← Top Advisor Podcast
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- [00:01]
A
Welcome to the Top Advisor podcast, brought to you by Proudmouth's Pod Rocket Academy. I'm your host, Bill Cates, creator of the Cates Academy for Relationship Marketing. In each episode, I interview one of our industry's top performers, getting them to pass on their secrets to success to you so that you can impact more lives and generate more income. Now, on to the show. Welcome. Welcome. For many advisors, the benchmark of a successful financial practice is $1 million in annual production. Some advisors hit that mark and then reach what Dan Sullivan used to call the ceiling of complexity. Other advisors never make the million dollar mark. And some don't aspire to that level of production. No judgment. But for those who do, why stop at a seven figure practice when it's possible to create an eight figure practice? And that's what today's guest has done. And even if you don't aspire to that level of production, I think you're going to find this interview extremely valuable. It's filled with ideas, perspectives that you can apply to your own situation. But first, by now, you've probably heard about my newest book, the Hidden Heist. Stop Robbing Yourself of Lasting. An irresistible tale of financial redemption. This book is unlike anything I've written before because it's a parable book co authored with Jeff C. West. It's suspenseful, it's insightful, it's surprisingly fun, a lot of comic relief, I have to say. And the story explores the beliefs and assumptions that keep many from building wealth or seeking financial guidance in the first place. It shares essential financial lessons without ever feeling like a textbook and definitely not designed to replace you. In fact, you'll be pleased to know that the Hidden Heist makes a strong case for for hiring a financial professional, so it supports the important work you do. One Advisor just ordered 25 copies of the Hidden Heist to give to his clients and prospects. We've had other advisors order up to 75 copies. Several advisors have told me that they're hosting money story conversations with both their teams and their clients with two main goals in mind. First, to make sure that their team's Money Talk self talk doesn't hold back the growth of the practice. And second, to bring more empathy and create more meaningful conversations with their clients. Not to do financial therapy, that's not your job, but to help your clients feel more fully understood and appreciated. I mean, the ultimate goal, I think, of most clients who seek work with financial professionals like yourself is to gain clarity, confidence and peace of mind. Therefore, I think it behooves you to demonstrate empathy and take actions designed to create that all important peace of mind for your clients. This enjoyable read combines a great story with an important message. It's available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle and Audible. If you're curious, just go to thehiddenheist.com thehiddenheist.com Everybody likes a good heist. Now, this episode of the Top Advisor podcast is made possible by Oberly Risk Strategies. They're a specialty insurance broker focused on ensuring high net worth individuals and families across the United States, specifically through home, auto and umbrella. More about Oberly in a few minutes and now on with today's show. We know that in this great industry of ours, men outnumber the women by a huge margin. And yet this great transfer of wealth that we're in the midst of is mostly going to women. Some estimates have women controlling more wealth than men by 2030. I believe that not only does our industry need more women advisors, it would be wonderful to start seeing more and more women appearing on those leaderboards. Well, today we have such a person. My featured guest today is Julia Carlson. Julia is the founder of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group, a firm in the top 1% of our industry. She's the author of a fascinating book, Money Loves you. And in her newest book, let's get yout How Entrepreneurs Scale to eight Figures by Letting Go and Leading With Vision is set for release on February 13th of 2026. Julia guides entrepreneurs to help them grow beyond the hustle to build companies that thrive without their constant presence. That'd be nice, wouldn't it? And create a legacy of generosity. Julia has a bold mission that we'll have her tell us about a little bit later. And that is to help 1,000 entrepreneurs scale to eight figures while giving $1 million each to causes they care about, therefore fueling a 1 billion movement for good. Yeah, I can't wait to hear about that. So, as you will see, Julia not only helps with all aspects of creating and implementing financial plans, she also helps many of her clients grow their businesses. I'd call this a great one, two punch and a clear and tangible differentiator that we all look for these days. So with all that preamble, Julia Carlson zooming in from Newport, Oregon. Welcome to Top Advisor Podcast. Hello.
- [05:20]
B
Thanks for having me, Bill. And you sent me this book and I'm so excited to dive into it. I love a good parable story and especially, you know, thinking about helping our clients with their money mindsets and stories. It really can hold people back. So I love what you're doing.
