Advertise on podcast: The Elite Financial Advisor Podcast With Sten Morgan

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, welcomes Meredith Jones, SPHR, founder and CEO of Sera Business Advisors, to talk about the part of your practice that rarely gets planned: your people. From hiring and onboarding to growing future leaders, Meredith makes the case that HR is a growth strategy, not paperwork. Meredith started her career as an auditor at Deloitte, moved into HR there, and later worked on the people side of bank mergers before founding Sera Business Advisors. She explains why recruiting is really sales, why structure doesn't make you "corporate," when a growing firm needs an HR process or an in-house hire, and why the best leaders act more like coaches than critics. Communication is the second of the three focus areas of EAN's Elite Model, and this conversation shows how it reaches past clients to the people who serve them. They also cover why advisors put off getting help for their own business. As Meredith puts it: "At the end of the day, people are your product." In This Episode Recruiting is sales. If you can sell a client, you can sell a candidate, so be clear about who you are and why the right person should join.Structure isn't corporate. Hiring, onboarding, reviews and training are how your culture shows up.Lead like a coach: stretch your people, support them, and congratulate them, instead of only pointing out what's wrong.Around 30 to 35 people you need an HR process; around 100, a dedicated HR person. Before that, a fractional expert can fill the gap.Waiting until you can "afford" a coach delays your full potential. Treat every new hire as a possible future leader. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:29 - From Deloitte auditor to HR leader 04:27 - What HR means for a firm of any size 06:49 - Hiring against a bigger offer 08:32 - Structure isn't corporate, and leading like a coach 10:55 - What AI can't replace 11:34 - When you need an HR process or an in-house hire 15:04 - Why advisors rarely ask for help 19:12 - What having a coach signals 21:48 - Why "when I can afford it" costs you 23:24 - Spotting and growing future leaders 26:29 - The movable middle and owning your career 28:12 - What Meredith is excited about Get This Week's Free Tool: The People Blueprint A one-page tool with four action steps to hire, onboard and grow your team. Sign up once to get the tool from every episode. Get the tool here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Take the Free EliteIndex: Where do you fall between average and Elite? This free 5-minute assessment shows how the Elite Model can help you get paid for what you know instead of what you sell. Take the EliteIndex here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteindex/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Sten Morgan's book shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. Claim your free copy - just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Take the Prospecting Course: Prospecting is the first focus area of the Elite Model. Five self-guided lessons and a workbook help you find the strategies that fit you and leave with a 30-day plan you'll actually run. Start the Prospecting Course here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/prospecting-course/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Attend Elite Advisor Live: Our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. See upcoming Elite Advisor Live events here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Apply to ElitePlus: ElitePlus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite: proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you grow at a higher level. Apply for ElitePlus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteplus/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://eadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_256_meredith_jones Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #HumanResources #AdvisorLeadership #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, welcomes Adam Knorr, CEO of Take Action Copy and co-founder of InfluenceLab, to unpack what it really takes to turn LinkedIn into booked meetings: realistic timelines, a clear niche, and DMs that sound like a person instead of a brochure. Adam spent six years as a wholesaler at Jackson National and AllianceBernstein before leaving in 2022 to write. He now ghostwrites LinkedIn content for financial advisors and built InfluenceLab, a tool that coaches advisors on their own drafts while keeping their voice. He explains why you should give LinkedIn 90 days before judging it, why most DIY advisors get more from outbound DMs than from posts, and why the people who never comment are often the ones who book. Prospecting is the first of the three focus areas of EAN's Elite Model, and this conversation is a practical playbook for making content one piece of your prospecting, not the whole plan. Adam also covers who shouldn't bother with LinkedIn, how to vet a content agency, and why YouTube can win on leads. As Adam puts it: "You guys preach compound interest to your clients every single day. It's no different here." In This Episode LinkedIn is the long game. Give it 90 days, and expect results to compound, not show up overnight.Two things have to be true: a posting rhythm you can keep without burning out, and a clear niche. The generalist is everybody's second option.Write DMs the way you text a friend: short messages, no paragraphs, and never the words "comprehensive" or "holistic."Most leads come from lurkers who read for months and never comment, so don't judge your content by the likes.No 30 minutes a day (or a teammate to cover it)? Don't post. If you have it, start with one post a week and build the habit. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:26 - From journalism to wholesaling to LinkedIn ghostwriting 02:32 - Why LinkedIn needs 90 days before you judge it 09:05 - What has to be true: consistency and a clear niche 16:33 - Content or DMs, and how to write DMs that sound human 20:14 - Who shouldn't do LinkedIn at all 21:46 - Why YouTube can beat LinkedIn for leads 23:52 - Lurkers, lead magnets and the funnel 27:31 - How to vet a content agency 29:09 - Building InfluenceLab Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet? Our one-page companion guide covers the LinkedIn blueprint, core insights, and four action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Take the Free EliteIndex: Where do you fall between average and Elite? This free 5-minute assessment shows how the Elite Model can help you get paid for what you know instead of what you sell. Take the EliteIndex here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteindex/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Sten Morgan's book shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. Claim your free copy - just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Take the Prospecting Course: Prospecting is the first focus area of the Elite Model. Five self-guided lessons and a workbook help you find the strategies that fit you and leave with a 30-day plan you'll actually run. Start the Prospecting Course here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/prospecting-course/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Attend Elite Advisor Live: Our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. See upcoming Elite Advisor Live events here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Apply to ElitePlus: ElitePlus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite: proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you grow at a higher level. Apply for ElitePlus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteplus/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://eadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_255_adam_knorr Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #LinkedInMarketing #AdvisorMarketing #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, is joined by Chuck Downs, founder of Epic Success Coaching and a former Northwestern Mutual managing director, to talk about the inner game behind elite performance: why some advisors break through while others stay stuck, and what it takes to rewire the programming holding you back. After 25 years as an advisor and leader of advisors, Chuck now coaches high performers on letting go of who they're not. He explains how inherited stories become adopted beliefs and conditioned behaviors, how neuroplasticity lets you rewire fear, doubt, and regret, and why success alone just gives you a bigger stage to feel the fear. Communication is one of the three pillars of EAN's Elite Model, and this conversation shows how the inner work changes the way you show up with clients and your team - less pushing, more pulling people in. Chuck also shares a simple daily practice to start feeling the emotions you actually want. As Chuck puts it: "Nobody lives up to their potential. Everyone lives up to their programming." In This Episode Nobody lives up to their potential - everyone lives up to their programming: the stories, beliefs, and behaviors you inherited.Neuroplasticity means you can rewire old pathways of fear, doubt, and regret into empowering thoughts and productive behaviors.Success doesn't remove fear or insecurity. It just gives you a bigger stage to feel it.You can't hit a target you can't see: name the emotions you want to feel, write them into a first-person vision, and see and feel it daily.Don't let other people's reactions decide yours. Swap "that's not fair" for curiosity and compassion. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and a full-circle reunion 01:28 - From advisor to coaching human potential 03:31 - The movable middle: why some advisors break through 05:31 - Neural pathways and neuroplasticity 13:00 - Why success gives you a bigger stage to feel the fear 18:54 - Magnetism: why people want to be around you 21:52 - Step one: name the emotions you want to feel 25:29 - Don't let others determine how you react 29:26 - Balancing the inner work with running the business Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet? Our one-page companion guide covers the rewire blueprint, core insights, and four action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Take the Free EliteIndex: Where do you fall between average and Elite? This free 5-minute assessment shows how the Elite Model can help you get paid for what you know instead of what you sell. Take the EliteIndex here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteindex/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Take the Prospecting Course: Prospecting is the first focus area of the Elite Model. Five self-guided lessons and a workbook help you find the strategies that fit you and leave with a 30-day plan you'll actually run. Start the Prospecting Course here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/prospecting-course/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Sten Morgan's book shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. Claim your free copy - just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Attend Elite Advisor Live: Our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Apply to Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite: proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you grow at a higher level. Apply for Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteplus/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://eadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_254_chuck_downs Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations and training to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #Neuroplasticity #AdvisorMindset #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, talks with Dr. Jordan Hutchison, VP of Technology and Operations at RFG Advisory, about what keeps great advisors in flow: time well spent, technology that removes friction, and a business built around the work that actually fulfills you. Jordan has sat in nearly every seat in the industry - advisor, coach, fintech builder, XY Planning Network, Shaping Wealth, and now RFG - while earning a doctorate in behavioral finance. He shares why a financial plan is an ongoing process rather than a static printout, and why clients still come back to one question: am I going to be okay? Communication and building a financial plan are two of the three pillars of EAN's Elite Model, and Jordan makes the case that great communication only works when you know the nuts and bolts - plus why change isn't always the answer when deciding where your practice should land. In This Episode Time well spent: build and choose tools that remove friction instead of draining your day.Planning is an ongoing process, and clients still want to know "am I going to be okay?"The future advisor is a great communicator who still knows the nuts and bolts.Beware the action bias. Change isn't always the right move - self-reflection comes first.Build around what fulfills you, and pick a platform that supports it.Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and basketball 05:06 - A senior-year wake-up call and a financial planning master's 07:51 - Trying almost every job in the industry 15:57 - What RFG does and Jordan's role 17:04 - Click One and the principle of "time well spent" 20:28 - Is financial planning the tip of the spear? 22:23 - Why planning is ongoing, not static 25:27 - The future advisor's core skill set 27:20 - "If I close that open book, do you know what you did?" 30:20 - Is change a good thing? The action bias 31:46 - Build the business that fulfills you Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet? Our one-page companion guide covers the flow blueprint, core insights, and four action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Take the Free EliteIndex: Where do you fall between average and Elite? This free 5-minute assessment shows how the Elite Model can help you get paid for what you know instead of what you sell. Take the EliteIndex here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteindex/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Sten Morgan's book shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. Claim your free copy - just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Take the Prospecting Course: Prospecting is the first focus area of the Elite Model. Five self-guided lessons and a workbook help you find the strategies that fit you and leave with a 30-day plan you'll actually run. Start the Prospecting Course here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/prospecting-course/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Attend Elite Advisor Live: Our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. See upcoming Elite Advisor Live events here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Apply to Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite: proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you grow at a higher level. Apply for Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/eliteplus/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://eadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_253_jordan_hutchison Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #BehavioralFinance #WealthTech #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

This is Part 2 of our prospecting roundtable. If you missed Part 1, go back and start with Episode 234. In this roundtable episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, gets the band back together with Wes Young, Founder and CEO of Wes Young & Associates, and Gavin Filasek, Co-Founder and Partner of Highland Wealth, to get practical about prospecting: how to stop chasing prospects and start creating demand. Prospecting is one of the three pillars of EAN's Elite Model, alongside communication and building a financial plan, and this conversation goes deep on it. They open on the thing most producers get wrong - balance - and why you need a 90-day family plan, not just a business plan. Then they dig into how fee-based planning turns call-outs into call-ins, how each of them prices and structures their service models, and why "never a thousand" is a rule worth keeping. The heart of the episode is process and language: the three-part way to answer "what do you do?" so you are memorable and magnetic, why your process is what makes clients refer you, and the weekly system Gavin's team runs to drive growth instead of letting the market dictate it. As Gavin puts it: "I used to have to call out. Now they call in." In This Episode Stop chasing, start creating demand: why fee-based planning turns call-outs into call-ins.You need a 90-day family plan, not just a business plan. You will not default your way into great relationships.How to answer "what do you do?" in three parts so you are memorable, not forgettable.Pricing and service models: flat fees, annual retainers, and why "never a thousand."Build a weekly prospecting system and a scorecard, and do not let the market dictate your growth. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - The band is back together 00:40 - Balance, seasons, and guardrails 02:00 - The 90-day family plan 06:00 - Blending work and life instead of "balance" 08:30 - Getting practical on prospecting 09:20 - How fee-based planning creates call-ins 11:00 - Using planning to earn the AUM and insurance work 12:30 - Pricing: Gavin's flat fees (6k, 12k, 24k) 14:00 - Wes on annual retainers and moving every client to them 16:00 - The juice has to be worth the squeeze 17:10 - Why process is the foundation of demand 18:00 - Mid-years, year-ends, and strategy summaries 19:00 - Answering "what do you do?" in three parts 23:00 - Don't give a label or a book report 24:00 - Gavin's weekly team prospecting system 27:00 - Don't be an "ask-hole": how to ask for introductions 29:00 - Don't let the market dictate your growth 31:00 - Give value with ideas: the book-and-quote move 33:00 - Put yourself where your ideal clients are Missed Part 1? Start There: This is the second half of our prospecting roundtable with Wes Young and Gavin Filasek. If you have not heard Part 1 (Episode 234), listen to it first. Listen to Part 1 here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the demand-creation playbook, core insights, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_252_young_filasek Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #Prospecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth #CreatingDemand

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Larry Shumbres, Founder and CEO of Archive Intel, to unpack a shift most advisors have not caught up to yet: the move from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and what it takes to get found when your next client asks ChatGPT or Claude for an advisor. Larry shares his path from IBM and Wall Street to building compliance technology, and why he believes compliance is not just a box to check but the thing that frees advisors to grow. They dig into why so many advisors leave growth on the table by avoiding the apps clients actually use - text, WhatsApp, TikTok, Reddit - and how modern archiving makes those channels safe. Then they get practical on AEO: why generic "top five retirement tips" content will not rank, why specificity about who you serve and how is what answer engines reward, and how tools like Claude can help you build the content that gets you surfaced. As Larry puts it: "If you're doing everything every other advisor is doing, you're not going to rank higher on AEO." In This Episode SEO to AEO: how getting found is changing now that clients ask AI, not just Google, for an advisor.Why specificity wins. Generic content does not rank; naming exactly who you serve and how does.Compliance is not the afterthought. It is what frees you to grow into new channels.Meet clients where they already are - text, WhatsApp, TikTok, Reddit - and archive it so it is safe.Use AI like Claude to build the content that ranks in answer engines. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and the heat wave 01:20 - From IBM and Wall Street to fintech and compliance 04:00 - Turning around a failed startup, then building Archive Intel 05:30 - Where AI actually saves time (and why you keep a human in the loop) 06:20 - Always raising the bar: the founder's drive 07:20 - Was AI a thing years before the rest of us saw it? 09:40 - The growth advisors leave on the table by avoiding apps 11:30 - When advisors realize they need to archive texts 13:20 - Compliance as a growth enabler, not just protection 14:10 - The "easy button" for compliance and marketing review 17:10 - Scaling the compliance officer with AI review 20:00 - What is hardest right now: more apps, more channels 21:30 - SEO vs AEO: getting found when clients ask AI 23:40 - Why specific content ranks and generic content does not 25:50 - Matching the right advisor to the right client 28:30 - Which advisors will adapt, and where to start with Claude Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the SEO-to-AEO playbook, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_251_larry_shumbres Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #AEO #SEO #AdvisorMarketing #Compliance

In this solo episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, introduces PlanScore - the software his team built to deliver financial plans clients actually understand - and shares the journey that took him from selling products to selling a process. Sten walks through his path into the business on the insurance and AUM side, the moment he realized advisors could get paid for their time and ideas, and the roadblocks he hit adding financial planning: it was heavy, slow, and hard to scale. His answer became a mantra - maximum value with extreme efficiency - and a clear framework for what a complete financial plan actually covers. He breaks down the categories every plan should include, why scoring each one from 1 to 5 turns a plan into something clients can see and act on, and why the advisor of the future is a communicator and coach who sells a process, not a product. As Sten puts it: "The advisor of the future delivers a process, not a product." Try PlanScore Free (Code: PODCAST): PlanScore helps you build financial plans people actually understand - the complete-plan framework, a simple 1-to-5 scoring rubric, and a proposal built for you, so you deliver maximum value with extreme efficiency. Start your free trial and use code PODCAST for your first month free. Get PlanScore here: https://www.planscore.