Many advisory firms say they serve everyone. What that often means in practice is a client experience built around a male default and a woman across the table who doesn't feel seen. Join host Kirsten Schlumbohm as she sits down with Lisa M. Hinz, founder of CORNHERSTONE, to talk about what how to design your firm for women on purpose. They cover why 80% of women leave their husband's financial advisor after a spouse passes, what widowhood looks like today, and how to audit your existing client journey before a slow leak of attrition becomes something you can't ignore. Whether you're just starting to think about this or believe your firm is already doing it well, this conversation will surface gaps you may not know you have.

Statistics:

• 80% of women will change their financial advisor after their spouse passes away
• The average age of a widow today is 59.5 years old
• Client acquisition in financial services costs approximately $3,000 per client
• According to a study cited in Fearless Referrals by Matt Anderson, only 11% of clients had been asked for referrals, yet 72% said they would happily recommend their advisor.

What do ultra-high-performing financial advisors do differently? According to Carlos M. Garcia, founder of Exceed Sales, it comes down to three things: communication mastery, deep curiosity, and obsessive preparation. In this episode, host Dave Alison, founder of Alison Wealth Management and Partner and Co-President at C2P and Prosperity Capital Advisors, sits down with Carlos to unpack the habits, mindset shifts, and specific language techniques that top-performing advisors use to help win more clients, handle objections with confidence, and protect their time without compromising client relationships.

Resources:

• Book referenced: Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact by Phil Jones
• Sales training referenced: Exceed Sales

Advisors tend to choose a distribution partner based on product shelf, compensation, or convenience. But according to Kalem Mackey, that's the wrong criteria entirely. Join host Kirsten Schlumbohm, VP of Annuity Sales at C2P and Prosperity Capital Advisors, as she sits down with Kalem Mackey, Executive Vice President at C2P and Prosperity Capital Advisors. Together they discuss what separates thriving advisor-distribution relationships from ones that quietly stall your growth. Drawing on nearly 25 years of experience on both sides of the table as an advisor and as a distribution partner, Kalem shares the principles, practices, and frameworks that make these partnerships truly work.

Resources:

• Tool referenced: Zocks
• Process referenced: The Bucket Plan®
• Programs referenced: The Bucket Plan®, The Teamwork Movement

College costs are quietly becoming one of the most significant threats to your clients' retirement security and advisors aren't having this conversation nearly early enough. In this episode, host Kirsten Schlumbohm sits down with Jeannie Burlowski, academic strategist and author of Launch! How to Get Your Kids Through College, Debt Free, and Into Jobs They Love Afterwards, to give you a practical playbook for protecting your clients from the financial landmines hidden inside college decisions. From a critical Parent PLUS loan deadline hitting in 2026 to career clarity strategies that eliminate wasted tuition dollars, Jeannie breaks down exactly how you can add college planning to your practice, without adding 200 hours of training to your plate.

Resources:

• Book referenced: Launch! How to Get Your Kids Through College, Debt Free, and Into Jobs They Love Afterwards by Jeannie Burlowski
• Articles referenced: Got Parent PLUS Loans? Act Fast Before Key Protections Disappear, Hilarious Idea Makes Kids Eager to Apply for Scholarships
• Membership referenced: Jeannie Burlowski's Tribe Membership
• Newsletter referenced: Jeannie Burlowski's bi-weekly email newsletter

When employers cut 401(k) matching, your high-earning clients face a critical planning moment. Help them adapt by learning how to audit their complete benefits package and redirect savings into overlooked opportunities like health savings accounts, deferred compensation, and mega backdoor Roth conversions. Join host, Dave Alison and guest, Bryan Bibbo, AIF, NSSA, BPC, CEPA, President & CFO and Partner at JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management, as they share real client strategies for maintaining retirement trajectory when traditional benefits disappear. From restricted stock unit (RSU) tax withholding optimization to strategic employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) timing, learn how to turn benefit cuts into comprehensive planning conversations that demonstrate your value and uncover hidden assets.

Resources:

• Financial Planning Software: eMoney
• Tax Planning Tool: Holistiplan

Business owner clients face unique challenges when selling their companies, and advisors play a critical role in guiding them through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transitions. Join host Dave Alison as he sits down with Stan Milovancev, CEO of Prosperity Capital Advisors and C2P, for part two of their conversation exploring how advisors can position themselves as strategic partners when clients pursue merger, acquisition, or exit opportunities. Stan brings experience from hundreds of M&A transactions during his time overseeing a $70 billion RIA platform at CBIZ Investment Advisory Services. This conversation covers the practical work of guiding business exits, from assembling the right professional team and creating personal term sheets, to managing deal fatigue and evaluating cultural fit with potential buyers.

 Resources:

•  Previous episode referenced: M&A Communication: Guiding Clients Through Advisory Transitions Part 1

Whether your clients are selling their businesses or you're navigating a merger and acquisition (M&A) transition in your own firm, the communication challenges are remarkably similar. Join host Dave Alison as he sits down with Stan Milovancev, Co-CEO of Prosperity Capital Advisors and C2P, to explore both sides of the M&A conversation. Stan brings over 30 years of leadership experience, including overseeing a $70 billion RIA platform at CBIZ Investment Advisory Services where he participated in hundreds of M&A transactions. This conversation revisits his concept of the "muddy middle,” that dangerous space where firms are too big to stay tightly focused yet too small to achieve meaningful scale, and examines how this same dynamic affects clients across industries who are contemplating their own exit strategies.

Resources:

• Episode referenced: Evaluating M&A Opportunities: Essential Questions for Advisors

Statistics:

• Fidelity 2024 M&A study found 40% of clients felt significant uncertainty about advisory firm transitions

ChatGPT and other AI tools regularly get financial advice wrong, but your clients don't always know that. What do you do when they bring you analysis that contradicts your recommendations? Discover practical strategies for handling AI-influenced objections and using these tools proactively on your end. Join host Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer at C2P and Prosperity Capital Advisors, as he sits down with Dave Alison, Founder and CEO of Alison Wealth Management and President and Founding partner of C2P and Prosperity Capital Advisors. Dave shares his real experiences from recent client meetings where ChatGPT-generated analysis created misconceptions. Learn how to proactively address AI-influenced objections before they arise, communicate effectively when clients present contradictory information, and leverage these same tools to strengthen your planning process and client communications.

 Resources:

• AI referenced: ChatGPT
• AI Software for Financial Advisors referenced: Zocks
• Training Referenced: The Bucket Plan® 2.0

Major life transitions often become inflection points in advisor-client relationships, moments where trust either deepens or dissolves. Join host Kirsten Schlumbohm, Vice President and Head of Annuity Sales at C2P, as she sits down with Grace Nicholson, BPC, founder of Akamai Advisors, to explore why women fire their advisors after major life transitions and what you can do differently to help prevent it. From proactive relationship-building strategies to adjusting your communication during critical moments, discover how to demonstrate empathy and expertise when they matter most.

Ressources:

• Books referenced: The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel, Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life―A Revolutionary Approach to Maximizing Life Experiences Over Accumulating Wealth by Bill Perkins, The Wealthy Gardener: Lessons on Prosperity Between Father and Son by John Soforic
• Processes mentioned: The Bucket Plan® and The Tax Management Journey®

Statistics:

• $125 trillion in assets is expected to transfer from Baby Boomers to younger generations over the next two decades.
• 57.9% of millennials have changed advisors or hired one for the first time after receiving significant inheritance.

What experience have you had either directly or indirectly when it comes to caring for an aging loved one? During this live recording from A Woman's Clarity® forum, we discuss the realities of long-term care and how to help your clients prepare for it with confidence, clarity, and compassion. Host Kirsten Schlumbohm sits down with Gina Ference, Managing Director of Partnership Development, and Drew Serzan, Head of Private Client and Executive Life Insurance Planning and Founding Partner at OneTeam Financial. Listen as Gina shares her two-year journey managing her mother's transition from independent living to assisted care. Drew Serzan from OneTeam Financial brings the advisor perspective, offering his proven conversation starter and coordination strategies. Discover the real-world insights and empathy-driven approach that makes difficult long-term care conversations possible with clients.

Resources:

• Book referenced: Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die by Messie Condo

Statistics:

• 70% of people after age 65 will need some type of long-term care

As the population ages, more families are facing the realities of caregiving, and financial advisors are often the first to see it unfold. Join host Kirsten Schlumbohm, Vice President and Head of Annuity Sales at C2P, as she sits down with Bill Cohen, CSA®, founder of Cohen Caregiving Support Consultants, to discuss how advisors can guide clients through one of life’s most emotional and financially complex journeys. Bill has spent the last decade helping families navigate dementia, long-term care, and aging. Learn how to recognize early signs of caregiver stress, approach difficult topics with empathy, and help clients plan for the costs and logistics of care.

 Resources:

• Organizations with helpful resources: Cohen Caregiving Support Consultants, Alzheimer’s Association, AARP Caregiving Resource Center.
• Book: When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need by Rebecca Bloom

Statistics:

• Memory care facilities can cost over $10,000 per month