116. When Support Systems Shape Financial Success

Brian Haney has watched it happen more times than he can count. A client comes to him with what looks like a straightforward financial situation, but six months later, they're calling his office feeling completely overwhelmed. Not because the plan was wrong, but because something fundamental was missing.

In Brian's case, one example was a recently retired client who had plenty of money and a solid income plan. She should have been celebrating, but instead she was paralyzed. The issue wasn't her portfolio or her budget—it was that she'd never actually managed her own spending before. Her late husband had handled it, then her kids stepped in to help. Now she was on her own and terrified to spend a dime of her own money.

This conversation digs into what happened next and why it changed how Brian thinks about partnerships in financial services. We talk about the moment he realized he wasn't the right person to help her with this specific challenge, and what it felt like to tell a client she needed to work with someone else.

Brian shares his perspective on why some advisors still operate in silos while others actively build their bench of trusted professionals. He explains what makes a coach outreach actually worth his time versus the messages that get ignored, and why he thinks the future of financial services looks more like a law firm than the current model.

And we explore his four financial concern areas framework and why he believes most people in the financial industry suffer from the same training gap. Plus, you'll hear about the million-dollar-earning surgeon who couldn't get approved for a loan and what that taught Brian about the difference between earning money and handling it.

If you've been thinking about reaching out to build partnerships with others in the financial industry but aren't sure how to start, or if you're curious about what collaboration actually looks like when it's working well, this conversation gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how these relationships really develop.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• Brian Haney
• Financial Guy Podcast

Key Takeaways:

• “I'm not the person to help you with that, or at least I'm not the best person to help you with that.” Learning to say this to clients isn't a weakness, it's the foundation of excellent service.
• Stop trying to be the expert in everything. Just like law firms have specialists, financial practices work better when you master your lane and partner for everything else.
• The million-dollar surgeon with terrible credit proves this truth: It doesn't matter how much money you make if you don't know how to handle it.
• When reaching out to potential partners, lead with curiosity, not your pitch. “I'm really interested in understanding what a day in your life is all about” beats any sales script.
• Blue ocean thinking: There are plenty of fish in the sea for all of us. Focus on adding value to the marketplace instead of competing for the same clients.
• Your clients should use you as a resource to find other professionals. When they call asking for referrals to specialists you don't know, that's a sign you're doing partnership right.
• Four financial domains everyone needs help with: daily money management, major purchases, planning for the future, and planning for the unexpected. No single professional can master all four—and they shouldn't try.