- 252 Wes Young & Gavin Filasek / From Chasing Prospects to Creating Demand
This is Part 2 of our prospecting roundtable. If you missed Part 1, go back and start with Episode 234.
In this roundtable episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, gets the band back together with Wes Young, Founder and CEO of Wes Young & Associates, and Gavin Filasek, Co-Founder and Partner of Highland Wealth, to get practical about prospecting: how to stop chasing prospects and start creating demand. Prospecting is one of the three pillars of EAN's Elite Model, alongside communication and building a financial plan, and this conversation goes deep on it.
They open on the thing most producers get wrong - balance - and why you need a 90-day family plan, not just a business plan. Then they dig into how fee-based planning turns call-outs into call-ins, how each of them prices and structures their service models, and why "never a thousand" is a rule worth keeping.
The heart of the episode is process and language: the three-part way to answer "what do you do?" so you are memorable and magnetic, why your process is what makes clients refer you, and the weekly system Gavin's team runs to drive growth instead of letting the market dictate it.
As Gavin puts it: "I used to have to call out. Now they call in."
In This Episode
- Stop chasing, start creating demand: why fee-based planning turns call-outs into call-ins.
- You need a 90-day family plan, not just a business plan. You will not default your way into great relationships.
- How to answer "what do you do?" in three parts so you are memorable, not forgettable.
- Pricing and service models: flat fees, annual retainers, and why "never a thousand."
- Build a weekly prospecting system and a scorecard, and do not let the market dictate your growth.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - The band is back together
00:40 - Balance, seasons, and guardrails
02:00 - The 90-day family plan
06:00 - Blending work and life instead of "balance"
08:30 - Getting practical on prospecting
09:20 - How fee-based planning creates call-ins
11:00 - Using planning to earn the AUM and insurance work
12:30 - Pricing: Gavin's flat fees (6k, 12k, 24k)
14:00 - Wes on annual retainers and moving every client to them
16:00 - The juice has to be worth the squeeze
17:10 - Why process is the foundation of demand
18:00 - Mid-years, year-ends, and strategy summaries
19:00 - Answering "what do you do?" in three parts
23:00 - Don't give a label or a book report
24:00 - Gavin's weekly team prospecting system
27:00 - Don't be an "ask-hole": how to ask for introductions
29:00 - Don't let the market dictate your growth
31:00 - Give value with ideas: the book-and-quote move
33:00 - Put yourself where your ideal clients are
Missed Part 1? Start There:
This is the second half of our prospecting roundtable with Wes Young and Gavin Filasek. If you have not heard Part 1 (Episode 234), listen to it first.
Listen to Part 1 here:
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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36m - Sep 25, 2026 - 251 Larry Shumbres / SEO Is Changing. Financial Advisors Need to Learn AEO.
In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Larry Shumbres, Founder and CEO of Archive Intel, to unpack a shift most advisors have not caught up to yet: the move from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and what it takes to get found when your next client asks ChatGPT or Claude for an advisor.
Larry shares his path from IBM and Wall Street to building compliance technology, and why he believes compliance is not just a box to check but the thing that frees advisors to grow. They dig into why so many advisors leave growth on the table by avoiding the apps clients actually use - text, WhatsApp, TikTok, Reddit - and how modern archiving makes those channels safe.
Then they get practical on AEO: why generic "top five retirement tips" content will not rank, why specificity about who you serve and how is what answer engines reward, and how tools like Claude can help you build the content that gets you surfaced.
As Larry puts it: "If you're doing everything every other advisor is doing, you're not going to rank higher on AEO."
In This Episode
- SEO to AEO: how getting found is changing now that clients ask AI, not just Google, for an advisor.
- Why specificity wins. Generic content does not rank; naming exactly who you serve and how does.
- Compliance is not the afterthought. It is what frees you to grow into new channels.
- Meet clients where they already are - text, WhatsApp, TikTok, Reddit - and archive it so it is safe.
- Use AI like Claude to build the content that ranks in answer engines.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction and the heat wave
01:20 - From IBM and Wall Street to fintech and compliance
04:00 - Turning around a failed startup, then building Archive Intel
05:30 - Where AI actually saves time (and why you keep a human in the loop)
06:20 - Always raising the bar: the founder's drive
07:20 - Was AI a thing years before the rest of us saw it?
09:40 - The growth advisors leave on the table by avoiding apps
11:30 - When advisors realize they need to archive texts
13:20 - Compliance as a growth enabler, not just protection
14:10 - The "easy button" for compliance and marketing review
17:10 - Scaling the compliance officer with AI review
20:00 - What is hardest right now: more apps, more channels
21:30 - SEO vs AEO: getting found when clients ask AI
23:40 - Why specific content ranks and generic content does not
25:50 - Matching the right advisor to the right client
28:30 - Which advisors will adapt, and where to start with Claude
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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21m - Sep 18, 2026 - 250 Sten Morgan / PlanScore: The Advisor of the Future Sells a Process that Gets Results
In this solo episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, introduces PlanScore - the software his team built to deliver financial plans clients actually understand - and shares the journey that took him from selling products to selling a process.
