The Travis Parry Show

There are so many things in life that deplete our energy. Being able to say no to certain things means being able to say yes to yourself. On today's episode, we talk about the power of saying no with CFP and founder of Innovating Advice, Kate Holmes. Growing up in Seattle and attaining her photography degree from the University of Australia, her path into financial planning was unique. Yet, she has seen the struggle many advisors, including herself, have gone through to reach balance. She is now learning to prioritize herself and helping advisors around the globe do the same. 

This is a giving profession. We tend to think we have to say yes to everything. But what would you gain in time and balance if you started saying no? If it isn't a "Heck Yes!" it should be a "Heck No." In 2013, Kate started her virtual retirement business. No longer would she allow her business and profession to dictate her lifestyle and passion for adventure. To her, balance means doing a maximum of three things a day, personally and professionally. Health became an important passion of hers as our bodies have a limit. 

Today, she is working on a global scale to connect advisors and change the mentality and culture of the financial profession. The more we work, the more work piles on! She wants to move the profession forward and has worked with advisors from over 35 countries as she teaches them to be examples for their clients. Join us today as we discuss her journey to find balance! 

What we discuss today: 

• Kate's background and her journey to find balance 
• Innovating Advice, a forward-thinking program for advisors 
• The power of saying "No." 
• The global financial industry
• Health, stress, and balance
• How we can be examples for our clients

TIMESTAMPS

1:24 – Kate Holmes background

3:07 – What does balance mean to Kate?

6:56 – Why did she start her journey?

10:15 – The perks of saying no

14:41 – What struggles do advisors face?

19:16 – Running a business

22:06 – How Kate is helping advisors

25:33 – Advice she has for others

30:35 – How to connect with Kate

RESOURCES

Read more about Innovating Advice

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Many of us joined the financial advising industry as a way to have an impact on the lives of others. But as we grow our business tasks can add up, leaving us overworked and uninspired. So, what can we do to change this? How do we provide excellent service and grow our business while also prioritizing our relationships and personal goals?

On today's episode, Reese Harper, the founder of Dentist Advisors and Elements, Financial Planning Software. As a 20-year veteran in the industry, Reese has seen advisors struggle to maintain balance and tackle the sheer complexity and size of the financial market. We will be discussing his journey, how you can find your niche, client experience, and more. 

Unfortunately, you can't provide every service to everyone. You have to find your niche, the people you want to work for. Someone's occupation has a lot to do with their view of money, temperament, and emotional decision-making. Picking the right niche is hard, but once you find it you can structure your business and life in a more efficient manner. 

Reese has seen advisors struggle with their relationships. They can be hard to maintain when you are working long, stressful hours. There is a lot of pressure on the individual in this industry and that weighs on us. Inside of their businesses, advisors struggle to find their role. Do they want to be just an advisor? An operator? A marketer? All these roles have different tasks and requirements. You can't fill them all. You want to find the things you love doing, the things you are good at and stick to them. 

In response to what he has seen in the industry, Reese created Elements, an interactive planning software. Elements follow the "vital signs" of your client's financial health while measuring important metrics like risk, debt-to-income ratio, and more. Join us as we take a deep dive into his program and how it can help advisors like you! 

What we discuss on today's episode: 

• Reese's journey as an advisor 
• Finding a niche in the market 
• Finding balance through exercise and relationships 
• Developing your role within your business 
• How Elements works and how it helps advisors provide excellent services

TIMESTAMPS

1:06 - Welcome Reese Harper

7:10 – How did he scale his business?

15:53 – Capitalizing on a certain market

20:00 – Connecting with your niche

21:34 – What does balance mean to him?

33:14 – What has he seen advisors struggle with?

39:48 – What is he doing with Elements?

55:25 – Getting started with Elements

RESOURCES

Read more about Elements

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Often times the catalyst for change for many advisors is the moment they become too overwhelmed. There is a moment of awareness when they realize that they need to delegate or continue on without balance. Maybe you've missed too many family dinners. Or you are starting to feel the burnout on a job you once loved. On today's episode, we are discussing personal growth and accountability when it comes to finding balance with Adam Holt, the founder of Asset Map. 

Adam has been an advisor for over 23 years, being an early adopter of technology and utilizing it as a way to find balance and provide clients with excellent experiences. He was drawn to the financial industry, not for any monetary value, but because he saw the flexibility it could offer if he structured his priorities correctly.

You don't have to achieve perfection, but you need to sit down with yourself and really figure out what you value. For Adam, he made his goals personal and important to him. He was always going to be able to walk his kids to school and be home for dinner. Those are promises he has kept, even when he is working 80-hour weeks. 

