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Geoffrey Kent: There's saying I say with families, it's not a fifty seven Chevy anymore. When you open the hood of a fifty seven Chevy, simple. Carburator, rad. Families and businesses really need help today, but they just don't know who to trust. Because what we're really finding in this industry is ⁓ that ⁓ agents are taken advantage of because they're not spending the time to help families to understand what the solution is, and they're giving them the solution that pays them the best conditions. And they don't care who they hurt. Most entrepreneurs don't have a marketing problem. They have a message problem. They know their product changes lives, but they can't get enough people to pay attention. Welcome to the Think Big Podcast, where real entrepreneurs bring real business challenges, and together we uncover practical strategies that create lasting growth. Today's guest is Peter Pickett, a life insurance specialist with Experior Financial Group. After more than twenty years in the financial industry, Peter understands the questions keeping families and business owners awake at night. The challenge isn't his expertise, it's making sure the right people actually hear it. If you've ever felt like you're better at what you do than your competitors, but still struggle to attract the attention your business deserves, this episode is for you. Stay until the end because the strategy Peter develops today can be applied to almost any business looking to stand out. Build trust and accelerate growth. If you enjoy conversations that solve real business problems, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with another entrepreneur. So Peter, welcome. Hey Jeff. Jeffrey? Jeff or Jeffrey, sorry. Either one. Either one is either one is fine. ⁓ so how are you doing today? I'm doing really good. Okay, okay. Sounds good. ⁓ ⁓ so any ⁓ you know, j just to to give the audience a little little flavor for who you are and and ⁓ you know and why you do what you do, can you ⁓ give us a a a real brief intro introduction? I've already mentioned who you are and who you work for, but but tell us a little bit about ⁓ who you are and and and and one of the really interesting questions I love asking people ⁓ that that that do what we do is is what led you to do what you do? Okay, good question. Thank you, Jeffrey. ⁓ No, ⁓ I was a machinist ⁓ before I became a financial consultant and ⁓ I learned ⁓ how to read a blueprint and work with fine increments and it's r it's interesting to tell my clients when I'm sitting with them that I find that ⁓ when I was training apprentices, they'd come to me ⁓ on a larger machine and and they'd see that ⁓ the job looked very complicated. And it said ⁓ to my families, like your like your affairs are very complicated. Yeah. And I said to the ⁓ young apprentice, I said if you look at it like that, it will be overwhelming. But why don't we put a step by step process in so we know what we're gonna do here to finish this job. That's why
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it's the families. You have a complicated situation here. You feel it's complicated, not to me, but I would like to put a step by step plan in for you and we'll have a blueprint that we will follow ⁓ for the rest of your life. And so that's what ⁓ Experior Financial Group is really helping agents ⁓ do a better job with families today and businesses because to r to be honest with you, ⁓ nobody really knows who to trust. Yeah. And so I came into this ⁓ this industry with ⁓ my my in law's portfolio. My father in law had a serious stroke. ⁓ although he was still alive, ⁓ he we weren't able to communicate with him anymore. And he lived five more years. Yeah. But ⁓ he left ⁓ He was very German and he left his wife with no idea what to do ⁓ with this portfolio. So as a machinist I stepped in to give her some guidance at best I could. And ⁓ I worked with a broker. ⁓ and I also got a broker in that same office, so I had two perspectives. It was kind of interesting. And ⁓ trying to find a way how we're gonna help her. And ⁓ you know, I I think the first thing we did was just take Everything was spread everywhere, different banks, insurance companies all over the place. So we thought, let's make it to let's make if he trusts this broker, we'll move it here. And then once once it's all there, we can diversify there. That's not a problem. He wouldn't agree, but I feel we could still get diversification. And her idea was I'm gonna look at the the old number and I'm gonna look at the new number for this year, and that new number for this month had to be higher. And so that and so I had to if it wasn't higher I'd have to answer to that. And I said, I'm just a machinist. So anyway, so the young fellow that we were working with ⁓ was showing up ⁓ for meetings at her apartment early before me and getting a document signed and leaving and processing ⁓ changes to the portfolio with ⁓ without my knowledge. And I'm just said I called him up, I said, ⁓ she looked at me because she said, What's going on here? He's jelly he's generating commissions. ⁓ are you are you do you have a part of this? I said, Absolutely not. Yeah. So I I ⁓ I phoned him up. I said, Hey, there's ⁓ trades going on I had no knowledge of and I'm power of attorney. ⁓ why? And he goes, Well, what do you want to do? Reverse the trades? I said, No, you're fired. If you don't wanna work with me, ⁓ you're done. And so I fired. I called my guy and I said, ⁓ can you help me with this portfolio? And ⁓ He said, Sor Pete, I don't want to get involved. You've called cause it was a sizable portfolio. You've caused quite a ruckus. I said, Well, I'm not working well. And so I ended up this is where I fell into ⁓ you know, financial planning. ⁓ I I moved into a firm that ⁓ would train me and and we started ⁓ working I this is where I started working in this industry. And it was a good start to have their their stuff and she was grateful to have me to help her. So in in my mind I thought there's got to be a lot more
people out there that ⁓ that need this kind of help. And ⁓ that's what I want to focus on is helping people. Helping people better. Yeah, well i interestingly enough, it's ⁓ as you're as you're telling in this story, I I'm I'm going through this right now. My my mother is ninety-five years old. My father ⁓ passed at ninety-eight last October. you know, that came from that generation where, you know, husbands didn't tell their wives much, you know, about the financial affairs. So my mother You know, I I'm surprised she knew how to write a check, you know, when when my dad passed. I I basic yeah, I have a Wharton MBA in finance so so ⁓ I could step in and help and ⁓ and I did and and ⁓ you know, some of the stuff that that that that I've uncovered has has been pretty interesting to say the least. But ⁓ but yeah, I I'm I'm as we're going along, what I'm doing is just documenting everything. ⁓ well that really that was a kind of the first thing I did was just document, okay, here's your portfolio, here's what you have here, here, there, there, you know, whatever, and and explain it to her. So she she understood. And I'm like, I'm gonna manage this for you, but I want you to understand what I'm doing. Right. So so I want to have intelligent conversations with you because, you know, you need to understand what you have, but but going forward, we're we're going to do some proactive things. And so I want I want to be able to have discussions, intelligent discussions with you about the things that I'd like to do, because I don't want to do anything that that, you know, makes you feel uncomfortable. or or, you know, makes you feel like, you know, your portfolio's at risk or or, you know, w whatever it is you you're gonna feel. I I I want you to be able to have intelligent conversations with me about your your finances and and you should know. You know, I I was telling her she you you should know, you know, you know, how much money you have and and you know, where it where it's at and how accessible it is and, you know, all that good stuff. So so but it's yeah, I I I actually last week was what I at our house the entire week and we're we're kind of You know, going through my father's stuff, but ⁓ but ⁓ you know, the finance piece ⁓ played a ⁓ a huge role as well. So Yeah. There's a there's a saying I say with families, it's not a fifty seven Chevy anymore. Yeah, yeah. When you open the hood of a fifty seven Chevy, it was simple. Motor and a carburetor. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And a rad. It was very simple. Now you open a hood of a car's it's ⁓ my. And so yes, families and businesses really need help today, but they just don't know who to trust. Because what we're really finding in this industry is ⁓ that ⁓ agents are taken advantage of because ⁓ they're not spending the time to help families to understand what the solution is, and they're and they're giving them the solution that pays them the best commission. And then and they don't care who they hurt. And so and they're already on to the next. So that's what we're fixing ⁓ in this industry, and this is what we're we're known for. is ⁓ we can't even ⁓ process business ⁓ without proving why ⁓ we're making these change changes for this ⁓ for this ⁓ client. And ⁓ that's important. That's always been important to me that ⁓ that we position the right solution based on their goals and concerns. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So so you know, I I wanna j I wanna get right into, you know, the the what what we came here to talk about, w which which is helping you solve you know, or at least brainstorm solutions to an existing problem. So I know you you mentioned that, you know, there's an issue with the ⁓ your message getting out. Obviously you've got tons of experience ⁓ and you and and you you can help, you know, just based on the story you just said you just mentioned, you can help a lot of people, right? So ⁓ so I I want to understand is the issue getting the message out or getting people to understand the message once the message is out? Or maybe it's a combination of both. I I think, you know, ⁓ the ⁓ attention span for families and business owners is really not that great. And so you we try to do short videos, short information to get them to wanna take more take a look, right? And it still always comes down to ⁓ trust. how so I need to somehow develop that trust where ⁓ where they're gonna wanna reach out to me. And so, you know clean up my mess. Like all my marketing was, you know, scattered. And so ⁓ just everything has to be the same name up so that, you know, when my wife and I travel, ⁓ we check the reviews. We look at if we're gonna go to the Airbnb, we check the reviews. So maybe families want ⁓ want to check me out first. That's what they do. See what the reviews are, see if I'm getting ⁓ if I'm getting good results, ⁓ doing good results that people want to talk about. Because to be honest with you, They're not dealing with it. They're telling their kids that ⁓ you're gonna have to deal with it when it happens. Just like just like ⁓ you, for example. There's there's nothing was shared. ⁓ I think I scared my parents one one time. They were actually leaving for a trip to Germany and and ⁓ they were getting older and I said, You know, Mom, what happens if your plane goes down and you're both killed? I didn't you know just it I I wanted to scare her. ⁓ yeah, right. We we don't know. We don't w Do where is everything? We don't know anything. Right. Mom so mom said, Okay, ⁓ we'll we're gonna start a file. It'll be in your father's office. Everything's here, but you can't see it. You can't see it yet. Yeah. At least we knew where everything was. And so at least what we do is get the families talking about the concerns and that we really need to get in front of this. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, ⁓ well well again, and you're ⁓ the the the more you talk, the more it's like hitting home. 'Cause ⁓ I I re i here's another thing that I know is is a huge
issue. ⁓ you know, so my oldest sister passed from ovarian cancer in two thousand fourteen and she worked for Pfizer for forty three years, something like that. you know, amassed a pretty nice portfolio ⁓ you know, from four ⁓ one K and all this kind of stuff and and ⁓ And and so when she passed, you know, she hadn't told anyone anything, right? ⁓ about, you know, where you know, we we didn't know where she banked, you know, nothing. Right. We didn't have any passwords, you know, so so I mean, we never did get into our computer, right? but, you know, again, fortunately, you know, I have the MBA one in finance, but then also, you know, when I w once I got out of business school, I worked for Deloitte Consulting and I was doing turnaround management consulting work and and you know, the first thirty days of a turnaround project is really a forensic accounting exercise. So I so I had all of that, you know, ⁓ at at you know, at call. And so I was able to go through her s her her stuff and marshal, you know, all of all of her assets and and and liabilities, you know. ⁓ but I mean the average family doesn't have that that, you know, a person like me that has that experience that can that can do that for them. And again, if someone passes away, yeah, w or even before they pass away, we we don't think of what happens when I pass away. Does you know, do I is there an ⁓ have I shared yeah at least where you you don't have to give people your passwords while you're living, but at least have have them stored somewhere, right? And in something, and then have people know where that is so that, you know, okay, when you do pass, I know I I know where to go to at least, you know un uncover all of the information that I need to uncover to be able to, you know, clear you know, clear the estate out, you know. So yeah, yeah. So I I I I just say that, you know, again, that hit home and I know that's a huge issue for a lot of families, you know, because a lot of families don't have, you know, you at the beck and call. Now now again, you know, I'm assuming that you in in and s you know, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm assuming that you leverage the resources of your firm to do what other brokers do to get in front of customers, right? So I now I don't know what those tools are, but w w w talk about the things that that you guys normally do to get in front of customers. ⁓ So yeah, our our company, Experior Financial Group, they will have we have a marketing department that ⁓ creates marketing for us that we can actually ⁓ take and make ours. ⁓ so it it meets requirements for compliance. And so ⁓ if I do any ⁓ what I really like doing is just ⁓ piggybacking on a lot of the ⁓ of the ⁓ stuff that's done already ⁓ where I can make comment. ⁓ that's very important. I think I've started doing that. But here I here's an old boy trying to figure out what's the new school, you know, like ⁓ this is new school stuff, right? And so that's what we're learning is ⁓ if I if I can make comment and and like and share, ⁓ it look it moves me up apparently up the ladder. And so this is where where ⁓ I because I'm an agent in Canada, we all we still have the same problems in North America. And we're a North American company, right? So We do have agents in the US as well. And so I have agents that I'm working with that work with me that all have the same ⁓ co the same idea that we need to help families better. And and so that's what we're doing ⁓ in in North America, in Puerto Rico as well and soon Mexico. I'm I'm very excited about that. Okay. But ⁓ no, so yeah, it's it's the thing is ⁓ is f how do we get the families? You talked about ⁓ passwords and stuff like that. So I have documents now. in in Ontario especially, we understand ⁓ how to legally do a will. ⁓ without those that that can't afford a lawyer. We can we can get the wills in place for free. We offer a free service. We give them a fourteen page document, but if we give somebody a fourteen page document, they're not sitting down to fill it out. So ⁓ what my c son is a computer engineer, so we're actually ⁓ gonna put a a program in place where we timeline and and set a step by step ⁓ so that they can actually complete the material and and ⁓ g get to the document completed and and the process that they have to follow needs to be followed and we have to make sure that happens. So it's a legal will. But that'll get something in place. You know, you've got a a young family, just had their third child, they've got their family home they just bought, and there's just no way they've got the money and they need the will. This, you know And they just don't have the money. So it's gonna be a great opportunity for us to ⁓ and they're gonna have tons of questions. So eventually we offer for free, but they're gonna need help. And ⁓ and we're and we're gonna give them that service. ⁓ lawyers and accountants will talk to me without charging me. So I can get in between and ⁓ but I but that collaboration's important and we in in even Canada and the US to collaborate with those professionals 'cause I'm not gonna try and sneak anything in there and try and make a sale without ⁓ Everybody understanding that this is in the best interest of the family. Yeah. Yeah. So so talk about the the the ch challenge of getting in front of customers. I mean, what what what what obstacles have you run into and and what have you tried to to get around those obstacles, whatever they are? You know, it's it's it's all comes down to the trust issue. And ⁓ out right now families are shooting from the hip. You know, I have this saying that ⁓ Billy the kid was the only one that could shoot from the hip and hit the target. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so they're they're still they think they're okay. And ⁓ they're they're they're they're humming along. ⁓ and I think that one thing that they're they think that maybe there's gonna be changes, ⁓ they're gonna have to make some changes maybe they don't want to make. ⁓ but
