Unfettered Growth

Not since WWII has America experienced the kind of skills shortage we are facing as baby boomers leave the workplace and retire. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that, by 2020, the skilled labor shortfall in the United States will be nearing 10 million people. A quick search on the popular employment site, Indeed.com, shows…

 In this dramatically changing world, every business must constantly evolve or risk being left behind. It is only recently that financial firms are beginning to realize that they can no longer rely on a pre-recession recipe for sales success.  The new world comes with enormous opportunities and with all sorts of challenges.   In his…

Smaller advisor practices are most likely to feel the pain from the ongoing market convergence and impending DOL changes. This is because smaller firms have limited resources to comply with new rules and regulations.   At the same time, it can be easier and less disruptive for smaller companies to change, especially when it comes…

in 2015, Microsoft Canada published a study saying that the average human has a shorter attention span than a goldfish — with humans at eight seconds and nine seconds for the goldfish. Every day, fewer and fewer advisors respond to a sales call pitching a product or service.  This explains why financial institutions are looking…

  The key is not to please everyone but to please a few people really, well.     As markets mature and converge, the difference between the most popular products and services can be minimal, and competing on being the best is a game for big companies with deep pockets.   For everyone else, the…

With over 76 million baby boomers retiring, the average advisor pushing 55 years of age, and 20% of them over 60, there is a major shift happening within financial services.    At a time when these advisors’ full focus should be on transitioning their clients into retirement, attracting new clients, growing the value of their…

I created The Referable Advisor to explore what it means to be truly referable–to be so remarkable that people want to tell others.    I have had the privilege of knowing some extraordinary financial advisors, business managers and leaders. What they have taught me is that being referable is a mindset that comes from within. It…