On The Financial Advisor Blog & Financial Advisor Speaker Road Again

It’s 11:30am PT on Sunday, March 1^st and I’m over Lethbridge on a flight to London, ON and I’ve just finished roughing out a new powerpoint presentation called  Recession Is A Choice, What’s Yours?

I am taking a break because this has got to be one of the most turbulent flights that I have ever been on and detailed power points are a little tricky so I’m using the time to blog. So turbulent that there is no in-flight service and I am thinking like a camel to avoid getting up to the bathroom. 🙁

I’m on my way to to a Monday meeting with an Advocis Program Chair and a MGA firm to discuss speaking opportunities and then speaking on behalf of Pro-Seminars in Kitchener on Tuesday and Toronto on Wednesday and I’ll be home late Wednesday night.

This trip is two of seven speaking presentations in March and the first of four March trips to make it possible.

What is easy about this week is it is a coaching off week meaning I don’t have client appointments in between my speaking presentations and traveling which is the norm.

Recession is a choice and I’m just getting into a rant about what I have observed over the weekend.

They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

It shocks me to see how many financial advisors fail to write out a vision, business plan and 90 day goals at the beginning of their year.

When did their year begin? January 1, 2009 or will it begin March 1, 2009 right after RRSP season?

March 1, 2009 was the first day of the rest of their business and personal lives.

March is a time for an early spring cleaning and getting rid of your unmet needs met, which will eliminate your negative beliefs and negative emotions.

Plato said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What we call results are beginnings.” And Woody Allen said, “Eighty per cent of success is showing up.”

For us at Leading Advisor, we are seizing March like a lion, being more extrospective and a committing to some significant goals that you will find as you read along.

I say extrospective in March because February was a very introspective month for us because Laura and I invested eighty hours in attending two personal development workshops and the personal and business results are enormous.  We also went to Tofino for a weekend break.

In hind sight it is odd to say that February was introspective because we also created the following results;

• We improved our office organization
• Our accounting is complete and filed for last year
• We fine tuned our budget cash flow for the year – it is amazing what happens when one takes the time to account for and appreciate money
• Our speaking marketing action plan is in place and we booked five association / corporate speaking presentations and we have double that in conversations about upcoming dates
• We invested in a video camera to film clips for showreels and vlogs to improve our speaking marketing action plan
• Our business is profitable in a recession

Our personal development work allowed us to reaffirm our two year vision which we stay focused on through; affirmations, goals, giving thanks, journaling and time blocking

Our vision is to assist financial advisors to create sustainable inspiration and a profitable business through the realization and experience of their values, positive feelings and positive beliefs through;

• Interactive software
• Live workshops
• Books
• Speaking presentations
• Coaching
• Web site, blogs, vlogs and e-newsletter

Laura and I will travel throughout Canada, the UK and the USA five to six months a year with the support of a general manager and marketing associate.

Our March goals are;

A’s

• Complete “Recession Is A Choice, What’s Yours?” powerpoint
• Book three speaking presentations
• Attract four new clients
• Create a live two day workshop
• Outline and create some video vlog clips about;
• 1. Curing The Unmet Needs Disease
• 2. Practice management tips
• 3. Speaking clips for speaking marketing
• Hire an assistant
• Ask for client testimonials

B’s

• Research speaking contacts in the IDA and MFDA
• Update the user defined fields in our CRM software
• Write more industry related blogs
• Update our coaching section of our web site and risk free agreement