oftentimes when we sit down with them we can actually show them savings. Okay. And ⁓ wasted wasted ⁓ wasted money. Jeffrey, I was gonna write a book on ⁓ I'm I'm a you know, we're conservatives, like you know, like ⁓ we we grew up ⁓ we're we're ⁓ and ⁓ it might be gross, but you know, if you blew your nose into a Kleenex and you didn't it was a inadequate, yeah. It didn't go in the garbage. It it went into your pocket, you probably were gonna use it again. Some people think that's gross, but you know what? That's it's the small things that you can do can add up to be big things long term, right? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so when we talk to our families about ⁓ some things that you can do that saves money. ⁓ you know. ⁓ some sometimes I used to say that eat chicken instead of steak, but then some people say but sometimes you can get steak cheaper than chicken. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, these are the things that we get people thinking about. How many how often are you ordering food in ⁓ outside because you don't feel a cooking you're just too tired, you know? My wife and I cook on Sundays. ⁓ we we cook for the week and so we've got leftovers for the whole week. And ⁓ so we don't have to order when we're busy through the week, you know. ⁓ we got something to eat. She's going her way, I'm going mine and and ⁓ we we we don't have to cook. We don't have to waste you know, we don't have to order in. And so hopefully you're cooking multiple dishes. ⁓ yeah, that's Not eating the same thing seven days a week. No. No, and so that's what what what we're really doing is just ⁓ and the and that's the challenge is sometimes families ⁓ they're afraid that they're gonna have to make some changes that they just really don't want to do and they'd rather just keep on going just the way they are and and things all work out on their own. Yeah. And that's when you can you ⁓ you can go onto YouTube and just to type in ⁓ horror stories and ⁓ and you'll get tons of them of families that didn't do that planning and now they're wish they had it. Yeah. And you know, I've had ⁓ s examples where ⁓ I was ⁓ I hit that my client was dying of cancer and ⁓ went over to and I just quick doing a quick review with his sister who was gonna be his ⁓ executor. And ⁓ and we were sitting there all all he had everything going to a state. And I said, You can't you shouldn't do this because it's gonna cause your sister a lot of problems. He goes, No, it's going to a state. I don't care. And I said, Look at why don't you start giving to some of your your family and friends now? Wouldn't that make you feel good to give today? Because no, it's all going to a state. And that poor ⁓ that poor sister, she she had no idea what ⁓ was happening. And I still have tried to give her some guidance the best I could, but ⁓ she did send me a message. She goes, I should have listened to you. Yeah. So that's another horror story, right? And that's what we try and do. Maybe it's examples like this
that we told these stories that maybe people are gonna want to get in front of it. And ⁓ Yeah. So so I know with ⁓ with larger organizations, again I don't know how your organization works, but you know, larger organizations have, you know, ⁓ you know, large marketing budgets and can, you know, do a lot of advertising, whatever to develop leads for their their agents. ⁓ so I don't know if it whether that's what normally happens in your organization or whether the onus is ⁓ you know, a hundred percent on agents to go out and try to find opportunities. But what what were so Explain ⁓ you know, what what the scenario is in in your organization. That's what we were finding was a big ⁓ was a big thing in Canada. We do not have LEET programs. It's all built by by referral and sitting down and your process is do you know you've seen what we can do to help you. Do you know anybody else that could use our help? And you ask for three or four names, right? Yeah. ⁓ we're finding a lot of agents in the US are buying leads. Okay. ⁓ so we've never had ⁓ We've never had really great success with that. Yeah. ⁓ we've we we can't find really good lead ⁓ developed people who are giving us leads that are really quality. Yeah. And so ⁓ it it really comes down to to ⁓ you know sitting down and ⁓ doing a good job because if you do a good job, our process nobody else is doing. So they're gonna tell their friends, I couldn't believe what this guy just did for us. It just makes so much sense. And they wanna tell their family and friends, right? Or you need to go see my kids. They really could use our help. Right. Yeah. They're in development. Right. And so that's what's what we're finding. Yes. So how are how are you generating leads? ⁓ I'm I'm a networker. I love to network. And ⁓ we met on a Lineable. Yeah. I thought that was a great opportunity for me to meet ⁓ different people. I mean, I I wanted to meet people who in health. I want to meet people in marketing so I can get some ideas there. And I wanna meet other insurance agents to to find out ⁓ how they're doing and if they're happy in their business, if they could if they're looking for another opportunity that could that cares about them. Yeah. You know? That that really is concerned about them winning. Because you know what? Experior gets it. If if the new agents and everybody that joins us, if they all win, everybody wins. Yeah. Yeah. And so ⁓ that's that's what we're about and that's why we're growing so fast is is ⁓ is the heart of this company that that they do really care. Yeah. And they prove it to me over and over and over again that and then when you're working for a friend that really cares, when you sit down with your family, they can feel that. They can feel that you're here. I n I need to help you. they want a solution, but right now I'm not really sure what to give you until I really understand, you know, what you can afford for that. We can make sure that it stands the test of time. Yeah. Yeah. So so
you mentioned Linable. ⁓ I've been on the platform for probably a little over three years. ⁓ you know, to to to increase my visibility on the platform, one of the things that I do is I publish content on a regular basis, ⁓ on a daily basis. ⁓ in and then, you know, different groups on my my own ⁓ page on Lineable. ⁓ I have my own group on Lineable, so I post in that group. ⁓ but I'm the question I have is is do you post it in content? Whether it's ⁓ it doesn't have to be unalignable, but d do you post content in general at at all as a way to help people understand the knowledge you have in ⁓ in the in the what you do. So d ⁓ so I did ⁓ find a person who she was actually at Yellow Pages and she ⁓ she convinced me to work with her. And she was quite amazing. And she went through Everything, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google My Business, YouTube. And she does it this all has to have the same name. And then she listened to me for an hour and a half. And then she gave me a script. You need to memorize this script and you need to do this script with without looking at anything. with your phone vertical, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, ⁓ so I've been following so I like to go for a hike in the morning and that's when I I sort of ⁓ find ideas and I'm walking through a bush. And I'll and I'll do a quick video a video, minute and thirty seconds. And it's I want my videos to be raw. I want them to know that I'm human, right? Yeah. Yeah. And so I I'm doing videos and I'm doing ⁓ I'm so she says you need to educate the families on the ⁓ words that they don't understand. Yeah. What's a state? What is an estate? Yeah. You know? And so ⁓ you know, take those words and explain them. And so that's what I've been doing now is trying to simplify. And ⁓ I'm getting some traction ⁓ on it TikTok, which I'm not really TikTok's kinda kinda crazy. Yeah. But I'm I'm meeting the other person that really is concerned and wants some help. And so they're they're following my videos. And ⁓ and and yeah. And and you know, who who is your y you know, well describe your your ideal client, you know, age, ⁓ you know, any any any characteristics. Well, I'd I'd prefer to get to a client ⁓ where we have time to plan. Yeah. Right? Twenty to thirty years. I I don't understand that. Don't call me when you're fifty seven and say, I think I'm gonna start planning for retirement. Yeah. Because money makes money, right? And so we need time for money to make money. And so ⁓ twenty dollars a week is a thousand dollars a year. And so we have to get our families to start somewhere. And so yeah, ⁓ I prefer them to be but then also families who are ⁓ already who have tons of development, but now they've they've amassed ⁓ this ⁓ family wealth and now they just not for sure they don't know for sure how to transition it to the family efficiently. And so I'm looking for families that want to do this. And ⁓ di the rules are a little bit different in in ⁓ Canada and the US but ⁓ Like I say, we have agents in