It's important the financial industry starts teaching best practices and skills to advisors early on, avoiding years of burnout and high turnover rates. Building these habits early on will give the advisors the tools and skills they need to succeed professionally and personally. One such tactic is finding a "right-hand" or a complementary partner. Maybe you are a visionary, but who will hold you accountable and make sure your visions are carried out? It's great to have ideas, but we also need to be able to execute these ideas.

Adam is helping advisors reach their goals with Asset Map, a technological program that values client relationships. His program helps advisors reach their client's expectations and goals while building a better relationship between the both of you. To have balance in life, you have to have balance with your clients, this is how you can get there. Join us today as we talk about growth, balance, and the future of the financial industry!

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Adam's backstory, goals, and struggles with balance
• Clients and balance
• How we can hold ourselves accountable
• The value of partnership 
• How Asset Management is helping advisors 

TIMESTAMPS

1:35 – How did Adam get into financial services?

3:43 – What company did he start with?

5:00 – Fact-finding and finding problems

8:11 – What is Adam's definition of balance?

12:05 – What are some of the biggest issues?

15:01 – The moment of awareness

21:05 – Stages of change and partnerships

27:35 – His struggles with balance

33:39 – How Asset Map works

RESOURCES

Read more about Asset-Map

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

We have a limited amount of time. We must align our values and time and ask ourselves what is important to us? Would I like to be working 80 hour weeks? Or would I rather be having dinner with my family? On today's episode, Justin Bassell, CLU ChFC joins us. Justin is a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and the founder of Systems on Purpose, a platform helping advisors automize their workflow and integrate efficient work patterns into their business. We will be discussing issues in recruiting and retention, ways we can make the industry more balanced, and how his business is helping advisors become more organized and conscious of their time. 

As an advisor himself, he has seen the flaws in our industry first hand. Building a business or brand is hard work, we want to generate profit and find success. The advising industry is great at setting benchmarks for newcomers, but this is also contributing to high turnover rates. It can lead to burnout if we aren't careful. Having goals and benchmarks for success is necessary to measure metrics of one's success but how much influence do we let this have over our lives? Justin discusses how we must change the onboarding process in the industry to keep advisors interested and passionate about the field. 

Justin has gone on his own journey to find balance. He has regained control over his schedule and workflow, allowing him to help others through Systems on Purpose. His program automates those common client correspondences, helps you organize your calendar, and provides an easier point A to point B workflow. To Justin, work-life balance is about aligning your values and spending your time where you want to be spending it. Join us today as we discuss how you can achieve balance! 

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Systems on Purpose and how their program is helping advisors 
• Justin's experience working with Travis 
• Recruiting and retention in the financial field 

TIMESTAMPS

1:12 – Justin's definition of work-life balance

2:47 – When did he feel unbalanced?

4:46 – What 'woke him up'?

7:24 – How has he seen advisors struggle?

11:09 – What's the key for new advisors and leaders?

16:37 – How has he developed habits?

20:17 – Becoming a more authentic person

22:08 – Systems on Purpose

29:08 – How to connect with Justin?

RESOURCES

Read more about Systems on Purpose

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

It's with the collaboration and support from a community of experts and advisors that we grow as professionals. We learn a lot from each other, whether we have a mentor or another coworker helping us reach our goals. On today's episode, our guest Shaun Kapusinski, knows the benefit of learning and working with a community, which is why he developed HIFON.

Many of us want to have it all: the growing business, the happy family life, the free time, etc. But in many cases, it's hard for us to get there. To Shaun, balance is about finding what you value and spending your time there. Shaun developed HIFON to help advisors by connecting advisors. HIFON is a community of like-minded advisors that are sharing their tips on best practices and business growth.

By connecting with others, we can see that we are not alone in our struggles when growing a business. A lot of independent advisors struggle to find balance. Technology has changed the world. For many advisors, the financial industry looks a lot different than it did twenty or even ten years ago. We can work from anywhere, but this also creates new challenges we must overcome. Shaun saw the value in technology, to connect advisors and help them develop their businesses with work-life balance in mind. Join us as we discuss the struggles advisors face, why people join the financial industry, how technology can help or hinder us, and how HIFON can connect you to a growing community of advisors.

What you will learn this episode:

• Shaun and HIFON's backstory
• Why do you need to envision your future?
• How can a community help you grow?
• How can technology help us reach balance?

TIMESTAMPS

0:30 – Shaun's definition of work-life balance

3:23 – Trying to have it all and envisioning your future

8:01 – What struggles do advisors face?

11:47 – Why do people join financial services?

13:36 – Advice Shaun has received from others

15:55 – What does Shaun do to achieve balance?

17:52 – How technology has changed things

23:18 – HIFON helping clients

26:04 – How does HIFON work?

29:35 – Where can you learn more?

