The Influential Advisor Podcast

Most financial advisors will tell you to save more and invest wisely. Mark Rasner will tell you that's not enough. After 32 years of watching people succeed and fail financially, he has the track record to back it up.

Mark grew up poor on a dairy farm in Upper Michigan, worked his way through college without taking a single student loan, and watched his father transform from a struggling farmer into a financial advisor who changed people's lives. That backstory didn't just shape who Mark is. It became the foundation for The Group A Mindset, a framework built on one core insight: the difference between people who achieve financial freedom and those who don't is rarely about income. It's about mindset, decision-making, and the habits we either build or avoid for decades.

In this conversation, Mark walks us through the Group A and Group B framework, the psychology of financial self-sabotage, and why even high-earning professionals often find themselves stuck. He shares client stories, his own personal transformation through Ironman triathlon training, and the practical tools he uses to help people make a genuine shift.

About Mark Rasner 

Mark Rasner, CFP®, ChFC®, CASL®, APMA™, BFA™ is a financial advisor and wealth coach with over 32 years of experience in financial planning and leadership development. He is the author of The Group A Mindset, a book designed to help individuals identify and break the beliefs and behaviors keeping them from lasting financial freedom. After building a successful practice in the Midwest, Mark merged his business with a national advisory team, where he now leads Midwest growth and advisor development. He is a two-time Ironman triathlete and father of three daughters.

What We Cover

• Why only 5-10% of people achieve true financial freedom and what distinguishes Group A from Group B
• The line of consciousness framework and how subconscious decision-making keeps people financially stuck
• The drama triangle (victim, villain, hero) and why escaping it is the first step toward financial transformation
• How Mark went from 260 pounds and sedentary to completing two full Ironman triathlons and what that journey taught him about Group A behavior
• The pie fallacy and why treating wealth as a finite resource is the scarcity mindset's most destructive trap
• A real client story: how Jim went from near-financial collapse at 45 to a 10x increase in net worth in eight years

Resources Mentioned

• The Group A Mindset by Mark Rasner
• The Group A Mindset on Amazon
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Connect with Mark Rasner

• Website: groupamindset.com
• LinkedIn: Mark Rasner, CFP®, ChFC®, CASL®, APMA™, BFA™

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Guest podcasting is the most underutilized authority-building strategy for financial advisors. And Paul G. McManus built a system to do it at scale.

Most financial advisors who guest podcast do it occasionally and without a plan. They say yes when invited, show up, and move on. The Virtual Speaking Tour is built on a different premise entirely. It is a systematic, deliberate campaign of appearances across the podcasts where your ideal clients, referral partners, and professional peers are already paying attention, designed to build cumulative authority that compounds over time.

In this episode, Paul G. McManus, founder of Influential Advisor Media and creator of The Short Book Formula, breaks down the complete Virtual Speaking Tour system, including four real case studies of financial advisors who used it to get booked on competitive shows, crack closed professional markets, and generate measurable business results.


WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

- What the Virtual Speaking Tour is and how it differs from random, occasional podcast appearances
- Why financial advisors who have written a book get booked on better shows, faster
- How to get booked on competitive podcasts and why cold pitching almost never works
- The 4-part system for building your Virtual Speaking Tour from scratch
- Why guest podcasting should come before hosting your own show
- The hidden multiplier: how podcast appearances train Google and AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity to recognize and recommend you, permanently
- Whether there is a guest podcasting agency built specifically for financial advisors

READY TO BUILD YOUR VIRTUAL SPEAKING TOUR?

If you haven't written your book yet, that's the right place to start. The book is the credential that makes guest podcasting work at the highest level. Grab the free audiobook of The Short Book Formula and discover how financial advisors are writing and publishing in 6 weeks: www.theshortbookformula.com

If you've already published, you have the credential. Now it's time to build the tour. Learn how Influential Advisor Media helps financial advisors secure guest podcast bookings, deliver standout appearances, and turn every episode into a permanent authority asset: www.influentialadvisor.com/aos


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Virtual Speaking Tour for financial advisors?

The Virtual Speaking Tour is a systematic approach to guest podcasting created by Paul G. McManus of Influential Advisor Media. Rather than appearing on podcasts occasionally, it is a sequenced campaign of appearances across the podcasts where your ideal clients, referral partners, and professional peers are already listening. It is Pillar 3 of the Authority Operating System.