Sten walks through his path into the business on the insurance and AUM side, the moment he realized advisors could get paid for their time and ideas, and the roadblocks he hit adding financial planning: it was heavy, slow, and hard to scale. His answer became a mantra - maximum value with extreme efficiency - and a clear framework for what a complete financial plan actually covers.
He breaks down the categories every plan should include, why scoring each one from 1 to 5 turns a plan into something clients can see and act on, and why the advisor of the future is a communicator and coach who sells a process, not a product.
As Sten puts it: "The advisor of the future delivers a process, not a product."
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https://www.planscore.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_250_planscore
In This Episode
- Maximum value with extreme efficiency: deliver a plan that feels like it took 30 hours in an hour or less.
- You can get paid for your process. When clients pay for advice, they value it and actually follow through.
- Define a complete plan. A cash flow report and a Monte Carlo is not a plan; do not let clients believe a collection of products is one.
- Score every category from 1 to 5 (red, orange, green). Clients do not want to be red, and now they can see the path to green.
- The advisor of the future is a communicator and coach who sells a process, not a product.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Launching PlanScore, and why we built it
00:40 - Maximum value with extreme efficiency
01:30 - Starting in insurance: trained to sell products
02:27 - The business owner I tried to talk out of his own business
03:30 - Moving to AUM: still gated by "do you have money to invest?"
04:00 - The $5,000 onboarding fee that broke my brain
05:00 - My first paid plan: $1,500 for 12 months
06:00 - Adding planning slowed the rest of the business
07:30 - Deciding what kind of advisor I wanted to be
08:30 - Where it broke down: expectations and the deliverable
10:00 - Simplicity is a gift: a plan people understand
11:00 - The categories of a complete financial plan
13:00 - Scoring each category 1 to 5 (red, orange, green)
15:00 - Building a plan in an hour instead of ten
17:00 - Pricing and the average planning fee
19:00 - Service models: 3-month, 12-month, and AUM-only
22:00 - PlanScore Light: re-energizing existing clients
25:00 - The advisor of the future sells a process
27:00 - Try PlanScore with code PODCAST
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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29m - Sep 11, 2026 - 249 Tim White / Estate & Tax Planning: The Biggest Untapped Growth Opportunity
In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Tim White, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of wealth.com, to make the case that estate and tax planning is the biggest untapped growth opportunity in the advisory business.
Tim shares how he and his co-founders sold their fraud-prevention fintech to LexisNexis for $500 million, then built wealth.com after living through a broken, pen-and-paper estate planning referral themselves. He explains how the platform's AI reads existing plans in minutes, generates state-specific documents across all 50 states, and now folds in tax - the peanut butter and chocolate of a connected plan.
They get practical about why estate planning deepens client relationships and unlocks the next generation, how advisors can deliver a comprehensive experience without becoming experts, and why "I'm too busy to evaluate new tools" is a warning sign, not a badge of honor.
As Tim puts it: "It's about giving time back. It's not taking time away."
In This Episode
- Estate planning is the biggest untapped growth opportunity, and the fastest way to a deeper, stickier client relationship.
- You do not have to become the expert. The right technology puts the equivalent of 500 analysts behind every advisor.
- Estate conversations surface held-away assets and unlock the next generation - real AUM and real wealth-transfer opportunities.
- Compliance is no longer the barrier; the barrier is change. "Too busy to evaluate new tools" is a red flag.
- Done right, technology gives time back instead of taking it away, so advisors can have the conversations that matter.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: how do advisors get attention differently?
01:00 - From a fintech fraud startup to a $500M exit
02:30 - Buying wealth.com (and the domain story)
04:40 - Why legal first, then tax
05:30 - "Ester": AI that read estate plans before ChatGPT existed
07:15 - Shipping a product instead of chasing perfection
08:30 - The shift from "I know a guy" to comprehensive planning
09:20 - Why estate planning is becoming a tech-stack requirement
11:00 - Adding value with efficiency: you do not have to be the expert
13:40 - Reading existing plans in minutes, not hours
17:20 - What wealth.com actually is: documents, reports, attorney network
19:15 - Proactive intelligence: the plan that updates itself
20:00 - Estate planning as a prospecting tool and AUM unlock
21:40 - Pricing: the license and how advisors monetize it
23:00 - Is AI a threat to estate attorneys? Why it is complementary
24:50 - Why advisors are slow to adopt, and how to fix it
27:00 - Giving time back, not taking it away
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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30m - Sep 4, 2026 - 248 Carl Richards & Steve Sanduski / How Will Our Industry Change in the Next 10 Years?
In this episode of the Elite Financial Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with two of the most thoughtful voices in the profession - Carl Richards, CFP®, creator of the Sketch Guy column and founder of The Society of Advice, and Steve Sanduski, CFP®, founder of Belay Advisor and host of the Between Now and Success podcast - to war-game how financial advice will change over the next ten years.
They dig into the two layers of every advisory practice: the execution layer that AI is rapidly automating, and the human layer it cannot touch. As the technical work becomes table stakes, the floor for what counts as a great advisor rises, and Carl and Steve make the case that the future advisor has to be bilingual: fluent in money and fluent in humans.
They also get practical about where the business is headed - whether AUM and commission comp survive, why clients pay for trust and outcomes rather than process, and how a young advisor can intentionally build the craft of curiosity instead of waiting for life to humble them.
As Carl puts it: "AI is not a threat. It is a reminder of the deeply human work we do."
In This Episode
- Every practice has two layers: the execution layer AI is automating, and the human layer it cannot. The human layer is where advisors win.
- The floor is rising. A great financial plan is becoming table stakes; the EQ to sit with clients in their hardest moments is the real edge.
- Be bilingual. Major in money and major in humans. The messy intersection of the two is where the value lives.
- Greet clients at the "presenting problem" with empathy, then watch for the "crunchy bits" that open the door to deeper work.
- The way you get paid tells a story. If any part of it is something you would not be comfortable explaining to a client's face, change it.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: sailing, motorcycles, and catching up
04:30 - The war game: what should advisors be ready for?
05:45 - Carl: the deeply human craft AI is pointing us back to
09:00 - Steve: the execution layer versus the human layer
11:00 - Will AI actually increase an advisor's capacity?
13:00 - Advice to the next generation of advisors
16:00 - Be bilingual: major in money and major in humans
19:00 - Why life planning is a small market at any given moment
20:30 - Greet clients at the presenting problem
23:30 - Will AUM and insurance comp survive?
29:00 - Carl: the way you get paid tells a story
31:20 - From stockbrokers to goal-based planning
35:00 - Process versus outcome in the age of AI
38:40 - You cannot market trust, you can only build it
43:30 - A practical path to the craft of curiosity
48:00 - What has these two most excited right now
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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51m - Aug 28, 2026 - 247 Tim Maurer / The Biggest Lie Financial Advisors Were Sold
In this episode of the Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan, CFP®, ChFC®, sits down with Tim Maurer, CFP®, Partner and SVP of Advisor Growth at SignatureFD, to expose the biggest lie the industry sold financial advisors: that growing means selling harder - using better scripts and more products.
Tim shares how he spent his early career hunting for the "professional version" of financial advice, why the CFP coursework revealed a real craft, and why the best advisors win with the best questions, not the best answers. He makes the case that we are in a "system one" business where clients decide emotionally, so technical knowledge is only table stakes.
They also get practical about becoming the advisor of the future: how to keep client conversations alive instead of sliding into a rut, why the industry quietly breeds burnout, and the permission most advisors need: to build a practice around who they actually are, not what they do.
As Tim puts it: "Doing the work creates certainty. Winning the work creates possibility."
In This Episode
- The biggest lie: that selling harder and pushing product is how you grow. The best advisors do it differently.
- Doing the work vs winning the work: expertise creates certainty, but curiosity and great questions create possibility.
- We are in a "system one" business - clients decide emotionally. Technical mastery is table stakes; connection is the edge.
- Be a guide, not a teacher or a consultant - someone walking beside the client, not above them.
- The industry quietly breeds burnout. You have permission to build a practice around who you actually are.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - Getting Into the Business the Hard Way
05:00 - Where Is the Industry Actually Going?
08:04 - The CFP Coursework and Finding the Craft
11:30 - From Technician to Guide
14:15 - Know Your "S Word": The Behavioral Edge
16:56 - Practice, Curiosity, and the Coaching Pyramid
23:00 - Why the Industry Breeds Burnout
32:12 - The 80/20 of Adding Planning
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
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37m - Aug 21, 2026 - 246 Shruti Joshi / The Financial Advisor Model Is Changing - Are You Ready?
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Shruti Joshi, President and COO of Facet, to unpack where financial advice is heading - and why the future advisor is defined by holistic, ongoing planning rather than the products they sell.
Shruti explains why consumers now want an accountability partner who helps them take action, how Facet's flat-fee, CFP-led model removes the conflicts of commissions and asset-based fees, and why the real superpower in an AI world is human connection and behavior change - what she calls "therapy with a calculator."
They also get practical for advisors: how to align your service model and pricing, why planning is the product and investing is how you deliver it, and the small steps any advisor can take to adapt without abandoning what already works. If you have felt the ground shifting under the old model, this conversation shows what to do about it.
In This Episode
- The future advisor leads with holistic, dynamic planning, not products, because that is what consumers now demand.
- Objectivity builds trust: a flat fee with no commissions or asset-based conflicts is what drives real behavior change.
- Technology plus humans wins. AI handles the computation; your superpower is communication, accountability, and encouragement.
- Planning is the product and investing is how you deliver it - the opposite of giving away the plan to win assets.
- You can evolve in small steps. Align your service model and pricing to who you actually serve, without abandoning AUM or insurance.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:38 - Where Financial Advice Is Heading
02:05 - Money, Stress, and What Consumers Really Want
05:16 - Redefining What "Financial Advisor" Means
08:18 - Therapy With a Calculator: The Human Superpower
09:48 - Facet's Flat-Fee, No-Commission Model
12:29 - Aligning Your Service Model and Pricing
15:54 - How to Start Becoming a Different Advisor
32:17 - Maslow and the Top of Financial Planning
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
Attend Elite Advisor Live:
Elite Advisor Live is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value.
Learn more about Elite Advisor Live here:
Join Elite+:
Elite+ is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite+, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level.
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37m - Aug 14, 2026 - 245 Marc Adams / Why 9 Out of 10 Business Owners Never Sell Their Business
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Marc Adams, founder of Acquisitions4you and author of Secrets to 10Xing Your Business and Cashing Out Tax Free, to unpack a hard truth most business-owner clients never hear: nine out of ten businesses never actually sell.
Marc explains why the dream of owning a business so often becomes a prison, how fees and taxes quietly eat half the sale price in states like California and New York, and how his "double and exit" approach aims to double a company's value in about six months without equity dilution, debt, or personal guarantees.
For advisors, this is a masterclass in the business-owner conversation: the options every owner should understand, why most only face the math too late, and how giving the business its own dedicated meeting can set you apart. If you want to serve owners with more confidence, this one will change how you frame the exit.
In This Episode
- Nine out of ten businesses never sell - and owners rarely find out until they are six months from the exit and the math no longer works.
- Leakage is the silent killer: between professional fees and taxes, an owner can keep as little as half the sale price. Get leakage down toward 10% and everything changes.
- The "double and exit" idea: group similar businesses into a larger entity that commands a bigger multiple, so owners walk away with more without diluting, borrowing, or signing personal guarantees.
- Know the roll-up math: when PE or VC takes half your business, you have to double it just to get back to even. Understand the second bite, earnouts, and where AI adds risk.
- The advisor's edge: you do not have to be the expert in every exit path, but a great advisor can lay out all the options and give the business its own conversation.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:40 - Serving Business Owners: The Opportunity and the Intimidation
02:16 - The "Double and Exit" Framework
03:15 - The Origin: A Diagnosis and a Son's Question
08:02 - Why the Dream Becomes a Prison
13:17 - Why Owners Don't Realize 9 in 10 Never Sell
20:46 - How Roll-Ups Work and Who Actually Wins
27:10 - The Advisor's Move: Give the Business Its Own Meeting
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training where advisors get the reps, feedback, and proven system to start charging for advice and clearly communicate their value.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
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34m - Aug 7, 2026 - 244 Andy Schwartz / The Truth About Building an $18 Billion Advisory Firm
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Andy Schwartz, CFP®, CEO and Managing Partner of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, to unpack a 42-year career that grew from selling life insurance in college to helping lead a firm with roughly $18 billion in assets.
Andy shares why he moved early from sale-by-sale income to recurring revenue, why "he who controls the money controls the relationship," and how alignment, capacity, and scale give advisors the confidence to win in the marketplace.
They also get honest about the real trade-offs of running your own RIA versus tucking into a larger firm, how firm valuations and partner true-ups actually work, and why the next five years may belong to the mega-firm. If you are deciding how to build the next chapter of your business, this conversation is a rare look inside how a top advisor thinks.
In This Episode
- Recurring revenue changes everything: building a business that is not reliant on making your income sale by sale is the shift that compounds over a career.
- Confidence wins clients: most of the difference between winning a client and losing one is the confidence that only real capacity and scale can give you.
- Financial planning can be its own vertical: fee-based planning is a legitimate, scalable offering - and often the best on-ramp for younger advisors.
- Owner vs advisor is a real choice: do not let your ego pick for you. If you love being client-facing, tucking into a firm with scale can get you twice as big in half the time.
- Understand the math before you sell: true-ups, EBITDA multiples, and the move toward mega-firms may mean smaller books are worth less over time, not more.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: A 42-Year Career
00:39 - From Selling Insurance to Controlling the Money
04:27 - The Northwestern Years and Recurring Revenue
07:10 - Is the Industry Really Doing Holistic Planning?
09:42 - Confidence, Capacity, and Why Scale Wins
11:00 - Financial Planning as Its Own Vertical
16:17 - OnePoint BFG by the Numbers
18:04 - RIA Owner vs Tucking In: The Real Trade-off
21:14 - Valuations, True-Ups, and the Mega-Firm Era
29:07 - Who OnePoint BFG Looks For
30:52 - Next-Gen Talent and the AI Investment
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Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
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34m - Jul 31, 2026 - 243 Matt Sonnen / The Moment You Stop Being an Advisor and Start Being a Business Owner
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Coldstream COO Matt Sonnen to talk about the shift from thinking like a salesperson to running an actual business - and how to get there faster than the industry's slow default path.
They discuss why "all revenue is good revenue" holds advisors back, how a tight ideal client dissolves most operational headaches, and how financial advisors can build a firm that thrives without them.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- Most advisors were trained as salespeople chasing the next client, not as business owners who think about client profitability - and that shift is the whole game.
- Nearly every operational headache traces back to a fuzzy ideal client. Niche tight and your tech, meeting agendas, and hiring all get simpler.
- Positions before people: build the org chart around the roles your process needs, then fill the boxes - instead of hiring smart people and inventing jobs for them.
- Be honest about whether you even want to be a business owner. There's no shame in staying an advisor - but if you start an RIA, the owner hat is coming.
- A practical move this week: cull the clients who don't fit your process, and get one clean count of who you actually serve before layering AI on messy data.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: The Advisor-to-Owner Arc
01:07 - Why Advisors Think "All Revenue Is Good Revenue"
01:59 - Matt's Aha: Learning Client Profitability Early
06:57 - Every Problem Traces to a Fuzzy Ideal Client
10:40 - Positions Before People: The Org Chart and EOS
13:18 - Build a Business That Thrives Without You
16:03 - Be Honest: Do You Even Want to Be an Owner?
22:15 - The COO / Integrator Role and Why It's Hard to Fill
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
Attend How to Charge LIVE:
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice and communicate their value.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
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33m - Jul 24, 2026 - 242 Jason Early / The $50 Million Conversation Most Advisors Never Have
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with RISR founder Jason Early to talk about how advisors win the business-owner market and the once-in-a-lifetime liquidity event that comes with it.
They discuss why the business deserves its own conversation instead of a line item, how to actually quarterback an owner's exit, and how financial advisors can step into this higher-stakes market without reinventing themselves.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- Most advisors treat a client's business like a line item on the balance sheet - but it's the asset they care about most and usually their largest, so it deserves its own conversation.
- The stakes are higher with business owners: harder conversations, more complexity, a higher standard - and pay that matches the problems you solve.
- Don't bet on loyalty. When the business sells, the advisor who actually quarterbacked the attorney, CPA, and banker gets the "where do I wire the money?" call.
- Jason's playbook: define a crystal-clear ideal client (auto dealers in the tri-state, not "business owners"), then spend 6-12 months building trust with the centers of influence around them.
- A practical move this week: book a dedicated meeting about the business alone with your top owner clients - two or three pointed questions can fill the whole hour.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:23 - Jason's Path and Why He Built RISR
02:49 - Treat the Business as Its Own Asset, Not a Line Item
05:28 - Why Business Owners Push Back Harder
11:52 - Don't Bet on Loyalty: Who Wins the Liquidity Event
15:33 - Define Your Ideal Client and Play in Traffic
20:57 - The First Move: A Business-Only Conversation
25:16 - Maximum Value With Extreme Efficiency
Join Our Free Live Webinar - July 29 at 2PM Central:
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
Attend How to Charge LIVE:
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
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32m - Jul 17, 2026 - 241 The 100,000 Advisor Shortage: Can AI Fill the Gap?
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Liam Hanlon of Jump to talk about how AI is reshaping the advisor's day, and whether it can close the coming 100,000-advisor shortage without replacing the human.
They discuss why advisor AI adoption flipped from dead last to mainstream, how to use AI for effectiveness and not just efficiency, and how financial advisors can win back hours a day while deepening client trust.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- Advisors went from the lowest AI adoption of 11 white-collar professions in 2023 to over 70% of RIAs now using an AI note taker - the fastest tech shift wealth has seen.
- Why AI's first wave was about efficiency (60% of Jump users save 250+ hours a year) and the next wave is about effectiveness - being a better advisor on every single call.
- The coming 100,000-advisor shortage and three ways AI could fill it: upskilling admins into advice roles, letting one advisor serve more clients, and reaching the underserved mid-market.
- Why RIAs have outpaced the wirehouses on AI - speed and autonomy - while big firms wait on compliance, and why adoption is ultimately a matter of time.
- The real reason advisors resist new tech: protecting client trust. Test AI in low-risk ways before scaling it across your practice.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:46 - From EY Consulting to Jump: Liam's Story
02:35 - What Jump Is and the Problem It Solves
03:52 - How Advisor AI Adoption Flipped From Last to First
06:18 - Why RIAs Are Beating the Wirehouses on AI
14:46 - What Compliance Teams Actually Care About
18:39 - The 100,000-Advisor Shortage and How AI Fills It
24:24 - What's Next: From Efficiency to Effectiveness and AI That Acts
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
Attend How to Charge LIVE:
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
Join Elite Plus:
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step.
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Tags: #EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth
33m - Jul 10, 2026 - 240 Kyle Francis / Adding an Associate Advisor to Your Practice
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with his own Associate Advisor, Kyle Francis, to talk about how to bring a young advisor onto your team and level them up fast without burning them out.
They discuss the real bottleneck that keeps advisors stuck, the mentorship ladder that turns a hire into a high performer, and how financial advisors can build a team instead of staying a one-person show.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- The real bottleneck isn't a junior advisor's lack of experience - it's the Lead Advisor holding onto work a new hire could own from day one.
- The 4-stage mentorship ladder (I do/you watch, I do/you help, you do/I help, you do/I watch) and the 80/20 split: the Associate Advisor owns 80% of their growth, the Lead Advisor owns 20%.
- What a young advisor can do immediately to add value: ask "what are your 3 biggest pain points?" and take workflows, project management, and plan-building off the Lead Advisor's plate.
- You can't fake confidence - you build it by proving to yourself over and over that you can do the work. Most of what holds a new advisor back is head trash, not ability.
- This week's challenge: reset the onboarding, apply healthy pressure, ask for more reps, and aim for the 12-18 month accelerated path instead of the 6-7 year average one.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - How Kyle Found His Way Into the Business
03:28 - Joining an Established Team Without Feeling Useless
05:31 - The 80/20 Rule of Owning Your Growth
06:55 - Handling the Daily Highs, Lows, and Head Trash
08:20 - Bring Value First: Advice for Young Advisors
12:24 - What a Junior Advisor Can Own on Day One
16:30 - The Mentorship Ladder and the Accelerated Path
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Free Resources for Financial Advisors:
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Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
Attend How to Charge LIVE:
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
Join Elite Plus:
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step.
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32m - Jul 3, 2026 - 239 The Skill AI Can’t Replace: Why Elite Advisors Must Master Communication with John Gatewood
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with John Gatewood to talk about how communication mastery, not technical knowledge, has become the real differentiator for elite advisors in the age of AI.
They discuss listening so clients feel truly heard, speaking with the conviction that motivates people to act, and how financial advisors can build the authentic connection that AI can never replace.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- The one skill AI can't replace: information is being commoditized, but the human connection that motivates a client to act is not.
- Why information alone never moves people - gyms are full in January and empty by March - and why every decision to act is emotional, not logical.
- The messenger is the message: in turbulent markets, clients watch how confidently you speak more than what you actually say.
- John's order of operations for every meeting: connection before content, understanding before advising, their story before your solution.
- A practical challenge for this week: record one of your meetings and watch it back, because communication is a trainable skill, not a personality trait.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - Why a 45-Year Veteran Is Still Building Frameworks
02:04 - The Black-Wall Family Office: John's Origin Story
04:36 - From Reciting a Script to Actually Moving People
12:57 - Why Information Alone Never Motivates Anyone
14:24 - The One Skill AI Can't Replace
17:18 - The Messenger Is the Message
28:26 - Coaching the Introverted Advisor: Connection First
Free Resources for Financial Advisors:
Want to become a more elite advisor? We have free resources to help you improve the way you think, communicate, and grow your business. Get access to our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/free?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_239_john_gatewood
Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://www.valuefirstbook.com?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_239_john_gatewood
Attend How to Charge LIVE:
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_239_john_gatewood
Join Elite Plus:
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step. Join Elite Plus here: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/plus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_239_john_gatewood
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35m - Jun 26, 2026 - 238 Jeremie Kubicek / Know Yourself. Lead Yourself
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Jeremie Kubicek to talk about how the Five Voices framework reshapes the way you lead, communicate, and connect - starting with the one voice you were built to lead from.
They discuss knowing your foundational communication voice, speaking the language of every client and team member, and how financial advisors can build deeper trust, stronger teams, and a culture people don't want to leave.
If you're ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- You are all five voices, but you have one foundational voice - and most leaders "play someone on TV" they're not, which is exactly why they come across as average.
- The Five Voices framework (Nurturer, Guardian, Creative, Connector, Pioneer) built on the Big Five and Jung's work - and why 73% of people are present-oriented, not future-oriented.
- A practical move for this week: read the room. Start with people and feelings for feelers, and competence and credibility for thinkers.
- Jeremie's core philosophy - "know yourself to lead yourself." Leading from raw title and power produces compliance, not engagement; learn someone's language and they'll run through walls for you.
- Your week-ahead challenge: build a culture people don't want to leave, and start using AI by talking to it - ask it to ask you the right questions first.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction 00:58 - The Five Voices, Explained
02:55 - The Science Behind an Assessment That Actually Sticks
06:16 - Start With Yourself: Know Yourself to Lead Yourself
08:32 - How to Roll It Out Across Your Team
16:13 - Speaking Every Client's Language in Prospecting Meetings
22:04 - Build a Culture People Don't Want to Leave
27:09 - The Simplest Way to Start Using AI Today
Get the Free Episode Companion Guide: Want the cheat sheet for this episode? We turned the biggest ideas into a one-page companion guide - the Five Voices blueprint, key takeaways, and three action steps to run this week. Grab your free copy here: https://gobeelite.com/elite-advisor-podcast-companion-page?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_238_jeremie_kubicek
Free Resources for Financial Advisors: Want to become a more elite advisor? We have free resources to help you improve the way you think, communicate, and grow your business. Get access to our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples. Get the free resources here: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/free?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_238_jeremie_kubicek
Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later. Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings. You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan's book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping. Get the book here: https://www.valuefirstbook.com?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_238_jeremie_kubicek
Attend How to Charge LIVE: If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system. How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business. Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here: https://www.howtochargelive.com?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_238_jeremie_kubicek
Join Elite Plus: Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite. Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level. If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step. Join Elite Plus here: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/plus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_238_jeremie_kubicek
Connect With Elite Advisor Network
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elite-advisor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork
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31m - Jun 19, 2026 - 237 The Future Financial Advisor: Why Human Connection Wins in an AI World
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Shannon Reid to talk about how the role of the financial advisor is shifting from pure investment management to holistic life planning and how top-tier firms are leveraging AI to reclaim time for human-centric service.
They discuss the transition from investment-led to advice-led models, maintaining structural authority in a tech-driven market, and how financial advisors can transition your practice into a future-proof, advice-led business that thrives on human connection while leveraging elite technology..
If you’re ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- Your value isn't in the data entry or the market analysis—it is in the psychological guidance and structural authority you provide when a client’s life becomes complex.
- The 'Manager of AI' Framework: Viewing technology as the engine for research and documentation so the human advisor can remain the visionary leader of the client relationship.
- Audit your current client review meetings; if you spend more than 20 percent of the time on market performance instead of legacy and life goals, you are misaligning your value.
- Shannon Reid emphasizes that while technology can anticipate needs, it cannot care—the advisor’s true competitive advantage is being the person the client actually trusts and listens to.
- Identify one administrative or data-entry task this week that can be automated or delegated to reclaim five hours for high-impact prospect meetings.
Episode Timestamps
04:32 — The Evolution of the Advisor: From Product Sales to Life Planning
09:10 — Pricing for Advice: Why Your Fee Model Must Match Your True Value
12:42 — The AI Revolution: Automating the Data while Keeping the Human Connection
18:36 — Defining the New Skill Set: What it Takes to Win in the Next Decade
22:56 — Growth Metrics: Why Leading Advisors are Outpacing the Industry Average
28:48 — The Cost of Change: Evaluating the Risks and Distractions of Firm Shifts
32:05 — Becoming a 'Manager of AI': The Future of Portfolio Management
Free Resources for Financial Advisors
Want to become a more elite advisor?
We have free resources to help you improve the way you think, communicate, and grow your business.
Get access to our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples.
Get the free resources here:
https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/free?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_237
Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later.
Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings.
You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan’s book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
https://www.valuefirstbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_237
Attend How to Charge LIVE
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory.
You need reps, feedback, and a proven system.
How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
https://www.howtochargelive.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_237
Join Elite Plus
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite.
Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level.
If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step.
Join Elite Plus here:
https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/plus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_237
Connect With Elite Advisor Network
Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_237
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elite-advisor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork
Subscribe
Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite.
#EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth
37m - Jun 12, 2026 - 236 From Shared Expenses to Formal $1 Billion Team: How Holden Fox Built a Real Advisory Firm
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Holden Fox to talk about how to transition from a group of solo advisors sharing expenses to a unified, scalable organization by focusing on specialization, operational efficiency, and the build-first growth model.
They discuss the transition from siloed advisors to unified operations, maximizing advisor capacity through extreme specialization, and how financial advisors can build a scalable, high-growth firm where the leader focuses on their highest value role..
If you’re ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- True growth requires moving from a solo mindset to a firm mindset where alignment and shared SOPs are non-negotiable requirements for every team member.
- The 'Build-First, Grow-Later' framework ensures that infrastructure and headcount are in place before growth hits, protecting the client experience during rapid scaling.
- Audit your current advisor capacity by tracking actual 'client meetings per year' segmented by service level rather than relying on vague AUM or client count metrics.
- Efficiency isn't about being nice; it's about respecting the value of human capital and ensuring your team has every tool necessary to maximize the time you pay for.
- Identify one area where you are still acting as a 'hobbyist'—whether in advising or operations—and define the specific path to hand that responsibility to an expert.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 — Introduction to Holden Fox and the Fox Alliance journey
02:45 — Why traditional 'brute force' prospecting is the antithesis of value creation
05:15 — The turning point: Shifting from shared resources to a unified partnership
09:01 — How to force clarity and alignment across a growing advisor team
15:44 — The math of efficiency: Prioritizing ROI and human capital costs
21:35 — Build-First Strategy: Why Fox Alliance hires 12 months ahead of growth
26:42 — Using meeting counts as the ultimate metric for advisor capacity
32:15 — The Power of Moments: Creating high-impact client experiences through structure
Free Resources for Financial Advisors
Want to become a more elite advisor?
We have free resources to help you improve the way you think, communicate, and grow your business.
Get access to our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples.
Get the free resources here:
https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/free?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_236
Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later.
Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings.
You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan’s book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
https://www.valuefirstbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_236
Attend How to Charge LIVE
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory. You need reps, feedback, and a proven system.
How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
https://www.howtochargelive.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_236
Join Elite Plus
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite.
Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level.
If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step.
Join Elite Plus here:
https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/plus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_236
Connect With Elite Advisor Network
Website: https://www.eliteadvisornetwork.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_236
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elite-advisor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork
Subscribe
Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite.
#EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth
37m - Jun 5, 2026 - 235 From Practitioner to Entrepreneur: Sten's Journey
In this episode of Elite Advisor Podcast, Sten Morgan sits down with Wendell Moon to talk about the internal and external evolution required to move from being a high-capacity producer to a visionary leader who rejects the industry’s broken status quo.
They discuss the transition from producer to leader, overcoming the savior complex in business, and how financial advisors can evolve from a solo producer into a resilient, high-impact business owner who leads with structural authority.
If you’re ready to stop settling for comfortable and start building at your highest level, this conversation will challenge how you think about your business, your value, and the impact you create for clients.
In This Episode
- The industry's default model is fundamentally broken; true Elite Advisors stop operating within systems they simply inherited and start designing ones that serve their vision rather than their firm.
- The Three Stages of Growth—Awareness, Understanding, and Belief—are the necessary psychological shifts every advisor must navigate to reach the top 1% of the industry.