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore In This Episode Maximum value with extreme efficiency: deliver a plan that feels like it took 30 hours in an hour or less.You can get paid for your process. When clients pay for advice, they value it and actually follow through.Define a complete plan. A cash flow report and a Monte Carlo is not a plan; do not let clients believe a collection of products is one.Score every category from 1 to 5 (red, orange, green). Clients do not want to be red, and now they can see the path to green.The advisor of the future is a communicator and coach who sells a process, not a product. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Launching PlanScore, and why we built it 00:40 - Maximum value with extreme efficiency 01:30 - Starting in insurance: trained to sell products 02:27 - The business owner I tried to talk out of his own business 03:30 - Moving to AUM: still gated by "do you have money to invest?" 04:00 - The $5,000 onboarding fee that broke my brain 05:00 - My first paid plan: $1,500 for 12 months 06:00 - Adding planning slowed the rest of the business 07:30 - Deciding what kind of advisor I wanted to be 08:30 - Where it broke down: expectations and the deliverable 10:00 - Simplicity is a gift: a plan people understand 11:00 - The categories of a complete financial plan 13:00 - Scoring each category 1 to 5 (red, orange, green) 15:00 - Building a plan in an hour instead of ten 17:00 - Pricing and the average planning fee 19:00 - Service models: 3-month, 12-month, and AUM-only 22:00 - PlanScore Light: re-energizing existing clients 25:00 - The advisor of the future sells a process 27:00 - Try PlanScore with code PODCAST Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the complete-plan framework, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #FinancialPlanning #PlanScore #AdvisorGrowth #FinancialPlanningProcess

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Tim White, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of wealth.com, to make the case that estate and tax planning is the biggest untapped growth opportunity in the advisory business. Tim shares how he and his co-founders sold their fraud-prevention fintech to LexisNexis for $500 million, then built wealth.com after living through a broken, pen-and-paper estate planning referral themselves. He explains how the platform's AI reads existing plans in minutes, generates state-specific documents across all 50 states, and now folds in tax - the peanut butter and chocolate of a connected plan. They get practical about why estate planning deepens client relationships and unlocks the next generation, how advisors can deliver a comprehensive experience without becoming experts, and why "I'm too busy to evaluate new tools" is a warning sign, not a badge of honor. As Tim puts it: "It's about giving time back. It's not taking time away." In This Episode Estate planning is the biggest untapped growth opportunity, and the fastest way to a deeper, stickier client relationship.You do not have to become the expert. The right technology puts the equivalent of 500 analysts behind every advisor.Estate conversations surface held-away assets and unlock the next generation - real AUM and real wealth-transfer opportunities.Compliance is no longer the barrier; the barrier is change. "Too busy to evaluate new tools" is a red flag.Done right, technology gives time back instead of taking it away, so advisors can have the conversations that matter. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: how do advisors get attention differently? 01:00 - From a fintech fraud startup to a $500M exit 02:30 - Buying wealth.com (and the domain story) 04:40 - Why legal first, then tax 05:30 - "Ester": AI that read estate plans before ChatGPT existed 07:15 - Shipping a product instead of chasing perfection 08:30 - The shift from "I know a guy" to comprehensive planning 09:20 - Why estate planning is becoming a tech-stack requirement 11:00 - Adding value with efficiency: you do not have to be the expert 13:40 - Reading existing plans in minutes, not hours 17:20 - What wealth.com actually is: documents, reports, attorney network 19:15 - Proactive intelligence: the plan that updates itself 20:00 - Estate planning as a prospecting tool and AUM unlock 21:40 - Pricing: the license and how advisors monetize it 23:00 - Is AI a threat to estate attorneys? Why it is complementary 24:50 - Why advisors are slow to adopt, and how to fix it 27:00 - Giving time back, not taking it away Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the estate planning growth path, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_249_tim_white Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #FinancialPlanning #EstatePlanning #TaxPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with two of the most thoughtful voices in the profession - Carl Richards, CFP®, creator of the Sketch Guy column and founder of The Society of Advice, and Steve Sanduski, CFP®, founder of Belay Advisor and host of the Between Now and Success podcast - to war-game how financial advice will change over the next ten years. They dig into the two layers of every advisory practice: the execution layer that AI is rapidly automating, and the human layer it cannot touch. As the technical work becomes table stakes, the floor for what counts as a great advisor rises, and Carl and Steve make the case that the future advisor has to be bilingual: fluent in money and fluent in humans. They also get practical about where the business is headed - whether AUM and commission comp survive, why clients pay for trust and outcomes rather than process, and how a young advisor can intentionally build the craft of curiosity instead of waiting for life to humble them. As Carl puts it: "AI is not a threat. It is a reminder of the deeply human work we do." In This Episode Every practice has two layers: the execution layer AI is automating, and the human layer it cannot. The human layer is where advisors win.The floor is rising. A great financial plan is becoming table stakes; the EQ to sit with clients in their hardest moments is the real edge.Be bilingual. Major in money and major in humans. The messy intersection of the two is where the value lives.Greet clients at the "presenting problem" with empathy, then watch for the "crunchy bits" that open the door to deeper work.The way you get paid tells a story. If any part of it is something you would not be comfortable explaining to a client's face, change it. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: sailing, motorcycles, and catching up 04:30 - The war game: what should advisors be ready for? 05:45 - Carl: the deeply human craft AI is pointing us back to 09:00 - Steve: the execution layer versus the human layer 11:00 - Will AI actually increase an advisor's capacity? 13:00 - Advice to the next generation of advisors 16:00 - Be bilingual: major in money and major in humans 19:00 - Why life planning is a small market at any given moment 20:30 - Greet clients at the presenting problem 23:30 - Will AUM and insurance comp survive? 29:00 - Carl: the way you get paid tells a story 31:20 - From stockbrokers to goal-based planning 35:00 - Process versus outcome in the age of AI 38:40 - You cannot market trust, you can only build it 43:30 - A practical path to the craft of curiosity 48:00 - What has these two most excited right now Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the two layers of an advisory practice, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_248_richards_sanduski Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfAdvice

In this episode of the Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Tim Maurer, CFP®, Partner and SVP of Advisor Growth at SignatureFD, to expose the biggest lie the industry sold financial advisors: that growing means selling harder - using better scripts and more products. Tim shares how he spent his early career hunting for the "professional version" of financial advice, why the CFP coursework revealed a real craft, and why the best advisors win with the best questions, not the best answers. He makes the case that we are in a "system one" business where clients decide emotionally, so technical knowledge is only table stakes. They also get practical about becoming the advisor of the future: how to keep client conversations alive instead of sliding into a rut, why the industry quietly breeds burnout, and the permission most advisors need: to build a practice around who they actually are, not what they do. As Tim puts it: "Doing the work creates certainty. Winning the work creates possibility." In This Episode The biggest lie: that selling harder and pushing product is how you grow. The best advisors do it differently.Doing the work vs winning the work: expertise creates certainty, but curiosity and great questions create possibility.We are in a "system one" business - clients decide emotionally. Technical mastery is table stakes; connection is the edge.Be a guide, not a teacher or a consultant - someone walking beside the client, not above them.The industry quietly breeds burnout. You have permission to build a practice around who you actually are. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:29 - Getting Into the Business the Hard Way 05:00 - Where Is the Industry Actually Going? 08:04 - The CFP Coursework and Finding the Craft 11:30 - From Technician to Guide 14:15 - Know Your "S Word": The Behavioral Edge 16:56 - Practice, Curiosity, and the Coaching Pyramid 23:00 - Why the Industry Breeds Burnout 32:12 - The 80/20 of Adding Planning Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the advisor development path, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_247_tim_maurer Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth #BehavioralFinance #FeeOnly

In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Shruti Joshi, President and COO of Facet, to unpack where financial advice is heading - and why the future advisor is defined by holistic, ongoing planning rather than the products they sell. Shruti explains why consumers now want an accountability partner who helps them take action, how Facet's flat-fee, CFP-led model removes the conflicts of commissions and asset-based fees, and why the real superpower in an AI world is human connection and behavior change - what she calls "therapy with a calculator." They also get practical for advisors: how to align your service model and pricing, why planning is the product and investing is how you deliver it, and the small steps any advisor can take to adapt without abandoning what already works. If you have felt the ground shifting under the old model, this conversation shows what to do about it. In This Episode The future advisor leads with holistic, dynamic planning, not products, because that is what consumers now demand.Objectivity builds trust: a flat fee with no commissions or asset-based conflicts is what drives real behavior change.Technology plus humans wins. AI handles the computation; your superpower is communication, accountability, and encouragement.Planning is the product and investing is how you deliver it - the opposite of giving away the plan to win assets.You can evolve in small steps. Align your service model and pricing to who you actually serve, without abandoning AUM or insurance. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:38 - Where Financial Advice Is Heading 02:05 - Money, Stress, and What Consumers Really Want 05:16 - Redefining What "Financial Advisor" Means 08:18 - Therapy With a Calculator: The Human Superpower 09:48 - Facet's Flat-Fee, No-Commission Model 12:29 - Aligning Your Service Model and Pricing 15:54 - How to Start Becoming a Different Advisor 32:17 - Maslow and the Top of Financial Planning Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the future-advisor shift, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Attend Elite Advisor Live: Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here: https://www.eliteadvisorlive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Join Elite+: Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite+ here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_246_shruti_joshi Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #FinancialPlanning #FutureOfAdvice #FeeOnly #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Marc Adams, founder of Acquisitions4you and author of Secrets to 10Xing Your Business and Cashing Out Tax Free, to unpack a hard truth most business-owner clients never hear: nine out of ten businesses never actually sell. Marc explains why the dream of owning a business so often becomes a prison, how fees and taxes quietly eat half the sale price in states like California and New York, and how his "double and exit" approach aims to double a company's value in about six months without equity dilution, debt, or personal guarantees. For advisors, this is a masterclass in the business-owner conversation: the options every owner should understand, why most only face the math too late, and how giving the business its own dedicated meeting can set you apart. If you want to serve owners with more confidence, this one will change how you frame the exit. In This Episode Nine out of ten businesses never sell - and owners rarely find out until they are six months from the exit and the math no longer works.Leakage is the silent killer: between professional fees and taxes, an owner can keep as little as half the sale price. Get leakage down toward 10% and everything changes.The "double and exit" idea: group similar businesses into a larger entity that commands a bigger multiple, so owners walk away with more without diluting, borrowing, or signing personal guarantees.Know the roll-up math: when PE or VC takes half your business, you have to double it just to get back to even. Understand the second bite, earnouts, and where AI adds risk.The advisor's edge: you do not have to be the expert in every exit path, but a great advisor can lay out all the options and give the business its own conversation. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 01:40 - Serving Business Owners: The Opportunity and the Intimidation 02:16 - The "Double and Exit" Framework 03:15 - The Origin: A Diagnosis and a Son's Question 08:02 - Why the Dream Becomes a Prison 13:17 - Why Owners Don't Realize 9 in 10 Never Sell 20:46 - How Roll-Ups Work and Who Actually Wins 27:10 - The Advisor's Move: Give the Business Its Own Meeting Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the exit-value framework, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Attend How to Charge LIVE: How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Join Elite Plus: Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite Plus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_245_marc_adams Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #BusinessOwners #ExitPlanning #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Andy Schwartz, CFP®, CEO and Managing Partner of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, to unpack a 42-year career that grew from selling life insurance in college to helping lead a firm with roughly $18 billion in assets. Andy shares why he moved early from sale-by-sale income to recurring revenue, why "he who controls the money controls the relationship," and how alignment, capacity, and scale give advisors the confidence to win in the marketplace. They also get honest about the real trade-offs of running your own RIA versus tucking into a larger firm, how firm valuations and partner true-ups actually work, and why the next five years may belong to the mega-firm. If you are deciding how to build the next chapter of your business, this conversation is a rare look inside how a top advisor thinks. In This Episode Recurring revenue changes everything: building a business that is not reliant on making your income sale by sale is the shift that compounds over a career.Confidence wins clients: most of the difference between winning a client and losing one is the confidence that only real capacity and scale can give you.Financial planning can be its own vertical: fee-based planning is a legitimate, scalable offering - and often the best on-ramp for younger advisors.Owner vs advisor is a real choice: do not let your ego pick for you. If you love being client-facing, tucking into a firm with scale can get you twice as big in half the time.Understand the math before you sell: true-ups, EBITDA multiples, and the move toward mega-firms may mean smaller books are worth less over time, not more. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: A 42-Year Career 00:39 - From Selling Insurance to Controlling the Money 04:27 - The Northwestern Years and Recurring Revenue 07:10 - Is the Industry Really Doing Holistic Planning? 