the US that understand that. So ⁓ yeah, it's just ⁓ and and take ⁓ through that big picture. Like you said, ⁓ all their passwords, people forget about that. And then ⁓ how many Facebook pages are still up for for people that pass away that they can't close down? Yeah, yeah. So when you when you're ⁓ recording all this content ⁓ are and you and you you you you said ⁓ which is one of the right things to do, explain things because what what you do is one, it's inc incredibly complex and a lot of people don't understand it. But ⁓ but things around say estate planning, wealth management, you know, those topics, helping people I mean, are you are you explaining those topics so that people understand that the you know, what those topics are and and why they're important, as well as ⁓ issues like, you know, what are you going to do if you actually outlive your retirement ⁓ revenue, right? ⁓ so that that that again is another topic that I think a lot of people are probably gonna come face to face with that aren't planning for that and aren't aren't prepared for it. And, you know, so so again, you know, talking about these types of things, making these types of subjects accessible, ⁓ I think would help, you know, one, it's clearly gonna build trust, but it's also gonna help get you in front of people and differentiate you from other agents, right? So so ⁓ you know, t talk about whether are are you doing any of that now? Yeah, you're right. You know, we do the math for them, you know, based on your your ⁓ income and what your holdings are, if you maintain this income level, ⁓ you're not gonna it's not gonna hold out. I mean what if you live till you're a hundred and so y ⁓ yeah you're absolutely right. And ⁓ it's just yeah families need somebody to do the math for them. ⁓ I'm happening to be ⁓ I happen to like math. I happen to like numbers. I'm a Seduco pro. I like Seduco. But ⁓ you know, ⁓ it's just really ⁓ doing that math and and getting them in front of it, getting them to think about it and you know. Well ⁓ in Canada, like the yeah, what I was gonna say is ⁓ I I'll I'll I'll I'll I'll share with a story. I'll tell a story of something that happened to a family that families can identify with. And this is crap. Maybe we should maybe we should take a look at that. Like ⁓ birth ⁓ the one common problem, especially in Canada, is families who have got their house paid for. ⁓ now they've decided, you know, they can't they don't want to take care of a house anymore. So they're gonna sell the house and they're gonna move to their apartment. And they take that cash to the bank. Right. And ⁓ we we can't name beneficiary on cash. at the bank. The banks are not allowed to do that, thank God. And so we can actually move that money to an insurance company and invest it for them in a in a a segregated fund, which I don't think you're familiar with in the US. But ⁓ we can name beneficiary and we can protect the assets a hundred percent. This is the education we need
to do 'cause families are waiting eighteen months for money that ⁓ has to go through probate. But Maybe it doesn't have to go through probate. So what does and what doesn't? And let's make sure that the cash for tax liabilities is in the estate. That's what other families don't understand. They give out all the money and then that poor person who didn't know they were the executor has now got a bill that they have to pay for taxes and all the money's gone. Okay. And so now they have to call a family friend and say famil their family and say, Look at I need, you know, ten thousand dollars from each of you to pay a to pay the tax bill and they don't have to give the money. They don't have to. So ⁓ that's pretty scary. And that's why we say the the executor needs to know what their job is and what they're dealing with. Yeah, yeah. So you you mentioned this a little bit earlier. You you you you but I wanna I wanna bring this back up. So you know part of you know you you you you said that you were recording videos, which is great. You you need to create content and publish content. Because that helps build trust. But there's always the issue of as a business owner, entrepreneur, however you categorize yourself. ⁓ when we're trying to convey the our our own message, ⁓ the problem is that, you know, you you you have to deal with that that you know, building trust issue. And so it's not that you can't overcome that, but it takes a lot of work, right? An easier way to to do this is to leverage ⁓ what we call a evangelists, right? So to get real customers to tell their stories for you, you know. ⁓ and and then, you know, because at the end of the day, a new a potential customer is going to listen to an existing customer before they listen to you and will trust them before they trust you only because they view them as a peer, not as someone trying to sell something to them, right? And so because they look at you as, hey, well, Peter's trying to sell me something. I don't know whether he's taken the time to really investigate whether, you know, or what my problem is and has come up with a solution that ideally solves my problem if he can solve my problem, or whether, you know, he's getting com you know, ⁓ disproportionately compensated for selling a particular product and that's why he's pitching this. He's making it sound like I need this, but I you know, do I really need this? I don't know. And so, you know, the the the as much as you can get ⁓ these evangelists or advocates to to sell on your behalf, the better off you're gonna be. So so in in all of the content that you're creating, are you have you considered reaching out to co existing customers you that you have that you know have good stories of ⁓ you know, these good great before and after stories, ⁓ because of your intervention, helping them with their financials. finances that, you know, can you can get them on camera and talk about what you've done for them and how what you've done for them has transformed their families' lives. You know, 'cause I think that would be incredibly compelling. No, that that that's very interesting. I I'm right away I'm thinking go about go Google reviews where I can get a client when I'm finished with them to do a Google review. But but it I you know it's not really it it's it's it's something it it really would help. Yeah. But But I gotta I you know, there's something really hit home for me, like, you know, after being in the industry for twenty years. ⁓ I'm certainly have some families pass away. ⁓ some members pass away and sometimes it's a surprise where I'm getting a phone call from the husband I had never talked to before. I go, ⁓ what's going on? And ⁓ and I'm and we're learning. and then I get a phone call from ⁓ another special client. I call them special because ⁓ ⁓ they I inherited them and I'm just I just go over and do reviews and and we have a nice visit and they're getting older and she's teaching to me that her husband's got dementia. She's gonna need some help. ⁓ but she ⁓ in the conversation said, You feel like family. I said, Wow, that really that really hit home. Yeah. She said, You re you feel like family to me and ⁓ I'm I'm I appreciate that. And so ⁓ you know, they've named all three of their kids to be the executor and I said, That's a mistake. Just choose one. And they just said, We don't know who to choose. Well, just choose one you think is the smartest. Well, well, ⁓ the again, your stories are they're they're hitting so close to home. ⁓ as I mentioned, I was at my mother's last all last week. And ⁓ so first day I'm up there, she pulls out a piece of paper, you know, or actually there's a couple pieces of paper, and it was, you know, it w it it was it it was ⁓ the marshalling of their estate, right? So it was all here are all your liabilities, here are all your assets, da da da da you know, and she's like, This looked like your handwriting. You did you write this? And I'm like, I look at, yeah, I I wrote that. She's like, when did you do this? Like, I have no idea, mom. I you know, I don't recall. And ⁓ and then she we're we're we're thinking about it and she's like, I think your dad asked you to do this. And she said, it shocked me when she you know, she said when she found it because she was like, Dad didn't like to share his finances with anybody. And it was like I he said, I was surprised when I actually found this. I knew it was your handwriting. And I'm like, I I don't know when he asked you to do this, but it shocked me that he actually asked you to do this. You know, and ⁓ and so you me you mentioned ⁓ dementia. My my dad was diagnosed with dementia three years ago, and that's what ultimately caused his demise. But ⁓ when I thought about it, it was probably six months before he was diagnosed with dementia, he called me up one day and it and again, my dad was, you know, just like, you know, did not disclose financial information with anybody. And he's like, can you come up
