Built on Trust: How Luke Staub Spent His First Year Growing Independently at Victory Financial

When Luke Staub thinks back on his first twelve months at Victory Financial Group, he doesn't hide what those early weeks felt like.

"In those first few weeks, your whole world's turned upside down," Luke shared. "But if that's the pain and the uncomfortable part I had to go through to get to here, I'd do it ten times over."

The year that followed proved him right. Luke has grown his team, moved into a new office space, and built a practice that now serves hundreds of households across the school district client base he has spent the better part of a decade earning the trust of.

Where Luke Got His Start

Luke entered the industry in 2014, straight out of college and just off a college baseball career. He had energy, a head for numbers, and a childhood memory that pointed him toward the work.

"My parents took me to their broker meeting once, and it fascinated me," he recalled. "I walked in, looked at how elegant everything was, and thought, this is finance."

Like a lot of young advisors, he initially assumed the path forward meant chasing the Goldman Sachs version of the job. What actually shaped his career was something more grounded: the school district 403(b) market. It gave him a place to build from, and it shaped how he thinks about the work today.

One of his favorite success stories is a retired teacher who had been talked into cashing out her TRS service years earlier during a medical leave. Luke and his team helped her save, invest properly, and eventually repurchase every year of service she had given up.

"She's retiring comfortably and is doing great," Luke said. "To me, the biggest success is helping a lower-income family start their first retirement plan. That's where the most impact is. It starts with baby steps."

That philosophy has carried through everything Luke has built since.

The Limits of His Previous Environment

Before joining Victory Financial, Luke spent years inside a large, insurance-based broker-dealer. He made it work, but he also ran into the limits that come with that kind of environment.

"When you're part of a large insurance company, they have a traditional way of doing things, and a lot of times that way hasn't changed in a long time," Luke explained. "You're forced to sell very few select proprietary products, and your compensation depends on those few products."

At Victory Financial, that pressure is gone, and Luke says it has changed how he walks into client meetings.

"When I approach a meeting now, I feel better about what we're able to do for them," he said. "You can put your client first in this model, because you're being compensated for your time either way. I feel better about where that client is going to be long term."

The ownership piece reshaped the day-to-day, too. Luke now owns his clients, his data, and the strategic direction of his practice.

"You actually feel like it's a partnership with your clients," Luke said. "You're sitting down with them as one, being a fiduciary, not just servicing a book of business someone else owns."

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A Partnership with Aspire That Has Made a Difference

Among the partners that have helped Luke build through his first year, Aspire stands out.

The 403(b) business Luke writes depends on response time, paperwork accuracy, and follow-through. Aspire has delivered on all three.

"I really like how Aspire does the 403(b) business," Luke said. "You submit the paperwork through an online tool, you get a case number immediately, and that case number is followed up on within 24 hours. They move business very quickly."

The support team has been just as important. "When I call their 1-800 number, it's less than a few minutes before somebody comes on. Sometimes it's instantly."

In a niche where many advisors accept friction as part of the job, that responsiveness has freed Luke up to spend his time where it matters most: sitting across from families and helping them make better decisions.

A Team and a Practice Built for the Next Chapter

Luke's first year has not been a solo effort. His team has grown, his guys are in the field generating business, and the practice has settled into a rhythm he's proud of.

"We've really found our system," Luke said. "My team is out in the field, bringing business back, and we keep it rolling every day. Couldn't be more proud of them."

He has also invested in physical space for what comes next, including a new commercial office building that will serve as both headquarters and room for future expansion. Luke is intentional about the pace of that growth. "I'm trying to figure out the good balance between how much we want to grow and how we want to do it. We're going to keep looking for the right areas of growth and the right partnerships."

He has leaned on the broader Victory Financial community along the way, giving a particular shoutout to Andrew Siguzi for the market commentary he provides advisors. "In this industry, the numbers matter," Luke said. "Andrew brings an unbiased approach and just gives you the data." For Luke, that kind of access — to peers, to a strategist, to advisors he can call for a second opinion — has been one of the underrated benefits of being on the Victory Financial platform.

Looking Ahead

The year ahead is about deepening the work, not reinventing it. Luke plans to keep serving his school district client base, expand thoughtfully into the planning services his clients are increasingly asking for, and continue building out the team and the office around him.

A year in, what stands out to Luke is how rare it is to find a platform that genuinely supports the way he wants to do business.

"The response times at Victory Financial are tremendous. The compensation is tremendous. This is a well-thought-out model," Luke said. "I'm very happy with all aspects of it. We're going to be loyal to Victory Financial."

For Luke, the first year was about proving that independence was the right call. The years ahead are about building on it.

At Victory Financial, we're proud to support advisors who are building practices with intention, ownership, and a real commitment to the clients they serve. If you're considering what independence could look like for your practice, book a discovery call with our team.