The Influential Advisor

Paul G. McManus and Gabe McManus
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Are you a financial advisor looking to stand out as an influential leader and attract the clients you truly want to serve? You’re in the right place. The Influential Advisor Podcast, hosted by The McManus Brothers—Paul G. McManus and Gabe McManus, explores the art and strategy of authoritative positioning for elite advisors who want to rise above the noise. Each episode delivers actionable insights on how to amplify your expertise, elevate your visibility, and position yourself as the go-to authority in your market. Paul and Gabe are joined by leading advisors and industry insiders who share proven frameworks, real-world success stories, and behind-the-scenes tactics you can actually use to grow a more intentional, influential practice. If you’re ready to stop competing on credentials alone, define a clear point of view, and attract better clients on your own terms, this podcast is for you. Welcome to The Influential Advisor Podcast—where high-impact advisors learn how to lead with authority, build enduring trust, and rise above the rest. gh-impact advisors learn to rise above the rest.

  1. APR 15

    100: The Authority Operating System: Turn Your CEPA Credential Into Deal Flow by Paul G. McManus

    The Authority Operating System: Turn Your CEPA Credential Into Deal Flow You earned your CEPA credential. You know how to help business owners navigate the biggest financial decision of their life. But the business owners who need you most don't know you exist. Right now, someone in your market is asking ChatGPT who they should trust with the sale of their company. They're searching Google. They're listening to podcasts. They're forming opinions about who the expert is long before they ever pick up the phone. By the time they're ready to talk, they've already chosen someone. The question is whether that someone is you. You can read or listen to this entire book in about an hour. By the time you're done, you'll have the complete system. The Authority Operating System is a five-pillar framework designed specifically for Certified Exit Planning Advisors who want to turn their credential into consistent, high-quality deal flow. Paul G. McManus has spent the past decade working with more than 500 financial professionals, many of them CEPAs, helping them write and publish books and then leverage those books to grow their practices. That work has helped generate over $100 million in combined revenue. This book lays out the exact system that separates advisors who get found from advisors who get overlooked. The five pillars work together as a system, not as five separate marketing tactics. The real power shows up when all five are running at once. The Book puts your thinking, your frameworks, and your client stories into a business owner's hands before you ever meet them. Business owners who read it show up to the first meeting pre-sold, with specific questions, ready to work together. Referrals and Centers of Influence. Your clients and your COIs want to refer you. They just don't have a natural way to do it. The book becomes the vehicle. When a CPA hands your book to a business owner, the dynamic shifts from "call my guy" to "read this, I think it's exactly what you need." The Virtual Speaking Tour. Guest podcasting puts you in front of audiences that already trust the host, and that trust extends to you the moment you're introduced. Every episode is a permanent, indexed asset that works for you long after the recording ends. Search Everywhere Optimization. Google now accounts for less than 20% of daily searches. Business owners are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools who they should work with, and those tools are answering with names. This pillar covers SEO, AEO (answer engine optimization), and GEO (generative engine optimization) so your name shows up wherever your ideal clients are looking. Leverage AI. What used to require a marketing team and months of effort can now be executed by one motivated advisor with the right tools. From AI-powered meeting prep to turning a single podcast appearance into months of content, this pillar shows you how to build in a year what used to take a decade. One financial advisor published his book and, within months, landed a recurring role as the financial expert on NBC 5 Chicago, leapfrogging advisors with decades more experience. Another advisor tripled his revenue in a single year after publishing and is now writing his fourth book. A CPA firm distributed 500 copies of an advisor's book to their entire client base, on their own letterhead, without being asked twice. A five-person RIA is using AI to build fully interactive, custom-branded client proposals that no competitor in their market can match. And one CEPA is building a practice with so much transferable value that he's selling equity in it repeatedly, living the same methodology he teaches his clients. Every advisor in this book did it. The system works. Somewhere in your market, a business owner is s Support the show

