It started, as many great solutions do, with a problem. A client was struggling to find the right Financial Services Administrator for their team. They had already made one hiring mistake that cost them time, money, and morale—and they couldn’t afford another. As their Fractional Chief Operating Officer, I was brought in not only to
Have you ever spent valuable time with a promising prospect—offering insight, strategy, and direction—only to have them enthusiastically say “yes,” then never follow through? If you’re a financial advisor or agency owner with a growing team, you’ve likely been here before. And you may be wondering: is it a pipeline issue, a follow-up issue… or
I’m sad to share that Laura’s mother, Helen Mallett / Gunter-Smith, passed away peacefully at 6:43 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, with Laura and me by her side. While we were with Helen in palliative care, it was deeply moving to witness several Registered Nurses stopping to thank
This week, I experienced something both mundane and extraordinary. I was working through the final stages of a complex hiring decision — on a Friday, after a long week — with the help of ChatGPT. We were refining a shortlist from an initial pool of 172 resumes, analyzing candidate fit through our structured hiring process
A Look into the Future of Transcription in Our Industry Over several years, I’ve been using Otter.ai in conjunction with Zoom as a reliable AI Notetaker and transcription tool. Otter has served as an effective precursor to leveraging my three go-to AI applications—ChatGPT for writing, Claude for planning, and Perplexity for research. This layered approach
As a Fractional Chief Operating Officer, I’ve seen firsthand how even the most talented team members can find themselves stuck — not because they lack skill or dedication, but because they’re overwhelmed by poor communication, unclear expectations, and internal pressure. Recently, I received a message from a client describing a common challenge: “One of our
The more I use AI in my work—from ChatGPT to Otter to automation dashboards—the more I realize something uncanny: These tools don’t just speed us up.They reflect us. They reflect our level of clarity or chaos.They amplify our alignment or dissonance.They shine a light on whether we’re leading on purpose—or simply reacting on autopilot. In
After three decades of walking alongside financial advisors and agency founders, I’ve noticed something the industry rarely talks about: burnout isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t always arrive as total exhaustion. More often, it shows up quietly—through fragmentation, disconnection, and a creeping sense that the business you built no longer feels like it’s yours. In fact,
In 2011, I found myself sharing the spotlight with none other than Mark Carney—then Governor of the Bank of Canada, and now Canada’s 24th Prime Minister. It’s a story that raised a few eyebrows back then, and one that’s still worth revisiting today. That year, Advisor.ca launched a national poll called “Name That Visionary,” inviting
Laura is always pointing out interesting articles and videos for me to read and watch, and recently I watched Dr. Riley Moynes’ TEDx talk on The 4 Phases of Retirement. Like many others, I found it insightful and well-articulated—especially for those who have spent a career in work that may have been meaningful in parts,
