The Advisor Solutions Podcast

Have you ever wondered what your business would be like if you didn’t have resources and tools? Do you ever think about finding resources and tools you don’t have in your toolbox that could take your business to the next level?  Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have the necessary resources and tools to be their most successful selves.  Why?  Because they haven’t identified challenges in their business and uncovered the right resources and tools that are solutions. Unfortunately, most advisors and agents accept challenges as is. In this episode, learn what resources and tools other successful advisors have utilized to see a lasting sustainable change in their business practices!

Have you ever found yourself putting off prospecting, even when you know exactly what you should be doing? A majority of financial advisors believe that the act of procrastination is a discipline, time management or motivation issue. However in reality, those are just surface-level explanations. The real problem is deeper and until it’s identified, the behavior is likely to continue. Without addressing the root cause, no amount of effort will create lasting consistency. In this episode, you’ll learn how to diagnose the real reason behind your procrastination and how to begin taking consistent action to keep it from occurring. When you remove the barrier, prospecting no longer feels forced, rather it becomes part of how you operate.

Have you ever had a business plan that you were excited about? You had a great strategy and even started strong, but within a few days you got sidetracked and you found yourself right back where you began. Does that sound like you? If so, you’re not alone. Most advisors don’t have a system that turns their business plan into consistent daily actions. They rely on motivation or discipline and over time, both fall short. However, when you create a system for taking and tracking action, you can take the guess work out of getting and seeing results. In this episode, you’ll learn how to go from analysis to action by using tools and techniques that work for successful advisors.

Have you ever had a great production month followed by an average or even a terrible one? What I mean is, chances are that if you’ve been in the industry for some time, you may have noticed a pattern when it comes to your gross production—and it’s directly related to prospecting. I call this pattern The Peaks and Valleys of Prospecting, which means that most financial advisors and insurance agents experience severe fluctuations in their gross production when they intermittently prospect because inconsistent prospecting leads to gaps in their sales pipeline, making it harder to maintain momentum. Does that sound like you? If so, you’re not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers lack a process for getting off this type of production rollercoaster and need a pipeline flow that can lead them to consistently strong production months. Some professionals experience severe fluctuations throughout their entire careers. As a result, they constantly struggle to reach the next level of success! In this episode, we’ll share practical strategies that successful advisors and agents use to get off the production roller coaster. These aren’t just theoretical ideas—they’re actionable steps you can implement right away to move closer to your business goals.

Breaking bad news is never easy, especially when it comes to money, the market, or not getting the coverage that your client wants. But one thing is certain: at some point in your career, you are going to have to break bad news to someone. The real question is, has anyone ever expressed to you the best way to do that? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a specific strategy to share bad news. The topic of “how to break bad news” benefits from a stepwise approach for an advisor to make difficult situations less challenging to discuss. Rather than merely telling people what is going wrong, having a process of how to break the bad news is essential. The delivery of bad news is important as a client might feel shocked, defensive, and, in some cases, angry- and you don’t want to add to their angst because of how they heard about it.   This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to create a better connection when discussing difficult subjects. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps you can implement in your practice.

Are you managing your clients, or are your clients managing you? That’s a question that you may never have asked yourself before.  At the end of the day, are you drained, run-down, and burned out because you have been doing everything you can for clients that call up and ask for your attention on something immediately? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a well-thought-out process for training their client base.  The reason is that they’ve never really learned a step-wise approach to knowing how to train their clients on how they want to be treated and why.  The interesting thing about that is that people will treat you, however, you let them treat you. However, when you have strong boundaries, clients learn to respect those boundaries, or they leave. In this episode, learn how to create a client training system so that you can run your business effectively instead of business running you down and draining you.

Have you ever felt like you’re working hard, staying busy, meeting with people… but something just isn’t clicking? You know your business should be further along, but if someone asked you, “What exactly isn’t working?” would you have a clear answer? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers struggle to improve their business, not because they lack effort but because they lack a structured way to evaluate what’s actually happening and figure out what to do about it. Instead, they react repeatedly. They chase ideas, blame the market, or say things like, “I just need more leads” or “My clients don’t have urgency.” In this episode, you’ll learn how to build a Business Improvement Plan, a step-by-step framework that helps you identify where you are, define where you want to be, and create a clear strategy to get there. When you shift from reacting to operating with a plan, everything can change.

