Category: Financial Advisors
Ep 86: Your Most Valuable Asset: Personal Branding with April Rudin

Ep 86: Your Most Valuable Asset: Personal Branding with April Rudin

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Just as people look online to check a restaurant or service provider before making a reservation or appointment, prospects and referrals are probably vetting you (among others) to determine whether to contact you. Who are they seeing? 

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain dive into the world of digital marketing and personal branding with April Rudin, founder and president of the Rudin Group. April shares four tips to make your digital presence more interesting and effective.

April discusses: 

  • Why personal branding is more important than ever
  • How a personal dimension can set you apart
  • The value of professional input 
  • Why to make a social pivot to B2B 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With April Rudin:

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About Our Guest:

Founder and President of The Rudin Group, April J. Rudin is widely acknowledged as a top marketing strategist for the financial services and wealth-management sectors. Distinguished by her ability to forecast and leverage critical trends and her expertise in digital and traditional media, she leads a firm that designs bespoke marketing campaigns for some of the world’s leading wealth management firms, fintech, and family offices; campaigns that strengthen their brand value and drive client acquisition. April is recognized by IBM as an “Influencer” in wealth management and fintech and is a regularly-featured source of expert commentary to international news and business outlets, trade publications, and broadcast media. 



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Ep 85: The Science Behind Growing Wallet Share — With Barnaby Riedel, PhD

Ep 85: The Science Behind Growing Wallet Share — With Barnaby Riedel, PhD

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What are your clients not telling you? What could you do differently to earn greater trust? 

In this episode, Laura Gregg talks with Barnaby Riedel, one of the architects of FlexShares’ behavioral study on growing wallet share. The findings provide a sensible groundwork to build more productive and mutually rewarding client relationships. 

Barnaby discusses:

  • His firm, RDCL, and its work in the financial industry
  • Why most research on growing wallet share falls short 
  • The five client personas advisors need to understand 
  • How you can tailor your approach to build trust (and wallet share) with each client type
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Barnaby Riedel:

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About Our Guest:

Barnaby Riedel, PHD

Barnaby is co-founder and lead researcher at RDCL, a social-science based research firm dedicated exclusively to the most forward-thinking financial companies. Prior to founding RDCL, Barnaby taught at the University of Chicago in the Division of the Social Sciences. His approach to research is interdisciplinary and contrarian – drawing on everything from evolutionary psychology to cultural anthropology. Since being founded in 2013, RDCL’s work has delivered dramatic results for clients and has been featured in numerous trade publications as well as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Observer.

RDCL 

RDCL is a social science-based research firm dedicated exclusively to the most forward-thinking financial companies.

Important information regarding a discussion in the podcast:

Alpha and beta are two different parts of an equation used to explain the performance of stocks and Investment funds. Beta Is a measure of volatility relative to a benchmark, such as the S&P 500. Alpha Is the excess return on an Investment after adjusting for market-related volatility and random fluctuations.



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Ep 84: Why Settle for “Satisfied” Clients? — Brendan Frazier on the Value of Emotional Connection

Ep 84: Why Settle for “Satisfied” Clients? — Brendan Frazier on the Value of Emotional Connection

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Provide good numbers and exceptional service and you’ll have a satisfied client. Create a personal connection, and you may be surprised at the results. 

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain speak with financial advisor Brendan Frazier, founder of Wired Planning and host of The Human Side of Money podcast. Brendan offers three simple steps to help you exceed mere ‘satisfaction’ in your client relationships. 

Brendan discusses: 

  • Why customer satisfaction is no longer enough 
  • A new 80/20 rule that can bring immediate results 
  • The striking benefits of emotionally connected advisor/client relationships
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Brendan Frazier:

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Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Brendan Frazier is the founder of Wired Planning and the host of The Human Side of Money podcast. Recently named a top-100 financial advisor by Investopedia, Brendan helps advisors enhance the trajectory of their businesses through more meaningful client interaction.



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Ep 83: Getting to Yes! Why You Need to Acknowledge Behavioral Finance — With Michael Pompian

Ep 83: Getting to Yes! Why You Need to Acknowledge Behavioral Finance — With Michael Pompian

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Most advisors recognize that, when it comes to making investment decisions, a client’s emotions can derail a plan.

Equipping yourself with knowledge on behavioral finance and financial personas could be the key to a more successful approach to ensuring your clients stick to their plan. 

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Michael Pompian, CFA, CAIA, CFP, an author and authority on behavioral finance, about his research on the topic and his practical experience understanding how client emotions can impact your practice, your clients’ experience and their investment outcomes.

