Behind The Advisor

We’re excited to have XYPN member Dave Rowan, owner of Rowan Financial, a fee-only firm in Bethlehem, PA, on the show today. Dave is a career changer; he spent a majority of his professional life at Crayola - yes, the Crayola - as the Director of Research and Development, and though he loved his work, he found that he was drawn to financial planning and decided in 2010 to start his own firm on the side. While Dave remained employed full time at Crayola for seven years while he ran his firm part time, he found that he was having trouble balancing all of his personal and professional responsibilities, and ultimately, his mental health declined. Dave became restless, anxiety-ridden and depressed, which ultimately led to his decision to leave Crayola and focus on a career that gives him the most fulfillment. Join us as we discuss the mental health stigma and Dave’s career-path, from having a high-level position in a corporate environment to running his own firm. Learn how he has prioritized happiness and ways to practice self-care through meditating, eating right, and more. Finally, listen as we talk about embracing what he calls an “experimental attitude” and having fun discovering what serves you in order to ultimately serve your clients more authentically. If you're interested in hearing about how to take care of yourself personally during these turbulent times, this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/259  

We are thrilled to have XYPN member, Angie Furubotten-LaRosee, owner of Avea Financial Planning, a fee-only firm in Richland, WA, on the show today. Angie shares her unique experience in the world of entrepreneurship, having launched her firm once in 2011 and then again in 2018 and she expresses the challenges she and others have faced when starting a business, particularly in those first few years. Join us as we talk extensively about niches: from 2018 when Angie’s niche was college planning to today, where she now serves women in the STEM industries. Listen as she discusses how she leverages the support of coaches, training, and her network to help her not only stay motivated, but to hone her message and her niche. If you're interested in understanding how to pivot a niche, then this podcast is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/258  

We’re excited to have XYPN members Diana Bacon with FSG out of Dallas, TX, and Scott Bell with GDP Inc out of Manhattan Beach, CA on today's show. Both Diana and Scott started and grew their own RIAs during the 2008 recession. During this episode, we reminisce about their experiences getting started in the industry and their decision to go out on their own during such a tumultuous time in our history. You’ll also hear Diana and Scott share their advice about what to consider when starting a business during a recession for those of you who are hoping to break into the industry. Finally, you’ll learn about the changes that they've witnessed throughout their careers: the entrance of more women into the industry, the impact of technology, the ability to reach diverse clients, and finally, how the industry has become more and more focused and in demand of real client relationships. Although our world has changed as we're each faced with so much uncertainty around COVID-19, not much has changed for Diana or Scott; their strategies remain the same and their passion continues to drive their work. If you're interested in what it's like to launch and grow a business during a recession, this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/257  

This week, we’re changing things up and are excited to have XYPN coaches Emily Purdon, Arlene Moss, Carolyn Dalle-Molle and BB Webb on the podcast today. Once COVID-19 became recognized as a global pandemic, the XYPN team recognized that advisors were going to be facing new experiences, opportunities, and hardships. As we braced for a new reality, the XYPN Advisor Success team rolled out "The Way Forward", an initiative that leans on the expertise of all of these coaches to provide advisors with the tools they need to handle the 2020 market disruption and beyond. Today, Emily, Arlene, Carolyn and BB share what they've built for our advisor community, including the resources and programs that comprise “The Way Forward.” From providing open coaching opportunities to webinars and educational courses around how to market in our new world. Emily and Arlene speak directly about actionable steps advisors can take to plan for and build a business in today's environment while Carolyn and BB discuss changes to your marketing/sales processes. What they do all agree on is keeping the human component of the advisor client relationship front and center. There's no denying that we're in a shared crisis with our clients for the first time ever. This provides a meaningful opportunity for advisors to be seen as solution providers to their clients, but more importantly, a real human that understands what it's like to wake up every day right now with uncertainty. If you're interested in what XYPN has done and continues to do to support advisors in a time of crisis, this episode is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/256   

