Speaker 1  00:08

This is the ultimate advisor podcast, the podcast for financial advisors who want to create a thriving, successful and scalable practice. Each week we’ll uncover the ways that you can improve your referrals, your team, your marketing, and your business operations, helping you to level up your advising practice, bring in more assets, and to create the advising practice that you’ve dreamed of. You’ll be joined by our hosts Bryan sweet, who is moving fast towards a billion dollars in assets under management, Brittany Anderson, the driving force for advisors looking to improve their operations and company culture, and Draye Redfern who can help you systematize and automate your practices marketing to effortlessly attract new clients. So what do you say? Let’s jump in to another amazing episode of the ultimate advisor podcast.

Brittany Anderson  01:07

Welcome back to your ultimate advisor podcast Brittany Anderson here once again with Bryan Sweet and Draye Redfern. And we’re continuing on the journey of really diving into what are some of the habits of the most successful people out there? So today’s topic is all around a too little to a little two letter word called know, how do we say no to more so we can say yes to the really impactful and meaningful things. So pretty much everybody I shouldn’t say everybody, but most people out there especially high achievers tend to be oriented towards checklists, myself included, we all have a way of writing down all of the things that we need to do and or focus on. But what about flipping the script and shifting that narrative to actually writing down the things that you need to not be doing, or the things that you should stop doing? So this is something to explore, when you think about what are the things in life that drain your energy, they feel like a waste of time, it’s frustrating, it causes you to feel in any way other than positive or energized. So that’s a great place to start when you look at creating this not to do list or this stop doing list. So that you can really hone in on where you should be spending your time and attention. You know, a lot of times the things that bog us down that causes frustration that, you know, wears our brains out to where you get to the end of the day, and you can’t make another stinking decision because you’re just fried, what are the things that are causing you to get off track, by intentionally writing those down, it can help you to add clarity and actually keep your focus. So there’s a whole adage out there and actually this is in Matthew McConaughey his recent book, and I can’t remember the title of it exactly. But dry, you might be able to pull this let it green lights, thank you green lights, okay, so in that same kind of haze, but green lights, he actually talks quite a bit about how it’s really easy to figure out where your time should be spent, once you figure out what you should not be doing. And I think that’s a really enlightening way of thinking, because so many of us are constantly thinking about what we should be doing. What else should we be doing? What else needs to be on our plate? What projects? Should we be focused on? What tasks should we be eliminating or, or tackling so that they can come off the plate? Whereas the simple reframing of hey, what are the things that I actually shouldn’t be doing? Because then it’s easy for me to say, these are the things that I should be focusing my time and attention on, because I’m getting all the other stuff off my plate. You know, I think about Warren Buffett, Warren Buffett, his whole secret to success is that he says no to almost everything, almost everything that gets put in front of him or put on his plate. He’s like, Yeah, I’m not doing that. Not putting my focus there. And that’s allowed him to be disciplined in his pursuits and where his time and attention is spent. Darren Hardy founder of Success Magazine, he has this whole adage, this, it almost pains me a little bit to think about, but I see the importance of it, he actually throws away his to do list. If he has anything beyond his top three items. His whole mentality is I’m not going to save this. I’m not going to tuck it away somewhere. So I don’t forget, because if these things are truly important, they will come up again. Otherwise, it’s just a distraction. And it’s something that’s lingering out there that I know even if I don’t intentionally do this, my energy and my focus is going to be thinking about those things. Because I know they’re there, instead of focusing on the top three things that I’ve deemed to be the most important. So I think that’s a really, really interesting way of looking at things that if you have your top three items of focus, and you say no to everything else, then all those noes don’t matter. And it allows you to gain clarity around what you should be putting your attention to. So Brian, I would love for you to talk a little bit about, you know, shiny object syndrome and how this is, I mean, this is a real thing for high achieving advisors, and how you’ve really worked to and continue to work to overcome this so that you can say No, tomorrow.

Bryan Sweet  05:22

That is such an interesting concept, especially the Darren Hardy concept that you just mentioned, I was just thinking to myself, as you were describing that how true that is, you know, if it’s important, it’ll come back. And we worry about all these things that never come to fruition. And then we don’t focus on the three most important things that we actually need to get done. And as we’ve alluded to, on the podcast, previously, if you ever looked up the word shiny object syndrome, my picture at least at one point was in the dictionary under that. And I think, fortunately, we’ve gotten much better, because we are recognize we have the concerns and the negative things that that syndrome, if you will, causes and another way of looking at that is the, you know, FOMO, the fear of missing out of an opportunity or a connection, when really in, in reality, all of those things are more distractions than anything else. And it’s just really one of the biggest, biggest struggles that advisors really deal with. And they’ll go to a meeting and they’ll have some other successful guy talk about this, that or the other thing, and they’ll go Gee, I, I should do that. And, and then they hear another topic. And she I should do that. And one of the things that you really need to do. And this is maybe one of the more helpful things you’ll ever do is think about the most important topics or things you need to get done. And we probably all have our planner books are our way of tracking things. And as they say, and as we say, you know, write down the top three things that you need to get done for the day. But it should also be one of the top three things you want to get done in any 90 day period. And the three that you’re dealing with each day, should help the three that are on the 90 day list, or at least most of the time, they should be that. And one of the simple examples that I use today, that’s been remarkably helpful that I never used before, is I simply asked myself, if I do this task, will it make the dream architect concept better? And Draye is alluded to Olympic event where the rowing team from Britain had never gotten a gold medal. And the question that they asked herself is would it make the boat go faster? And since Draye has given me that story, I’ve simply taken that and said, will it make the dream architect better? And it just helps you go? Well, that’s really not going to make that particular thing better. So why would I do it? So sometimes you just need a filter, or a way to stop and think about things before you actually jump in one want to add something or do something. So if that’s helpful, give that a try. The other thing I think is really important is there’s a concept of being a visionary, and also an integrator. And for years, Brittany was kind of my integrator. But as things have developed, we have found that we’re both actually probably more visionary than anything. And so consequently, recently with an upgrade and Britney’s role in being partner and president of the firm, we brought in a CEO who’s 100% focused on all of the integrator qualities, and that is also been really, really helpful in getting us to focus because that person, really ask the right questions, makes us stop and think we’re Brittany and I, a lot of times we’ll find squirrels in any opportunity. And so it’s nice to have somebody that’s got other skill sets, but by far the biggest thing that I have found is just have that filter. Will it make the boat go faster? Will it make, in our case, the dream architect better? And if the answer is no, then you can be just like Warren Buffett and say no to most everything.

Brittany Anderson  10:02

Hey Brittany here, stopping and pausing for a moment to talk about something that we’ve had so many of you inquire about and that is our ultimate advisor, mastermind. Now, I’m going to start by saying if you are not a growth minded individual, if you are not somebody who’s focused on taking your business to the next level, if you’re not focused on engaging your team, and helping them to help you, in turn, level up the business, the service model, how you provide that wow experience to clients, if those things are not your focus, just fast forward right now, because the ultimate advisor mastermind would not then be for you. However, if you are looking to take your business to the next level, if you want to experience exponential growth and feel supported along the way, if you want to start working smarter and not harder, if you want to help your team members to work within the God given talents that they were provided, and use those skill sets in a way they haven’t yet to help support you and your business, to help them realize their biggest goals, their biggest dreams. If you want creative approaches to marketing, I know that can be an intimidating word. But we’re not talking here about the fancy Facebook stuff, or you know, the latest and greatest, but rather looking at how you can market what you do, how you can express how you’re different, and how you can truly differentiate yourselves in a crowded market space. If those are problems you’re looking to solve, then you absolutely want to go check out ultimate advisor mastermind.com To learn more about how we can help you on your path and journey to growth.

Bryan Sweet 12:01

So Draye, love your thoughts on anything that you do to help say No.

