Monthly Archives: June 2026

#111 – The Ideal Week for Financial Advisors with Brian Margolis



Are you running your week, or is your week running you?
Brian Margolis, founder of Productivity Giant explains why most advisors spend too much time reacting to emails, distractions, and day-to-day chaos, and how you can reverse that trend.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pillar System: Identify 5-7 weekly “pillars” – the most high-leverage activities that, done consistently, drive your long-term results. Success lies in consistency, even if the payoff isn’t immediately obvious.
  • Pro Time (Protected, Proactive Time): Schedule focused, undisturbed blocks in your calendar – ideally in the morning – to work on your business, not just in it.
  • Mold & Batch: Treat your Pro Time as your most important client. Mold your calendar around it, and batch similar tasks together to avoid the productivity-killing cost of context switching.
  • Plan Your Day: Don’t start your morning until it’s finished on paper. Brian Margolis shares his “four column” legal pad system to organize priority projects, tasks, and even personal to-dos.

  Quick Implementation Tips 

  • Set Recurring Pro Time: Make it a standing appointment with yourself on your calendar – before meetings or client work fills the space.
  • Try a Reverse Timer: When tackling email, set a 10–15-minute timer to process as much as you can, saving longer items for later.
  • Batch for Focus: Group similar tasks. For example, process prospecting emails together, handle admin tasks in one block, and reserve creative work for your freshest hours.

This episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you work smarter, protect your pro time, and achieve the results you want.

Don’t forget to check out the show notes for free resources and get ready to turn great ideas into meaningful action!

Sponsor: 

 Connect with Brian Margolis:

 Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Brian Margolis

Brian Margolis is a former environmental scientist who turned entrepreneur. He is the founder of ProductivityGiant.com and author of the book The Index Card Business Plan for Sales Pros and Entrepreneurs.

Brian’s Pillar System helps sales pros and entrepreneurs create a strategy so simple, it fits on an index card…but so powerful it’s helped create 7-figure earners and has been licensed by some of the largest companies in the world to train their teams.

Brian has been a partner or consultant in multiple ventures ranging from startups to national brands. He has worked with everyone from SharkTank entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. Both his accomplishments and failures span a variety of industries.

In addition to his above work, and appearances on some of the largest business and sales podcasts in the world, he is still in the trenches having done thousands of individual coaching sessions with sales pros and entrepreneurs.


#110 – Cultivating Community and Challenging Retirement Myths with Derek Coburn



Thrilled to have interviewed Derek Coburn on the latest episode of the Top Advisor Podcast!

Derek built and sold a thriving financial practice, created the renowned networking community Cadre, and is a bestselling author challenging the conventional views on retirement.

Whether you’re a financial advisor or a growth-minded professional, his journey and perspectives are a must-listen. Here are 3 key takeaways for you:

  1. Curated Networking Beats Cold Outreach:
    Derek found greater success – and deeper relationships – by moving away from mass networking events and instead hosting highly curated, small-group gatherings that create meaningful connections.Tired of large, impersonal networking events? Derek shares how hosting smaller, curated roundtable lunches led to deeper connections and eventually grew into Cadre, a thriving community for entrepreneurs and business leaders
  2. Redefining Retirement:
    Question the traditional model of retirement. The story of Derek’s Dad and his book Let’s Retire Retirement shows that maintaining purpose beyond 65 can not only improve well-being but also offer financial flexibility.Derek challenges traditional thinking about retirement, asking: Should we be steering clients toward a destination they may not truly want?
  3. It’s About Being Present, Not Just Planning:True wealth is about maximizing meaningful moments with family and friends throughout life—not deferring them until “someday.” Don’t underestimate the value of $50,000 moments.Check out this episode for practical ideas on building your network, challenging outdated industry advice, and living life more fully now and later!

Episode Sponsors: 


Connect with Derek Coburn:

Resources:

Connect With Bill Cates: