The 401(k) Marketing Podcast

WWhy Your Marketing Is Quietly Costing You Clients (Ep. 59)

Things can feel steady until they slowly start slipping without warning. What if the biggest risk to your growth isn’t what you’re doing, but what you’ve stopped doing? In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan breaks down how marketing momentum works using a powerful airplane analogy. She explains why slowing down your efforts doesn’t cause an immediate drop, but instead leads to a gradual decline in visibility and client mindshare. Rebecca also highlights how competitors step in when your presence fades, how to properly evaluate marketing ROI, and why consistency and accountability are critical for long-term growth. Key takeaways: * How reducing marketing efforts slowly lowers visibility and weakens client mindshare over time * Why clients don’t notice missed touchpoints, but still shift attention elsewhere * How competitors capitalize when your presence fades and capture your prospects * The difference between short-term ROI and long-term client value in marketing decisions * Simple accountability strategies to maintain consistent marketing activity and growth * And more! Connect With Rebecca Hourihan:  * rebecca@401k-marketing.com [rebecca@401k-marketing.com]  * (619) 230 – 5464 * 401(k) Marketing  [https://www.401k-marketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Rebecca Hourihan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahourihan/] * LinkedIn: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/401k-marketing/] * Facebook: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.facebook.com/401kMarketing/] * YouTube: 401(k) Marketing [http://www.youtube.com/@401kmarketing] * Schedule a meeting with 401(k) Marketing [https://calendly.com/401kmarketing]

How Advisors Can Stay Relevant in a Changing World with Patrick Delaney (Ep. 58)

Everything around advisors is moving fast, and Patrik Delaney has spent twenty-five years watching the industry shift under their feet.  In this conversation, he and Rebecca dig into what is driving those changes, why traditional education is no longer enough, and how the most successful advisors are learning to inspire behavior rather than just explain it. Pat breaks down how demographic pressure, AI, and participant expectations are reshaping advisory work. More importantly, he explains why the qualities of great coaches, like curiosity, courage, and compassion, may matter more for advisors going forward than technical skill alone. Listeners can expect insights on: * The rise of coaching-based communication in financial advice * Why younger investors seek emotional connection as much as expertise * How AI may change advisor responsibilities * The Grow framework for encouraging real behavior change * And more! Resources: * The Next Wave of Advice [https://www.troweprice.com/financial-intermediary/us/en/insights/programs/next-wave-of-advice.html] Connect With Patrick Delaney: * T. Rowe Price [https://www.troweprice.com/financial-intermediary/us/en/home.html] * LinkedIn: Patrick Delaney [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmdelaney/] Connect With Rebecca Hourihan:  * rebecca@401k-marketing.com [rebecca@401k-marketing.com]  * (619) 230 – 5464 * 401(k) Marketing  [https://www.401k-marketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Rebecca Hourihan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahourihan/] * LinkedIn: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/401k-marketing/] * Facebook: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.facebook.com/401kMarketing/] * YouTube: 401(k) Marketing [http://www.youtube.com/@401kmarketing] * Schedule a meeting with 401(k) Marketing [https://calendly.com/401kmarketing] About Our Guest: Patrick Delaney is an insights director within U.S. Intermediaries – Advisor Engagement, the group focused on helping financial professionals understand and adapt to the changing face of wealth in the United States.  Patrick has been with T. Rowe Price since 2000, beginning in Retirement Plan Services. Prior to his current role, Patrick developed and delivered practice management content for financial professionals designed to help them learn, sell, and better serve their corporate retirement plan clients Patrick earned a B.A. in economics from Gettysburg College. He is a Series 7 and 63 registered representative and state-registered broker-dealer.

Winning the Visibility War with Video Marketing with Laura Garfield (Ep. 57)

