Goals Based Advice Podcast

It is no question that the cost to deliver financial advice has increased dramatically over the years. A combination of a tighter compliance landscape and increasing education requirements have made the concept of delivering advice to the everyday Australian a seemingly impossible task. Adding additional services like cashflow into the mix seems even more challenging.

In this episode, we speak to Jodie Douglas and Azaria Bell from Mad About LIFE, who are doing just this. We discuss transitioning from an insurance business to a full scope advice business, how to decide on your fees, how to incorporate cashflow into your service offering, how to tackle the professional year, and much more. 

This episode is all about looking to the future of advice delivery and centring your service offering around what your clients need from you. We touch on client surveys, mentoring, asking deeper questions, and we even find out how Jodie landed 25 referrals the first time she asked for one!

To reach out to Jodie Douglas, please contact her via [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn. To reach out to Azaria Bell, please contact her via [email protected]  or connect on LinkedIn.

• How to transition from a risk business to a full scope advice practice
• How to develop a client value proposition
• How to approach your first fee conversations with clients
• How to incorporate cashflow into your service offering
• How to grow a business organically via referrals
• How to ask deeper questions to understand your clients on a personal level
• How to approach the FASEA professional year
• What new entrants are looking for in a potential employer
• How to start measuring and tracking client goals from day one
• How to ask for referrals from clients confidently
• How to survey the client experience effectively without the hassle 
• How to build and shape advisers who align with your business goals

Jodie Douglas is the owner and financial adviser of Mad About LIFE, based on the Gold Coast. Starting out in the industry as a risk specialist, Jodie has organically built a full scope, high touch point advice business that caters to everyday Australians. Azaria Bell is a money coach at Mad About LIFE and previous FPA award winner, currently undergoing the FASEA Professional Year. The Mad About LIFE team are known for their commitment to innovation, fun approach to advice and passion for helping everyday Aussies access financial advice. 

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

Behavioural finance is an area of study that has piqued the interest of financial advisers increasingly over the years. With a multitude of courses, books, outlets to learn more about the topic, it is easy to get lost in the science and lose sight of how to actually apply the concepts to the adviser-client relationship.

In this episode, we speak to Philip Courtenay, the founder of Applied Emotional Finance, a UK based business which helps advisers understand and connect better with their clients by understanding the emotional drivers that guide financial decisions. We discuss financial adviser anxiety, identifying gaps in communication, measuring value and the behavioural differences among investors.  

This episode is all about looking beyond the expectations of what an adviser's role is, and opening minds to understanding clients on a deeper level, helping to further build trust and improve communication within the adviser-client relationship. We got some great tips from Philip, as well as a couple of quick activities you can use with your clients. 

To reach out to Philip Courtenay, please contact him via his website.

• How to measure the intangible value advice provides
• The behavioural differences between everyday and sophisticated investors
• What is financial adviser anxiety?
• How co-creation of a plan gives client’s the feeling of control 
• The different roles advisers need to switch between 
• How do clients measure value provided by their adviser?
• How the medical pain scale can be incorporated into the advice process
• How to identify gaps in your communications with clients 
• Can robo advice facilitate investor trust?
• How to incorporate the rational brain and emotional brain in client meetings

Philip Courtenay is the founder of Applied Emotional Intelligence, a UK-based business which helps firms and advisers understand the emotional drivers behind their client’s financial decisions and make deeper connections. Philip is passionate about inquisitive thinking, questioning everything, and helping others understand how clients and prospects think, act, and behave. Philip is great at facilitating client relationships based on mutual trust and understanding.

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

Being given the opportunity to enter an existing financial planning business and undertake a complete rebrand is a rare opportunity that requires extensive planning and consideration. From the name, marketing, client processes and growth strategies, there is a balance to be struck between building the business of your dreams and serving existing clients in a way they are comfortable with.

In this episode, we speak to Simone Du Chesne, a financial adviser based in Sydney who found herself in this exact situation. Growing up with parents who ran a successful financial planning business, Simone found herself in the world of advice, looking for a change in work/life balance after a successful career in marketing. We discuss what goes into a name, joint ventures for growth, career pathways, and what its like to be awarded the AFA Adviser of the Year. 

This episode is all about getting valuable insight into how an award winning financial advice practice is run, and what values go into creating a business with loyal and long-lasting clients. We find out so much of Simone’s unique journey, and she even shares a breakdown of what happens in each of her client meetings!

