Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL
Business & Finance
About
"Do Business. Do Life." is a weekly podcast dedicated to helping the independent financial advisor create unlimited growth and freedom in their business AND life. Having been a coach for the top 1% of independent financial advisors for 15+ years, Brad Johnson has seen far too many leaders in financial services sacrifice their marriages, health, relationships, and everything else that matters to walk across an industry stage recognizing their "success." That model is broken, and Brad's on a mission to fix it. Join Brad as he distills the best advice from top thought leaders and applies it to the world of independent fin...
Episodes
- 167: Adam Holt & Derek Notman - What Happens When Richard Branson Challenges You... And You Accept
Adam Holt and Derek Notman discuss their "REBL Dads" project, exploring how fathers can achieve success in both business and personal life. They share insights from interviews with over 100 fathers, focusing on intentional presence and eff…
- 166: Jimmy Rollins - The Four Steps to Real Accountability (Most Skip All of Them)
This episode features Jimmy Rollins discussing the four steps to real accountability. He shares insights for financial advisors on bridging the gap between professional success and personal well-being, emphasizing transparency, vulnerabili…
- 165: Solo - The 3 Word Framework for Every 1st Appointment (Financial Advisor Training) with Brad Johnson
This episode discusses a three-word framework for financial advisors to improve their first appointments with prospective clients. It highlights common issues such as advisors focusing on products rather than client needs and communication…
- 164: Jon Acuff - The Most Expensive Fear in Financial Advising
Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author, discusses the reasons behind procrastination in financial decision-making. He explains how understanding this psychology can help financial advisors guide clients. The episode explores why peop…
- 163: Sabrina Brown & Grace Suchy - Why Most Financial Advisor Firms Can’t Escape the Chaos
Sabrina Brown and Grace Suchy, members of Reliance Financial Partners, share insights on how their firm scaled from $30M to $150M in AUM by focusing on team building, operational clarity, and intentional client handoffs. They discuss the c…
- 162: Jefferson Fisher - One Word That’s Destroying Client Trust
Trial attorney and communication expert Jefferson Fisher joins the podcast to discuss strategies for improving client trust and communication. The conversation covers the impact of specific word choices, the importance of pausing, and mana…
- 161: Phil Bray - Why Most Financial Advisor Marketing Fails (and What To Do Instead)
Phil Bray, founder of the Yardstick Agency, discusses why many financial advisor marketing strategies fail. He shares insights on the importance of niching down, aligning marketing with specific goals, and creating intentional processes fo…
- 160: Solo - The #1 Reason So Many Advisors Stay Stuck with Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson discusses why financial advisors often struggle to scale their businesses due to over-reliance on personal sales. He explains the importance of moving from selling commodities-based products to implementing a proprietary, tran…
- 159: Tom Healy - Why Your Advisory Firm Isn’t Attracting A-Players
Leadership expert and HR strategist Tom Healy joins the podcast to discuss how advisory firms can attract and retain top talent while avoiding the pitfalls of hiring poor performers. He covers strategies for implementing structure, account…
- 158: Max Major (Mentalist) – The Closest Thing To Reading Your Client’s Mind
Mentalist Max Major joins the Do Business. Do Life. podcast to discuss the psychology of influence, body language, and listening skills. The episode explores how advisors can read client cues, navigate objections, and improve their communi…
- 157: Kenzie Olejnik - The Culture Strategy Behind High-Growth Advisory Firms
In this episode of Do Business. Do Life., host Bradley Johnson interviews Triad culture coach Kenzie Olejnik. The conversation focuses on strategies for scaling advisory firms by prioritizing team culture, clarity, communication, and share…
- 156: Solo - Why Your Advisory Firm Can’t Scale (And the Role That Fixes It)
In this episode of the Do Business. Do Life. podcast, Brad Johnson explains why operations is a critical role for scaling advisory firms. He discusses how to transition away from being a bottleneck and why effective operations are essentia…
- 155: Solo - How I'd Approach Marketing as a Financial Advisor (If I Could Start Over)
Host Brad Johnson discusses a framework for financial advisors to improve their marketing strategies. The episode covers shifting from emotionally-driven to math-driven decisions, the importance of frequency, and the scalability of one-to-…
- 154: Duncan MacPherson - How to Build a Referable Business Without Chasing Clients
Duncan MacPherson of Pareto Systems discusses how financial advisors can build a referable business. He explains the importance of positioning a clear process over product sales and delegating tasks to increase enterprise value and sustain…
- 153: Daniel Harkavy - How Advisors Accidentally Build Businesses They Hate
Daniel Harkavy joins the podcast to discuss how leaders can build successful businesses without sacrificing their personal lives. He explores the risks of scaling without a clear vision, the impact of emotional volatility on culture, and h…
- 151: Shasta Nelson - The Science Every Advisor Needs to Know About Human Connection
Shasta Nelson joins the podcast to discuss the science of human connection, introducing a framework based on positivity, consistency, and vulnerability. The episode explores how advisors can apply these principles to build deeper relations…
- 150: Solo - 3 Lessons Every Advisor Can Learn From Their Doctor with Brad Johnson
In this solo episode, Brad Johnson discusses three lessons financial advisors can adapt from the medical profession to improve client meetings. He covers the importance of diagnosing before prescribing, simplifying complex concepts, and tr…
- 149: Carey Lohrenz - Navy’s First Female Top Gun on Performing Under Pressure
Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 Tomcat pilot, discusses applying military strategies of simulation training, effective checklists, and debriefing techniques to improve performance in financial advisory firms.
