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Success is a feeling for Elite Finanical Advisors
Top advisors defined “Success” on their terms early on
Walk into any advisor conference and you’ll hear the same conversations:
“What’s your AUM?”
“What’s your Grid?”
“What’s your production goal this year?”
The financial advisory industry has become ensnared in the allure of scoreboard metrics—numbers that may look good on paper but often fail to resonate with the true essence of success in real life.
And that’s the problem. Because success isn’t a number—it’s a feeling.
And unless that feeling is present, no figure—no matter how impressive—will ever be enough.
THE ISSUE: THE “MORE” TRAP
We’ve trained an entire industry to chase “more.”
More clients. More assets. More production. More recognition.
But here’s the truth. The top 1% quietly discover once they hit those targets:
Growth without “alignment” creates emptiness.
Hitting big goals doesn’t guarantee satisfaction—it often magnifies what’s missing.
I’ve sat across from seven-figure producers who feel disconnected from their purpose.
I’ve coached advisors with full calendars and empty energy.
I’ve worked with top teams winning on paper but worn down in spirit.
And every time, the underlying cause is the same:
They chased someone else’s definition of success—and neglected to define their own.
THE SHIFT: REDEFINING SUCCESS AS A FEELING
If success doesn't feel good, it isn't really success. But when it does, it's a powerful force that can transform your life and business.
That’s not philosophy. That’s practice management at an elite level.
Here’s how to shift from chasing outcomes to creating fulfilment—and why it changes everything. By prioritizing personal satisfaction, you enhance your well-being and improve your professional performance and client relationships.
- Feel the win before you chase it
The strategy: Define what success feels like before you define what it looks like.
Ask:
- What would make my work feel deeply satisfying?
- How do I want to feel when I end my workday? My workweek?
- When do I feel most on purpose?
This emotional clarity becomes your true North Star. Now, reverse-engineer your business around these discoveries.
When you pursue a feeling, not just a figure, you unlock unbounded passion, energy and momentum.
- Audit your current success for alignment
The strategy: Get brutally honest about what’s driving your decisions.
Create a simple grid:
- What am I doing because it looks good?
- What am I doing because it feels right?
Now, compare your time, revenue, and energy against that grid. Where are you out of sync?
Alignment isn’t about quitting everything—it’s about recalibrating what you already have and what already works.
- Build “feel-good” metrics into your business model
The strategy: Measure what matters to you, not just what matters to the industry.
Try tracking:
- Client gratitude moments per month
- Hours spent doing high-energy work
- Time blocked for health, family, or creativity
- “Flow” moments during the week
Create a success dashboard that reflects not just performance, but personal vibrancy.
When your KPIs incorporate joy, momentum becomes natural.
- Upgrade conversations from performance to purpose
The strategy: Talk with your team and clients about purpose, not just process.
In team meetings, ask:
- What’s lighting you up right now?
- What would success feel like for you this month?
With clients, ask:
- What are you building that really matters?
- What does peace of mind look like to you this year?
This reorients everyone around fulfilment, not just results.
When you shift the conversation, you change the culture.
- Design your business to serve the life you want
The strategy: Architect your model to create more of the feeling you're chasing.
If success is freedom, systemize and delegate.
If success is connection, deepen your client relationships.
If success is impact, focus on fewer, more meaningful clients.
Let your business become the engine of your life and the feeling you want to live in.
THE WRAP-UP: YOU GET TO DECIDE WHAT SUCCESS FEELS LIKE
Here’s the liberating truth:
The industry or your firm doesn’t get to define your success. Your revenue doesn’t define your worth. And your future doesn’t need to look like your past.
You do your best work when you feel your best. You scale with soul when you’re in alignment. You lead with power when you feel grounded. So, pause the chase.
Redefine the game. And choose the version of success that feels like you.
When you make success a feeling, you will attract more like-minded clients, you won’t just build a bigger business; you’ll create a life you love returning to every single day.
This is what we help advisors do every day. Thank you for reading!
To book an obligation appointment with Jeff to discuss practice management or coaching, click https://calendly.com/jeffthorsteinson/30-minute-q-a-explore-apm
Jeff Thorsteinson is a partner in Advisor Practice Management, an organisation that helps financial advisors build world-class practices through innovative concepts, tools, and systems. Jeff works with individual advisors, investment dealers, insurance firms, and fund companies. For more information about Advisor Practice Management, contact jeff@jeffthorsteinson.com or 1-800-223-9332, or visit the website at www.apm.coach
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Jeff Thorsteinson, Grant Hicks and Advisor Practice Management's combined financial advisor clients manage over 8 billion AUM, and earn over $80 million dollars combined!
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