To reach out to Simone Du Chesne, please contact her via her LinkedIn profile.

• What it means to have high quality consumer touchpoints
• The importance of a nice office when it comes to first impressions
• How to decide on a meaningful name for your business
• What goes into the EQ Wealth client meetings
• How to focus less on product and more on education
• What to look for when considering a JV  
• How to build a successful joint venture arrangement 
• What winning an industry award can mean to your business
• How to show value to your clients during a pandemic
• How new entrants should approach a career in financial planning

Simone Du Chesne is the owner and financial adviser at EQ wealth, a business with roots stretching back 40 years. Starting out as a marketing expert, Simone didn't initially expect to find herself in financial planning. However 10 years later, the business continues to smash goals, and deliver great service to their clients. To top it off, in 2019, Simone was awarded the AFA Financial Adviser of the Year. 

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

Throughout our careers, we often find ourselves in situations where we feel we are being held back from reaching our true potential. All it will take is one big risk to pay off before you can align with exactly who and where you need to be. The idea of starting again is a daunting prospect for most, but a mindset shift is often needed to be able to advance to the next level

In this episode, we speak to Ben Nash, a financial adviser who did just that, founding Pivot Wealth in 2015. We discuss where to find clients when starting with a blank canvas, how to leverage your brand through events, the importance of embracing social media within a modern business world, and the benefits that industry awards can bring to your business. 

This episode is all about overcoming the fear of going at it alone and instead approaching life with confidence and personality that pushes you consistently out of your comfort zone. We chatted about some of Ben’s projects including a podcast and a book, and even gained insight into what goes into the publishing process! 

To reach out to Ben Nash, please contact him via his LinkedIn profile.

• What it takes to start an advice business from scratch
• How to integrate cashflow coaching into an advice business 
• How to use events to build your client base
• How to reach more prospective clients via LinkedIn marketing
• How to transition from assets under management to fixed fees
• How to use social media to share educational messages to the masses
• How to approach presentations with confidence 
• What goes in to publishing a book
• How to build relationships with industry leaders
• The value of having internal awards for your own employees
• Why it is important to aim for awards

Ben Nash is the founder of Pivot Wealth, and an experienced adviser who works primarily with young professionals, executives and business owners. Ben is heavily involved in the financial planning community, and has won awards in recognition for his efforts as an adviser and author, publishing Get Unstuck: Your Guide to Creating a Life not Limited by Money in 2018. Ben has even recently launched a podcast to educate consumers on how to build a better understanding of their money.

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

The financial world, from the outside, can be seen as dry, numbers-driven and typically quite boring. It is easy to hide the more colourful parts of who you are to put forward a professional image that fits within the mould of a typical financial adviser. However, with the rise of social media and a newly personal Zoom-centric world, bringing your true self to your client interactions is more encouraged than ever.

In this episode, we speak to one adviser who believes we should do just that. Dawn Thomas, a senior financial adviser from Wealthwise Financial Planning in Perth talks about getting involved in industry awards, the value of having mentors, overcoming imposter syndrome and how to attract the right kind of clients for your business.

This episode is all about thinking outside the box when it comes to communicating your message, and what it means to embrace your community in a way that they can understand and relate to. We even hear some great examples from Dawn’s new project on Youtube: Combining cooking videos with financial education! 

To reach out to Dawn Thomas, please contact her via her LinkedIn profile.

• When is it appropriate to challenge your clients
• Why more women should get involved in industry awards
• How authenticity attracts the right clients and deters the clients you don’t want
• How to use Facebook as a professional platform
• How to to think outside the box and educate through your own passions
• The value of having mentors ongoing throughout your career
• How financial planning can give women the flexibility to be themselves
• How to fight for your clients with grit
• How to overcome imposter syndrome
• Why it is important to ‘keep your emotional well full’
• How to use YouTube to amplify your message

Dawn Thomas is a senior financial adviser at Wealthwise Financial Planning, with 12 years of experience in the industry. After graduating from media studies into a scarce job market, her immense drive landed her into the world financial planning. Three children, a masters degree, a PhD in progress and many years of experience later, Dawn is a self proclaimed superannuation nerd, food enthusiast and advocate of bringing your true authentic self to everything you do.

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

The financial advice landscape is changing, with many large businesses dissolving or reducing in size. Creating a business with one clear goal across a large number of advisers can be difficult and hard to manage. However, one business that is succeeding in doing just this is Shadforth Group. 

