The Model FA David DeCelle

Meet Josh Kosnick - provider, recruiter, teacher and leader. He is the Type-A alpha male that loves to compete, drink bourbon and smoke cigars; however, Josh never shies away from sharing his vulnerable side. He’s passionate about men’s mental health – healing, talking about emotions, supporting each other – and will continue to advocate for this. His faith drives him to persevere through pain and suffering because he knows, on the other side of those struggles is everything he has dreamed of and everything he was born to be.

Josh Kosnick shares how he prioritizes his schedule like a college athlete to lead a well-rounded life through fitness, relationships, mind, and soul. He discusses implementing EOS to scale his firm and how vulnerability is the ultimate display of strength for men. Josh also tells the story of dropping out of college and becoming a financial advisor after getting a call from his future mentor while working at Best Buy. He shares information about his new mastermind focused on breaking down walls between advisors and creating collaboration in the industry.

“You just hit on exactly why I always tried to recruit as many college athletes as possible, or former college athletes, because they had to prioritize their days so much more than the regular student“- Josh Kosnick

This week on The Model FA Podcast:
Leadership, mental health, and personal growth. Vulnerability and masculinity. Leading a healthy lifestyle through fitness, relationships, mind, and body. Fitness journey and personal growth. Maintaining a well-rounded life while being a business owner and parent. Prioritizing fitness, relationships, mind, and body for a healthy lifestyle. Leadership and management in the financial services industry. Systems implementation in a business setting. Implementing EOS in businesses for growth and exit value. The impact of "Think and Grow Rich" and its chapters Career path, perseverance, and mentorship in the financial industry.  
Our Favorite Quotes:

"I want to help others that I coached lead or influence or even in our conversation today, someone that I may never meet, is listening to you and I today, I want you to know, that being an alpha being vulnerability is the ultimate, the pinnacle of strength as a man." - Josh Kosnick

"I flipped the mindset, I have to be physically fit, I have to be mentally fit to show up to be my best for my wife, for my kids, for everyone, I coach for everyone, I influence, for every business owner that I go in to help." - Josh Kosnick

Connect with Josh:


Website: https://www.joshkosnick.com Email: josh@joshkosnick.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 
 
Our Team:
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Brooklyn Brock is a 3rd generation financial advisor and founder of Ellevate Advisors LLC, a fee-only RIA, specializing in Financial Planning and Exit Coaching for advisors themselves. Throughout her career, she found advisors rarely do retirement planning for themselves like they do for their clients, which drove her to launch her own RIA to serve advisors exclusively. Brooklyn travels across the nation as a speaker, sharing her passion for helping advisors themselves.
 
Brooklyn Brock joins David to discuss the importance of advisors getting their own financial planning help from an unbiased third party. She shares how she works with advisors through the exit planning and financial planning process, helping them craft a vision for their life after business ownership. David and Brooklyn also explore scenarios like acquiring another firm or buying into an existing firm, highlighting the value of having independent guidance. Listeners learn that getting advice from someone other than themselves can provide peace of mind for advisors making big financial and career decisions.
 
“There is something about retiring with something to give you meaning and purpose in your second half, I think a lot of advisors are afraid of that, of not having that.”
- Brooklyn Brock
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:
Leadership, entrepreneurship, and consulting experiences. Exit strategies for business owners with a focus on preparation and communication. Business planning and strategy. Leadership, collaboration, and succession planning in business. Exit planning for businesses and families. Business valuation and sale strategies. Financial planning and exit strategies for business owners.  
Our Favorite Quotes:
 
"If someone's not okay with that they don't have to move forward and maybe there's a different solution out there because financial planning is one type of service that can help people through life transitions." - Brooklyn Brock
"I think my main takeaways from that story would be when you're exploring that option, and the firm says, okay, cool, here's how you do it. It's not black and white, and you have the opportunity to manufacture a deal." - David DeCelle
 
Connect with Brooklyn:
 
Website: https://ellevateadvisors.com
Email: brooklyn@ellevateadvisors.com
 
This episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts. Numbers and data are one thing, but how you communicate and scale the delivery of these insights to clients is the real challenge. The reality is, people are more inclined to invest their attention and hard-earned dollars when presented with a captivating story and a skilled storyteller. YCharts empowers you by offering fully customizable tools for report and proposal generation, allowing you to expertly guide and control the narrative during client meetings. With all-in-one solutions like fundamental charts, stock and fund screeners, scenario capabilities, and more, YCharts equips you with the essential tools to showcase the strengths of your investment strategies and illustrate the value you bring to your clients. Click the link in the show notes to start your free YCharts trial, and get 15% off your initial subscription (new customers only).
Landing Page Link: https://go.ycharts.com/model-fa

Tara Tussing Unverzagt grew up with one of the first CFPs but started her career as a computer programmer, project manager at a software company. She turned to financial planning when she got married and wanted to work from home to raise children (just like her mom had.) She started South Bay Financial Partners in 2014 after working in her mom's business for 20 years. South Bay Financial Partners serve a diverse range of individuals, couples, and multigenerational families who yearn for financial independence, peace of mind, and success. Prospects often don't know how to get started or find their next steps. SBFP's mission is to empower both individuals and families alike by helping them become knowledgeable, confident, and brave to level up and reach their goals.
 