- Practice the 'Rule of 5' this week by intentionally asking five people for help; breaking the 'trust only yourself' habit is the first step toward scaling your leadership.
- You can serve the world without trying to save it; releasing the burden of being a 'savior' for your clients allows you to lead them with significantly more clarity and impact.
- Identify one area where you are currently 'people-pleasing' at the cost of your firm's growth and have the 'kind but not nice' conversation required to fix it this week.
Episode Timestamps
04:55 — A look behind the curtain of an Elite Advisor’s path
08:15 — Why the status quo model is broken and how to reject it
12:30 — Moving from a sales business to a high-value delivery process
17:50 — The Three Stages of Growth: Awareness, Understanding, and Belief
20:30 — How to serve the world without the burden of saving it
28:50 — The Producer's Trap: Building a firm that doesn't rely on your capacity
35:40 — Vulnerability as a business strategy: The power of asking for help
44:00 — The three-pillar framework for sustainable leadership success
Free Resources for Financial Advisors
Want to become a more elite advisor?
We have free resources to help you improve the way you think, communicate, and grow your business.
Get access to our free course on how to become an Elite Advisor, plus training videos that show you how to whiteboard ideas with clients using real examples.
Get the free resources here:
Get the Free Book: Value First Prospecting
Most advisors were trained to sell first and hope trust shows up later.
Value First Prospecting shows you how to create demand, lead with ideas, and turn first meetings into strategy conversations instead of sales meetings.
You can claim a free copy of Sten Morgan’s book, Value First Prospecting. Just cover shipping.
Get the book here:
https://gobeelite.com/free-book?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_235
Attend How to Charge LIVE
If you want more revenue, more confidence, and a clearer planning process, you do not need more theory.
You need reps, feedback, and a proven system.
How to Charge LIVE is our in-person training experience where advisors learn how to start charging for advice, communicate their value, and build a stronger planning business.
Learn more about How to Charge LIVE here:
https://www.howtochargelive.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_235
Join Elite Plus
Elite Plus is for advisors who are done dabbling and ready to become Elite.
Inside Elite Plus, you get proximity, accountability, real-time coaching, and a complete operating system to help you remove resistance and grow at a higher level.
If you are serious about implementation, better thinking, and becoming the advisor your clients actually need, Elite Plus is the next step.
Join Elite Plus here:
https://eadvisornetwork.com/join-ean/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_235
Connect With Elite Advisor Network
Website: https://www.eadvisornetwork.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep_235
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elite-advisor-network
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteAdvisorNetwork
Subscribe
Subscribe for more conversations, training, and practical ideas to help financial advisors reject average and become elite.
#EliteAdvisorNetwork #FinancialAdvisor #StenMorgan #ValueFirstProspecting #FinancialPlanning #AdvisorMarketing #AdvisorGrowth
46m - May 29, 2026 - 234 Best Practices of Prospecting with Gavin Filasek, Wes Young, and Sten
In this episode, Sten Morgan sits down with Wes Young and Gavin Filasek to unpack the prospecting spectrum — from the early “brute force” days of calling anyone who would listen, to building a more mature system where value, referrals, niche expertise, and better communication create momentum. They discuss why early advisors need reps, why language matters, how to answer “what do you do?” in a way that creates curiosity, and how great firms build systems that help advisors grow faster. Wes and Gavin also share practical ways they use tax strategy, niche markets, client conversations, and referral processes to create a prospecting flywheel. The throughline: prospecting gets easier when you stop leading with your title and start leading with value.
Takeaways
- Early prospecting is hard, but the reps build confidence.
- Don’t answer “what do you do?” with a label — lead with a problem you solve.
- The best advisors create value before they ask for referrals.
- Niches make prospecting easier because the problems are clearer.
- A repeatable process turns referrals, client conversations, and money-in-motion opportunities into a growth flywheel.
The Digital Toolbox for Elite Financial Advisors
44m - May 22, 2026 - 233 Stop Overcomplicating Financial Planning (What Clients Actually Want) with H. Adam Holt
In this episode, Sten sits down with H. Adam Holt—founder of Asset-Map, former top-producing financial advisor, and industry innovator who has helped thousands of advisors simplify how they deliver financial advice. Adam shares his journey from struggling early in the business—making just $11,000 his first year—to building a billion-dollar practice and eventually creating Asset-Map, now used by over 7,500 advisors globally. This conversation unpacks the real inflection points that drove his success, including: Why most advisors overcomplicate financial planning The moment he realized clients didn’t want analysis—they wanted clarity How simplifying his process led to exponential growth The importance of mentorship, coaching, and community And how building systems and teams creates true scale If you’re trying to grow your practice, simplify your message, and deliver more value in less time, this episode will challenge how you think about planning, productivity, and what clients actually want.
Takeaways
- Clients don’t want more analysis—they want clarity they can understand and use
- Simplicity scales; complexity slows down both you and your client
- You have to go through the “hard years” to build real skill and confidence
- The fastest way to grow is to focus on communication, not just strategy
- Mentors, coaches, and community are force multipliers for long-term success
The Digital Toolbox for Elite Financial Advisors
How To Charge LIVE!
36m - May 15, 2026