In this episode, we speak to Terry Dillon, the Chief Executive Officer at Shadforth group to talk about how to deliver scalable, consistently high quality goals-based advice.  We discuss building career pathways for new advisers, client promises, stochastic modelling, evidence-based investing, and technology. Terry also provides valuable information on what goes into obtaining fiduciary certification.

This episode is all about looking under the hood at one of Australia’s largest goals based advice practices, and understanding how to create a consistent standard of quality across a large number of advisers. We got plenty of fascinating insights and even picked up a few 5 star client service tips!

To reach out to Terry Dillon, please contact him via the Shadforth website or email Terry at [email protected].

• How to be firm on the values you look for in new hires
• How a solid business structure can enable 30-50 year promises to clients
• How to build a structured pathway to becoming an adviser
• What is involved in becoming a fiduciary firm 
• How to provide client perks that deliver gold standard service
• How to incorporate stochastic modeling
• How Zoom is helping advisers become more personable
• The value of annual client surveys
• The importance of evidence-based portfolios that revolve around client goals
• How underestimating client ability can slow technological progress
• Why risk profiling is a dated practice 

Terry Dillon is the Chief Executive Officer at Shadforth Group Consulting with 28 years of experience in the industry. Starting in a landscape that consisted mostly of insurance and sales, Terry became a financial adviser early, and has accumulated a wealth of skills and experience that allows him to lead one of Australia’s largest group of financial advisers. His passion for developing thorough goals-based advisers and delivering a gold standard of advice to clients reflects through the company.

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]  

Thanks for tuning in!

Choosing to dive into the world of business ownership is a daunting prospect for every adviser-turned-founder. How do I choose the right licensee? How will I make enough money to get myself off the ground? How will I attract potential clients? And perhaps the most underappreciated question… how will this affect my mental health?

In this episode, we speak to Chris Carlin, a financial adviser and mortgage broker, owner of Master Your money Now. Launching the business in 2018, Chris has built his business from scratch, using content media and ‘edutainment’ as a huge pillar in his advertising. Only two years later, Chris was awarded the AFA Rising Star Award in recognition of his efforts. 

This episode is all about understanding what is involved in starting a financial planning business, and how to push yourself to take that leap of faith. Chris is a shining example of what dreaming big can do, and how important it is to look after yourself in the process.

To reach out to Chris Carlin, please contact him via his LinkedIn profile.

• What it was like to be awarded an AFA Rising Star
• How to choose the right licensee for your business
• How to ensure you have funds to fall back on in the early stages of starting a business
• How to use video and media to generate new leads
• How to find your niche and target those clients
• How to use content marketing to build awareness of your brand
• How to be location independent from the very beginning
• How new entrants should approach the first five years of their career
• How to manage your mental health as a financial adviser 
• Why career should never be your number one priority
• The importance of remembering your ‘why’

Chris Carlin is a financial adviser and owner at Master Your Money Now, with almost 10 years experience in the industry. From completing internships, paraplanning, and tenure as a bank-aligned financial adviser, Chris used his experience to take a leap of faith in starting his own business. Through the power of content marketing, Chris has driven his business to great success, being awarded the AFA’s 2019 Rising Star Award in recognition of his work. Chris is passionate about modern, future-focused financial advice, with a strong emphasis on mental health for financial advisers. 

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

At the core, financial advice clients are looking for someone who is interested in their needs, can take the time to care for them, invests time into understanding their situation and creates the best possible strategy to achieving their goals. Thats why good financial advice is universal, and not bound by location. 

In this episode, we speak to Dan Haylett, a financial planner based in Essex, UK to talk about how he has tackled lifestyle financial advice.  We discuss how to approach fixed fee conversations, building a meeting process that works for your clients, where data collection comes into the process, and more. 

This episode is all about the value of taking time with your clients, and avoiding rushing what is a very personal and important process to your clients. We even talk about Dan’s approach of having a client panel to assist in building the perfect advice process, and how you could integrate something similar into your business. 

To reach out to Dan Haylett, please contact him via his LinkedIn profile.