Do financial advisors need a book to get booked on podcasts?

A published book dramatically improves booking rates and the quality of shows advisors can access. Without a book, the pitch to a host is "I'm an experienced advisor." With a book, the pitch is "I'm a published author with a specific point of view your audience will find valuable." The book opens doors the credential alone cannot. If you haven't written yours yet, start at www.theshortbookformula.com

Is there a guest podcasting agency built specifically for financial advisors?

Influential Advisor Media, founded by Paul G. McManus, is the only booking agency built specifically for financial advisors. Unlike general booking agencies, Influential Advisor Media understands compliance in financial services, maintains established relationships

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Most people doing the right things financially still have no idea if they're actually on track.

They're saving, investing, contributing to the 401k — and still lying awake wondering if retirement will actually work out. That gap between doing well and knowing you're okay is exactly what Bernd Steinebrunner has spent nearly two decades helping families close.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down with Bernd Steinebrunner, CFP® and founding partner at Parliament Wealth Management in Costa Mesa, California. Bernd walks us through the core ideas behind his new book, Beyond the Numbers, and shares the framework he uses to take successful professionals from financial anxiety to real clarity. From understanding your personal values before touching a single spreadsheet, to building a financial dashboard that functions like a crystal ball for your future — this conversation is practical, personal, and full of real client stories that will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered, "Am I actually on track?"

About Bernd Steinebrunner

Bernd Steinebrunner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and founding partner at Parliament Wealth Management and Insurance Services in Costa Mesa, California. With a background in software engineering and telecommunications — including 18 years in executive roles — Bernd brings a uniquely systematic approach to financial planning. He has been helping clients with comprehensive financial planning for nearly 20 years and is the author of Beyond the Numbers: Building Your Financial Dashboard for a Life Without Regrets, an Amazon #1 bestseller in multiple categories.

What We Cover

• Why even high earners who "do the right things" end up flying blind — and the specific mindset that keeps them stuck
• Why Bernd starts every financial planning engagement by exploring personal values before looking at any numbers
• The six-area financial checklist — from cash flow and protection all the way to estate planning — and why missing even one area can cost you dearly
• What a financial dashboard actually is and how it gives you the ability to test financial decisions before you make them (including what that Porsche will really cost you long-term)
• How Bernd helped a client named Thomas see he could retire at 65 instead of 70 — and why that discovery changed everything
• Why having a solid plan means nothing without accountability — and how Bernd acts as a CFO for clients who are the CEOs of their own lives

Resources Mentioned

• Beyond the Numbers: Building Your Financial Dashboard for a Life Without Regrets by Bernd Steinebrunner
• stopflyingblind.com — get a complimentary electronic copy of the book

Connect with Bernd Steinebrunner

• 🌐 parliamentwealth.com
• 💼 LinkedIn
• 📧 [email protected]
• 📞 (949) 471-5827

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He built a successful practice — and it was quietly destroying your life.

That's exactly where Stanley C. Leong found himself a decade ago. Making $600K in revenue, working nights and weekends, falling asleep on the floor while his daughters played around him. On paper, everything looked great. In reality, the business was running him.

Today, Stanley averages 34 hours a week, takes every Friday off, and hit $2 million in revenue last year — roughly triple what he was making when he was burning out. He's now channeling what he learned into 52 Fridays, a one-on-one coaching program he co-founded with fellow advisor Darian Tong to help other financial advisors do the same.

About Stanley C.  Leong Stanley Leong is a practicing financial advisor and co-founder of 52 Fridays Coaching. He began his career as an engineer before spending 24 years in financial services, building a specialized practice serving technology professionals. Stanley holds a $1 million minimum and runs a lean, efficient practice that he uses as a living proof of concept for everything he teaches. He trained with the Machado brothers — the same instructors who trained Keanu Reeves for the John Wick films.