Draye Redfern 12:07

I think when it comes to No, there are seasons, and for me, no is become a season in the last 12 months more than anything. Because before this season that I’m in right now, I said yes to everything. And early on, it was saying yes out of necessity. Because like Holy smokes, I got this business and payroll and oh my god, I gotta Yeah, I gotta do all these things. And all, you know, that sort of thing. And just saying yes, to try and make the lights on and keep the lights on. And then it was saying yes. Because like, Well, that seems like it could be a really good opportunity, whether it was or is or wasn’t there a lot of unknowns. But as businesses evolve, and you become more mature, and you have more of a sales team or operations team or more, you know, things that are moving. As the visionary like Bryan alluded to, it becomes more and more important to say no. And that’s what I’ve really stepped into over the last six to 12 months, especially for me, because I just I mean, yes guy, I love people. I love hanging out with people, I love chatting with people I love, like just being friendly. I’m a nice guy. This is my natural like demeanor. Now the problem is my natural demeanor is not very good for taking the business where we want to go. And so we’ve had to build in systems that prohibit me from doing that. I am not responsible for creating those systems, the team has been that. But it’s definitely been something that we’ve done. And it’s made a big difference. So there’s flex on this, but for me, it will not taking a meeting or people like oh, can I pick your brain? Or can we do coffee or whatever it is, if it will not yield to a minimum of $5,000 I will not do it anymore. And I have been trained in all honesty and transparency that if things like that come to me, I am not to reply to them and someone else on the team will take care of it. Because otherwise I would just say yes. It’s just my demeanor. Like I said, I just love, love, love people, I love what we do. And I would do it for free if I if we had to. So we’ve had to literally build in the systems for me to actually say no more often and the team helps to support that. So for me, I only have three things that I should be doing. And if anything is outside of this, I get slapped on the hand. And that is me being the visionary me being the high level, Vision concepts, ideas, direction, all of that high level networking with you know, the individuals who are moving and shaking and what we call whale hunting. Little crass would never actually go whale hunting but you know, the big fish going after the people who are the big contracts, that’s the sharks from Shark Tank or that’s the big equity positions and other businesses or whatever it would be whale hunting. If it’s anything besides those three things, then I am not doing what is asked for my team and the company and all of those things. So that has also made it significantly easier for me to say no, even though I’m that guy that I just love, love people, it’s my nature. So if you’re one of those people and many people are, then I encourage you to build the system around you and your specific needs. And frankly, I recognized that I was overbooked and over scheduled, but I was too close to the problem, to actually do anything about it myself. So I had the team and we had an outside individual helped me to say, You know what, Draye, there’s a couple tweaks here, if the team holds you accountable, it’d be the best, you know, the best way to go with the best option for you. And it has been things are getting done faster, or growing faster, I stay out of the way. And that makes all the difference in the world. And saying no, is, candidly one of the most difficult things that I’ve had to do in the last six to 12 months. But it’s made a world of a difference. So with that in mind, Brittany, I’ll hand it back over to you to tie us off with a pretty bow at this episode.

Brittany Anderson  16:03

Yeah, you know, I think you bring up a really interesting point indirectly, that should be brought out. And that’s it, you know, you allow your team to redirect you. And I think that’s really important, because as Bryan was getting the descriptions of, you know, you have your visionary or visionaries in the company, and then you have your integrator, and you have every other role that is in their position. For purpose, right, probably, because it’s a component that number one, you probably personally don’t enjoy, which is why you hired it out in the first place. Or two, maybe you get in your own way in that role. So I think giving your team the autonomy to be able to redirect you, and being humble enough to be open to that and going shoot there, right, and not allowing our egos to get in the way where we think, gosh, we can do it all be it all have it all all of those great things, that just does not contribute to exponential growth. So I think Draye is example is so spot on. And I think anybody listening to this absolutely should have the people around you, where you are encouraging them to speak up, and encouraging them to redirect you when you’re doing things that you know, kind of put you in your own way. So I think that’s something to pull out and hone in on a little bit there. Because that can take some practice, it can be tough, Bryan brought up the example of us bringing in a new CFO and the company. And she’s absolutely amazing. And there’s been times where I’ve caught myself, I’m explaining or over explaining how I might do something or have done something in that role. And I’ve completely stopped myself saying, wait a second, you have your way, and you’re always probably better. So take a back seat to and and let you run. And that’s when people grow, and they learn. And even if a mistake happens along the way, they’re going to become even better on the back end. So I think that was indirectly maybe not the intent of the podcast or this particular session. But a really, really important point to drive home. So I’m so glad you brought that up, Draye. So before I get into the top three takeaways, anything else that you fellows would like to bring to the table?