    56 min

  2. APR 13

    099: Scott Snider on Why Exit Strategy IS Business Strategy

    A $200 million exit — and the client who should have been celebrating, but wasn't. That's what started the Exit Planning Institute. And it's the same story Scott Snider has lived himself: a successful business sale in his mid-20s followed by two years of feeling completely lost. Identity, purpose, what comes next — these are questions the transaction doesn't answer. Exit planning does. Episode Summary In this conversation, Paul sits down with Scott Snider, President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), ahead of the 2026 CEPA Summit in Nashville. Scott walks through the founding story of EPI, his own journey as an exited business owner turned professional education leader, and the near-crisis moment in 2020 that forced him to rethink everything — not just his business model, but the culture he had been building around himself. He also breaks down the Value Acceleration Methodology in plain language and explains why exit planning isn't about selling your company. It's about running a better business right now. About Scott Snider Scott Snider is the President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) and Operating Partner of Snider Premier Growth. A nationally recognized growth specialist and lifetime entrepreneur, Scott launched his first business at 16 and sold it in his mid-20s — an experience that shaped his deep understanding of what owners face emotionally and financially in a transition. Since purchasing EPI with his father Chris Snider in 2012, Scott has scaled the organization from 120 members to over 11,000 CEPAs across 19 countries. He is also a former professional indoor soccer player in the Major Arena Soccer League. What We Cover How Scott's personal exit at 24 — profitable but emotionally unprepared — became the foundation of everything he now teachesWhy EPI pivoted its entire credentialing program to virtual in 45 days during COVID, and how that decision triggered 5x growthThe "brick wall moment" when all 11 employees told Scott they were looking for other jobs — and what it took to rebuildWhy the Value Acceleration Methodology applies whether an owner is 25 or 72, planning to exit or notHow EPI's new DriveValue.com platform meets business owners where they are — before they're ready for an advisorWhat's different about the 2026 CEPA Summit in Nashville — including a festival-style exploration experience across seven live stagesResources Mentioned Exit Planning Institute — professional home for CEPAs; credential info at earnCEPA.comDriveValue.com — EPI's business owner-facing platform built around the Value Acceleration MethodologyExit Planning Summit — annual conference for exit planning professionalsWalking to Destiny by Chris Snider — the foundational book on the Value Acceleration MethodologyInitiative One Leadership Institute — leadership transformation program referenced in Scott's culture reset storyConnect with Scott Snider 🔗 LinkedIn📧 SSnider@exit-planning-institute.org🌐 exit-planning-institute.orgSupport the show

    40 min

  3. APR 9

    098: What the 18% of Fortune 500 Companies Paying Zero Taxes Know with Alex Sonkin

    Most business owners assume their CPA is doing everything possible on taxes. They aren't. And the reason isn't incompetence. It's access. The strategies that allow 18% of Fortune 500 companies and America's wealthiest individuals to legally pay zero in federal taxes are real, documented in the tax code, and available. The problem is that most CPA firms, even highly successful ones, are stretched thin producing returns and financial statements. They don't have the time or infrastructure to find, vet, and gain confidence in the advanced strategies their highest-earning clients need most. Alex Sonkin spent 20 years building the solution. The Due Diligence Project is the largest peer-reviewed CPA community in the country, a global network of 500+ elite CPA firms, law firms, and family offices that independently vet, rank, and rate advanced tax strategies. Think Amazon or Netflix for CPA due diligence: a centralized platform where the hard work of evaluation has already been done, so CPAs can bring vetted strategies to clients with confidence. In this episode, Paul and Alex cover how the platform works, what separates the top 1% of tax advisory CPAs from the rest, how AI is beginning to reshape the due diligence process, and the $300M+ in charitable gifts that have flowed from DDP-facilitated strategies. About Alex Sonkin Alex Sonkin is the founder of The Due Diligence Project™ and The Virtual Family Office (VFO) Hub™. He began his career as a professional options trader at Société Générale, making markets in S&P 500 options on the Chicago floor for nearly a decade before transitioning to help business owners access world-class tax planning. Over 20 years, he has built the Due Diligence Project into the most comprehensive independent, peer-reviewed tax strategy community in the country. He is the co-author of The Due Diligence Project with Paul McManus, available on Amazon, and has been featured in Accounting Today and Top 100 Innovators & Entrepreneurs Magazine. What We Cover Why most CPA firms are leaving advanced tax strategies on the table, and why it's a structural problem, not a competence problemHow The Due Diligence Project works as a peer-reviewed community, and why 500+ CPAs vetting a strategy produces confidence no single firm can replicateThe "10% rule": why any business owner paying more than 10% of net income in taxes should be asking harder questions of their CPAHow AI tools like ChatGPT and TaxGPT are being used to stress-test strategies and surface IRS risk, and where AI still falls shortWhat the top 1% of CPAs are doing differently in 2026How DDP-facilitated strategies have generated over $300 million in charitable gifts to the Mitchell Thorpe Foundation, supporting 400+ families with critically ill childrenResources Mentioned The Due Diligence Project by Alex Sonkin and Paul McManus, available on AmazonThe Mitchell Thorpe FoundationConnect with Alex Sonkin Website: DueDiligenceProject.comEmail: info@DueDiligenceProject.comLinkedIn: The Due Diligence Project on LinkedInSupport the show

