Category Archives: Finance

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Ep. #28: Building a Referral Only Practice on a Powerful Story With Tyson Vines

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

When it comes to building a referral only practice, you want to attract prospects and build client relationships by making two intertwined connections. You want to make a value connection and you want to make a personal connection. Both are necessary, though the mix of the two may vary from client to client.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Tyson Vines, Founder & Financial Advisor of V Financial Partners, to talk about his process for attracting and winning new clients and building highly referable relationships with them. 

Tyson and Bill discuss: 

  • Tyson’s commitment to a referral only practice – and how he nets an average of 3.5 referral prospects per week!
  • Two tragic events of Tyson’s life, and how he connects these stories to his client acquisition process.
  • His “secret sauce” for creating advocates that provide great unsolicited referrals.
  • Tyson’s mission to change the wealth management industry.
  • The core values that guide his referral only business. 
  • How he tackles the “dreaded” conversation around fees & commissions.
  • …And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Tyson Vines:

About Our Guest:

After a strong Wall Street career helping sovereign wealth funds, pensions and private banks globally, Tyson Vines wanted to own a financial planning practice. He founded V Financial Partners in 2012 with the mission to care for people and their businesses through personal finance and increase financial literacy in an enjoyable, open and honest way.

Tyson’s father passed away when he was in college. Caring for his widowed mother was the top priority. The moment they met a financial adviser, emotions calmed, and comfort flowed with a sound financial plan of investments and insurance solutions.

Tyson believes everyone deserves an institutional Wall Street experience. Leaning on his global investment experience navigating the world’s largest investors through the Great Recession, V Financial Partners aims to deliver the same heightened experience to everyone. V Financial Partners offers stability and confidence to their clients.

For six years, prior to establishing his practice, Tyson was a Global Consultant Relationship Manager with Victory Capital Management, an investment management subsidiary of KeyCorp. He also worked as a sell-side equity and investment banking associate with KeyBanc Capital Markets.



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Ep. #27: Triple Threat: The Exponential Power of an Effective Financial Advisor Website, Podcast, and Target Market with Jeremy Keil, CFP®, CFA, CIMA®

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Is your marketing strategy a Triple Threat?

There are three important marketing strategies that every top advisor should consider using in their effort to attract more Right-Fit Clients:

  1. A well-defined, profitable target market.
  2. A financial advisor website focused on client acquisition (not just a “digital brochure.”)
  3. A podcast that creates credibility in your target market.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates sits down with Jeremy Keil, founder of Keil Financial Partners, to discuss how Jeremy employs the above 3 strategies, and how they work together to create an impact greater than the sum of its parts.

Jeremy and Bill discuss: 

  • How focusing solely on the category of retirement planning has made a big difference for his clients and the growth of his business. 
  • How Jeremy built and utilizes his financial advisor website to turn visitors into clients.
  • How working with his target market (clients employed by publicly traded companies like Harley Davidson and We Energies) translates into his unique value proposition.
  • Why he started his podcast Retirement Revealed and the impact it has made on his business.
  • How by applying this triple threat marketing strategy, his referrals have significantly increased.
  • … And so much more!

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Jeremy Keil:

About Our Guest:

Jeremy Keil is the founder and financial advisor at Keil Financial Partners and the host of the Retirement Revealed podcast. He works to simplify complex financial decisions so you can make smarter retirement, investment, and tax planning decisions.

Jeremy loves helping people learn more about and feeling more confident about their money.

After graduating from college, Jeremy started out by selling suits at Jos A. Bank and working on different political campaigns.

While serving as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin (Cedarburg), and Wisconsin Lutheran College (Milwaukee), Jeremy learned how to take complex financial topics and explain them in a way that anyone could understand.

If he could keep college seniors awake during 8 a.m. Friday classes about corporate finance, you can be sure that while working with Jeremy you’ll know more about, feel better about, and make better decisions about your money.

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Ep. #26: How to Target Millennials as Financial Advisory Clients with Ivory Johnson, CFP®, ChFC

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , ,

According to Forbes, “Millennials will hold five times as much wealth as they have today, and the group is anticipated to inherit over $68 trillion from their Baby Boomer parents by the year 2030. This will represent one of the greatest wealth transfers in the modern times.”

There are already approximately 618,000 millennial millionaires. Millennial millionaires make up approximately 2% of the total U.S. millionaire population. The majority of millennial millionaires have a net worth that ranges from $1 million to $2.49 million and fall  between the ages of 34 and 37.

