Tag Archives: Bill Cates

#83 Charging for Financial Planning Services with Steven Kaplan & Ben Skupp

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What if you could cut through the noise and offer your clients true value beyond just product performance?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews co-founders of Holistic Financial Planners Steven Kaplan and Benjamin Skupp about charging for advice. They share their journey into adopting a new financial model that enabled them to work a flexible schedule and still deliver high client value. Throughout the episode, Steven and Ben explain how adopting a fee-based advisory model can foster healthier client relationships and present a sustainable career path for financial advisors.

Ben and Steve discuss: 

  • (03:30) The transition to a fee-based model for financial advice
  • (09:27) The benefits both advisors and clients experience from the fee-for-advice model
  • (13:00) How to propose and execute this model with clients
  • (16:58) How to ensure clients perceive your value beyond product sales
  • (32:03) Tips for advisors interested in shifting their business model and how to find Mindshift financial coaching
  • (36:11) Real-life success stories from advisors who made the switch
  • …And more!

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Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Steven Kaplan and Ben Skupp:

About Steven Kaplan and Ben Skupp:

Steven M. Kaplan, ChFC®, is a Senior Financial Planner.  He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, is series 7, 63, and 66 licensed, and has his Accident and Health Insurance license along with his Property and Casualty Insurance license. At Holistic Financial Planners, Steven is completely dedicated to his client’s financial success.  As a coach and planner, Steven helps clients bring clarity to their current financial picture and holds them accountable to make sure to help them achieve their financial goals.  He is making sure they are living for the present without neglecting the future while being as efficient as possible.

Benjamin Skupp, ChFC® is a Financial Planner. He is a graduate of West Chester University, is Series 7, 63 securities licensed, and has his Life, Accident and Health insurance license. At Holistic Financial Planners, Benjamin is determined to providing his clients comfort and confidence in achieving their lifetime goals through financial coaching and planning. In doing so, his caring and focused approach helps him understand problems from all perspectives and find customized solutions to best serve his clientele.

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#81 Generational Wealth Transfer: The 100 Year Family Strategy with Josh Kanter, JD

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In today’s episode, we dive deep into the world of multigenerational wealth management and generational wealth transfer with esteemed guest Josh Kanter, JD, a family office executive, advisor, and founder of leafplanner. 

We explore the groundbreaking “100-Year Family” concept, emphasizing the importance of maintaining family legacy and wealth across generations.

Josh shares invaluable insights on orchestrating effective family meetings to prepare for the $84 trillion generational wealth transfer. 

We’ll also delve into the complexities of family financial ecosystems and how leafplanner revolutionizes holistic family advisory services.

Drawing from his personal journey through a Supreme Court tax case, Josh discusses his motivation in shaping better financial outcomes for families.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Josh Kanter, JD, an attorney and founder of Leaf Planner, about managing family wealth. Josh brings a unique perspective gained from his own family’s legal challenges. You’ll learn about the concept of the “100-year family,” how to conduct family meetings that foster communication and involvement, and delve into leafplanner, a tool designed to simplify complex family enterprises.

Bill Cates & Josh Kanter discuss:   

  • The 100-Year Family Concept: Emphasizes multigenerational wealth preservation, legacy building, and aligns with Simon Sinek’s “Infinite Game” philosophy.
  • Family Meetings: Critical for managing generational wealth transfer, though often challenging due to complexity and lack of direct compensation for advisors.
  • Facilitation of Family Meetings: Requires in-depth preparation, individual interviews, travel, meeting facilitation, and detailed follow-up.
  • Leafplanner:  A tool that simplifies complex financial scenarios with tools like the Complexity Calculator and provides a “single family office” perspective for holistic management.
  • Josh Kanter’s Family Consulting: Josh works with select families on a referral basis while maintaining a collaborative, non-competitive approach with existing advisors.
  • The Supreme Court:  How Josh won a case in The United States Supreme Court and how that shaped the mission for his business. 

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Josh Kanter:

About Josh Kanter:

Josh Kanter is the Founder & CEO at leafplanner & Principal at Josh Kanter Wealth Advisory Services.

Through leafplanner and Josh Kanter Wealth Advisory Services, Josh Kanter’s goal is to share his experience, knowledge, and tools to help the 100-year family survive and thrive by providing thoughtful, personalized family, business, and legal consulting services to his clients.

Following several years in the legal space, he decided to focus on his family business, where he currently serves as President of Chicago Financial, Inc., a single-family office overseeing a complex organization of trusts, investment, and philanthropic entities for a multi-branch and multi-generational family. With experience in areas including hedge fund investments, private equity, real estate, venture capital, and art, he continues to help direct these entities.