- 148: Triad Member: Fired for Putting Clients First and How He Rebuilt a Family Practice Gathering $65M of New Assets with Keith Leverentz
Keith Leverentz discusses his career transition from a captive financial firm to building a successful independent practice. He shares his experiences with ethical challenges, business scaling, team management, and the impact of fee adjust…
- 147: Solo - Top 5 Most Replayed Moments in 2025 (According to the Stats) with Brad Johnson
In this solo episode, host Brad Johnson identifies the five most replayed moments from the podcast in 2025. The discussion covers strategies for improving firm structure, scaling operations, refining workshop experiences, mastering communi…
- 146: Glenn Street - What Creating a Pro Sports Mascot Taught Me About Differentiating Your Advisory Practice
Glenn Street, founder of Street Characters, discusses how his experience building professional sports mascots provides lessons on business differentiation, niching down, and company culture for financial advisors. Bradley Johnson joins him…
- 145: Lindsey Lewis - Why Women Will Drive the Next Era of Advisor Growth (According to the Data)
Lindsey Lewis from The American College discusses research on the future of the financial advisory profession, focusing on the potential of women in advisory roles and the importance of effective training for the next generation. The episo…
- 144: Triad Member: The Playbook That Took Reliance Financial Partners from $35M to $100M Per Year with Dana Dunkelberger
Dana Dunkelberger of Reliance Financial Partners discusses the firm's growth journey from $35M to $100M in annual assets. He details the team expansion, structural changes, and strategic hires needed to move from an unsustainable growth mo…
- 143: Solo - Your Office Space Could Be Costing You Million-Dollar Clients with Brad Johnson
In this solo episode, Brad Johnson explains how office design and environment influence client attraction and team culture. He shares lessons from the development of Triad’s new headquarters, including how to reflect company values and cre…
- 142: Jason Early - The AI Tool Advisors Are Using to Win Business-Owner Clients
Jason Early, founder and CEO of RISR, discusses how his AI platform helps financial advisors provide better valuation and exit planning services for business-owner clients. The conversation covers using data-driven insights to deepen clien…
- 141: Eden Ovadia - The AI Platform Helping Financial Advisors Find and Convert Ideal Clients Faster
Eden Ovadia, CEO of FINNY, discusses using AI technology to help financial advisors improve organic growth and client acquisition. She also shares her experience scaling a startup and the importance of founder conviction in building a stro…
- 140: Triad Member - How RPC Unlocked 264% Growth in 3 Years with Gary Hansen, Jaris Hansen and Josh Cumrine
Gary Hansen, Jaris Hansen, and Josh Cumrine of Retirement Planning Center of the Rockies discuss how they transitioned their firm from a founder-led practice to a scalable, team-driven business. They share how implementing unified systems…
- 139: Daniel Crosby - The Psychology Behind High-Growth Financial Advisors (Live from Future Proof)
Brad Johnson interviews Dr. Daniel Crosby about the mindset and psychological traits of high-growth financial advisors. They discuss the transition from advisor to CEO, the definition of firm culture, and why mindset is more critical than…
- 138: Robert Glazer - Uncover Your Core Values and Build a Business You Never Want to Retire From
Robert Glazer joins the Do Business. Do Life. podcast to discuss the importance of defining core values to build a sustainable business. The conversation covers the origins of values, implementing them into company culture, and Glazer’s th…
- 137: Jason Khalipa & Daniel Crosby - Why My Family Asks Me to Travel More for Work (LIVE from Triad's DBDL Retreat)
In this episode of Do Business. Do Life., host Bradley Johnson discusses balancing business growth and family life with guests Jason Khalipa and Daniel Crosby. They explore how integrating family into professional events can eliminate guil…
- 136: Triad Member - The Mindset Shift That Unlocks Scale with Matt Rowley & Daveda Phillips
Matt Rowley and Daveda Phillips discuss the evolution of their firm, focusing on the mindset shifts and leadership changes required to scale successfully. They explore the transition from an unsustainable founder-led model to a team-based…
- 135: Garrett Gunderson - Comedy, Rockefellers, and Tax Secrets Used by the Ultra-Wealthy
Financial educator and author Garrett Gunderson joins the Do Business. Do Life. podcast to discuss communication techniques for advisors, the wealth preservation methods of the Rockefeller family, and tax strategies for high-net-worth clie…
- 134: Marisa Messana - How Advisors Can Build Trust & Win Clients on the Golf Course
In this episode, Marisa Messana joins the podcast to discuss how financial advisors can use golf to build trust and acquire clients. Messana also shares her transition from professional golfer to high-performance coach, focusing on the shi…
- 133: Tim Grover - Mental Mastery: Lessons from Training Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant
Performance coach Tim Grover discusses the mental mindsets of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He explains how financial advisors can apply these professional lessons on self-honesty, leadership, and mastery to their own businesses.