    33 min

  4. APR 3

    097: Conor Delaney on Going from $40 Million to $20 Billion Through Supported Independence

    When you go independent, nobody tells you that you're just trading one set of constraints for another. When Conor Delaney went independent in 2012, he started with $40 million in AUM and a blank whiteboard. What followed was a 14-year education in becoming a CEO, a shareholder, and a leader, all while still serving clients. Today, Good Life Companies supports more than 200 advisors across the country, and the firm's advisors grew at 34% annually over the last two years, compared to an industry organic growth average of just 3%. In this episode, Conor joins Paul and Gabe McManus to talk through the real cost of independence and the model he's built to lower that cost for advisors who are willing to make the shift. He walks through why the advisor is almost always the bottleneck in their own practice, what it actually looks like to wear the hats of advisor, CEO, and shareholder simultaneously, and how Good Life's "Front Office of the Future" is giving advisors back the seven hours a typical new client intake currently consumes. About Conor Delaney Conor Delaney is the founder and CEO of Good Life Companies, a Philadelphia-based platform that gives independent financial advisors the infrastructure, technology, and support to run like a firm twice their size. He started his career as a financial advisor at 19 while still a college student, and by 26 was the top advisor out of more than a thousand at his prior firm. He launched Good Life in 2012 and has grown it to support over 200 advisors managing approximately $20 billion in assets. Good Life is ranked among the 2023 Forbes list of America's Top RIAs. Conor is also a marathon runner and father of five. What We Cover Why Conor's father's death at 17 became the defining motivation behind his entire career and the name "Good Life"The three roles every independent advisor must occupy — advisor, CEO, and shareholder — and why ignoring any one of them limits practice valueHow Good Life's "Front Office of the Future" cuts a 7-hour new client intake process down to something manageable with automation and a digital workforceWhy COI relationships fail for most advisors (the advisor is still the bottleneck) and how Good Life executes the referral framework for themThe 71/73/77 data: the alarming statistics on advisor divorce, health, and family relationships and what's driving itWhy "supported independence" beats both the wirehouse model and pure independence for building enterprise valueConnect with Conor Delaney Website: goodlifeco.comEmail: CEO@goodlifeco.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leadinspireexecuteSupport the show

    43 min

  5. APR 2

    096: Mark Rasner on Why Only 5% of People Achieve True Financial Freedom

    Most financial advisors will tell you to save more and invest wisely. Mark Rasner will tell you that's not enough. After 32 years of watching people succeed and fail financially, he has the track record to back it up. Mark grew up poor on a dairy farm in Upper Michigan, worked his way through college without taking a single student loan, and watched his father transform from a struggling farmer into a financial advisor who changed people's lives. That backstory didn't just shape who Mark is. It became the foundation for The Group A Mindset, a framework built on one core insight: the difference between people who achieve financial freedom and those who don't is rarely about income. It's about mindset, decision-making, and the habits we either build or avoid for decades. In this conversation, Mark walks us through the Group A and Group B framework, the psychology of financial self-sabotage, and why even high-earning professionals often find themselves stuck. He shares client stories, his own personal transformation through Ironman triathlon training, and the practical tools he uses to help people make a genuine shift. About Mark Rasner  Mark Rasner, CFP®, ChFC®, CASL®, APMA™, BFA™ is a financial advisor and wealth coach with over 32 years of experience in financial planning and leadership development. He is the author of The Group A Mindset, a book designed to help individuals identify and break the beliefs and behaviors keeping them from lasting financial freedom. After building a successful practice in the Midwest, Mark merged his business with a national advisory team, where he now leads Midwest growth and advisor development. He is a two-time Ironman triathlete and father of three daughters. What We Cover Why only 5-10% of people achieve true financial freedom and what distinguishes Group A from Group BThe line of consciousness framework and how subconscious decision-making keeps people financially stuckThe drama triangle (victim, villain, hero) and why escaping it is the first step toward financial transformationHow Mark went from 260 pounds and sedentary to completing two full Ironman triathlons and what that journey taught him about Group A behaviorThe pie fallacy and why treating wealth as a finite resource is the scarcity mindset's most destructive trapA real client story: how Jim went from near-financial collapse at 45 to a 10x increase in net worth in eight yearsResources Mentioned The Group A Mindset by Mark RasnerThe Group A Mindset on AmazonThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyConnect with Mark Rasner Website: groupamindset.comLinkedIn: Mark Rasner, CFP®, ChFC®, CASL®, APMA™, BFA™Support the show