- [05:36]
A
Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, everybody loves a good heist, I like to say. Right? Get in on height. All right, so look, so many questions I want to ask rescue. You've done so well, and you've done it with pretty good balance and staying a really nice, generous person all in the process. So let's start with just a brief overview of your practice. Give us a little history of your firm, how you got started, if you don't mind. And then, you know, an executive briefing on your team a little bit, the structure and the culture.
- [06:04]
B
Okay, sure. So the money business has been my only, only business. I started working at a bank when I was 19 as a teller, and that bank had an investment. And, you know, I. I grew up. My parents had a very healthy relationship about money. They taught me about investing. I actually started my first mutual fund account when I worked at McDonald's when I was a teenager. And I realize now how uncommon that is. Um, but at the time, it was very normal for me. So when I. I was very curious. I would talk to the financial advisor as he would visit our branch each week, and found myself then becoming an assistant inside the investment department. Um, and I got licen. When I was 20, I was a registered assistant. And then by 23, I thought, okay, I'm ready to be a financial advisor. I really wanted to help people. And they said, great. The bank, they said, if you wait and the advisor moves or leaves, you can have that position. You see, I'm in a very rural area in Oregon, and so there just was an opportunity. And so a little while later, I decided to leave the bank. And then I worked with an insurance company that was captive. So even though I learned about investing, I learned more about insurance. And that was until 2009. And going through the Great Recession, having all insurance products, it wasn't a service to my client. And I didn't know any different at the time. But I'm like, man, there's gotta be a different way to how do we more holistically help my clients?
- [07:41]
A
Right?
- [07:41]
B
And so I left the insurance company and started what is now Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group. So I think starting over essentially after that recession was really hard. I was actually. I just had my third baby. And so it was a lot at that time. But, you know, we. One family at a time that we helped, adding one employee, team member at a time, and, you know, a lot in between here. But today we have a team of about 20. We serve about 1400 families nationwide. You know, our offices, we have four office locations in Oregon. But since the pandemic, like we've really expanded virtually across the nation, which has been fun. We are team led. So I have, I have a president, Jason, who is a partner in the firm as well now. And we have four people on like our executive team and then a management level and then the advising. So we're very structured, a very rich culture. We're very like, our core values are embracing our team culture and we actually teach this to our clients as well. Treat all people with respect, never compromise our integrity and delight our clients. So it's very much alive and in our culture. And, and we also like giving generously is, is ingrained in, in that too. And I can talk more about.
- [09:10]
A
Yeah, well, definitely going to get into that billion dollar mission. You're on A quick follow up to that. You know, in this industry of ours, we have a lot of folks that grow up on the insurance side, the protection side. That's what they know. That's mostly what they know. They learn a little bit about investment, but you know, they kind of know what they know and they lead with that. And there's other people that grow up on the investment side. They may bring an insurance specialist occasionally. Sometimes they see insurance as the stepchild, which I think it's a mistake. Personally. I'm, I'm just curious about having both talk about that.
- [09:46]
B
Yeah, I think I, you know, because I was like, I learned that first, I, I was, you know, very much passionate about that. And then, you know, going through this, the recession where people needed to access their, their money and you know, if it was in insurance products, you know, just inherently is harder. And so I think for me, so I probably swung one way and then I swung the other. And now I found this balance of like holistically, what is best for the client. How do we protect what they're doing, what they're building, what their legacy is. And so I think it all is there's a place for everything. And there's like the beauty is we get to integrate all of this into a plan for our clients.
- [10:27]
A
Yeah. And definitely the trend is that way. I mean, I, I interviewed a gentleman yesterday. He says I was a stockbroker and I just, I did a little internal double take. It's like I hadn't heard that term in quite some time. Right. You just don't hear that as much. Anyway, so let's move on to this eight figure practice of yours. So was it some clear decision that drove you to create this size of a company or Was it more or less? It kind of happened by virtue of doing good work and for the right people along the way.
