Discover the powerful insights behind Jason L Smith’s book, The Rainmaker Multiplier: How to Create a Self-Sustaining, Scalable Financial Planning Business. In this first installment of a special series, host Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer at C2P, sits down with C2P’s founder and CEO who built a business designed to be an “insurance policy” for his family’s future.

Listen as Jason shares the deeply personal catalyst behind writing this book – preparing for his second open heart surgery – and how this experience reinforced his commitment to creating a self-sustaining, self-managing business model that would continue to thrive regardless of his presence.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Rainmaker Multiplier Inspiration: How Jason’s health challenges led to the creation of a self-sustaining business model and inspired both The Bucket Plan® and The Rainmaker Multiplier books.
• Four Freedoms: Understanding time freedom, financial freedom, relationship freedom, and purpose freedom as the ultimate rewards of building a proper practice
• Elements of a Self-Managing Company: The importance of systematizing your processes and building a team that can operate without your daily involvement
• Multiplier Effect: How financial advisors can multiply their impact while working fewer hours through proper business structure

Whether you’re a seasoned financial advisor looking to scale your practice or a new entrepreneur seeking to build a business with lasting value, this episode provides invaluable insights on creating a practice that works for you rather than one that consumes you.

Resources:

• Book referenced: The Rainmaker Multiplier: How to Create a Self-Sustaining, Scalable Financial Planning Business and The Bucket Plan®: Protecting and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement by Jason L. Smith
• Organization referenced: Strategic Coach
• Toolkit mentioned: The Rainmaker Multiplier Toolkit (includes bonus chapters and templates)

About the Episode:

Empowering women through financial planning starts with understanding their values, life stages, and emotional needs. In this episode, host Kirsten Schlumbohm sits down with Grace Nicholson and Lisa Chenet to explore how The Bucket Plan® helps female clients visualize financial security, make informed decisions, and feel confident in their ability to thrive—both now and in the future.

The episode offers powerful real-life examples of how financial advisors can use tools like the Concerns & Priorities Worksheet, Pyramid of Risk, and Now, Soon, and Later Buckets to foster deeper trust and more meaningful relationships with women navigating widowhood, divorce, or retirement.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why Women Need a Financial Coach: Addressing the scarcity mindset and coaching clients toward confidence and clarity.
• Permission to Spend: Helping women transition from fear-based saving to purpose-driven spending.
• Long-Term Care & Independence: Planning proactively to avoid becoming a burden on loved ones.
• Legacy Planning that Resonates: Structuring thoughtful plans around family, pets, and personal values.
• Emotional Intelligence in Advising: Building strong relationships through empathy, listening, and vulnerability.

Resources:

• Planning Concepts: The Bucket Plan®
• Financial Advisor Training: The Bucket Plan®

Statistics:

• 80% of widows switch financial advisors within a year of their spouse’s death
• Women are expected to inherit over 50% of the $84 trillion wealth transfer through 2045
• Women live 5 years longer than men on average

What does successful networking look like for those in the financial services industry, and why does it matter? Join Kirsten Schlumbohm, Vice President of Annuity Sales at C2P, for valuable lessons on the art of networking within the financial services industry, featuring Julie Pinkerton, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF®, CEO & Managing Member of Evozen. Going beyond traditional networking methods, they discuss the nuances of building meaningful professional relationships, especially for women and minorities in finance.

Key Topics Covered:

• Networking Strategies: Uncover why successful networking is more than just exchanging business cards. Julie shares her top strategies for making impactful connections that last beyond the initial meet-and-greet.
• Becoming Referable: Find out how to make yourself and your practice more referable, including the simple yet often overlooked tips like ensuring your professional headshot is up-to-date and authentically you.
• Challenges for Women and Minorities: Dive into the unique challenges faced by women and minorities in the financial industry and the strategies to overcome them. Discover how niche markets and intentional networking can play a pivotal role in career advancement.
• Practical Networking Tips: Pinkerton shares practical advice, such as taking photos with new contacts at events to remember conversations better and the importance of approaching networking with intentionality to foster genuine relationships.
• The Role of Digital Platforms: Explore how the ClientFirst™ platform redefines professional networking by focusing on more than just geographical proximity, enabling financial professionals to connect based on expertise, credentials, and client needs.

Tune in for these insightful strategies and more as these two successful financial professionals (who met through intentional networking), discuss how to grow your practice and make impactful connections in the financial industry.

Resources

• ClientFirst™ — Digital community platform for financial professionals
• Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) conference

Sources

• https://www.knoxnews.com/story/money/business/2021/10/14/your-professional-image-starts-great-headshot/5797101001/

About the Episode:

Do your clients call in a panic when the market drops, ready to abandon their long-term strategy based on the day’s headlines? In this candid conversation, hosts Dave Alison and Jason L Smith, discuss how advisors can effectively guide clients through market volatility using The Bucket Plan® framework. Jason shares the evolution of the approach he pioneered from the early days of his career through multiple market cycles, highlighting how time-segmented planning helps clients maintain perspective during uncertain times. The discussion explores why clients react emotionally to market fluctuations and how advisors can reframe these conversations to reinforce long-term thinking. 

Key Topics Discussed: 

• Be the Voice They Hear First: Why proactive outreach before clients call you can increase confidence and referability during market turbulence 

• Framing Client Conversations: Simple frameworks to acknowledge concerns while reinforcing plan discipline and identifying opportunistic planning moves 

• Preventing “Whipsaw Trades”: How to stop clients from making emotional decisions that permanently damage their wealth 

• Growth Through Volatility: Real examples of gathering assets and generating referrals by demonstrating leadership when other advisors go silent 

• Practical Implementation: Step-by-step approaches for practices of all sizes, from solo advisors to larger ensemble firms 

• Beyond Platitudes: Moving past “stay the course” to specific, actionable conversations that reinforce your value 

• Tactical Opportunities: Using market volatility for tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, strategic rebalancing, and dollar-cost averaging 

Resources: 

• Books referenced: The Bucket Plan®: Protecting and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement and The Rainmaker Multiplier: How to Create a Self-Sustaining, Scalable Financial Planning Business by Jason L Smith 

• Training: The Bucket Plan® 1.0 

• Dave Alison contact information : dalison@c2penterprises.com  

Statistics: 

• US News and World Report ranked The Bucket Plan® as a top 10 retirement planning book in 2023 

• Tesla is down 40% for 2025  

• Nasdaq is down 10% for 2025 

• S&P 500 is down 5% for the year as of April 2025 

• S&P 500 is only down 3.8% for the year (as of March 17) 

As advisors, we’ve all experienced the frustration when marketing tasks fall through the cracks, client onboarding hits unexpected delays, or business development activities get neglected because everyone thought someone else was handling them.

In this episode, Matt Seitz, Chief Marketing Officer at C2P sits down with Jason L Smith to discuss how creating a clear system of responsibilities can transform team effectiveness and practice profitability. Jason explains his journey through various business systems and how he developed accountability charts and the “Responsibility Agreements” approach now powering both C2P and his firm, JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Beyond Traditional Team Charts: Understanding why standard approaches to team structure fall short in financial practices and how a responsibility-focused system provides strategic clarity
• Responsibility Agreements Framework: Breaking down all business activities into distinct areas with clear ownership and measurable outcomes
• Evolving Your Structure: Adapting your team framework as your practice grows from solo advisor to enterprise
• Maintaining Responsibility with Outside Partners: Ensuring clear ownership even when working with external service providers
• The Trading Card System: Implementing a visual approach to role assignments that creates transparency and flexibility
• Breaking Growth Bottlenecks: Strategies for helping team members who struggle to delegate responsibilities effectively
• Separating Revenue Drivers: Why distinguishing between marketing, business development, and financial services functions creates exponential growth opportunities
• Implementation Steps: Practical guidance for bringing this system into your practice, starting with The Teamwork Movement Training

Whether you’re leading a small practice or managing a growing team, this episode provides both the strategic framework and tactical implementation steps to bring clarity to your team structure and help drive sustainable growth.

Resources:

• Training: The Teamwork Movement Live Training

Books:

• Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman
• The Hiring Advantage by Gina Pellegrini and Jason L Smith
• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It  by Michael E. Gerber

Discover how to effectively and compliantly incorporate AI into your financial advisory practice. Join Host Kalem Mackey as he sits down with Dustin Anaas, Compliance Analyst at C2P, to explore the transformative potential of AI-powered content creation for financial advisors.

Listen as Dustin shares his expertise on leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT while navigating compliance considerations, offering practical insights on how advisors can enhance efficiency without compromising regulatory standards or losing their authentic voice.

Key Topics Discussed:

• AI Implementation Approaches: Practical strategies for incorporating AI tools into daily operations and marketing efforts
• Compliance Considerations: Guidelines for using AI tools while maintaining regulatory compliance in the financial services industry
• Content Creation Best Practices: Tips for leveraging AI without losing your authentic voice or brand identity
• Training & Learning Strategies: Approaches for building AI proficiency for yourself and your team
• Process Improvement: Using AI to enhance workflows rather than just completing individual tasks

Whether you’re new to AI tools or looking to optimize your current implementation, this episode provides valuable guidance on balancing innovation with compliance in the rapidly evolving landscape of financial technology.

Resources:

• AI Tools referenced: ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot, Zocks
• Learning resource mentioned: Section School Courses on AI
• Previously Recorded AI Podcast episode: AI For Advisors: How to Boost Efficiency and Closing Ratios with Zocks

About the Episode:

As markets respond to policy changes and economic shifts, financial advisors need informed perspectives to guide client conversations through uncertain times. In this episode, host Dave Alison speaks with Dr. Apollo Lupescu of Dimensional Fund Advisors, who brings over two decades of investment expertise to the conversation. He explains how tariffs function, why their inflationary effects differ from expectations, and how markets have historically performed during similar periods of uncertainty.

The discussion also covers critical topics including concentration risk in tech stocks, global diversification benefits, and practical strategies for communicating with anxious clients. By placing current market fluctuations in historical context—including the market’s remarkable resilience during major “black swan” events—Dr. Lupescu provides advisors with the perspective needed to help clients maintain investment discipline regardless of current headlines.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Policy Change Impact: How transitions between administrations create both anxiety and opportunity in the markets, with particular focus on tariff policies and business environment changes.
• Tariff Mechanics: A detailed explanation of how tariffs function throughout the supply chain and their potential impact on inflation, company earnings, and consumer prices.
• Tech Concentration Risk: Analysis of how major tech companies can dominate market indices and the diversification considerations this creates for balanced portfolios.
• Global Investment Perspective: Why international markets may present opportunities during periods of domestic uncertainty and how global diversification reduces concentrated risks.
• Inflation Outlook: Why tariff-driven inflation differs from other inflationary pressures and how investors can protect purchasing power through equity markets and inflation-protected securities.
• Historical Context: Compelling data showing market resilience during previous periods of uncertainty, including growth during administrations that implemented significant tariffs.
• Client Communication Strategies: Practical advice for advisors on validating client concerns while maintaining focus on long-term investment discipline.

Statistics:

• The “Magnificent Seven” tech companies represented approximately 34% of the S&P 500 and 55% of NASDAQ at the time of recording
• Historically, tariffs generated up to 90% of federal revenue, compared to less than 2% in modern times
• Services account for approximately 80% of U.S. GDP, potentially limiting tariff impact on the overall economy
• Many consumer electronics contain components from dozens of countries despite final assembly in a single location
• Stock markets have historically doubled in value even during major global conflicts
• Since 1926, only 12 calendar years have seen market losses exceeding 10%
• During a previous administration with significant tariff policies, the U.S. stock market grew approximately 80% over four years
• Countries targeted by tariffs have often outperformed the U.S. market during the same period, with examples of China seeing 20% gains and Mexico posting positive returns while the U.S. experienced flat or negative performance
• S. Steel Corporation stock price fluctuated significantly around tariff announcements, falling from approximately $40 to $20 per share, then rising to almost $45 before falling again after implementation
• During the 2020 pandemic, markets dropped approximately 30% but ended the year up about 18%
• In a previous tariff implementation on washing machines, about 12% of a 20% tariff was passed on to consumers

Financial advisors—especially women—spend their careers creating safety nets for others while often neglecting their own. Join guest host Kirsten Schlumbohm, Vice President and Head of Annuity Sales at C2P, as she sits down with Rebecca Bloom, author and founder of When Women Get Sick, to address health advocacy for female advisors.

Bloom draws on her 25+ years of experience to explain why this pattern of neglect is particularly dangerous for high-achieving professionals and provides a roadmap for breaking it. Their discussion highlights how financial advisors can apply their professional skills to personal healthcare challenges while also better serving female clients by understanding the health-wealth connection.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Advisor’s Health Paradox: Why financial professionals excel at planning for clients’ healthcare needs but often neglect their own—and the business impact of this oversight.
• Transferable Advisory Skills: How to repurpose your client advocacy, team-building, and communication skills for your own healthcare journey.
• Strategic Health Team Building: Creating your own “health org chart” with assigned roles based on strengths—just as you would structure a client’s professional support network.
• Healthcare System Navigation: Practical techniques for preparing for appointments, communicating with providers, and managing medical information.
• Setting Boundaries: Maintaining professional boundaries while managing health challenges—crucial for advisors whose clients depend on their wellbeing.
• Client Support Enhancement: How your personal health advocacy journey can improve your ability to guide clients through their own health-related financial planning needs.

