Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL cover art

Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL

Do Business. Do Life. — The Financial Advisor Podcast — DBDL

Written by: Brad Johnson
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"Do Business. Do Life." is a weekly podcast dedicated to helping the independent financial advisor create unlimited growth and freedom in their business AND life.

Having been a coach for the top 1% of independent financial advisors for 15+ years, Brad Johnson has seen far too many leaders in financial services sacrifice their marriages, health, relationships, and everything else that matters to walk across an industry stage recognizing their "success." That model is broken, and Brad's on a mission to fix it.

Join Brad as he distills the best advice from top thought leaders and applies it to the world of independent financial advising. Get actionable tips/tactics on sales, marketing, entrepreneurship, business growth, lead generation, hiring, training, team building, company culture, core values, work/life integration, family, relationships, and more!

"Do Business. Do Life." is way more than just another podcast for financial advisors. It's an experience. It's a community. And more than anything, it's a movement. #DBDL

Want to discover what it truly means to succeed as a financial advisor? Subscribe to Do Business, Do Life OR visit https://bradleyjohnson.com/

© 2025 Bradley Johnson Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • 190: Dana Dunkelberger – How a New Advisor Brought In $40M in 10 Months

    190: Dana Dunkelberger – How a New Advisor Brought In $40M in 10 Months
    Oct 14 2026
    Imagine this. A new advisor joins your firm. Ten months later, he brought in roughly $40 million in new assets.That’s what happened at Dana Dunkelberger’s firm.In this episode, Dana and I unpack what happened behind the scenes to help one of his newer advisors ramp up that quickly, and why developing great advisors takes a lot more than handing someone a process and hoping they figure it out.We also get into the uncomfortable part of getting someone ready, the role repetition and feedback play in their development, and the mistake many successful founders make once they start building a team around them.3 Insights From This Week’s Episode…#1.) Why Your Team Can’t Learn What Only Exists In Your HeadExperienced advisors often operate on instinct without realizing how much knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years. The problem shows up when they expect newer advisors to somehow replicate a process that was never clearly taught in the first place.#2.) The Hidden Cost Of Avoiding Uncomfortable PracticeRole-playing a sales appointment can feel awkward, especially when peers are watching and pointing out what needs work. But Dana has noticed a major difference between advisors willing to expose their weaknesses and those who avoid that discomfort.#3.) When The Founder Becomes The BottleneckThe habits that helped you build the business can eventually make it harder to scale. Dana and Brad explore why founders sometimes struggle to hand over responsibility and how staying involved in everything can quietly hold talented team members back.SHOW NOTEShttps://bradleyjohnson.com/190TRIAD SALES LABLearn how to break through the ceiling using the framework behind some of Triad’s fastest-growing firms. Discover the sales system that scales and apply right here: https://bradleyjohnson.com/190-triad-sales-lab/FOLLOW BRAD JOHNSON ON SOCIALXInstagramLinkedInFOLLOW DBDL ON SOCIAL:YouTubeTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookDISCLOSURE DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations. The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    43 mins
  • 189: Solo – 3 Lessons From 20 Years in Finance (in 12 Minutes)

    189: Solo – 3 Lessons From 20 Years in Finance (in 12 Minutes)
    Oct 7 2026
    The bigger your firm gets, the easier it is to lose sight of what made it work in the first place.I’ve spent 20 years in finance watching firms chase better marketing, sales processes, and growth strategies while overlooking some of the things that quietly determine whether a business gets stronger or loses its identity as it grows.In this solo episode, I share three lessons that helped us grow Triad from an idea in 2020 to serving 100 firms nationwide—and a simple test for whether you’re building a firm that can truly outlast you.3 Insights From This Week’s Episode…#1.) When You're Sick of Saying It, You're Halfway ThereYour mission and values can't live on a wall. Brad explains why every new hire and every new client resets the count—and why repeating what you stand for is how you eventually start hearing it repeated back to you.#2.) Who's Sitting At Your Table?The people around you can either accelerate where you're going or slow you down. Brad shares why the right table isn't just about surrounding yourself with smart people. It's about finding people who have been where you want to go and are willing to help you get there.#3.) Save A Seat For The Person You ServeAt Triad, an empty chair sits in every conference room as a physical reminder of the member who isn't in the room. Brad explains how that chair has influenced what Triad builds, how the team makes decisions, and the conversations that happen behind closed doors.SPONSORED BY BELAYIf you’re an advisor and you’re still scheduling your own appointments, sending your own follow-up emails, or dealing with other tasks keeping you from bringing on other clients, you’re the bottleneck. BELAY helps busy leaders find world-class Virtual Assistants who can take tasks off their plate, protect their time, and help them stay focused on the work that actually moves the business forward. Learn more about BELAY and find the right assistant for your business here: http://belaysolutions.com/dbdlSHOW NOTEShttps://bradleyjohnson.com/189TRIAD SALES LABLearn how to break through the ceiling using the framework behind some of Triad’s fastest-growing firms. Discover the sales system that scales and apply right here: https://bradleyjohnson.com/189-triad-sales-lab/FOLLOW BRAD JOHNSON ON SOCIALXInstagramLinkedInFOLLOW DBDL ON SOCIAL:YouTubeTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookDISCLOSURE DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations. The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    13 mins
  • 188: Shannon McGinnis & Quin Kilgore – Is Your Firm Ready for Claude for Financial Advisors?

