Jeff Acheson, the high-profile advisor, teacher, coach, mentor, thought leader, industry pundit, etc., with Advanced Strategies Group in a Feb. 28 session of the NTSA 2023 Summit delivered an inspirational and, at times, intense presentation on the Japanese concept of Ikigai, or one’s “reason for being.”
He incorporated his 44 years of industry experience to offer his perspective on where the advisor space was, where it is, and the massive opportunities that lie ahead. It's especaily true for "those ready, willing, and prepared to serve as a trusted advisor and first responder to clients and their holistic needs in the age of 'elegantly integrated ecosystems'."
Titled “A Kaizen Powered J-Curve Journey in Search of Ikigai,” he explained the concept and how it relates to advisors’ personal and professional lives while peppering in anecdotes and quotes to reinforce his points.
“It’s all about how you finish and what you leave behind, and is it better than how you found it,” Acheson said in a call to action. “I’ve never seen a better time in this business, and I’ve also never seen a tougher time in this business.”
Repeatedly returning to “tough is good” and “there’s value in struggle” themes, he singled out motivational speaker and author Jim Rohn’s famous quote, “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge; wish for more wisdom.”
He mentioned his grandson’s struggle to find his Ikigai, adding that he instructed the teen from a young age to always do his best, always be respectful, and never quit, which he repeats often. He related it to another Japanese term, Kaizen, or continuous improvement, derived from Kai- (change) and -zen (good).
His grandson eventually found purpose in wrestling. While losing every match his first year, he’s now highly ranked and slated to compete in his state tournament.
Flashing a picture on the screen, he asked the audience if they saw an alarm clock or an opportunity clock.
“The difference is if you wake up before it goes off,” he explained.
Relating it directly to the attendees, Acheson said all financial professionals share common challenges, including:
- How do they continue to differentiate their business?
- How can they get the attention of key decision-makers?
- How can they increase the value that they deliver to their clients?
- How can they grow their revenues disproportionate to their overhead?
- How do they stay competitively relevant?
- How do they build a defensive moat around their best clients?
- How do they scale their business?
The answer to many questions is for the advisor to position themselves as a “first responder” who gets the initial phone call from a client in need.
“Be that trusted advisor that offers access to a thoughtfully integrated qualified plan, wealth, non-qual, and transition planning ecosystem that can be initiated at any point,” Acheson concluded. “Be a go-to resource and problem-solver through what you do, what you know, and who you know and can partner with.”
- Log in to post comments