The Money Advantage Podcast Bruce Wehner & Rachel Marshall

Simon Severino, a strategy advisor for F500 Boards from NY to Beijing, helps companies scale by discovering how to run their company more efficiently. From digital agencies to service and SaaS businesses, Simon's work results in sales that soar. He is the CEO and Founder of consulting agency Strategy Sprints, and Creator of the Strategy Sprints® Method that doubles revenue in 90 days by getting owners out of the weeds. His insights are sure to help you scale your business and stay at the forefront of your industry, whatever that may be.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR35UW3Jwz4




Tune in as we interview Simon Severino to discuss how to double your revenue, so you can create more freedom, impact, and revenue every month.







The Beginning of Strategy Sprints®Scale Your Business with the 9 Stages of a SaleFalling in Love with the Problem, Not the SolutionConnect with Simon SeverinoAbout Simon SeverinoBook A Strategy Call



The Beginning of Strategy Sprints®



Simon began his career in market strategy, and what inspired him most were the entrepreneurs and business owners that were truly passionate about that work. These are the people who, if Simon identified an area for improvement, would happily stay at work longer to solve the problem. 



Still, Simon saw that there was room for improvement, so he put his head down for a year to create a methodology that would make sales much more efficient. 



[6:19] “We focus on the B2B sales problems. So the length of the sales cycle, the complexity of the sales cycle. So that’s why our method is really for the high ticket B2B offers, that is. Consulting agencies, marketing agencies, PR agencies, recruiting agencies, financial advisors, attorneys–everybody who has a high ticket offer and needs just a few big deals, a few good clients per quarter.”



Scale Your Business with the 9 Stages of a Sale



In Simon’s Strategy Sprint® Method, there are 9 stages of a sale that you have to go through with your client to complete a transaction. These stages are: 




Visualization



Pains



Importance



COI



Budget



Concerns



Decision



Start Date



SOW




The first step, visualization, is what Simon describes as “closing the loop” between what you say and what’s landing with the client. This could mean providing a visual while you’re speaking to a client so you can bridge that communication gap. Doing this builds rapport with clients and helps them to trust you. The second step is about finding out your client’s pain points. What is frustrating them? Only then can you identify how to help them.



[10:39] “It’s so interesting how so many people want to go straight to a product or a solution, when if you don’t have a problem you’re trying to solve, then there’s no solution that matches.”



The next steps are to figure out how important this is to your client in the grand scheme of things. Then, determine the “Cost of Inaction” or COI. What will happen if your client doesn’t do anything? (We would call this opportunity cost.) After that, determine your client’s budget, address any concerns they have, and have them make a decision. You may have multiple decision-makers, so this can take time and coordination. Finally, you determine your start date and create a statement of work (i.e. a contract). 



[13:25] “The number one enemy of sales is the status quo–’I can just do nothing.’”



Falling in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution



[28:55] “Whatever your offer is, if you fall in love with the solution, there will be a much better solution soon. Technical solutions always, always innovate.”



In other words, by falling in love with solutions, you run the risk of being slow to adapt to new technology and advancements. By falling in love with the “problem,” you ensure that you’re always seeking new and even better solutions. This helps you to stay flexible and innovative. As a business owner, you wan

If you're going to "Become Your Own Banker" and use the Infinite Banking Concept, you need to understand the laws of IBC. In other words, you need to know how to capitalize a bank and how to manage a sustainable bank.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWgW2T8_WD8




Nelson Nash uncovers the fundamental laws of IBC that must be upheld for any bank, including your own banking system, to last. Join us as we continue the conversation through Nelson Nash's book, "Becoming Your Own Banker," today.







What is Banking?The History of BankingThe Laws of IBC: Building Up Your Banking SystemPersonal Responsibility and the Laws of IBCExpanding Your Banking FunctionFamily Banking and the Laws of IBCBook A Strategy Call



What is Banking?



[3:12] “Really it’s a process of saving and lending. That’s what banks do. They take in people’s deposits and then they lend out for interest.”



This is a simplified overview of banking, though, at its core, that's all banking really is. And if you want to control the function of banking for yourself, that's what it's all about—saving and lending. In your own system, though, you raise your own capital to use, and the insurance company lends it to you, rather than the bank. This is advantageous, though, because you don't have to appeal to banks to get funds. Insurance companies are happy to lend you money if you've got the collateral in your Cash Value.



By learning how to control your own banking function, you create a lot more freedom in your financial life, and reduce your dependence on bank institutions.



The History of Banking



Banks haven’t always existed, but the earliest concept of banking came to be when the currency began to include gold, silver, and other precious metals. Because these metals were scarce and precious, they were highly desired, and robbery was common. Banks offered a solution: put the resources in one place that was heavily guarded, and it would be more secure than your home. 