In 2011, he founded Alliance for a Better Utah (ABU) to fulfill his passion for giving back. ABU is committed to improving the lives of all Utahns by ensuring balance, transparency, and accountability in Utah politics, policy, and government. In addition, he currently serves as the Chair Emeritus of the International Sculpture Center and is a board member of Action Utah.

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#79 Do You and Your Clients Need a Money Detox? with Tammy Lally

Client Experience & Loyalty, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are your money beliefs holding you back in your practice?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Tammy Lally, CMC®, LUTCF, a certified money coach, financial planner, TED speaker, and author of the book “Money Detox,” about the unproductive and limiting beliefs around money many financial advisors unknowingly harbor. Tammy brings invaluable insights from her years of experience and personal journey, including her TED Talk which has over 2.2 million views, about how to help financial advisors and their clients develop healthier beliefs about money.

You’ll learn how to recognize and address these limiting beliefs, the importance of emotional maturity around finances, how to shift your money mindset to attract more right-fit clients and leverage new opportunities, and practical strategies for creating stronger, healthier financial practices.

Tammy discusses: 

  • Her personal story and how it led to her TED Talk and book, “Money Detox”
  • The concept of money shame and how it affects financial decisions
  • How financial advisors can better understand their clients’ money stories and avoid unconsciously shaming them
  • The importance of curiosity and empathy in enhancing client relationships and financial outcomes
  • …And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Tammy Lally:

About Tammy Lally:

Tammy Lally is a Certified Money Coach, TED Speaker, and Author of Money Detox. She helps others master their finances by stopping the cycle of their money shame to rewrite their financial future. Tammy works with people to first conquer their emotions around money and then through a comprehensive financial plan. Tammy has 20 years of experience in the financial industry and 30 years of study in psychology, addiction, recovery, and spirituality. She brings a distinctive blend of financial industry experience, psychological knowledge, and spiritual consciousness to her work. Tammy offers a compassionate approach to money and money shame, which is truly powerful in helping her clients achieve transformative outcomes. Her signature “Money Detox” process is a seven-step journey that allows anyone to achieve financial freedom and joy. She works with individuals, couples, groups, and businesses and has helped thousands of people.

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#77 Using Video to Attract, Engage, and Retain Your Ideal Clients with Katie Braden, CFP®

Client Experience & Loyalty, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video marketing is a powerful tool for financial advisors to build trust, provide value, and create meaningful connections with clients.

How can you effectively use video to attract clients and maintain strong client relationships?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Katie Braden, CFP®, Founder and Chief Video Officer of Advisor Video Marketing, to explore how financial advisors can effectively use video to attract new clients and strengthen current client relationships. 

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn actionable strategies and best practices for integrating video into your marketing and client engagement efforts, drawing from real-world examples and expert advice from Katie. 

Bill and Katie discuss: 

  • Different ways advisors can use video to enhance client experience and drive business growth
  • Overcoming common fears and obstacles in creating authentic and effective video content
  • Practical tips for setting up and optimizing your video environment for professional quality
  • Specific case studies showcasing how top-performing advisors are successfully using video to build trust and deepen client relationships
  • …And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Katie Braden CFP®:

About Katie Braden:

With 18 years in financial services, Katie Braden turned her passion for helping the industry evolve into Advisor Video Marketing. Her mission? To make video marketing accessible and enjoyable for financial advisors. She’s not just another consultant; she’s a pioneer who started one of the first virtual, fee-only financial planning firms. Katie has also consulted for financial professionals in over 35 countries.

She obtained her degree in photography from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, before returning to the U.S. and joining her mother’s RIA in 2006. Her credentials include being a CFP® professional, an InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 alum, and ongoing service on the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative (WIN) Council. Through her workshops and services, she’s here to help you use video to improve your client experience and expand your reach.

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Episode #68 Crafting Your Origin Story to Build Trust and Finding Your Niche Market with Dan Brothers, CFP®

Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you have an “origin story”? Are you using it to attract more Right-Fit Clients™ and become more referable?

Have you figured out how to find your niche market – specifically one that’s clearly defined and profitable? Have you moved away from prospecting to attracting people to you?

In this episode of Top Advisor Podcast, host Bill Cates interviews financial advisor Dan Brothers, CFP®, who shares his insights on using his origin story to build rapport and trust with clients. Dan also reveals his strategy for selecting and focusing on a clear target market, that has propelled him to the top echelon among his peers.