- [11:04]
B
Yeah. I mean, I've always been pretty visionary and, like, had big goals and. And big dreams. I wouldn't say that this was what I saw back then, but I also, like, I knew that by instinct. You know, I'm a hard worker. I always am, like, thinking about how to. How to do things differently or how to bring a vision to life. And so I think it was, like, probably three years into building, like, 2013, maybe, like, I had hired some other advisors. So it wasn't just me doing all of the advising piece. And our business doubled in. In one year. We went from like 700,000 to almost one and a half million in. In maybe like 12 to 18 months.
- [11:52]
A
Wow.
- [11:52]
B
And I was like, wow. The power of bringing on people, bringing on other leaders. I think that was a thing is. And that's like, the precipice of my book. The new book, let's get you fired is like, that's what I had to do. I had to get out of my own way, and I had to fire myself. And firing. Being fired is hard, and it's supposed to be. And it's like. So I had to evolve and change and rise as a leader so I could have other leaders working for me that was, frankly, better in areas that I wasn't. You know, I'm a very grassroots, you know, entrepreneur that doesn't have a lot of, you know, formal education and training. But I. I learned as I. I went. And then I have other people that have MBAs and. And different specialties on the team. And that was the magic. It was like, allowing other people to rise with me. And then I saw the power of like, oh, gosh, like, we can build anything here. And so that kind of got us going. But it, you know, it's been a slow rise. Like, I've been at this for a while, and so it's been, you know, we've had. We've done no acquisitions. It's just, you know, a little bit. Every day a little bit better.
- [13:06]
A
Important point. No acquisitions. Because pure organic growth. Doing a great job for people. Yeah. So who is a right fit client for you, for you guys these days? And obviously there's more than one advisor. Is there kind of a firm right fit client, or is that more segmented to who the advisor is and how he or she wants to build their book? What does that look like?
- [13:30]
B
Yeah. So we, you know, as a firm, like, our goal is to help our clients pursue financial freedom. And then so in the beginning, it was like casting a wide net, I think, as a lot of us do. And then over time, I think what we've gotten really good at as a firm is that, you know, retirement planning and then, you know, walking someone through that retirement and then being that partner throughout their retirement years. So I would say that is the bread and butter and the core work of financial freedom. And then about five years ago, I started this journey of helping, like I've naturally attracted business owner because I am a business owner. And also in rural Oregon, we have a lot of small business owners. So, you know, that's always been part of our clientele and. But I've started working with them at a deeper level of like, exit planning. And part of exit planning is actually building a valuable business, building something that doesn't rely on the owner and, you know, thinking about how do we get this IP out of the owner's head and like, build it into systems and structures in their company so they can harvest this valuable asset. And so, you know, at first it went to exit planning and, and then I realized in the exit planning, oh man, these businesses aren't ready to exit. We got to figure out how do we create the value and how do we unlock this wealth in their biggest asset. And so that's then moved into actually being like strategic consultant for entrepreneurs. And we've set up a separate business for that. So it's, you know, it's all under the Freedom brand, if you will. But it's, it is actually strategic consulting that we're doing with our entrepreneurs now and helping them in that business.
- [15:21]
A
I love that. I want to, and I want to dig deeper into that because I think that is a true differentiator. Advisors are looking for what makes us different. Some of the things that they come up with, I find are just, they're interesting, but they're not really. Not necessarily tangible value. That's something that clearly brings tangible value. So with that, would you say that most of the folks you're trying to bring on are small business owners who want to grow and eventually exit or. Not necessarily. There's still a mix.
- [15:51]
B
There's absolutely still a mix in the, in the whole company as. Because what I found is working with entrepreneurs, it's a specialty, right? It's like an all in. So, you know, of our team, there's about three to four of us that just focus on the entrepreneurs. So we've kind of carved out like a, a special area to say, okay, these are we're dedicated in this, like, private entrepreneurial client, where the rest of the company is just more like, you know, we get a lot of referrals, so it's just taking care of them, you know, with our marketing. And so it is like two distinct audiences. But I am living in this entrepreneurial world because that's what makes me happy. And, you know, when you're financially independent, you only want to do what makes you happy.
