Get Recommended by ChatGPT: How One Podcast Appearance Doubled Paul McManus’s Business

Paul McManus of Influential Advisor Media on why the old SEO playbook is dead, how "search everywhere optimization" gets advisors recommended by Google and ChatGPT, and what one guest appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast did for his business.

An attendee at an exit planners conference in Nashville walked up to Paul McManus and said he had loaded every vendor into ChatGPT before the event to decide which booths to visit. Paul's company was in the top three. For Paul, that moment captured how much the way people find, vet, and choose professionals has changed.

Paul is Founder and CEO of Influential Advisor Media, the company he started about 12 years ago as More Clients More Fun and where he pioneered The Short Book Formula. He returns to The Modern Financial Advisor Podcast to explain why he rebranded, why a short book works as a trust accelerator, why advisors need to win three playing fields instead of one, and how an appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast brought in more than 200 appointments and doubled his business. He closes with how guest appearances and your own show build the "topical density" that trains AI to recommend you.

Connect with Paul McManus on LinkedIn and learn more about Influential Advisor Media

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why Paul rebranded More Clients More Fun as Influential Advisor Media, and why years of cold lead generation convinced him that trust was the missing ingredient

• How a short book works as a trust accelerator, and why Paul says 80% or more of second conversations close when the prospect reads it first

• The three playing fields advisors need to win: client referrals, centers of influence, and what Paul calls the infinite referral network

• What search everywhere optimization means, and why ChatGPT and Google's AI overviews now shape who gets recommended

• How a CPA went from barely referring clients to asking for 500 copies of an advisor's book to send on his own letterhead

• How Paul's appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast led to more than 200 appointments in a year

• Why guest podcasting and hosting your own show build the "topical density" AI uses to decide who to recommend

Why This Matters for Financial Advisors Right Now

Why does cold lead generation convert so poorly for financial advisors?

Because it has no foundation of trust. Paul started his company about 12 years ago helping advisors use LinkedIn to generate leads and appointments, and it worked: prospects booked, showed up, and fit the demographics his clients wanted. But the conversion from appointment to new client was, in his words, "abysmal." His diagnosis is that cold lead generation, whether on LinkedIn or through Facebook ads, skips the trust that advisors are in the business of earning. He jokes that there are three decisions you don't want to get wrong: who you marry, your religion, and your financial advisor. When a client arrives through a referral, trust transfers from the person who made the introduction and conversion is high. A cold prospect doesn't get that head start.

How does a short book help advisors win clients faster?

By accelerating trust before the second meeting. Paul's short books run 12,000 to 25,000 words, about one to two hours of reading. After a first call, he sends the prospect a copy, or the audiobook, and asks them to read it before the next meeting. He says 80% or more of those second conversations close, and the meeting shifts from explaining yourself to "What stood out to you?" Mike adds that "know, like, and trust" leaves out competence and familiarity, and a book lets a prospect see that you're good at what you do and hear your voice before you ever sit down together. Paul is clear that the book isn't about royalties. It pays off when you insert it into things you already do, like referrals, centers of influence, and lead generation, and make each one more effective. About 80% of his clients are advisors and wealth managers, and some write books to educate first-time buyers, such as advisors preparing to sell a firm.

What are the three playing fields advisors need to win?

Client referrals, centers of influence, and search everywhere optimization. Paul says advisors should get good at all three at once and abandon none. Referrals still drive a lot of growth but are hard to scale, easy to improve at the margins, and hard to 10X. Centers of influence are the second field, where advisors often send business to CPAs who don't reciprocate. The third is what Paul calls the infinite referral network, which is where search everywhere optimization comes in. A book helps in all three.

How can a book turn a CPA into a referral source?

By changing the advisor's status from someone chasing centers of influence to someone they want to work with. Paul's example is a client named Joe, who wrote a book called Retirement Success. Joe had a couple of CPA relationships that didn't reciprocate. As part of the launch, Paul had him run what he calls an "inner circle soft launch": invite the CPA to read the book, then hold a feedback call. The CPA went from pulling teeth to asking for 500 copies to send to his own clients on his letterhead. Paul's point is to stop chasing centers of influence and become one, and being an author helps.

