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Month: May 2023

Ep 35: How Technology is Disrupting Financial Services with Joel Bruckenstein and Dr. Jordan Hutchison

Posted on by brian

Technology is disrupting the financial services industry! From collecting data about clients to utilizing AI, a lot is changing.

In this episode, Shannon Spotswood interviews two guests, Joel P. Bruckenstein, CFS, CMFC, CFP®, Financial Services FinTech Expert, and Dr. Jordan A. Hutchison, RFG’s Vice President of Technology, about the tech landscape in the financial services industry. They start off with their thoughts on the T3 conference before diving into a discussion about how tech advances like AI are disrupting the financial space.

Joel and Jordan discuss:

  • What surprised them and what confirmed their beliefs about the tech landscape in the finance industry from the T3 conference
  • Why Joel believes cybersecurity is an existential threat, especially to small and medium-sized firms
  • How AI will impact the financial industry moving forward and where they see it being most disruptive
  • How advisors can use FinTech data to build their firm
  • How young investors are changing the industry by valuing fulfillment and peace of mind
  • How advisors can leverage their clients’ interactions with the client portal to identify when they may need assistance
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Joel Bruckenstein:

Connect with Jordan Hutchison:

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

About our Guests:

Joel P. Bruckenstein, CFS, CMFC, CFP® is an internationally recognized expert on applied technology for financial professionals and Publisher of Technology Tools for Today (T3). He is also the producer of the annual T3 Advisor Conference, the premier technology conference for independent financial advisors, as well as the T3 Enterprise Conference, an annual gathering of top executives from independent broker/dealers and large RIAs. He is the co-author of three books: Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice, Tools and Techniques of Practice Management, and Technology Tools for Today’s High Margin Practice.

Dr. Jordan A. Hutchison is the Vice President of Technology at RFG Advisory. His executive leadership expertise in WealthTech, human behavior, and financial planning strategy provide him with the ability to help financial professionals live extraordinary lives. He uses his deep understanding of financial advisors, practice management, and the wealth management business cycle to apply the proper needs to run a successful financial planning firm.

Ep 34: The Secret Sauce of Thriving Businesses – Focusing On Your Niche with Eric Blake, CFP®

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“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”  – Zig Ziglar

And what better than helping people whom we can really empathize with and understand?

In this episode, Shannon Spotswood sits down with Eric Blake, CFP®, Founder and Lead Financial Planner at Blake Wealth Management. Eric shares the benefits of having a niche market, including the ability to concentrate your efforts on a specific audience and the importance of time blocking to organize your priorities. Additionally, Eric talks about the impact women have had in his life and why he has focused on helping them.

Eric discusses:

  • His niche in serving clients five years pre-retirement
  • How having a niche specialization in his financial practice has allowed him to concentrate his time and marketing efforts on those who may not otherwise receive help
  • How partnering with his wife as a co-founder of their firm has allowed them to build stronger relationships with clients
  • How he uses the surge concept to time block and focus on marketing during specific months
  • How his firm has integrated charitable work into their practice
  • The annual International Women’s Day event focused on giving back to women who have gone through difficult circumstances
  • And more!

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

Connect with Eric Blake:

About our Guest:

Eric Blake started his career as a financial advisor in 1999. Over the last 24 years, he has realized that his true passion is helping women plan for a successful retirement. While many of his clients are couples, Eric’s firm prioritizes working with women, driven by the appreciation he holds for the women who shaped him into the person he is today.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, Eric now resides in McKinney, Texas, and holds a degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas. However, Eric’s most cherished accomplishment is his 26-year marriage to his wife, Dawn, and their two children, Kaitlyn and Eric.

When not focused on client retirement plans or tax strategies, Eric enjoys working out, reading, and traveling.

Ep. 33: Crafting And Growing Your Own Firm As An Independent Advisor with David Koren

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As an independent advisor, you shouldn’t fear growth. You should invest in it!

In this episode, Shannon Spotswood interviews the Founder of RVA Wealth Management, David Koren, MBA, ChFC®, CLU® about his advice for advisors considering independence, the importance of taking risks and investing in your business, and the 10-3-1 rule. He also discusses the benefits of crafting your own firm and succession planning, as well as incorporating philanthropy into the client experience.