After some time, early bankers noticed that people were depositing, but they weren’t really withdrawing. So they wondered if maybe they could use some of that money to make more money, rather than letting it sit idle. So they started offering loans to people seeking a little capital. 



Then, at some point, banking stagnated again, because not everyone was depositing their gold and silver. So they added an incentive: an interest rate on their savings. 



Over time, this became what we know today as our banking system, and this function is the same thing that you can do in your personal banking system. Your life insurance policy is not an actual bank, but you can make it function like the above by financing opportunities through your own pool of capital. 



The Laws of IBC: Building Up Your Banking System



If you’re building a banking system, what do you need? Capital. So in the early stages, you want to really focus on accumulating capital. Eventually, when you feel like your pool of capital is hardy enough, you can start capitalizing your cash. When you do this, you can create cash-flowing investments that make paying your policy loan and your premiums simple. 



Over time, what you’ll be able to do is accelerate this process. For example, once you pay off a policy loan with the cash flow from a property, you can redirect that cash flow to your premiums or even to funding a new policy. Meanwhile, the capital you’ve freed up inside of your policy can be used to buy another property, and you can repeat the process. 



This takes some research and know-how, but you can create a whole system of wealth by capitalizing on your banking system. While there’s time for accumulation-only phases, don’t be afraid to actually use your policy when a good opportunity arises. 



So let’s recap:




Open a policy.



Continue to make deposits by paying premiums.



Don’t be afraid to capitalize.



Be an honest banker and pay back your loans.

Every year, IBC practitioners and advisors convene at the Nelson Nash Think Tank.  Here, some of the best advisors in the Infinite Banking space remember the core truths of Infinite Banking, improve their understanding and ability to serve you, and "sharpen iron."  




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lRc64JVi0E




Bruce attended the 2023 event earlier this year, and today, we'll share the highlights with you.



So if you wished you could have attended and would like to be in the know about what matters most for you as an Infinite Banker ... tune in now!







What is the Nelson Nash Think Tank?Preserving the Purity of Infinite Banking with the Nelson Nash Think TankOvercoming the Human Condition in FinancesThe Conversations and Speakers of Think Tank 2023Book A Strategy Call



What is the Nelson Nash Think Tank?



The Think Tank is an annual event hosted by the Nelson Nash Institute to talk about IBC and connect with like minds. Prior to 2009, which is when Bruce became involved with Think Tank, the event was your typical Mastermind type of event. People in the insurance industry with an interest in IBC would get together and share best practices for running a business. 



In 2013, the IBC practitioners program came to be, and the event reached its “next level,” as Bruce recalls. The practitioners’ program is a way for advisors who are interested in the Infinite Banking Concept to become certified. This ensures that advisors who use IBC strategies (and advertise such) can be held to a higher standard. That way, clients who want IBC can work with a highly qualified IBC professional. 



[6:21] “[Bruce] has attended what I would call probably the most elite… conglomeration of minds that are coming together and discussing Infinite Banking.”



Preserving the Purity of Infinite Banking with the Nelson Nash Think Tank



The IBC Practitioner program was designed by Nelson to ensure that advisors who were sharing IBC with their clients were upholding it to the highest standard. Otherwise, what Nelson noticed was that people would say they promoted it, only to have incorrect ideas about how IBC worked, which was damaging the perception of IBC. 



In order to be a certified IBC practitioner, you have to go through a rigorous process that ensures you have a good understanding of the concept. So if you want to implement IBC specifically, you can actually work with a certified practitioner to be confident you’re getting what you want. 



The process starts with an interview, where the NNI makes sure that applicants have the right mindset for IBC. This means you understand Austrian economics, you want to solve people’s need for capital, you understand that you finance everything you buy, and you see the benefits of life insurance on a large scale. 



The next step to becoming a practitioner is to take a proctored exam. Once you pass, you then go through a mentorship program where you work with a current, certified IBC practitioner. Finally, you get to become a fully certified member, which culminates in receiving your certificate at the Think Tank. As you can see, it’s an incredibly thorough process.



[15:43] “This, hopefully, enables people to find a person that was either trained directly by Nelson like I was, or by people that were trained by Nelson, to actually uphold the integrity of the actual Infinite Banking Concept, and not some of the things that are marketed as the Infinite Banking concept.”



Overcoming the Human Condition in Finances



[24:15] “Nelson actually is helping people overcome the human condition of how they handle money.”



As human beings, there is a huge emotional aspect of finance that is hard to overcome. We’re only human, and we all have to face these deep-seated emotions we have about our money. What Nelson Nash has done with IBC and his institute is to help people overcome these emotions and find a sense of control and freedom.