- 132: Triad Member - The Overlooked Hiring Secret That 4X’d This Advisor’s Firm with Devin Choules
Financial advisor Devin Choules discusses how hiring A-players and building a strong team, rather than working alone, helped scale his firm from $5M to $19M in assets while improving his work-life balance. He also explores utilizing estate…
- 131: Nick Whitaker - The Advisor Seminar System That Books Appointments on Repeat
Nick Whitaker discusses a proven seminar system for financial advisors designed to consistently book quality appointments. He covers the importance of sticking to a structured process, using micro-commitments, and optimizing post-seminar i…
- 130: Solo - The #1 Reason Financial Advisors Burn Out (And How to Fix It) with Brad Johnson
In this solo episode, Brad Johnson discusses the Triad Advisor Model as a solution to financial advisor burnout. He explains how dividing the advisor role into specialized selling, planning, and service positions allows for a more scalable…
- 129: Marcus Sheridan - The Fastest Way to Build Trust & Turn Prospects into Clients
Marcus Sheridan joins the podcast to discuss how financial advisors can build trust with potential clients by answering their questions upfront. He explains the power of video content and the "Big 5" topics clients research before hiring,…
- 128: Triad Member - From Football to Finance: Serving Retirees by Protecting their Blind Sides with Terence Brown
Triad Member Terence Brown discusses his career transition from professional football to financial services. He explains how his firm, Left Tackle Advisors, moved from product-driven sales to a holistic, planning-first model to build deepe…
- 127: Keith Ferrazzi - Never Lead Alone: What Top Advisors Do to Build High-Performing Teams
Keith Ferrazzi discusses his book Never Lead Alone and the concept of teamship as a replacement for traditional top-down leadership. He shares strategies for fosterng peer-to-peer coaching, accountability, and the effective integration of…
- 126: Solo - The 3 Most Common Hiring Mistakes Financial Advisors Make (And How to Fix Them) with Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson outlines three common hiring mistakes financial advisors make when building a team and offers strategies to improve the hiring process. He discusses the importance of a clear vision, defining specific roles, and implementing a…
- 125: Christa Hardin - Why Most Entrepreneur Couples Struggle (And How We Rebuilt) with Brad & Sarah Johnson
In this episode of Do Business. Do Life., hosts Brad and Sarah Johnson discuss the struggles of balancing entrepreneurship with marriage alongside guest Christa Hardin. They share their personal journey of rebuilding their relationship usi…
- 123: Ronen Olshansky - The Death of Networking (And The Rise of Real Relationships)
Ronen Olshansky of Connected Success discusses moving beyond traditional networking tactics to build deeper, more reciprocal professional relationships. He introduces frameworks for relationship management, measuring contact quality, and h…
- 122: Solo - How a Single Word Can Impact Your Company Culture (And What to Do About It) with Brad Johnson
In this episode of Do Business. Do Life., Brad Johnson discusses how the language used within a company impacts culture, specifically focusing on the difference between describing a team as a "family" versus a professional "team." He share…
- 121: Derek Coburn - The Rise of Un-Retirement and What It Means for Advisors
Guest Derek Coburn joins the podcast to discuss the concept of "un-retirement" and how financial advisors can better serve clients by focusing on purposeful work rather than traditional retirement goals. The episode explores why clients ar…
- 120: Triad Member – How to Help Clients Actually Live Their Retirement with Dylan Bond
Financial advisor and Triad member Dylan Bond discusses how a life-threatening cancer diagnosis changed his business and his approach to client retirement planning. He explains how he built his firm to operate in his absence and shares str…
- 119: Brendan Frazier - Why Most Advisors Fail to Connect with Clients
Brendan Frazier discusses the importance of human connection in financial advising. He shares strategies for improving client communication, building trust, and uncovering the emotional drivers behind financial decisions.
- 118: Pat Flynn - YouTube Growth Secrets (2.5B Views in 300 Days)
Pat Flynn, creator of Smart Passive Income, shares strategies for growing a YouTube channel. He discusses content creation, leveraging YouTube Shorts, and his "Lean Learning" approach to business growth.
- 117: Alex Judd - Your Personality Is NOT a Business Plan
Alex Judd, founder of Path for Growth and former EntreLeadership Podcast host, discusses moving from working in a business to leading it as a CEO. He explains how to escape the artist's trap, implement healthy accountability, and use a fou…
- 116: Triad Member - $380M Gathered in 2024 – Inside SHP Financial’s Growth Strategy with Keith Ellis Jr. & Michelle Short
Keith Ellis Jr. and Michelle Short of SHP Financial discuss their firm's growth strategy, including scaling to $1.6B in AUM and gathering $380M in assets in 2024. They share insights on their client tiering model, onboarding systems, and m…