Michael discusses: 

  • What drove him to research behavioral finance
  • The crucial distinction between investors’ cognitive and emotional biases
  • Why this should matter to an advisor 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Michael Pompian:

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Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Michael Pompian, CFA, CAIA, CFP, is the founder and chief investment officer of Sunpointe Investments, an investment advisory firm to entrepreneurs, corporate executives and multi-generational families, based in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the creator of the Pompian Behavioral Model of investor classification, as well as the  author of five books on behavioral finance, including his latest Behavioral Finance and Your Portfolio (Wiley, 2021).

As an experienced advisor, author, and pioneering researcher on the topics of behavioral finance and emotional investing, his books have helped thousands of financial advisors across the globe build better relationships with their clients. His newest work is designed to help individual investors recognize and better manage their investing biases, either independently or with their financial advisors.



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Ep 82: Back to School — With Steve Schiestel, Director of Financial Planning at MSU

Ep 82: Back to School — With Steve Schiestel, Director of Financial Planning at MSU

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Is your firm seeking new talent? Are you a student seeking a career in wealth management? Consider introducing yourself to the growing number of Financial Planning directors at universities in your area (and beyond). 

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain speak with Steve Schiestel, CFA, the Head of the Financial Planning and Wealth Management Program at Michigan State University. 

Steve talks about what he did to start and grow the University’s CFP program, and how firms can reach out to him for help with finding the right talent for what they need — for both Internships and permanent employees.

Steve discusses: 

  • Why and how he built the MSU Financial Planning program
  • How he promotes the program internally 
  • His approach to job placements
  • The most sought-after skills for financial planning 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Stephen Schiestel:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Stephen Schiestel is a passionate educator and financial advisor dedicated to improving personal financial education and financial decision making. He has worked in three distinct careers: commercial lending, wealth management, and college teaching. Stephen started his career in commercial banking as a commercial credit analyst and commercial lender. In wealth management, he was an equity analyst, portfolio manager, financial planner, investment research director, chief investment officer all at a regional bank and now an owner of Grand Capital Advisors – a fee-only fiduciary financial planning and wealth management firm. In addition to helping clients at the firm, he also teaches finance full time at Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business.



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Ep 81: Women are Smart, Savvy, and Speaking with Their Money — With Dr. Barbara Provost

Ep 81: Women are Smart, Savvy, and Speaking with Their Money — With Dr. Barbara Provost

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Is this too much to ask?

Women just want advisors who recognize their concerns, appreciate their perspective, and respect their ability to make smart choices.

Join Laura Gregg and David Partain as they talk with Dr. Barbara Provost, Founder of Purse Strings, LLC and an accomplished educational consultant to the banking and insurance industries. They discuss the often overlooked opportunity that exists with women and why faulty assumptions about women continue to be made by advisors.

Barbara explains why she founded Purse Strings and its mission to connect women
with top-tier professionals.

Barbara discusses:

  • How her work with the World Bank further ignited her passion to help women get
    the wealth management experience they deserve
  • Why she created Purse Strings
  • The resources available to both investors and advisors at Purse Strings
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Barbara Provost:

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Connect With David Partain: 

About Our Guest:
Dr. Barbara Provost has 20+ years’ experience as an educational consultant to the banking and insurance industries. Over the years, she watched these male-dominated sectors consistently shape their sales messaging and resource development solely for target audiences of men, blatantly ignoring the $20 + Trillion in annual spending that women alone are responsible for. Barb took action in 2015
by launching Purse Strings, a company for and by women boasting a unique dual business model.   Purse Strings features a new business development service introducing women who seek financial advice to service providers who understand their unique needs. They simultaneously offer a breadth of free educational resources designed to help every woman, whether they have a little money or a lot,
get smart and protect their financial future. Barb’s life motto is: be financially fearless.

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Ep 80: Virtual Hybrid Meetings, Actual Success – With Lauren Sergy

Ep 80: Virtual Hybrid Meetings, Actual Success – With Lauren Sergy

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Virtual meetings are one of the lasting impacts of Covid. While you may have mastered them when everyone was remote, now it’s time to master hybrid virtual meetings. Consider these ideas to make them more comfortable – and productive – for all involved.

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain speak with Lauren Sergy, the author of Unmute: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity. They discuss key protocols and best practices to optimize your hybrid workplace.  

Lauren Sergy discusses: 

  • Why a consistent experience for all participants is so important  
  • 3 key elements for hybrid success
  • How to build more effective team and client relationships in a hybrid work environment 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Lauren:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Lauren Sergy is a published author of the bestseller, The Handy Communication Answer Book, from 2017 and her most recent book, Unmute: How to Master Virtual Meetings and Reclaim Your Sanity. She is a sought-after public speaker and interpersonal communication expert who has helped thousands of professionals from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe become better communicators. Lauren teaches business communication seminars with the University of Alberta and currently continues public speaking and workshops about communication, helping professionals.