What is search everywhere optimization, and why does it matter for advisors?

It is the new version of SEO: showing up wherever people now ask questions, not just on the first page of Google. Paul says the old game was ranking for a keyword. Today the conversation happens in Google's AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other AI tools, and many people never click the links. He credits the phrase "search everywhere optimization" to someone else and uses his own term, the infinite referral network, for the opportunity. His proof is the Nashville story: an attendee at a conference with more than 100 vendors loaded them into ChatGPT, and with the context it had from past conversations, it put Paul's firm in his top three must-see vendors. Paul adds that cookie-cutter websites, newsletters, and social posts are not what AI cites.

Does search everywhere optimization matter if your clients don't use AI?

Yes, because the people around them do. Paul's mother is among the 20% to 30% who don't use AI. When she had trouble with a hearing aid, Paul asked an AI tool for recommendations, passed them on, and the problem was solved. His point is that the family members and stakeholders who help someone make an important decision are putting your name and company into AI to see who you are. Mike agrees and notes that some niche will always avoid AI, which means live events and in-person experiences still matter, but adoption has been steeper than anything he has seen, and the technology is becoming transparent in everyday life.

How do a book and podcasts train AI to recommend you?

By creating consistent, long-form, human content about one topic. Paul says a short book is about 25,000 words of the polished version of your voice, stories, and frameworks, which helps train AI on its own, and it gives you a foundation to build content on. Podcasts add to it, whether you host one or guest on others, because they create long-form show notes and genuine human conversations. Each appearance is a signal, and as they pile up you create what Paul calls topical density, which teaches AI that you are the person to surface on that topic. He points to his first appearance on this show two years ago, which still serves him today when someone searches his name.

What happened when Paul appeared on Michael Kitces' podcast?

It brought in more than 200 appointments in a year and, by Paul's account, doubled his business. After writing the first edition of his book, Paul went on what he calls a virtual speaking tour, guesting on about 20 podcasts over roughly two years. The Kitces appearance came after the book gave him the credential to get booked; if Kitces' team searched his name, he had trained Google to show him as an expert on the topic. Paul rehearsed an hour a day for 14 days, wasn't given the questions in advance, and recorded a 90-minute episode that dropped at the very end of 2024. Over 2025, people who heard it read his book or booked a 50-minute call. Paul calls it the halo effect, or authority by association: Kitces never endorsed him, but inviting him onto the show did it implicitly.

Why should advisors host their own show, not just guest on others?

Because your own show is a stage you own, and a small audience can still be worth a lot. Mike points out that most people are afraid of being on camera, so every rep builds an edge. He asks the audience to imagine being invited to speak to a ballroom of 200 advisors. A couple hundred listeners and viewers across platforms is the same thing. Paul takes it further: it isn't 200 people today but potentially 2,000 over five years, because every episode keeps compounding in search. He is restarting his own tour with a goal of 20 more podcasts, and he suggests a quick test of how well he has trained AI: ask Google or ChatGPT "Who is Paul G. McManus?" and include the G.

"The real underlying point is that it was a transfer of trust."

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Influential Advisor Media — Paul's company, which helps financial professionals build authority with short books and visibility

• The Influential Advisor Podcast — Paul's podcast for advisors

• Paul McManus on LinkedIn — where Paul shares his work

• Financial Advisor Success Podcast, Ep. 417 — Paul's appearance with Michael Kitces on establishing authority with a short book

Related Episodes

• Why Writing a Short Book Can Help Financial Advisors Win New Clients, with Paul McManus of More Clients More Fun — Paul's first appearance on the show, where he lays out the Short Book Formula that this conversation builds on.

• Unlocking Growth for Financial Advisors: The Power of Seminars, with Greg Bogich of AcquireUp — Mike cites Greg's warning that the referral pond gets fished out fast. Greg's episode covers the limits of referrals and why seminars still work.