Standing out online has never been harder. With endless content competing for attention, how do you make sure your voice is the one people remember? In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan welcomes back Laura Garfield, Founder of Idea Decanter, to talk about the growing “visibility war” and why video has become increasingly important for many advisors. They explore how AI-generated content is flooding the market, why authentic storytelling still wins, and how advisors can measure ROI beyond vanity metrics. Laura also shares her 3-2-1 Countdown framework for creating effective video and practical ways to start without becoming a full-time content creator. Laura shares key insights: * Why AI-generated “slop” is crowding digital platforms and raising the bar for authentic content * How personal stories and lived experiences help advisors stand out from automated marketing * The 3-2-1 Countdown framework: Prepare, Record, Convert for an effective video strategy * Hard vs soft metrics to evaluate ROI, from engagement data to client feedback * Why starting with one strong homepage video can anchor an entire marketing plan * And more! Resources: * Find Your #Finfluence: A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Stand Out & Succeed with Video by Laura Garfield [https://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Finfluence-Financial-Advisors/dp/B0FCYH9GK9] Connect With Laura Garfield: * LinkedIn: Laura Garfield [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauragarfield/] * laura@ideadecanter.com [laura@ideadecanter.com]  * Idea Decanter [https://ideadecanter.com/] Connect With Rebecca Hourihan:  * rebecca@401k-marketing.com [rebecca@401k-marketing.com]  * (619) 230 – 5464 * 401(k) Marketing  [https://www.401k-marketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Rebecca Hourihan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahourihan/] * LinkedIn: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/401k-marketing/] * Facebook: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.facebook.com/401kMarketing/] * YouTube: 401(k) Marketing [http://www.youtube.com/@401kmarketing] * Schedule a meeting with 401(k) Marketing [https://calendly.com/401kmarketing] About Our Guest: Laura Garfield spent her teenage years idolizing Jane Pauley and Katie Couric. A thirst for learning and a love of writing had her hooked on broadcast journalism – where you didn’t have to know everything except how to ask the right questions. After graduation, Laura landed her first news gig at a tiny TV station in Hastings, Nebraska. Over the span of more than a decade, she worked her way up through stations in Omaha and New Orleans to a position at CBS News in New York and then CNN in Atlanta.  Along the way, she has written a book, worked as a foreign correspondent, and has lately been drawn to the emerging possibilities of digital storytelling. Instead of a company relying on a big ad spend, with the Internet, you can be a broadcaster of your own brand. Laura believes that all you need to pull it off is a talented content marketing team (like Idea Decanter!) to help you craft your message.

Why Awareness Beats Confidence in Conversations (Ep. 56)

Confidence alone won’t make you a better communicator. What if the key to connecting with others lies in understanding them first? How do you shift from speaking at people to truly engaging with them? What role does listening play in building trust and deepening relationships? In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan interviews Matt Mosich, a communications expert who has helped hundreds of professionals speak with enhanced clarity and confidence. He shares why the best communicators prioritize awareness over confidence, how to become a better listener, and the framework for asking questions that reveal what kind of communicator someone is.  Matt also explores how communication shapes company culture and offers practical strategies to stop losing your train of thought during important conversations. Rebeca and Matt discuss: * Why awareness matters more than confidence when it comes to effective communication and connection with others * How listening serves as a form of love and why great communicators ask questions rooted in genuine curiosity * The three Ps framework: prepare, prompt, and pivot to understand who you’re speaking to and adapt in real time * How company culture is shaped by collective communication and why leaders must model vulnerability and accountability * Building a personal FAQ to practice responses and never lose your train of thought, using the point-reason-point method * And more! Connect With Matt Mosich: * The Mosich Group [https://mattmosich.com/] * LinkedIn: Matt Mosich [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmosich/] Connect With Rebecca Hourihan:  * rebecca@401k-marketing.com [rebecca@401k-marketing.com]  * (619) 230 – 5464 * 401(k) Marketing  [https://www.401k-marketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Rebecca Hourihan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahourihan/] * LinkedIn: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/401k-marketing/] * Facebook: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.facebook.com/401kMarketing/] * YouTube: 401(k) Marketing [http://www.youtube.com/@401kmarketing] * Schedule a meeting with 401(k) Marketing [https://calendly.com/401kmarketing] About Our Guest: Matt Mosich is the President and Owner of The Mosich Group and a communications coach who helps professionals strengthen how they speak, listen, and connect. His approach is shaped by years in wealth management, leadership development, and deep study of communication frameworks. Matt works with individuals and executive teams to refine message clarity, build awareness, and create more collaborative cultures. He is known for his practical tools, such as the Three Ps framework and the Personal FAQ process, which help clients communicate with intention in any setting.

How to Engage Boomers to Gen Z (Ep. 55)

Some conversations hit closer to home, especially when your guest is your mom. In this refreshingly candid episode, Rebecca Hourihan sits down with her mother for a conversation that moves from garden centers and white minivans to the heart of what it means to lead with confidence in uncertain times. From generational shifts to TikTok finance rabbit holes, and what really happens when advisors go quiet (spoiler: your clients start listening to Reddit, this episode delivers insight with humor, honesty, and just the right amount of sass. Rebecca reminds us that communication isn’t just part of your strategy; it is your strategy—helping advisors stand tall like a lighthouse when the market gets foggy. What to expect from this release: * How Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers want to be reached * Why silence breeds bad advice and how to stay visible * The “Every Day is Saturday” retirement moment * Line dancing, confession, and what casinos have to do with client trust * And more! Connect With Rebecca Hourihan:  * rebecca@401k-marketing.com [rebecca@401k-marketing.com]  * (619) 230 – 5464 * 401(k) Marketing  [https://www.401k-marketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Rebecca Hourihan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccahourihan/] * LinkedIn: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/401k-marketing/] * Facebook: 401(k) Marketing [https://www.facebook.com/401kMarketing/] * YouTube: 401(k) Marketing [http://www.youtube.com/@401kmarketing] * Schedule a meeting with 401(k) Marketing [https://calendly.com/401kmarketing]