    188: Shannon McGinnis & Quin Kilgore – Is Your Firm Ready for Claude for Financial Advisors?
    Sep 30 2026
    Four days after Anthropic released Claude for Financial Advisors, it was the main topic on our AI mastermind call. I get why. Asking one tool to pull your appointments, your Schwab balances, and your Orion data, and having it all ready before your first meeting, is hard to ignore.But there's a gap between a tool being available and a tool being ready to use in your firm.Most advisors are thinking about what this can do. Far fewer are thinking about where client data goes once it starts moving between systems, who is reviewing what the AI produces, or whether their compliance program holds up when a regulator asks how the firm uses AI.So I sat down with Triad's CTO, Quin Kilgore, and our Chief Compliance Officer, Shannon McGinnis, for an early take. Quin brings the tech stack side. Shannon brings the side that keeps you out of trouble. I play the advisor who wants to turn it on today.If you've been tempted to connect a new AI tool to your client data, or you're not sure your firm has an AI policy at all, listen to this before you do.3 Insights From This Week’s Episode…#1.) Treat AI Like A New EmployeeShannon shares a simple framework for thinking about AI inside an advisory firm. Just as you wouldn't hire someone, give them access to every system, and walk away, bringing AI deeper into your business introduces questions around policies, training, access, oversight, and ongoing supervision.#2). Archiving Your AI Isn't EnoughIt's easy to assume that if your AI tool keeps logs, you're covered. Shannon explains why the logs are only the starting point, and what regulators expect you to do with them.#3.) The Weak Link Between Your Trusted ToolsSchwab and Orion grew up in a regulated industry. Claude didn't. We look at what changes when a newer, general-purpose tool gets connected to the systems holding your clients' data, and the question most advisors aren't asking about the connection itself.FREE GIVEAWAYGet Your Free PDF of Our AI Implementation Checklist by Visiting: https://bradleyjohnson.com/188-ai-implementation-guide/SPONSORED BY BELAYIf you’re an advisor and you’re still scheduling your own appointments, sending your own follow-up emails, or dealing with other tasks keeping you from bringing on other clients, you’re the bottleneck. BELAY helps busy leaders find world-class Virtual Assistants who can take tasks off their plate, protect their time, and help them stay focused on the work that actually moves the business forward. Learn more about BELAY and find the right assistant for your business here: http://belaysolutions.com/dbdlSHOW NOTEShttps://bradleyjohnson.com/188FOLLOW BRAD JOHNSON ON SOCIALXInstagramLinkedInFOLLOW DBDL ON SOCIAL:YouTubeTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookDISCLOSURE DBDL podcast episode conversations are intended to provide financial advisors with ideas, strategies, concepts and tools that could be incorporated into their business and their life. No statements made in the episode are offered as, and shall not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Financial professionals are responsible for ensuring implementation of anything discussed related to business is done so in accordance with any and all regulatory, compliance responsibilities and obligations. The Triad member statements reflect their own experience which may not be representative of all Triad Member experiences, and their appearances were not paid for. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Please visit Triadwealthpartners.com for more information. Triad Wealth Partners, LLC and Triad Partners, LLC are affiliated companies. TP10265950813See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    32 mins
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