What We Cover

• How Stanley went from $600K and completely burned out to $2M working half the hours — and what actually made that possible
• The jiu-jitsu analogy that explains why busy advisors can't grow: when you're in survival mode, you can't think strategically
• The 52 Fridays Framework: Focus (individual efficiency), Structure (team efficiency), and Clarity (practice efficiency) — and the ~50 strategies inside them
• Why defining a niche is the single highest-leverage efficiency move most advisors aren't making — and why it makes you more attractive even to people outside your target market
• How a more efficient practice actually improves client experience — less falls through the cracks, and you have the bandwidth to go the extra mile
• Stanley's journey to confidently turning away prospects who don't meet his $1M minimum — and the scripts that make those conversations work

Resources Mentioned

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
• Financial Advisor Success Podcast by Michael Kitces
• Limitless Advisors — coaching program by Stephanie Bogan
• CEG Worldwide — coaching program by John Bowen

Connect with Stanley Leong

• 🌐 Website: 52fridayscoaching.com
• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/Stanleycleong
• Free consultation available via email

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Episode Summary

Ron Phelps, a wealth advisor with nearly 30 years of experience, joins the Influential Advisor Podcast to discuss his book Beyond the Sales Pitch: A Roadmap for Finding the Wealth Advisor You Deserve. Ron shares his journey from growing up in a tough Milwaukee neighborhood to military service to building a client-centered advisory practice. The conversation covers what separates a true trusted advisor from the rest of the industry, why jargon-free communication matters, and the questions every consumer should ask when evaluating a financial professional.

Key Topics Covered

Ron's Background & Origin Story — Growing up without means in Milwaukee, raised by a single mom on public assistance. A formative childhood experience at a grocery store shaped his drive to help others achieve financial security. After graduating high school at 17, he joined the Army during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, later earning an accounting degree and launching his advisory career in 1996.

The Philosophy of Giving Back — Ron rejects the industry coaching that says advisors should only work with multimillion-dollar households. He shares the story of Jack, an 18-year-old tradesperson who saved $30,000 and became a client, illustrating that giving back means meeting people wherever they are on their financial journey.

Ditching Jargon for Real Outcomes — Clients don't care about Sortino ratios or PE ratios — they care about retiring with dignity, building a legacy, and knowing they'll be okay. Ron's approach starts with understanding the person, their family, and their goals before ever discussing assets.

What a Trusted Advisor Actually Does — Comprehensive planning goes far beyond picking stocks and funds. It includes estate planning, tax management, legacy planning, charitable giving, and proactive problem-solving. Ron details his team's communication cadence: quarterly calls, monthly market updates, and webinars that now draw 50–70 attendees.

Creative Financial Solutions — Using the "Warren Buffett principle" of leveraging portfolio dividends and liquidity access lines so clients never have to permanently reduce their wealth to fund major life events like weddings or land purchases.

Working with Business Owners — Succession planning, business valuations (offered at no additional cost), tax-efficient retirement strategies, and connecting clients with business opportunity advisors for selling or franchising.

Legacy & Purpose — The story of Don, a client of nearly 30 years who went from being overleveraged on 400 apartment units to donating $22 million to a local cancer center — proof of what a long-term advisory relationship can accomplish.

Questions to Ask Your Advisor — Ron recommends asking for 10 client references (not just one or two), understanding how the advisor charges, whether they invest their own money the same way, whether they have a true team with continuity planning, and whether they have a network of CPAs and estate planning attorneys.

Guest Info

• Ron Phelps — Managing Director, The Phelps Group
• Book: Beyond the Sales Pitch: A Roadmap for Finding the Wealth Advisor You Deserve
• Website: www.beyondthesalespitch.com

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Joseph Falbo has spent 30 years helping people navigate retirement, from the 1999 tech boom through COVID and beyond. In this episode, we explore his concept of the "functional retirement advisor" and why modern retirement demands a completely different approach than what worked for previous generations.

About Joseph Falbo

Joseph is the founder of Falbo Wealth and Amazon #1 bestselling author of Retirement Success: Hiring Your Functional Retirement Advisor. After starting his career at a penny stock firm (think Wolf of Wall Street), he committed to doing things the right way, completing Merrill Lynch's two-year training program before spending 14 years in the corporate world. He launched his own practice in 2009.

Key Topics Covered

The conversation opens with Joseph's investor framework: fragile, resilient, and anti-fragile investors. Most people think they're good investors until an extended bear market hits during retirement—when they're pulling money out rather than adding to it.