09:42 - Confidence, Capacity, and Why Scale Wins 11:00 - Financial Planning as Its Own Vertical 16:17 - OnePoint BFG by the Numbers 18:04 - RIA Owner vs Tucking In: The Real Trade-off 21:14 - Valuations, True-Ups, and the Mega-Firm Era 29:07 - Who OnePoint BFG Looks For 30:52 - Next-Gen Talent and the AI Investment Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the advisor-to-owner arc, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Attend How to Charge LIVE: How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Join Elite Plus: Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite Plus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_244_andy_schwartz Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. Tags: #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Coldstream COO Matt Sonnen to talk about the shift from thinking like a salesperson to running an actual business - and how to get there faster than the industry's slow default path. They discuss why "all revenue is good revenue" holds advisors back, how a tight ideal client dissolves most operational headaches, and how financial advisors can build a firm that thrives without them. If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients. In This Episode Most advisors were trained as salespeople chasing the next client, not as business owners who think about client profitability - and that shift is the whole game.Nearly every operational headache traces back to a fuzzy ideal client. Niche tight and your tech, meeting agendas, and hiring all get simpler.Positions before people: build the org chart around the roles your process needs, then fill the boxes - instead of hiring smart people and inventing jobs for them.Be honest about whether you even want to be a business owner. There's no shame in staying an advisor - but if you start an RIA, the owner hat is coming.A practical move this week: cull the clients who don't fit your process, and get one clean count of who you actually serve before layering AI on messy data. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction: The Advisor-to-Owner Arc 01:07 - Why Advisors Think "All Revenue Is Good Revenue" 01:59 - Matt's Aha: Learning Client Profitability Early 06:57 - Every Problem Traces to a Fuzzy Ideal Client 10:40 - Positions Before People: The Org Chart and EOS 13:18 - Build a Business That Thrives Without You 16:03 - Be Honest: Do You Even Want to Be an Owner? 22:15 - The COO / Integrator Role and Why It's Hard to Fill Join Our Free Live Webinar - July 29 at 2PM Central: R&D Webinar: Elite Advisors Prospect with Ideas not Products. Save your seat here: https://gobeelite.com/rd?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the advisor-to-owner arc, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Attend How to Charge LIVE: If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice and communicate their value. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Join Elite Plus: Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite Plus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_243_matt_sonnen Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth

In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with RISR founder Jason Early to talk about how advisors win the business-owner market and the once-in-a-lifetime liquidity event that comes with it. They discuss why the business deserves its own conversation instead of a line item, how to actually quarterback an owner's exit, and how financial advisors can step into this higher-stakes market without reinventing themselves. If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients. In This Episode Most advisors treat a client's business like a line item on the balance sheet - but it's the asset they care about most and usually their largest, so it deserves its own conversation.The stakes are higher with business owners: harder conversations, more complexity, a higher standard - and pay that matches the problems you solve.Don't bet on loyalty. When the business sells, the advisor who actually quarterbacked the attorney, CPA, and banker gets the "where do I wire the money?" call.Jason's playbook: define a crystal-clear ideal client (auto dealers in the tri-state, not "business owners"), then spend 6-12 months building trust with the centers of influence around them.A practical move this week: book a dedicated meeting about the business alone with your top owner clients - two or three pointed questions can fill the whole hour. Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 01:23 - Jason's Path and Why He Built RISR 02:49 - Treat the Business as Its Own Asset, Not a Line Item 05:28 - Why Business Owners Push Back Harder 11:52 - Don't Bet on Loyalty: Who Wins the Liquidity Event 15:33 - Define Your Ideal Client and Play in Traffic 20:57 - The First Move: A Business-Only Conversation 25:16 - Maximum Value With Extreme Efficiency Join Our Free Live Webinar - July 29 at 2PM Central: R&D Webinar: Elite Advisors Prospect with Ideas not Products. Save your seat here: https://gobeelite.com/rd?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the shift from line item to asset class, key takeaways, and three action steps. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? Get our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-path-resources?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Attend How to Charge LIVE: If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Join Elite Plus: Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. Join Elite Plus here: https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Connect With Elite Advisor Network Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_242_jason_early Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-elite-financial-advisor-podcast-with-sten-morgan/id1601321140 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork Subscribe Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite. #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth