General Sessions
Socially Responsible Investing: Integrating Issues of Racial, Gender, Economic and Climate Justice into Investment Portfolios
Thursday, August 12 | 10:30 a.m. PT
This session will help you define socially responsible investing (SRI) while pointing to concrete examples of the impact these portfolios can have on society. With this knowledge, you will be able to approach socially responsible investing discussions more confidently with clients where having an impact-driven investment portfolio is a primary goal.
Speaker: Rachel J. Robasciotti
The People in Your Practice: Soft Skills Essential for Every Financial Professional
Thursday, August 12 | 1:15 p.m. PT
As the profession turns to more of a behavioral focus, it is crucial that financial planners develop their basic people skills. In this session, you'll learn to apply five of these skills including empathy, validation, reflective listening, circular questioning and motivational interviewing techniques.
Speaker: Nathan Astle, M.S., LMFT-T
Diversity and Inclusion at FPA: A Call for Unity and Allyship
Friday, August 13 | 10:15 a.m. PT
Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of our culture and identity. This session will be an important discussion on diversity and inclusion initiatives happening around the Financial Planning Association. The hosts of our diverse knowledge circles will provide an update on what is happening in their communities and participate in a panel discussion covering a range of topics related to D&I and our profession. We’ll also hear from some advisors who are doing the work to create a more diverse profession.
Panel Discussion led by Christopher Woods CFP®, CKA® and Lisa A.K. Kirchenbauer, CFP®, RLP®
Be the Change: The Power of You
Friday, August 13 | 1:00 p.m. PT
Tyrone Ross will walk through his proven formula for creating a foundation upon which to build a legacy of change with the “3 E’s: Exposure. Education. Empowerment.” Wherever your interest lies, you can use the 3Es to affect change in your firms, FPA chapters and local community.
Speaker: Tyrone V. Ross Jr.
Breakout Sessions
1A. Accelerating Your Personal Brand With a Client Avatar
Thursday, August 12 | Noon PT
A client avatar can help you define the best, most profitable prospect for your business. By truly understanding your preferred customers, advisers can accurately target their marketing campaigns, including content marketing, email marketing and paid advertisements. NexGen advisers can expect to walk away understanding how a client avatar ties into their personal brand, how to go about building a client avatar and how to best use it to make more impactful marketing decisions that accelerate their business growth.
Speaker: Mary Beth Storjohann, CFP®
1B. How to Adapt and Thrive as a New Financial Planner
Thursday, August 12 | Noon PT
Whether this is your first job or you're an experienced career changer, as a new planner your "way-of-being" makes all the difference! Clients come to us with a variety of questions, both technical and about life in general. So how do you learn to navigate when as a new planner you’re not given a chance to interact with clients? What can you do to develop your client facing skills? How do you ensure you continue growing as a planner and a person? Join this session for actionable suggestions, thought-provoking questions and to learn a process by which to move forward!
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Brody, CFP®, ChFC, RLP
1C. Beyond the CFP: Additional Certifications
Thursday, August 12 | Noon PT
We all know that the CFP is the gold standard of certifications in the financial planning industry. However, once you reach that milestone, is it worth it to seek additional certifications? You have to consider the time commitment to study, the financial expense of exam fees and ongoing dues, the annual continuing education requirements and much more. In this session, you will hear from three financial advisors who have a total of five different certifications between them. They will share why they decided to pursue additional certifications, how it has (or has not) served them in their career, and what they would recommend to those considering getting certified beyond the CFP!
Speakers: Shane Mason, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ECA, Jake Northrup, CFP®, CFA, CSLP and Candace Lee, CFP®, EA
1D. Opportunities in Strategy and Operations
Thursday, August 12 | Noon PT
This will be an open discussion in which we will prepare and present information to next generation (0 – 10 years of experience) financial advisory employees on the alternate career paths available in our industry, including operations, technology, client services, planning, and general management. We will explore the power of professional management in firms as well as engage the audience by allowing them to ask questions and learn more about roles other than traditional advisory positions.
Speakers: Edgar Collado and Shaun Kapusinski
1E. Increasing Access to Financial Planning
Thursday, August 12 | Noon PT
Speaker: Brent Weiss, CFP®, ChFC®
A CNBC and Acorns study found that only 17% of Americans are utilizing a Financial Advisor. As professionals, we know the lasting value in having a plan and in working with a financial planner. Yet everyday Americans do not understand what financial advice really is nor do they believe they have the income or the assets to gain access. The next generation of financial planners are looking to change this – to increase access and to broaden the diversity of their client base – but many don’t know where to start. Join us to learn how Facet Wealth is driving innovation and change, rethinking the financial advice service model, and scaling high quality, fiduciary advice for a more diverse client base. In this session, we will explore what you can do individually, and what we can do collectively as a community, to increase access and elevate the financial health of a nation.
Unlock Your Heart - Yoga & Meditation
Friday, August 13 | 9:00am PT
Join Scott Murphy, a volunteer and kriyaban with the Self-Realization Fellowship, as he walks us through Kriya Yoga and meditation techniques that lead you to a state of inner stillness and peace you can achieve right behind your desk. Take these skills and use them to de-stress throughout your busy workday without breaking a sweat.
Speaker: Scott Murphy with the American heart Association
2A. Own Your Future: Marketing for Financial Planners in 2021
Friday, August 13 | 11:45 a.m. PT
You can be the best financial planner in the world, but if nobody knows you exist then how can you really serve effectively? As a financial planner, I want to share with you the best ways to market yourself in this digital era. But we're not talking hypotheticals here, I want you to walk away with real tools and real plan to execute on your goals.
Speaker: Jacqueline Schadeck, CFP®, AWMA®
2B. Maximize Your Mastermind
Friday, August 13 | 11:45am PT
They say two heads are better than one, but what about five or more? As a new planner, building your network is just as important as honing your technical skills. Many planners accomplish this by creating/joining a mastermind group. Whether you are thinking of joining one or already a member, how do you maximize the value of it in your professional development? No one needs just another 'meeting' on their calendar, but if well-structured, your mastermind meeting can be the most important one in your schedule. Join this session for essential rules and best practices to get results from your mastermind. We'll talk about how to chose your members, why it's important to have ground rules, how to structure each meeting and more!
Speaker: Tess Downing, MBA, CFP®
2C. Opportunities in Academia
Friday, August 13 | 11:45am PT
This will be an open discussion in which we will present and explore the various opportunities available to the next generation of financial planners in the realm of academia. From research and publishing cutting edge strategies, to teaching students how to create a better industry than their predecessors, academia provides a litany of opportunities to contribute to the greater good of the financial planning profession. Attendees will be encouraged to interact such that the presentation will be catered to their unique questions.
Speaker: Martin C. Seay, Ph.D., CFP®
2D. Business Development When You're Not a "Sales Person"
Friday, August 13 | 11:45am PT
When it comes to business development, Nela’s approach is “I need to play where I’m comfortable playing” and she values being genuine above all else. In this session you’ll get to dive into the three areas Nela focused on to bring her business from $250M to $600M in AUM.
- Developing professional relationships with attorneys, CPAs, and others through showcasing her firm’s talent and giving professionals actionable advice to improve their client’s lives.
- Providing incredible service to clients so that the work speaks for itself and clients happily refer to the firm
- The “pixie dust” approach where Nela uses her giving superpowers to make every prospect, whether qualified or not, leave the initial meeting better than when they met her.
Speaker: Marianela Collado, CPA/PFS, CFP®