Due to inheritances, trusts and estate planning, there will be a steady flow of Millennials getting very rich soon.

The reality is that many millennials and younger clients with huge upside want to work with financial advisors, just not in the traditional way. And, you don’t necessarily have to hire younger associates to attract these younger clients.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Ivory Johnson, CFP®, ChFC, and founder of Delancey Wealth Management. Ivory and Bill explain the importance of attracting a younger clientele, how to target millennials by adjusting your approach, and how this will benefit your business.

Bill and Ivory discuss:

  • Why Ivory believes it’s important to work with younger clients – especially the adult children of his older clients.
  • How to target millennials as advisory clients. 
  • 2 important questions Ivory asks every client in order to become more relevant and helpful to them.
  • How Ivory deals with younger clients and the fun part of working with them.
  • Why advisors need to have a social media presence to attract millennials.
  • Ivory’s optimism for technology and digital assets.
  • and more

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Ivory Johnson:

About Our Guest:

With over two decades of helping families and small businesses create and protect wealth, Ivory Johnson has seen the benefits of developing a financial game-plan. Ivory combines his extensive professional and academic experiences to diagnose an increasingly complicated world. He believes that if you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it, choosing the colloquial in favor of formal.

Ivory has a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and has been recognized by the Global Blockchain Association and RIA DAC for his proficiency in blockchain technology and digital assets. He is also a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council made up of 20 high-level financial professionals, and regularly contributes articles to CNBC.com, and has been quoted in Investment News, the Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise, Money Magazine, Kiplinger’s and other publications.



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Ep. #25: How Your Personal Brand Story Helps Attract New Clients with Deirdre Van Nest

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Do you have a Personal Brand Story Do you know your “why” – as in, why you believe in the importance and value of your work?

And are you using it to connect with your prospects and clients in a meaningful way – that leads to winning their business and generating referrals?

In this episode of Top Advisor Podcast, Referral Coach Bill Cates welcomes Deirdre Van Nest, Founder of Crazy Good Talks. Deirdre tells us why she works with financial advisors, a touching story that revolves around a personal tragedy. She also highlights the power of advisors telling their “why” stories to clients.

Bill & Deirdre discuss: 

  • The difference between a personal brand story and a bio story.
  • How one advisor increased his “win rate” from an already high 85% to almost 100%.
  • How an appropriately vulnerable story can help you connect with prospects and clients. 
  • Where and how successful advisors are using their personal brand stories to attract and convert new clients.
  • And more

Resources:

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Deirdre Van Nest:

About Our Guest:

Deirdre Van Nest doesn’t believe in boring you with a laundry list of credentials. She is the go-to expert for ‘Mission-Driven” financial professionals and entrepreneurs on how to Make An Impact when you express yourself.

Deidre is a top-rated International Keynoter, Trainer, Story Strategist & Artist, and the Creator of the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint and the Emotionally Engaging Advisor™two practical communication systems that have taught thousands how to capture attention, connect emotionally and Make An Impact.

She is passionate about this work and feels blessed every day to help my clients succeed. On a personal note, Deirdre is an Italian & Irish New Yorker living in Minnesota, where she tries hard not to scare people with her loud voice and enthusiastic hand gestures.



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Ep. #24: How to Guide Your Clients as a Sudden Wealth Financial Advisor Featuring Myah Moore Irick

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , ,

Sudden Wealth can strike in many ways. It can come through an inheritance, an athlete signing a lucrative contract, a legal settlement, the sale of a company, or even winning the lottery.

Sudden wealth can bring elation and a host of challenges.

Without a sound plan of action, sudden wealth can escape almost as quickly as it came. It can even leave debt in its wake.

In this episode of the Top Advisor Podcast, Bill Cates speaks with Myah Moore Irick, who has built and sustained a highly successful practice as a sudden wealth financial advisor helping her clients navigate their newfound fortune and resulting challenges. 

Bill and Myah discuss: 

  • How Myah got started in her niche as a sudden wealth financial advisor.
  • The type of sudden wealth clients Myah serves and how she meets them.
  • How involvement in the community and philanthropic activities bring her new clients.
  • Why she has chosen to build a diverse, multi-cultural team and why it’s been great for the health of her business. 
  • Bill’s answer to Myah’s question, “If you were building your practice today, what types of clients would you try to serve?”
  • …And so much more!

