Ways To Serve and Give for Better Long-Term Care With Adam Sachs

Adam Sachs

Adam Sachs is a Financial Advisor for Centinel Financial Group, LLC. Since 1993, he has been serving clients by helping them understand their financial options — giving them the confidence to make decisions for their future. Adam is the recipient of the inaugural 2023 NAIFA President’s Citation. He has been a member of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) since 1994, is currently a Vice Chair of the National Membership Committee, and continues to serve on the NAIFA-MA Board. Adam has served as the past president of the Massachusetts chapter and was the 2021 NAIFA-MA Membership Chair.

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

Adam Sachs discusses working with others to implement investment and risk management for long-term care
How Adam has become a valuable resource for others in the industry
Why you should consistently build a better community
Adam shares how NAIFA helped him be a better advocate for his clients
The importance of fact-finding to determine a client’s options
Adam discusses preparing the next generation for long-term care
Why mentorship is crucial for perpetuating leaders in the industry

In this episode…

How can you build and cultivate relationships that become influential to your peers? Where can you turn for educational tools and professional networking?

Adam Sachs knows that relationships are ways to build value in your work. If you’re not sure where to start, networking with other like-minded advisors is the key to success. Proper fact-finding and looking for resources outside traditional long-term care insurance can significantly help you provide better service for your clients, yielding satisfactory results. Adam believes that when you put in the work and follow through, you’re making a difference and standing out.

In this episode of Advisor Today, Chris Gandy and Suzanne Carawan sit down with Adam Sachs, Financial Advisor at Centinel Financial Group, LLC, to discuss building relationships for long-care solutions. Adam talks about networking to create better education tools, organizing ways to continuously serve the community, and advocating and preparing the next generation for the future.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by NAIFA's Limited & Extended Care Planning Center.

The LECP Center empowers professionals to network with solution and service providers to share best practices; directly access subject matter experts, research, training, and resources; and provide thought leadership so we may continue to address the changing needs of the market.

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 0:16

Hi, everyone, this is Chris Gandy, your co host for Advisor Today podcast where we get an opportunity to talk to the who's who in the insurance and financial services industry. And we're here with our wonderful co host, Suzanne Carawan. Hi, Suzanne. Hi, Chris. Hey, Adam. And we're super excited to have a guest today, Mr. Adam Sachs, and he'll get an opportunity, we'll get a chance to get to him in a second. But before that, let's go to Suzanne to talk about our sponsor for today's podcast.

Suzanne Carawan 0:55

All right, so everybody, thank you so much for being here for another episode of Advisor Today. This episode is actually sponsored by the Limited & Extended Care Planning Center. It is still in long-term care Awareness Month. And we are very happy, though to have our center who has a legislative working group who's been at the forefront really on the Washington whole deal. So if you've been watching what's happening in Washington and Washington, what's happening in the state side, our legislative working group, in our Limited & Extended Care Planning Center is one of the go-to people, that whole group there. It's a it's created by our members and our partners, and coming together to give a voice to long-term care, and what needs to happen for mainstream Americans. So we past guests have included Carol golden, who's the Executive of that center, who also has a new book that's coming out this month for the consumers on how to have those conversations on caregiving. So with that, Chris, let's talk about our guests today.

Chris Gandy 1:52

Awesome. Hi, Adam. How are you?

Adam Sachs 1:55

I am super fantastic, Chris, how are you?

Chris Gandy 1:57

Good, good, good, good. Hey, so so I'm gonna kind of kind of run the kind of interview today, so so to get a feel for that. We're going to talk about those things behind you a little bit and how wonderful those things are, and why they mean so much to you. But those who are out here who haven't had an opportunity to meet you tell us a little bit about about you, and kinda how you came to join the NAIFA for family.

Adam Sachs 2:28

Thank you, Chris, for this opportunity. Thank you, Suzanne. Well, next year will be my 30th year in the insurance and financial services industry, it seems that it's not real. But I started in the insurance industry right out of college. I was fortunate enough to be interviewed, I attended a workshop or a information meeting from my manager at that time Mark Sullivan. And the first company that I took an interview with was the company that I chose to work with, and I've been with the same company today. I actually started working when I was five years old and a family business, I was sorting screws, and taking out trash. I felt like I was part of the family business. And I grew up to ultimately do sales and learned about business. But I ultimately realized I didn't want to be in the family business anymore. But I wanted to be in the industry that allowed me to feel like I was making a difference. And, and I feel very fortunate that this industry has allowed me to feel like I'm making a difference is make a good living. And NAIFA was really part of that phrase right from the beginning. Pretty much since I went on contract in January of 1994. I was told to join NAIFA and it was the best decision I've ever made.

Chris Gandy 4:14

Awesome. So so so if you had to dissect your practice, how would you describe your practice? How would you describe

Adam Sachs 4:22

your day to day? So I have financial planning practice, 90 plus percent of my new clients that come in come in with is with a fee based financial plan. So we're evaluating their asset management, their risk management, their estate, their tax, cash flow. I'm working with there are other professionals that are estate planning attorneys, their CPAs to make sure that that part of their plan is is As implemented properly, and they're hiring me to evaluate where they are, where they want to be, for the most part, I'm working with philanthropic pre retirees. Individuals that are either they're either serving on boards or they're giving monetarily to it, philanthropies that are important to them. And ultimately, I will help them implement their plan. Most of my clients who choose to work to hire me as their fee based financial planner will ultimately implement their investment and risk management. Part of their plan is well, there's certain things I won't do. And I partner with other advisors, mostly NAIFA members to help them if they have health insurance needs for property and casualty insurance needs. Those are things that I I tend to partner with other advisors, preferably NAIFA members. And then within that I do have a sort of a subspecialty. And that's long term care. Long term care is something that has hit my family on multiple occasions. My grandfather, ironically enough, was my very first long term care insurance claim. And it allowed his long term care policy allowed him to remain as independent as possible, went from homecare to assisted living and ultimately to a nursing home. But it was a very impactful part of my professional development and seeing how that proper planning works. And it meant a lot to my family.

Chris Gandy 6:41

So Long Term Care is a passion as a passion as a passion of yours in that history. Since you've since you've been in the business. That's, that's interesting, too. Well, let me ask this, you, you mentioned the way your practices today. Let's rewind the tape back to the beginning. When you started out and the business, what did you start out in the business doing? specifically? So it was cat like did you did you start off in the business doing these? You know, everybody out there is probably listening and say, You know what? But what do I start? You know, you know, where do I start like so? So share with us? How do you How did you start? Did you sell? Did you start selling Basic Single products? Did you start selling disability life insurance? Did you start what how did you start?

Adam Sachs 7:27

Chris I started with with cold calling. I picked up the phone, I would go to local town halls and get full books on people that voted in the town. And I didn't have really a whole lot of money. And I literally just I picked up the phone and I reached out to potential clients and I roleplayed I prepared myself for those phone calls and prepared for objections. And I called every sing I either called every single day I role played, or I studied, or I attended meetings. Those are the four things that I did in the first two years of the business. And I knew that I had a good head. I felt like I had a good head on my shoulders. And I had strong work ethic. I didn't have a real strong market. So I just started cold calling. I did obtain a list of some alumni. I had an alumni directory and I made some calls there. But that's that's how I started in the business. And I called every single day. I was very fortunate. After the first six months driving from Wister where I grew up to Brookline, which is for those who are not from Massachusetts, it's a long distance, or at least a long distance to me about an hour and a half each way. And I ultimately found an apartment that was across the street from my office. And I got I was able to leave my car at my office, I could walk home, walk to work. So snow days were were great days to make phone calls, because everyone was home. And I just booked appointments. And ultimately I took an ad out and what was called the homesteader for new homeowners. And I just use that as an opportunity. I used to get lists of new homeowners in the industry or in a particular community and I made phone calls to those people. And I booked appointments and I took fact finders using what was back then of the financial house, we start with the fine Foundation. And I found out what my clients had and what they didn't have. And I found out they didn't most people don't have estate planning documents or estate plans. And for those people that did I would pat them on the back and Ask them what their experience was for with that particular attorney. And if it was positive, I would ask them if they would make an introduction to that estate planning attorney or the CPA. And I would start building up relationships and centers of influence with estate planning attorneys. So for all those people that I had appointments with who didn't have attorneys, or didn't have their estate plan, I was able to be a center, I wanted to be a center as fast as possible, because ultimately, attorneys and CPAs are doing what they're trying to build their practices, as well. So if I could start referring business to centers of influence, like attorneys, and CPAs, I wish they would be more likely to refer business back to me. And that's how I got off the phone was ultimately I became a center. That was my goal.