- [16:40]
A
Well, indeed, any. At any point, you only want to do what makes you happy. When you become financially independent, you have a little more opportunity.
- [16:47]
B
Yes.
- [16:48]
A
So. So if. If an advisor in your firm is introduced to or somehow meets a small business owner, does that person get referred to another advisor to work with them or. And vice versa or. Not necessarily. Is there is. In other words, are you handing off referrals to each other to make the right fit?
- [17:08]
B
Absolutely. So we all. We all work as a team. You know, the clients are the clients of the firm. And so, you know, oftentimes if. If we have someone that needs that, it comes into the firm as an entrepreneur and they need more advanced services, you know, more than a retirement plan, or. Or they want that. Right. Then they'll be introduced to the art, our team or me. And then we start talking about how we can help them with our systems of building and scaling companies. And so. And then vice versa, like if I brought someone on as a private entrepreneurial client and then they want a retirement plan or they want insurance, I would actually refer them over to one of the other advisors.
- [17:51]
A
So a lot of folks are coming in now for just this scaling their business work. They might not even know of you as a financial advisor at first. That's some of the clients coming in that way.
- [18:02]
B
Exactly. Yes. Yeah. And that's where I'm building a more personal brand in that through my social media. So, yes. You know, I think something that I've done that's been a gift to myself is, you know, my identity was all tied in my business. It was like, Julia and financial freedom are one. But what's happened over the last couple years, it's like, okay, who's financial freedom without Julia? And then who. What does Julia care about? And so that's actually been really beneficial because it's actually made financial freedom more independent and have its own personality. And also, you know, taking. Taking me out of the. The day to day, which is. Actually makes it a more valuable business too.
- [18:46]
A
Yeah. So how. For. Let's stay with the financial side for a minute because, you know, most people listening are financial advisors who want to attract more clients. Obviously, one thing you've done is create this other avenue of value and differentiation, which helps attract. But in general, what are the rest of your advisors? What is the firm doing to meet more ideal clients?
- [19:09]
B
Yeah. So we've really honed in on this retirement niche. And so we've created a really valuable retirement readiness checklist. And so it's essentially our magnetic way of like bringing in Right. Fit clients so those will live on Meta. We will put, you know, ads behind it where people will download this, this retirement readiness checklist. And then to download it, they have to give us their email. And so it's a value exchange there. And then we're able to nurture those prospects coming in. And they have to answer questions. They have to answer, I think five questions like, where are they? How far out are they from retirement? How much assets they have? What's their income level? Have they ever worked with a financial advisor? Because another thing that we have found is people that come to us, they've actually not worked with another financial advisor before. They've maybe like, invest, you know, kept everything in 401k plans. They've worked with one employer their whole life. And they're coming at this point of I don't know how to put all these pieces together for retirement. And then we do a webinar specifically for those retirement readiness prospects and then offer a complimentary consultation with one of our advisors. So that's kind of like our funnel, if you will, our prospect to client journey. And then the other piece is just referrals from current clients that share. Share the love.
- [20:41]
A
Yeah, there you go. Well, referrals near and dear to my heart. People call me the referral coach, so I get that. And I really like what you said about the retirement rate checklist because in my coaching with advisors, I often work with them to do something similar. Have a tool, right, that you can lead with, or your clients can even refer you through the tool. They can pass the tool on to others. And what does the tool do? The tool exposes a gap, right? A gap in their readiness, a gap in their thinking, a gap in their planning, which then they raise their hand and say, tell me more. Right. Is that kind of how it works?
- [21:19]
B
Exactly. Yeah, yeah. And it's very holistic. It's not just financial part of retirement. It's like, what's the emotional part like, what are you going to do? Relationship? Are you retiring at the same time? What does that look like? So.