Connect with Myah Moore Irick

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Myah Moore Irick focuses on providing wealth planning strategies to successful executives, individuals and families navigating sudden wealth, and a growing list of professional athletes.

Myah possesses a deep understanding of the psychology of wealth: the challenges that executives, individuals, seasoned professionals and even up-and-coming athletes face when making decisions about their financial futures. With this knowledge, Myah can help her clients identify what they want their money to do for their lives, families and communities – and then create a wealth plan for achieving that.

Myah is devoted to giving back in her own life. While she spends much of her free time with her husband and three children, she also sits on several boards and committees that promote access to financial literacy, and equity & inclusion in the classroom and the boardroom. She serves on the boards of the Carnegie Science Center, the Energy Innovation Center Institute, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and serves as a strategic partner to InvestmentNews and The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI). Her experience as Miss Oregon (with the Miss Universe Organization) in 2003 inspired her ongoing commitment to promoting educational opportunities for women. 

 

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Ep. #23: Defining a Target Market Strategy That Brings More Perceived & Real Value with Don Hilario

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , ,

Many top financial advisors use a target market strategy that enhances just about every other aspect of their client-acquisition efforts. They are able to build a reputation that begins to draw people in – where they are sought out by prospects with their hand raised saying, “I’ve heard great things about you. You were highly recommended. I know you work with people just like me.”  

And if you pick the right target market, you’ll likely find more enjoyment and passion in your work.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates speaks with Don Hilario, financial advisor and founder of Hilpan Moxie. Bill and Don discuss how Don found his niche working with Big Tech clients, specifically Google, and how having a very clear target market strategy can earn you validation as an advisor.

Bill and Don discuss: 

  • How Don carved out his niche with clients at Google.
  • Don’s 4-5-6 method to acquire right-fit clients from Google.
  • The clear benefits and potential drawbacks from having a very specific target market strategy.
  • And more

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Don Hilario:

About Our Guest:

For over 15 years, Don Hilario has been a financial advisor for Big Tech employees. He collaborates with software engineers, managing directors, and tech recruiters to help them minimize taxes, accelerate growth & align investment decisions with smart goals – so they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-oriented.  

In 2012, Don started his own business, called Hilpan Moxie. Where he connects with his audience across different mediums, including interactive visualizations that empowers client engagement and transforms financial jargon into relatable and compelling stories. 

When he isn’t working with clients, Don teaches Catechism at St. John Neumann, traveling with his wife and two daughters. And cheering on the New York Knicks!



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Ep. #22: The 3 Roles Any Entrepreneur Financial Advisor Must Play

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , ,

In business, when you hear someone talk about the CEO’s role in a company, your first thought is that they’re the leader and top decision-maker for the company. 

What if we told you that there are two other integral roles in a company that also fall under the CEO umbrella? 

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates speaks with Travis Chaney, CEO of Dynamic Directions (D2). Bill and Travis talk about the three essential CEO roles in a company that every entrepreneur financial advisor should know about.

Bill and Travis discuss: 

  • The difference between an entrepreneur financial advisor and a non-entrepreneur advisor.
  • How the three CEO roles contribute to your business growth.
  • What does the concept “Client Experience” mean and why is it so important?
  • Something you can start doing with your clients today to add to their experience, create strong loyalty and make you highly referable.
  • And much more!

Resources:

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Travis:

About Our Guest:

Travis is the CEO of Dynamic Directions (D2), a coaching and consulting firm working exclusively with successful financial advisors – helping each one of them build an extraordinary practice and an extraordinary life and practice for financial advisors. 

Travis is a former award-winning financial advisor who consistently ranked in the top 1.5% of financial advisors at his broker-dealer. Travis is also the author of Turbo Growth: Proven Strategies to Create an Extraordinary Life and Financial Planning Practice, and has just released his latest book: The 3 CEOs – The Three Most Important Roles Entrepreneurial Financial Advisors Play.

Travis lives in Owensboro, Kentucky, with his wife Christy, son Ryland, and two daughters Lucy Jagoe, and Stone. He is a bourbon enthusiast and a country music songwriter.

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Ep. #21: Succession Planning for Financial Advisors with Karen Jessey & Neill Turner

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , ,

Many business partnerships begin with two people coming together with like-minded business ideas. 

In the beginning things are great, both parties get along well and the creative juices flow. Eventually a legal partnership is formed. 

