We visited with Thor Parks to discuss the strategies, philosophies and personal insights that have contributed to his success and the success of his team. Fostering a culture of community, growth and achievement, Thor consistently leads his team of advisors to exceptional results with 1847Financial. 

From investing in strong relationships and creating a supportive culture to empowering advisors to reach their full potential, Thor shares time-tested steps and practical advice about building a successful financial practice. If you're interested in elevating your career, building a stronger team or simply improving your business, this interview offers valuable insights that can help you achieve your goals.

Your firm consistently exceeds your goals, year after year. What are some of the key habits, skills or priorities that you focus on to deliver these results? 
Thor Parks: True success isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the lives behind those numbers. That’s how we measure success—not just in growth multiples, but in friendships, milestones, and enduring bonds. That’s what makes this work so meaningful and fulfilling.

The essence of our success lies in the relationships we build and nurture—relationships founded on trust and care, both professional and personal. Whether it’s guiding a new recruit, celebrating a record-breaking year, or simply sitting down face-to-face, we invest in our people because we believe in their potential … we believe in them.

And that investment comes full circle. When our people grow, so does our firm. Their success becomes our shared success, and the impact ripples outward—into families, communities, and future legacies.

When our people grow, so does our firm.

Thor Parks: We have a strong commitment to a culture of growth, achievement and community, offering a sense of purpose and a sense that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. By nurturing this environment and providing the right resources, we help our team reach their potential when they're ready. This is key to our results.

Every year, we emphasize an overarching theme that unites us, helping us evolve both individually and collectively. This culture accompanies us everywhere. Our leadership team actively visits our producers, spending real, face-to-face time with each other. These connections aren't occasional or trivial—they are consistent opportunities to build our relationships.

This personal investment in our people translates into higher engagement, stronger bonds and extraordinary growth. Many on our team now achieve production levels significantly higher than before they joined us. Retention is high, and turnover is low. 

This connection is more than business; it’s about family. Supporting our advisors and celebrating their milestones alongside their loved ones deeply motivates us. It’s the difference between being a leader who’s accessible and one who’s distant. For example, we often hear from recruits that in their previous firms, a managing principal or general agent might appear once a year, if at all. That is not the way we do business. 

Celebrating Success Stories

Thor Parks: Recently, we visited our Idaho team, helping them celebrate some fun milestones in their growth. Chad Cole and Larry Morrison, from Evergreen Financial Partners, have been with us for over a decade. They have always been consistent, strong producers, but they're expanding their team, their office and their opportunities.

It is such a great experience to celebrate their accomplishments together and to hold them up in front of the families, peers and clients. These are more than professional relationships; they’re friendships built on trust and great respect. These are the kinds of relationships I cherish—the ones where you'd do anything for each other. Seeing their successes and seeing them on the cusp of even more growth is incredibly rewarding. 

Then there’s David Wash, whose story is equally inspiring. A steady producer for years, David has recently increased his work in the highly affluent market, and his business is booming because of it. Spending time with him and his family—his wife and son—in Hawaii was a reminder of how our work can change lives, not just careers.

Another great example is Chris Miller, whom I recruited alongside his father, Scott. When they started with our team, we all took the time to go over the details of their contract together and find the best ways to deliver life-changing solutions for their clients, while allowing Chris and Scott to achieve great things as well.

Their production increased significantly this year. Chris has always been community-minded, generously contributing to his church and local organizations. It’s an honor to work with people like the Millers, whose values align so closely with our own. 

When considering a move to a new firm, what are some of the key questions financial professionals should ask?
Thor Parks: I tell people to look for greenlight leadership. Find a firm where the leadership is at a level that creates plenty of room for your growth. Look at their recent growth curve. How have they grown the last two or three years. Does it look like the growth curve you want for your practice in the near future? If they have been flat the last several years, you may want to look elsewhere.   

Once you’ve made the shift to a new company, focus on your work ethic. Work like you did when you first started in the industry. Outwork everyone the first several years of being at that new company. You’re not likely going to impress people with high-dollar commission checks early on, but you will impress people because of your work ethic. People will want to work with you. They will want to be part of what you’re building. 

What led you to a career in the financial industry?
Thor Parks: I was drawn to this industry partly because of the career and lifestyle I saw my dad and grandfather build—it was inspiring. But what truly motivates me is the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. That’s the real reason I’m here.

I consider myself an entrepreneur, but education has always been very important to me as well. So early on, my priority was to earn my Master’s Degree and my PhD. Because of my focus on education, I started my financial career a little later than some, but my education has provided an incredible foundation on my which to build my financial career.

When I started, my uncle was the managing principal of our firm, and my dad was the managing director. Despite having family in leadership roles, I still faced the same challenges everyone else deals with while building a practice from scratch. 

For one, I had no natural market. We had just moved to Florida when I started this career, which made it even more difficult. I was determined to find a solution, and that’s why I became the first person in our firm to pioneer seminar marketing. I committed fully to it and worked hard to make it an effective strategy.

Another lesson I quickly learned was the power of teamwork. I realized that collaboration significantly elevated the quality of our work. I partnered on cases with my uncle, my dad, and other financial professionals on our team. The ideas we developed together were always stronger than those we came up with individually. Even today, I rarely design cases on my own. Working collaboratively brings fresh perspectives, and I believe that the best results come from splitting cases and combining experience.

I began my career with Penn Mutual under their Career Builder contract. This was a three-year training and development program, designed to help new financial professionals succeed. By the end of that program, I came to a crucial realization: As an advisor, my reach and impact were naturally limited. 

There was a ceiling to the difference I could make on my own as a financial advisor. I saw greater potential in building and mentoring other financial professionals, as well as in creating teams and developing systems and processes to make those teams more efficient. Moving into management allowed me to tap into these skills and create a larger ripple effect, empowering others to succeed and grow.

To me, this work is like solving a complex puzzle or embarking on a treasure hunt. Each piece matters—whether it’s connecting with a million-dollar client or stepping into someone’s life and helping make a real difference. Every day is an opportunity to find that next piece, and that’s what keeps me passionate about the work we do.

Do you have a favorite quote or two that motivate you or that you like to share with your team? 
Thor Parks: This quote from Teddy Roosevelt is one of my all-time favorites: 
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

I also enjoy reading Marcus Aurielius and love his mindset: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

And one from Amy Carmichael: “We shall have all of eternity to celebrate the victories, but we only have the last few hours before sunset in which to win them.”

Are you interested in elevating your career, building a stronger team or simply improving your business? Connect with Thor on LinkedIn.

^{7437014RG_Dec26}