This episode featured Tara Tussing Unverzagt, a financial planner who incorporates financial therapy into her practice. She discussed how understanding clients' emotional relationships with money helps her better serve them. The conversation highlights Tara's background and how she came to focus on financial therapy. David and Tara also shared personal stories and examples of how examining underlying beliefs can transform clients' financial well-being.



"We understand that money is emotional. From day one, we understand that a lot of financial planners are like, ‘I don't want to talk about that part, I just want to talk about the numbers.’” - Tara Tussing Unverzagt
 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:
Financial planning, bicycling, and personal experiences. Financial therapy and its role in personal finance. Using internal family systems for financial therapy. Client relationships, fees, and market volatility. Financial struggles and relationships with money. Financial literacy and personalized solutions. Financial well-being and relationships. Therapy books and their impact on personal growth. Sales training and marketing strategies.


Our Favorite Quotes:
 
“Well, there's also another saying that there's two kinds of bicyclists, those who have had accidents and those who will have accidents. There's no way to ride a bike without having accidents.” - Tara Tussing Unverzagt
“Number one, my parents, they ended up getting divorced, and the variety of issues but what it boiled down to is, anytime they fought, it was over money, or because they were stressed about money, and they'd fight about something meaningless. Because that was like the boiling point, the tipping point. And seeing that made me stress about money.” - David DeCelle
“ I used to think that vulnerability was weakness. Now I'm realizing no, you have to be friggin brave, to be vulnerable. And to put that out there. So be brave. And that's why in the intro, we tried to help people be brave and level up, be brave, have that conversation with your cohort.” - Tara Tussing Unverzagt
"I said earlier that money issues often come from safety, which often comes from connection with other people." - Tara Tussing Unverzagt
 
Connect with Tara:
 
Interested in connecting with Tara? Click here: https://calendly.com/financial-coaching-team/podcast-priority-referral LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/south-bay-financial-partners/ Website: https://southbayfinancialpartners.com/ Email: tara@sbfinancialpartners.com  
About the Model FA Podcast
 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 
 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podca

Abby Morton is the Head of Community and Culture for Elements. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Abby brings an insider’s perspective on how marketing, sales, and financial advice should converge to drive optimal results in a modern RIA.
 



In this episode Abby Morton from Elements joins us to discuss how the platform can be used to provide prospects with a free, quick financial assessment to give them value and incentivize continuing the advisory relationship. Abby outlines how Elements integrates easily into an advisor's existing tech stack and allows them to serve more clients in less time by simplifying the financial planning process. David shares strategies for leveraging Elements within a give-get marketing framework and subscription model to formally engage younger clients and families earlier. They also explored how large firms could benefit from Elements to justify building advisory relationships with clients below the typical minimum asset thresholds.






“Elements is a way to help advisors, help clients really understand their money in ways that they never have before.” - Abby Morton



 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:



Introducing Abby Morton Using AI to solve financial planning challenges. A financial planning tool for advisors and clients. Using free financial assessments to attract clients. Using technology to improve financial planning and client relationships. The impact of Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" book and its application in a financial services firm.  



Our Favorite Quotes:



 
"Finances and money are the biggest stressor in American lives today." - Abby Morton



“When you think of clients, especially the new generation of clients, and with a lot of advisors now, engaging with those younger clients and more like a subscription model elements just beyond the functionality. It just looks cool." - David DeCelle



"We are that tool to give you the diagnostics, we’re kind of that initial financial checkup." - Abby Morton



"Advisors have a desktop version and a mobile interface, but in the users of it will only use the phone because we feel like that is the way that tech is going is clients want to sit down on the couch at the end of the day and interact with their advisor when they're tired, you know, they don't want to like necessarily have to go and sit down at their desktop." - Abby Morton



 
Connect with Abby:



 
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/abbymorton/ Website: https://getelements.com Email: abby.morton@getelements.com


 
Learn More About YCharts



 
“This episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts. If you don’t already know, YCharts releases a Top 10 Visuals resource deck each quarter, packed with data and visuals to help advisors easily communicate complex investing topics with clients or prospects. YCharts is hosting a webinar on October 18th to deep dive into the deck, with topics ranging from the value of long-term investments to the art of crafting the right retirement portfolio allocation — all packaged in a convenient, editable slide deck you could easily leverage during any meeting or conversation. Click the link below to register for YCharts’ webinar and receive your own copy of the “Top 10 Visuals for Clients & Prospects” slide deck. Remember, you can get 15% off your initial subscription when you start your free YCharts trial and tell them I sent you (new customers only).



https://ycharts.zoom.us/webinar/register/8116962561853/WN_FbGphtSBRPmzoiIYPWiFgw



 

Michelle Atlas-Quinn, J.D. is the Vice President of RIA Operations for AdvisorLaw. She is an  Attorney licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court to practice law (active registration). She earned her Juris Doctorate from University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Michelle formerly held FINRA licenses Series 7, 63, and 24 and former Colorado life and health insurance license. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Colorado.
 


