The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast

During this episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast, Bill Bush and Chad Soileau share how to think about your business' branding in terms of the five senses.

Episode Highlights:

• 1:20 - Bill and Chad are centering their podcast theme around branding for the first quarter of 2021.
• 2:21 - Even if you're not doing it consciously, you are always building your brand.
• 2:30 - Find the "who," or the other people who are experts around branding to help you.
• 4:00 - Think about your branding in terms of the five senses.
• 4:40 - Sight is the most obvious—beyond your logo, what does your office look like and what is the first impression it will give a client?
• 6:52 - Social media counts towards sight as well—what is the quality of your video content and graphic design, your font and color consistency, etc.
• 9:45 - For touch/feel, what are the materials you use? This can mean brochures, photos, promotional materials, etc.
• 10:38 - In another sense of feel, what's the culture of how you do business?
• 11:05 - You want your office to be pleasant to all the senses when a client walks in, and that includes smell. Even for one-on-one meetings, do you smell good?
• 12:05 - Smell includes food, like gifts you receive or send around the holidays.
• 12:54 - Smell ties into taste, and you remember different companies because of what they send to you, be it food or candles.
• 13:45 - For sound, who is answering the phones? What does your hold music sound like?
• 16:24 - Bill recently did a module about story branding, and thinking about the story that you're telling your clients.
• 17:22 - You're always trying to build and improve and change when you have to change.

3 Key Points:

1. Everything you do, whether conscious or not, builds your brand.
2. Thinking about your branding in terms of the five senses will help you go deeper than just your logo or website.
3. Think about your brand as the story you are telling your clients.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "It's more than just the logo, more than just the website. It's those deep things of paying attention to, can this affect my brand? Is it building my brand in the way I want it to or not?" –Chad Soileau
• "What story are you telling out there, but also defining the audience that you're helping and what problems are you helping them solve?" –Bill Bush

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

During this episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast, Bill Bush, Chad Soileau, and Pete Bush talk about the importance of knowing when to say no to a business opportunity.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:17 – They discuss why saying no is important in running a practice because you can't take on every opportunity that comes your way.
• 03:59 – Practices should have a defined vision to avoid a catch-all strategy.
• 04:40 – If you don't make a clear choice about who you want to serve, you have to be able to provide mixed service levels to clients with varying needs.
• 05:44 – Chad talks about the importance of describing your ideal client.
• 06:46 – Pete talks about hiring the right person for your organization.
• 07:34 – All of your business decisions go back to your vision.
• 08:59 – What are some tools or resources to figure out your strategic planning?
• 11:04 – Talk to practice coaches and talk about what you really want.
• 12:05 – What are some times where you said yes to something, or knew that you should say no because they weren't the right fit?
• 13:32 – It's hard not to have FOMO, or fear of missing out, on a client.
• 14:06 – You can lean on your outline of an ideal client and your vision when you have to say no to a client to demonstrate that it isn't personal.

3 Key Points:

1. You should be able to describe your ideal client.
2. Your vision informs everything, including who you hire.
3. Speaking to coaches is a great way to develop your strategic plan.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "So that forced people into saying yes to a lot of things because they generated revenue, that maybe if they were thinking like a business person, they would have passed on." –Bill Bush
• "The vision doesn't just focus you in looking for the right clients, it actually attracts the right people to show up to help you develop that business." –Pete Bush
• "I can certainly think of client situations that I thought looked really good on the surface that as you got into them, weren't a right fit." –Bill Bush

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

During this episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast, Bill Bush, Chad Soileau, and Pete Bush talk about the importance of knowing when to say no to a business opportunity.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:17 – They discuss why saying no is important in running a practice because you can't take on every opportunity that comes your way.
• 03:59 – Practices should have a defined vision to avoid a catch-all strategy.
• 04:40 – If you don't make a clear choice about who you want to serve, you have to be able to provide mixed service levels to clients with varying needs.
• 05:44 – Chad talks about the importance of describing your ideal client.
• 06:46 – Pete talks about hiring the right person for your organization.
• 07:34 – All of your business decisions go back to your vision.
• 08:59 – What are some tools or resources to figure out your strategic planning?
• 11:04 – Talk to practice coaches and talk about what you really want.
• 12:05 – What are some times where you said yes to something, or knew that you should say no because they weren't the right fit?
• 13:32 – It's hard not to have FOMO, or fear of missing out, on a client.
• 14:06 – You can lean on your outline of an ideal client and your vision when you have to say no to a client to demonstrate that it isn't personal.

