<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=319290&amp;fmt=gif">
Join NAIFA
Winter Main Streetcrop

 

NAIFA Members Provide Financial Security

Cliff Wilson

Cliff Wilson is an industry veteran and past National President of NAIFA with a wealth of experience, having served in various leadership roles, including building and leading a general agency. With his roots in rural Idaho, he has spent over 50 years in the financial services industry, championing the importance of ethics, education, and advocacy. Cliff has left a lasting legacy mentoring young advisors, demonstrating a deep commitment to the growth and development of professionals in the field. His passion for the industry is evident in his dedication to serving clients, training new agents ethically, and advocating for the financial services sector both locally in Arizona and on a national level.


 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

  • [02:46] Cliff Wilson shares insights into NAIFA's impact and the evolution of the financial services industry 
  • [03:53] Why young professionals should consider joining NAIFA and how it cultivates ethical and professional growth
  • [05:56] Advice for state chapter leaders and how to effectively implement national strategies
  • [07:53] The mentorship culture within NAIFA and the importance of pairing seasoned advisors with newcomers
  • [10:47] Cliff discusses the power of grassroots advocacy in affecting change
  • [15:31] The continued relevance of advisors amidst advancing technologies and why AI can't replace the human aspect of financial planning
  • [18:24] The challenges and rewards of leading NAIFA and fostering membership growth
  • [22:51] The benefits of attending national conferences for personal and professional growth

In this episode…

What makes an organization profoundly influential in its industry? The true measure of its influence extends far beyond its market share or brand recognition. It lies in the legacy it upholds, the commitment to ongoing education it provides, and the vibrant community it nurtures among its members.

Cliff Wilson, an industry veteran, addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by financial advisors today, particularly in the context of evolving industry standards and technological advancements. He stresses how NAIFA has been instrumental in maintaining core values such as ethics and education while adapting to new market demands. He emphasizes the importance of leadership and mentorship in nurturing future advisors, recounting personal experiences guiding emerging professionals like Peter Woods. Cliff's narrative underscores the impact that a supportive network can have on individual career growth and the collective advancement of the industry.

In this episode of Advisor Today, Chris Gandy and Suzanne Carawan sit down with Cliff Wilson, past National President of NAIFA, about the enduring value of professional associations in financial advising. Cliff shares insights into NAIFA's impact and the evolution of the financial services industry, the mentorship culture within NAIFA, the continued relevance of advisors amidst advancing technologies, and the challenges and rewards of leading NAIFA.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

  • "NAIFA helps all of us be better."
  • "Leadership is walking the walk, not just the talk."
  • "The agent is the one that makes the emotional connection to sit down and help people make a decision."
  • "You can't automate that personal process of helping someone reach a goal."
  • "Everything changes. And unless you're always growing, you're going to go behind."

Action Steps:

  1. Engage in continuous learning and education: Through courses, workshops, and industry events, you can stay updated with the latest industry trends and enhance your fundamental skills.
  2. Embrace mentorship and networking: This provides valuable insights, support, and opportunities to learn from others' experiences.
  3. Focus on ethics and client-centric approaches: With these priorities, leaders can build trust and long-term relationships, addressing challenges related to reputation and client retention.
  4. Participate in advocacy and grassroots initiatives: Leaders can influence policies that impact their industry and showcase their commitment to broader organizational goals.
  5. Adaptability to change and new technologies: Leaders should remain open to adopting new technologies and finding innovative ways to enhance client interactions while maintaining the indispensable human element.

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, or NAIFA, the #1 association for producers in financial services. 

At NAIFA, we enhance professional skills, promote ethical conduct, and advocate for legislative and regulatory environments.

By joining NAIFA, you gain access to a partnership that elevates your performance while providing greater purpose to your professional work. NAIFA members are happier, make more money, and stay in the business longer.

Get in touch with NAIFA and learn more about how to join NAIFA by visiting NAIFA.org.