Have you ever thought about investing in a business coach? Maybe you have, but you aren’t sure if it is right for you. Well, ask yourself this…how many Olympic gold medalists have had a coach? That’s right, all of them! And, why is that? It is because athletes from the major to the little leagues know the value of having an experienced professional help them get to the top of their game.  Do you need help understanding how the right business coach can help you get to the top of your game? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t comprehend how having the right business coach can help them find the solutions to their biggest professional challenges.  Instead, they make the mistake of thinking that just getting information will lead to transformation, when what they really need is the right business coach to help them understand the right kind of information. In this episode, learn about The Advisor Solutions Individual Coaching Program, which focuses on real time solutions to your biggest obstacles!

Do prospects view you as a product pusher or a problem solver? It’s a tough question that you may not want to know the answer to.   Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a well-thought-out process for becoming what I call “A Professional Problem Solver.” The reason is that they’ve never really learned a step-wise approach to helping people understand that the prospect has challenges and they (the advisor) have solutions. Think of it this way, if you are a one-size-fits-all product pusher, you can easily be replaced by clients. But, if you are a trusted advisor, they will never want to replace you. Also, prospects will view you differently, as someone they need because you can solve their problems. In this episode, learn what other successful advisors have done to change their communication process to create lasting connections.

Do you want to take your business to the next level, but you're unsure how? It might be as simple as identifying the red flags in your sales pipeline. What I mean is, chances are you have a few red flags (or clogs) in your sales pipeline that are holding you back from achieving the success you’ve always wanted. And if you don’t know what those red flags are, you’ll never be able to overcome them. Does that sound like you? If so, you're not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers don’t take the time to identify the red flags in their sales pipelines. Over time, they accept these obstacles as a normal part of the process. As a result, they struggle to reach the next level with their business. In this episode, we’ll share practical strategies that successful advisors and agents use to recognize and remove red flags (or clogs) from their sales pipelines. These aren’t just theoretical ideas—they’re actionable steps you can immediately implement to move closer to your business goals.

Do you control your day, or does your day control you? If you're unsure, one way to tell is by looking at how your days unfold and how you react to what happens. Do you start each morning with the best intentions, knowing precisely what you want to accomplish, only to reach the end of the day wondering where the time went—and realizing you didn’t achieve your goals? If so, chances are, other people are controlling your time. Sound familiar? If it does, you're not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers struggle to structure their days. Without a solid daily action plan, they react to urgent requests and constant interruptions instead of proactively managing their tasks. As a result, they spend their days putting out fires—jumping from one distraction to the next—without making meaningful progress on their priorities. In this episode, we’ll share practical strategies that successful advisors and agents use to stay on track. These aren’t just theoretical ideas—they’re actionable steps you can implement immediately to help you achieve your business goals.

Have you ever met with a prospect, delivered your presentation, answered every question, and still walked away without the sale? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers assume the problem is a lack of leads or opportunities. But often, the real issue isn’t activity; it’s a lack of clarity about what’s actually happening inside the sales process. Without a structured way to diagnose your business, sales can feel unpredictable and frustrating. As a result, they can leave you guessing about what to change and where to focus. In this episode, you’ll learn the art of doing a sales analysis, which is a disciplined approach to evaluating your activity, conversions, conversations, tracking system, and standards. When you understand what’s truly driving your results, you can stop relying on assumptions and start making precise adjustments that create momentum. If you’re ready to replace uncertainty with clarity, eliminate guesswork, and take control of your growth, this discussion will show you how to turn your results into a roadmap for consistent success.