However, once the business is formed, do you know how your partner deals with setbacks and success? Do you know how they deal with money? What about hiring employees?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates meets with financial advisors Karen Jessey & Neill Turner from Strategic Wealth Partners. They discuss how to successfully navigate the ins and outs of a business partnership, as well as specific considerations around succession planning for financial advisors. They share the process they’ve taken to build Neill’s acumen as the successor of the business as Karen moves towards retirement.

Karen & Neill discuss: 

  • Why Karen decided to start thinking about the succession of her business
  • The importance of having difficult conversations with your business partner 
  • The decision-making process within a successful business partnership
  • The potential difficulties of bringing in a business partner, and eventual challenges regarding succession planning for financial advisors
  • And more

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Karen Jessey & Neill Turner:

About Our Guests:

For over 35 years, Karen Jessey has been helping people feel better about their financial world. Through the years, Karen built a team consisting of top-notch individuals. Together, they create a unique process which helps clients delve into their financial worlds and identify their dreams and goals, as well as potential problems. They value long term relationships that evolve and change as life does. In 2013, she partnered with Neill Turner to create Strategic Wealth Partners. 

When she isn’t helping clients build their financial future, She enjoys being outdoors and exploring the mountains.  However, the ocean calls her name every year and she must find a place to sink her toes into the water.

For over a decade, Neill Turner has been helping clients make better financial decisions. His experience waiting tables, earning an engineering degree, owning his own business, and teaching yoga has helped him become not only a successful financial advisor but a great partner. Karen is currently grooming him to take over the company in the future!

 

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Ep. #20: Cultivating a Company Culture that Drives Long-Term Success with Scott Leibfried, ChFC®, APMA®

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

How much of a difference does your company culture really make for your clients and your employees?

In this episode, Bill invites Scott Leibfried to talk about the “Premium Client Experience” and how his years in the industry have helped him develop the toolkit to strengthen his clients’ and employees’ relationship with his business.

Bill and Scott discuss: 

  • The culture of Scott’s business, and how it has evolved with their growth
  • What made Scott think deeper about the importance of work culture
  • How company culture impacts every component of a business
  • How Scott’s employees’ values shaped their culture and cultivated long-term success
  • How the “Premium Client Experience” demonstrates the way that little touches can make a big difference
  • And so much more!

Resources: 

Connect with Scott Leibfried

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Scott Leibfried APMA, ChFC is a Private Wealth Advisor at StackStone Wealth, a private advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Scott aims to develop a personalized financial plan for his clients so they can gain the confidence they need to focus on what matters to them most in life. 

He has built a culture design to provide his clients with the best possible experience in the workplace, and at the same time allows his firm, including his staff to flourish! The net result of this intentional culture is that his clients do his marketing for him, meaning they have become advocates for him. They send qualified prospects to him on a regular basis. He has been able to retain and attract great talent for his team.

Scott became a private wealth advisor in 1998 when he founded StackStone which headquartered in Dubuque. He also became a pilot in 2011, flying every week for business. He frequently plays pickleball and tennis as well as golf when he has the chance.

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Ep. #19: What’s the Skinny on Becoming a Financial Advisor for Athletes? with Walter Stith

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, , , ,

When most people think of financial advisors who work with professional athletes, they probably imagine a glamorous lifestyle of spending time with their favorite players, getting a behind-the-scenes look into professional sports, and free tickets to games.

But what is it really like being a financial advisor for athletes?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates sits down with Walter Stith, former NFL offensive lineman turned financial advisor for Morgan Stanley, ranked by Forbes as one of America’s Next Gen Advisors. Walter discusses the lessons he learned while playing professional football, and the importance of protecting your finances from blindside hits. 

Walter discusses: 

  • Pros & cons of working with professional athletes
  • Why it’s important for athletes to think about life after professional sports
  • The importance of having a good advisor or agent that specializes in work with pro athletes
  • What name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals look like in college sports

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Walter Stith:

About Our Guest:

Walter played his college football at Western Michigan University as an offensive tackle. He also went on to play in the NFL for 2 years with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. Before finishing up his professional career in CFL with the B.C. Lions in 2009. He has spent the last decade working for Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor. He is currently ranked by Forbes as one of America’s next gen advisors. Walter helps his clients protect their financial blind side.  

Walter lives in Atlanta with his wife Aisha, daughter Kaili, and two sons, Kingston and Chase. When he isn’t protecting his client’s financial blindside, he enjoys being active through running, biking, and hiking.

 

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