Chris Gandy 10:47

So so how did you find let's talk about the idea of becoming a key influence, right? And so when you start to think about creating that team of professionals around you, right, you know, if you send it out like a boomerang, if you send it out numerous times, you know, the universe has a way of coming back to us 10 to 15 times over right, but how did you find what I would call good ones, ones that not only to do the job, but those that also were like minded? And you're able to cultivate centers? Those Those what you call centers of influence

Adam Sachs 11:26

around you? Yeah, that's, that's a great question, Chris. I mean, could you get along with the best in terms of your centers of influence stress?

Chris Gandy 11:38

That's typically what people people are like.

Adam Sachs 11:41

I mean, that's gonna, and what, what are some of the things that you like, I mean, sports, family, going on trips, maybe music or whatever, those are the things. So building relationships with centers of influence was really about I mean, assuming that you, you were a like minded, you're like minded in terms of your professional skills. I mean, you want to work with someone that's competent, of course, someone that believes in insurance believes in long term care, they're not going to be they're not going to dissuade someone from doing, you know, the planning. Assuming that's the case, you're going to want to work with people that you like, and you have things in common with. And, and so that's, you know, for me, I'm very passionate about sports, I mean, a new way. I'm a New England sports junkie, pretty much every every sport, I've been patriots season ticket holder for for years. So I you know, one of my best attorneys is someone that is or he's actually originally from Atlanta, but he's a Red Sox fan. He loves Neil Young, we're both neil young fans, we both like sushi. We both are Jewish, we have different, you know, we have connections and we built relationship built relationships with people that I disliked. And you just do that this through, you know, through going, you know, taking someone out to lunch and having conversation with them. Right? I mean, and whenever I ultimately you build those relationships, and when I take my client or my Centers of Influence out, or we have lunch, I always try to bring something of value to the meeting, not so much salesy, but like an idea could be an idea from NAIFA, it could be an AI, some some value to that, that they might think of me when they're in front of a client for something. So that's, that's how we do it.

Suzanne Carawan 13:37

Adam, how did you how did you actually develop the philanthropic kind of focus? You know, because you read so much nowadays, that people that that clients are really looking for more values based investing, etc. But that's kind of an interesting niche that you've been able it sounds like to develop?

Adam Sachs 13:54

Yeah, well, I think that it has to be authentic. Right. I mean, it has to be it just so ever since I was I ever since I was a little kid, giving back was important to me. I worked in soup kitchens, the first thing I did was when I was 18. Was I give I gave blood just you can give blood when you're 18. And my fraternity dad Akai Our motto is helping hand that was what drew me to my fraternity. Where, you know, we still do bone marrow drives at Babson we do. Rosie's Place which is a women's shelter and and Boston we do a kitchen. Rosie's Place kitchen takeover where we serve food to the women at the shelter. I got very involved I got involved in cystic fibrosis in a very early stage we just celebrated our 25th anniversary of a bike rides raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis. So giving back was important to me. And I would just try to get people like with the bike ride for cystic fibrosis. As I tried to get people to join me on the on my team, and and so I just I built over time just consistently, consensus consistently involves I'm one of just a few people that were have been doing this system versus ride each year for the last 25 years and people see, you know that you're not doing it for any other reason, but you believe in it. And, and then I just became, it just became a connection to, to other potential clients or centers of influence, I tended to feel that the three traits that clients think hire me are because of my experience, my integrity, and my desire to serve and the desire to serve part, those are the things that I've, I just find that I have a strong connection with. So it wasn't necessarily on purpose, it just, I'm drawn to the that's, I would say, in other areas with a centers of influence, they tend to be people that giving back some form to them as well. Of course, you know, then there's a variety of other components, whether it's, you know, charitable planning and, and then working with attorneys and CPAs. And so that's, that's it, then you're generally working with individuals who might have, you know, higher net worths. And that's not the key thing.