Episode Transcript

Intro 0:02 

Welcome to NAIFA's Advisor Today, podcast series where we focus on how financial advisors work, live, and give to their local communities and our greater financial services industry. Now, let's get started with the show.

Chris Gandy 0:20 

Hello NAIFA nation. Welcome to Advisor Today podcast. We're live from the Biltmore here in Arizona at the Apex Conference 2024. So if you missed it, we look forward to seeing you next year at one of our national conferences. I'm here with my wonderful co-host, Suzanne Carawan. I get to see you in person.

Suzanne Carawan 0:38 

In person. I know it's great. Hello, NAIFA nation, good to be here as always.

Chris Gandy 0:43 

I never get a chance to really spend much time with Suzanne, but it's so good seeing you. Suzanne, let's jump into our program today. Who's our sponsor for today's program? And would you go ahead and introduce our guest?

Suzanne Carawan 0:56 

Sure. So we're happy to say that, listen, if you're living under a rock, maybe you're not aware that Life Insurance Awareness Month is right now during September. So happy LIAM 24 to everyone. So life happens is our sponsor. If you're also not aware, all NAIFA members now get a bundled version of co-branded life happens in NAIFA content only available to NAIFA members. If you're not a NAIFA member, you still want the Life Happens content. You can also subscribe to Life Happens Pro, so we're happy to have sponsors for both life happens and Life Happens Pro, for this, LIAM 24 and if you're out there on social media, go ahead and use #GetLifeInsurance or #LIAM 24 and be part of the merriment of helping to raise consumer awareness of why the profession that we have and the risk protection products are so incredibly important for financial security.

Chris Gandy 1:46 

Awesome, awesome. So Suzanne, thanks for that share with the NAIFA nation, who our esteemed guest is today.

Suzanne Carawan 1:55 

Well, we are so delighted. So one of the best things about being able to move national events around the country is being able to have people that are local be able to come over. And we are so excited today to welcome an actual Arizona native. He's only 20 miles or so away. Cliff Wilson, one of our illustrious past National Presidents. So Cliff, thank you for being here. We're excited that you could just roll on over and join us this morning.

Cliff Wilson 2:18 

I'm pleased. It's an honor to be here.

Chris Gandy 2:20 

Cliff. What's the story with the heat in Arizona? It is hot here, but NAIFA is hot here. And that we've had some amazing success in Arizona. So can you share with us a little bit about what you've seen NAIFA do since you were sitting in the seat, the main seat kind of leading NAIFA nation.

Cliff Wilson 2:46 

I can, first of all, maybe I'll go back to when I first started, when I first joined, I found out that NAIFA is a group of really quality people willing to share, willing to share what they do, how they grow, how to be ethical, how to do business and as you begin to work with people and share with people that are really quality, people that are focused on ethics and doing the right job for the client, it becomes exciting. The things that our advisors do across the whole country are very special. They make a truly difference in people's life. NAIFA helps all of us be better

Chris Gandy 3:32 

But NAIFA is changing, right? And the industry is changing a lot. For our young professionals out there considering joining NAIFA, what words of advice would you give them the reason why they definitely need to be part of this association and the NAIFA family?

Cliff Wilson 3:53 

When I first joined, I got to know people. I took LUTC, education was available, I was taught a lot of the really quality fundamentals that makes a difference, that hasn't changed. The fundamentals haven't changed, ethics haven't changed, and the value of NAIFA to a new advisor is still there in that respect to the education that's available through many sources, through many platforms, from NAIFA, people sharing, people caring. The advocacy work that we do when people are elected to Congress, they're quality people, but they're not experts in everything.

They need to hear a story and learn, and no one does it better than NAIFA to share the story of the difference we make for people. Life Happens now as a part of NAIFA, and that's the consumer side of it, to get the word out to people about the difference the advisor makes. And the difference our industry can make in people's lives. So much of that has not changed. It's more the delivery, but the basic fundamentals are still there.

Chris Gandy 5:09 

And you talk about the fundamentals, in my previous life, I used to play a little basketball, in my previous life, and everything was around the fundamentals of building those, the building blocks. And so when you look at NAIFA now, and the building blocks for the future, NAIFA nation is listening, what are some of the advice you would give to chapter leaders? Because, again, there's things that are done at the national level, but then you have those that have to be executed by the players at the state level. So what advice would you give the state people of how to get, how to transact and actually follow the model that national is leading?

Cliff Wilson 5:56 

Well, first of all, I think, to become very familiar with everything that's available, and it can somewhat be overwhelming, and the different platforms, the changes. So be familiar about what's available to the advisor, and to make sure that message is out, and to make sure that they are communicating what is available, how to go about it, how to learn, to grow and to better their business. So communication is a lot of it. If you go onto the NAIFA website, a new member may or may not go on very often, but if you look at what's available, so much is available that wasn't available when I was a new agent.

So to be able to be familiar study, make sure you're aware of what can be done, what's available, and the value to the advisor, and to help get that word out to advisors as to how you can help, how NAIFA can really help them succeed in their business. NAIFA made a major difference in my business, because I learned as a new agent, I learned the basics, I learned the fundamentals. I learned and I learned it the right way, and that's what's taught at NAIFA.

Suzanne Carawan 7:11 

One of the things, Cliff, that I love about NAIFA is that we have such a long legacy, and we have that ability to pair together the mentors, the mentees, et cetera. So Chris, yesterday, I happened to talk to a guy named Peter Woods. So hey, Peter, and I was talking to him, and I know him through Carson Porter from a totally different angle. And as we're talking, they've just been kind of raised right in NAIFA. They bleed NAIFA Blue. They're both young advisors out there doing really good work. And then Peter says, oh yeah, by the way, Cliff Wilson was my mentor. And I said, I had no idea you had this connection to Cliff. We're gonna have on the podcast tomorrow. So cliff, can you tell us who are your mentors? And then, how did you end up having Peter be your mentee?

Cliff Wilson 7:53 

Well, my mentors were my general agent. When I came into the business, it said that, I was told that we're a part of NAIFA. You join and you loan. We don't have quite that support that we used to have years ago. So it's critical that general agents that are working in an agency system, and that's something that's very valuable for the state leaders, to get to any general agents that are still in that system and to try to bring them into the fold and help them realize the value that NAIFA can bring to their advisors. Many people are independents. We've got to get the word out to them, and that's you. We offer so much that an independent can use value for, because they've got to find where they can get that information.

But my mentors were some of the leaders within my company, the people that brought me in, and they brought me the direction of NAIFA and I, after being an agent for a period of time, I went into general agency to build a general agency. And I did that for years, over the last 50 years. When I brought agents in NAIFA was a part of our agency, part of what we did, and so that's how that started. Now, as I got involved with NAIFA, I met so many great people throughout the country, good people that I learned from and throughout the years, throughout the whole country, I still have relationships with good people that I really enjoy. So many people with NAIFA see our industry is special. Not all industries do what we do. If, if you're doing well in our business, you want to share. Not all businesses, not all industries do that. And people are willing to share.

They're willing to help. They want to see new people do well. Peter, I brought him into the business 10, maybe 15 years ago, and my responsibility as a general agent was to help develop him. I got him involved in NAIFA, and Peter has developed into one of the best people I ever brought in the business.

Suzanne Carawan 9:56 

He's great. He's great, serving now on the Arizona board. So he's trying to do his thing and make an impact and continue on your legacy.

Cliff Wilson 10:04 

He's doing well — good man.

Chris Gandy 10:06 

It's interesting, because when you look at NAIFA's reach, NAIFA's one, if not the only organization that has representation in every state at the grassroots level. When I mentioned grassroots, what comes to mind? And then, how can we get people involved to show up in DC and show up when it's time for the state legislatures and their meetings with their state? How do we get people and motivate people to do that, and then can you just share the importance of us showing up in large numbers to make an impact?