David discusses:

  • His advice for other advisors who are either in a captive environment thinking about independence or are independent but want more control and independence
  • Why he decided now is the time to grow even bigger and invest more into marketing
  • Why entrepreneurs can’t expect to build a large and thriving practice without taking risks and investing in their business
  • What the 10-3-1 rule is and why it has become a lost art
  • The perk of being able to craft your own firm and  retire when you decide to as an independent advisor
  • Where he is on his succession plan journey and how he came to realize that he needs to get serious about it
  • How to incorporate giving back to the community as an active part of your client experience
  • What he thinks the industry will look like in the next five to ten years
  • And more!

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

Connect with David Koren:

About our Guest:

As founder and retirement planning specialist at RVA Wealth Management, David focuses on asset protection and growth, helping his clients to manage income flow and enjoy their retirement years. David has worked in the financial services industry in one way or another for over 35 years, starting out as an agent for a national life insurance company while still an undergraduate at Virginia Tech.

Over his long career – which has included working as an executive for insurance companies, brokerage operations, an internet healthcare startup, and now an independent wealth management firm – David has always focused on education. He considers teaching to be his calling and enjoys educating people on personal finance. David teaches financial education classes in the Richmond area and also offers more in-depth workshops at the office to further explore areas of client interest.

David considers all of his clients as family and strives to grow and protect their assets in everything he does. David and his wife Robbie have two children.  They have a strong focus on family and both believe exercising and staying healthy play an important role in family life.

Ep. 32: Podcasting Your Way to Influence as a Financial Advisor With Matt Halloran

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Are you tired of being drowned out in a sea of financial advisors all saying the same thing? It’s time to turn up the volume and let your unique voice be heard!

In this episode, Shannon Spotswood interviews podcasting guru, Matt Halloran, about why advisors should podcast. Matt discusses the power of podcasting in enabling advisors to showcase their authentic selves, build influence, and strategically align their practice and marketing strategy for maximum impact. With the evolving landscape of the financial industry, he covers the 5 ROIs that advisors can expect to gain from podcasting.

Matt discusses:

  • How podcasting lets advisors be their authentic selves and can help them build influence
  • How and why  advisors should think about their practice and marketing strategy before committing to a podcast
  • The 5 ROIs of podcasting
  • How podcasting and marketing fit into the changing financial industry
  • And more

Connect with Matt Halloran:

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

About our Guest:

Matt Halloran is Partner and podcasting expert at ProudMouth. A former business and life coach to top advisors, Matt has helped 5000 advisors and counting, understand how to create trust and build rapport with prospects they haven’t even met yet. He studied the way people communicate for over 20 years, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal as a digital communication expert, and wrote the first social media book dedicated to financial services, “The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors.” He has now combined his extensive knowledge and expertise in business and coaching with one of his passions: podcasting. Matt has hosted and been on over 1,000 podcasts. He’s also the host of ProudMouth’s podcast, the Top Advisor Marketing Podcast, where he shares marketing strategies tailored for advisors and connects with top industry leaders.

Ep. 31: The 5 Freedoms of a Successful Business and a Life That You Love with Stephanie Bogan

Posted on by brian

Stop spending a galactic waste of your time on activities that won’t get you or your advisory practice where you want to be, and start investing yourself into a life that you love.

In this episode, Shannon Spotswood interviews Stephanie Bogan, a high-performance business coach at Limitless, about the five freedoms that are essential for building a successful business and living a fulfilling life. She explains why many advisors waste time on practices that don’t support growth, profit, or happiness, and offers two questions that can help them achieve their goals. You will learn how to overcome mediocrity and create a business and life that you truly love.

Stephanie discusses:

  • The 5 freedoms of being a limitless advisor
  • Her definition of success
  • Why advisors spend a galactic waste of time on practices that don’t support growth, profit or happiness
  • The 2 questions every advisor should ask themselves to get better answers about accomplishing the growth they want to see
  • How advisors can accomplish a successful business and obtain a life that they love
  • What it means to quit sucking on the lollipop of mediocrity
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Spotswood:

Connect with Stephanie Bogan: