Ensombl Advice Australia

“Our mission is to be the Amazon of Comparison sites” – Fred Schebesta When it comes to Fred Schebesta, we could tell you about the digital agency business he started and then sold to a publicly listed company at the ripe age of 25. We could tell you about the plethora of awards he’s received OR we could just tell you that Fred has got the ‘direct to market’ business model crafted down to such a fine art, it’s the reason his company finder.com.au receives over 6 million unique visits a month! So what’s his secret?  If you want to: Understand your audience and clients better than anyone else Know how to create amazing content that speaks to your different consumer personalities Learn how advisers and companies like Finder can foster highly valuable partnerships Open your mind to the possibilities of Cryptocurrency …then this podcast has your name written all over it. Let us let Fred leave you with this – “If you think that crypto is a scam, a pyramid scheme or it’s non-existent, you sound like someone who is looking at the early internet”. And that’s coming from a guy who is about to launch a platform where sophisticated investors can buy cryptocurrency between $250k up to $300million!   A big thank you to our major partner Zurich and also SunSuper for the continued support.

What do the words dulcet and game-changing business coach have in common? Two words. Stewart Bell. Stewart is the industrious business coach of Audere Coaching & Consulting who is teaching frustrated advisers how to turn their business challenges into opportunities. Having spent the last two decades working with financial professionals, Stewart has seen significant shifts in the way our industry markets itself and how to do it effectively. Aside from the Tinder references, here’s our favourite takeaways from this podcast: The biggest asset of a startup advice business The digital platform set to take over from email marketing according to Stewart How to position the asking of referrals in a way that actually works Why information is useless if not implemented correctly, or at all The importance of accountability in any business model If not for the endless nuggets of wisdom, listen to this episode purely for the 'dulcet' sounds of Stewart Bell who will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to innovation within your business. A big thank you also to our major partner Zurich and also to SunSuper for the continued support.

“I’ll never invest money in a fund unless I meet the fund manager” – Paul Mann (True Direction Financial Services) With 25 years of combined experience as a futures trader and a financial adviser, Paul Mann has watched the evolution of financial advice change from a very heavy sales culture to one that is more focused on making a lasting difference in clients lives. For Paul, transitioning into the advice space was an opportunity to make a significant contribution to society and to give back. Sure, he took a 75% cut in his wage when he got started, but was it worth it? Absolutely! Fast forward to 2018 where you will now find the title ‘Principal and Financial Adviser’ on Paul’s office door. In this podcast, Paul expands on his past trading experience and how that has helped shape his client value proposition as a self-employed adviser. Our favourite key takeaways from this discussion look at: What it was like to be apart of an open outcry in the 90’s What the financial advice industry looked like 18 years ago The psychology of money and how to become a client’s trusted adviser How Paul is niching down with his target market How advisers can leverage the corporate super space and help employees of (really) big companies Why people who are very emotionally connected to their cash flow and disconnected from their super have got it around the wrong way From a chalkie on the stock exchange, to building a company from 8 to 65 employees globally, Paul Mann has a level of knowledge and understanding that can only come from years of experience working in the trenches of financial advice. For a bunch of fresh ideas and some interesting history on the industry, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss.   As always, we would like to thank our major partner Zurich and also SunSuper for the continued support. 

If marketing, public relations and social media were like Kung-Fu, Adele Martin is definitely your Bruce Lee. She’s the Money Mentor, financial adviser and keynote speaker who has nailed the one-to-many market and continues to use her trusted personal brand to grow and scale her advice business, and boy is it growing. She’s a big believer in a sharing economy and is full of tested ideas and strategies that will help you build trusted relationships with your clients, position yourself as a leader in the industry and increase your bottom line. Of the many nuggets of wisdom shared in this podcast (and there’s so many), here’s our standouts: The single piece of advice Adele would give to anyone starting out as an adviser Adele’s proven strategy to work ‘on’ your business rather than just ‘in’ it How to commercialise a Facebook Group and build a trusted community How to kick start your marketing, PR and social media plan How Adele’s virtual office has allowed her to leverage the amazing skills of people she would never find in Newcastle Let’s be honest, a 45-minute podcast is just not enough, so we’ll have Adele front and centre at our event next week in Sydney for a ‘warts ‘n all’ discussion around using digital media to scale your business and master your client value proposition. This event is a must for employed, aspiring and self-employed advisers. If you can’t attend the event in person, be sure to tune into the Facebook Live on Thursday 22nd Feb at 6:30pm. Get your last minute tickets here - http://bit.ly/2DdD4tJ   A big thank you to our major partner Zurich and to SunSuper for the continued support.