Cliff Wilson 10:48 

Getting people involved in, that can be all over the board. The key to it is to help them understand the difference it makes. Like I said, many people do not understand our business, and many of the legislative people don't, either. They're good people, but they can't be experts in everything. And so we have to get our message across, and we do it properly. We share the importance of the difference we make in people's lives. And the insurance industry, you could talk all day about the value we bring from the financial side to the property and casualty side, throughout the entire spectrum of our business, the value we bring in. The key is to help that advisor realize the difference they make and the difference that they make when they go visit and get involved in advocacy.

A lot of people believe in what they want to see happen. They just don't know how to do it. And NAIFA has, in my opinion, by far the best expertise in getting that word across properly. And so we have to help them understand, get them involved. I can remember an advisor from Arizona years ago, went to a Day on the Hill, got so excited, he ended up getting involved and ran for office. And those are valuable things. Like I said, our business is so valuable and so complex, but we have to get our word out and we have the message and we have the value. It's a matter of getting that word out to the advisor and getting them excited.

Chris Gandy 12:36 

No, in my previous life, that was called the playbook. NAIFA's playbook is grassroots advocacy engagement, like we have the playbook. Let's talk about leadership, because obviously you led from the front. You were a general agent. You had agents that came in. You said, this is the important thing as part of our culture, right? And this is part of what we're going to do. How important is it for leaders to lead from the front? And then would you share a little bit on your perspective of leadership and why it's super important in an agency. I mean, because you led an agency for a period of time and you led other individuals that he was part of that responsibility of leadership and the duty of that.

Cliff Wilson 13:26 

Leadership is practiced every day. Leadership is walking the walk, not just the talk. I believed in NAIFA. I got involved in NAIFA. Worked through different committees, different chairs. I learned a lot. I learned a lot from NAIFA. I learned a lot of leadership from NAIFA. I learned leadership from my relationships in NAIFA. But the key to it was to help the agents be involved. We'd have NAIFA storage, NAIFA programs within the agency, but the focus was that NAIFA was a part of our culture. It was a part of what we did, and it was valuable to the difference we make in the industry. And so it's something that was always a part of the culture. We always kept agents involved, and we always kept NAIFA involved. When we used to have meetings. We all went to meetings.

We got many of our agents involved. Many of my agents went through local and state chairs. So getting them involved as well, but it's a matter of the commitment, the focus and making that a part of what we are as an agency, as a business.

Chris Gandy 14:16 

So as a leader, you have to be committed, not just interested, absolutely. There's a fine line. You know, when it becomes inconvenient, many people. Astray and do other things because it's inconvenient, but to be truly committed from the front and have it be a part of the culture is super important. Share with us a little bit about your thoughts. And again, do we just want your opinion? Share with us a little thought, the word is that the agents may go away because AI and technology, no advancement of technology nowadays. Can you share with us why you believe that's not the case?

Cliff Wilson 15:31 

Our business has changed. Over the last 50 years that I've been a part of it, I've seen a lot of change. The reason I believe the agent will always be a part of it is we can automate, we can simplify, we can change how we do business, but the agent is the one that makes the emotional connection to sit down and help people make a decision. AI will help us do things better and quicker, but whether the meeting is done personally, whether it's done by zoom, whether it's done however it's done with the new technology, the individual advisor is the one that has the knowledge to share with a proper system of fact-finding, talking with people, analyzing and helping them make a recommendation to reach their goals and objectives.

People want help, and they need help and if a good advisor will help them understand what's available and what are reasonable, ethical recommendations to reach their objectives, I don't see how AI can ever do that. AI can help us be more proficient in our business. It can help us automate our business. It can help us change how we do business. I don't see how AI can replace us.

Suzanne Carawan 16:57 

It doesn't have the ability to do the intuitive piece of understanding when the client gets stuck, when they need that confidence to move forward.

Cliff Wilson 17:05 

You can automate all kinds of things, but you can't automate that personal process of helping someone reach a goal.