3 Key Points:

1. You should be able to describe your ideal client.
2. Your vision informs everything, including who you hire.
3. Speaking to coaches is a great way to develop your strategic plan.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "So that forced people into saying yes to a lot of things because they generated revenue, that maybe if they were thinking like a business person, they would have passed on." –Bill Bush
• "The vision doesn't just focus you in looking for the right clients, it actually attracts the right people to show up to help you develop that business." –Pete Bush
• "I can certainly think of client situations that I thought looked really good on the surface that as you got into them, weren't a right fit." –Bill Bush

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

During this episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast, Bill Bush and Chad Soileau talk about best practices for meetings on Zoom.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:42 – Bill and Chad discuss the prevalence of Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to create a good Zoom presentation.
• 03:30 – Do some practice runs on Zoom with your coworker to familiarize yourself with the software's functionality.
• 05:00 – How can you make your Zoom meeting not look bad? Think about the visuals—what's behind you?
• 05:56 – You can use a virtual background or green screen in Zoom.
• 06:50 – Make sure your camera lens is clean.
• 07:22 – You can plug in a higher quality external camera to your laptop to increase the production value, and consider purchasing a separate microphone.
• 10:04 – Remember to unmute yourself, but it's still common courtesy to mute yourself when you aren't talking. You can also turn your video on and off to prevent distractions to others.
• 11:37 – Even though first impressions are digital now, you should still look presentable in meetings with clients.
• 12:42 – Staying on top of scheduling is very important so everyone who needs to use a company's Zoom account is able to do so, without disruptions from other meetings running over time.
• 13:54 – Depending on your Zoom subscription, you may run out of time.
• 14:30 – Remember that people can see you if you are constantly on your phone or distracted in other ways.
• 15:52 – If you are hosting an open meeting, be aware that "Zoom bobbing" is a thing and you could have uninvited guests pop in. You might prefer to lock the meeting with a password.

3 Key Points:

1. Make sure you know how to use all of the features you plan on accessing during a meeting to limit fumbling and technological delays.
2. Consider how you and your background looks on camera.
3. Be considerate of others' time when scheduling a Zoom meeting.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "Your background and your appearance is only as good as the camera that you have. Something simple is: make sure your lens is clean!" –Chad Soileau
• "You only have that one time to make a good first impression, and although it's digitally now, it's still an impression." –Bill Bush
• "I don't like the idea that if I'm the host and there's other people on there and they're doing everything else but paying attention, then why are you even on the call?" –Chad Soileau

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

During this episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast, Bill Bush and Chad Soileau talk about 19 different things that happened during the coronavirus pandemic that can be viewed as positive.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:41 – Bill Bush and Chad Soileau discuss that there are positive things that came out of the COVID-19 crisis?
• 02:50 – What are ways to be organized and efficient?
• 04:00 – Prepare a planning process on both the client side and the advisor side.
• 04:55 – What are some positives that have come out of trust?
• 05:47 – Which pluses emerged on the technology side?
• 07:28 – Place an importance on good leadership.
• 08:10 – How often do you reach out to your clients and adapt to their needs?
• 10:10 – COVID-19 was a chance to stress test your staff and address wants and
• 13:26 – Look for chances to enhance even when situations are difficult and help

others make better decisions.

• 15:58 – They talk about their personal work/life balance when working from home

during the coronavirus.

3 Key Points:

1. Be organized and efficient in your practice to prepare for challenging times.
2. You are only as good as the weakest link in your chain.
3. There are opportunities to grow during all situations.

Tweetable Quotes:

• (Technological efficiency) "Us using Zoom, being more efficient in the way that we can talk to our clients, and talk to our peers, and talk to our partners so to speak, it has pulled all that forward." – Chad Soileau.
• "What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty. Every difficulty has an opportunity." – Chad Soileau.
• "You have to find a way to get in touch with your client, and the idea that maybe what you did before worked. Now maybe it doesn't." – Chad Soileau.

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

This episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast with Bill Bush and Chad Soileau talk about the importance of your clients trusting you, and ways to maintain that during times of uncertainty like COVID-19.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:41 – Bill Bush and Chad Soileau discuss changes in communication due to

the coronavirus.

