturally over time."
Looking ahead, he suggests that the advisory practice will continue expanding its professional network so that clients can access expertise across a broader range of financial and strategic issues. That collaborative approach, he explains, reflects a broader view of financial planning that extends beyond investments alone.
For Heidemann, the long-term objective remains relatively straightforward. By combining strategic planning, operational experience, and collaboration among advisors, he believes the firm can continue helping professionals and business owners navigate complex financial decisions with greater clarity.
"We try to approach every situation from the perspective of what will best support the client over the long term," Heidemann says. "When planning is done thoughtfully, it becomes less about individual transactions and more about building a strategy that evolves with someone's life and business."
Members of Elevation Wealth Planning use Elevation Wealth Planning as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual. Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group is a select group of NM advisors and representatives. Elevation Wealth Planning and Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group are not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency, federal savings bank or other legal entity. To view detailed disclosures regarding individual representatives, view their information athttps://elevationwealth.nm.com/.
