Top Advisor Marketing Podcast

What’s your strong suit?  As a financial advisor, you’re juggling more hats than a circus performer – marketing, client relationships, and, of course, your core expertise. But here’s the catch: if you’re trying to handle branding all by yourself, you might be missing out on a difference-maker.  Why blend in when you could stand out?  In this episode, our own Matt Halloran is joined by Kelly Waltrich – co-founder and CEO of Intention.ly – to unravel the essential role branding plays in the financial services world. Tune in and discover how teamwork, learning, and masterful branding done right can transform your advisory game.  Matt and Kelly discuss: How great advisors are not necessarily great marketers, and why you need to find someone who is an expert The importance of pushing your colleagues – and they, you – to constantly learn new things Why integration in marketing trumps budget or size of firm How coordinated activity is better than massive but disconnected amounts, and the value of asking yourself, “what is helping me get to my goals and the goals of my clients, and what is just noise?” Why  branding needs to resonate internally before you share it externally  Intention.ly’s new Advisor Brand Builder tool, and how firms are using it for recruiting and onboarding, amongst other things  How to ask the right – aka second and third-level – questions when developing your own brand And more “And we all do that for each other, which is something I think all businesses should do. Make sure that you’re constantly forcing each other to learn new things.” ~Kelly Waltrich Resources:  Website: Advisor Brand Builder Service: Triton Digital  Website: Gartner Website: SEMrush Website: Shaping Wealth Service: Outsourced Chief Behavioral Officer (OCBO) Conference: BeFI Summit Connect with Kelly Waltrich: LinkedIn: Kelly Waltrich Website: Intention.ly LinkedIn: Intention.ly Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Kelly Waltrich: For over 15 years, Intention.ly Co-founder Kelly Waltrich has been championing the role of marketing in the financial services industry. As former Chief Marketing Officer at eMoney Advisor and Orion Advisor Solutions, she proved time and again that there is no better driver of an organization’s growth and overall success than a well-run marketing and communications team. At eMoney and Orion, Waltrich built powerhouse marketing teams from the ground up, developing the engines that would fuel the highest periods of growth for both companies. She designed the strategy behind several successful rebrands, acquisitions, and product launches—including spearheading the development of two advisor marketing products—while creating unmatched overall brand visibility and helping to turn company executives into industry thought leaders. Through forward-thinking demand generation, PR, and product marketing, Waltrich created a consistent inbound pipeline for both firms, driving CAC down and SOV up. Intention.ly is the culmination of every lesson Waltrich has learned thus far in her tenure as a marketing disruptor, born from her passion and persistent belief that when it’s done right, marketing is the accelerant financial services firms need to transform their growth trajectory.

You know that you need to create valuable and compelling content. You know that you need to share it and get it out there. You know you need to speak directly to your ideal client, and solve their problems. But knowing and doing are two completely separate things. We hear this from advisors all the time: I don’t get how someone can create that much content from both a compliance and time management standpoint.  So, we went looking for someone that has it all figured it out. And we found him!  In this episode, ProudMouth co-founder Matt Halloran is joined by Stoy Hall – founder and CEO of Black Mammoth – to break down his epic content creation system. Stoy is a prolific podcaster and content creator enjoying massive success on virtually every platform. So, how does he do it? Matt & Stoy discuss:  How to generate a never-ending and virtually self-feeding stream of relevant topics Why micro-focuses and series allow you to go deep on subjects that matter The tools and workflow used by Stoy and his team to produce, break down, and promote each podcast episode How to crack the compliance code in two simple steps The three things Stoy wishes he knew when starting out Why you shouldn’t look at other advisors and planners as competition, aka multiplying impact via selflessness How to quantify success with your content And more! “Wealth does not equal money. Wealth equals happiness, okay? Happiness equals wealth.” -Stoy Hall Resources:  Tool: Munch Tool: Descript  Conference: Fearless Investing Summit Connect with Stoy Hall: LinkedIn: Stoy Hall Twitter: Stoy Hall Facebook: Stoy Hall Website: Black Mammoth LinkedIn: Black Mammoth Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Stoy Hall: Stoy hails from Omaha, Nebraska, but his true calling emerged in Des Moines, Iowa, where he earned a BSBA in finance with a minor in business law and insurance from Drake University. He’s on a mission to eliminate financial illiteracy and make financial knowledge accessible to all. As a father to two energetic boys and a dedicated husband, Stoy’s personal experiences have shaped his commitment to family and teamwork. He cares deeply about humanity, believes in uplifting others, and is the owner of multiple businesses dedicated to building wealth and happiness. Stoy, a former collegiate athlete who faced a career-ending injury, understands the importance of bonds formed during challenging times. As an independent thinker, he focuses on the greater good, embraces his imperfections as opportunities for growth, and is here to help others find their path to prosperity and happiness. If you’d like to learn more about him, he’s an open book, ready to assist you on your journey to a better, more fulfilling life.

If you’re like most financial advisors, you may be hesitant to launch your podcast and engage in influence-building activities because you’re afraid of compliance issues.  But here’s the thing: not only is it entirely possible to remain fully compliant, but it’s also relatively easy to establish a stronger rapport with your compliance department. Move them from foe to friend! In this episode, Matt Halloran is joined by business partner Kirk Lowe to discuss the critical topic of compliance in the financial advisory industry. They share their personal experiences through the years, what’s gotten better and worse, and offer some practical strategies and best practices to adjust course and work with them. Matt & Kirk discuss: Why (and how!) you need to shift your thinking about compliance Ways to make the compliance department love you, and why it’s better to be friends than enemies How to ask second- and third-level questions when dealing with compliance for a better relationship and faster approvals Which two podcasting platforms are most compliance-friendly, and the one social media platform that is not compliant Why you shouldn’t “poke the honey badger”, and other things to avoid The four areas of redundancy built into the ProudMouth creation system And more “When you practice and you do your show on a regular basis and you get that reinforcement that you’re putting out good, compliant information, it’s going to make you want to do more good, compliant information, right?” ~Matt Halloran Resources:  The Gray Divorce Podcast  Connect with Kirk Lowe: LinkedIn: Kirk Lowe Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Matt Halloran: Matt Halloran is a co-founder of ProudMouth, the world’s leading influence accelerator for financial advisors. An in-demand speaker, he’s appeared on over 1,000 podcasts. As well, Matt is the host of ProudMouth’s Top Advisor Marketing Podcast, where he and industry leaders empower advisors to become trusted, recognized authorities. Matt is the author of “The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors,” the first social media book for financial services. 

The only constant is change.  And that change is happening these days at an unprecedented pace. Wealth transfer, the rise of the younger generations, the arrival of artificial intelligence, and the maturing landscape of financial planning.  In this episode, Matt Halloran is joined by Lindsay Troxell – speaker and founder of the value-add platform Our Coaching Initiative – to talk about the need for advisors to evolve in order to stay competitive. Her mission is to help financial advisors offer a human-first approach to wealth and health.  Matt & Lindsay discuss: Why curiosity is the secret sauce for problem solving and personal growth How to recognize the difference between saying you’re different and truly standing out  Why AI is a valuable tool and not a threat to your practice Thoughts > Emotions > Actions > Results How millennials and Gen Z differ from boomers in their wants and needs The impact of the impending (massive) wealth transfer How to decide between doing this yourself and outsourcing it Why effective communication skills are just as important for your team as your clients, and how you can give yourself a quick assessment with AI And more “Life planning to me is when you are sitting down and understanding where people want to go in the future, but then walking them back and coming to this true roadmap of how they’re going to get there.” ~Lindsay Troxell Resources:  Website: George Kinder Institute of Life Planning Top Advisor Marketing Podcast: Playing Therapist? With Ashley Quamme Podcast: Every Day is a Saturday Ebook: Activating the Advice Value Stack Conference: Carson Excell LinkedIn: Burt White Conference: Future Proof LinkedIn: Dani Fava Connect with Lindsay Troxell: LinkedIn: Lindsay Troxell Website: Our Coaching Initiative LinkedIn: Our Coaching Initiative Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Lindsay Troxell: Since 2005, Lindsay Troxell has been working with financial advisors and teams in the United States and Europe, focusing on various aspects of their profession, including practice management, business development, client experience, team dynamics, and mindset. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Lindsay recognized the need for financial advisors to provide more holistic support to their clients, addressing not only financial matters but also their well-being and mental health in an uncertain world. Many advisors struggled to make this shift, and Lindsay began receiving requests to help clients and team members deal with personal challenges brought about by the “new normal”, such as remote work, homeschooling, job loss, stress, overwhelm, and burnout. This led to the realization that the financial industry was ready and eager to integrate coaching with wealth management. In response, Lindsay founded “Our Coaching Initiative,” a platform where Financial Advisors, their teams, and clients can access coaching to create more fulfilling lives. Lindsay acknowledges that she, too, is a human being with her own goals and struggles, which contributes to her effectiveness as a coach, driven by a deep curiosity about the science of emotions and their impact on our lives.

An advisor’s first task is to listen and communicate effectively. But do you really know how to do that? You’ve probably heard the expression “you have two ears, but only one mouth, so you should be listening twice as much.” But that’s out-of-date thinking that leads to waiting to speak rather than active listening. In this episode, host Matt Halloran welcomes Mary Schmid – a communication expert and consultant – to explore the art of effective communication through the lens of neuroscience. Together, they review strategies for enhancing your communication skills, which go beyond the typical advice of listening more and talking less. Mary introduces practical concepts like the “Golden Minute” for self-preparation and the “Million Dollar Opener” for setting the right tone in conversations.  Matt & Mary discuss: How conversations can either trigger oxytocin or cortisol in the brain, and why you want the former but not the latter Why you should focus on how you want the other person to feel during and after a conversation The 1-4-9 Rule of Listening  The importance of asking questions for which you don’t know the answers Actionable tips like the “golden minute” and “million dollar opener” to foster more meaningful and trust-building conversations And more “We call it arc: aware, take a breath to reset, and come back with refocus back on them. So your comeback is always refocus on them and what you were talking about and what that means to them. Not about you. It sounds so simple. I know. It’s not.” ~Mary Schmid Resources:  “Make or Break Conversations” by Mary Schmid Fresh Air with Terry Gross LinkedIn: Jason Lahita Connect with Mary Schmid: LinkedIn: Mary Schmid Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Mary Schmid: As the author of “Make or Break Conversations” and a consultant to the financial services profession, Mary Schmid delivers programs on the neuroscience of conversation to lead conversations that transform a good conversation to a trust-building one.

More time for doing what you do best. How’s that sound? Pretty darn good.  But how do you do it, and what do you need to make it happen?  In this episode of the Top Advisor Marketing Podcast, ProudMouth co-founders Matt Halloran and Kirk Lowe discuss the importance of accelerating your influence – which they define as the ability to get people to like, know, and trust you – in order to grow your business and spend less time chasing prospects and more time doing what you do best: advising.  Matt & Kirk discuss: Why a growth mindset and influence are inextricably linked How there are four stages of influence, and why you need to be in at least the third if not fourth to consider yourself “successful” The three key aspects of accelerating your influence: effort, timeline, and mindset Why a 2-4 year timeline – or even a 5-10 or 10-20 year – should not seem daunting, and what to focus on instead The difference between done-for-you and done-WITH-you marketing, and why the latter is much more effective for advisors Why you need to choose influence, and how accelerating it needs a system How ProudMouth brings it all together And more “You’ve got to choose influence. You got to choose that pathway and hit it. Be aware of all the wins along the way, not just the revenue wins. And they’ll be there if you do the right things.” ~Kirk Lowe Resources:  PodRocket Influence Academy (Enroll for FREE) How much influence do you have? Take our free 5-min test 41 Top Influencers For Financial Advisors In 2023 by Indigo Marketing Agency Connect with Kirk Lowe: LinkedIn: Kirk Lowe Twitter: Kirk Lowe Connect with ProudMouth: Ready to accelerate your influence? Email mark@proudmouth.com to learn more ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Kirk Lowe: After decades spent helping build and market successful financial services brands, Kirk recognized the increasing role and importance of influence in the rapidly expanding Expertise Economy. Successful financial advisors harnessing the power of podcasting, video, social media and progressively building their influence were attracting clients rather than having to chase them. Kirk’s ‘ah-ha’ moment—that influence is essential for professional experts—led to his co-founding of ProudMouth, an influence accelerator dedicated entirely to liberating financial experts and advisors from the tyranny of sales by giving them the means and methods to become recognized, in-demand authorities.

