Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL

If your prospects leave meetings confused, overwhelmed, or unsure what you actually do for them, the problem may not be your process. It may be how you present it.
In Part 1 of this 3-Part series, I break down one of the most overlooked tools in financial advising: giving prospects a physical example of your financial plan. While most advisors rely on screens, charts, PDFs, and long explanations, very few create a tangible experience that helps prospects truly understand the value of what they’re offering.
I explain why physical visuals work so well in sales, how top advisors are using sample financial plans to simplify complex conversations, and why this one small change can dramatically improve engagement and close rates.
You’ll also hear practical examples from industries outside financial services, how to structure your sample binder, and the biggest mistake advisors make when presenting it during meetings.

3 of the biggest insights from Brad Johnson…

#1.) Why Physical Financial Plans Matter
Financial planning is invisible. Prospects can’t physically see your thinking, strategy, or process, which means they often leave confused or unsure what they’re actually buying. I explain why tangible visuals create clarity, trust, and belief.

#2.) What Advisors Should Actually Put In Front Of Prospects
The goal isn’t a perfect 200-page binder. It’s a simple, physical representation of the financial plan you would build on their behalf. It’s something prospects can hold, flip through, and emotionally connect with.

#3.) How To Present The Binder During The Meeting
Most advisors present the sample plan incorrectly. I break down how to reference the binder in the conversation, position it as a preview of what’s possible, and use it to naturally earn the next appointment.

Triad Sales Lab
Still the only one closing deals in your firm? We’ll help you build a sales system that doesn’t rely on you. Apply here: https://bradleyjohnson.com/160-triad-sales-lab/

SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/171

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DISCLOSURE
DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.
The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for.
Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I sat down with Stu McLaren to unpack something I think a lot of financial advisors are missing right now…
Your value isn’t just in the financial plan. It’s in the relationships, community, and sense of belonging you create around your clients.
Stu built one of the earliest online membership businesses, sold it successfully, and has spent years helping entrepreneurs build thriving communities that people never want to leave. In this conversation, we talk about what advisors can learn from that world—and why retention has less to do with performance reviews and more to do with human connection.
We also go deeper into the emotional side of money, why so many successful people keep moving the goalposts, and how advisors can stop overwhelming clients with information and start creating real momentum instead.
And beyond business, Stu shares one of the most powerful mindset shifts around money and impact I’ve heard in a long time. From building schools in Kenya to creating unforgettable experiences for others, this conversation is a reminder that business can become a vehicle for something much bigger than yourself.

3 of the biggest insights from Stu McLaren…

#1.) Community Is the Moat That Protects Your Business
Stu explains why relationships and belonging are becoming more valuable than information—especially in a world where AI is making knowledge easier to access. Advisors who intentionally create connection between clients build deeper loyalty, stronger retention, and a business competitors can’t easily replicate.

#2.) Clients Don’t Need More Information, They Need Simplicity
A lot of advisors accidentally overwhelm clients by trying to explain everything at once. Stu shares how creating a simple “success path” helps clients focus on the next right step instead of getting buried in spreadsheets, projections, and complexity.

#3.) Money Becomes More Meaningful When It Fuels Impact
Stu opens up about the mindset shift that changed his relationship with money forever. Instead of feeling guilty about success, he realized that making more money gave him the ability to create more impact—for charities, communities, friends, and families around the world.

Free Gift:
Get access to Stu's book, Predictable Profits.

SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/170

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DISCLOSURE
DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.
The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for.
Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if I told you there’s a simple concept that could unlock exponential growth in your business, without adding more hours to your workweek?
I’ve used this framework hundreds of times in coaching conversations, and it’s created more breakthroughs than anything else I’ve ever shared with advisors.
It all comes down to the value of an hour of your time.
In this solo episode, I walk you through an eye-opening exercise to help you calculate what your time is really worth, and more importantly, what’s stealing it. You’ll discover how to delegate low-value tasks, free up your calendar for high-impact work, and scale your firm without sacrificing your personal freedom.

3 of the biggest insights from Brad Johnson…

#1.) The Hidden Number That Controls Your Growth
I break down a simple formula that calculates what an hour of your time is worth as a business owner, and why this number matters far more than most advisors realize.

#2.) Get Non-Revenue Driving Work Off Your Plate
Paperwork, service work, HR issues, and admin responsibilities are all important aspects of running a business, but they often pull founders away from the activities that deliver the best ROI. The more time you spend in low-leverage work, the harder it becomes to scale.

#3.) The “Sue” Exercise That Changes How You Think About Delegation
I share a powerful coaching framework that helps advisors realize they’ve already hired the most expensive employee in the business: themselves.

SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/169

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DISCLOSURE
DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.
The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for.
Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most advisors build their business on momentum instead of intention, duct-taping it together as they go, and then wondering years later why growth feels so hard.
What if the problem isn't effort? What if it's the foundation?
In this solo episode, I'm breaking down exactly how I'd invest the first $100,000 if I was starting a financial advisory practice from scratch. Three investments, in order, that I believe separate the advisors who build something bigger than themselves from the ones who stay stuck grinding at a ceiling they didn't even know they built.
These aren't industry secrets. They're not complicated. But the fastest-growing advisors I've coached (and I've worked with folks managing hundreds of millions) did all three on purpose, and they did them early. That's the difference.

3 of the biggest insights from Brad Johnson…

#1.) The First Hire Every Advisor Should Make
Most advisors wait too long to hire an EA because they think they can't afford it. I want to flip that entirely. Every hour you spend on admin, scheduling, and paperwork is a direct tax on your revenue ceiling. A great EA creates leverage.

#2.) Marketing Isn’t Optional, It’s the Engine
I break down the mindset shift that separates advisors who consistently invest in marketing from those who treat it like an expense, and why funding a proven one-to-many system early is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make.

#3.) Your Office Is Sending a Message. Is It the Right One?
The environment where you meet clients isn't just a backdrop. It's a direct signal about the experience they can expect. Your space affects not just your clients' confidence in you, but your confidence in yourself.

SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/168

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DISCLOSURE
DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.
The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for.
Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I’ve seen this pattern play out too many times… an advisor builds a successful business, hits their numbers, grows the firm, and somewhere along the way, things at home start to drift. Not because they don’t care, but because no one ever showed them how to win in both places at the same time.
That’s what this conversation is really about. Derek Notman and Adam Holt set out to explore that exact challenge through a project called REBL Dads—a movement built around helping fathers become more intentional at home without sacrificing their ambition in business. What started as an idea turned into a mastermind on Necker Island with a group of entrepreneurial dads, and ultimately a challenge from Richard Branson: “How are you going to help more dads with this?”
That question led to over 100 interviews with fathers (many from financial services) unpacking what it actually looks like to succeed in both business and life.
In this episode, we break down what they learned, the patterns that showed up across those conversations, and how you can start applying those lessons right now so success at work doesn’t come at the expense of everything else that matters.

3 of the biggest insights from Adam Holt & Derek Notman…

#1.) Success at Work Doesn’t Guarantee Success at Home
A lot of advisors are winning professionally but quietly losing where it matters most. This episode exposes the real cost of that tradeoff—and why ignoring it only makes it worse over time.

#2.) Intentional Presence Is the Skill Most Advisors Never Learn
Being “around” your family isn’t the same as being present. The most consistent theme across 100+ interviews was how intentionality—not time—drives real connection.

#3.) You Don’t Need More Time, You Need Better Systems
From calendar discipline to environment design, the dads who got this right didn’t rely on willpower. They built systems that made showing up at home automatic.

REBL Dads Book:
Early access to the REBL Dads book -> https://www.rebldads.com/book

SHOW NOTES
https://bradleyjohnson.com/167

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DISCLOSURE
DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations.
The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for.
Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.