- [21:32]
A
Oh, very nice. Yeah. Get some thinking. And then in areas they haven't thought before. And if you get them thinking in those ways and you're positioned to help them with that thinking, then the next step is to talk further. Right? So it makes total sense, man. I've got a lot more points of discussion I want to talk to you about. I want to particularly go into a little more detail around this going beyond financial planning and helping clients build their business first. But first we need to hear a quick word from the folks at Oberle Risk Strategies who make this show possible. One underappreciated and frequently not discussed pillar of a financial advisor's value proposition is as we've already covered, a little bit insurance and in this case more specifically home, auto and umbrella. With respect to personal insurance, many of your high net worth clients may be struggling with large price increases, poor customer service, limited options and general confusion in an ever changing marketplace. This is an area that you'll want to help your clients get right. Because mistakes can be costly. I'm excited to introduce Oberly Risk Strategies to our community. Oberle is a specialty insurance broker focused on insuring high net worth individuals and families across the U.S. i've gotten to know their team and what really stands out for me is that Oberle treats your clients exactly how you treat your clients, meaning they're responsive, they give great advice, they build relationships and conduct themselves with high integrity. I've been impressed and I think you and your clients will be too. If you think Oberly might be a fit for one or more of your clients, I'd encourage you to reach out to them. Go to Oberle. Well, first of all, the company name again is Oberly Risk Strategies and it's the website is Oberle. O B e r l e-risk.com forward/private-client Let me say that again. Oberly daskrisk.com forward/private-contail and all that's in the show notes. So just go to the show notes and you'll. And you'll get it. Julia, do you see your. You've kind of answered this already, so I hopefully this question still makes sense. If you saw yourself as a financial advisor who helps her clients scale their business or the other way around and you kind of answer that right? You at this moment you see yourself as a financial advisor, helps your clients scale their business. That's your role. That's pers. That's your personal brand. Are we getting that right?
- [24:06]
B
I would probably say I see myself as an entrepreneur that has this expertise of a financial lens. Like when I'M helping my entrepreneurial clients. Gotcha. Yeah, I think it's like the financial advisor tools that I've learned are in my back pocket. And so, and that's, man, like, our ideal entrepreneur client is someone coming up on a million in revenue to 10 million in revenue somewhere in that journey. Because, you know, that's been what I have learned, right? How to scale this business and grow it. And I find that a lot of CEOs and founders, like, this is like unturned, unchartered territory for them. So for them to have an advocate, a thought partner, a strategist that comes alongside and, and says, hey, I see you. I. I know you. I am you. It's. It's really valuable. And so that's, that's kind of how I lead. That's how I would say that first, that that comes first.
- [25:05]
A
Makes sense. And, and for the, the other advisors in your firm, when they're out talking to prospects clients, are they talking about this other part of the business? Are they talking about this other division? When it makes sense, we also can bring this value to your life, to your world? I would think so, yeah.
- [25:22]
B
Yes. I mean, if it's a business owner client, and you know, they say something that says yes, like this would be something that they may be interested in, then they would, like, refer them over.
- [25:32]
A
Gotcha. Gotcha. Well, you know, it's funny because I, I often talk to advisors just when you're meeting with, let's say, accountants, estate planning attorneys, some of those folks aren't particularly good at building the relationships and having client engagement processes in place and, and let alone prospecting and marketing processes. And so I think that's one way that any advisor can bring value to their, to their clients, to their centers of influence. Right. You're, you're an entrepreneur, you're growing your business, you're doing all the things that a lot of other people could learn from. So I think that's. You found a great way to differentiate. In fact, it's turned into a new passion. So. Which leads me to your book, because your book's aligned with this. Your new book, Money loves you. Your other book, I just love the title. It kind of fits in with the hidden heist, my latest book, and just our mindset around money and how we view and relate to money. Right. All right, so the title is let's get you fired. How entrepreneurs scale to eight figures. By letting go and leading with vision, the book challenges entrepreneurs to fire themselves. I've tried to fire myself many times. It's not easy. My boss won't let me wait. I am the boss. Oh, it's very confusing. Is this a book that. I know you apply it to other types of businesses, but it seems like this is a book that applies to financial advisors, does it not, and how they want to grow.