David and Michelle discuss the transition from working with a broker-dealer to becoming an independent registered investment advisor (RIA). Michelle shared her career journey which led her to founding the RIA division at AdvisorLaw. She discussed some of the benefits of being an RIA like lower fees, less regulatory oversight, and more freedom in marketing. However, she cautioned that as an independent advisor there is more responsibility to ensure compliance. Michelle provided tips on complying with regulations and working with a compliance partner like AdvisorLaw. Overall, the discussion focused on helping advisors understand the opportunities and responsibilities involved in making the shift to the RIA space.


 


"The SEC Rule is, am I doing what's in the client's best interest? Am I being careful with their money and making decisions that I think are careful." - Michelle Atlas


 
This week on The Model FA Podcast:


Career journey and RIA services with Michelle Atlas. Transitioning from broker-dealer to RIA. Regulatory changes and compliance in the RIA space. Marketing in the financial industry with a focus on compliance. SEC compliance for financial advisors transitioning from broker-dealers to registered investment advisors.


Our Favorite Quotes:


 
"Anything that you collect a fee on, is Ria, anything you could collect a commission on, is a broker-dealer. And so you look at your book and you say, well, what else am I still collecting commissions on?" - Michelle Atlas
 
“From a marketing standpoint, in the RIA space, it's just nice that you can market your business more in alignment with the way that businesses are marketed today.” - David DeCelle
 
"So there are some challenges, but I think  85-90% of most people's books these days, if you look at them, are fee based, because they are using managed money." - Michelle Atlas
 
"FINRA derives their jurisdiction from the SEC. So instead of having three regulators, and if you're doing insurance, maybe four, you're down to three." - Michelle Atlas
 
Connect with Michelle:


 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleatlas/ Website: https://advisorlawllc.com/ Email: matlas@advisorlawyer.com  
About the Model FA Podcast


 
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 


 
Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered. 


 
Our Team:


President of Model FA, David DeCelle


 
If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Mark Willis, CFP® is a man on a mission to help you think differently about your money, your economy and your future. Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a three-time #1 Best Selling Author and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. As co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you will not outlive.  Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, to become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement.


On episode 136 of the Model FA Podcast David and Mark emphasize the importance of treating oneself as a key investment and examine the one-size-fits-all approach of recommending generic investment options like target date funds to entrepreneurs. They discuss the pitfalls of "shiny object syndrome" as Mark introduces the idea of "iki-gai," a Japanese concept for finding one's reason for being, as a tool to align passion, skill, and market demand. 


“Conflict at its root is just unexpressed expectation. So go deep before you get into proposing and strategies and recommendations, figure out what their expectations are.” - Mark Willis


This week on The Model FA Podcast:


Mark's introduction.
Strategies to get to seven figures.
Mark’s philosophy on target market and how to position yourself.
Power of podcasting.
Leveraging the power of content.
How conflict can build relationships.
 
Our Favorite Quotes:


“Guesting on someone else's show is brain dead simple, because you just get on and you have a conversation with someone who loves to chat with you, and you hopefully enjoy chatting with him. The power there is, you're getting in front of your target audience, you're having a one on one long form discussion with people who might just do business with you.” - Mark Willis


Connect with Mark:


Twitter: https://twitter.com/LakeGrowth/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/
Website: https://lakegrowth.com/
Email: thanks@lakegrowth.com
 
Learn More About YCharts


This episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts. Exciting times at YCharts — they just announced their latest product enhancement called Proposals. YCharts Proposals is a game-changing capability, empowering wealth management professionals with the prowess to craft captivating narratives, effectively conveying their investment strategies that help win new business. But that's not all – mark your calendars for September 22nd because YCharts will be hosting a webinar to unveil Proposals and show off its full potential. You’ll learn how to whip up reports that don't just highlight the value of your investment strategies but also cater to your clients' unique financial needs. Click the this link to register for YCharts’ webinar if you want to learn more about Proposals, and get 15% off your initial subscription when you start your free YCharts trial (new customers only). 

Register: https://ycharts.zoom.us/webinar/register/5916933495668/WN_OD3x5xyzQ7qWTrtGDChLFA


About the Model FA Podcast:


The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams.
 
Our Team:


President of Model FA, David DeCelle