PROpulsion LIVE

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What is AI teaching us about human behaviour, trust and the way clients experience our advice businesses?

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit speaks to Wanita Nicol, a freelance writer, editor and storyteller who spends an unusual amount of time talking to AI.

This is not another conversation about using AI to save time or produce more content. Instead, we explore what happens before we “press yes to proceed”.

When advisers use AI to write, reply, summarise, create or explain, those choices tell a story. The client may not hear the story we intended. They may hear that speed matters more than care, that polish matters more than thought, or that automation has replaced judgement.

Wanita shares what her own AI experiments have revealed about sycophancy, vague language, bias, blind spots, trust and the risk of letting AI shape our thinking without us noticing.

We also discuss what this means for financial planners and advice businesses in South Africa, where context, culture and client trust matter deeply.

In this episode, we cover:

* What AI reveals about human behaviour
* Why polished AI content can weaken trust
* How advisers may use AI in ways that help themselves more than clients
* Why AI often avoids strong opinions
* The risk of bias in AI outputs
* How to use AI without giving up your own thinking
* Practical prompts advisers can use to learn more about their own blind spots

The 2026 theme for PROpulsion LIVE is “From Knowing to Doing”. This conversation is a reminder that using AI well is not only about knowing the tools. It is about making better choices in how we communicate, serve and build trust.

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#FinancialPlanning #ArtificialIntelligence #ClientTrust #FinancialAdvisers #PROpulsionLIVE

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Most advice businesses use more software than ever, yet many still struggle with messy data, poor adoption, manual work, disconnected systems and tools that do not get used properly.

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit speaks with Johan Vosloo, CEO of Commspace and Headspace Technologies, and Arnold Hattingh, CEO and Co-founder of Clidash.

Johan brings the view of someone who has spent years building adviser software around revenue management, commission tracking, fee data, reporting and business insights.

Arnold brings the view of someone building a new AI-powered CRM for financial advisers, focused on client management, meetings, tasks, workflows and daily adviser activity.

Together, we explore what it takes to build software that financial advisers and their teams use every day.

We discuss why adviser software often fails, what advice firms misunderstand about technology, and why technically sound software is not always enough. We also look at the hidden work behind simple screens, including data, integrations, reporting, AI summaries, task management and system design.

We also talk about the role of AI in adviser software, where it can help, where advisers should be careful, and what firms need to fix before expecting AI to solve their workflow problems.

We end the conversation by looking at vibe coding and the growing ability for non-technical people to use AI to build apps, workflows and internal systems. This opens up new possibilities for advice businesses, but also raises important questions around security, client data, testing, maintenance and long-term support.

In this conversation, we cover:

* Why adviser software often fails
* The difference between software that works and software that gets used
* What advisers do not see behind simple software screens
* How AI is changing adviser technology
* Why integrations and data quality matter
* Why software implementation fails inside advice businesses
* What advice firms should know before vibe coding their own tools

Join us live on PROpulsion LIVE as we unpack what good adviser software needs, what advice firms need to do differently, and how AI is changing who can build apps and systems.

#FinancialAdviserSoftware #AdviserCRM #AdviceTech #FinancialPlanning #AIForAdvisers

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What happens when an adviser is under pressure, tired, defensive, or emotionally charged?

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit speaks with counsellor Chris Fischer about self-awareness, emotional responsibility, human behaviour, and the way we show up in business, leadership, client meetings, and life.

For financial advisers and business owners, technical skill matters. But the way you respond under pressure can shape trust, communication, team culture, client confidence, and the quality of your decisions.

We explore why self-awareness matters, whether emotions can be separated from business, the difference between blame and responsibility, and why people react the way they do when pressure rises.

We also look at how advisers can use these insights in client meetings, especially when clients are anxious, defensive, overwhelmed, or unsure.

This conversation is part of our 2026 theme: From Knowing to Doing. Many of us know that communication, trust, and relationships matter. The next step is learning how to notice our patterns and respond with more care, clarity, and responsibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why self-awareness matters in business and life
- What emotional responsibility looks like in practice
- Why people react under pressure
- How blame keeps people stuck
- How advisers can notice their own behaviour patterns
- How client emotions affect financial decisions
- How to become more present in difficult conversations

Connect with Chris on Linkedin

Visit the TAG website

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What if the most important leadership role of your life is the one you were never trained for?

