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If you want to make an impact in the lives of your clients, weave stories into your conversation. In my experience, the best source for those stories is remembering and sharing turning point moments from your own life. All financial professionals go through some...

Maybe the most nagging issue we face as professionals is aligning what we want people to think about us with what we know about ourselves. This struggle or tension might best be illustrated by the photograph of the little duck calmly cruising a pond, head focused,...

“The older I get,” wrote television legend Fred Rogers, “the more convinced I am that the space between people who are trying their best to understand each other is hallowed ground.” I did not grow up in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, but in a way, I vicariously went there...

The agenda set for a client meeting may be predictable: Has anything changed since we last met? Review the recent quarter or the past 6-12 months. Re-visit the asset allocation. Any recommended changes?  “Good to visit with you. See you next week at the symphony...

As many of you know, I am a polio survivor. When that insult showed up at 13 months of age, my life changed, and that of my family. I was one of the lucky ones; only my left leg bears witness to its after-effects. Not even imagined at that moment, polio’s...

Forty-seven years ago today (July 12th), two green and starry-eyed, very young adults married each other in a beautiful church in West Palm Beach, FL. With family and friends gathered, all wondered if we would make it. I say with an impish twinkle in my eye, “Kathie...

Five years ago, almost to the day, I re-defined what feeling vulnerable means. But I will get to that later. Brene Brown has revealed how powerful vulnerability can be in bonding our lives to others. Her TED Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability” is a must-watch for...

New York Times writer Susan Pinker, a few years back, summarized research on the relationship between reading fiction and how we understand others. The article, “Novel Findings: Fiction Makes Us Feel for Others,” looked at several studies between 2006 and 2013 that...

The horrific murder of 19 children and 2 teachers at Ross Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last week has found me, like most of us, asking questions—again—that cry out for answers. As those precious families grieve the loss of their beautiful children and the...

When she sat in my office, I could not stop translating her face. The raised eyebrow was saying one thing but the upturned, impish mouth another. What I first sensed was a tough conversation soon turned into one of the most delightful visits of the day. How do you...

Some time back, I read an article published by New York Times guest columnist Carl Richards, CFP® that offered wisdom. Titled, “Your Future Should Be Bigger Than Your Past. Here’s How to Do It,” Richards takes on a phenomenon advisors face every day. Time with clients...

Before I answered his call, I recognized the number and felt with pinpoint precision what I was about to hear. “What are we going to do?” he asked. With surprising calm, I responded, “What are we going to do about what?” At that time, not unlike these first months of...

All of us live in a story-book world. With our first breath, we were birthed into a story of family and faith, country and culture that has been going on a long time. Early on, we live in the “family of origin” story unaware of all the influences we are continually...

Golfing legend Gary Player often tells an audience his secret to positive, purposeful living. Says Player, “Every morning when I get up, I look in the mirror and say to myself, ‘Gary, today you can be happy or you can be miserable.’ I choose happy!” Frankly, it makes...

At the beginning of this three-part series, we learned how to identify poignant, turning-point moments in our past that have powerfully shaped who we are. Then we explored how we can bring those turning point stories into the palpable present. Now we look to story’s...

Here begins the second of three posts on how our story’s past, present, and future create compelling client connections. What turning-point stories from your poignant past have bubbled up? Memories of challenges you faced, successes you enjoyed, and those...

Colleagues aware of my work with financial professionals know this: story is a primary subject to which I return often. With the writing of Cadence of Care and the launch of my website in 2016, I have focused on how sharing a personal story connects with clients. To...

Yes, it’s true. They are creating artificial snow at the Olympics in Beijing. Some like it, some don’t. Check the facts before you launch an international incident. The winter Olympic Games have been using some form of artificial snow since 1980. I’ve learned that...