If you’re an active member in the XY community, you’ve probably seen her name start to pop up regularly, you may have even connected with her some way, somehow. But what do you actually know about XY’s newest team member, the new Community Manager – Emily Blanch? Experience wise, Emily is a mixed bag of paraplanning, online media and writing, but she is totally in her element when she is delivering an unforgettable client or customer experience. She can’t tell a story without using her hands and if she could, she’d climb to a tall building somewhere and shout it out to the world that travelling (at some point in your life) is without a doubt the best thing you can do for your health, your wealth and your happiness. Amongst the travelling stories, the clichés (all of the clichés) and some of the amazing things XY Adviser has coming up this year, here’s our favourite highlights: Why travelling is sometimes the best career advice you can give Clayton’s greatest success emotionally with clients as a financial adviser Why a lifestyle change can open up a world of new opportunities The brand-new look and feel of XY The big names we are determined to get on the XY Podcast this year How Adrian is looking to combine the skillsets of accountants and advisers to maximise the value provided to clients And what does beer and financial advice have to do with each other? If travelling has ever been on your radar, we’re pretty sure Emily’s stories will have you wanting to book a ticket overseas now (apologies to employers everywhere). But if getting an employee back with a fresh perspective, a new outlook and a sense of accomplishment and motivation, we think that’s a pretty good return on investment. P.S. This podcast is best enjoyed with a cold beer!   And as always, a big thank you to our major partner ZURICH and also to SunSuper for the continued support.

Glen James is the financial adviser whose life does not revolve around his work. Instead, he moulds his work around his life up on the Central Coast and enjoys every minute of it. After starting his business Fortify Financial at the ripe age of 25, Glen recalls being young enough and dumb enough to think he could do it – and it turns out he could. With 8 years under his belt as a self-employed adviser, Glen has discovered what works and what doesn’t work in his business and shares with us some of the lessons and ideas he has picked up along the way, like:  Why he will only meet with clients on his terms (and what those terms are) Glen’s guaranteed way to lock in a financial relationship with a client How to find a quality dealer group and build a strong professional relationship with them How Glen is using his ‘2k18 Savings Challenge’ as a one to many approach and the response he is getting Why he uses the review process to re-educate his clients and how effective it is How he built his ‘Sort Your Money Out’ podcast from scratch Why Glen tells people he retired at 25 and what he loves about being a financial adviser Plus much, much more… This podcast is full of witty remarks, memorable one-liners and a bunch of new ideas and strategies that will have you thinking about how to shake things up within your practice and with your clients.   ----- As always, we'd like to give a big shout out to our major partner Zurich and to SunSuper for the continued support.

At the age of 20, James Millard had it all figured out. He was going to make it big in the clothing industry, sell his ‘Insufficient Funds’ branded T-shirts to Billabong and never work a day in his life. Unfortunately for James this dream never eventuated, but fortunately for us, this failed business venture sent James down a 10-year career path in personal finance for which he now co-owns YOLO Financial Services, hustles a lifestyle blog called ‘Sufficient Fundz’ and shares with us a some of the cool and innovative things he and his partners are trying within their business. Amongst the many topics discussed, here’s some we really liked: How YOLO developed an in-depth marketing plan and how they are catering to three very different client demographics The (really cool) types of content marketing James and YOLO are focusing on in 2018 What James thinks is one of the best business play cards you can have (hint: it rhymes with ‘biting a hook’) Why it’s difficult for advisers to incorporate an element of ‘story telling’ and how to not just overcome it, but nail it Why there is a massive market for one-to-many online courses and who benefits most from this kind of business model Between juggling a financial planning business, maintaining a blog and recently adding the title ‘Dad’ to his repertoire, James has also kindly put his hand up to be the MC at our upcoming event in Sydney (thanks legend!) with a discussion around starting and scaling an advice business. With a power panel of speakers and an MC all with startup financial advice practices, it’s guaranteed to be a night full of great ideas, advice and inspiration. Click here to grab your tickets. ---------- And as always, a big thank you to our major partner Zurich and to SunSuper for the continued support.

