We all look for balance. Think of balance in terms of work/life: The business is supposed to serve your life, not the other way around. Either you are running a business or it is running you.

Say up front that you understand the prospective client is vetting you, and be clear that you are also vetting them to make sure that you are a good fit and there is an alignment of interest. It is about engagement, and the client empowering the team.

Professionalize and standardize your approach to shift from an organic to a scalable model.

In this episode of the Blue Square Method, An Attitude of Gratitude, Duncan discusses the importance of being grateful for the many things that you’ve accomplished, while still aspiring to achieve your ambitions.

On behalf of the entire team here at Pareto Systems, we wish you and yours a very warm and special Thanksgiving Holiday Season!

Remember, you are not marketing to yourself. What matters is how you are perceived and described by your clients. You don't sell insurance. You're not an insurance broker. Risk management is part of your process. You're not selling something, you're building something. You're building financial independence for your clients. You're building advocacy within those clients. You're building enterprise value, not trading your time for money. Don't be your own best-kept secret, relying solely on skills and intentions that a client can get somewhere else. Skills are important, but everything you do is part of your process. Imprint the panoramic process. Make sure your clients can internalize it, that so they can socialize it to others.

Listen in on Duncan speaking with his team of consultants in this episode of Lightning about onboarding new advisors.

One of the most important attitudinal qualities of an ideal client is that they appreciate your value and don’t question your fees. Do you really want to do business with someone who is completely focused on getting something cheap?

Most professional advisors say they have no idea. Here is a vital piece of actionable advice: Make your clients the voice you listen to. I’ll say it again and again throughout this book: Listen to your clients. They are on the receiving end of your value and your service. Who better to articulate that value to somebody else?

In this episode of the Blue Square Method, Attracting, not Chasing, Duncan discusses the contrast principle and how to successfully implement to attract new clients rather than chase them.

Ambition gets a bad rap at times, and it shouldn’t. The foundation of pure ambition is rooted in absolute gratitude. Putting some proportion to your existing success and the concept of your vision for the future must be balanced by humility and appreciation for your accomplishments, both in your nature and in what you’ve nurtured.