Do you ever feel like a month flies by too fast? Before you know it, the months string together, and you reach a new quarter, but you really aren’t any further along at growing your business than you were three months ago. Does this sound like you? If so, know that you are not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a strategy to consistently compartmentalize their activities to see success month after month. Having a process that allows you to evaluate each month and then hone and tweak from the previous month’s actions or inaction can set you up for an even better month, next month! This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to assess each month’s successes (or not). These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps to incorporate into your practice, empowering you to accomplish your business goals.

Do you love to prospect? Do you get into the office and can’t wait to make that first call? Well, if you are like most advisors and agents, you don’t! You probably look for anything else to do rather than prospecting. Does this sound like you? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a well-thought-out process for prospecting. The reason is they’ve never learned a step-wise approach for avoiding procrastination when it comes to prospecting or how to be effective once they do prospect. In other words, they don’t know how to mentally prepare to prospect and have the tools and techniques to be successful at it! In this episode, learn tools and techniques to increase your prospecting skillset to get the most out of every day!

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “Time flies when you are having fun,” but have you ever thought about why it flies so quickly? What would it take for you to find fun doing what you do in your business? Do you know how to be “in the zone”? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t understand what it takes to find their business flow! The reason is that they have never viewed the topic of “being in a flow state” as something that they can step into at any given moment to fully engage and enjoy an activity, conversation, or engagement. In this episode, learn what successful advisors and agents do to find their business “flow.”

Do you ever feel stuck in your career, wondering how to overcome challenges? Or maybe you are looking for the right tools to unlock your potential, or just the thought of figuring out how to get to the next level seems overwhelming. In fact, it might feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster ride, wanting to grow your business but not feeling confident in your ability to do so. Does this sound like you? If so, know that you are not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a growth mindset. They typically don’t understand that everything starts between your ears. And that developing a growth mindset isn’t just a good idea, it’s the foundation for achieving long-term success in this business! This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to master a growth mindset. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps to incorporate into your practice, empowering you to strengthen your client relationships.

Do you ever have the best of intentions and yet feel a little lost with your business soon after the New Year? What I mean is that the time between New Year’s and the end of the first quarter is often a blur, and as a result, you may not feel like you are on your way to accomplishing the goals you set just weeks ago. Does this sound like you? If so, know that you are not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a strategy to compartmentalize their activities to ensure a strong quarter.  For those who did not create a business plan or blueprint at the start of the year, the thought of doing so might seem overwhelming. But it is not too late. There is a way to go from a rocky start to an exceptional finish, by creating your quarterly action plan! This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to strategically plan out their annual quarters. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps to incorporate into your practice, empowering you to accomplish your business goals.

How do you measure success in your business? Do you measure it only by one set of measurements, accomplishing goals? For example, the goal is to gather twenty-four million in new assets in a year. If you achieve it, you succeed, but if you don’t, you fail. It seems pretty straightforward.  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers measure success in only one way- accomplishing the goal! And, as strange as this might sound, it’s actually the wrong way! The reason is that it’s not only the destination that should be reached to succeed but the many milestones along the way that must be celebrated to also enjoy the journey! If you don’t accomplish milestones along the way and don’t view the milestones as “mini-wins,” then you won’t put much value on those milestones. If you don’t place value on those milestones, then you probably don’t care about them because you aren’t evaluating and measuring each step along the way to see if they are fruitful. If you don’t set and reward yourself for milestones set and reached, the by-product at the end of the year is most likely far less success.  You have to put in the work, evaluate as you go, and tweak the process until you reach your goal(s). This episode shares with you how successful advisors and agents map out, measure, and master milestones!

Have you ever created a business plan in January only to realize that you aren’t following it by March or April? Does this sound familiar? If so, know this… you, are not alone. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers and even agency managers don’t have a well thought out process for getting to the next level. They start out the year with their business plans with the best of intentions, only to get sidetracked with the day-to-day operations which leave those plans unattended and ultimately unfulfilled. In this episode, learn a process to go beyond the standard business plan to using a business blueprint to create a record year!