Chris Gandy 17:16 

In sports, we call that the it factor, right? It was the it factor, the one thing that someone had. When you watched it and you said they have it, you couldn't describe it, but it was something that I think NAIFA has it, and we've got the ability to be able to impact the lives of others, also to impact the lives of advisors through servant leadership, the opportunity to do many things on the hill, because we're explaining what rules and guidelines, the impact they can have on constituents and is super important. Can we talk a little bit about your role as the president? You led NAIFA, and you were a Stewart along the way. What was the hardest thing about being the president? I'm interested.

Yeah, I'm really interested, because at some point I'll sit in this seat, right? But I want to know what happens before it happens, right? So share with us what was the hardest thing if you recall, just, just take a moment. What was the hardest thing for you to do as the president of NAIFA?

Cliff Wilson 18:24 

A lot of things are hard for me, but I've always said that the only way you can explain what it's like to be a NAIFA president is to be one is to experience it. Each year, each President will have their own challenges, something new will come up. I found that the value NAIFA brings makes it easy to support and be a part of that. I think the difficult part is, how do we grow the membership? I have a hard time understanding why every advisor in the country isn't a part of what we do. And that's probably the hardest issue we had then, and probably the hardest issue you have now is, how do we get that word across, and how do we get that passion transferred.

I look at everything that we do, and we've continued to evolve the guardrails of education and advocacy, and now we've added the society as a part of the organization. Life Happens, and that brings Life Happens, brings in the education, to the client, but the hardest issue, is solving the growth problem, to help the 1000s of advisors out there realize the difference they can make by being a part of the NAIFA.

Suzanne Carawan 19:56 

Well, we have a societal piece, right? We're in a me first culture, yes. And I think to your point, we're all under a code of ethics where we're putting our clients best interest first. You were talking as a GA you were putting your agents' best interest first. We need to get that word out that the IT factor is putting others first, the customer, the client first, etc, and that there's something bigger than yourself out there. And I think it's coming, I think this next generation. But we need some work on that. We need to bring that cultural imperative back.

Cliff Wilson 20:23 

We do. Serving NAIFA as president was an honor. It was a privilege to spend time with great advisors throughout the whole country. And like I said, there's all the facets that you'll go through and you'll be part of that you'll learn. But the hardest part is, how do we really grow our organization? Which we can, we just have to get that solved.

Chris Gandy 20:49 

I think as I look down the road, I think learning from the presidents that have been there before. So I've noticed, because I've asked people, I've said, so have you interviewed the past presidents that are still with us? Have you interviewed them and asked them like, really sat down with them and understood some obstacles?

Suzanne Carawan 21:13 

Like, tell me the landmarks.

Chris Gandy 21:14 

It's got to make sense, right? It's like, if we're going to play Ohio State in basketball, I want to see the tape. Send me the tape. I want to see it. I want to see the players, and I want to see what's there. So then when we get there, we're already packed and ready to go. Yeah, and now it's time to execute the game plan. I think, for NAIFA, as you talk about moving the needle on membership, it's understanding the challenges that you had, specifically with dealing with membership all the way through our current president and past presidents, because once we understand if there's commonalities between all of those, that's where we have to focus, right? And because of that, I think that's part of our evolution, is learning from the past, but also embracing it for the future.

So it impacts us in our mission moving forward. That is super insightful. Suzanne, I think we're almost at the place, let me ask one more question for you. Apex is a dynamic conference because it melds leadership, motivation, opportunity and partnership, camaraderie, the ability for us to kind of come together. We happen to do it in Arizona. What would you say to those who and again because of timing or family members, whatever it may be situations or either in company engagements prior to, what would you say to NAIFA nation, to the people that are missing apex, that are part of NAIFA, what would you say? What would you say to them to get them here next year?

Cliff Wilson 22:51 

Number one, if you come to Apex, attend the sessions, you'll learn more about NAIFA. You'll learn more about the value NAIFA brings. The people at NAIFA, the staff, the organization, are out of this world. People don't realize how good of a group of people work on our behalf every day. You learn more about what really happens. You learn more about the advocacy end, you learn more about the education, but also, if you attend one workshop and pay attention, you'll pay for your bill. You'll pay for your trip. Yeah, just with one session, it's a valuable learning process on how to get into a new market, how to grow your business, how to run your business. It's a valuable personal growth opportunity in addition to learning more about NAIFA and how, as an advisor, you can be involved in helping NAIFA be better and help our industry be better by being a part of what we do.