- [27:00]
B
Absolutely, yeah. I mean, it's my story in it and what I've learned. And so, you know, a lot of the stories and examples are from my journey. And so other financial advisors would absolutely get a lot out of this. But essentially, yeah, like, the firing yourself is letting go of doing all of the things that we think we have to do as the founder, as. As the advisor, and really letting go so you can step into this visionary leadership role that, you know, most founders want to be in, but what happens is they get kind of buried in all of the. To dos and running the business and also working with clients. And so it's a, you know, it's a. It's a lot. And so the book has two main parts. It's like the first part is. I call it the entrepreneurial spiral. It's like who you become in building a business in that, like, to me, that's like the biggest gift when I look back over my journey. It's. It's who I've become going through all the hardships, going through the challenges, like in rising through all of that. And then the other piece is the actual stages of a business. The. The. I call it the hustle phase, the surrender phase, which is the firing yourself phase, the harmony and then legacy and how you kind of move through that framework. And then there's different tools and different things to do at the different stages of business growth.
- [28:24]
A
Does the book touch on hiring the right people? Because it seems to me that's. That's the linchpin in all this. Right. You've got to have the other people that you trust and can do the work as you step back.
- [28:36]
B
Yeah. So there's like a hiring chapter in let's Surrender, and then there's a bigger hiring part in Harmony, because, you know, when you're a smaller team, it's like, okay, you're the person hiring.
- [28:49]
A
And.
- [28:50]
B
And like, now I fired myself from hiring because guess what? I love people, and I always want to see the best in them.
- [28:56]
A
Hire anyone, Right? I love you. You're a great person. Come on in. Work for me.
- [29:01]
B
And I'm also, like, in strengths finder. I'm an activator. So I come in and I activate people, and then, you know, that, that, that Actually is like, you want them to be activated by themselves.
- [29:14]
A
Right? Yes. Yes, you're right. Right. Self activators. Now, this book, the new book, Get Yourself, let's Get yout Fired isn't available till February 13. How do people get into your world now to make sure they know when the book comes out and just to learn more about you and what you do.
- [29:32]
B
Yeah. So my website is thejuliacarlson.com I'm on LinkedIn. I post a lot on LinkedIn, and I also post a lot on Instagram because that's like my personal play area for my brand and then. But LinkedIn's more, you know, professional, a little bit understood. And. And I will also say, like, I wrote this book on a reality TV show, so that's kind of fun.
- [29:58]
A
Yeah. So tell me more about that. Tell. Tell us this kind of little backstory here. Okay, but this is fascinating. When I heard this. So you, you wrote this book on a reality TV show. Now, how many times has anyone ever said that in this world? Probably, very. Probably the other six or seven people that were with you, right?
- [30:19]
B
Yes. Fourteen other authors on this private island.
- [30:24]
A
Right. Mostly women, too, was it not, if I remember correctly?
- [30:27]
B
Yeah. There was one man, a plastic surgeon that was there. Yes. And so we were all. They brought us all to this island and the goal was to. To can you write a book in five days? And like, while being on a private island. Like, who wants to write a book when you're on a private island? But they did a great job. Like, no alcohol was involved, which is probably good.
- [30:51]
A
Any. Any mushrooms or anything like that?
- [30:53]
B
No, no mushrooms. Although when I came back, I had my. Develop like an editor, and she's like, were you on plant medicine when you wrote this? Because they put us like, in this deep met. They did every morning. We did meditation, we did prayer. Like, they put us in a very, like, grounded, almost like spiritual place for like, these books to really just come through and have our creativity opened. And it really worked. And so, you know, all the framework and stuff came through. And I think at the end of the island adventure, I had maybe about 25,000 words, and it's almost 50,000 words. So, you know, I came back and I added content, added stories, polished everything, and it is what it is. Like, it's almost ready to go to the Four Matters now. So I'm super excited about it.
- [31:49]
A
I know there's a website. Forgive me for not having. Be prepared to give that. Where can people learn more about this reality show and this adventure? You Went on and see what the other authors did as well.
- [32:00]
B
Yeah, so the, the website is Writers Island.
- [32:03]
A
Yeah, Writers Island. I'm going to put that in the.
- [32:05]
B
Show notes and it should be out the, the first quarter of next, of 2026.
- [32:10]
A
Ah, okay. But I know they can go to that website now because I, I was there.
- [32:15]
B
Yeah.
