Three Hundred Fifty One
When I started my philanthropy advising business a year and a half ago, I quickly realized that networking meetings were piling on fast. Every time I met with someone new, whether it was a wealth advisor or an estate attorney or even a well-connected retiree, I asked for help with additional introductions; that’s business development 101, right? A couple months in, I looked at my calendar and felt completely overwhelmed. And what’s more, I started noticing something: almost all the advisors across different fields were describing their work exactly the same way; some version of “I take a client-first approach to my business, and really listen to what the client needs. I have unique resources at my disposal to help me serve my clients better than anyone else.”
I started to feel like every day was Groundhog Day, nearly falling asleep in my salad during one such networking lunch. The truth is, there are a lot of skilled advisors out there who have the education and experience necessary to serve their clients well. I sincerely believe that most of the 351 people I have met fall into that category (yes, I do keep a spreadsheet of my meetings and contacts!). But do you know what really distinguishes the good from the great? Personality. Communication style. Sense of humor. The ability to balance talking with listening.
Several great advisors have risen to the top from my list of 351. When I think about making a referral to another advisor, the first thing I consider is who will be the right match - personally, culturally, stylistically - for my client, knowing there might be many hours and hopefully years of conversations to come. When I have a business question that’s beyond my pay grade, I often call on these same advisors and rely on their expertise, and they do the same with me. In an effort to share the wealth (see what I did there?) with all of you, I’m launching a video series called Behind the Advisor in 100 Seconds. Instead of focusing on the boring stuff, we’ll be highlighting what makes these advisors truly unique as individuals. Check out my first 100 second interview with Adrianna Stasiuk.