Chris Gandy 16:33

So So let's shift gears for a second. Let's talk about NAIFA. So, so one, how did you join NAIFA? Initially, was it part of the culture was it you just walked into a place? And there were a bunch of really cool people there with who you know, that said, Hey, we're within a fit with a NAIFA group? Or, I mean, how did you get get involved with NAIFA? And then question is, what is NAIFA meant to you and your career along the way, as it deals with an organ an association, as powerful as NAIFA. And that's, that's so so so, so family oriented, that kind of ecosystem. So talk to you that, you know, it's kind of a two pronged question. Yeah. I think the first piece like how did you join NAIFA? And what's it meant to you along the way,

Adam Sachs 17:26

I joined NAIFA, as part of a culture, it was expected of advisors that went on contract in our office. So that was in January of 1994. I joined our firm in June of 1993. So when I went on contract about six months after, I was a member of NAIFA, and I've been a member of NAIFA for ever since attending conferences, where it just significant numbers of high and advisors sharing ideas about how they're running their practice. It was intoxicating, I was just in sucked, and I wanted to learn and NAIFA provided a venue for me to learn about our industry learned about ideas to help our clients, and I just, I had this issue, having to tell someone, obviously, we're gonna tell them I tell my clients the truth. So if they asked me a question, I didn't know, I would have to say, you know, that's a great question, I'm going to have to get back to you that bothered me. I didn't want to have to get back to them. I just wanted to learn. And NAIFA was initially a vessel for, for me to be able to rub shoulders with other advisors that had more experience, and learn about how they're running their practice, or how they're helping their clients. And I thought that was awesome. And then I learned about NAIFA's advocacy. And I, and that ultimately is what kept me in NAIFA. And, you know, fast forward, I got involved in a long term care bill here in Massachusetts. When I was NAIFA for president here. And the Senator that I grew up with her son and I went to school together was the lead sponsor of this bill. And we we partnered with another organization master who and we gave her feedback we wrote a letter to her with with with thoughts about the bill, and she gave granted us a meeting. And we literally dissected her bill, she agreed to modify our bill based upon our input and she says for her help, and that was to educate the legislature about how this woman make an impact and we did that we brought claiming said and ultimately I remember my wife does not my wife didn't completely understand why I volunteered so much. We were up in North Conway with our kids when they were little, at a breakfast place, blueberry muffin. And I got a text message from a 774 number. And the message was just want to let you know that the long term care bill just passed the house. I thought it was our legislative chair. And I said I was just Patty said no, and this is your State Representative Tom Senate Khandro. And he knew it was so important to me that this bill passed. And that my vomica NAIFA That he texted me on a Sunday morning, and they were at the statehouse, let me know. And I showed my wife, and she's like, I understand now and that, and we were at the bill signing. And that was just so I mean, just to see a bill actually get signed into law with Governor Patrick was was I can, sharing that story with clients, understanding how that bill makes an impact on on our clients. You know, we testifying at the state house, when when there was some negative legislation, or maybe some ill it's, Ill some, some legislation for fiduciary rules, bring in collect, bring in clients to be able to testify. I just feel like I'm engaged. When I'm in the process more with NAIFA, I'm able to be a better advocate for my clients with NAIFA. And so that's why I have stayed with NAIFA.

Chris Gandy 21:35

So you've had an opportunity to serve. Not only just just partake, right at the dinner table, right? We just came from Thanksgiving, your first guest after Thanksgiving, so you got a chance to partake, but you also got a chance to to create and to influence. And I we thank you for your service, and your wonderful state, and also the work you continue to do. Advice, you know, if you're giving advice to young advising me that the world is different now than when you started, right? It's 360. If you have children having a conversation with them, now you're like, Whoa, okay, they have way more way more information. But if you were had someone starting in the business today, what would you what advice would you give them? The one thing you've learned along the way? What advice would you give them about starting in today's society? What advice would you give them?

Adam Sachs 22:30

Thank you, Chris, that's, that's a great question. And, you know, seeing our state with young, young advisors, young leadership is just tremendous. I think that is something that I try to instill with my children. And I think that's really important to do is just to do whatever you say, you're going to do you do you have to fall through, you have to follow through. And, and when you follow through, maybe you follow through with a little bit extra. And people see that people. And obviously you have to be you have to be honest, and you have to have integrity. So if someone is asking if you're someone says well, can you do this? Or? Or how does this work? And you don't know, you have to be you have to have integrity. And so you know, I appreciate that question. I have a great team. I actually am a NAIFA member and I have other NAIFA members that specialize in that area, let me let me get back to you. But you have to fall through and do what you say you're going to do. And I don't think that I think that hard work is imperative. Again, I started cold calling and we're not in that environment anymore. So maybe joining a team, you know, a qualified team is something that I know that is, is being sought after the young advisors need to you know, get, you know, get educated, get trained, start working on a professional designation, if you can, as soon as possible. And, and just fall through join networking groups and try to make a difference, try to stand out. And those are the things that I would suggest considering Okay,