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, I sit down with Derek Notman and H. Adam Holt from REBL Dads for a conversation about fatherhood, ambition, leadership, loneliness, and what it takes to show up better at home.

This is not a formal interview. Derek, Adam, and I know each other well, and I was privileged to spend time with them on Necker Island as part of the REBL Dads journey. So this conversation feels more like friends sitting together and speaking openly about what many fathers carry in silence.

We talk about where REBL Dads started, why Derek and Adam felt the need to build a brotherhood for fathers, how Sir Richard Branson became part of the story, and the challenge he gave them: how are you going to help more dads?

That challenge led to the new book, REBL Dad: Responsible Entrepreneur Balanced Leader Dad, built from interviews with 103 fathers from around the world. The book includes more than 300 action items to help fathers move from knowing what matters to doing something about it.

In this conversation, we explore:

Where the REBL Dads idea started
The first Necker Island gathering
Sir Richard Branson’s challenge
The loneliness many successful fathers carry
Lessons from 103 fathers
The principles behind the book
Moving from knowing to doing
Where to get the book

REBL Dad is available on Kindle, with the physical book available from June.

Learn more and order the book:
https://rebldads.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZWW4FNB

Connect with Derek Notman and H. Adam Holt on LinkedIn.

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AI is changing the risk landscape for financial advisors, their clients, and their businesses. Scams are becoming more believable, impersonation is becoming easier, and client trust can be damaged in ways many advice firms may not be ready for.

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, I speak with Nevashan Pillay about AI, cybersecurity, client trust, and the future of financial advice.

Nevashan has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, insurance, digital change, operations, technology transformation, regulatory change, AI agent workflows, and cyber insurance product development. In this conversation, we focus on what financial advisors need to understand now as AI changes both the opportunity and the risk.

We discuss why cybersecurity is no longer only an IT topic. It is now a business issue, a client trust issue, and a professional relevance issue. Clients are already using AI tools. Criminals are using AI to make scams more convincing. Advice firms are starting to use AI in their daily work, often without clear rules around privacy, confidentiality, and governance.

This episode will help financial advisors think about how to use AI in a safer, more responsible way while protecting clients from new forms of digital risk.

We discuss:

How AI is changing cyber risk
Why scams and impersonation are becoming harder to spot
What advice firms should know before using AI tools
Why client data and confidentiality need greater care
How advisors can educate clients about AI-driven scams
Simple cyber habits every advice firm should build
Why the human advisor becomes more important, not less

This conversation is part of our 2026 theme: From Knowing to Doing.

The goal is not only to understand AI and cybersecurity. The goal is to take practical steps that protect clients, protect the practice, and strengthen the value of human advice.

#FinancialAdvice #Cybersecurity #AI #FinancialPlanning #ClientTrust #AIinFinance #FinancialAdvisors #PROpulsionLIVE

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Most financial planners know that client meetings matter. The harder part is running meetings that feel clear, useful, human, and focused on the client.

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit shares six client meeting skills that can help financial planners turn good advice into better conversations and better action.

This episode is practical: what can advisers do differently in their very next meeting?

We will look at how to reframe your value, build trust early, position disclosure in a client-centred way, ask a better opening question, make fact-finding feel more natural, and connect the numbers back to the client’s goals.

This episode forms part of the 2026 PROpulsion LIVE theme: From Knowing to Doing.

In this episode, we cover:

Why clients often focus on products and how to shift the conversation
How to build trust in the first few minutes
How to turn disclosure into a trust-building conversation
A simple opening question that changes the whole meeting
How to make fact finding feel less mechanical
How to connect income and spending to the client’s goals

This episode is for financial planners, financial advisers, practice owners, managers, and anyone who wants to improve client conversations.

Question for the comments:

What is one client meeting skill you want to practise more often?

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#FinancialPlanning #FinancialPlanner #ClientMeetings #FinancialAdvice #PROpulsionLIVE

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What can financial advisors learn from influencers?

Not the noise. Not the fake confidence. Not the chase for likes. The useful lesson is much simpler: the best creators know how to earn attention, explain ideas clearly, build trust, and make people feel understood.

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit looks at what advisors can learn from people who are good at capturing attention without losing trust or depth.