Bill & Dan discuss:

  • Utilizing your “Origin Story” to connect with clients and prospects on a personal level
  • The importance of being genuine and authentic in how you communicate your value to prospects and clients.
  • Factors to consider when trying to figure out how to find your niche market in financial advisory.
  • His decision to focus on a niche market of individuals nearing retirement and the subsequent choice of a second niche to focus on asset accumulation.
  • The role of his wife, Ashley Brothers, in defining her own niche with blue-collar-millionaires.
  • …And so much more!

 

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Dan Brothers:

 

About Dan Brothers, CFP®:

Originally from Wappinger Falls, NY, Dan Brothers began his career in 2009. After seeing firsthand what can happen to families after catastrophic loss, Dan joined became an advisor to ensure he would be able to do everything in his power to help individuals and families prepare for what lies ahead.

Dan has built his practice in the North Shore of Boston over the last decade plus. The practice is focused on individuals and families within 5 years of their desired retirement goals.

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Episode #60 The Biggest Mistake Clients & Advisors Make in Life Expectancy Planning with Mark Pace, CLU, RHU, ChFC

Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

According to actuaries, you and your clients are underestimating how long you are going to live.

Therefore, most people don’t plan properly, and most financial advisors aren’t even aware of this. 

This interview with Marc Pace – Founder of the Vital Longevity Institute – has two parts:

  • Part 1 – Why most people (advisors included) underestimate their life expectancy, and how you can use this new awareness to better serve your clients.
  • Part 2 – How you can use this new knowledge to grow your business.  

Mark and Bill discuss: 

  • The history of the origins of retirement and what that means to you and your clients.
  • A story of a nine-year-old running the wrong race serves as a metaphor for how most people have the wrong goals and expectations in life (and financial planning).
  • The unique traits and habits of individuals who live to be 105 years or older.
  • How the act of seeking and striving, as well as a sense of purpose, can extend the years of your life and the life of your years. 
  • The adjustments you’ll want to make in how you approach planning.
  • The Vital Line program for financial planners, which includes coaching and consulting services to help them change their perception of aging.
  • CASE STUDY:  How belief-modifying techniques, like the “Possibilities Explosion” tool, significantly boosted a financial advisor’s seminar success.
  • …And more!

 

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Mark Pace:

 

About Mark Pace:

As founder of The Vital Longevity Institute and creator of the Vitalign System and the Complete Wealth Planning System, Mark Pace has exposed once and for all the deeply held yet false and ruinous beliefs holding everyone back. Spoiler alert: these false beliefs are the cause of practically every type of suffering in our society.

Mark has been delivering quantum change dynamics that, for the first time in history, counteract the cultural forces preventing people from living their perfect life, the one they deserve, the one they were meant for. He teaches a simple, powerful, proven, and immediately effective daily process for making rapid, permanent, positive changes. And, he inspires people to reset their life clocks so that their future will always be bigger, better, and brighter than their past… no matter how long they live!

Mark’s work is based on 40-plus years of entrepreneurial success, 20 years of research, and over three years of field testing.

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Episode #58 Building Connections that Turn Into Clients Through COIs, LinkedIn, Target Marketing, and Podcasting

Education, Finance, Leadership, Marketing, Prospecting, Speaking, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alice Tang, a highly successful financial advisor known for her passion for supporting millionaire women and helping the next generation achieve financial success.

It’s no secret that the affluent women’s market is a lucrative, ever-growing niche in the financial industry. This episode touches on this topic AND a whole lot more!

In this episode, Bill Cates interviews Alice Tang, ChFC®, MIM, Vice President and Partner at BPG Wealth Management LLC. Alice is a highly successful financial advisor known for her passion for supporting millionaire women, and helping the next generation achieve financial success. 

This interview offers valuable insights into leveraging Centers of Influence, LinkedIn, strategic networking, and podcasting. Alice and Bill dive into the importance of strategy and discipline when targeting this unique demographic, and Alice shares practical advice for building authentic connections, creating impactful conversations. and nurturing relationships.

Alice also shares her inspiring personal journey from growing up in Hong Kong to becoming a successful financial planner in Oregon. She reveals how her podcast serves as a relationship-building tool with clients and shares tips on leveraging LinkedIn for business growth.

Bill and Alice discuss: 

  • How Alice’s journey led her to focus on successful women and inspired her initiative, Women’s Million Dollar Conversations – featuring interviews with affluent women ($1M+) sharing insights on finance and empowerment. 
  • Using podcast interviews as a way to build relationships with potential clients, and how it can lead to clients becoming guests (and vice versa). 
  • Strategies to help financial advisors successfully monetize a podcast. 
  • Her systematic process for maintaining productive relationships with key centers of influence. 
  • The importance of having a strategy and being authentic on LinkedIn. 
  • The need for discipline and consistency for engaging on LinkedIn, and creating meaningful conversations with others in the community. 
  • … And more!