you know, my parents live in Syracuse, New York. He's like, Can you come up to to Syracuse ⁓ for a couple of days? And I'm like, Absolutely. What what what's going on? What do you need? He's like, ⁓ I just I need you to go through and tell me everything that I have. You know, so I want you to go through all all of my all of my paperwork and, you know, figure out how much money I have, where it's at, and all that good stuff. ⁓ okay. So I did that and didn't think anything about it, you know, other than the fact that I was just surprised that he asked me to do it. But ⁓ I you know, the as I was talking to my mother, I was like, I'm I'm wondering whether he actually knew something was happening, right? Because that happened right before I mean a couple of months before he was diagnosed. And it was just would be weird for him to ask me to do that, you know, at that time knowing who he was. And ⁓ you know, but he did and and and again, a couple of months later he's he gets diagnosed with dementia and thank God he asked me to do that when he asked me to do it. Actually not only did he do that, but then he took me to his broker and ⁓ and had me added to the account as assignee. And ⁓ and again, you know, and changing his will and all this good stuff and made me an executor and You know, I I didn't know why he was doing all this. I'm I was incredibly happy that he did it because again, we went through that a couple of years ago. We had gone through a similar thing with my older sister a decade earlier, and we didn't have all of that. She didn't do anything. So now I'm trying to figure all this out after she had passed, which took me a long time to do. ⁓ you know, ⁓ at least with my dad, because we had done all this stuff in advance when he passed. You know, it was really easy to you know, we just met with the lawyer again. We had already, you know, they had given us this you know, you talk about, you know, ten or twenty pages. I mean w they they they have a binder that's literally in like two hundred pages, ⁓ where we went through and you know, we we had to account for everything and ⁓ you know, give you know, provide titles and all you know, just all kinds of stuff. But it just made the process so much easier once he passed to to you know, we we All I had to do was create a trust for my mother and move everything into the into her trust. So Yeah. Yeah. No, it's it's ⁓ I just had another family ⁓ pass away. I don't ⁓ did I talk with Stan, Stan and Val? Did I talk to Stan? Yeah, okay. But poor Stan, he doesn't ⁓ he d he she did everything. And so ⁓ because we've done reviews after review with with ⁓ his wife Valerie, ⁓ I was able to help him. And guide him through that through that process because ⁓ he didn't really know where what was where. And so it was easy for him because ⁓ I I I knew where everything was. So that that's interesting why, you know, you have somebody as the third party that ⁓ has all that information and perhaps maybe ⁓ all those passwords and everything are in in his file. Maybe not a good idea, but most people don't have safes or anything like that that they can ⁓ keep. ⁓ keep stuff that they want to keep private. So, you know, maybe put it into a document and ⁓ can you share this with my family when something should happen. Yeah, yeah. But but you could put something on a flash drive and put a flash drive in a safe deposit box or something at a at a at a b at a bank, right? Right, yes. And and just let someone know that okay, well you know or let the bank know if I pass My spouse, significant other can access, you know, my my safe deposit box, you know, set all that stuff up, let them know in advance, you know, all of my information's on a flash drive in the safe deposit box. You can't get it until I die, but when I die, the bank knows that you're the person that can access this. All you need is to go in, get this flash drive, hook it up to a computer and you'll you'll everything you need, you'll you'll have. Yeah, that's a good idea there. Definitely that's a good idea. Yeah. Yeah. So this is ⁓ Yeah. Marketing ⁓ is ⁓ is becoming like I said, I think education videos, so short short videos that people will stick around and watch. ⁓ and just you know, I'm just also learning that my simple is still isn't simple enough. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When when I try to simplify it's I'm being told it's still not simple enough. I said Yeah. Well what the one thing is I I I always tell people is, ⁓ explain what you do. Well so Here's the concept. So so when you when you, you know, explain things down, right? So if someone, you know, thinks you're being too simplistic, they'll let you know, right? And then you can elevate the conversation. But if if on the other hand they think that your conversation is too elevated and they can't understand it, they're not gonna admit it. They don't wanna they don't want to appear stupid. So they're not gonna say anything. They'll just s ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And you know, they're not listening to a word because they don't understand what you're saying. So now you're you're under the pressure. ⁓ they're nodding their head, yes. So they they're getting all this. You know. And then it's like, you know, you leave and it's like, why didn't you do what I asked you to do? Yeah, well, I didn't understand what you're talking about. Well, you were nodding your head, yes, you know. So what I tell people to do is is explain things like you're explaining it to a five year old, right? And and and so that a five year old not only understands it, but can re you know, can repeat it to you ⁓ with that understanding, right? ⁓ because again, if that's usually simple enough that so anybody can get it. But again, if if you're p speaking too simplistically for someone, they're they'll they'll let you know. But they won't they won't do that the other way around. So th I think that's always a a good way to here's an example for you. I have a an electrician. I I said to
a le if I'm working with an electrician, I said ⁓ can you explain to me how a three way switch works? Yeah, yeah. And and so he'll he'll start and I said that don't bother because many electricians have tried to explain it and I still don't get it. So that's like like life insurance, right? ⁓ if you if you don't have any knowledge of it and ⁓ you're maybe not interested ⁓ to really care to educate yourself on it. That's where one thing that really bothers me when they talk about ⁓ agents talk about educating families. Educ families don't want to be educated. They just they just want somebody that's gonna come in and help. They don't want education. Yeah. They're done education. Yeah. They finished education, they're done. So this is where look at ⁓ what I put in place and and I want your accountant and lawyer to see this 'cause I'm not trying to hide anything. Yeah. Yeah. And then and then they feel comfortable and say this is in our best interest. Yeah, yeah. So so we've talked about you're you're you're creating a lot of content. So ⁓ what are you doing as it relates to ⁓ partnering with other with other agents? I mean are do you know, how do you partner with other agents? Do you guys do seminars together? You know, what what how you know, talk about what you're doing there. You yeah, this this the that's something since I've got the ⁓ well, I'm falling into philanth philanth philanthropy. Philanthropy. And that is giving the charity and it creates a large tax deduction, especially in Canada. ⁓ I've discovered this ⁓ because I have a client that just ⁓ came to me, she has a million dollars in RSP. Yeah. ⁓ that's that's a very serious problem because when that's forced out of that ⁓ at her final estate, that's half of it's going to tax. And so I need to melt that down as fast as possible. And I need to find ways to do that efficiently. So I gotta teach her efficiently. ⁓ to how to do that. And so sorry Jeff, I lost my train of thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no, no problem. What was your point? Well we were talking about, you know, how are you partnering with other agents? You know, are you are you doing webinars, seminars, things like that? I would love to do ⁓ information meetings with lawyers and CPAs, but ⁓ what's inter interesting I had a CPA who who ⁓ he was gonna yeah, I'll get back to you. I said look at I market to over thirty five CPAs. Not one of them is interested in I I think they're afraid to recommend an insurance bank 'cause they don't get it. Yeah. What they don't get is I've got CPAs that understand and if they don't get it, I'll have that C P A. 'Cause I ⁓ y you use the wrong word with a C PA and they're they're going off the I said, Hold it. I thought you were a C P A, not an English teacher. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah. But you know, you have to use you have to have somebody that speaks certain language to be able to to do that. And so, ⁓ ⁓ I I met a lawyer last night ⁓ networking and so very interesting that that the
