Survival Mode vs. Growth Mode

For the human brain, we all have a negativity bias. It’s not a flaw; it’s actually a survival mechanism. So, it’s not that your clients are necessarily overreacting, it’s more that their biology is perceiving a threat when none might even be there.

Tessa Santarpia.

In this episode of Top Advisor Podcast, my guest Tessa Santarpia and I are diving deep into the fascinating world of neuroscience and its impact on financial decision-making. 

This is a compelling conversation about your clients’ brains – as well as YOUR brain – that offers insight into the way we think, feel, and act around money.

Tessa explains why logic alone doesn’t drive financial behavior and how factors like negativity bias, survival mode, and early “money memories” can have a powerful influence on everything from market anxiety to risk-taking. 

You’ll learn practical, neuroscience-backed techniques that advisors can use to calm client fears, foster meaningful conversations, and build deeper trust.

Plus, Tessa shares actionable strategies for advisors to regulate their own emotions, shift out of survival mode, and cultivate a growth mindset—so they can lead clients by example.

Quick Excerpts:

[00:06:30] “When someone sees red on a chart or a market downturn, the nervous system treats it like a physical threat and their body treats it as such.”

[00:07:40] “There are actually very simple neural techniques that advisors can do to re-engage that rational part of the brain.”

[00:08:55] “The client is not just listening to your words, they’re actually feeling your nervous system.”

[00:11:23] “Advisors have the same brain wiring as their clients. So, the amygdala, the fear center, is still getting hijacked…”

[00:24:18] “The most important thing you can do is to really get out of the head, drop into the body. This is when you just want to allow that emotional wave to pass through you.”

Whether you’re looking for fresh perspectives to enhance client relationships or want to better understand your own (and your team’s) financial behaviors, this episode is packed with insights and tangible takeaways you won’t want to miss!

Sponsor: 

• EPISODE SPONSOR: Oberle Risk Strategies
  www.Oberle-Risk.com/private-client  

Connect With Tessa Santarpia:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessasantarpia/
• Website:  https://visualizein360.com/ 

Resources: 

• RapidFire Referrals
• Get a copy of “The Language of Referrals”
• Get a copy of “Radical Relevance”
• Grab your copy of The Hidden Heist today!
• Find Mitch Anthony’s books here!

Connect With Bill Cates:

• BillCates@referralcoach.com
• Referral Coach Homepage
• Hire Bill for Coaching
• Enroll in The Cates Academy

About Tessa Santarpia:    

Chief Executive Officer and Lead Trauma-Informed Healing Facilitator

Tessa Santarpia brings a rare blend of strategic healthcare expertise and deeply embodied healing practice. With a background in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University, she has led physician practice operations in both integrative medicine and mental health clinics, focusing on optimizing systems that prioritize patient experience, access, and impact.

Tessa’s professional path has always been rooted in one question: How can we make alternative healing therapies more understandable, accessible, and backed by science? This curiosity has led her to study the brain and nervous system through the lens of trauma, altered states of consciousness, and embodied healing. She is trained in mindfulness and meditation, somatic breathwork, psychedelic integration, and flow state facilitation, weaving these modalities into the fabric of VISUALIZEin360’s offerings.

As a trauma-informed healing facilitator, Tessa is passionate about creating spaces that support emotional safety, nervous system regulation, and inner transformation. Her leadership is driven by a belief that people deserve tools that meet them where they are and are grounded in both science and spirit.