• Michael Kitces Explains How Financial Advisors Can Create Gravity to Attract Clients vs Fighting Time and Scale Constraints — Paul credits his Kitces appearance with a halo effect. Michael joins Mike to explain why time-based prospecting doesn't scale and how advisors can build gravity that draws clients in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is search everywhere optimization?

Search everywhere optimization is the idea that advisors need to be found and recommended wherever people now search, including Google's AI overviews, ChatGPT, YouTube, and podcasts, not only on the first page of Google. Paul McManus credits the phrase to someone else and calls the opportunity the infinite referral network.

Does SEO still matter for financial advisors?

Yes, but it is no longer enough. According to Paul, people still use Google, but AI overviews summarize the content and many never click the links, and more people ask ChatGPT first. He says cookie-cutter websites, newsletters, and social posts are not what AI cites.

How long should a short book for financial advisors be?

Paul recommends 12,000 to 25,000 words, which a reader can finish cover to cover in one to two hours. The goal is a book prospects will actually read before a meeting.

How should advisors use a short book in the sales process?

Paul sends prospects a copy, or the audiobook, after the first call and asks them to read it before the second meeting. He says 80% or more of those second conversations close, because the book has already built trust and shown competence.

How can guest podcasting help financial advisors get clients?

Guest podcasting transfers the host's credibility to the guest and adds signals AI uses to learn who is an expert. Paul went on about 20 podcasts over roughly two years, and his Michael Kitces appearance led to more than 200 appointments in 2025.

What is topical density?

Topical density is Paul's term for the cluster of content, from a book, your own show, and guest appearances, that signals to AI that you are the expert on a topic. The more shows and conversations tied to your name and topic, the more likely AI is to surface you.

Why Most Advisor Marketing Content Was Built for Compliance, Not for the Advisor

Charlie Van Derven of Social Advisors on why canned, compliance-first content keeps advisors forgettable in one of America's least trusted industries, and the four-step process that still works.

Your firm approves the content. Compliance signs off. And hundreds of thousands of other advisors are posting something that looks almost exactly like yours. According to Charlie Van Derven, that isn't an accident. It's what the system was designed to produce.

Charlie is President of Social Advisors, the content marketing firm he started in 2013 and host of the RIA Collective podcast. His path there runs from snowboard sales rep in Duluth, Minnesota, to building websites for Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney branches, to a stint at FMG Suite, to starting Social Advisors from his master bedroom. He joins host Mike Langford on this episode of The Modern Financial Advisor Podcast to explain why so much of the marketing content built for advisors was designed to keep overhead down in the compliance department, why authenticity matters more as AI makes content easier to produce, and why business development still comes down to four steps. He closes with a story from his days pitching websites to those branches: the corner office guy.

Connect with Charlie Van Derven on LinkedIn and learn more about Social Advisors

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why Charlie says much of the content built for advisors was designed for compliance departments, and why that is "terrible for the advisor"

• Why canned content keeps advisors forgettable in an industry that, by Charlie's account of a 2023 Gallup poll, ranks among the least trusted in the U.S.

• Why authenticity matters more as AI makes content easier to create, plus Charlie's Descript avatar mishap

• The four steps of business development that haven't changed: know your audience, get in front of lots of people, nurture, and convert

• Why your email list is an asset you own while your LinkedIn followers are "rented people"

• How guest-driven webinars and small in-person events turn a large list into real conversations

• What the corner office guys in Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney branches were doing while everyone else was "so busy" at their desks

Why This Matters for Financial Advisors Right Now

Why is so much advisor marketing content built for compliance instead of the advisor?

Because the path of least friction at a broker-dealer runs through the compliance department. Charlie spent time in national sales at FMG Suite approaching broker-dealers, and says the conversation started with compliance, not sales and marketing. Ask a firm with 2,000 advisors what happens when 30% of them want to post their own content, and the review overhead becomes the problem. A pre-approved content library solves it. Charlie is quick to say that model works for some advisors, but with roughly 400,000 practicing advisors in the country (his estimate) all sharing the same voice, the result is great for compliance, FINRA, and the SEC, and terrible for the advisor.

Why does canned content hurt trust in an industry that already struggles with it?