legwork that I can do for him so that he doesn't have to charge billable hours. ⁓ you know, they don't want to charge those billable hours to clean up the mess. Yeah. But if I can get a pretty good understanding of what's going on, I'll send them to you when they're ready for you. And he appreciates that 'cause then he can do what he does best. Yeah. But you know what? ⁓ the You know, sometimes y ⁓ families need a more sophistic sophisticated process and ⁓ it's out of my wheelhouse. So I'm leaning on the account and the lawyer to help me structure that, right? Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ are are you doing any ⁓ are you focusing on any specific niches? For instance, ⁓ you know, business owners who are going through the success y you know, ⁓ business accession process, right? ⁓ the you know, they they ⁓ maybe these are business owners who are in their fifties and sixties who have been doing this for twenty, thirty years but are looking to retire. Maybe they have children. ⁓ they you know, a child or several children may have expressed an interest in still not being involved in the business. Now they want to transfer, you know, that might be an an an area that you could, you know, do some work in that that again might might help. Yeah, we're hoping to get in front of that with more time to plan. Right. Yeah. And that's the the the thing is business owners are so busy doing running their business that ⁓ that they don't have time to research ⁓ in their concerns. And they don't know who they they you know, accountants and lawyers cost money. And so they're they try to wing it. And ⁓ and so when when they could bring a guy in with my resources that could be that guy, ⁓ that can first of all, no, I I'll customize group health benefits first. ⁓ bring in a ⁓ that's a biggest thr their side. Health costs are going through the roof. So if we can if we can lower their costs in house spending, and then ⁓ the money I save now I can put towards maybe the buy sell agreement is ⁓ way out of date. ⁓ they need funding for the company's growing, but they haven't updated their insurance ⁓ for how do they buy their partner's shares out? And then ⁓ extra money that's in the business. How do we move that to the family efficiently? ⁓ so starts with ⁓ just developing that relationship and I usually start with health benefits. ⁓ then you know if you're working with a company then you get the employees. And I and ⁓ you know what? If I can give your employees more perks, I say to the business owner, a happy employee is a productive employee. Yeah. Yeah. And so if we can get the employees and sometimes if I got ⁓ some ⁓ younger agents who are starting out they might get ⁓ they might cut their teeth on on people who are just starting out ⁓ planning in in the financial industry and and learn. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody wins and we all grow together and we can advise each other and help each other. Yeah. So with what I do, you know, I'm gonna make a suggestion. So ⁓ with what I do, I I I'm b I basically, you know, coach entrepreneurs on scaling, exponentially scaling their business towards a desired exit, right? So one of the things that I have is a free checklist that I give to entrepreneurs that talk about, you know, if you're if you if you're interested in e exponentially scaling your venture, here are the things that every entrepreneur since the beginning of time has done to exponentially scale their business. Here are the here are the areas that you need to be concerned about. And I provide that in the form of a free checklist. ⁓ Is there something like that that you have or can create that would help people, let's say, you know, on ⁓ retirement planning? you know, a checklist that, you know, and ⁓ maybe it's in the form of, you know, hey, if you're thinking about retirement, you know, ⁓ here are the twenty five questions you need to be asking yourself, right? ⁓ thirty questions, you know, ⁓ ten questions, whatever it is, you know, to to to you know, w when someone s sees this and reads this and it's like you don't have to give them so much information where it's like they don't now that I don't well I don't need Peter now 'cause he's giving me all the solutions, right? But but you know, maybe it's again in the form of questions. And now it's like, hm, ⁓ well, do I have a will? ⁓ you know? No, I don't. I I don't even know where to go to get one. Let me reach out to Peter and and ask him, you know, what what am I supposed to do? You know? So I I have you thought of creating something like that or do you already have something like that? Well, Jeffrey, that's actually really helpful. I've got a couple of business owners that I've had their buy sell agreement now for twelve years. And ⁓ I keep going back. They're very busy business owners. ⁓ and ⁓ I c I I asked them, guys, the insurance that you have for your bicep, is it still adequate? Can you check with your client, with your account? Took me a year to get the answer. Wow. And they came back to me and they said, We're actually four million dollars short each. Wow. And they have a million dollars on them on themselves right now. And I said, ⁓ my god. Guys, that's a very serious problem. And do you think I can get them to the table? And so I I think they don't I keep telling them you guys don't understand the resources I have available to me. But if I actually put those resources into a checklist, yeah, I think that might be the ticket for me. Yeah. Yeah. Is to put the resources into a checklist to say, here's guys, here's where I think I can help you. Let me know, do you have this stuff covered? Yeah, yeah. And again, it's not giving them the solution, right? It's it's it's giving them a free document that gets them thinking about, ⁓ my God, I didn't realize, you know, I I you know, this is important. You know, this is one, this topic is important. And I I really like that. I really, really like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because it it it what it what it is, it's it's a conversation
starter, right? It's something that makes them think and it's like, okay, well, I know this is important, I need to take care of this. I I don't have the solution in this document, but I need to reach out to someone. Well, I might as well reach out to the person who gave me this, right? I mean, 'cause ⁓ more than likely, if he if he was able to create this, he either knows the answer or at least he knows who to go to to get the answer, right? Yes. ⁓ you're giving me some ideas here. Certain Especially no, I'm I'm really frustrated because I what I don't wanna ⁓ I don't wanna something something to happen to one or the other. I've c I've called them on the phone, guys, you're four million dollars short. And and they get frustrated with me. We're working on it. We're working on it. What are you working on? What's the plan, guys? Please. I don't wanna have to go to your wife and say Yeah. I don't know what happened. I don't know. I've Yeah, yeah. I drove them crazy with it with emails such like guys, let's get to let's get to this. Right, right, right, right, right. So ⁓ here's what they said to me. This they said to me, Why would we trust you when my lawyers and accountants go to school for four or five years to learn what they do? Yeah. And my answer was I have lawyers and accountants who went to school for four or five years who understand how to apply insurance in your business. Yeah. That's who I lean on. And that's one of my resources. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well I I I didn't know going to school makes you trustworthy. I makes you a little more knowledgeable, hopefully. But ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. ⁓ well, you know, another thing that that ⁓ so I so get I don't know whether in what you do, whether you have like geographic territories or or you know What what's the extent w which you can help clients? But but ⁓ have you you know, if if what you do is very local based, ⁓ have you ⁓ you know, is there anything that you're doing locally? You know, you know, every every geographic area you usually has associations, chambers of commerces where you can go and and you know, speak, you know, ⁓ about what you do. You know, are are you doing any of that? Yeah, no, not really. ⁓ That that's that's ⁓ that's another great opportunity too as well. I actually ⁓ I I've aligned since ⁓ philanthropy. ⁓ last night I met somebody was looking for somebody who can speak on this for charities. And so I I'm looking for charities that high quality charities who are who need help, ⁓ that families wanna give to them. And so there's ⁓ it's it's very it's very complicated. It's gonna take me a while to get through that cer certification. But I will certify in this so that I can So I can be the expert. Yeah. And that they're ⁓ we're already lining up information meetings. ⁓ I'm I'm aligned with ⁓ you know, Legal Shield has has been ⁓ another very interesting opportunity where I align with legal shield reps to help families with their membership to get ⁓ two wills in place, which is when I saw that this is crazy. Yeah. ⁓ that families can do that. But I always tell them, look at take on the membership, get the wills done, and if you don't want to keep the membership, cancel it. No, I sh I didn't say that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, but you know, that that's that's the thing is is is getting the solutions to the family so that they can get their get what they need done ⁓ reasonable at a reasonable price, right? Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Well w we had talked about the the checklist and I I I know I mentioned retirement planning ⁓ as a topic for that checklist, but another topic could be wealth transfer, right? ⁓ 'cause that's that's another huge thing that I that I I don't I I think a lot of people end up having to do, ⁓ you know, obviously at some point in their life, but but probably don't know a lot about, right? I think, you know, retirement and and you know, we all we all retire at some point. ⁓ hopefully we accumulate some some amount of wealth and we're transferring it to someone, you know, or or or you know, w hopefully we're transferring it to someone 'cause if we're not, the state's gonna take it, you know. ⁓ so so putting together guides or or questionnaires around those two topics might be ⁓ you know really good things to do. You you I'm sure you you you you have other ideas on things you could create questionnaires around. But you know ⁓ I I'll I've I've had you on for a while, so I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna wrap this up. But ⁓ but ⁓ the last suggestion I have is is ⁓ you know d does your organization do any complimentary financial analysis? Not for everybody, obviously that you know you wouldn't make any money if you did that. But doing it for a small, you know, hey, you know, you could have some kind of event or whatever where, hey, the first five people to register get a free complementary financial analysis as a way to, you know, because again, this is getting what you do out into the marketplace. It's it's getting, you know, hopefully some some customers that, you know, now you you you have case studies that you can again begin to to ⁓ to market to the to the rest of the of the of the people. So I don't know whether you do any of any of that type of stuff. Yeah, so the the analysis is actually included in in our a plan that we do for our clients. Because we do have a tool in our back office that all we have to do is just plug in ⁓ all their ⁓ all their information, all their assets, and it does the analysis for us. And we put in their goals and concerns and we can get that. And it doesn't actually take that long to do. It looks like we did a lot of work. Because the tool doesn't let it work for it. And it also incorporates ⁓ any funds you're getting from the government and and stuff like that. But families do appreciate that. And I said based on what you've told me and s and the goals you've set, ⁓ this is how much money you're gonna need to set aside to get there. Okay. Or you're gonna run out of money. Based on
what you wanna take for income, you're gonna run out when you're seventy six. Right. And so we either start saving more now or lower your expectations on retirement. Okay. Okay. So does that analysis happen before they're officially clients and they're managing money with you or or ⁓ or does that happen, they become a client and now you're doing that analysis for them. ⁓ that's ⁓ the using the first steps we do is really ⁓ gathering all that information and put it into that tool. And based on what you've told me today, this is what I'm recommending 'cause it's gonna say, look at your short on insurance. Your insurance is is short. You need more insurance. So it incorporates everything. And so ⁓ you're adequately insured. I I'm not an over insurer myself too, 'cause sometimes just even getting a large sum of money, even though you don't pay off the mortgage, if you just put the money in the bank and you have something to live off, 'cause why pay off the house? What what are you gonna what are you gonna live on after the house is paid for? Yeah. So This is where I help families to sell. We don't you know, it it ⁓ the tool tells me you need one point two million dollars worth of insurance. But I think if you had eight hundred thousand, that could be adequate to where you could actually in save it and invest it. And and maybe accelerate the mortgage, pay it down faster. Yeah. But these are the suggestions we give. But most agents like myself like to say, ⁓ you need two point five million dollars worth of insurance and if you don't have that in place, you're screwed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So a lot of people are screwed then. Yeah. So no, I th that the we got a lot of great ideas there, ⁓ the checklists and guidance. So so I'm wondering with with so that analysis, and again I'm I'm you know, I've I haven't worked with you or worked with your organization. I just know having gone through this process with, you know, people my my parents were dealing with, you know, they g they gave us this, you know, as I said, it's probably a a two hundred page binder that it's it's incredible, incredibly valuable information. But it was a huge process to get to to document all that, right? And I'm wondering whether, you know, so so your process may end up giving people the same, same, you know, valuable information. But that again, that process of documenting all that, it's it's it's it's it's it can be viewed as cumbersome from the perspective of client, right? You know. ⁓ and I'm wondering whether that there there can be a simplified tool that that you guys come up with. that maybe only it only evaluates one aspect of their of their wealth. Maybe it's, you know, this tool's gonna gonna talk only about your home, right? And and it's gonna we're gonna give you, you know, just based on we're gonna ask you a couple questions, we're gonna feed this into the tool, and it's gonna spit out, you know, some great information about your home. ⁓ and nothing else, right? Because and and what what we're trying to accomplish, ⁓ And obviously you don't have to explain all this to someone, but ⁓ w what what we're trying to accomplish is you get a sense of, you know, the the extent to which ⁓ which we can help you, right? You're getting some great information about your home. It's only one thing, but it's you're getting some great information and you're seeing what we what we can actually do, what our capabilities are. And it's like, wow, if they could do this as as it relates to analyzing my home, you know, I haven't even told this guy that I have, you know. I have all these other things, you know. I have a business, I have, you know, banks bank accounts, I have a trust account, I have again and so on so forth. And you know, wow, if he could do this, give me this kind of breakdown analysis with my home, may maybe I need to become a client, sit down with him tell him everything. And and if he can do what he did with the my home with all these other things, I'm gonna be w way better off than I am today. No, that's good. You give me a lot of ideas, like for example, like ⁓ family. So I mean I mean in the US, ⁓ it's it pays for you to have a a large mortgage because you can deduct it in your taxes. But in Canada it does not. And so but ⁓ for a family to take twenty five years to pay off a house can is kind of it's long, you know, and you pay all the interests up front. And so what what I'm suggesting is ⁓ and it sometimes it's really tough. That's why we do big picture planning is you've got to you've got to have a plan for retirement savings and you've got to start now. We're gonna pay down debt. ⁓ we also gotta put the kids through the sporting events and everything and everything that's going on. And so where does all this money come from? Right. And that's why we knew when you do the big picture planning and that we can show them where the waste is and redirect it. And and start start a plan now. Let's let's pay your health off ten years early. Would that be of interest to you? Yeah. And so you can get that behind you. And ⁓ yeah, it's possible if ⁓ if we can stuff if you if you stay if you stick to it. Right. Yep. Yeah, well, you just brought up another thing. I'm going through an exercise now where where ⁓ I'm working with I I I I my my tech team. ⁓ I incredibly competent tech team, but they're they're building some stuff for me on my website. And ⁓ and so they're like, you know, hey, we what we'd like to do is we'd like for everybody to just come to your website and say, ⁓ you know, your website is all in one encompassing tool. And I'm like, ⁓ I love that. I said So I need to get you my my list of all the things I'm paying subscriptions for to see what can be added to the website and what should I just continue to pay a as a one off, you know? And, you know, and and then, you know, I literally had to go through all my checkbook, my all my my my ⁓ credit card accounts to to see what what am I paying subscriptions