Artificial intelligence is not some future concept. It’s here. Are you eagerly playing around with it and exploring its potential, or are you hanging back and waiting for the AI apocalypse that many believe will happen?   In this episode, Matt Halloran welcomes Angel Gonzalez – co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Snappy Kraken – to break down the role of artificial intelligence in marketing. Should we be afraid? Should we embrace it? And if so, how? Angel has the answers, explaining how AI can be a game-changer in building authentic connections with clients and prospects, enhancing marketing efforts, and driving long-term success in the financial advisory industry. Matt & Angel discuss: AI as a marketing ally  Why prompt engineering is a crucial skill moving forward How to ethically use tools like ChatGPT, as well as how not to use it Why ethics and philosophy should be part of the artificial intelligence conversation The importance of using AI as a “thought partner” rather than fearing it or letting it replace human interaction  How Snappy Kraken is integrating AI with their email builder tool And more “I would say the advisor of the future is going to be one who pairs well with this technology. He uses this technology as the tool, as the assistant. Use the tool, not the other way around.” ~Angel Gonzalez Resources:  “Alchemy” by Rory Sutherland Website: White Glove Snappy Kraken’s AI-Powered Email Builder AI Charity Dash Connect with Angel Gonzalez: LinkedIn: Angel Gonzalez Website: Snappy Kraken LinkedIn: Snappy Kraken Facebook: Snappy Kraken Twitter: Snappy Kraken Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Angel Gonzalez: For over a decade, Angel Gonzalez has leveraged marketing and technology to work with interesting people on interesting projects. As co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Snappy Kraken, Angel helps the business with brand building, marketing strategy, and product development. His contribution to the team helps financial professionals make meaningful connections that drive business.

So, what’s your brand? Answer that question, and you’ll likely mention your color palette, tagline, logo, and perhaps a descriptor or two (We’re playful! But also very professional!).  Done and done, right? Not so fast. Your brand can and should be so much more than that.   In this episode, ProudMouth’s resident influence expert Matt Halloran is joined by the founder and president of Out & About Communications, Lauren Hong. Together, they examine the subtle but oh-so-important difference between brand and brand personality, and why you should place greater emphasis on the latter.   It’s everything you are and do, but also everything you’re not.  Lauren & Matt discuss: The difference between brand and brand personality How the energy you put out and want to present is a cornerstone of that personality Why your personality should be the foundation of everything, from your social media to your client interactions  How and where to organically find your brand personality Ways to apply brand personality across the various departments in your business for stability and consistency And more “At the end of the day, you want to be authentically you as an individual, but you want the brand to be authentically itself, and so as a result, if the brand is authentically itself, it’s going to attract the right potential employees to hire. Right? It’s going to attract the right kind of target market. These kinds of things. And, but without clarity around that, it can feel very disjointed.” ~Lauren Hong Resources:  “What the Heck is EOS?” by Gino Wickman Connect with Lauren Hong: LinkedIn: Lauren Hong Website: Out & About Communications LinkedIn: Out & About Communications Facebook: Out & About Communications Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Lauren Hong: Lauren Hong is the president of Out & About Communications, a full-service, integrated marketing agency based in San Diego and serving clients nationwide. Out & About provides a full suite of insight-driven marketing and operational support, designed to align business strategy with tactics that cut through the clutter. Lauren guides a team of subject matter experts, managers, and implementers who wake up excited every day to deliver results. Read more about Lauren and the team at https://www.outandaboutcommunications.com/. 