A good IBC practitioner

Your need for financing is greater than your need for saving. Most people try to make more money or get a better return on their investments to get further ahead. But these strategies fail because they focus on the wrong problem. In Becoming Your Own Banker, Nelson Nash identifies the most prevalent problem with most Americans' financial lives is that they are spending 34.5 cents of every dollar on interest, turning the wheels of the banking industry, yet hardly saving even 10 cents of every dollar.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GFF2wRjiAA




The answer isn't to stop spending but to spend differently. To learn how to control your financial environment, and turn a financial drag into financial fuel... tune in now!







The Need for FinancingBecoming Your Own Banker: Start with Good HabitsFinancing and Interest CostThe Cost of FinancingHow to Solve Your Need for FinancingBook A Strategy Call



The Need for Financing



[2:30] “What Nelson is saying is that the need for finance is much greater than the need for savings. And that sounds weird, but what he’s saying is if you really calculate how much money goes out the door for financing things, then you’re going to see that that’s a lot greater amount than how much people actually put away for savings. So if you can eliminate the need for finance, then that money can obviously be shifted into savings.”



Nelson believed that if everyone got control of their own need for financing, it would also be great for the economy. It’s also just a great way to live your life. When you control the need for financing, you have much more safety, certainty, and security. And that’s priceless. 



Becoming Your Own Banker: Start with Good Habits



The thing about Infinite Banking is that you’ve got to go into it with good money habits already. You can’t start a policy with the intention of financing your life if you have bad money habits. Or, you can, but you won’t have the results you want. If you're becoming your own banker, that requires a certain level of personal and financial responsibility. You've got to start with good habits.



For example, let’s imagine you have out-of-control spending habits and have racked up some credit card debt. If you buy a policy, you’re now responsible for those credit card payments and your insurance premium. If you then take a policy loan to buy something new, You’re going to have an additional payment. This can quickly get out of hand if you don’t already have good habits of paying down debt and living within your means. 



IBC isn’t going to magically cure your financial woes. It’s a system and a concept that has to be built on a firm foundation. This doesn’t mean you can’t have an Infinite Banking policy if you have credit card debt. However, you might need to be honest with yourself about where you’re at and where you need to be in order for IBC to be right for you. (And there are still other insurance options for you in the meantime.)



[08:10] “I tell people all the time [that] Nelson’s book is more about the human condition and the mindset than it is about the numbers. And yet everybody tries to make it about the numbers.”



Financing and Interest Cost



What we often see is that the catalyst for someone to transform their money habits is to be so fed up with paying interest that they’ll do whatever it takes to stop. Whether that’s credit card interest, or interest to the banks, everyone has a threshold. And while interest is always going to be a factor of money, there are ways to reduce your interest cost and increase your interest earned. 



The problem is that many people are often focused on the wrong thing. For example, you may want to pay off your highest interest rate card first, but you also have to consider volume: You may have a high interest rate on a card with a low balance, and a high balance on a card with a moderate interest rate. At that point, you might save mor

 If you’ve paid any attention to the news recently, then you’ve probably heard about what’s happening with the Silicon Valley Bank. The news isn't good, and it's probably raising some questions. We’re here to unpack what you might be thinking about. Like, are we entering a banking crisis, and what does this mean for the greater economy? How does Infinite Banking compare?




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqOWPOdD8eY




In this podcast, we'll examine the factors that led to the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and how Infinite Banking can be a solution. Join us for a discussion of the state of banking, and how you can best prepare to weather any economic storm.







Is This Normal?The Timeline of the Silicon Valley BankHow Do Banks Get Behind? Reserve Requirements for Banks and Insurance CompaniesInsurance Product vs. CashCould Life Insurance Companies Be Safer Than Banks? Bank-Owned Life InsuranceResources for Bank Failure InformationIs There a Banking Crisis? Book A Strategy Call



Is This Normal?



We want to start this conversation by sharing that boom and bust cycles are a natural part of any market when the free marketplace is working. This means there will be inevitable highs and lows for everything. Those who are savvy can learn to time the markets by paying attention, although no one does this perfectly 100 percent of the time. 



What sets people apart is the assets they can control with certainty. And one of the many positives of Infinite Banking is that life insurance is not correlated to the stock market. So despite what’s happening in the economy, your cash value is safe and certain. This is the kind of protection that is not even guaranteed when all of your money is in the bank. It’s critical to build your foundation on something strong and within your control. 