Chris Gandy 23:59 

You never stop learning.

Cliff Wilson 24:01 

Never, never, never stop. Like I said, one workshop alone will pay the expense.

Chris Gandy 24:07 

Yeah, I heard part of one yesterday, and I was like, oh, I need to write that down. I need to do that right. And it's an opportunity for us to continue to grow with each other, along with each other, because the rising tide brings all boats. Right? If you're successful and you're having success, the ability to share with that, and I maybe have the ability to either by working with you and or learning some of the things you're doing, mimic the behaviors of what success looks like.

Suzanne Carawan 24:38 

But I also think it's good because we've got a mix. I mean, like, this is not your first rodeo in sales. And everything you've learned in the business, Chris and you're saying you still picked up something. A lot of people sometimes thinks NAIFA is just for the new advisor. No, this is for your entire lifespan.

Cliff Wilson 24:54 

You always learn and with the society now, some of their advanced material is available now. It's really an umbrella that your business will grow. You'll learn, like I said, you'll learn more about NAIFA, what NAIFA does, and how you can be involved, but you will learn how to do your business better. And as I said a few minutes ago, our industry and our business is special because people share. Everyone wants everyone to do well, and that's special.

Suzanne Carawan 25:29 

It's very special. It's non-competitive, it's not cutthroat. It's not a zero sum game. You win, I lose. It's one of the biggest things.

Chris Gandy 25:37 

You win, I win. We all win. We're gonna have some great sessions also still coming, we have some great sessions with national speakers today that I know won't be a dry eye in the house on some of this stuff, and then people will be super excited and motivated as we go on today. As we kind of move towards what's next. Suzanne, is there anything? Any other questions you have before we move to the speed round.

Suzanne Carawan 26:04 

I think we should go to the speed round. I'm excited to hear about some of his little fun facts about Cliff Wilson.

Chris Gandy 26:11 

So Cliff, we have something called the speed round. I want to explain this to those that are first time listening to this, as the speed round is basically whatever's on your mind. Top of Mind is simple things, right? So, like, what do you like to eat? Bubble like, so it's things like that. And the whole point is that people may know you as, oh, he was the name for President. We want people, when they see you, to know you, right, to get a feel like, I know that guy, right? So with that being said, we'll start off with some simple questions, okay, what's your favorite food?

Cliff Wilson 26:41 

Probably, Tacos.

Chris Gandy 26:42 

Tacos. Okay, see how easy that was.

Cliff Wilson 26:45 

That was easy stuff.

Suzanne Carawan 26:46 

He's a mac-and-cheese guy.

Chris Gandy 26:47 

It gets a little bit harder as we go. Okay, right. So we talked about the people that are coming into the industry. What would you say the people that have been in the industry for 20 years, 20, 25 years, and they're like, oh, I learned all that NAIFA stuff. What advice would you give to them?

Cliff Wilson 27:02 

Everything changes. Everything changes. And there's issues that are facing us today we never thought about 10 years ago. And unless you're always growing, you're going to go behind.

Chris Gandy 27:14 

What's been your proudest moment in the industry?

Cliff Wilson 27:18 

Oh, goodness.

Chris Gandy 27:20 

I'm sure there's a bunch, but you only get one.

Cliff Wilson 27:22 

So probably the proudest moment is seeing some of the people I brought into the business do well.

Suzanne Carawan 27:29 

To our point. Right to our point. You want to see people and you love to see people flourish.

Cliff Wilson 27:34 

I brought in people in the business, and not everyone succeeds. It's not for everyone. I've had people leave. A lot of people leave. That happens, there's turnover. But I think the proudest part of what I've done, and I've had a privilege to be a part of a lot of great things in our business and in the industry and in NAIFA. But the proudest is the individuals that have really to see them grow, succeed, young man who brought in the business years ago, I was able to see his whole family grow there through college. Now he's a very successful advisor, that's what makes me happy, is the people that are really done well, that I can say you want to helped them.