We’re thrilled to share the story of XYPN member, Chuck Donalies, on the show today. Chuck is the owner of Donalies Financial Planning, a fee-only firm in Washington DC. Chuck started his career in the biotech space, but while pursuing his MBA, he was drawn to financial planning. Shortly after graduating, Chuck changed careers by taking a position at a fee-only RIA—what he describes as the perfect entry point into this space. In today's episode, Chuck details his six-year journey developing the skills and tools needed to run an RIA while pursuing his CFP designation. As a self-described introvert, Chuck has leaned into a community of like-minded financial advisors with the belief that the more willing you are to put yourself out there, the more you'll get back in return.   Through his journey, Chuck felt the itch to go out on his own—to serve clients he wanted, on his terms—which led to his decision to open up his own RIA. Launching a firm provided Chuck the flexibility to focus on his priorities—spending time with family and staying mentally and physically healthy—and to ramp up his firm now that his kids are getting older. Whether you're an introvert wondering if you can create a path in financial planning or a career changer looking to make the switch, this episode has something for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/255   

Today, I'm excited to welcome Kenneth Klabunde, founder of Precedent Asset Management in Indianapolis. When we last spoke with Kenneth four years ago, his firm was just getting established. Now, he's returned to share how his business has not only survived but thrived through recent market volatility. What struck me most during our conversation was Kenneth's remarkable achievement: amid significant market turbulence, his firm didn't receive a single panicked client call or email. This wasn't luck—it was the result of a deliberate strategy. Kenneth shared fascinating parallels between client responses to COVID-19 market conditions and what he witnessed during previous downturns in 2001 and 2008. He's identified consistent patterns in investor psychology and developed a communication approach that addresses concerns before they escalate into panic. If you're interested in how to run a hyper-efficient team while giving your clients an unprecedented level of comfort, you won't want to miss this episode. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/254     

We’re honored to have XYPN members Ian Bloom, Meg Bartelt, Brian Thompson and Leighann Miko on the show today as they talk about communicating authentically with clients during a time of crisis. This group of members have invested heavily into themselves, their business and their clients by engaging in the George Kinder’s “EVOKE® 5-Day Life Planning Training” program, where they learned the tenants and foundational principles of life planning, a process that has fundamentally changed the way each of them works with their clients. As we continue to navigate through life during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll hear us cover: the importance of showing empathy, compassion and patience to your clients; how Meg, Ian, Brian and Leighann have facilitated conversations with current clients and potential clients that have created deep and lasting meaningful connections and trust; and Kinder’s “turnaround” approach as a means to refocus the conversation on how the client really feels. You’ll hear the passion in each of their voices, become inspired by their commitment to serving clients wholeheartedly, and learn how you too can improve the discourse between you and your clients long into the future and hopefully keep our profession moving in the right direction. If you're interested in improving your ability to connect meaningfully and authentically with your clients during this time of COVID and into the future, then you won't want to miss this episode. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/253     

We are excited to have XYPN members Sean Gillespie and Paul Allen - founders of the fee-only firm Redeployment Wealth Strategies, located in Virginia Beach, VA - on the show today. Both Sean and Paul served in the Navy for over 20 years, and chose financial planning as their encore careers. We discuss at length how Sean and Paul teamed up to rebrand Paul’s RIA into their own three years ago after meeting by chance through a Facebook Group and how they began to serve their people: former and active military members. We also talk about the benefits of the monthly retainer model and how charging their clients on a monthly fee has insulated them from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With COVID-19 changing many aspects of our lives, learn how Sean and Paul have managed to stay successful because of their choice in niche (military personnel), their active participation within their online communities, and their partnership. If you’re interested in how to build a business that protects you, your business, and clients during turbulent and uncertain times, then this episode is for you.   You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/252     

On this special episode centered around COVID-19 and XYPN's pro bono effort, we are joined by long-time XYPN members Kevin Mahoney, founder and CEO of Illumint, and Dana Menard, founder and CEO of Twin Cities Wealth Strategies. Kevin and Dana, who have been running separate fee-only firms for several years, discuss how they have made their advice available on a pro bono basis for consumers around the country who have been impacted by the coronavirus global pandemic. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/251 

Scott Weiss is the owner of Weiss Financial Group, a fee only firm in Mahopac, NY. In today’s episode, we discuss Scott’s previous career as an art director in the magazine world, as well as why he decided to leave that industry and enter into the financial planning profession. Listen in as we delve into Scott’s story: what it was like joining a family firm, how they broke the business into a tax firm and a financial planning firm, the experience of earning his CFP®, and what he’s doing to stay relevant to his ideal client base. We recorded this episode March 20, 2020, when the world started to spiral into this state of uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott talks about where we are today as a country and as an industry, and he shines light on how he's been able to leverage a community, his network, and his education to ensure that he can show up for his clients, himself, and his family. If you're interested in how to grow a family business or how to just keep your head above water during these wild times, this show is for you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/250