Do you know what it takes to create a record setting year? You might be thinking that it’s simple- if I do more, I will get better results.  The problem with that is, that you’re just working harder.  In order to create a record setting year, you have to know how to work smarter.  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have processes and systems to create a record-setting year.  There are fundamental things that you have to do in order to reach the next level, and just working harder won’t get you there. In fact, if you work twice as hard, you will probably get burned out!  What if you worked twice as smart? What if you had the motivation to apply new processes daily and got better results? In other words, you’re not reinventing the wheel but are applying what other advisors and agents have done that works! What if you tracked your actions and your results for an entire year? Would you have a higher probability of having a recorded setting year? Absolutely! In this episode, learn what other successful advisors and agents do to uplevel their businesses, year after year!

Do you have a well-thought-out strategy to start your day off right? Like many, you might not. Instead, you probably have morning routines on auto-pilot, like making your bed, brushing your teeth, and running out the door with a cup of coffee in your hand, ready to battle morning rush hour traffic. If so, know that you are not alone! Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t know the secret to get the most out of their day. The reason is that they have never really learned what successful advisors and agents do each morning before work to start their day off right with morning rituals.  Morning rituals can set the tone for the rest of the day. And, when done over time, they can have a lasting positive impact, including reduced stress, mental clarity, and energy! In this episode, learn what successful advisors and agents do to create, implement, and master their morning rituals!

Have you ever wondered how successful advisors keep reaching the next level? Some people might say that it is just luck, while others might say it’s about skill. I believe that it really comes down to one simple but powerful thing that they apply each and every day. It’s all about having efficient and productive business habits! You see, those who are successful seem to have daily habits that continue to create more success, while those who have bad habits tend to stay on a production plateau. Now, the real question is, do you feel like you are stuck on a production plateau? If so, know that you are not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have business habits that lead to successful outcomes. They typically don’t understand the power that habits can play in their day-to-day lives. Rather, they are conditioned to continue applying the same bad habits, which keep them on a production plateau. This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to create business habits that are fruitful. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps to incorporate into your practice, empowering you to strengthen your client relationships.

Do you feel a little lost in your business during the holiday season? We all know that the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is often a blur.  Then it’s January, and you have to play catch up, as most likely, the past six weeks haven’t proven productive. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a strategy to finish a year out strong. They have never thought about this time of the year as an opportunity to learn from the past, take action in the present and prepare for the future. Why not have a strategic plan to make the most of the holiday season and go into the new year knowing you did everything you could? This episode shares practical strategies successful advisors and agents have used to have an effective business during the holiday season. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps to incorporate into your practice, empowering you to strengthen your client relationships.

Have you ever had a team that just didn’t click? Where communication was poor, roles were unclear, and productivity suffered, no matter how hard you tried to manage it all? If so, you’re not alone. Many financial advisors, insurance agents, branch managers, and agency managers struggle with team dynamics without even realizing it. Poor team chemistry doesn’t just slow down your business—it can prevent it from reaching its full potential. Without the proper structure, communication, and leadership, even a great team can quickly become dysfunctional. But here’s the good news: There IS a better way!  In this episode, I explore key elements that drive healthy, productive team dynamics and show you how to build a team that supports your growth, frees your time, and makes your business easier to run. These aren’t just big ideas—these are practical, real-world strategies you can implement immediately to transform your team’s performance.

Have you ever walked into a prospect or client appointment needing someone to take action… only to walk out feeling like you pushed too hard or missed the moment, because the action you wanted didn't occur? That’s not just a frustrating meeting, it’s a sign your appointment wasn't focused in the right direction. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers struggle with stalled conversations because they focus too much on what they want. What really creates momentum is understanding what the other person wants. In other words, you need to start Looking for Leverage—the emotional, logical, or practical reason that makes them want to move forward. And, design your appointment around that! In this episode, you’ll learn how to shift your mindset, uncover what truly motivates people, and design conversations around what benefits them, and not your agenda. If you're ready to reduce resistance, build stronger connections, and create more momentum, this episode will show you how to make every conversation count.