Because it looks like everyone else's. Charlie cites a 2023 Gallup poll that, as he recalls it, ranks the industry as the fourth least trusted in the U.S., with advertisers one spot ahead of it at number three. His point is that posting a bunch of canned material without your actual voice isn't the way to change that perception. Mike adds the product-side reality: every advisor and firm has access to the same stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and insurance products at about the same price, so clients are buying the advisor. Charlie also notes that syndicated content doesn't live on your own website, which means it isn't really your content.

How should advisors use AI for content without losing authenticity?

Use it mostly for ideation, and keep your own voice on the final product. Charlie says his team uses AI for content creation because content is becoming commoditized and AI only accelerates that. Five years ago humans wrote every article and social post. That is no longer the world. But he argues authenticity becomes more important, not less, in an industry where trust is already low. His own experiment with a custom Descript avatar made the point: it read his script, and his wife said it gave her nightmares. Mike's warning is that if every advisor hands the work to AI, we end up with AI promoting to AI.

What are the four steps of business development?

Charlie says the tools and methodology have changed, but the process hasn't:

1. Audience. Know who you serve. His advice is to be a big fish in a small pond, because a defined audience tells you the pain points, the messaging, and where to show up.

2. Reach. Get in front of as many people as possible with a lead magnet, a small ad budget, associations, and local networking events. He uses the acronym OPN, other people's networks, which he credits to Tom Poland.

3. Nurture. Stay present with a methodology and tell your own story. With a CRM, he says, you can nurture 10,000 people as easily as 10.

4. Convert. Use events, and especially webinars with a guest who serves the same audience, to find who is finally ready for a conversation.

Why should advisors own their email list instead of relying on LinkedIn?

Because you own the list, and you rent everything else. Charlie has a LinkedIn network of 11,000 to 12,000 people and says only about 5% of a network typically sees a post, maybe 10% if the content is good. A qualified email list reaches nearly everyone with the subject line, and well-run campaigns can see open rates of 30% to 50%. His target is adding 50 to 100 emails a month. Followers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are rented space, and the platforms control the network. Mike points to the exodus from X as proof that audiences move.

How do webinars and small events help advisors convert prospects?

They show you who is ready to talk. Charlie's example: an advisor with an email list of 3,000 who invites it to a webinar and gets 50 registrations and 18 attendees now has 18 real prospects to follow up with. He prefers bringing in a guest who serves the same audience, because the guest markets the webinar to their list and you return the favor. Mike's version for in-person events is to host something simple at a restaurant or bar during a slow afternoon, line up speakers, and let the room come to you. Charlie says his clients are running go-kart events, golf simulator nights, and wine tastings, and that showing up beside you at an event works as an endorsement.

What did the corner office guys know that everyone else missed?

That the business is trust and relationships, not time spent at a desk. In the early 2000s Charlie drove a route of Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney branches pitching websites. Each branch had four prized corner offices: the branch manager and the top three producers. Everyone else was "so busy" and always the last one out, and said the corner office guys were never around. Charlie's takeaway was that they were never there because they were golfing with their best client, having coffee with an association's executive director, meeting a center of influence, or at a lunch meeting. He tells the story today to advisors who are busy at their desks and on LinkedIn, and points to a 70-year-old advisor who went fully digital on a consultant's advice, bought leads, and added no new clients for two years.

"That's great for compliance. That's great for FINRA. It's great for the SEC. It's terrible for the advisor."

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Social Advisors — Charlie's content marketing firm for financial advisors

• RIA Collective — Charlie's podcast, featuring advisors who made the move to independence

• Charlie Van Derven on LinkedIn — where Charlie is active and coaches advisors on content

Related Episodes

• Unlocking Growth for Financial Advisors: The Power of Seminars, with Greg Bogich of AcquireUp — Charlie's fourth step is converting through events and webinars. Greg goes deeper on seminar marketing and what makes an event pay off.

• Why Writing a Short Book Can Help Financial Advisors Win New Clients, with Paul McManus of More Clients More Fun — Charlie says advisors need to tell their own story instead of the one generalized across the industry. Paul shows how a short book can be one way to do it.