- [32:15]
A
All right, all right. So I've heard you say eight figures is easier than seven. You know, it's kind of like that old statement, it's easier to make your second million than your first million.
- [32:25]
B
Yeah.
- [32:25]
A
So I'm starting on the second million first. So I know that statement surprises people. You know, many founder founders hit a wall at 5,500k and then another wall at 1 million to 3 million range. So what are some of the key levers they need to pull financially, operationally, to scale beyond that plateau? What's, what's the, what opens up to that next level?
- [32:49]
B
Yeah, so I think it's two pieces. It's, it's first, you as the leader. It's the mindset that it's possible. You know, it's like our, our mind has set points. And so, you know, if we think it's going to be hard or if we think we're going to, you know, hit a plateau, or if we think the same things that got us to one level are going to get us to the next, you know, that's what you have to challenge. And so, you know, the mindset is so important as an entrepreneur that like, what gets, what gets you here won't get you there. And so you hire coaches, you put yourself in rooms with people that are where you want to go. Like, you have to keep expanding you as a leader and invest in yourself in that way. So that's number one. And then number two, like the structure of the business, like, you know, I think when you're growing five or six people is probably maximum that a founder can like, manage, unless they're super skilled in management skills, which I am not. And I find most founders don't want to be managing, they want to be creating. And so, you know, you have to, like, once you get to five or six employees, you kind of have to bring in someone and bring in like another layer of, of management so that you can elevate. And so like right now I have Jason, my, I have one direct employee. You know, he manages everything else. And so it really protects what I'm good at and the role that I should be playing and then allows him to, like, own, control the firm, if you will.
- [34:31]
A
So I love it. It's brilliant.
- [34:33]
B
It's. Yeah, it's like, it's. It's like each stage is a little different, but it's like the first. You have to just know it's possible. And it is.
- [34:41]
A
And to not make the automatic assumption that's going to be. It's going to make my life complicated and a mess. Right. Because I think that stops people. Doesn't that. That idea of growth a lot talk about 10x your business and all kinds of ways to talk about scaling. Okay.
- [34:55]
B
Yeah.
- [34:55]
A
But that feels very complicated and overwhelming to people and sounds like your approach is a way to do it without that happening.
- [35:04]
B
Yeah, hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's really putting in the structure and the discipline because in discipline is where you find freedom. And so, yes, when you can get the firing yourself and the surrender. And I like to say it's like it's getting out of control. Like I don't need to be in control to be in charge. I can still be in charge, but I don't have to control anything.
- [35:25]
A
Controls an illusion anyway, isn't it? You said from discipline creates freedom. I. One of my mantras, if you will, is that from structure comes freedom.
- [35:36]
B
Yeah.
- [35:37]
A
Right. Because it solidifies, it organizes and then it frees you up to then to be more creative. I love it. So you've created a couple of tools. I just want to touch on those briefly. Or you call them frameworks. The Freedom Dashboard and Fire Yourself framework. What are those exactly?
- [35:58]
B
Yeah, well, I'll start with the Fire Yourself framework. That. That is the hustle, the surrender, the harmony, the legacy. So it's like going through these stages and again, there's different resources and tools based on the revenue of your firm, so. Or the company. And so that's where we kind of come in to help entrepreneurs is identify where they're at and then figure out, okay, they're in hustle. That here's what you need to do in hustle. If you're in surrender, here's what you need to do. So it's. It's that framework. The Freedom Dashboard is essentially. You know, what I have found is a lot of founders, when we come in, there's a little bit of chaos and messiness, if you will, and there's nothing wrong with that. Like, it got them there. But to. To start moving ahead there, there has to be accountability within the company. And what happens is the founder tries to manage it all and really not allow their staff or their team to own the outcomes with them. And so what The Freedom Dashboard is, it's, it's, it's for the whole team. But you were really putting on like the metrics that we want to measure. So it could be for, you know, content creation, for the marketing, could be how many prospects are coming in, how many first appointments are happening, how many, how much new business is coming in, what, you know, so we're just tracking all of the metrics of the business and actually giving the tracking to the different employees on the team. So the founder is not doing anything. The founder is just showing up and seeing the data, but the team is actually has the expectations right there. Because a lot of times missed expectations is where things go wrong between the.
