There’s something about a connection with a human being that creates a level of trust and loyalty beyond what a company could ever provide. A personal brand is a relationship with you, separate from your advisory firm. Building your brand involves finding your uniqueness, building a reputation on what you want to be known for, and crafting a clear message that grows your advisory firm your way.

Are you happy right now? If you want to be happy, learn to think like an old person! Older people report greater levels of happiness than young people. Youngsters seek out new experiences that may or may not make them happy. Don’t wait to get your next client, or hit a big revenue goal to feel happy. Develop these 3 mindsets to find happiness and improve your quality of life starting today.

Financial advisors usually stop doing real financial planning for clients over age 80-85. It’s awkward to talk about life goals with a client who may not be with us this time next year. So, what’s the point of financial planning for elderly clients? We recommend doing these 3 exercises with your elderly clients, to help them find happiness and live a meaningful life.

Writing a book can be a great way to serve and connect with your ideal clients. Whether it’s about recovering from the death of a spouse, or changes in tax law, you know your book can help people because these are things clients ask you about every day. It’s been in the back of your mind for years, but how do you know when it's time? Here are 10 questions to ask yourself to see if you're ready.

If you’re trying to grow your financial advisory firm, you’re going to hit several Growth Barriers along the way. These are difficult times because we have to work so much more, only to get the same salary as last year! Once you break through, your business and income will grow. But how do we get there? We've outlined 4 Growth Barriers to watch out for, and how to overcome them.

Many financial advisors maintain a cool professional demeanor and an air of inaccessibility and prestige. Our culture says if we are too authentic or vulnerable, then our credentials, expertise, and ability to lead come into question. The courage to be yourself is your greatest strength. Follow these 10 steps to use vulnerability to grow the value of your firm and live a more meaningful life.

Online marketing can be expensive and time-consuming. How do we stand out from all the other advisors out there? The answer is narrative marketing. Your prospects will get hooked because they want to hear how the story ends. The best story-selling casts the prospect as the hero of the story. Here are 7 steps to using narrative marketing in your practice.

As a business owner, you’re able to deduct a lot of expenses which typical employees can’t deduct. There’s no reason to pay taxes to Uncle Sam when you could use your expenses to help people and lower your own tax bill! The one tax deduction I bet you’re missing out on is financial planning. There are 2 ways you can get a tax-deduction from financial planning, and one tax warning to understand.

At some point, you'll want to add a younger advisor to your team. What are these young, hungry advisors looking for in an employer? How can you attract and retain millennial talent? Here’s the inside-scoop on what young advisors are looking for when they interview with you!

When we think about growing our financial advisory firms, it’s critical to focus on building value instead of income. Most advisors run “lifestyle” businesses which generate nice income but don’t have transferable value. Investing in transferable value increases your firm's value, income, and exit options later on. We guide our clients through these 5 steps to create that transferable value.

Most traditional advisors charge a percentage of assets under management (AUM). That means your fees go down as the market goes down. We saw a lot of that this spring! At a time when you’re getting paid less, your clients actually need you the most. Unfortunately, no business is truly recession-proof, but there are a few things to work towards before the next big market pull-back.

It’s nearly impossible to build your career as a financial advisor if you don’t wholeheartedly LOVE what you do! We are all working towards a version of that for ourselves. It’s helpful to pause and be thankful for everything you’ve accomplished. That’s what I’m doing today. Ellevate Advisors is launching this week, thanks to you!

Change is scary. It’s full of uncertainty and lack of control. We don’t want to scare people by talking about our succession plan. But I believe talking about it is actually a silver bullet. Simply having a conversation clears up uncertainty and provides a direction. Whether you’re taking over a practice, or looking forward to retirement, talking about the succession plan can help your firm grow.

Offering financial planning as an employee benefit is a great way to invest in your team and retain great talent. So, how do we offer financial planning as an employee benefit in a way that gets our employees excited and engaged? Read our latest blog post for tips on how to structure this benefit, and what not to do!

You’ve spent years building your financial advisory firm but all of it is worth next to nothing without a succession plan. A transition plan provides security for your family and your clients, which increases the value of your business. Here are 3 ways to get a transition plan in place without wasting any more time or money.

Working with family has a lot of benefits. However, there are also a lot of unique challenges. Some challenges can be divisive within the family and put the future of the business at risk. We’re going to outline 2 of the most harmful mindsets in a family business. Each comes with its own triggers that you can watch for in your family business and some solutions you can start implementing today.

Succession planning can feel overwhelming. It's a technically complex problem that impacts both your finances and your business. A business transition can also be emotional. There’s a lot riding on the shoulders of someone you can’t control. So how do you start planning for a successful business transition? Here are 3 tips that will help you start your succession plan today.

"What does retirement look like to you?" This is a question that we, as financial advisors, ask every one of our clients. When was the last time that you, the financial advisor, planned for your own retirement? It’s easy to think that there will always be time, until it’s too late. Here are 5 ways your financial plan will secure your succession plan.