The Timeline of the Silicon Valley Bank



To get a good understanding of what’s happening with the Silicon Valley Bank, it’s worth examining the timeline. At the time of this crash, Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in the country and had been just 40 years old. The crash occurred because of large withdrawal attempts and is the largest crash since 2008. 




On January 1st of this year, the bank had $91 billion of held fixed income securities or held maturities. They also had $200 billion in assets, mostly Venture Capital and tech assets.

Out of the $91 billion, the bank’s unrealized loss was going to $15 billion if people pulled out of their maturities due to a need for increased liquidity. They knew they’d be in trouble for the reserve requirements. 





On March 8th, the bank announced that they needed to shore up their balance sheet and raise $2 billion in capital. They proposed a sale of their bond portfolio at a $1.8 billion loss, but there were no interested buyers. 



On March 9th, customers began to withdraw due to impending trouble, and the bank’s stock fell 60%.



On March 10th, the Silicon Valley Bank failed to meet its reserve requirements, so the FDIC stepped in and seized control.




The fear, it seems, stems from the reality that this was a huge bank that seemed like it could never fail. No one expected it to, so when it did, people got extremely nervous about their banks and their ability to meet their needs as well. 



The problem is that when people are fearful and lose faith in the banks all at once; it creates a vicious cycle. Because the more people that pull their money out at once, the harder it is for banks to meet their reserve requirements and other obligations. 



As Bruce points out in the show, this is also the first time such a large bank failure has occurred in the age of social media, and so the information is more readily accessible. While it’s good to be informed, this can also lead to a lot of fear because things spread like wildfire on social media. 



How Do Banks Get Behind? 



[8:50] “What happens here is we’ve been going from a very low inter

Infinite Banking is an exercise in imagination. And in an act of imagination, Nelson Nash introduced a powerful example of how to capitalize on a whole life insurance policy and be an honest banker. He often referred to this concept as "don't steal the peas,” which he explains in his book, Becoming Your Own Banker. 




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baPGoTOZ_H4




Today, we’re going back to this book, the “source” of IBC, and unpacking this idea of “don’t steal the peas.” That means examining the principles that make the Infinite Banking Concept work, and how understanding the fundamentals allows you to change your financial life. If you’re ready to jump into the conversation, learn from the original text, and gain understanding and wisdom… tune in now. 







Table of contentsAn Exercise in ImaginationBeing a Good Business OwnerDon’t Steal the PeasWhat Does "Don't Steal the Peas" Have to Do With Life Insurance?Book A Strategy Call



An Exercise in Imagination



Nelson Nash said it often: Infinite Banking is an exercise in imagination. So what does this mean, exactly? The way Nelson saw it, if you understand how to think about problems, the solutions will become clear. Imagination is simply a method of thinking about things—it’s how we re-envision what we experience. That can be used to see problems in a new light, one that yields new results.



[9:57] “Imagination is all about a thought process, and getting your mindset in a position to be able to see the capability and the possibility of what you can do in your financial life. And to recognize strategies and tools that will help you do that even better.”



Imagination is how humans achieve innovation. Our ability to see problems in new ways is the reason we have advancements in math, science, technology, and any other field conceivable. We can say the same for finance. And Nelson Nash’s idea of “don’t steal the peas” is a perfect act of imagination that explains the foundation of IBC and why it works so well.



Being a Good Business Owner



Let’s imagine, together, that you are a business owner with a thriving grocery store. As a human being, you also have a need for groceries. So you are both owner and customer. That is assuming you’re not shopping with your competitor. 



Keep in mind that as the owner of this store, you need a lot of capital to get started. You want a prime location, a pleasant building for your patrons to be in, and furniture to display your wares. Then, of course, you have the costs of keeping up the store like paying employees, buying stock, maintaining the building, and other overhead costs. 



Since you own the store, you might think it’s no big deal to grab something off the shelves every once in a while. A can of peas, so to speak. You can simply write it off as a loss, right? The truth, though, is that it’s not a wash. You’re actually reducing your future value. 



The thing about a business is that eventually, you want to sell it. Maybe not this generation, but it’s a possibility. And when you do, that buyer is going to look at your Profit and Loss statements. To get as much value as possible in the sale, you want to have proof of a profitable business. Yet if you spent your entire life taking groceries from the back room, you were actually stealing from your future self. In fact, you’re even reducing your present cash flow by taking what you want instead of paying for it. 



Don’t let your business eat the cost. Instead, be an "honest grocer" by buying what you want. This will flow back to you now in your income, and later if you sell the business. 



Don’t Steal the Peas



If you're having trouble imagining how detrimental it can be to steal the peas, let's keep this thought going. Let’s talk about the peas, specifically. Let’s say a can of peas comes to your business through the “back door” when you buy it. And every can of peas that comes in through the b