Have you ever left multiple voicemails, sent follow-up emails, or even texted a client only to hear nothing back for days or weeks? You like the client, but you don’t like the situation. They don’t seem to understand the urgency! That’s not just a communication gap; it’s what I call The Response Gap, which is the lag between your request and your client’s action. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers are unaware that they’re dealing with it. Instead of addressing the cause, they send another reminder or hope the client eventually responds. But the key isn’t following up more; rather, it’s following up with a smarter, proven framework that motivates clients to take action now. In this episode, you’ll learn how to close The Response Gap, build The Urgency Framework, and use The Curiosity Message to re-engage clients faster and keep your servicing process flowing smoothly.

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? You sit down ready to work, but your day gets hijacked by emails, phone calls, client interruptions, and tasks you didn’t plan for, leaving you feeling exhausted and unproductive. And, the rest of the week continues the same way? That’s not just a bad week; it's a sign that you have business bottlenecks. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers don’t even realize they’re stuck; they think it’s normal. And, instead of addressing the root cause, they try to power through by working harder. But the key isn’t working more; it’s working smarter, so your business flows with more clarity, consistency, and control. In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize the most common business bottlenecks, apply the right tools and techniques to break through them, hear advisor success stories, and create the momentum your business needs to thrive!

Have you ever felt like your business should be growing faster, but something keeps slowing it down? You’re putting in the effort, but the results aren’t matching.  If so, chances are, you’ve got bottlenecks. Your business is like a pipeline. When everything flows, progress is smooth. But when areas like time management, prospecting, or client servicing get backed up, the whole system stalls. These clogs are what I call Business Bottlenecks because they slow down your business and, as a result, can quietly drain your time, energy, and momentum. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers don’t even realize they have bottlenecks, or worse, they try to outwork them. But working harder doesn’t fix what’s broken; instead, you need to work smarter. In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify, fix, and prevent the clogs that are slowing your growth, so your time, team, and systems can finally flow with clarity and control.

Have you ever felt like you’re working hard, putting in the hours, doing all the right things, but still not getting the results you are used to? You’re not alone. For many advisors, it’s not about effort, but rather it’s about systems. At a certain point, your business outgrows your current way of doing things. What used to work… stops working. That’s not failure, it’s a signal. It means it’s time to evolve your systems, not your schedule. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers don’t have a blueprint for growth. Instead, they operate day to day, hoping more effort leads to better results. But there’s a smarter way to scale and it starts with building your Next Level Blueprint. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and finally reach the next level, this episode will tell you how to turn intention into implementation and progress into predictable success! In this episode, you’ll learn how top advisors identify what’s holding them back, create intentional systems, and execute consistently to achieve long-term growth.

Have you ever had a great meeting with a prospect, strong rapport, a solid presentation, and perfect delivery, only to hear the words, “Let me think about it”? You leave the conversation confident it went well, yet days later, there’s still no call back. It’s one of the most frustrating experiences for those in financial services because you did everything right, showed the numbers, backed it up with logic, and presented the best solutions. But here’s the truth: logic informs and emotion moves. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers have a problem with not knowing how to create emotional connections because they don’t have what I call an Emotional Connection System!  In this episode, learn what other successful advisors and agents have done to create emotional connections that close sales.

Do you have a positive attitude about prospecting? Are you excited about bringing the next prospect into your pipeline, or do you dread the entire process? If you relate to the latter, know you are not alone! Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t understand what it takes to be successful at prospecting, a positive attitude. Creating a positive prospecting attitude allows you to be fully engaged and enjoy prospecting to the point where you can’t wait to add another prospect through the pipeline. You see, everything begins between your ears. I can teach you all the tools, techniques, strategies, and solutions to put people into and move through the pipeline, but if you don’t have any desire to prospect, you simply won’t. And that desire comes from having a positive attitude about prospecting. This episode shares practical strategies that successful advisors and agents have used to create a positive prospecting attitude and build mental strength. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps you can implement in your practice.

Do you ever wonder what’s next? Will the market pull back again? Will the Fed raise interest rates again? Will inflation keep rising? Will clients keep having concerns?  How will you manage all of these uncertainties? If you have ever dealt with these issues, know you are not alone! Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t know how to manage uncertainty.  Most have never looked at a process for expecting the unexpected nor how to manage what they will do in uncertain times. In this episode, learn what other successful advisors and agents have done to manage uncertainty!