RESOURCES

Read more about HIFON

Shaun's Book!

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Most Americans are bad at saving money and most of us won't meet with a financial advisor in our lifetimes. Financial literacy is a crucial issue we must address in society, we must educate others so they can achieve financial wellness. Today, George Grombacher joins us to speak on financial wellness and literacy and how education can help advisors find balance. His platform, Money Alignment Academy is an education-based program that teaches clients and employees about financial literacy. They are helping people find financial security through knowledge.   A career in the financial services industry is rewarding and challenging. For many, the first few years in the industry are long and tiring. To George, it's all about finding a rhythm. There will be periods in our life when we are spending long hours working on our business, but it's part of building a flexible future for our families. Without setting boundaries you will struggle. With time management and boundaries, you will become a more efficient professional. George discusses the importance of knowing your core values about money and life and how it plays a role in our business development.

Money Alignment Academy is helping advisors get their time back. Their service elevates client-advisor relationships by "plugging into" an advisor's existing system. Their program will be able to educate your clients while you manage their finances. This will save you time while continuing to give your clients specialized care. If we hope to change the financial industry and make work-life balance a priority, education will be a must.

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Finding the rhythm of balance
• Setting boundaries and time management
• Addressing our core values and beliefs
• Why we need to educate our clients
• How education promotes a work-life balance

TIMESTAMPS

1:00 – Introducing George Grombacher

7:31 – His definition of balance

12:17 – Biggest issues for advisors

16:03 – Big agencies and new advisors

21:30 – His struggles with balance

27:16 – Addressing our beliefs

32:53 – Money Alignment Academy

37:02 – Partnerships with advisors

40:38 – Connecting with George

RESOURCES

Read more about George & Money Alignment Academy 

Make Time Institute Website

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Watch our Youtube episode!

Time management is often one of the biggest struggles advisors face when trying to reach balance. How do you maximize productivity during working hours, but still have time for family? On today's episode, we are discussing the importance of time with Vito Grammatico. He is the founder of Time Lyft, a time management software developed for advisors, keeping them aligned with their goals and service model.

To him, balance is organizing your energy correctly. Do you wake up feeling exhausted? That may be a sign you need to prioritize your days differently. Vito works closely with advisors, seeing them struggle to build boundaries with clients. He has gone through this as well. In the digital age, when everyone has access to email, it's even easier for clients to get in contact with you. Which can be great, but can also lead to endless questions that take up a lot more of your time than you anticipate or are charging. Advisors really care about their clients. Sometimes they leave the doorway too open though. By finding a niche and developing a strong client service model you can develop these boundaries while simultaneously growing your business.

Time Lyft, is helping advisors meet their time and client management goals. Do you know exactly how much time goes into each client? Each email response? Each meeting? Time Lyft keeps track of all of this and tells advisors whether their hourly rate is matching their value. You are probably doing a lot more work than you realize! Join us on today's show as we discuss time management, client management, and the necessary boundaries we must build.

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Time management
• Client management
• Balance and energy
• How Time Lyft is helping advisors

TIMESTAMPS

1:02 – Introducing Vito and Time Lyft

3:12 – His definition of balance

4:59 – Issues he sees with balance

7:13 – What does he think is helpful?

13:51 – Vito achieving balance

15:48 – What is helpful

21:47 – Time Lyft software

26:55 – Integration process

30:07 – Estimator tool

32:05 – How to get involved

RESOURCES

Read more about Vito & Time Lyft

Make Time Institute Website

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Watch our Youtube episode!

Financial advisors spend so much time working on their client's financial futures that their own retirement plans can become neglected. Advisors need to acknowledge the importance of their own finances and retirement strategy. On today's episode, Brooklyn Brock, founder of Ellevate Advisors joins us. As a third-generation planner, she has first-hand experience seeing advisors work long hours and struggle to find financial balance. She started Ellevate Advisors to focus solely on serving financial advisors and preparing them for their business exit strategy and retirement.  To Brooklyn work-life balance means living intentionally and she wants other advisors to focus on this as well. She values the importance of relationships with her family, her clients, and her community. Financial planning and business planning is a way to live intentionally. A lot of advisors wear multiple hats, but they need to think about hiring associate planners for their continuity plan if something were to happen to them. It's all about taking care of your business, your clients, your family, and yourself. 

Advisors can face multiple mental blocks when it comes to their own retirements. It's common for advisors to say they don't want to retire. Brooklyn is working to change this narrative. She is encouraging advisors to plan for retirement, for the benefit of themselves, their families, and even their business. Even if retirement is working part-time or starting a new adventure. Brooklyn encourages all advisors to meet with someone about their financial planning. It can help to get out of your own head. Today, she is going to share her knowledge on financial planning, continuity planning, exit planning, and how this all plays into balance. 

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Retirement and financial planning for advisors 
• Exit planning and continuity planning for the future of your business 
• How we can overcome mental blocks 
• Why our finances are intricate to our work-life balance  

TIMESTAMPS

0:51 – Introducing Brooklyn Brock

1:25 – Being an advisor for advisors

5:31 – Her definition of work-life balance

7:10 – Financial planning for advisors

12:06 – Struggles with balance

14:08 – Her personal experiences

18:30 – Getting advisors to think about retirement

21:53 – Working on mental blocks

24:36 – How Brooklyn helps advisors

31:08 – Exit coaching and continuity plan

37:36 – Learn more about Ellevate Advisors

RESOURCES

Read more about Brooklyn and Ellevate Advisors

Make Time Institute Website

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Watch our Youtube episode!

Most financial advisors don't have a strong background in leadership or business management. Your experience is in finance and building client relationships. As independent advisors, it can be difficult for us to effectively lead our team through proper communication. This may lead to a lack of business growth and personal burnout as we struggle to delegate simple tasks. To speak on leadership and sustainable growth, we've invited Blain Wease on the show. He is the Founder & President of Provincial Development Group. His company collaborates with advisors to give them skills in leadership, business strategy, and team development that they will need to reach their personal and professional goals.  

To Blain, balance is something we are always striving to achieve. We will always experience times of unbalance. Maybe we are growing our business and working 90-hour weeks, but this cannot be every week. If you end up working long hours, it's important to find balance by taking an extra vacation or spending more time off around the holidays. Blain is helping advisors reach this state of balance by addressing the fear of losing control many of us deal with. As the founder of your advising firm, you shouldn't be doing tedious admin work when you have the capability to pass that on to your team. We have to be honest with ourselves and our employees if we want to reach sustainable growth in business and our personal life. 

On today's show, we are going to focus on leadership development. We should be working on our business rather than in our business. This can lead to a better work-life balance. It's hard to walk the line between clarity with your team and micromanagement. Blain and Provincial Development Group help you become the best leader you are capable of being. To be clear is to be kind and this applies to yourself and your team. 

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Advisors struggling as leaders 
• What advisors can do to be better leaders 
• How we can let go of control and address our fears 
• Being honest and transparent in our business and lives
• How proper delegation can help with work-life balance

TIMESTAMPS

0:53 – Introducing Blain Wease

2:25 – Work-life balance to Blain

6:42 – Biggest issues for financial advisors

12:03 – What advisors need to consider

15:32 – Giving up control, addressing fear

19:29 – Honesty and transparency  

23:19 – The art of delegation

29:38 – Delegation like manufacturing

31:25 – Working with Blain

RESOURCES

Read more about Provincial Development and Blain Wease

[email protected]

(615)-591-3960

Make Time Institute Website

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!

Watch our Youtube episode!

Hiring a team can cause a lot of growing pains for small independent advisors. However, a capable team and work culture can give us more time to achieve balance in our lives. As the entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of our financial advising companies, letting go of controlling every aspect of our business can be difficult. But your time is valuable. You can hire someone to schedule your appointments and do admin work. By hiring you are giving yourself the time and opportunity to grow your business and find personal balance. 

To discuss the importance of the hiring process and why you should think about outsourcing the process we've invited Stephanie Roberts on the show. She is the founder of Humans Being Resources, a hiring firm dedicated to helping advisors find strong candidates for any position in their firm. Whether you are hiring your first or the fifteenth employee the hiring process can cost a lot of time, money, and stress. That is why Stephanie started this business with advisors in mind. Advisors should be able to focus on client relationships and services, not recruiting and hiring. 

Today we are going to be discussing the struggles she's seen many advisors go through. We highlight the importance of company culture and prioritizing work-life balance throughout your company. Once you have a team, you get back a lot of time for yourself. Humans Being Resources has a streamlined process that saves you money and stress. You can't achieve a balanced life by working in every position in your firm. You'll need a specialized team to help you get there. 

Listen to the episode to learn more about: 

• Personality and company culture 
• Struggles advisors have while hiring 
• How to let go of control 
• Finding balance with a team 

TIMESTAMPS

0:37 – Welcome Stephanie Roberts

1:25 – What does balance mean to her?

2:33 – How she got into the industry

5:09 – Struggles she has seen

6:42 – Letting go of control

9:07 – Personality tests for hiring

12:03 – How her firm works

16:23 – Her struggles with balance

19:59 – What works best for her?

22:30 – Changing the culture

25:03 – Advisors are not trained to hire

29:05 – How you can connect with Stephanie

RESOURCES

Read more about Stephanie and Humans Being Resources

Make Time Institute Website

Email: [email protected]

Get Travis' newest book!