At First40, we have a soft spot for founder stories that feel like fate. Our own began in first grade — so we’re always on the lookout for that same spark in others. Sometimes it happens over crayons. Other times, over Zoom in the middle of a pandemic.
That’s where Elyse Stoner and Angela York first connected. Two pros from distinct corners of the event and marketing world. Different paths, discovering a shared passion for something most financial advisors don’t even know they’re missing: meaningful, high-touch client events that build real relationships.
Together, Elyse and Angela turned that shared spark into Event Advisors. We sat down with them to talk about what makes an event memorable, what their ROM – Return on the Moment™ event approach means, and how their friendship grew into a thriving business.
The Key to Impactful Events? Make It Personal.
“It has to be meaningful to the client,” Elyse says. “It sounds elementary, but there’s a difference between throwing a birthday party and making someone feel seen on their birthday. That’s the kind of moment that deepens relationships. It’s more than just showing up with a birthday cake.”
Angela adds, “Most people plan events in a very logical, linear way — book the venue, send the invite, order food. But that approach misses all the little details that truly matter: Does your top client have a dietary restriction? Is someone welcoming people at the door? Do you even have the right number of microphones? And have you talked about all of these things before the event actually happens and written down those details? All of those little pieces make or break an event. These things seem small, but they’re what make guests feel valued.”
For Event Advisors, it all starts with intentionality — aligning the event with both the business goals and the human needs behind them. They build ROM – Return on the Moment™ event planning from the inside out, making sure every detail supports a larger purpose.
Beyond ROI: ROM – Return on the Moment™ Event Experiences
It’s easy to focus on traditional ROI. But Elyse and Angela coach their clients to think differently.
“An event is a moment,” Elyse explains. “It’s like a rock in the stream of a larger client journey.If you know your goal is to retain spouses after a partner passes, you’ve got to ask the question about how this event helps build those relationships now. Over time, as we helped our clients serve their clients, these spouses were choosing to stay because relationships were being made.”
Angela has seen the long-term results firsthand: “Some of our advisors have had multiple spouses pass away in the past 10 years. And yet, none of the wives left the firm. That’s not luck. That’s intentional relationship-building over time, and events are a key part of that. The advisor becomes the first phone call. You don’t get that from an annual review meeting.”
And they go on to add there isn’t one thing that works — it’s a combination of doing something you’re already doing, and building it up with more intentionality and caring for your client. Layering strategy onto existing actions is often where the magic happens.
From Childhood Dreams to Event Strategy Queens
In our Closure Map workbook, Step 34 asks readers to remember your childhood dreams. So we asked Angela and Elyse to share theirs.
Angela remembers, “I wanted to be a teacher when I was little. But then I realized I don’t have the patience for a classroom,” she laughs. “Eventually, I wanted to be a TV producer. My dad was a producer, and I just loved everything about it. I loved planning all the pieces, finding locations, props, checklists. It turns out, that kind of thinking translated perfectly to event planning.”
She continued, “My first jobs were in marketing at ad agencies, and I quickly realized I could build something creative and organized around helping clients tell their story. That love of production never went away — now it just looks like serving advisors and helping them create experiences that move people.”
Elyse had a different vision: “I wanted to be Jane Goodall. But then I realized I’m not living in the savanna of Africa,” she laughs. “That’s not me. And as I entered college, at first I thought I wanted to be a journalist, but eventually I created my own degree in sports marketing and public relations. I always loved problem-solving. We’ve got these assets — how do we make something meaningful happen?”
That same spirit of strategy, creativity, and drive to connect dots has shaped every part of her career since. And at the heart of that drive is one of Elyse’s favorite questions: Why? Why do you want to host this event? Why is this your key goal? Why now? That single word fuels a deeper level of curiosity and clarity that guides the way she serves clients. It’s about uncovering the purpose behind why an event is happening in the first place.
Building a Business and a Friendship
Their partnership began like many do: A mutual friend said, “You two should talk.” They did — over Zoom. They were both in event planning services, and it was the start of the pandemic in 2020.
They came from different backgrounds and approaches, but quickly found a shared rhythm. They collaborated on a client event and realized that while their approaches were different, their values aligned. Together, their styles complemented each other beautifully.
That first project left them with a mutual respect and admiration for the different perspectives they each brought to the table. And it planted the seed for what would become Event Advisors.
Angela remembers the shift: “I was in Hawaii for my 50th birthday. I was on the phone with Elyse and said, ‘I think we have something here.’ We didn’t know what it looked like yet. But we knew we wanted to explore it.”
Elyse adds, “We didn’t even meet in person until a year later. But when we did, people thought we had been friends much longer. We had so much shared experience — kids the same age, similar seasons of life. We appreciated our differences. I mean, she’s an inbox-zero person. That is not me. But we make it work.”
Their secret? Angela notes: “Listening. Patience. Open communication. And a system that no one else understands but us. We’ve built something that runs on trust and respect. We don’t always agree, but we always check in, and we stay focused on why we started this in the first place.”
Why They Do This Work
There’s a quote Elyse and Angela come back to often: “There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners.”
“Events get a bad rap when they’re done poorly,” Elyse explains. “But it’s almost always because no one asked the right questions, no one welcomed people in, and no one stewarded the moment. That’s what we’re here to change.”
Angela nods, adding, “We believe in meaningful events. And we believe in the power of creating moments to impact relationships. When you care about people, you design experiences differently.”
Want to create an unforgettable client experience that actually grows your practice? Elyse and Angela are ready to help.
Connect with them at Event-Advisors.net or reach out to schedule a workshop for your firm or community.