 

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Alice Tang:   

About Alice Tang:

Alice Tang started her second career as a financial advisor in 2000. Many of Alice’s clients are female business owners and executives. She strives to be a leader and inspiration to professional women. Alice helps her clients define their relationship with money with a goal to achieve financial freedom by executing her financial planning process and leveraging tax-advantaged strategies. Her vision is a community full of confident and happy retirees, and it starts with women taking charge of their money. Alice has frequently spoken on the topic of “Why Women need to be In Charge of their Money” and “Your Network Your Prosperity – How to Build a Strong Network by Paying It Forward”.

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Episode #56 A Simple Weekly Strategy for Elevating Financial Advisor Productivity with Brian Margolis

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

It’s not an accident that Productivity and Proactive start with the same three letters. 

Pro can mean For and Forward. I’m all for moving forward, how about you?

If you’re like most advisors, there are days where you feel very productive and know that you are moving your business forward. You probably have other days (too many?) where you’re simply being reactive.  You’re doing things you know you need to do, but those days don’t often feel as rewarding.

Is it possible to go from a reactive practice to a proactive practice? 

Is it possible to decrease your time working, while simultaneously increasing your revenue?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Brian Margolis, Founder of Productivity Giant and author of “The Index Card Business Plan.” 

Brian and Bill explore the power of using pillars to maximize financial advisor productivity. Brian explains the three categories of pillars and shares strategies for overcoming internal resistance. He also emphasizes the importance of focus management and shares real-life success stories of advisors who have implemented The Pillar System.

Bill and Brian discuss: 

  • The three pillars essential for financial advisor proactivity: activity/consistency, learning/effectiveness, and strategic.
  • How to identify skills with the highest ROI – so advisors can make intentional choices related to focus and skill development.
  • The role of support staff in helping advisors maintain the right habits for success.
  • The concept of focus management, which emphasizes the need to protect and manage one’s mental energy.
  • Real-life case studies of success where established advisors have transformed their businesses by focusing on specific pillars adapted to them – including one advisor who doubled their yearly AUM growth while working one less day per week.
  • The value of the Friday night feeling, indicating the satisfaction of completing key tasks as a reliable measure of success
  • …And more!

 

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Brian Margolis:

About Brian Margolis:

Brian Margolis is a former environmental scientist turned entrepreneur. He is the founder of ProductivityGiant.com and author of the book “The Index Car 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 Shark Tank 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.

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Episode #52 Using Curiosity to Ignite Your Prospecting & Client Acquisition with Chris Ridgway

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

While curiosity may have killed the cat, it didn’t hurt this advisor!

How about you?  Have you developed a strong Curiosity Muscle?  Do you exercise it often as you endeavor to bring more ideal clients into your business?

Curiosity will serve you well in this business:

  • You will meet new people.
  • You will serve your clients better by knowing more about them.
  • You will learn about other’s in your clients’ lives who could be candidates for your important work.

Today’s featured guest, Chris Ridgway, has attained rapid success in this business through personal observation, curiosity, and a strong belief in his value.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Chris Ridgway, Growth and Development Director & Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual. They explore the power of curiosity in the financial advisory industry, emphasizing the importance of being genuinely interested in people and their stories. Additionally, Chris shares his unique approach to client acquisition through observation and connection, finding common interests, and aligning values.

Bill and Chris discuss: 

  • Curiosity as a valuable trait for financial advisors.
  • How Chris implements personal observation in daily interactions.
  • How to obtain the contact information of prospects, and the reason for follow-up after a conversation.
  • Chris’ unique “Pillar of the Community” approach to meeting CEOs and other high-level prospects.
  • How laying out your entire process and philosophy to Centers of Influence can help build trust and referability while creating productive COI relationships. 
  • The power of nesting in a company to turbo-charge prospecting opportunities. 
  • …And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Chris Ridgway:

About Chris Ridgway:

Chris Ridgway is the Growth and Development Director & Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual.

Chris believes the starting point of any financial conversation should be with you — your life, your family, your priorities, and your goals. He will listen to what’s important to you and design a financial plan from multiple strategies specifically designed to help get you where you want to be.

Chris is committed to helping you get closer to your dreams. When you partner with him, you can expect a judgment-free, pressure-free environment with conversations that will be jargon-free. Chris strives to provide you with the best experience possible

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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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