• Getting Your Financial Business Featured in the Media, with Allie Zendrian of AtoZ Communications — Charlie's OPN idea is getting in front of other people's networks. Earned media is another way to borrow an audience and credibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does so much financial advisor marketing content look the same?

According to Charlie Van Derven, much of it was built to keep overhead down in the compliance department. Pre-approved libraries make review easier for broker-dealers, but they give every advisor the same voice, which Charlie says is terrible for the advisor.

What does OPN mean in advisor marketing?

OPN stands for other people's networks. Charlie, who credits the acronym to Tom Poland, recommends getting in front of the associations, publications, conferences, and communities that already serve your target audience.

How many people see a financial advisor's LinkedIn post?

Charlie says about 5% of a network typically sees a post, and perhaps 10% if the content is good, unless a post goes viral. He recommends building an email list because you own it and can reach nearly everyone on it.

What are the four steps of business development for financial advisors?

Charlie's four steps are to identify your audience, get in front of as many of them as possible, nurture them over time, and convert them, often through webinars or events.

Should financial advisors buy leads?

Charlie advised one quiet, relationship-driven advisor against it. The stat he hears is that about 4% of purchased leads close, and each lead is sold to three or four advisors, so the strongest closer takes most of them.

Do financial advisors still need in-person meetings?

Yes, according to Charlie. Digital tools are table stakes, but he says the business is still trust and relationship, which means being present in your community, meeting clients outside the office, and hosting small events.

Stop Being a Source. Start Being a Resource: Featuring Ben Lewis from The Financial Planning Association

How Financial Advisors Can Build a Media Profile That Drives Real Business in the Age of AI

Financial advisors are facing a paradox. AI is flooding every journalist's inbox with generated press releases, mass-blasted pitches, and "thought leadership" content that reads like it was assembled by a committee of robots. And yet, the advisors who understand what's actually happening right now have a bigger media opportunity than at any point in the last two decades.

That's the core argument Ben Lewis makes in Episode 150 of the Modern Financial Advisor Podcast — and he's one of the few people in the financial services industry uniquely qualified to make it.

Ben is the Chief Communications and Development Officer at the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the architect of FPA MediaSource, and the author of Perfecting The Pitch: Creating Publicity Through Media Rapport. He's spent nearly 25 years at the crossroads of financial services and media — running his own PR firm, training CFP® professionals how to communicate with journalists, and building a platform that has now received over 10,000 journalist inquiries with a 64.5% repeat journalist rate.

If you've ever wondered how to get quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, CNBC, or USA Today — this episode is your roadmap.

Connect with Ben Lewis on LinkedIn

Download Ben's whitepaper: The Human Edge: Why Relationship-Driven PR Still Wins in the Age of AI

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why the explosion of AI-generated content is actually the best opportunity for authentic financial advisors to stand out

• The critical difference between being a source and being a resource — and how to move from one to the other

• How to use your client question notebook to build a steady pipeline of media pitches

• How to recognize when a single question becomes a trend — and why that changes everything for journalists

• How FPA MediaSource works and what advisors who use it well are actually doing differently

• Why compliance culture is training advisors to say nothing worth quoting

• The handwritten thank-you note almost no one sends anymore — and why it works

Why This Matters for Financial Advisors Right Now

Here's a question worth sitting with: if a prospective client Googled your name today — or typed it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — what would they find?

For most financial advisors, the honest answer is: not much. Maybe a bio page on their firm's website. A LinkedIn profile. If they're lucky, a few social posts.

Now imagine what they'd find if you'd been quoted in a New York Times personal finance story. Or featured in a Kiplinger piece on retirement planning. Or cited in a CNBC segment about market volatility.

That's the difference between being someone a prospect hears about and being someone a prospect trusts before they've ever met you.

Ben Lewis has a phrase for this: earned media vs. advertising. When a journalist quotes you, they're vouching for you. An independent professional with no financial relationship to you, no obligation to do you any favors, looked at what you had to say and decided it was worth sharing with their audience. As Ben puts it: "That stands out way more than spending a whole bunch of money on advertising."