If straight up insight and opinion on the royal commission and areas around best interest duty, tough regulation for advisers and everything in between makes your ears prick up then this XY Podcast is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.   With punchy lines like “are they bad advisers or just good employees”, Aleks Vickovich, author of G’day USA, award-winning journalist and legend commentator in the financial services space, ignites a constructive and thought-provoking discussion that looks into what brought this Royal Commission to light, implications that are likely to arise for various stakeholders and Aleks' crystal ball prediction on the result of this 12-month inquest.   Surrounding the buzz that is the royal commission, both Aleks and the XY panel also touch on other important topics affecting financial advisers like:   • Why more and more advice businesses are looking to self-licence • The barriers advisers face having a responsibility to their client’s but also to their employers - think professional ethics vs. KPI’s. • Implications for advisers regarding best interest duty and the way it is viewed by the law versus being viewed by a judge • Why Aleks believes it’s paramount that the industry differentiates between financial product salespeople and holistic advisers but why both play an important role for consumers.   Aleks Vickovich is a man of many words. He is willing to say what most are thinking and backs it up with facts and figures that can only come about by surrounding himself with the political play makers and financial industry shakers. This podcast is bound to give you plenty of insight, ideas and perspective.   Enjoy!

Master of ‘technoclientology’, financial adviser, behavioural specialist, speaker and author, there’s not much that Andy Marshall can’t do. It’s been two years since he hosted XY’s ‘The Modern Adviser’ event so we thought a catch up on all things finance, behaviour and everything in between was well and truly in order. In this comical and thought provoking podcast, Andy gives his insights and demonstrates his expertise by highlighting some important points surrounding the systematic and behavioural elements within the financial advice environment, some of which include: The importance of peer-to-peer networks and how this creates innovation within your business Why client’s respond well to forward thinking advisers and how seasoned advisers are staying relevant How to balance the ‘warm and fuzzy’ goals based advice with the investment position to deliver the best possible outcomes for clients. Why sharing your own life experiences or those of other client’s is extremely beneficial in building trust during the client journey The best kind of Fintech solution to add to your ‘weapons of advice choice’ Three things the best advice businesses are doing differently Andy Marshall is a serious wealth of knowledge who now spends most of his time with financial advisers, providing new ideas to help implement efficiency into their businesses. With a book titled ‘Client Engagement for Financial Advisors’ and a passion for using technology to engage with clients in a meaningful and relevant way, this is a guy you definitely want to listen to (and then google later on).

2017 has been a year full of surprises, changes and announcements. We saw a world divided over the inauguration of President Trump, the Australian Government announced a royal commission within the banking sector and cryptocurrencies appear to have become a household term overnight. For the XY community, 2017 has undoubtedly been the biggest year yet with an increasing presence of nearly 1,500 enthusiastic members driving the positive evolution of financial advice. With the Facebook group evolving into a central intelligence hub for advisers, the podcast getting a professional makeover, a new membership site on its way and events that are now moving out of Sydney and into a national agenda, it’s fair to say that when it comes to XY in 2018, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! To reflect on the year that was and to discuss the exciting things ahead; Clayton, Adrian, Ben and Ray all got together to shoot the breeze on things like: The hype around Bitcoin and why people want to invest in something ‘sexy’ (but probably shouldn’t) Ideas and strategies Ben brought back from Fincon and why you should include content within a service based business to stay relevant Everything the XY community can look forward to in 2018 Different practices and systems that are working (and not working) in advice businesses What the next toy of financial advice will be in 2018 (did someone say Big Data?)  …plus loads more and with plenty of laughs! XY Adviser started when a handful of people got together and asked how they could best serve their clients and the industry they love. Today, the success of XY Adviser is the result of an entire community who understands the value and benefit that comes with sharing knowledge and ideas and supporting each other. 2017 has been great, but we have a feeling 2018 is going to be EPIC! Enjoy.