    40 min

  6. MAR 25

    095: Bernd Steinebrunner: Beyond the Numbers — Building a Financial Dashboard for a Life Without Regrets

    Most people doing the right things financially still have no idea if they're actually on track. They're saving, investing, contributing to the 401k — and still lying awake wondering if retirement will actually work out. That gap between doing well and knowing you're okay is exactly what Bernd Steinebrunner has spent nearly two decades helping families close. Episode Summary In this episode, Gabe McManus sits down with Bernd Steinebrunner, CFP® and founding partner at Parliament Wealth Management in Costa Mesa, California. Bernd walks us through the core ideas behind his new book, Beyond the Numbers, and shares the framework he uses to take successful professionals from financial anxiety to real clarity. From understanding your personal values before touching a single spreadsheet, to building a financial dashboard that functions like a crystal ball for your future — this conversation is practical, personal, and full of real client stories that will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered, "Am I actually on track?" About Bernd Steinebrunner Bernd Steinebrunner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and founding partner at Parliament Wealth Management and Insurance Services in Costa Mesa, California. With a background in software engineering and telecommunications — including 18 years in executive roles — Bernd brings a uniquely systematic approach to financial planning. He has been helping clients with comprehensive financial planning for nearly 20 years and is the author of Beyond the Numbers: Building Your Financial Dashboard for a Life Without Regrets, an Amazon #1 bestseller in multiple categories. What We Cover Why even high earners who "do the right things" end up flying blind — and the specific mindset that keeps them stuckWhy Bernd starts every financial planning engagement by exploring personal values before looking at any numbersThe six-area financial checklist — from cash flow and protection all the way to estate planning — and why missing even one area can cost you dearlyWhat a financial dashboard actually is and how it gives you the ability to test financial decisions before you make them (including what that Porsche will really cost you long-term)How Bernd helped a client named Thomas see he could retire at 65 instead of 70 — and why that discovery changed everythingWhy having a solid plan means nothing without accountability — and how Bernd acts as a CFO for clients who are the CEOs of their own livesResources Mentioned Beyond the Numbers: Building Your Financial Dashboard for a Life Without Regrets by Bernd Steinebrunnerstopflyingblind.com — get a complimentary electronic copy of the bookConnect with Bernd Steinebrunner 🌐 parliamentwealth.com💼 LinkedIn📧 bernd@parliamentwealth.com📞 (949) 471-5827Support the show

    40 min

  7. MAR 23

    094: Take Fridays Back with Stanley C. Leong

    He built a successful practice — and it was quietly destroying your life. That's exactly where Stanley C. Leong found himself a decade ago. Making $600K in revenue, working nights and weekends, falling asleep on the floor while his daughters played around him. On paper, everything looked great. In reality, the business was running him. Today, Stanley averages 34 hours a week, takes every Friday off, and hit $2 million in revenue last year — roughly triple what he was making when he was burning out. He's now channeling what he learned into 52 Fridays, a one-on-one coaching program he co-founded with fellow advisor Darian Tong to help other financial advisors do the same. About Stanley C.  Leong Stanley Leong is a practicing financial advisor and co-founder of 52 Fridays Coaching. He began his career as an engineer before spending 24 years in financial services, building a specialized practice serving technology professionals. Stanley holds a $1 million minimum and runs a lean, efficient practice that he uses as a living proof of concept for everything he teaches. He trained with the Machado brothers — the same instructors who trained Keanu Reeves for the John Wick films. What We Cover How Stanley went from $600K and completely burned out to $2M working half the hours — and what actually made that possibleThe jiu-jitsu analogy that explains why busy advisors can't grow: when you're in survival mode, you can't think strategicallyThe 52 Fridays Framework: Focus (individual efficiency), Structure (team efficiency), and Clarity (practice efficiency) — and the ~50 strategies inside themWhy defining a niche is the single highest-leverage efficiency move most advisors aren't making — and why it makes you more attractive even to people outside your target marketHow a more efficient practice actually improves client experience — less falls through the cracks, and you have the bandwidth to go the extra mileStanley's journey to confidently turning away prospects who don't meet his $1M minimum — and the scripts that make those conversations workResources Mentioned Atomic Habits by James ClearBook Yourself Solid by Michael PortFinancial Advisor Success Podcast by Michael KitcesLimitless Advisors — coaching program by Stephanie BoganCEG Worldwide — coaching program by John BowenConnect with Stanley Leong 🌐 Website: 52fridayscoaching.com📧 Email: Stanley@52fridayscoaching.com💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/StanleycleongFree consultation available via email Claim your free audiobook copy at: www.theshortbookformula.com Support the show