Do you ever think about your business as a journey of experiences? From the day you started your business to today, you have been on a journey to build, grow, maintain, and run your business. Each part of the journey has been an experience—whether it’s prospecting, client servicing, managing staff, managing upper management, or even managing yourself, you’ve created different experiences. The big question is, have you created the ultimate experience for prospects, clients, staff, management, and yourself? Or are you busy in your business and haven’t given the journey, and the experience you and other people are having any thought? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t take the time to enjoy the journey, much less create positive experiences for themselves or others! They don’t understand the process of making their business, their lives, and the lives of everyone around them better. As a result, they keep doing the same things and having experiences that are not fulfilling. This episode shares how successful advisors and agents learn how to identify experiences to make your business more enjoyable!  

Do you want to get to the next level with your business, but you are unsure how? The answer might lie in finding your business's red flags. You probably have a number of red flags or clear warning signs of danger in your business that are holding you back from reaching the next level of success. But, if you don’t know what they are, then you will never be able to overcome them. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t take the time to unearth their business red flags! They don’t have a way to identify what is holding them back much less a way to overcome it. As a result, they keep doing the same things and they just think that it’s normal that they are supposed to have these challenges. This episode shares how successful advisors and agents learn strategies to identify and overcome red flags.

Do you want to work harder or work smarter in your business? I think we all want to work smarter! The bigger question is, do you know how to work smarter? Do you have proven strategies that have worked for successful advisors and agents that work for you?  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have specific strategies for working smarter in their businesses. They are so busy working “IN” their business that they don’t take the time to work “ON” their business. As a result, they keep doing the same things that they have always done. In order to get to the next level, they feel like they have to just keep doing more of what they are doing. The problem with this type of mentality is that it just means working harder and not smarter! This episode shares how successful advisors and agents learn strategies to work smarter in their businesses.  

Do you ever feel like you have too much to do? You know that you want to grow your business, but you don’t know how to scale it as it grows. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a method for scaling their businesses. They have never realized that specific strategies can create scalability. To effectively scale your business, you need the right people, products, technology, and systems in place to create the growth you want without chaos or overwhelm. Your scalability is your ability to maintain a good performance as your business grows. You want to be scalable because it means you have the ability to attract the right talent, clients, and eventually buyer(s) for your business when you decide to retire.

Do you like a good story? Most people do! But, do you feel that you can tell a good story? Do you have a framework for telling stories that can capture your prospect’s or client’s attention, pull them into the story, and help them understand what they need to do in order to be the hero of their own story?  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t understand how to create a great story much less compile an entire storybook that they can utilize. The reason is that they have never viewed the topics of stories and storytelling as a process for adding value and helping prospects/clients understand what the advisor knows which are the solutions to challenges that prospects/clients need in order to obtain their financial goals. The best way to do that is to have an architecture for telling stories to position the advisor as the guide and the prospect or client as the hero! This week’s episode shares how successful advisors and agents use a specific story telling framework to connect with prospects and clients to build a business storybook.

Picture this, your best friend wants to bet on the football game that you are about to watch with him or her. Neither of you is a fan of either team so it doesn’t matter to you who wins or loses. But you know one thing that your friend does not: one team is known for running elaborate plays while the other doesn’t even have a playbook. Which team will you bet on? I think it’s obvious, the one who is prepared!  This leads me to the question, do you have a pipeline playbook? Do you know exactly how many people are in your sales pipeline at any given time? Do you have a strategy (or a play) for systematically adding people to the pipeline and moving each person to the next step? Do you have a strategy (or play) for every type of tactical situation that could happen in each stage of the pipeline? Do you know what clogs are in the pipeline and how to unclog them?  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a pipeline playbook! This is because they have never viewed “Building a Pipeline Playbook” as a stepwise process for knowing what to do in every possible situation and how to have a strategy to put people into and through the pipeline. This episode shares how successful advisors and agents can utilize a stepwise approach to understanding, creating, and maintaining a sales pipeline by having a pipeline playbook.

