How can financial advisors get found in AI search, build trust faster, and use online reviews in a compliant way?

In Episode 111 of The Influential Advisor Podcast, Paul G. McManus interviews Brian Thorp, Founder and CEO of Wealthtender, about one of the biggest opportunities in advisor marketing today: compliant online reviews as a trust signal for Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI-powered search tools.

Financial advisors have always relied on referrals, reputation, and trust. But today, before a prospect reaches out, they are often searching online, reading reviews, asking AI tools who to consider, and comparing advisors before the first conversation ever happens.

That means your digital reputation matters.

In this episode, Paul and Brian discuss how financial advisors can use compliant online reviews, third-party credibility, Google visibility, and AI search optimization to help prospects make a more informed decision about whether you may be the right advisor for them.

You’ll learn:

1. How financial advisors can get found in AI search
2. Why online reviews are becoming a major trust signal
3. How compliant reviews differ from traditional Google reviews
4. What the SEC Marketing Rule changed for testimonials and reviews
5. Why ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI tools may use reviews to summarize reputation
6. How reviews can support SEO, AEO, and GEO for financial advisors
7. Why “stars” matter, but client stories matter even more
8. How advisors can ask for reviews without cherry-picking
9. How reviews can help independent advisors compete against larger firms
10. Why advisor-level reviews may matter as much as firm-level reviews
11. How niche advisors can use reviews to strengthen local and specialized visibility
12. Why a book, a website, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, and reviews all work together as authority signals

This conversation is especially relevant for independent financial advisors, RIAs, wealth management firms, advisor marketing teams, and practice leaders who want to understand how trust is built in the age of AI search.

If you are a financial advisor wondering how to show up when someone asks ChatGPT, “Who is the best financial advisor for me?” this episode will help you think through the credibility signals that matter.

Learn more about Influential Advisor Media:
https://influentialadvisor.com/

Learn more about Wealthtender:

https://wealthtender.com/

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Can financial advisors use online reviews?
How can advisors ask clients for reviews compliantly?
Do financial advisor reviews help with SEO?
Can online reviews help advisors show up in ChatGPT?
What is the difference between Google reviews and Wealthtender reviews?
How do testimonials work under the SEC Marketing Rule?
How many reviews does a financial advisor need?
Why do online reviews matter for financial advisor referrals?
How can advisors build trust before the first meeting?
How can financial advisors improve AI search visibility?

#FinancialAdvisorMarketing #FinancialAdvisorReviews #AIsearch #Wealthtender #AuthorityMarketing #FinancialAdvisors #RIAmarketing #AdvisorSEO #AEO #GEO #TheInfluentialAdvisor

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How can financial advisors use podcast guesting to build trust, attract ideal clients, and turn their expertise into new business opportunities?

In this episode of The Influential Advisor Podcast, Paul G. McManus interviews Gabe McManus about his book, Sharpen Your Message: Guest Podcast Preparation for Financial Professionals.

Gabe shares how financial advisors and financial professionals can prepare for podcast interviews, clarify their best stories, and communicate their expertise in a way that builds trust with prospects. Drawing from his background in theater, storytelling, book coaching, and podcast preparation, Gabe explains why the right message can help advisors make the most of every podcast appearance.

You’ll learn why writing a book gives financial advisors a stronger foundation for podcast guesting, how to identify your “greatest hits” before an interview, and why preparation does not mean memorizing a script. Instead, it means knowing your best ideas, stories, frameworks, and client transformation examples so you can speak with confidence when the opportunity comes.

Paul and Gabe also discuss how podcast guesting creates borrowed trust, why a book can serve as the “ticket in the door” to better speaking and media opportunities, and how sharpening your message can create an identity shift for advisors who want to grow their practice, raise their minimums, scale their team, and become more influential in their market.

If you are a financial advisor, wealth manager, or financial professional who wants to use a book, podcast interviews, and authority marketing to attract better-fit clients, this episode will help you understand how to prepare your message before the microphone turns on.