- [37:50]
A
Founder and the team or any other relationship for that matter.
- [37:54]
B
Correct.
- [37:55]
A
Missed expectations. Right. All right, now let's get into something I know you're passionate about is another example of you thinking big. So you're leading the $1 billion for good movement, inspiring 1,000 entrepreneurs to give $1 million each as they grow their eight figure companies. And how does giving fit into building a successful and sustainable business? I mean, sometimes we just give to give because it's a good thing to do, but there can also be a ripple effect for our growth, I think in the giving is there not? Or maybe I got that wrong. What do you think?
- [38:32]
B
No, I absolutely think that's true. And two, it's like, what are we building all this wealth for?
- [38:38]
A
Right.
- [38:38]
B
How much is enough, enough? And I think there's a powerful quote where if you're in a position, I can't remember the quote, but it's like if you're in a position to give and you don't, it's worse than stealing.
- [38:51]
A
Wow. Okay.
- [38:53]
B
Yeah. So for, for me, I don't want my entrepreneurs to arrive and then give. Like I actually want them to give all along their journey. And that's organically what's happened for my husband and I is like, you know, there's been things that we've wanted to invest in, things, you know, things that are near and dear to our heart that we've wanted to, to give. And so, and through that, like this depth of relationships happen, this depth of this purpose for why would I want to go for something bigger? Oh, because I can create more impact. I can help more families. One thing I love to support is rescuing women and children from sex trafficking. And like this is so there's so much of this happening in our world. And so if I can give to organizations that are training, you know, heroes coming back from war to go into these areas and save women and children. Like, why would I not want to do that? And so it's just like activating that more purposeful work beyond the money, beyond the business. And it's, it's, it's just expands what I have found, the vision of it.
- [40:06]
A
I love it. Wow, this is great. I now I remember why I was looking forward to this interview so much. What you're doing on the financial advisory side and what you're doing on the growing business side and the giving side. It's a beautiful thing. So I'm going to hold up two books here. Julia's first book, Money Loves you. It's transform your relationship with money and grow your wealth. I love the title. It's an interesting book. People misquote the Bible saying money is root of all evil. The Bible actually says the love of money is root of all evil. And actually I think it's, it goes deeper than that. I think what it really means is the unhealthy attachment, the unhealthy relationship to money is the root and the cause of evil. Right?
- [40:51]
B
Yeah, absolutely.
- [40:53]
A
So talk about a great one, two punch. Money Loves you and the Hidden Heist with my co author Jeff C. West. So I highly recommend both of those books. Naturally, Julia and her new book, let's get yout How Entrepreneurs Scale to eight Figures by Letting Go and Leading with Vision. Set for release on February 13th. I just want to say thanks. I'm not going to say thanks a million. Thanks a billion for being our featured guest on today's show and the important work you do for your clients in our industry.
- [41:25]
B
Yeah, thanks for having me. I really enjoyed our conversation.
- [41:28]
A
Yes, it's great. This episode of the Top Advisor podcast is made possible by Oberly Risk Strategies, a specialty insurance broker focused on ensuring high net worth individuals and families across the US Specifically through home, auto and umbrella. Check them out as a resource partner@oberly-risk.com private client or just look up Oberly Risk Strategies to you, the listener of this podcast. A small favor if you like the episode or like the podcast in general, please please leave a five star review on the platform you're listening to the show. I think 75% of our listeners do it on Apple podcasts where I know you can leave a review. Thank you for that. Don't forget to check out my new book the Hidden Heist and also pay a visit to our resource page. It's jam packed with free resources that help you attract and retain more right fit clients. Go to referralcoach.com resources that's referralcoach.com resources and referral. While these are free to you, I think you'll find them quite valuable. This is Bill Cates reminding you that ideas do not make you more successful. Only acting on those ideas will bring you the success you desire. Thanks for stopping by today. Thank you for listening to the Top Advisor podcast brought to you by Proud Mouse Pod Rocket Academy. I encourage you to visit my website, referral referralcoach.com for links to my books, online courses, and to register for the Katz Academy.