The challenge most advisors face isn't that they lack expertise. It's that they've never been shown how the media relationship actually works. And in 2025, with AI generating a sea of sameness in every journalist's inbox, the advisors who show up as genuine, knowledgeable humans have a window of opportunity that won't stay open forever.

The Source vs. Resource Distinction That Changes Everything

This is the concept from the episode that will stick with you longest.

A source is someone a reporter calls when they're already working on a story and need a quote to fill a gap. You're useful in that moment. Then they move on. You may not hear from that journalist again for years — if ever.

A resource is someone a journalist contacts before they even know what story they're writing, because they trust that person to surface something worth exploring. A resource is proactive. A resource is hard to replace.

The path from source to resource runs entirely through relationship. And as Ben explains, building a relationship with a journalist isn't mysterious or complex — it's the same set of behaviors that makes any relationship work. You show up consistently. You deliver what you promise. You focus on what they need, not just what you want. You make their job easier. Over time, they start to think of you first.

The 64.5% repeat journalist rate on FPA MediaSource isn't magic. It's what happens when financial professionals treat media interactions as the beginning of something rather than a transaction.

The Client Notebook: Your Pitch Pipeline Is Already Full

One of the most immediately actionable ideas in this episode comes from Ben's guidance on how to start generating media pitches — and it requires nothing more than a notebook.

Keep it by your phone or your computer. Every time a client calls or emails with a question, write it down. What was the question? What was the situation they were facing?

At the end of the week, review the list. Identify one question that you don't think the media is covering well. Jot down three quick bullet points: here's my opinion on this, here's why it matters, here's what clients need to know. Find a journalist who's been writing about related topics. Send them a short note — 30 seconds to read, no longer.

That's a pitch. And here's the thing that most advisors miss:

One client question is a story. Three, four, or five of the same question in a week is a trend. And trends are what the media actually wants. If multiple clients are suddenly asking you about the same topic — whether that's sequence of return risk, Social Security timing strategy, or what happens to their portfolio if X happens — that's a data point that a journalist will find genuinely valuable. You're sitting on this material every single day.

"The moment a journalist sniffs any desire on your part to be self-promotional — that this is about you, the planner, and not the story you have — say goodbye. It's not gonna happen. Go into every media interaction genuinely wanting to inform, educate, and enlighten. Through that, you can be positioned as the expert." — Ben Lewis, Chief Communications and Development Officer, Financial Planning Association

FPA MediaSource: The Tool Most FPA Members Aren't Using Fully

If you're a CFP® professional and an FPA member, you have access to one of the most underutilized business development tools in the industry.

FPA MediaSource is a platform that connects journalists — from CNBC and The New York Times to Kiplinger and USA Today — directly with FPA members who can serve as expert sources. Journalists submit a query describing the story they're working on and their deadline. That query goes out to participating FPA members. Members respond with their perspective. The journalist gets usable content from credentialed professionals, and the advisor gets a media credit.

Since launching, MediaSource has sent out over 10,300 queries and generated more than 69,000 CFP® professional responses. The 64.5% repeat journalist rate means reporters keep coming back — not because they have to, but because the quality of responses they're getting from FPA members is genuinely useful.

Ben shared the story of one member who had been participating in MediaSource for just four months. He had appeared in 50 different news stories in that time. His website now carries logos from every major outlet — the kind of social proof that builds instant credibility with prospective clients.

The advisors who use MediaSource most effectively follow a simple set of principles:

• Lead with your opinion, not your data

• Keep responses original and brief

• Don't use AI to write your response — journalists can tell, and they will stop calling

The Human Edge: Why Authenticity Is the Competitive Advantage

Ben's whitepaper, The Human Edge: Why Relationship-Driven PR Still Wins in the Age of AI, opens with a line from 2009: advisors were asking him how to separate themselves from the blowback of the financial crisis, of Madoff, of the assumption that anyone who touched money must be doing something wrong.

Sixteen years later, the question is different but the answer is the same.

Today's noise isn't Madoff. It's AI-generated content. It's the 26-year-old in their basement with a ring light and a strong opinion about Bitcoin. It's mass-blasted pitch emails with the reporter's name auto-inserted in the subject line. It's "thought leadership" content that sounds professional but has no voice, no perspective, and no soul behind it.