Get Gabe McManus’s book, Sharpen Your Message, at:
https://influentialadvisor.com/gabe

Learn more about Influential Advisor Media:
https://influentialadvisor.com

Topics covered:
Podcast guest preparation for financial advisors
How financial advisors can get clients from podcasts
How to sharpen your message before a podcast interview
Why financial advisors should write a book before guest podcasting
How a book builds authority and trust
How podcast interviews create borrowed trust
How to prepare your greatest hits for interviews
Book marketing for financial advisors
Authority marketing for financial professionals
How financial advisors can use storytelling to attract ideal clients

#FinancialAdvisors #PodcastGuesting #BookMarketing #AuthorityMarketing #GabeMcManus #SharpenYourMessage #InfluentialAdvisor #FinancialAdvisorMarketing #WealthManagement #FinancialProfessionals

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In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down with Jeremy Lederer, CPA and founder of XIT CPA, to explore what separates a tax preparer from a true tax strategist. Jeremy brings more than 16 years of experience working with entrepreneurs, business owners, and high-income professionals to zero (yes, zero) out their federal tax liability using legal, government-backed strategies. From film financing deductions to healthcare software investments, Jeremy breaks down the frameworks he writes about in his book The Zero Tax Strategy. He makes the case that implementation, not information, is the missing ingredient for most people. This is one for any financial advisor whose clients are paying more to Washington than they have to.

About Jeremy Lederer

Jeremy Lederer, CPA, is the founder of XIT CPA, a tax strategy firm that landed on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America in 2023. With over 16 years of experience, Jeremy specializes in helping entrepreneurs and high-income professionals legally reduce or eliminate their federal tax burden through personalized, audit-proof strategies. A former professional golfer and winner of the 2008 San Juan Open, he brings the same precision and competitive drive to tax planning that he once brought to the fairway. Jeremy is also the author of The Zero Tax Strategy and a former certified mastery-level strategist within Tom Wheelwright's WealthAbility Network.

What We Cover

• Why Jeremy quit his firm in 2014, and the $100,000 savings opportunity his managing partner refused to pursue for a client
• Why the average age of a CPA today is close to 70, and what that means for the quality of advice most business owners are getting
• The fundamental premise of the U.S. tax code: 99.9% of its 80,000 pages are about how to avoid tax legally, not how to pay it
• How W-2 earners can use Section 181 film financing to create a $400,000 deduction from a $100,000 cash investment
• The Amanda case study: a $2 million-per-year biotech founder who zeroed her tax with a $300,000 healthcare software investment
• What "to change your tax, you have to change your facts" actually looks like in practice
• The audit that went perfectly: a $500,000 deduction, a nervous client, and a "no change" outcome

Resources Mentioned

• The Zero Tax Strategy by Jeremy Lederer, CPA — available at zerotax.com/book
• Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold

Connect with Jeremy Lederer

• Website & book: zerotax.com/book
• XIT CPA: xitcpa.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-lederer-6128691b

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A couple had done everything right — dual income, debt-free, millions saved in tax-deferred accounts — and they were on track to hand $10 million to the IRS. Not because they made bad decisions, but because nobody had ever shown them what "doing everything right" actually costs without proactive planning.

In this episode, Gabe sits down with Rob Bedinghaus, Ph.D., CFP® — founder of Bedinghaus Wealth Planning and author of Beyond the Numbers — to dig into the retirement planning conversations most advisors never have. Rob brings a teacher's instinct to every client meeting, and this episode reflects that: clear frameworks, real scenarios, and a perspective on legacy that goes well beyond the balance sheet.

Listeners will walk away with a clearer picture of the income gaps retirees face, a practical mental model for surviving market volatility, and a compelling case for why tax planning and retirement planning are the same conversation.

About Rob Bedinghaus

Rob Bedinghaus, Ph.D., CFP® is the founder of Bedinghaus Wealth Planning, an independent practice in Lebanon, Ohio affiliated with Raymond James. A second-generation financial advisor, Rob spent six years in higher education at Indiana University before joining his father's practice in 2015. He has worked with hundreds of families navigating retirement transitions, previously overseeing more than $130 million in client assets at Edward Jones before building his own independent firm. He is the author of Beyond the Numbers: Your Smart Guide to Retirement Income, Tax Efficiency, and Lasting Legacy.

What We Cover

• Why the shift from saving to spending is harder than most retirees expect — and how Rob helps clients break a 30-year saving mindset
• The bucket framework: how organizing money by time horizon keeps clients from panic-selling during market downturns
• How one couple's disciplined 401(k) savings had them on track for $700,000 in annual required minimum distributions and a projected $10 million lifetime tax bill
• The Roth conversion strategy that cut one couple's projected tax bill from $10 million to $2 million
• What "living a legacy" means: giving while you're alive, seeing the impact, and passing values alongside wealth
• Why qualified charitable distributions are one of the most underused tax tools for charitably-minded retirees

Resources Mentioned

• Beyond the Numbers: Your Smart Guide to Retirement Income, Tax Efficiency, and Lasting Legacy by Rob Bedinghaus, Ph.D., CFP® — free e-copy available at beyondnumbersbook.com

Connect with

• Website: bedinghauswealth.com
• Book website: beyondnumbersbook.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robbedinghaus

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Imagine going into business with a partner who tells you upfront: at the end of every year, I'll decide how much of the profits I keep. You'd never agree to that. But Ira Work says millions of Americans already did the day they opened a traditional IRA.

