The Advisor Advancement Podcast Network

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , host Aaron Grady shares why Thanksgiving is one of the most powerful — and underutilized — times of year for financial advisors to connect with their top clients. He explains how this quieter, gratitude-filled season offers a unique opportunity to build deeper relationships, foster loyalty, and create memorable client experiences that drive advocacy. From hear...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor, host Aaron Grady is joined by USA Financial Practice Management Consultant, Allan Oehrlein, to explore three powerful types of ideal client events every advisor should be leveraging: transition, reframing, and celebration. More than just appreciation gatherings, these tailored events help you retain top relationships, build advocacy, and elevate your practice....

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , host Aaron Grady sits down with Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, to unpack the concept of the Ideal Client Event . Unlike traditional appreciation events, these gatherings are designed exclusively for your very best clients—the advocates and relationships you most want to replicate. Aaron and Steve explore the "what," "why,"...

In this episode of Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook, Mark sits down with Michelle Lawless, VP at Media Minefield, to unpack how PR powers growth for advisory firms—especially in a world where AI search favors credible, third-party sources. Michelle explains the difference between advertising and earned media, why local TV news and thought-leadership placements boost trust, and how to pair trad...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , Aaron Grady dives into one of the simplest yet most powerful tools for building lasting client relationships: the acronym FORM acronym—Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Money. More than just a data-gathering technique, it's a practice management mindset for financial advisors and planners who want to connect on a deeper, more human level with their clients....

AI is reshaping every industry, and financial advice isn't immune. Are you prepared?  In this episode of The Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook , Mark Mersman unpacks a recent Microsoft study ranking personal financial advisors among the occupations most at risk of AI disruption—and explains why some advisors should be worried.   More importantly, he outlines five practical strategies to stay re...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , Aaron Grady reveals how to transform the first four weeks of a client relationship into a powerful engine for client advocacy—without ever having to ask for referrals. Learn how to create emotional connection, professional contrast, and a first-class onboarding experience that turns new clients into raving fans. Aaron breaks down a simple, four-step process—th...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , Aaron Grady is joined once again by Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, for an insightful conversation about the three phases of an advisory practice : growth, expansion, and legacy. Discover how to identify where your financial advisory business stands today—and why understanding your current phase is just as important as knowi...

In this episode of the Financial Advisor's Marketing Playbook , Mark Mersman breaks down the latest seminar marketing trends based on real-world data collected over the past several years at USA Financial. He explores the age-old question every advisor faces: Should you serve a meal at your seminar or not? Mark compares response rates from meal and non-meal events dating back to 2018, reveals how...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , Aaron Grady and Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, explore the three-core business processes every financial advisor must master: wealth management, practice management, and relationship management. Learn a practical self-assessment tool to identify opportunity gaps within your advisory practice and discover how elevating clien...

In this episode of The Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook , Mark Mersman shares a smart, strategic way for financial advisors to turn the often-overlooked trusted contact form into a powerful marketing opportunity. By reframing this regulatory requirement as a chance to connect with the next generation —especially the "alpha child" often listed as a trusted contact— financial advisors can streng...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor, host Aaron Grady is joined once again by Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, to explore the five most important factors every financial advisor should consider when evaluating their current or future affiliation. From control and flexibility, compensation, compliance, and technology, to the often-overlooked need for real growth a...

Are you building a financial advisory practice that truly supports your ideal life—or is your business running you? In this episode of The Rare Advisor, host Aaron Grady sits down with Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, to explore the four essential pillars of creating your ideal practice: ideal clients, ideal practice size, ideal strategic partners, and ideal affi...

Struggling with client retention or referrals? In this episode, Mark Mersman shares proven communication strategies for financial advisors to strengthen trust, improve client retention, and increase referrals. You'll discover four things your best clients likely believe—and why most clients leave not because of poor advice, but because of surprises or unclear expectations. Learn how to "future pac...

In this episode of Future Zeros, Mike shares a simple but powerful five-word framework to quickly evaluate the people around you—whether it's a prospective hire, a business partner, a new customer, or even yourself. Drawing from years of experience leading teams and building partnerships, he breaks down the core traits he looks for: Gratitude, Honor, Effort, Intent, and Serve. This personal "cheat...

How well do you really know your clients? In this inaugural episode of the Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook Mark Mersman, Chief Marketing Officer at USA Financial, shares a really simple idea to leverage your clients' interests and turn them into a marketing opportunity for you. The Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook is a podcast/video series for high-performing financial planning profession...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , host Aaron Grady sits down with Dan Garrett, co-founder of Advisor Digital, to explore how financial advisors can automate and streamline their surge meeting schedules using GReminders. If you've ever felt bogged down by client scheduling or wished for a more efficient way to batch meetings, this conversation is packed with practical insights. Learn how GRemin...

What if luck wasn't random—but something you could hustle into existence? In this episode of Future Zeros , Mike Walters, CEO of USA Financial, breaks down how successful financial advisors create their own luck by combining hard work, timing, and awareness. Learn how to recognize the right opportunities, filter out the noise, and position your practice for maximum growth —both today and when it's...

Want to create client events that are more than just a meet-and-greet? In this episode of the Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook, Mark Mersman sits down with Jeff Bush, founder of WellSpring Financial, to uncover the secrets of successful client event marketing. Jeff shares real-world examples of events that have worked wonders for his firm, and reveals how you can use events to build stronger c...

In this episode of The Rare Advisor , host Aaron Grady dives deep into the concept of "moments of truth"—those pivotal life and financial events that offer powerful opportunities for advisors to deepen client relationships. Whether planned or unexpected, these moments allow you to go beyond money management and truly show up for your clients as a trusted partner in their life journey. Aaron shares...

Tired of chasing the elusive "magic bullet" for business growth and feeling frustrated by endless programs and gurus overpromising and underdelivering? Learn why the magic bullet is a myth and discover the real path to success – strategically combining key elements in a "chain-of-secrets". Stop wasting time and money on false promises and start building your own chain of secrets to unlock sustaina...

Turn market turbulence into opportunities to strengthen client trust and expand your reach. Discover how to proactively engage with your best clients, offering reassurance and highlighting your value-added services. Learn best practices for unified messaging across your team and how to leverage these moments to deepen client relationships and drive advocacy through services like the "sounding boar...

In this episode of Future Zeros, we'll break down the four "ships" of motoring your business forward: Ownership, Leadership, Stewardship, and Relationship. Learn how to focus on each of these distinct areas to build your practice into a valuable asset, effectively lead your team, foster a culture of trust, and nurture vital connections with both employees and customers. Strong performance in these...

In this episode of Financial Advisor Marketing Playbook, I'm joined by Senior Advisory Business Consultant Kevin Roskam to discuss navigating market volatility with clients. With markets experiencing recent fluctuations, we'll dive into understanding investor sentiment, differentiating between working and retired clients, and addressing common advisor mistakes. Kevin shares strategies for proactiv...

Join Mark Mersman as he sits down with Kristian Borghesan, CMO of Future Vault, to discuss the evolution of the modern financial advisor and the challenges Future Vault helps solve in the wealth management industry. Kristian shares insights into Future Vault's AI-powered digital vault technology, designed to streamline document handling, enhance security, and improve client-advisor collaboration....