And here's the paradox Ben argues: when everyone else is generating, showing up like a human being is a competitive advantage.

Smaller newsrooms don't mean fewer opportunities for advisors — they mean journalists rely more heavily on trusted sources they've already vetted. When a reporter is on a two-hour deadline and needs an expert quote, they're not cold-searching for someone new. They're calling the person who responded promptly last month and gave them something genuinely useful.

That's the human edge. And as Ben puts it near the close of the episode: "Nobody hands you that trust. It's up to you, the individual, to earn it. And you earn it by bringing your own innate humanness to the relationship."

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• The Human Edge: Why Relationship-Driven PR Still Wins in the Age of AI — Ben Lewis's whitepaper, available at FPA MediaSource

• FPA MediaSource — The platform connecting CFP® professionals with journalists across major national publications

• Perfecting The Pitch: Creating Publicity Through Media Rapport — Ben Lewis's book on media relations for financial professionals (Larstan, 2007)

• Never Eat Alone — Keith Ferrazzi's book on relationship-building, cited by Ben as foundational to his thinking on source vs. resource

• FPA Live — Ben's interview series featuring media professionals and communications experts relevant to financial planners

Related Episodes Worth Your Time

• Getting Your Financial Business Featured in the Media with Allie Zendrian of AtoZ Communications — Allie brings the rarest possible perspective to this conversation: she spent years on the other side of the pitch email as a reporter at Forbes, Institutional Investor, and TheStreet — deciding what was worth covering and what went in the trash. Now she helps advisors and FinTech companies get their stories told. Her episode pairs directly with Ben's: if Ben gives you the mindset and the framework, Allie gives you the journalist's-eye view of exactly what lands and what doesn't.

• How AI Will Power a New Era of Hyper-Growth for Financial Advisors and Wealth Management Firms — Ian Karnell, CEO of VastAdvisor, makes the case that AI isn't just a productivity tool for advisors — it's a growth engine. This episode is the natural counterpart to Ben's argument: Ben explains why human authenticity is the competitive advantage in the age of AI, and Ian explains how to use AI strategically to amplify that advantage rather than replace it. Together, they form a complete picture of how the smartest advisors are thinking about technology right now.

• Love Your Customer or Quit — The 4 Pillars of Client Experience That Actually Matter — The through-line between this episode and Ben's is easy to miss but worth making explicit: the same qualities that make a journalist want to call you back — responsiveness, genuine helpfulness, showing up consistently, making their job easier — are the exact same qualities that make clients stay, refer, and trust. This episode builds the client-side case for the human edge Ben is describing.

How Financial Advisors Can Help Clients Navigate The Black Box of Healthcare Costs

Drew Shockley, Co-Founder of Move Health joins Mike Langford to explore how financial advisors can help their clients tackle one of the biggest obstacles that many are likely going to face at some point in their life…

Finding a health care plan that they can afford and that works within the framework of their overall life goals.

Sponsored By:

PodBox - Help your guest sound their best on your podcast, webinar, or important Zoom call with a PodBox microphone setup.

If you would like to follow up with Drew, shoot him an email.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• Healthcare costs can significantly alter clients' life plans.

• Many clients feel trapped in jobs due to healthcare benefits.

• Financial advisors often underestimate healthcare costs in planning.

• The healthcare landscape is complex and requires specialized knowledge.

• A significant portion of the population purchases their own healthcare coverage.

• The age group 55-64 is critical for healthcare planning.

• Myths about health insurance can prevent clients from making informed decisions.

• The Affordable Care Act has changed the healthcare insurance landscape.

• Financial advisors can play a crucial role in helping clients navigate healthcare options.

• There is a growing need for financial advisors to integrate healthcare planning into their services. Financial advisors play a crucial role in retirement planning.

• Healthcare costs are a significant concern for retirees.

• 72% of clients would switch advisors if healthcare needs aren't met.

• Long-term care is a reality for 50% of Americans.

• The modern advisor must understand healthcare options.