    40 min

  8. MAR 6

    093: Ron Phelps On Values, Service, And Real-World Wealth Advice

    Episode Summary Ron Phelps, a wealth advisor with nearly 30 years of experience, joins the Influential Advisor Podcast to discuss his book Beyond the Sales Pitch: A Roadmap for Finding the Wealth Advisor You Deserve. Ron shares his journey from growing up in a tough Milwaukee neighborhood to military service to building a client-centered advisory practice. The conversation covers what separates a true trusted advisor from the rest of the industry, why jargon-free communication matters, and the questions every consumer should ask when evaluating a financial professional. Key Topics Covered Ron's Background & Origin Story — Growing up without means in Milwaukee, raised by a single mom on public assistance. A formative childhood experience at a grocery store shaped his drive to help others achieve financial security. After graduating high school at 17, he joined the Army during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, later earning an accounting degree and launching his advisory career in 1996. The Philosophy of Giving Back — Ron rejects the industry coaching that says advisors should only work with multimillion-dollar households. He shares the story of Jack, an 18-year-old tradesperson who saved $30,000 and became a client, illustrating that giving back means meeting people wherever they are on their financial journey. Ditching Jargon for Real Outcomes — Clients don't care about Sortino ratios or PE ratios — they care about retiring with dignity, building a legacy, and knowing they'll be okay. Ron's approach starts with understanding the person, their family, and their goals before ever discussing assets. What a Trusted Advisor Actually Does — Comprehensive planning goes far beyond picking stocks and funds. It includes estate planning, tax management, legacy planning, charitable giving, and proactive problem-solving. Ron details his team's communication cadence: quarterly calls, monthly market updates, and webinars that now draw 50–70 attendees. Creative Financial Solutions — Using the "Warren Buffett principle" of leveraging portfolio dividends and liquidity access lines so clients never have to permanently reduce their wealth to fund major life events like weddings or land purchases. Working with Business Owners — Succession planning, business valuations (offered at no additional cost), tax-efficient retirement strategies, and connecting clients with business opportunity advisors for selling or franchising. Legacy & Purpose — The story of Don, a client of nearly 30 years who went from being overleveraged on 400 apartment units to donating $22 million to a local cancer center — proof of what a long-term advisory relationship can accomplish. Questions to Ask Your Advisor — Ron recommends asking for 10 client references (not just one or two), understanding how the advisor charges, whether they invest their own money the same way, whether they have a true team with continuity planning, and whether they have a network of CPAs and estate planning attorneys. Guest Info Ron Phelps — Managing Director, The Phelps GroupBook: Beyond the Sales Pitch: A Roadmap for Finding the Wealth Advisor You DeserveWebsite: www.beyondthesalespitch.comSupport the show

    45 min
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About

Are you a financial advisor looking to stand out as an influential leader and attract the clients you truly want to serve? You’re in the right place. The Influential Advisor Podcast, hosted by The McManus Brothers—Paul G. McManus and Gabe McManus, explores the art and strategy of authoritative positioning for elite advisors who want to rise above the noise. Each episode delivers actionable insights on how to amplify your expertise, elevate your visibility, and position yourself as the go-to authority in your market. Paul and Gabe are joined by leading advisors and industry insiders who share proven frameworks, real-world success stories, and behind-the-scenes tactics you can actually use to grow a more intentional, influential practice. If you’re ready to stop competing on credentials alone, define a clear point of view, and attract better clients on your own terms, this podcast is for you. Welcome to The Influential Advisor Podcast—where high-impact advisors learn how to lead with authority, build enduring trust, and rise above the rest. gh-impact advisors learn to rise above the rest.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul G. McManus and Gabe McManus
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    103
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2026 Influential Advisor Media
  • Show Website
    The Influential Advisor

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