Ep. 36: Liz Hand on Getting Out of the Video Editing Rabbit Hole

Ep. 36: Liz Hand on Getting Out of the Video Editing Rabbit Hole

Video can be a powerful trust-building tool, but it can also pull you straight into the editing rabbit hole. In this episode of The Real #Finfluencers, Laura Garfield talks with Liz Hand, CFP®, a second-generation financial planner, mindset coach, and video creator who serves a women-focused client base through Pleasant Wealth and coaches other advisors. Liz shares how she first got started with YouTube, why she learned by watching other creators, and how her early hands-on approach helped her build confidence, style, and momentum. She also tells the very relatable story of spending hours editing one of her first videos, accidentally deleting it, and having to start all over again. As her business evolved, Liz’s video strategy evolved too. She now uses video to blend financial planning, mindset, and life transformation, while thinking deeply about the emotional experience of the person watching. She explains why video can shorten the sales process, how it helps people feel like they already know you, and why it is okay to turn off the people who are not a good fit. This conversation is a great listen for any advisor who wants to show up more authentically on video without spending all day editing. Resources: Liz Hand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethkhand/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethkhand/]Liz Hand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethHandCFP/ [https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethHandCFP/]Pleasant Wealth: https://pleasantwealth.com/ [https://pleasantwealth.com/] 🎙️ The Real #Finfluencers is powered by Idea Decanter—a video first marketing company helping financial advisors grow their practices with authentic, engaging video content. Want to see what’s working for 2,500+ advisors using video to get found, build trust, and scale? 📲 Learn more at www.ideadecanter.com

Ep. 35: Tom Fields on What Actually Works with Video

What if the real ROI of video has nothing to do with impressions? In this episode of The Real #Finfluencers, Laura sits down with Tom Fields, CEO of Fynancial, to talk about how video has helped grow his brand, expand his reach, and keep clients engaged. Tom has built a strong presence by showing up consistently on camera, but his approach is not about chasing vanity metrics. It is about helping the right people find Fynancial, remember it, and stay connected to the brand. Tom shares why one of the smartest things you can do with video is stop making every post about the business. He explains how a healthy mix of business and personal content helps people connect with you as a real person, not just a company voice. For him, that balance has been key to creating content that feels authentic and builds trust. He also makes the case for using video to announce an event or webinar. Rather than relying on a graphic and caption, Tom believes that getting on camera shows people that something matters. It creates more energy, more credibility, and more interest than a static post ever could. He also talks about the importance of building anticipation ahead of an event instead of waiting until the last minute to promote it. You’ll also hear Tom’s refreshingly practical advice for advisors who feel awkward on camera: treat video like your gym routine. The first reps may feel uncomfortable, but confidence comes from repetition. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to keep showing up. And if you’re struggling to gauge ROI on your videos, Tom shares how they’re doing it at Fynancial … and it’s not by likes or comments, but by how people say they found the brand and how current clients respond to what they see. It is a grounded reminder that video is not just a lead-generation tool. It is also a trust-building and retention tool. Show Notes * Fynancial’s LinkedIn Videos: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fynancial/posts/?feedView=videos&viewAsMember=true [https://www.linkedin.com/company/fynancial/posts/?feedView=videos&viewAsMember=true] * Fynancial Website: https://fynancial.com/ [https://fynancial.com/] * Tom’s Hockey Video: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fynancial/recent-activity/all/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fynancial/recent-activity/all/] Tom’ Webinar invite: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7418003262542385152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7418003262542385152/] 🎙️ The Real #Finfluencers is powered by Idea Decanter—a video first marketing company helping financial advisors grow their practices with authentic, engaging video content. Want to see what’s working for 2,500+ advisors using video to get found, build trust, and scale? 📲 Learn more at www.ideadecanter.com