• Personalized service is essential in financial advising.

• The Affordable Care Act has changed healthcare access.

• Advisors should engage with clients about their career plans.

• Partnerships with healthcare experts can enhance client service.

• Understanding healthcare costs is vital for financial planning.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Move Health - A healthcare insurance planning firm utilized by forward-thinking financial advisors and their clients across the country.

• Long-Term Care Episode - In similar fashion to standard healthcare cost, long-term care has an extremely high probability to need for most clients of today’s financial advisors. Yet, most advisors are not planning for it appropriately, if at all. In this episode, Larry Nisenson of Assured Allies provides a quality roadmap for financial advisors to follow to ensure their clients needs are met.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Healthcare Challenges

02:45 The Role of Financial Advisors in Healthcare Planning

06:05 Understanding the Healthcare Landscape

08:52 Target Demographics for Healthcare Solutions

11:59 The Importance of Age 55-64 in Healthcare Planning

14:56 Myths About Health Insurance

18:12 The Impact of the Affordable Care Act

21:05 The Shift in Financial Advisory Services

24:10 The Modern Financial Advisor as a Quarterback

27:59 The Financial Playbook: Strategies for Retirement Planning

34:52 Navigating Healthcare: The Role of Financial Advisors

40:56 The Human Element in Healthcare Decisions

44:01 Unlocking Freedom: Helping Clients Transition to Retirement

52:57 The Future of Healthcare: Understanding the Affordable Care Act

Why Asking The Right Questions About Your Client’s Values Often Leads to Higher Quality Financial Advice

Jason Britton, CEO of Reflection Analytics joins Mike Langford to discuss the transformative power of values-based investing. They explore how financial advisors can help clients align their investment portfolios with their personal values, moving beyond traditional metrics of financial success. The conversation delves into the evolution of financial advice, the importance of understanding client values, and the challenges of navigating polarized discussions around investment choices. Jason emphasizes the need for genuine discovery in client conversations and the role of behavioral economics in understanding client motivations.

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If you would like to follow up with Jason, shoot him an email.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• Advisors should help clients align portfolios with their values.

• Finance has evolved from a means to an end to a complex system.

• Values-based investing is about real-time decision-making.

• Discovery is key in understanding client motivations.

• Advisors must leave their politics at the door.

• Clients care about preserving the earth, regardless of political views.

• It's essential to provide clients with investment options that reflect their values.

• Finance is a social science, not just a hard science.

• Understanding what clients own is crucial for values alignment.

• Navigating values discussions requires sensitivity and openness. There is no such thing as perfection in business.

• Consistency and alignment are key in investment.

• Corporations should aim to create public good.

• The free market is influenced by government intervention.

• Subsidies are necessary for public infrastructure projects.

• Transitioning to renewable energy requires collective action.

• Wealth is created by providing value to society.

• Corporations and society must work together for mutual benefit.

• Personal values should guide investment decisions.

• AI has both positive and negative implications for society.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Reflection Analytics - A scalable values-based investing analysis engine that ensures asset managers, advisors and asset owners are accessing solutions that truly reflect their values and mandates.

• Reflection Asset Management - A boutique wealth and asset management firm specializing in thematic investing.

• Rural Electrification Act - The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 was a U.S. federal law that provided funding and support to bring electricity to rural areas, improving infrastructure and living standards in underserved communities.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Values-Based Investing

02:51 The Evolution of Financial Advice

09:22 Defining Values in Investing

15:11 The Importance of Discovery in Client Conversations

20:38 Navigating Polarization in Values Discussions

27:10 The Complexity of Values-Based Investing

29:02 The Pursuit of Consistency Over Perfection

30:53 The Role of Corporations in Society

32:42 The Myth of a Free Market

34:37 Subsidies and Public Good

36:33 The Value of Innovation and Risk

38:30 Wealth Creation and Shared Value

40:54 The Interdependence of Corporations and Society

42:47 Personal Values in Investment Decisions

44:40 The Future of Values-Based Investing

46:38 Engaging Clients in Financial Conversations

50:55 The Dual Nature of AI and Technology