That's one of several hard truths Ira Work, a 42-year financial industry veteran, addresses head-on in his new book and in this conversation. After 17 years working for firms like Smith Barney and Shearson Lehman Brothers, Ira walked away from the traditional brokerage model — not because he failed, but because he saw how it was failing clients.

In this episode, Ira breaks down four persistent myths that quietly erode investor wealth, explains why tax-deferred retirement accounts may carry more risk than most people realize, and makes the case for financial coaching over traditional advising. Listeners will walk away with a clearer picture of what questions to ask, what costs to watch for, and what it actually means to have a financial plan built around their life and not just their portfolio.

About Ira Work

Ira Work is an Investor Coach and founder at First Financial Coaching, Inc., with over 42 years of experience in the financial industry. He holds multiple advanced designations including ChFC, RFC, AIF, AAMS, CASL, and CRPS. After spending his first 17 years at major wirehouses, Ira transitioned to independent financial coaching focused on investor education, behavioral science, and evidence-based investing. He is the author of The Investor's Coach: How You Can Rise Above Wall Street's Myths and Build Real Wealth.

What We Cover

• Why stock picking and market timing feel logical in the moment but fail investors over time
• The real reason 10-year fund track records are nearly meaningless for picking investments
• How hidden trading costs inflate what investors actually pay beyond the stated expense ratio
• The IRA tax trap: why deferring taxes today could mean paying far more tomorrow if rates rise
• The one question Ira asks every new client that most advisors never think to raise
• The difference between a financial advisor and a financial coach, and why one asks about your life while the other asks about your money

Resources Mentioned

• The Investor's Coach by Ira Work — available on Amazon
• Come Back America by David Walker (U.S. Comptroller General) — referenced in the tax trap discussion
• Navigating the Fog of Investing — documentary film featuring Morningstar's CEO on fund ratings

Connect with Ira Work

• Website: irawork.com / firstfinancialcoach.com
• Email: irawork@firstfinancialcoach.com

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Scott Leibfried's grandfather sold the family business at 60 with more money than he'd ever seen. He was generous, he lived long, and he ran out. That story is why Scott has spent 28 years in wealth management — and it's why he wrote Climbing Wealth.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gabe sits down with Scott Leibfried, a Midwest-based financial advisor with 28 years of experience, to explore the parallels between mountain climbing and financial planning. From the moment Scott summited Long's Peak without a guide and couldn't wait to get back down, to guiding clients through the retirement red zone, this conversation is full of practical lessons about what it takes to navigate the second half of your financial life. Listeners will walk away with a clearer picture of what a real advisory team looks like, what triggers people to finally get serious, and why the descent matters just as much as the climb.

About Scott Leibfried

Scott Leibfried is a financial advisor and wealth manager with 28 years of experience, based in the Midwest. He grew up in eastern Iowa working in his family's agricultural business and attended the University of Northern Iowa before entering the financial services industry. Over his career, Scott has built a multi-generational, multi-specialist advisory team focused on financial planning, investment management, tax strategy, and estate planning. He is the author of Climbing Wealth, which draws on his experiences summiting mountains including Mont Blanc, the Grand Teton, and Grand Paradiso to illustrate the decisions that define financial success.

What We Cover

• How Scott's grandfather selling the family business became the origin of his entire career — and what two small decisions would have changed everything
• The shift from a commission-driven industry to a planning-first model, and why it matters for clients today
• What happened on Long's Peak without a guide that convinced Scott to never climb — or advise — alone again
• The retirement red zone: the five years before and after retirement when the most consequential financial decisions get made
• Why a real advisory team is built across generations and specialties, not just people sharing a copier
• The story of a client who retired at 58 against one advisor's advice — and used those five years before his death to live fully

Resources Mentioned

• Climbing Wealth by Scott Leibfried — available on Amazon

Connect with Scott Leibfried

• Email: scott@climbingwealthbook.com

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Most successful people have a retirement number. Very few have a retirement reason.