File it under “Too much of a good thing.” Referrals? Good. Fantastic, in fact. In theory.  Organic growth by word-of-mouth is the goal. It’s virtually hands-free, affordable, and works for businesses small, medium, and large. It’s the great equalizer. But before you get to the point of having a nearly self-perpetuating system, you need to lay the foundation, build the system, and cultivate the appropriate environment. And that is no quick fix.  Without doing the legwork, you’re faced with two grim realities: getting few referrals, or getting non-ideal referrals that you waste time, energy, and money chasing down. In this episode, business partners Matt Halloran and Kirk Lowe tackle part two of “death by referrals,” walking you through the why, what, and how of crafting a referral machine that consistently delivers quality results. And don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you haven’t already. Death to death by referrals!  Matt & Kirk discuss: The importance of environment, developing your referral process, and how to execute that process for maximum return-on-influence How too many skeptics and too few fans in your pipeline can lead to a slow and painful “death by referrals” Why your mindset should be 3, 5, or 10 years, and not 90 or even 180 days The relationship between Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence and the environment Making it explicit to your clients why, how, and who they should refer to you  And more “Winning at referrals is about creating an environment for a system to thrive, and you need to understand that environment and how to build it, and having the environment is really having all the things that add value to your prospects’ world.” ~Kirk Lowe Resources:  “Influence: The Power of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini Website: The Cialdini Institute “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie  Top Advisor Marketing Podcast: Death by Referrals With Kirk Lowe, Part 1 (Ep. 431) Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Kirk Lowe: After decades spent helping build and market successful financial services brands, Kirk recognized the increasing role and importance of influence in the rapidly expanding Expertise Economy. Successful financial advisors harnessing the power of podcasting, video, social media and progressively building their influence were attracting clients rather than having to chase them. Kirk’s ‘ah-ha’ moment—that influence is essential for professional experts—led to his co-founding of ProudMouth, an influence accelerator dedicated entirely to liberating financial experts and advisors from the tyranny of sales by giving them the means and methods to become recognized, in-demand authorities.

Referrals are the lifeblood of new business and organic growth. But can it ever be too much of a good thing? Absolutely.  In fact, referrals can quickly become a curse if you’re not careful. You can drown in a sea of less-than-ideal referees while believing that you’re building your business. Too many people are unaware of that disconnect. It’s truly quality over quantity.  In this episode, Matt Halloran is joined by his business partner and ProudMouth co-founder, Kirk Lowe, to discuss the right and wrong way to generate and use referrals in your advisory practice. They break down the difference between coming from a place of value versus a place of selling, and demonstrate the significance of building and sharing your influence, which creates an environment that allows your system to thrive.   Matt & Kirk discuss: What exactly is influence?  How the quality of your referrals has just as much to do with the environment as it does the system you’ve created Why too many skeptics and too few fans can destroy a business Robert Cialdini’s seven principles of influence, and how they relate to growth  The 4 As as the outcomes of influence and the foundation for a winning environment  And more “And if you don’t create the environment that I just talked about, you just running your business off of referrals is going to kill your business. It’s not real organic growth. It’s not repeatable, and most importantly, it’s going to decrease the value of your business if you ever want to sell it.” ~Matt Halloran Resources:  “Influence: The Power of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini Website: The Cialdini Institute “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie  Connect with ProudMouth: ProudMouth LinkedIn: Matt Halloran Twitter: Matt Halloran LinkedIn: ProudMouth Facebook: ProudMouth Twitter: ProudMouth YouTube: ProudMouth About Kirk Lowe: After decades spent helping build and market successful financial services brands, Kirk recognized the increasing role and importance of influence in the rapidly expanding Expertise Economy. Successful financial advisors harnessing the power of podcasting, video, social media and progressively building their influence were attracting clients rather than having to chase them. Kirk’s ‘ah-ha’ moment—that influence is essential for professional experts—led to his co-founding of ProudMouth, an influence accelerator dedicated entirely to liberating financial experts and advisors from the tyranny of sales by giving them the means and methods to become recognized, in-demand authorities.