• 02:26 – Chad expresses the importance of a client's trust.
• 03:00 – Times of uncertainty push people to find answers from those they trust.
• 03:46 – What happens if there is a breakdown in a client getting in touch with you?
• 05:39 – Is your voicemail operating correctly?
• 06:23 – Are contact numbers and email addresses up-to-date?
• 08:57 – Do you have trade instructions and the proper disclosures on your
• voicemail?
• 11:35 – Are you prepared with a plan B when you sit down with a client?
• 12:47 – Proactive communication on a frequent level with clients is key.
• 14:44 – Keep bringing value to clients.
• 15:03 – Chad talks about a blog post he recent posted about trust.

3 Key Points:

1. Make sure your voicemail is operating correctly and check that it isn't full.
2. Be sure that you don't have old contact numbers, email addresses, and website information in your system.
3. Have more than one plan prepared for your clients to keep their confidence in you strong.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "A client's trust is very hard to come by, and it is very hard to earn. But the opposite side of that is it is really easy to lose at the same time." – Chad Soileau.
• "It's those small things, it's those bricks that you build up that wall of trust with a client that can easily get chipped away." – Chad Soileau.
• "There is no amount of talking or reasoning you can do with a client that is going to change their mind. So, do you have some alternatives that are there, maybe plan B, maybe plan C?" – Chad Soileau.

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• Call the Horizon Financial Group: (225) 612-3820

This episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast with Bill Bush and Chad Soileau talk about the similarities of what it takes to have success in sports and having success in the financial arena. Bill and Chad break down how the Three Ts: talent, team, and time play a key role...along with the non-T-word 'luck.'

Episode Highlights:

• 01:45 – Bill Bush and Chad Soileau make the comparison between the NASCAR
• success and having financial success.
• 02:51 – Financial success starts with having great talent involved.
• 03:24 – Make sure your talent is supported by a strong and resourceful team.
• 04:58 – Time is needed for talent and teams to work together and establish

success in the long run.

• 06:53 – Luck is the x-factor that rewards those that are ready for it.
• 08:07 – It is not just one element. It typically takes all of them working in unison.

3 Key Points:

1. Talent is the front-stage, client-facing element in the financial world that is respected for their experience.
2. The team has talent as well and they support and develop the frontline talent from the background.
3. Time is the long-term continuity and familiarity that builds sustainability.

Tweetable Quotes:

• (Success in NASCAR) "Sometimes it is the talent. Sometimes it is the car. Sometimes it is luck. Most of the time it is all three." – Chad Soileau.
• "Luck favors the prepared. As we all know, if you are doing the right things over time and you are consistently doing them over and over and over and over and over, luck is going to be on your side more often than not." – Chad Soileau.
• "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go forward, go together." – Chad Soileau.

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• com

This episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast with Bill Bush and Chad Soileau expands upon three common financial terms and applies them to managing your practice: diversification, allocation, and re-balancing. Learn what they mean to you as a business owner, how they can improve your practice management, and the ways in which they will focus the way you are using your time.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:55 – Bill Bush and Chad Soileau introduce the topic of applying the financial

terms diversify, allocate, and rebalance to managing their practice.

• 02:37 – What is diversification and how does it apply to your focases and your

activities?

• 04:40 – Make sure you have enough diversification for what you are focusing on.
• 05:34 – View your allocation in terms of prioritizing your energy, resources and time

to areas of importance.

• 07:20 – Rebalancing is important to reconfigure your actions to match your intent.
• 09:05 – Toggl.com is a tool used at Horizon that keeps track of what you are

doing.

3 Key Points:

1. Diversification is a risk management strategy that mixes a wide variety of investments in a particular portfolio.
2. Allocation is how you are applying your time, resources, and energy into your areas of improvement.
3. Rebalancing is a great way to start a business year to look back at the previous year to see where improvement is needed.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "Look at where your focuses were. Was I very diversified in my thoughts? Was I very diversified in my actions? Was I over-diversified in what I did? Was I under-diversified in what I did?" – Chad Soileau.
• "Anytime you focus more on one particular area of your business, well then something else inevitably is going to fall behind." – Chad Soileau.
• "Certain asset classes are going to get overweighed and it is not where you originally started and you have to ask yourself, 'Do I want it to continue being that way because this is working for us right now?" – Chad Soileau.

