Insights

Millennials: Not Your Father’s Clients, But The Key to Long-Term Growth

Ask your parents and grandparents which version of Amazon they prefer. Now ask your children. Did you get puzzled looks as a response? Or are you yourself sitting there with a furrowed brow, squinty eyes and a cocked head?

Of course there aren’t different versions of Amazon for each generation. The purpose and outcome of the service is the same, no matter the age of the user. The only difference in the Amazon experience is if a customer pays for Amazon Prime, allowing them free two-day shipping and other extras. Continue reading

Ron’s Top 10 Books to Inspire and Challenge You in 2019

“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” Once you start reading, you can’t stop. Looking back, it was a busy year, but if you don’t make time for continuous learning and self improvement, you can’t fully grasp new ideas and appreciate outside-the-box thinking. Continue reading

6 Reasons Advisors Should Become a CFP Professional

By Greg Opitz, Ex­­­ecutive Business Coach­­­­­

You wouldn’t go to a doctor who isn’t board certified. You wouldn’t trust your complicated tax situation to an accountant who isn’t a CPA. And you certainly wouldn’t seek legal representation from a J.D. who hasn’t passed the Bar Exam.

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How Wise Counsel Keeps Their Social and Content Marketing Machine Going

Advisors often look at other firms and wonder, “How did they do that?” Whether it’s technology, websites, digital marketing, investing options, or something else, it can seem downright impossible to keep up sometimes.

Just ask any advisor from one of the firms at the front of the pack, and they’ll tell you: they didn’t get there alone – their team played a big role.

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4 Steps to Building a Successful Internal Succession Plan for Your Advisory Firm

By Jason Carver

Remember what it was like when you started your firm? Those days when you transitioned from being one advisor among many to being a CEO. It felt like your concerns changed overnight – everything suddenly seemed more challenging and complex. Continue reading

Our 6 Favorite Sites for Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Custom photography is great for your website and blog. It’s unique and you get exactly what you want, rather than hunting for a stock photo that’s almost what you’re looking for. But most firms aren’t interested in making room in their marketing budget to keep a professional photographer on staff or retainer.

That’s where stock photography comes in handy. The right stock photo can still feel personal, engaging and unique – even if other people use it, too.

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3 Ways to Get Your Advisory Firm to Rank Higher on Google

By Zach McDonald

“Why isn’t my advisory firm’s site showing up in Google results?”

That’s one of the top digital marketing questions we get from advisors. It makes perfect sense. You’re a great advisor, so you want to be front and center when someone searches for “financial advisor (your city/state).” So why can’t you make it to the first page (or even the second or third)?

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Red Flags & Green Lights: Analyzing Interview Answers

Written by JoDee Klinker

The beginning of 2019 is a mere 48 days away. As the weeks dwindle down and December 31 inches closer, the promise of a New Year can provide much-needed excitement and rejuvenation to advisory firms. Perhaps you have already started mapping out what next year will bring – new processes, new clients, new partnerships, etc.

The first quarter of the year also happens to be a popular time to hire new stakeholders. Continue reading

RISE Innovation: If It’s Not Broken, Break It

Written by Emily Rahav

It all started with a TED talk. This TED talk to be exact.

In the summer of 2017, Carson Group’s leadership and culture team unveiled a RISE (Rejuvenate, Inspire, Serve, Evolve) series focused on personal development. Stakeholders were gathered, snacks were purchased and the aforementioned video featuring former Excell keynote Dan Pink was played for the audience. The original intention was to spark a discussion on intrinsic motivators – it turns out, it sparked much more.    Continue reading