On this 298th episode of the Take Flight Weekly podcast, I'm sharing five high-performance strategies you simply cannot ignore. These are the disciplines I would start with if I had to do it all over again; if I could go back to 2008 and give myself the lessons, I now know to be true. I've also got a bonus strategy for you at the end.
Every year, Q4 gives me time and space to think. Historically, it's been the quarter that produces my best ideas and breakthroughs. The noise slows down just enough to hear yourself think. Thanksgiving weekend, the holidays, and that first week of January provide the margin to reflect, to zoom out, and to recalibrate. This week, during one of those thinking sessions, I asked myself a question that led to today's message: "If I had to start over, what five strategies would I build my business around? What are the fundamentals that have stood the test of time; the ones that still drive results today?” The results of my “Thinking Time” are what I want to share with you today.
Before we dive in, let me remind you of my purpose: to help you, the full-service, full-fee advisor and entrepreneur, become more productive and more fulfilled. Why? Because happy advisors and entrepreneurs produce more. Listen as if we're sitting together one-on-one. This is your coaching session.
If you study elite level producers long enough, you'll notice that their success looks deceptively simple. They don't chase every shiny object. They master a small set of principles and they live them daily. The truth is that performance at the highest level isn't about doing more, it's about doing what matters the most better.
Your goals are your short-term fuel, but your vision is what keeps you from burning out. Without a compelling "why," even great goals become grind. Decluttering your life (physically, digitally, and emotionally) creates margin for creativity and joy. You can't fly high if you're weighed down by clutter. A weekly business plan transforms overwhelm into focus; it's where accountability meets intention. Every elite level producer I've ever coached has one thing in common; they plan their week before the week begins. Then comes the CRM. This is where relationships live and scale. Without it, you're operating on memory and emotion instead of data and discipline. Your CRM is your future income. Finally, in a noisy world, social media isn't just about posting. It's where your current clients, your Top 100, and your future prospects go to verify your credibility and decide whether you're worth their attention.
The Five High-Performance Strategies You Cannot Ignore
Use Goals for Fuel. Use Vision for Why.
Your goals create the structure, but your vision gives it soul. Goals are short-term. They’re the metrics that measure your progress. Vision is long-term. It’s the emotional destination that guides every decision. Your vision determines who you spend time with, what you say yes to, what you say no to, and how you show up every day.
A powerful vision engages your senses. It's not just words on a page but rather, it's a vivid experience. How does it look, sound, smell, and feel? What does it taste like to live that life? For some, vision is visual; they see it clearly. For others, like me, it's a feeling. It’s an internal knowing when something aligns with who you want to become.
When you combine a clear vision with measurable goals, you create alignment between your actions and your purpose. The vision fuels your why. The goals provide the fuel. That's where the energy for sustained performance comes from.
Declutter Your Life. Fly Light.
Simplify your systems, schedule, and surroundings so your energy stays focused on the vital few that move the needle. Eliminate tasks, commitments, and distractions that don't support your long-term vision. Complexity kills execution. Clarity creates capacity.
High Performance Starts with Elimination.
The Weekly Meeting with Yourself.
This is where you create your weekly business plan; the single most powerful routine for driving consistent results. If you want to win quarters, you have to win weeks. Every week, set aside one to two hours for a focused meeting with yourself.
Use that time to review the previous week. Look through your calls, your texts, your emails, your DMs. See what still needs your attention. Then get it all out of your head, off your devices, and onto paper. Follow an agenda that keeps you structured and intentional.
This process isn't random; it's strategic. It turns chaos into clarity and reaction into direction. It prepares you for your daily execution. For years, my morning ritual was one of my top five success habits, but it's now second nature. The weekly meeting is different; it's deeper, more focused, and truly the driver of my productivity. It's where I recalibrate, realign, and get back on offense.
Commit to Your CRM.
Your CRM is the structural side of the Law of Compensation. As you know that law states: your compensation equals the number of people you help multiplied by the value you provide to those people. One full side of that equation must be supported by structure and that's your CRM.
Your CRM collects and organizes your five lists: your Top 100, Top 100 Referral Partners, Warm List, Hot List and Local Collaborators. If you don't have a CRM in some format, even a simple spreadsheet, you're leaving opportunity on the table. Without it, you will miss connections, follow-ups, and introductions that could compound into future business.
Your CRM is not just technology; it's a commitment to a disciplined business. It captures the specifics of the relationships that drive your income.
Use Social Media for Intelligence, Retention, and Conversion.
This next strategy is one that every advisor and entrepreneur must embrace. Whether it's Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or TikTok; these platforms are where clients and future clients reside. This is where your Top 100, your current clients, and your future clients will go to validate you and track your progress.
Social media is your digital credibility platform. It serves three primary purposes:
Intelligence: It tells you what your clients are up to, where they're traveling, what restaurants they're visiting, and their hobbies. You can use that information to engage authentically, deepen relationships, and strengthen your connection.
Retention: Your clients visit your page to confirm that you're active in the market and producing results. They want to see evidence of success. A healthy, consistent presence reinforces their confidence in you and helps you retain your client base.
Conversion: When you're referred or introduced, the first thing a prospect will do is search you. They'll check your website and social channels to see if you're verifiable. If you're not, they move on. Your digital presence must validate your professional credibility.
Social media is no longer optional. It's a strategy that every high-performing advisor must master to compete in today's world.
Bonus Strategy: Create Space to Think.
Your best ideas don't show up when you're buried in activity. Your best ideas arrive when you pause long enough to listen. Schedule thinking time into your calendar the same way you would a client appointment. Reflection is not idle time; it's strategy time.
Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create action. Action creates the results.
When it all comes down to it, these six strategies are the operating system for a scalable business and a sustainable life. This isn't about working harder; it's about working cleaner, tighter, and smarter. Goals give you speed. Vision gives you direction. Systems give you leverage. When you declutter, plan intentionally, build structure around your relationships, and show up online with purpose, you create momentum that compounds. That's when the game changes. You're no longer reacting to your business; you're running it like a CEO. Take these strategies, plug them into your calendar, build the systems around them, and execute relentlessly.
Consistency and Simplicity wins. Complexity and Chaos Fails.