That's the gap Jason Wendt has spent 15 years closing. After watching client after client arrive with a solid portfolio and a hollow plan, he wrote a book about it. And now, fresh off an Amazon bestseller ranking and a feature segment on NBC Chicago, he's bringing that message to a wider audience.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down with Jason Wendt, a Chicago-based financial advisor and author of Beyond the Numbers, to explore what it really means to build a financially efficient life. Jason shares why he starts every client relationship with the question "What's important about money to you?" rather than a statement of assets. He talks about the three phases of financial life most advisors forget to address, how childhood money narratives quietly shape the decisions of even the wealthiest clients, and why he considers himself the CEO of his clients' financial lives. Jason walks through the specific frameworks, client stories, and planning tools he uses to help people move from saving for a number to building a life around what actually matters to them.

About Jason Wendt

Jason Wendt, AIF®, APMA®, CEPA®, is a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial in Chicago, Illinois, with over 15 years of experience serving high achievers, business owners, and professionals navigating complex financial lives. He holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary, Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor designations. Jason is the author of Beyond the Numbers: A High Achiever's Guide to Financial Freedom Without Sacrifice, an Amazon bestseller in the financial services category. He recently appeared as a financial expert on NBC Chicago and has been invited to speak at universities in the Chicagoland area.

What We Cover

• Why Jason's first question to every new client is "What's important about money to you?" and how that one question changes the entire planning process
• The three phases of financial life: accumulation, distribution, and enjoyment, and why most financial plans never address the third one
• How childhood money narratives keep wealthy clients from enjoying what they've built
• What financial paralysis looks like for high-earning professionals and business owners, and how to break through it
• Why Jason positions himself as the CEO of his clients' financial lives, with a network of 17 specialists across insurance, estate planning, taxes, and investment management
• Proactive vs. reactive tax strategy: asset location, Roth conversions, and why timing matters more than most people realize

Connect with Jason Wendt

• Website: beyondthenumbersbook.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasonwendt
• Email: jason@beyondthenumbersbook.com
• Book: Beyond the Numbers on Amazon

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Most business owners assume their advisory team is working for them. A CPA here, a financial advisor there, an attorney on retainer. What they don't realize is that those advisors are working in parallel, not together. No one is seeing the full picture. No one is coordinating. And the business owner, without ever signing up for it, becomes the quarterback of their own financial life on top of running their company.

That's what the Virtual Family Office Advantage exists to solve. And according to Dale Montgomery, a Certified VFO Professional who has worked with business owners for over a decade, what they're losing without it goes beyond taxes and missed strategies. It shows up in their marriages, their family dinners, and the mental load they carry home every night.

In this episode, Dale draws on his own experience losing a real estate portfolio, rental properties, and his hobby farm in 2008, while raising four young kids under the age of seven, to explain why coordinated, team-based planning isn't a luxury. That experience changed the way he thought about planning. It turned him into a practitioner of something most advisors never discuss with their clients: the Virtual Family Office model, first pioneered by John D. Rockefeller in 1882 and now accessible to small and mid-sized business owners through a team-based, coordinated approach.

About Dale Montgomery

Dale Montgomery is a Certified VFO Professional and Director of Advanced Planning at Tax and Retirement Specialists. After losing his real estate portfolio in 2008 while raising four young children, he rebuilt his career around a single question: what would better planning have changed? That path led him to the Virtual Family Office model, where he now coordinates integrated planning across tax, legal, risk, wealth, and business advisory for small and mid-sized business owners. He is the author of The Virtual Family Office Advantage: From Siloed Advice to Team-Based Planning.

What We Cover

• Why successful business owners become the de facto quarterback of their own advisor team, and what that coordination burden is actually costing them
• How the hub-and-spoke model and the Director of Advanced Planning role removes the business owner from the center of that coordination
• The difference between tax mitigation and tax deferral, and why putting money into a qualified plan often creates a bigger tax problem down the road
• The wealth paradox: why business owners running multimillion-dollar companies often have surprisingly little personal wealth outside the business
• The client who said "don't sell me life insurance" three times, and what the VFO diagnostic found underneath that resistance
• Why giving business owners their time back doesn't just grow revenue. It saves marriages.

Resources Mentioned

• The Virtual Family Office Advantage: From Siloed Advice to Team-Based Planning by Dale Montgomery

Connect with Dale Montgomery

• Website: trsfamilyoffice.com
• Email: dale@trsfamilyoffice.com

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