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Ep 79: The Rules Have Changed! How to Get More From Clients – With Bev Flaxington

Ep 79: The Rules Have Changed! How to Get More From Clients – With Bev Flaxington

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What makes “The Ask” so awkward and even counterproductive? 

FlexShares recently surveyed high-net-worth investors across the country to better understand what drives their decision to allocate assets to and among advisors. The results are in, and they provide some valuable insight. 

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Beverly Flaxington, Human Behavior Coach, a three-time bestselling author, and Founder of The Collaborative. They discuss how advisors can better understand their clients motivations to build trust and better manage their experience. 

Beverly discusses: 

  • Five unique client personas 
  • How adapting your strategies by persona can result in getting more of their wallet
  • The potential shortfall of the 80/20 rule 
  • A common, mistaken assumption advisors make with clients 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Beverly Flaxington:

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Connect With David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

For the last 17 years Beverly has worked as a corporate consultant. She is also an adjunct professor at Suffolk University currently teaching “Leadership and Social Responsibility”, a course which uses her trademarked change model. She has previously taught “Small Business Management”, “Organizational Behavior” and “Dealing with Difficult People”, a course she created for the University. Beverly is a Certified Hypnotist, Certified Hypnosis Trainer, Reiki Master Attunement Practitioner, Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) and Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA). She uses the DISC and PIAV tools frequently in her work with individuals and organizations. Bev holds a BSBA and an MBA from Suffolk University.

She is an expert in human behavior and change management, sales, marketing, stress management, hypnosis, time management, life and career change, teambuilding, communication and business building.

Beverly D. Flaxington is the author of 30 Days to Understanding Other People: A Daily Approach to Improving Your Relationships and Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior, which won the gold award from Readers Favorite for best new book on relationships. She is also an author of four other books focused on creating change and improvement as a financial advisor.



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Ep 78: Expand Your ESG Investing Expertise — With Michael Young

Ep 78: Expand Your ESG Investing Expertise — With Michael Young

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Understanding Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) criteria points and how they relate to investment portfolios is critical for helping your clients navigate ESG issues.

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Michael Young, Manager of Educational Programs at US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. They discuss ESG investing and how you can better educate yourself and your clients on the topic to generate new conversations and investment strategies.

Michael discusses: 

  • How US SIF has created tools and programs to support advisors in selling sustainable investments
  • Growing your understanding of ESG alongside your client
  • Tools and resources that can jumpstart your learning and the integration of ESG data points
  • How you can begin to measure impact investing to enhance your client conversations
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Michael Young:

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Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Michael Young is the Manager of Educational programs at US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. He is responsible for education initiatives, all US SIF course offerings, and private training services. 

He continually develops existing courses, creates educational materials for the US SIF Foundation, and contributes to new materials and resources to advance the field. He presents frequently on sustainable investing at industry events and enjoys sharing the work of US SIF and its membership on podcasts and radio programs. 

Michael’s comments have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investment News, and Bloomberg, among other publications.
 
Prior to joining US SIF, Michael worked in mutual funds, separately managed accounts, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds. His clients ranged from registered investment advisors and financial planning firms and broker-dealer firms to registered investment companies and hedge funds. 

While at AdvisorShares, Michael helped launch the first actively managed fossil fuel free ETF in 2012   

Delta expresses the amount of price change a derivative will see based on the price of the underlying security.



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Ep 77: “Hello, Ideal Client” — With Susan Danzig

Ep 77: “Hello, Ideal Client” — With Susan Danzig

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In this marketplace, personalized service is what separates a financial advisor from an app. Knowing your ‘niche’ and your Ideal Client may be the key to a more prosperous —and satisfying — practice. 

In this episode, Susan Danzig, a Certified Business Development Coach for financial advisors, joins David Partain to discuss the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of narrowing your client focus. 

Susan discusses: 

  • Refining your focus to create impactful niche marketing 
  • 7 Simple Steps for Financial Advisors to Reach, Attract, and Convert More Ideal Clients
  • The importance of knowing and communicating your personal brand 
  • Shifting your prospect screening process for your benefit and theirs
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Susan Danzig:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Susan Danzig is an experienced Business Development Coach for financial services professionals. She leverages a 20+ year career guiding financial advisors to achieve greater business success. She is a catalyst for growth with a long track record of helping clients communicate their value, define their specialization, and create effective marketing strategies that attract ideal clients and grow firms consistently.

She is a Certified Business Development Coach who is shaping the industry’s future as a National Board Member for the Financial Planning Association (the FPA) and former President of the East Bay Chapter of the FPA.



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Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee that specific strategy will be successful. ETF’s are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the underlying strategy of the fund. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities, real estate investments, and commodities, to name a few.

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