Draye Redfern 18:09

Yeah, Brittany, I think for like I said, it’s been one of the most difficult things and but I think any business will get to a point. And ideally, if it were I could go back and do it again, I would do this a year, two years ago, because it’s made a world of a difference of just prioritizing the things that are the most important and saying no definitely helps to do that. So that’s just the little bit of recap, I’d say that I’d add to this as we wrap it up.

Brittany Anderson  18:34

Awesome. All right, well, top three takeaways from today’s podcast session. Number one, I highly encourage each and every one of you to create your stop doing or your not to do list. I think that’s something again, it can take a little bit of a brain shift, because it’s just not something that we are as inclined to do as the normal to do list or start doing list. But to go through and start writing down some of the things again, bog on energy drain on your time and attention, things that are just not in your wheelhouse that you’re feeling like you have to do just because you’ve done them all the time, that could potentially be delegated off or just quit all the way around. So the easiest way to do this is just to have a sheet of paper crate on your desk, so that anytime you have one of those triggering moments where you’re going, Why am I the one working on this? Or why am I putting my energy towards this? You can make that note, it’s all about being intentional. And the only way you can be intentional is if you commit to putting it on paper. Second top takeaway is write out do I this is I think would be a really genius exercise. And I actually think I would love to hear feedback on this. So after I say this, I want you to email support at ultimate advisor coaching.com and just share how you felt going through this experience if you so desire to take on the challenge. So write out all of the to do is that are pending in your brain. Everything. Things that are going on in your, in your company in all different facets and different departments, the projects that you’ve just kind of had on the docket, write it all out, and then circle your top three priorities that like Bryan shared are going to make the boat go faster, and then actually do the physical act of throwing everything away, throwing everything else besides those top three priorities away, I would love to know how that feels. And if that’s caused anxiety, or if it actually makes you feel a sense of freedom, I think that’s a great exercise. I think one that we should all probably due annually now that I’m talking through this, just because I think it’s something that we all have that tendency to, I guess, Hoard is maybe the word hoard, to dues or think about all the things we need to accomplish, when in reality, like we talked about today, it can be really distracting. So write out all the things in your head, circle the top three priorities that are going to make the boat go faster, and throw the rest away. Finally, the third takeaway, I think this is a really great one that Bryan brought up, and that’s to decide what your role is, and then find what’s lacking. So what I mean by that is he gave some context around the visionary versus the integrator. A great resource for that is the book rocket fuel by Gino Wickman. There’s literally a checklist and or assessments that you can take within the book that you can figure out if you are more inclined to be that visionary, or if you’re more inclined to be the integrator. So I highly recommend every advisor, I think every advisor we’ve encountered, we’ve recommended this book to it’ll help you not only lay out and understand where you should be spending your time. But it’ll also help you create a job description if you don’t have a current integrator. So that’s a really, really great resource to use to make sure that you are achieving that balance that we also desire in our companies. So that wraps up today’s episode of The Ultimate advisor podcast. We will be back here with you in just a couple weeks. Hey there, Brittany Anderson here. If you are loving what you’re hearing on our ultimate advisor podcast, don’t keep us a secret. Share us with other advisors that you think would benefit from the messages that you are hearing. The easiest way to do that is to simply send them to ultimate advisor podcast.com. And if you want to learn a few other ways that we could potentially serve you as an advisor, go check out ultimate advisor mastermind.com. As always, we are so happy to have you here with us as part of the ultimate advisor community and we look forward to a continued relationship.