Resources:

• Book: When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need by Rebecca Bloom
• Website: WhenWomenGetSick.com

Statistics:

• Research shows women’s pain is often underestimated by healthcare providers
• Recent studies confirm many pain medications don’t work as effectively for women as for men
• Women tend to be financially under resourced compared to men.

Women represent only 20-25% of financial professionals despite decades of diversity initiatives. In this special forum by A Women’s Clarity®, host Kirsten speaks with industry leaders about practical strategies to help change that and show how women can thrive in this environment. Hear from special guests: Lindsay Lewis, MBA, CHFC®, CFP®, Managing Director & Chair for Center for Women at The American College of Financial Services, and Alanah Phillips, founder of Advisor Launch Lab and Break Up With Your Broker Dealer.

Their conversation explores how mentorship can accelerate career development, why finding your professional “tribe” matters, and practical ways to build relationships that lead to greater professional opportunities. From leveraging designation programs to finding male allies who can advocate for you, the discussion provides actionable guidance for women at all career stages in our industry.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Finding Mentorship Opportunities: Practical approaches to building mentoring relationships that focus on specific skills rather than long-term commitments.
• Building Professional Communities: Strategies for identifying and connecting with like-minded professionals who can provide support and collaboration.
• Education as Career Advancement: How designations and continuous learning correlate to increased earnings and client retention.
• Authentic Leadership Development: The importance of presenting your authentic self rather than conforming to industry stereotypes.
• Male Allyship Strategies: Techniques for developing relationships with male colleagues who can advocate for you in professional settings.
• Confidence Building: Methods for overcoming imposter syndrome and developing trust in your professional capabilities.
• Future Industry Trends: Insights on evolving opportunities for women as wealth increasingly transfers to female clients.

Resources:

• Women’s professional development: American College’s Center for Women
• Continuing education platform: Knowledge Hub Plus
• Mentorship program: FinServe Foundation
• Industry networking organizations: Financial Planning Association (FPA,) National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA), Women & Finance (WIFS), National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
• Educational content: Reshma Saujani’s commencement speech on imposter syndrome

Statistics:

• Women represent only 20-25% of financial professionals, a number that hasn’t significantly changed in two decades
• Professionals with one designation experience 13% higher growth in earnings and 35% higher client retention
• Adding a second designation increases these numbers to 19% higher earnings growth and 45% higher client retention
• 16% of female professionals with designations receive client referrals
• 76% of individuals believe mentorship would help them professionally, but only 37% have mentors
• One-third of financial advisors (approximately 100,000) plan to retire in the next decade

About the Episode:

Discover how simplifying your language can lead to better client outcomes and practice growth. In this episode, host Dave Alison sits down with Greg Hammer, President and CEO of Hammer Financial Group, to explore the art of client communication through The Bucket Plan® framework.

Listen as Hammer shares how he’s built successful practice with the help of this process and communication techniques. Plus, hear practical examples of this language that resonates with clients and drives decision-making.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Connection Techniques: How to use tools from The Bucket Plan® like the Connection Questionnaire to establish meaningful relationships with prospects beyond just collecting financial data.
• Change-Focused Language: Approaches for helping clients recognize that addressing their concerns will require making changes to their current financial situation.
• Analogy-Based Education: Examples of powerful analogies that simplify complex financial concepts and make them more relatable to clients.
• Retirement Income Planning: Strategies for discussing guaranteed income options and helping clients understand the trade-offs between certainty and growth potential.
• Fear Reduction Strategies: Communication techniques that help clients overcome the fear of spending money in retirement.
• Client Meeting Structure: How to keep initial conversations focused on client goals rather than jumping straight to technical solutions.
• Retirement Lifestyle Planning: Approaches for helping clients plan for different phases of retirement spending (go years, slow-go years, and no-go years).

Resources:

• Financial planning process: The Bucket Plan® philosophy
• Book Referenced: The Bucket Plan®: Protecting and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement
• Training Referenced: The Bucket Plan® 1.0