MDRT Podcast

Every advisor faces professional and personal challenges, and for many this can provide crucial steps toward change and growth. In this episode, MDRT members share how some of their biggest obstacles led to some of their most important lessons and adjustments. You’ll hear from: MDRT Past President Gregory B. Gagne, ChFC MDRT President Clay Gillespie, CIM, CFP Episode breakdown: 0:29 – Learning to put your family first 1:33 – Going through challenges to appreciate and utilize successes 3:12 – Discovering how to handle and escape from a slump 5:55 – Adapting to adversity by preparing for it 8:42 – Focusing on solutions instead of problems

How do you define the ideal job description for your admin staff and then find the best person for that role? In this episode, MDRT members share their experience working with personal assistants — and the benefits and lessons that have resulted. You’ll hear from: Lim Yee Von Emma Wang Episode breakdown: 0:27 – Changing the role from part-time to full-time 2:03 – Benefiting by empowering assistants to utilize their video skills 4:33 – Establishing expectations and accountability for admin staff 6:40 – Defining roles for assistants with different personalities and strengths 11:18 – Delivering support and guidance if an assistant makes a mistake

While some advisors pursue work-life balance, others may feel that concept is no longer relevant and need a different way to decide if they are doing too much. In this episode, MDRT member Brendan Clune Walsh and stress physiologist Rebecca Heiss discuss the power of rethinking not just your boundaries between the priorities in your life but when to say yes, not right now, or no. Episode breakdown: 0:24 – Understanding JOMO: The joy of missing out 1:00 – Does work-life balance exist? 2:20 – Breaking away from a routine of nonstop work 4:09 – Recognizing that work is part of life, not a separate entity 7:06 – Establishing boundaries to update the notion of balance 9:25 – Finding comfort in “Not right now” instead of “no”

It may be challenging for advisors to help clients navigate the much-debated world of cryptocurrency. In this episode, MDRT members share how much they have encountered this investment strategy and how they discuss it with clients, especially if crypto has been successful for them. You’ll hear from: Chi Teng Han, ChFC/S, CIAM Nadia Wijatno, ChFC, CLU Episode breakdown: 0:25 – Identifying the unpredictability of anything unregulated 1:12 – Why I don’t convince someone not to do something that’s worked for them 2:17 – The importance of learning from the pain of financial loss 4:27 – The danger of competing with crypto 6:26 – Helping clients separate public success stories from unknown failures 8:05 – Deciding which crypto barons to work with

Whether you are looking to buy or have already acquired a practice, it’s essential to have the right people in place to help you not just grow but thrive. In this episode, MDRT member D. Kyle Atkins, CFP, CLU, and president of Succession Resource Group David Grau Jr. share how to navigate the challenging task of finding the ideal employees to support the future of your business. Episode breakdown: 0:31 – Seeing hiring as an investment that requires hard work 2:19 – When you can acquire not just revenue but talent 3:23 – If an important person is leaving from the business you’re acquiring 4:56 – Fostering a well-paid and positive office culture 9:58 – What to look for to identify and hire that rare, great candidate 12:17 – Recognizing that everyone struggles with hiring and that you can’t interview for culture