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• com

This episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast with Bill Bush and Chad Soileau of the Horizon Financial Group covers about how to build better clients by investing in continual learning.

Episode Highlights:

• 1:09 - Chad talks about when he was a junior advisor, and he watched the film GlenGarry Glen Ross
• 2:00 - Chad says the blog is about being a better student at your profession, and getting better at what you are doing, so you'll close more business.
• 2:32 - Where do you start on the concept of 'Always be learning?'
• 3:24 - Designations and industry standard learning as an educational component to the career- CRPS, CPFA
• 4:25 - How people put value on seeking out a specialist
• 4:42 - How Chad goes to peer group events and networking to upskill and learn
• 6:52 - Windshield opportunities - podcasts are a great way to broaden your knowledge
• 8:47 - Chad discusses coaching services to increase knowledge and expand their business
• 10:47 - Mentoring or being mentored?
• 11:58 - Bill shares his story of mentoring
• 13:30 - What about resources, and how they support learning?
• 15:50 - What would you like to share as final points, and your quote from the blog?

.

3 Key Points:

• Don't just be a student of your industry, broaden your horizons
• Consistently attend events for a year round educational opportunity
• Learning will take you further than anything else in your business

Tweetable Quotes:

• "ABC - Always be closing. You should always be looking for the opportunity to close business - you should always be pressing, to some extent" - Chad Soileau.
• "To find those better clients, and to really be better at what you do, you should always be learning" - Chad Soileau.
• "Don't just listen to industry type podcasts - generalise. If you're going into a client meeting and all you're talking about is X's and O's, it's going to get boring." - Bill Bush
• "Go back and reflect. Take notes. Go back and look at it consciously. Try adding something new in - it's one of the better ways to find new clients and close new business" - Chad Soileau.
• "Better clients demand more, pay more, and make it easier for you to level up. Better clients challenge you to dig deeper and do what you're capable of. You don't do better by working more hours - you can't work more hours. You do better by finding better clients" - Seth Godin

Resources Mentioned:

• Blog - Always Be Learning
• 1992 movie GlenGarry Glen Ross
• Horizon Financial Group
• The Confident Wealth Podcast
• Bill Bush
• Bill Bush's Email: [email protected]
• Chad Soileau
• Chad Soileau's Email: [email protected]
• FPA - Financial Planning Association
• NAPA - National Association of Planning Advisors

This episode of The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast with Bill Bush and Chad Soileau of the Horizon Financial Group talk about succession planning, the benefits that advisors need to be aware of, and the resources that Horizon Financial Group can provide.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:09 – Chad Soileau introduces himself and how he got involved with Horizon

Financial Group.

• 02:09 – What does Chad's job at Horizon Financial Group?
• 03:27 – Chad discusses a blog post he wrote about succession planning and the

importance of it.

• 08:17 – What steps should someone take in their 40s if they don't have a
• succession plan in place?
• 10:07 – How did things work out with the advisor that Chad was sharing a story
• about?
• 1136:04 – 15%-20% of the advisors that Chad Soileau talks to actually have
• succession plans in place.
• 12:57 – What kind of attitude does Chad see among advisors in their 60s?
• 13:55 – Advisors should think about the optics of having a succession plan in place
• that they can talk about with their clients to lead by example.
• 15:00 – What resources does the Horizon Financial Group have available?

.

3 Key Points:

1. Chad Soileu's role at Horizon Financial Group includes: helping other advisors build their practice, protecting that practice, and finding ways for them to leave that practice.
2. Without succession plans in place, any buying advisor is going to try to get the best value for their purchase as possible.
3. What is the value of your book of business to know what you are dealing with and consult with someone that has experience.

Tweetable Quotes:

• (Succession planning) "Advisors really work with clients for planning purposes in a lot of ways. But often times they don't think about it in their own roles." – Bill Bush.
• "People have two things that they care about, most...their money and their family. And it is not necessarily in that order sometimes." – Chad Soileau.
• "Maybe the first part is, getting a sample copy of what a continuity plan or succession plan looks like." – Chad Soileau

Resources Mentioned:

• Horizon Advisor Network
• The Confident Advisor Practice Podcast
• Bill Bush
• Bill Bush's Email: [email protected]
• Chad Soileau
• Chad Soileau's Email: [email protected]
• Dan Mayes: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Chad's Blog An Act o Love