Chris Gandy 24:32

so so so we understand that the future of the industry, right is is is isn't maybe even not here or there starting today, right? And if we have an opportunity to mentor them, teach them train and develop them or to influence them in a positive way. That's great advice for someone who's who's gone through. You know your your journey. When you when you take a look at The industry, the industry is evolving. Right? And so where do you see specifically in long term care? Right? So I know you have a specialty and kind of long term care and kind of listen mix that with, with affluent, you know, philanthropy. Where do you see kind of the world of planning going? And intertwine that with? Where do you see Long Term Care going? Some thoughts?

Adam Sachs 25:31

Yeah. So in terms of long term care, I was fortunate enough to hear Harley Gordon speak, actually at an ephah event, and he was one of the founding members of the National Academy of Elder Law attorneys. And this was even before cLTC. And hearing his not here, being educated by him learning about what paid and what didn't pay. It may be think about my, my, my grandparents, and I asked my grandfather, my grandmother was in a nursing home at that time. We was paying for grandma, he said, Well, grandson, I'm paying for it. And I asked him why. And he said, Well, I'm a veteran, I have Blue Cross this expensive lacrosse supplement thing and Medicare, and I thought those things would pay for it. And we know that they don't. And I immediately called up Harley to ask them to teach me what he knew. And one thing led to another and five people in our office, we were educated by Harley. And ultimately, after that, I joined Nayla, which is the National Academy of Elder Law attorneys, they had a non attorney membership and educational subscription, which is no longer available, but I was able to start rubbing shoulders with with elder law attorneys, obviously, the industry is a lot different back then it was long term care insurance. And, you know, having experience with with numerous claims and seeing that process, is was was very compelling. I understand why the industry has changed why there's rate increases, and why we had to start looking at other alternatives. So life insurance, I think it's really important for our industry to to be educated about options, we have to be aware of all the different options available from traditional long term care insurance to life with long term care riders to chronic illness, options, annuities with long term care, reverse mortgages. So that's, that's, that's something that that NAIFA offers. I mean, we have, we have the Center for extended care, unlimited care, and we, we have access to all this information. So we need to stay educated, we need to be aware of the different options. And and ultimately, based upon doing proper fact finding, we can then determine which option is best for our clients. I do think that, you know, long term care has its challenges in the traditional form. And I think that it's going to be you know, as more and more people are looking at long term care risk management, more and more people are looking at options outside of traditional long term care insurance, I don't think that's going to change. I don't think that's going to change.

Chris Gandy 28:32

Well, I saw a statistic recently shared with a couple people that they save, potentially three out of every five people by the age of 75 will have to use at least some sort of long term care strategy structure or or have used it during that period of time. So it starts it makes us think differently, right? It makes us think, well, it's not maybe the same way we thought of it where you got wheeled off to a family home. And you know what, that's your final goodbye. Now it's, well, how can it be used strategically? Or how can it be used to really protect the assets? And how can it be used to give people choices? You mentioned choices, right and having options. Right and so the world is changing is in front of us as we move forward.

Adam Sachs 29:25

Yeah, and I I'm filing a launcher care claim about once to talk to twice a month at this point. I sold a lot of long term care insurance in my over the years and it's just I don't want to say it's it's it's a definite but the longer you live, the more likely you're going to need long term care that statistic is what I'm experiencing. And I think one of the one of the things that can be done, I've I've shared this on on previous messaging. I do I do fire drills with my clients and their kids, family fire drill, it is corny. But you want to have a meeting, you don't necessarily want your first discussion with your clients children. at the, at the time that there's a fire or there's, there's a claim, you want to have a meeting before that happens, the children are better prepared. And ultimately, there's there's less issues with the claim process, what if, like, elimination period, or whatever. And it's an opportunity also to build a relationship with the child. And if they don't have long term care, we talked about different options, sort of the the present market, we talked about estate planning, maybe they haven't done estate planning, and I can give them referrals to estate planning attorney. So I think that we have to start being proactive, I made a commitment with my clients to be there when there's a claim. So we take the initial call, and we we conference with the insurance company to initiate the claim, we made a commitment, it's a lot of work. But I do think that there's opportunities to the next generation, we have 10,000 people a day turning 65. And we want to try to have those relationships with our clients, children. So they're the business you have with them sticks. And I do think that long term care is a quite as a big, big issue, and also an opportunity.