Joseph explains why he created the term "functional retirement advisor," drawing parallels to functional medicine doctors who take a comprehensive approach rather than writing quick prescriptions. A functional advisor starts with a plan, not a product, and uses exercises like George Kinder's three questions to help clients define what retirement success actually means to them.

The episode covers critical shifts in modern retirement: lifespans extending from 15-year to 30-year retirements, the disappearance of pensions, inflation eating away at purchasing power, and why 401(k)s shifted all the risk onto individuals without providing financial education.

Joseph shares client stories including a couple who started working with him at 62 with all their money in the bank, and how the planning process helped them retire successfully. He also discusses the dangers of being laser-focused on products (like tax-deferred REITs) without first understanding the full financial picture.

Connect with Joseph Falbo

Website: falbowealth.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-falbo-cfp/

Claim your free audiobook: https://falbowealth.com/retirementsuccessbook/

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In this transformative webinar, Paul and Gabe McManus reveal why your most powerful marketing assets—your client transformation stories—are trapped in your head, and exactly how to turn them into a book that builds your practice.

What You'll Discover:

• The "You have my faith" story that made Gabe triple his life insurance immediately
• Why Steven's Target bag story about throw pillows made Paul hire him as his financial advisor
• How Bernd went from "I'm just a numbers guy" to writing a book about Antarctica and retirement planning
• Morgan's journey from "I'm not a storyteller" to booking the largest podcast in her industry
• The 2-minute phone technique that captures million-dollar stories after every client meeting

Key Takeaways:

• Why saying "I have lots of stories" means you have zero usable stories
• The "Greatest Hits" framework for developing repeatable, powerful stories
• How to go from blank page to published author in 6-12 weeks (without writing)

Paul and Gabe McManus have helped 500 financial advisors generate $100 million in fees and commissions through strategic storytelling and book authorship. Paul's own book landed him on Michael Kitces' Financial Advisor Success podcast, doubling his business in one year.

Perfect for: Financial advisors who know they should write a book but don't know where to start, aren't "writers," or think their stories aren't interesting enough.

Contact: Gabe McManus [email protected] to learn more about our author programs.

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Episode Summary: A tech professional in her 50s had everything planned—enough saved to retire at 55. Just one problem: 80% of her net worth was company stock. Stanley Leong warned her to diversify. She agreed but couldn't bring herself to sell, feeling it would betray the company that made her successful. Then 2008 hit. The stock crashed. Her retirement at 55 vanished—she worked another decade to rebuild.

Stanley, a former engineer who survived the 2002 tech crash, now helps tech professionals avoid this exact mistake. After 20 years managing tech wealth, he reveals why brilliant engineers fail at one critical decision: when to sell company stock.

About Stanley Leong:  Former IBM and Agilent Technologies engineer turned wealth advisor with 20+ years specializing in tech professionals. After experiencing the 2002 tech bubble firsthand, Stanley transitioned to financial services to help others navigate the unique challenges of tech compensation. Author of "Engineering Your Finances" and expert in RSU diversification, mega backdoor Roth strategies, and tech industry retirement planning. 

Critical Insights:

"Don't fear capital gains. Capital gains means you made money. You want to pay more capital gains than anyone—that means you made more money."

"I work with you to avoid that one big mistake." "What mistake?" "I don't know, but it's out there."

"The moment I could walk away, work became enjoyable." —Client who achieved financial independence

Grab your copy on Amazon.

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Episode Summary:

Your best client just sold their business for $8 million and calls to say they're moving everything to Goldman Sachs. This devastating scenario happens to 70% of advisors, but Jeff Armstrong has the antidote. As a former business owner who ran a company for 23 years, Jeff reveals the blind spot costing advisors their most valuable relationships. While most advisors focus on managing wealth outside the business, Jeff shows how becoming the expert on your client's largest asset creates unbreakable loyalty. He shares why 97% of business exits disappoint owners and the actions that transform you from replaceable vendor to irreplaceable quarterback.

About the Guest:

• Jeff Armstrong built and ran a laser printer repair company for 23 years before joining Cultivate Advisors. He helps financial advisors avoid losing clients to "big league" competitors by becoming business optimization experts.

The Brutal Reality:

Devastating Statistics: 50-70% of business owners fire their advisor after liquidity events when investment banks suggest they need "serious players."

Hidden Epidemic: Only 30% of businesses attempting to sell complete transactions. Of those that sell, 90% disappoint owners. This means 97% of exits fail expectations.