We will unpack seven lessons financial advisors can use in their own businesses:

• How to explain complex ideas simply
• Why consistency beats perfection
• Why personality creates connection
• How storytelling helps people remember your message
• Why audience psychology matters
• How community beats broadcasting
• Why visibility now plays a bigger role in authority

This episode is not about becoming an influencer. It is about becoming easier to understand, easier to remember, and easier to trust.

Clients are busy. They are distracted. They are overwhelmed by information. They do not need advisors to sound more technical. They need advisors who can bring clarity, speak plainly, and show up in a way that feels human.

As part of our 2026 theme, From Knowing to Doing, this episode will help you choose one simple action to improve your communication and visibility this week.

People do not follow expertise. They follow people who make them feel understood.

Subscribe to PROpulsion LIVE for weekly conversations on building better financial planning businesses.

Share your thoughts in the comments: What is one thing financial advisors can learn from great creators?

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Clients are getting financial advice from ChatGPT, TikTok, YouTube, and finfluencers before they ever speak to an adviser. So how should advisers respond?

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, we unpack what this shift means for financial advisers and planners in South Africa.

This is not a panic-driven conversation about AI or social media. It is a practical look at how advisers can respond when clients arrive with opinions, ideas, and recommendations from outside sources.

In this episode, we cover:

why clients are turning to AI, TikTok, YouTube, and finfluencers
what makes this risky for clients
why human advisers still matter more than ever
how advisers should respond when clients bring outside advice into the conversation
what advisers need to do next to stay relevant, trusted, and useful

The real issue is not that clients are getting information from everywhere. The real issue is whether advisers know how to respond with clarity, confidence, and good judgement.

If you are a financial adviser, planner, practice owner, or team leader, this episode will help you think more clearly about trust, accountability, and the changing role of advice.

Subscribe to PROpulsion LIVE for weekly conversations on building better advisers and better advice businesses.

#FinancialAdviser #FinancialPlanner #AIAdvice #Finfluencers #ChatGPT #FinancialPlanning #SouthAfrica #WealthManagement

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 In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, Francois du Toit speaks with leadership development specialist Igno van Niekerk about situational leadership and what it looks like in real working life.

This conversation looks at how leaders can adapt their approach to different people, roles, and situations. Whether you lead advisers, admin staff, support teams, or a wider business unit, this episode will help you think more carefully about how to lead people well.

Igno draws on more than 25 years of leadership development experience, his work on Light on Leadership, and his research into leadership and storytelling. Together, Francois and Igno unpack how leaders can use situational leadership in practical ways, while also looking at ideas from transformational leadership, including the four I’s.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ what situational leadership means in practice
✅ how to lead different people in different ways
✅ how to support growth without losing accountability
✅ how leadership changes across small firms and large organisations
✅ what better leadership looks like for advice, admin, and support teams

This episode is for financial planners, advisers, firm owners, managers, team leaders, and anyone who wants to support people better at work.

Subscribe to PROpulsion LIVE for more conversations on building better financial planning businesses and better teams.

#SituationalLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #FinancialPlanning #TeamLeadership #AdviceBusiness 

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 How can financial planners use tech and AI in a practical way without losing the human side of advice?

In this episode of PROpulsion LIVE, we look at how tech and AI can help financial planners and advice businesses work better, serve clients better, and grow with more intention. This is not about chasing every new tool. It is about using the right tools in the right places.

We unpack how AI is changing customer behaviour, why human-centred design still matters, and where AI can help across the client journey. We also look at practical use cases such as meeting prep, meeting notes, follow-up emails, client education, marketing, business growth, onboarding, training, and more.

We also talk openly about the risks. AI is useful, but it is not flawless. Bias, hallucinations, and poor judgement can all create problems if advisers are not careful. That is why ethics, review, and human responsibility still matter.

If you are a financial planner, adviser, business owner, or leader in an advice firm, this episode will help you think more clearly about where to start and what to do next.

In this episode:

Why AI is already changing client expectations
How to keep advice human while using better technology
Simple ways to use AI before, during, and after meetings
How AI can support education, marketing, and business growth
Why it is often a process problem, not a tool problem
What financial planners need to watch out for when using AI

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#FinancialPlanning #AIForAdvisers #AdviceBusiness #ClientExperience #FinancialAdvisers