Picture being in your parent's car at 3 years old and you drive under a green light. You notice the color green, but you don’t know what it means. But your parents know! They know that green means go, yellow means yield, and red means stop. You don’t find that out for a year later. That’s what I refer to as a GREEN LIGHT MOMENT-it’s a moment where something happens, and you know exactly what to do… What if there are several GREENLIGHT MOMENTS in your business and you have no idea when to look for them, what they are and how to respond? Well, now you will!

Do you ever wonder what it takes to make lasting change? Do you understand the areas of your business that need improvement and how to implement changes to transform your business?  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t know how to elevate their business. I coach my clients with a step-by-step process for practicing The Principle of Strategic Replacement, a four-step process for getting to the root cause of bad habits and then what it takes to replace bad habits with good ones to create the results in your business that you’ve always wanted! In this episode, learn what other successful advisors and agents have done so you, too, can take your business to the next level.

Do you ever feel like your pipeline is stuck? You know why prospects need to take the next step, but for some reason, they don’t seem to have any urgency to want to meet, send you their statements, or even make a decision on the recommendations that you’ve worked so hard on to help them reach their financial goals. If so, know this… YOU, are not alone. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a well-thought-out process for creating urgency in their sales pipelines and maintaining momentum! The reason is that they’ve never really learned the processes to help their prospects want to take the next step. Rather, they accept the prospects’ start-stop mentality as a natural part of the prospecting process as well as thinking that prospecting is purely a numbers game, living by the law of averages in the percentage of people that just won’t take action. In this episode, learn about how to create a sense of urgency and maintain momentum in your sales pipeline so that you can effortlessly add people to have move them through it.

Do you know your clients well? Sure, you know who they are and what they do. You might even know a lot about their lives and what relationships they care about the most. But do you know what their relationship is with money? Do you know their money mindset? And do you know how to help them have a healthy relationship with money? Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t understand how their clients view money. They don’t know it because they have never really learned The Psychology of Money, a fascinating field that explores how our beliefs, emotions, and behaviors around money shape our financial decisions and wealth-building choices. Also, they don’t know their clients' money mindset and personality type. The role of a financial advisor extends beyond just managing portfolios and providing investment advice. It also involves helping clients develop a healthy relationship with money. This relationship is crucial as it influences financial decisions, impacts financial health, and ultimately shapes the quality of life. But if you don’t understand the various ways that people relate to money, how they form their mindsets and personalities, or how to help clients have a healthy relationship with money, then you are doing yourself and your clients a disservice.  This episode shares how successful advisors and agents understand how clients and prospects form a complex relationship with money.

Do you ever feel like you over-promise and under-deliver when it comes to your client servicing system? Do you have the type of system that turns clients into raving fans? If not, then know this…you, are not alone! Many financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers and even agency managers want to service their clients in the best way possible but most fail to understand the essential “How To's”. Rather, they have a reactive client servicing system that results in interruptions and thus fractured efforts. In this episode, learn about a process that other advisors and agents apply to create an effective client servicing system!

Have you ever sat down to do something that you feel is important, such as prospect new people, follow up with prospects stuck in your sales pipeline, or prep for an appointment, only to have the moment hijacked by client interruptions? It might start with a quick client email, then a call from a client about their portfolio, followed by a text from a client to reschedule, and the next thing you know, an hour has gone by. This process could continue, and the entire day might pass without you ever getting to the essential things you intended to do. If that sounds familiar, know that you are not alone! Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and agency managers have never learned how to master what I call a Defensive Client Servicing System, which is a set of strategies that help you protect your time, minimize distractions, while still providing clients with excellent service. Often, advisors treat each distraction as a fire that they need to put out immediately. They end up thinking a reactive approach rather than a responsive one is a badge of honor, buying into the idea that being “always available” equals excellent service. Unfortunately, constant reactivity isn’t sustainable, not for you, your team, or your clients. This episode shares practical strategies that successful advisors and agents have used to identify, build, and benefit from a Defensive Client Servicing System, so you can control your day instead of letting others control it for you!