• How to confidently move your clients from percentage based to flat fees
• Why your relationship should be with the client, not their money
• How being a young adviser can be a great advantage to your clients
• Why it is important to be confident in delivering fees
• Why you shouldn’t be afraid to dig deep and talk about client behaviours 
• How to build a meeting process that leaves your clients feeling understood
• How to set up a tiered based fee structure 
• Where in the advice process should data collection occur
• When should cashflow come into the conversation?
• How to get clients involved in building the client process

Dan Haylett is a financial planner at TFP Financial Planning in Essex, England, with 18 years of experience in the finance industry. In his younger years, Dan dreamed of becoming a cricketer, before deciding to get a  ‘proper job’, finding himself in a sales career in finance. After years of seeing the meaningful impact advisers were making to their clients, he decided to jump into the advice seat himself. Dave now is a passionate lifestyle financial adviser, working closely with clients to achieve their goals in a modern advice business. 

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

In a time where nothing seems to be within our control, it is easy for us to long for the ‘normal’ we were once used to. New technology, new makeshift processes, and new ways of communicating with clients are just a few of the challenges advisers across the country have been forced to face, but do we really want to return to normal?

In this episode, we speak to Jaime Johns, head of advice at Madison Financial Group who believes now is the time to adapt, learn and grow in terms of your advice offering and business processes. We talk about the need to overcommunicate, introducing new technology to clients, transparency of fees and even cash flow management for clients. Jaime also provides insight into what the advisers who are thriving right now are doing differently.

This episode is all about reframing the way we look at the impacts of these unprecedented times on business, and use this opportunity to lean on and provide support to the advice community, co-workers, and your clients directly, more than ever before. 

To reach out to Jaime Johns, please contact her via her LinkedIn profile.

• Why it is better than ever to ‘overcommunicate’
• Why it is important for leaders to have an open door policy
• What sets apart the advisers that are thriving through COVID-19
• The importance of traditional paper-based businesses developing their systems
• Why waiting for things to ‘return to normal’ is a dangerous mindset 
• How to introduce new technology to your clients
• Why digital opt-ins are the way of the future
• What does goals based advice look like right now
• How to build a cashflow offering that funnels advice leads
• What is the modern adviser’s meeting process 
• The value of letters of engagement in the advice process

Jaime Johns is the head of advice at Madison Financial Group with over 18 years of experience in the industry. With a fascinating background in management and advice coaching, Jaime now works closely with advisers and practices under the Madison licensee, and has seen immense change both within the business and the lives of advisers over the last couple of months. Jaime has direct insight into the challenges advisers are currently facing, and has a wealth of advice to provide in this uncertain time. 

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

Financial advisers know all too well how much clients can struggle with change. It is daunting to enter uncharted territories, but what scares us the most is the uncertainty, and the fear of personal loss. So how can we start to embrace change, and frame our decision making to lead to impactful change for our business and clients?

In this episode, we speak to Alicia McKay, is a strategy and change adviser, author and podcast host based in New Zealand to talk about creating new policies, understanding what goes into a good decision-making process, and how to efficiently prioritise goals in order to achieve desired outcomes. We are reminded that change is not a roadblock, but a part of life which leads to opportunity. 

This episode is all about focusing on the systems that guide a strong decision making process, and implementing those frameworks into your business. Alicia even shared details of the ‘$100 game’ which you can play with your clients to get to the bottom of their true goals! 

To reach out to Alicia McKay, please contact her via her Linkedin Profile or email at aleishamackay.co.nz. 

Books: From Strategy to Action: A Guide to Getting Sh*t Done In The Public Sector

Podcast: What’s On Your Mind?

• How to ask questions that get to the root of a goal
• The ideal number of goals you should focus on with your clients
• Why good habits must be independent of motivation
• Why we don’t fear change, but loss
• How to not dilute impact with too many priorities
• Why overcoming limiting beliefs is so important
• Why framing change as ‘disruption’ is counter productive
• How a lack of agency can lead to dissatisfaction in the workplace
• Why the success of a decision should be measured by the process, not the outcome
• How ‘so what’ can be a powerful question to ask clients

Alicia McKay is a strategy and change adviser, author and podcast host based in New Zealand. Alicia started her early career working in policy development for government, which lead her to influencing change and ultimately becoming self-employed. Today, she works with leaders to help them become more strategic, make better decisions and turn their thinking into real action that has meaningful impact. Alicia has a refreshing approach to motivating leaders, cutting through complexity to focus on what really matters.

For more conversations with the thinkers and movers in the world of financial advice, go to Goals-Based Advice Podcast. You can also access more episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For updates, follow our Facebook page. 

If you have more questions, don't forget to reach out to me on LinkedIn and to send an email at [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!