Ep. 34: Jane Mepham and Manasa Nadig on Getting Specific

What if the best way to start creating video is not to start with video at all? In this episode of The Real #Finfluencers, Laura sits down with Jane Mepham and Manasa Nadig, co-hosts of the International Money Cafe podcast, to talk about how they built a steady, evolving content strategy around the conversations they were already having. Jane is Founder & Principal Advisor of Elgon Financial Advisors. Manasa is Owner & Founder of MN Tax & Biz Services. Together, they serve a niche audience with highly specific cross-border content, and that specificity has become one of the biggest drivers of their success. Jane and Manasa explain how their content journey started simply: regular virtual coffee chats about complex cross-border topics. Instead of waiting until the content felt polished, they recorded the conversations, let the format develop naturally, and eventually expanded from audio into YouTube. That early decision made it easier to begin and easier to keep going. They also share a major lesson for anyone trying to grow on YouTube: broad topics are easy to ignore, but specific questions get attention. Rather than speaking in generalities, they focus on the exact issues their audience is facing. That gives their content stronger positioning and makes it more useful right away. You’ll also hear how they use YouTube Shorts as a gateway to their long-form episodes, why experimentation is part of the process, and how repurposing clips across platforms like LinkedIn helps them stay visible without reinventing the wheel every time. And in the podcast-only bonus conversation, they talk about the “power of two” — why building content with a partner can create more accountability, more creativity, and a lot more staying power. Jane and Manasa make a compelling case that sometimes collaboration is the reason content becomes sustainable in the first place. Show Notes * International Money Cafe podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@theinternationalmoneycafe/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@theinternationalmoneycafe/featured] * Jane Mepham / Elgon Financial Advisors: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemepham [https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemepham/recent-activity/videos/]/ * Manasa Nadig / MN Tax & Biz Services: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manasasognadig/ * Substack: https://mntaxbiz.substack.com/ [https://mntaxbiz.substack.com/] 🎙️ The Real #Finfluencers is powered by Idea Decanter—a video first marketing company helping financial advisors grow their practices with authentic, engaging video content. Want to see what’s working for 2,500+ advisors using video to get found, build trust, and scale? 📲 Learn more at www.ideadecanter.com

Ep. 33: Mark Rapoza’s Client-First Video Strategy

Consistency matters more than perfection. It’s taken time for Mark Rapoza of Barrett & Company to embrace that attitude. His team has been producing advisor videos for more than four years, and he’s learned something most people miss: success has very little to do with public view counts. In this episode of The Real #Finfluencers, Mark shares a client-first approach to video that’s designed to support the advisory relationship, not chase attention. His firm treats video as a practical tool they can use again and again, at the exact moments clients need reassurance, context, or a simple reminder of what they’re working toward. Secret #1: Turn daily conversations into video ideas Mark doesn’t rely on inspiration to show up. He treats client meetings as the most reliable “content research” available. The questions clients repeat, the misconceptions that come up every quarter, and the emotionally loaded transitions, like retirement timing, selling a business, or sending a child off to college, are already a topic list.  Mark explains how to listen for themes, capture them while they’re fresh, and turn them into videos that stay relevant because they’re rooted in real client language. The result is a topic pipeline that never runs dry and content that sounds like it came from an actual conversation (because it did). Secret #2: Use video to surprise & delight clients One of Mark’s most compelling examples is a gratitude-focused video his firm created. When a client is in a milestone moment, like paying for college or watching a kid graduate, the firm uses a video touchpoint to help them zoom out and recognize the journey it took to get there. That shift matters because most financial conversations are relentlessly future-focused. Mark shares how video can bring the human side back into planning, deepen trust, and make clients feel seen, without turning the message into a “marketing blast.” In other words, the same evergreen video can become a personal moment when it’s delivered with intention. Secret #3: Measure video success by the success of your practice Mark challenges the default metrics. Instead of asking, “How many views did we get?” he asks, “Is this making the practice stronger?” He talks about signs that video is working that most advisors overlook: prospects arriving more educated and aligned, clients feeling calmer during volatility, fewer repetitive explanations in meetings, and a clearer articulation of the firm’s process across the team. Over time, that adds up to a better client experience and a more scalable practice, even if the content never goes viral. If you’ve been stuck thinking video only “counts” if it performs publicly, this episode offers a smarter measurement system and a more sustainable way to create. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those solely of the guest and do not represent those of any other party. Future results may be materially different than those expressed. 🎙️ The Real #Finfluencers is powered by Idea Decanter—a video first marketing company helping financial advisors grow their practices with authentic, engaging video content. Want to see what’s working for 2,500+ advisors using video to get found, build trust, and scale? 📲 Learn more at www.ideadecanter.com

Ep. 32: Traci Richmond’s 9-Year Video Playbook

Financial advisor Traci Richmond of The Meakem Group joins The Real #Finfluencers to share what nine years of consistent video has taught her about visibility, credibility, and client connection. At The Meakem Group, Traci has used video not just as a marketing tool, but as a way to create clarity for prospects before they ever book a call. Over time, she’s seen how short-form content, website videos, and steady consistency can transform both visibility and the client experience. In this episode, Traci reveals: • Why short-form video works best when you get straight to the point  • How sending prospects to website videos changes the tone of the first meeting  • The simple way she tracks real ROI through email replies and client conversations  • Why perfection slows momentum — and clarity builds trust  • Her advice for advisors who are still waiting to feel “ready” If you’ve been wondering whether video truly moves the needle for advisors, Traci’s nine-year playbook offers both proof and a practical blueprint. Resources: • The Meakem Group: https://www.themeakemgroup.com/  • Watch the full Real #Finfluencers series: ideadecanter.com/the-real-finfluencers 🎙️ The Real #Finfluencers is powered by Idea Decanter—a video first marketing company helping financial advisors grow their practices with authentic, engaging video content. Want to see what’s working for 2,500+ advisors using video to get found, build trust, and scale? 📲 Learn more at www.ideadecanter.com