Do you need help with challenges in your financial services business that are leaving you frustrated?  Well, I wrote a book about that topic, my inaugural book, 101 ADVISOR SOLUTIONS: A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Strategies that Educate, Motive and Inspire! Many professional development books about financial services focus on the facets of time management, prospecting, or sales. While these books serve a purpose, if you are looking for specific areas to work on, they often fall short because lasting change requires attention to multiple facets of your business, as they overlap and don’t operate in silos. 101 Advisor Solutions is a curation of short stories about real-world challenges and solutions. It covers eight vital elements of having a financial services industry business. In this episode, learn about 101 ADVISOR SOLUTIONS and hear about relevant takeaways that could help move your business forward.

Are you looking for an excellent book to help you reach the next level in your business? I suggest my latest book, ADVISOR LIFE: A Business Coach’s Collection of Short Stories with Tools, Techniques and Transformational Momentum. Available for purchase now! Most books about the financial services industry focus on one facet of the business, such as time management, prospecting, or sales. Or, the focus is on one specific topic, such as how to get referrals.  Advisor Life is unique because it is a curation of short stories about experiences with my clients over my last decade of coaching. They are arranged into three categories: tools, techniques, and transformational moments.  Why would you want to hear about my second book? If you can understand the backstory of my book, how and why I wrote it, and what other advisors and agents have done to get to the next level, it could offer you takeaways that could help you and your business. In this episode, learn about ADVISOR LIFE, and listen to how you can get the most out of your business on a daily basis!

Do you run your business, or does your business run you? One way to know the answer is if you are typically overwhelmed, run-down, and/or exhausted at the end of the day. If this sounds like you, it’s because you don’t have suitable systems in place. Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agencies have never been taught best practices for how to create great business systems.  The reason is that they’ve never really looked at their business as having a series of systems. The interesting thing about that is that even if you don’t have a system, that’s a system; it’s winging it! And unfortunately, winging it doesn’t work. In this episode, learn how to create business systems so that you can run your business efficiently instead of your business running you down and draining you.

Do you have a successful business? Do you have a way to measure your success beyond looking at your paycheck?  Most financial advisors, insurance agents, wholesalers, branch managers, and even agency managers don’t have a well-thought-out process for measuring success. They have never learned a step-wise approach to measuring their progress instead of just measuring the ultimate end goal. In other words, if all you focus on is the destination, you won’t enjoy the journey! Also, you will obtain more success if you measure your milestones than if you don’t. The reason is that it’s easier to hit a milestone than constantly focusing on the end goal. Each milestone you achieve carries with it a new level of confidence that you are moving further toward your destination!   In this episode, learn what other successful advisors have done to create strategies for measuring their success, establishing milestones, and how they are setting themselves up to extract the most out of their business daily!

Have you ever hit a wall in your business? Where things that used to work suddenly don’t, and your motivation drops, results fade, and you start to wonder if the effort is even worth it. If that sounds familiar, you may be in what’s known as “The Dip.” Most financial advisors, insurance agents, branch managers, and agency managers experience “The Dip” at some point, but they don’t always recognize it. They end up quitting doing the right things, like prospecting or asking for referrals, instead of quitting doing the wrong things, like procrastination or low-payoff activities. It’s what you do during these times that makes all the difference! This episode shares practical strategies that successful advisors and agents have used to identify “The Dip,” push through it, and learn how to quit the things that are holding you back, so you can focus on what moves you forward. These are not just theoretical concepts but actionable steps that can help you take control, regain momentum, and grow your business.

Do you ever wonder how strong your relationships are with your clients? You may have great relationships with your clients and hopefully you do. But are some of your clients' one-time customers while other clients are raving fans? If so, what makes that difference?  If you don’t know why, know that you are not alone! At some point all advisors and agents feel like they are closer to some clients more than they are with others. In this episode, learn what to do to strengthen relationships and make a better connection with your clients.