Chris Gandy 28:16 

What about when you look at places you've visited, and I mean, this industry is so wonderful, because you can go so many wonderful places and do wonderful things. What's your favorite place that you've gone to because of the insurance and Financial Services Association?

Cliff Wilson 28:34 

Oh, probably two degree Washington, DC, because the times I was there growing up, and originally, where I grew up was in rural Idaho, and spending all of my lifetime in the West. You don't get back east very much unless you make it a point too, and to see the history and to learn more about our country by some of my trips back east, back to Washington, DC, and seeing more of the country, and understanding more of the country.

Chris Gandy 29:07 

It's interesting you say that. I've done a bunch of talks, and the first time, when I was growing up, in high school, they did the Washington DC trip, and my mother couldn't afford to send us, right? And I was like, oh. And then I got to high school, and there I was, doing basketball or something like that. Do you realize the first time I went to DC was with NAIFA, and I was in my 30s, so NAIFA has been really special, because I'm like, this is an institution. This is amazing. Like, I can't believe it. And there's a train that you can ride. There's a train underneath the houses. And I would tell people, there's a train under here. Did you know that? And so it was amazing.

Suzanne Carawan 29:46 

Most people, they like, I can actually go into the house. It's like, yes, this is the people’s house.

Chris Gandy 29:50 

I can walk in the Senate Finance Committee meeting. I've been fortunate enough to sit in a couple of those, and was in line to testify on one of those. And to really watch the institution of government is really mind-blowing if you've never been a part of it. Last question, and we ask this question at the end all the time, you go back in history and have dinner with anyone that you've either known, whether they're with us now, or they've passed away, or somebody famous. Who would you go back and have dinner with? And why?

Cliff Wilson 30:25 

I could think of a lot of people I'd probably go back and have dinner with the original GA that brought me in the business, because he taught me the right way. He got me involved in the right direction. And he was a great guy. Funny. I mean, we used to joke. He knew nothing about the insurance business, but he knew a lot about people, and we used to have a lot of fun with him, but he made a difference in my life. And there's all kinds of people, obviously, that you could say, I've had the privilege of spending time with great producers, with people in Congress. I had the privilege of testifying in front of Congress and the House Financial Services Committee. Those are great times, but to have dinner with the guy that helped me make a difference.

Chris Gandy 31:20 

Awesome. So, Suzanne, we're hearing from presidents. This is an esteemed podcast. I mean, NAIFA nations listening, any final words before we close it out?

Cliff Wilson 31:36 

If you're part of NAIFA, congratulations. Get involved. Continue to be involved. Get involved with the pack. Get involved on the advocacy side, but share what you know with others and get others involved. Help us make a difference to grow, to make this business and this country better.

Suzanne Carawan 31:53 

Wonderful, wonderful. Suzanne.

Chris Gandy 31:55 

Chris, do you have anything else?

Suzanne Carawan 31:57 

No happy LIAM.

Chris Gandy 31:59 

All right. Thanks everyone for tuning in to Advisor Today's podcast, where we got a chance to hear from one of the esteemed presidents who's led this organization. Thank all of you for listening. Next year, we'll see you at the next Leadership Conference, thanks for tuning in, where we get a chance to at Advisor Today, hear the voice and uplift the voice of advisors to make America better for the clients in which we serve. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you soon.

Outro 32:29 

Thanks for joining us for NAIFA's Advisor Today podcast series. Make sure to subscribe to get future episodes, and if you're interested in coming on the show, let us know.

TOPIC LIST :

Featured

AT Podcast Ad
LECP Blog Ad

 

Differntiate_ad

 

THANK YOU TO
OUR ADVERTISERS

placeholder_200x200
NAIFA-FSP-LH with tagline - AT blog email ad (300 x 250 px)
2024 Congressional Conference (728 x 89 px)