The Influential Advisor Podcast

Eric Maldonado, founder of Aquila Wealth Advisors, joins the show to talk about the real force behind most bad financial outcomes: not market crashes, but fear. He walks through why simple, understandable investing strategies consistently outperform complicated ones, why he starts every client relationship with values instead of numbers, and how his own experience with panic attacks changed the way he counsels anxious clients. He a...

Edward Gaskey has spent almost 30 years helping people move from financial uncertainty to financial clarity, and in this episode he explains why that shift matters more than any single investment decision. He walks through the "million-dollar question" retirees rarely ask correctly, why most people plan for a worst case that almost never happens, and how a Social Security mistake nearly cost one client thousands. Ed also talks abou...

What role can a book play in helping a financial advisory firm build credibility, strengthen trust, and convert more prospects into clients?

In this episode of the Top 50 Most Innovative Voices in Advisor Growth series, Jon Kuttin joins Paul G. McManus and Gabe McManus for a candid conversation about authority, organic growth, client acquisition, and how financial advisors can use books and media to become more influential i...

You do not need another marketing tactic. You need a system.

If you are an accomplished financial advisor, consultant, attorney, tax strategist, or other expert professional, chances are your biggest growth problem is not a lack of expertise.

It is that too much of your expertise is invisible.

It lives inside client meetings, private conversations, and your own head—where prospects, referral partners, search engines, and AI tool...

What keeps successful financial advisors from scaling beyond a founder-dependent practice? Dr. Jon Randall, founder of XFA, shares the psychology, systems, and strategic shifts that help advisory firms overcome growth constraints.

In this episode of The Influential Advisor Podcast and our Top 50 Most Innovative Voices in Advisor Growth series, Dr. Jon Randall joins Paul G. McManus to discuss why many financial advisors becom...

This interview featuring James Pollard is part of Influential Advisor Media’s Top 50 Most Innovative Voices in Advisor Growth series, hosted by Paul G. McManus. The series recognizes leaders whose ideas, platforms, and work are shaping how financial advisors build trust, attract clients, and grow their firms.

James Pollard is the founder of The Advisor Coach and host of the Financial Advisor Marketing Podcast, where he...

What separates financial advisors who consistently grow from those who stay stuck? Marcus Ranger, who leads a business unit of more than 1,200 independent financial advisors, shares the marketing strategies, systems, and mindset shifts he sees driving advisor growth.

In this episode of The Influential Advisor Podcast and our Top 50 Most Innovative Voices in Advisor Growth series, Marcus joins Paul G. McManus to discuss why f...

A client came in with statements from more than ten different financial institutions. Her parents had passed away within six months of each other. The paperwork took nearly a year to sort through — and she later told John she never had the proper time to grieve because she was so buried in the chaos they left behind.

That story drives everything about how John Pavelka runs his practice. After nearly 30 years in financial servi...

Matt Knoll walked into Baylor in 1997 and told the local paper his goal was to win a national championship. The reporter laughed out loud.

At the time, that reaction was fair. The program hadn't won a conference match in eight years. The courts were slanted. There was no bathroom, no equipment room, no stands. Twenty-two seasons later, Knoll left with a 510-150 record, 13 Big 12 titles, and Baylor's first team national championship....

She had a million dollars in her account and she was convinced she'd lose her house by the end of the month. That's not a financial problem. That's grief lying. And if you don't know how to recognize it, you'll either rush your client into decisions she'll regret, or lose her trust entirely.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Brandon L. Hayes, CFP, founder of Compass Financial Group and author of You're Not Alone, shares what 26 years ...

How can financial advisors get found in AI search, build trust faster, and use online reviews in a compliant way?

In Episode 111 of The Influential Advisor Podcast, Paul G. McManus interviews Brian Thorp, Founder and CEO of Wealthtender, about one of the biggest opportunities in advisor marketing today: compliant online reviews as a trust signal for Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI-powered search too...

How can financial advisors use podcast guesting to build trust, attract ideal clients, and turn their expertise into new business opportunities?

In this episode of The Influential Advisor Podcast, Paul G. McManus interviews Gabe McManus about his book, Sharpen Your Message: Guest Podcast Preparation for Financial Professionals.

Gabe shares how financial advisors and financial professionals can prepare for podcast inte...

In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down with Jeremy Lederer, CPA and founder of XIT CPA, to explore what separates a tax preparer from a true tax strategist. Jeremy brings more than 16 years of experience working with entrepreneurs, business owners, and high-income professionals to zero (yes, zero) out their federal tax liability using legal, government-backed strategies. From film financing deductions to healthcare software invest...

A couple had done everything right — dual income, debt-free, millions saved in tax-deferred accounts — and they were on track to hand $10 million to the IRS. Not because they made bad decisions, but because nobody had ever shown them what "doing everything right" actually costs without proactive planning.

In this episode, Gabe sits down with Rob Bedinghaus, Ph.D., CFP® — founder of Bedinghaus Wealth Planning and au...

Imagine going into business with a partner who tells you upfront: at the end of every year, I'll decide how much of the profits I keep. You'd never agree to that. But Ira Work says millions of Americans already did the day they opened a traditional IRA.

That's one of several hard truths Ira Work, a 42-year financial industry veteran, addresses head-on in his new book and in this conversation. After 17 years working for firms like Sm...

Scott Leibfried's grandfather sold the family business at 60 with more money than he'd ever seen. He was generous, he lived long, and he ran out. That story is why Scott has spent 28 years in wealth management — and it's why he wrote Climbing Wealth.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gabe sits down with Scott Leibfried, a Midwest-based financial advisor with 28 years of experience, to explore the parallels between mountain climb...

Most successful people have a retirement number. Very few have a retirement reason.

That's the gap Jason Wendt has spent 15 years closing. After watching client after client arrive with a solid portfolio and a hollow plan, he wrote a book about it. And now, fresh off an Amazon bestseller ranking and a feature segment on NBC Chicago, he's bringing that message to a wider audience.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down...

Most business owners assume their advisory team is working for them. A CPA here, a financial advisor there, an attorney on retainer. What they don't realize is that those advisors are working in parallel, not together. No one is seeing the full picture. No one is coordinating. And the business owner, without ever signing up for it, becomes the quarterback of their own financial life on top of running their company.

That's what the V...

She called her advisor on closing day. Boxes still everywhere, no movers available, hours until she had to be out. He showed up in his truck, spent four hours hauling boxes to a friend's garage, and wouldn't let her pay a dime. That's the kind of advisor Dan Carver is, and that story tells you more about his practice than any credential ever could.

Dan Carver is a St. Louis-based financial advisor with 26 years of experience helping...