Chris Gandy 31:27

Thank you so much for the comment. And you know, the comments specifically around your experience with long term care, but also kind of where you where you see it going. So my authority Suzanne, Suzanne, are there other questions you have from Adam, before I jet him into the lightning round? I wish we had a graphic they kind of the lightning like

Suzanne Carawan 31:50

we need like, Yeah, we're gonna have to add that to the show. Well, I mean, the one thing I would say I don't want to, we would be remiss, Adam, if we didn't give you a congratulations on being the inaugural Presidential Citation winner that we just had at the National Leadership Conference just about like two weeks ago. And you know, and that is obviously, just from this interview, you can see why you were the recipient of that. So thank you again, for that work. And all that you have now that you'll you're the number one forever on the leaderboard on that one, the first to get that. So I have to see who comes behind you fill those who can fill those shoes. But yes, thank you for all your work. You're always a pleasure to work with. And I hope that you're going to influence many, many other people, many other names, not only people to join me, but but to really follow in your footsteps on the grassroots side, and really do get involved in the advocacy work that we do. But yes, now Chris, I can do the lightning round. That's your go.

Chris Gandy 32:51

Adam, before we get into the lightning round, is there anything that you would like to say to to NAIFA? And the NAIFA contingency as a whole? You've got everyone's here. Is there anything you would like to share? You know, anything we didn't cover?

Adam Sachs 33:10

Thank you, Chris. Well, that's I have a lot of power right now. I could just say anything. Yeah,

Suzanne Carawan 33:15

let it rip out of

Adam Sachs 33:19

I have to give just kudos to our state leadership. You know, from Josh okera. To Beth lent a riff re we have a great state of young advisors, that young leaders that are willing to just take the ball and run with it. They believe in this organization. I am just I was very fortunate to have a mentor who who Ed who sat down with me for every single CLU and ChFC course took me to my first MDRT I went to NAIFA meetings with and the thing that he asked me was to be ethical to get my CLU and ChFC before I even thought about getting a CFP, and then if I made it, to pay it forward and get back and so to see young advisors, leading and think about that, I guess. Now I'm 52 years old, I guess I'm no longer young. You know, one of the our annual golf tournament among some of the advisors in our firm I was on the old person's Foursome, which I do a little bit of getting comfortable with but seeing young advisors come into this business and become leaders do for the right reason is something that is extremely gratifying. And is is we're paying it forward. We want for our industry to perpetuate we need young advisors, young advisors coming into the business and then ultimately taking leadership roles like you Chris, I mean, you know, like like you look what you're doing right now. I mean that's that's what we need and and The more you give, the more the more you get back. And it's not something that you expect it just, I mean, there's I can't even believe that I got the Presidential Presidential Citation, it was not something that I even, I can't even I mean, there's people that are much more qualified, but I just believe in our organization, if you believe in it, if you believe in something, then I think that's,

Chris Gandy 35:24

I think that's pretty, pretty awesome. But I think, Adam, you know, the one thing you said, and the words that came across was, you know, your passion met your purpose, and your purpose, gave you gives you direction. And so I think that that alignment happens, it's so it's so powerful, in many ways, right? Because we all know we can influence others with that same passion, that same power. And it takes ladies you met as you know, grassroots, it takes it takes that energy, right? Because that energy is contagious, right. And it takes that to move the needle, not only in and in our state houses, and not only and in local governments, but also within our organization. So again, thank you for for paving the way. And now our job is to help help recruit and mentor those people so that they can follow in your footsteps. So with that being said, let's move on to something that's kind of fun. It's way less ego, let your hair down as much as you have. I mean, I have about as much as you do, you know, it's what it is. But we call this a lightning round simply because here's the rule of thumb. I'm just going to ask you some questions off the top of your head. Don't think about it very much, right? I mean, so it's very rare. You get a chance to do this. But they're kind of fun questions. All right. So so here's the first one. Okay. Very easy. Favorite kind of pizza. Pepperoni, pepperoni. Okay, see that one was easy, right?

