As I discussed last week, most financial services professionals I know are looking for a “silver bullet” to gain a steady stream of client referrals. I highlighted the clients you should invite to help you build your practice: your “gold mines.” The #1 factor, according to COFPA Symposium speaker Dan... read more →
Jul
05
Jul
04
For every one hundred people who can handle adversity there is only one who can handle prosperity. Thomas Carlyle Every business owner will face a liminal dimension—a doorway—either by choice or by necessity. Most of us expect or experience the doorway of adversity as we work toward the doorway of... read more →
Jul
03
Managing our companies provides the most strenuous leadership challenge: though owners must lead by example, they in fact cannot lead others where they themselves have not gone! Your competitive advantage as a firm is to harness the nascent future within your employees. Go beyond respecting to encouraging, celebrating and liberating... read more →
Jul
02
At a recent Colorado Financial Planners Association (COFPA) meeting, Sameer Somal, Blue Ocean founder, gave a sobering snapshot of things every financial advisor needs to consider: what’s next for your practice. When an industry like financial planning is undergoing rapid tectonic plate shifts, the impact of those shifts create a... read more →
Jul
01
Sacred cows are not what they appear to be. They are often merely the threshold, the doorway, into a deeper truth. Consider this sacred cow: Great financial planners don’t need a financial planner. Sacred cows are well supported by reason. Let’s consider the top three: 1. “If I don’t believe... read more →
Jun
30
Why do so many business owners and financial planners have such a hard time developing an exit plan? I believe one terrorist plaguing both of them—all of us, really—needs to be taken out. The terrorist: our vague and worrisome picture of “retirement.” Consider the following story… The Story of Herman... read more →
Jun
29
In This Edition... Featured Article - Do You Want Your Profits in the Industry Top 25%? Part I: 12 Reasons Businesses Underperform Newsbreak - Thank you! ABA entering its 33rd year in business Success Story - Check out more success stories on our Case Studies Page. Having trouble viewing? Download PDF version.... read more →
Jun
28
Resistance is futile. --The Borg It's our choice, whether to hate something in our lives or to love every moment of them, even the parts that bring us pain. At every moment, we are volunteers. –Stephen Colbert As I write, we are in the throes of a market correction. As... read more →
Jun
27
Better Competitive Positioning Greatly Increases Profits and Growth! The question today is, "How can we compete more effectively in an ever-increasing competitive environment?" Good management is built on sound principles, facts, and insight. Small and mid-sized companies can significantly increase profits, cash-flow, and growth by establishing a formal competitive position... read more →
Jun
26
This week, we are privileged to share the story of an autistic man—Andrew D’eri-- who became the improbable answer to create lemonade from a family’s personal and business problem. Andrew’s father John and brother Tom wanted to find meaningful work for Andrew. The “lemon” they were up against was Andrew’s... read more →