for? I well I created this huge list. So I'm like, ⁓ my God, I didn't realize I'm spending all this money on all these different things, d you know, and I was like, I wonder whether I actually still need this stuff, you know, and and you know, and again, talking to my tech guys, I'm like, tell me what you can incorporate into the website where I don't have to pay those anymore. And they they they were able to tell me, hey, here's something we could add. I'm like paying like a hundred dollars a month for that, you know. I mean that's not a it's not you know, it's not gonna bankrupt me, but you know, again, that's twelve hundred dollars a year. You know, and again, I I I don't know whether a lot of people go through and analyze you know, what they're paying for that they're not even you know, th then you know, it's it it seems like an insignificant amount of money, but y if you have enough of these things that you you know, it c it could be it could actually be pretty significant. You're so right. That's what we discover when we go through the budget. Well, where's all the money going? What's a hydro bill, what's a water bill, what's T V bill, what's your T V cable, what's your cable bill? ⁓ Gym memberships. How many people buy a gym membership in January? And the and then they go to the gym for three weeks and then they stop going to the gym and they continue to pay that membership. And I said, Why are you paying for this? And they said, Because we think we might go back. We think we might go back to the gym. And I said, Well, why don't you cancel it for now? And if you want to go back, start it back up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I can do better than that. Again, it's like having this conversation with you, it's like therapy for me. You know. I in the last year I've joined and it's the same gym. I've joined it three different times, right? So I joined it, I'm like, Okay, I need to work out. I'm joining the gym. Joined, got my membership, you know. A and you know, two months later I'm like, I haven't stepped foot in the gym other than to sign up. I need to cancel this. I canceled. You know, a month later I'm like, God, I really need to work out. Let me let me rejoin again. I'll I'll I'll d I'll do it this time. You know, ⁓ th th you know, two months passed by I hadn't stepped foot in the gym. You know, I had canceled again. I did it a third time. Then I've I've again canceled it a third time and I was like, Okay, I'm not doing this again. ⁓ I I'm gonna start working out at home. If I can s if I can start working out at home and do it, you know, and and create a routine where I know I'm gonna do this every day, maybe I'll go back and join the gym again. So that that's kind of where I'm at with that. Well, it's become a prospecting tour for me 'cause I go to the gym six days a week. I take Sundays off 'cause my wife and I hike on Sundays. But ⁓ ⁓ you know, ⁓ one of my fellow agents w when I was in a a team environment, one of the top one of the top guys asked, Pete, how how do you prospect? And I said, You know what? ⁓ I've I've been meeting ⁓ people ⁓ in the sauna at the gym. Wow. He goes, Ca can you can you explain that? I Yeah, the sauna's a great opportunity for us to sit and talk. Like what do you do? Right? And and and furthermore, ⁓ we're both naked, so we got nothing to hide. Yeah, yeah, right, right. I've met business owners in the sauna where we where we can have a chat and ⁓ talk about things he needs to deal with. And then he says, Yeah, you're right. I need to get on top of that. And so, you know, we're now we get out of the sauna. I pass him a card and says, Give me a call when ⁓ when when you have a chance. So I've met quite a few people at the gym. Just and you know, and I love the sauna after a workout. Yeah. Yeah. And and you know what? Right now at our age, Jeffrey. Yeah. ⁓ stretching is important and and ⁓ not so much the working out hard, it's really putting my body through a stretching process. Yeah. So my dad's eighty nine, he can't get out of bed anymore. Wow because he never he never he never kept up to it and now he hasn't got the strength to get up. It's unfortunate. But I said I said to Dad, thank you for this because now I'm learning that I need to I need to stay consistent on my stretching, getting up and down, you know, ⁓ building that strength to be able to do that. Yeah, yeah. Well, that that that's what finally got me into and I'm still exercising at home, but I've I've been pretty consistent with it and but it was it was thinking about, you know, ⁓ particularly with, you know, my dad's passing and you know, I'm like if I'm if I'm gonna live that long, you know, ⁓ I I wanna be able to, you know, be able to get around like I do na you know, obviously I'm gonna s I'll slow down, but be able to get around without, you know ⁓ help and and all this good stuff. ⁓ so in order for me to do that, you know, I probably need to start exercising r regularly, you know. So ⁓ so that and I'd I'd already started eating healthy a couple of decades ago. So so that that piece I had down is like, okay, but Jeff, you need to actually move your body. You know. So ⁓ so yeah. So I had a little experiment this weekend. I was with my grandkids five three and my son is thirty in his early thirties and his wife the same. And so I said, I lined them up and I said, guys, you know what I've learned from my father is ⁓ if mobility is important, getting up and down. So I want you to put your hands on your head and I want you to sit down. And you can't touch the ground. Sit down. The grandkids I knew had no problem doing that. They sat down and stood right back up again. My son my son had to cheat. He said, Can I do this? I said, Yeah, whatever. You can't use your hands. Whatever you gotta do to get back up, you can't use your hands. And of course the wife had no problem doing it because she still had flexibility. But ⁓ it was very interesting. Wow. Wow. Yeah. I know you got yeah, I
mean, I'm I'm gonna try that w w when we're finished. I I may have to wait until one of my daughters comes home, so just in case I get stuck in the chair, I got someone who can pull me out. Here's one more for you. Do you you ⁓ be when you put your socks and shoes on, pick your foot up, put your sock on, put your shoe on, and tie it. All in one operation and then put your foot down. Okay, okay. My son my other son asked me to stand up on one foot how long can I st I couldn't stand. Well I had a couple of beers, so I go I'm gonna try when I but stand up with on one foot with your eyes closed, how long can you stand? That that was an interesting little test. So anyway. But that's that's what we ⁓ you know, that I I made a video talking to people about the small things we do can add up to be big things long term. Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah. Stretching, you'll live longer and taking care of your body, eating better. You know, if if you're gonna eat better and live longer, you better make sure your money's gonna last. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely, absolutely. Well, you know, Peter, I I've absolutely enjoyed this conversation. Thank you very much for taking the time, ⁓ you know, to ⁓ to come on, you know, this new format of a podcast with me. You know, hopefully I've I've ⁓ ⁓ giving you something that ⁓ you know some food for thought. ⁓ no thank you. Yeah I'm coming away with some pretty good ideas here that I think I'm gonna im implement with my son. He's gonna he'll he'll put it he'll put them into an automation for sure. Okay, okay. Well well no I did w well that feedback. I did lose contact Go ahead, I'm sorry. Sorry Jeffrey. ⁓ I I lost contact with ⁓ a lot of clients through COVID. Yeah. And now it's I I want to reach back and and and and I think the checklist was going to be a great opportunity. Here's what I what I'm discovering where the families are concerned. You should do this. Take a look at this checklist. Let me know if I can help. Yeah. Yeah. Well th this feeds right into ⁓ you know, ⁓ so the format of the podcast has I want it to be one, bring someone on, hopefully to to let give them an opportunity to air out a problem, because I I know that You know, entrepreneurial problems are universal. We all experience them at some point during the course of our business. You know, some some experience them early, some in the middle, some late. and having a safe space where people could hear ⁓ other people talk about the problems they're having, ⁓ and and hopefully we we could brain jointly brainstorm some potential solutions ⁓ for the problems that get surfaced. And then, you know, ⁓ the the the where where I think the real value is going to come in is, you know, and I'm asking you to to come back after you've you see obviously going to walk away from this ⁓ with ⁓ y you know, some things that you're gonna try. But I I would love to have you come back whenever you're comfortable coming back and you've actually had an opportunity to try some stuff and get some feedback. ⁓ because I I I would love for you to share what you tried, what worked and what didn't work. You know, I I you know it I hope everything works, but but I I you know, I actually think it's equally valuable hearing what doesn't work because again, there are other people, whether they're in your industry or not, that i are experiencing similar issues as it relates to, you know, getting in front of clients, gaining trust of clients, and you know, and if they if they can hear, well, you know, Peter tried this, it didn't work. It it it accelerates their learning process. Because it they know, okay, don't try that. Try the things that that that Peter did that did work. Right. So so I would love to have you back on whenever again, whenever you're comfortable coming back on and and so, you know, that that that invitation is out there, you know, and and and hopefully you will come back. Yeah, well thank you, Jeffrey. And I definitely will I got I got some ideas here that I definitely wanna try. And ⁓ I'll definitely will share the share the result of that for sure. All right. Well again, thank you very much and ⁓ I I hope you have a great rest of day. Thank you very much.