Suzanne Carawan 36:55

You didn't think about that though. I could have some choice, although

Chris Gandy 36:59

I do. I do. I do like that, too. So alright, so we'll pick it up. We'll go a little bit faster. We'll have some fun with this. You ready? I heard you say you're from Boston. And you've been a longtime Boston guy, right. So here's ready. Larry Bird or Tom Brady? As hard as

Suzanne Carawan 37:20

breaking he can't do it. He can't. Larry Bird.

Chris Gandy 37:24

Larry Bird. I liked it. All right. Boston Red Sox, or the Bruins. Bruins Okay. Favorite mentor or favorite quotes that you use that kind of has inspired you and you'll use it on a regular basis.

Adam Sachs 37:52

You got to act enthusiastic to be enthusiastic. And that was Tom Wolfe. And I I learned from the FMA twos that was FNA to get set goals prioritize implement, and then you got to do it all over again and monitor but you got to Active Duty has to be enthusiastic.

Chris Gandy 38:10

Okay, I like it. Favorite place that you've you would love to go on vacation to

Adam Sachs 38:19

favorite place. We go to the Cape. Oh, go ahead, Chris. So we have been while we go to the Cape every fourth of July timeframe, and it is a family tradition. And we I enjoyed that very much. Maybe drinking maybe maybe drinking a fruity drink on the on the beach a couple of times.

Chris Gandy 38:45

Okay, with that being said, favorite, favorite fruity drink?

Adam Sachs 38:51

Well, maybe maybe it's maybe it's more like a like a gin and tonic on a show. Like Boston. It could be it could be a cape cod or could be Cape Cod or to

Chris Gandy 39:05

last but not least your most memorable experience. In the grass roots opportunity, whether it's in DC or it's at your local in your local state.

Adam Sachs 39:18

Secretary Galvin was putting forth that fiduciary rule here in Massachusetts it would have killed commission based selling it was crap storm NAIFA, a CLI chambers of commerce and they ultimately look to NAIFA to bring consumers to a hearing and two of my clients attended, one of which crushed it and got standing ovation, and that was the highlight was seeing sort of the grassroots impacts and ultimately the fiduciary rule was modified to not include commissions and that was the The highlights actually just seeing, you know, seeing how grassroots can can make a tremendous impact on our industry and a lot of people, we need to do a better job of promoting that we need to do this is a lot of people that aren't named from members don't realize they can still offer commission based options here in Massachusetts, and they don't realize that it was really named for that made that strong impact.

Chris Gandy 40:24

Awesome. Thank you so much for your effort. Thank you so much for the work you've, you've done. But what I can tell you is the work you still have to do, has just begun. So with that being said, Suzanne, do you have anything else for for NAIFA or NAIFA? Contingency?

Suzanne Carawan 40:43

Just thank everyone for serving thanks for keeping an inspiration to everyone. We need more people in the industry. We need more people participating. But yeah, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And add

Chris Gandy 40:55

Adam. Any final words? Before I close this out?

Adam Sachs 41:01

I just want to give a shout out Shout. Shout out to Matt Berard and Michael L Kok and Adam Marino also on the naper board, they're doing a great job. Matt Berard was with me when we started the young advisor team here in Massachusetts. And he's not very vocal. But he does a lot of work here. And so I just appreciate all of my board members here and money for maths and, and I think NAIFA national, both you and Suzanne, for allowing me to, to be on this podcast.

Chris Gandy 41:39

Awesome. Next time you're on we're gonna get a chance to talk about that on your top left, that 250 That I'm sure there's a story behind that. So thank you so much for your work and your consideration and your effort to help make this this industry better for the for everybody who's in it and also for our clients. Thank you Suzanne. You're always wonderful and thank you so much for helping us put this together. I'm Chris Gandy, I'm one of your co host I remember today we came together for the purpose of helping uplift and promote and helping educate advisors around the country. This is your this is your this is your Advisor Today's podcast, Suzanne and I will see you next week. We'll see you here at the same time, same place. God bless. Have a great day.

Outro 42:29

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

31 min read