Shared Blind Spot: 99% of business owners cannot answer: What's my business worth? What multiples apply? What drives value? Most advisors share this blindness.

The Cultivate Solution:

Target Market: Businesses generating $1-15 million annually, matched with former business owner advisors who've successfully exited.

Partnership Model: Cultivate functions as team extension, creating "alley-oops" for investment planning and tax strategies as business performance improves.

Process: Free business valuation, gap analysis, prioritized roadmap. Owners implement independently or engage ongoing support.

Creating "Stickiness":

Becoming Irreplaceable: Help optimize their most valuable asset, and Goldman Sachs becomes irrelevant. You're their strategic partner, not just money manager.

Personal Trainer Effect: Business owners need accountability and implementation. You become associated with success at the source.

CEPA Training Revolution:

Implementation Gap: Traditional training provides knowledge without application skills. Cultivate's immersion events bridge this gap.

Viral Success: November event sold out after going viral within Edward Jones's 1,400 CEPA network.

Implementation Strategy:

Start Small: Pilot with one client. Cultivate includes you in calls and provides quarterly reporting.

Full Integration: Real-time business metrics create natural wealth management conversations.

Connect with Jeff:

LinkedIn: Jeff Armstrong 
Email: [email protected] 
Website: cultivateadvisors.com

Bottom line: While other advisors wait for liquidity events, smart advisors help create them and build unbreakable relationships. 

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Episode Summary:

After 11 years scaling Elite Resource Team, Anton Anderson's revenue tripled when he released "The Art of Collaboration" in 2024. He shows how one book became a growth flywheel, why his event is now the "Virtual Family Office Collective," & how AI is speeding—not threatening—progress. Anton previews book #2, "The Art of Proactivity" (co-authored with Paul Latham, who sold his accounting firm for $45M) to help accountants become proactive VFO pros. These titles anchor a four-book series proving collaboration now outperforms competition.

About the Guest:

• Anton Anderson sketched his first "team-based" diagrams on napkins with CPAs. Today, he leads 25 internal staff & a 75-specialist virtual family office, supporting 700+ advisors & accountants. His annual event, now titled Virtual Family Office Collective, showcases that model in action.

Key Concepts Explained:

The Flywheel Effect: Growth gains momentum over time; add a strategic asset (a book) & the wheel accelerates exponentially.

Virtual Family Office (VFO): Members tap a 100-person expert bench without hiring them, delivering "big-firm" depth minus the overhead.

AI-Driven Disruption: As AI handles data & routine tasks, value shifts to relationships, strategy, & coordination—exactly what VFOs amplify.

The Four-Book Vision:

• "The Art of Collaboration" – Advisor + Accountant Playbook
• "The Art of Proactivity" – Accountants become proactive VFO pros
• Client-facing guide to VFO benefits (in development)
• Advisor-focused growth manual (planned 2026)

Strategic Book Leverage:

Beyond Royalties: Success is measured in relationships, not unit sales. Books earn trust, open doors, & anchor speaking invites.

Multi-Use Asset: Lead magnet, onboarding text, event giveaway, & training manual. New members receive "Collaboration" on day one & discuss it with their success manager.

Peer-to-Peer Credibility: "Proactivity" was co-written by Paul Latham, who sold his accounting firm for $45M; accountants listen because it's "one of us" talking.

Market Timing & Opportunity:

Perfect Storm: COVID normalized virtual work; AI threatens "old school" fee models; professionals crave partnership over rivalry.

10X Mindset: Anton targets delivering ten-times the value, not just closing ten-times the deals—fueling retention & referral growth.

Future-Proofing: Information is cheap; process & partnership are priceless. The VFO structure is built for the next decade of tech upheaval.

Implementation Insights:

Rock-Climber Rhythm: Surge upward, pause to secure footing, then climb again; this guards culture & quality during hyper-growth.

Community-Driven Innovation: Members co-create new ideas, challenge assumptions, & keep ego in check.

Systematic Integration: Books, events, AI tools, & VFO experts are woven into one seamless client experience.

Connect with Anton

•  Company: Elite Resource Team
•  Event: Virtual Family Office Collective
•  Books: "The Art of Collaboration" & "The Art of Proactivity"

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