Success Archives - CMG AdvisorCentral

Perspective: Why A Short Taxi Ride Was Worth Every Penny

Posted on 07.07.15 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr. Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution, CMG

Sometimes we gain valuable perspective in unexpected places.

On this particular trip, I arrived very late in the evening wanting to get to my hotel and to bed as quickly as possible. The next morning I had a very important presentation and I wanted as much rest as possible. As fate would have it, my driver from the airport to the hotel was very engaging and skillfully initiated and sustained our conversation throughout the entire ride.

16 Tips Every Advisor Can Benefit From Today

Posted on 06.16.15 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr. Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution, CMG

How having daily guiding principles will help you as an advisor stay focused.

The most successful financial advisors possess discipline and focus. Many follow a set of rules they have created based on their experience over time. It is this adherence to these principles that make them successful.

This was certainly the case with another famous financier, Baron Rothschild. He was a member of one of the richest families in the world. By the 19th century, they ran a financial institution possessing the power and influence of a combined Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley.

I read recently that after his death in the early 1800’s, as his executors were going through his belongings they ran across a list of the rules he followed to achieve his success. Sound principles like this never go out of style. I offer them to you today for your consideration.

The “Sweetest 16” Quotes From An All-Time Legend

Posted on 03.24.15 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr. Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution, CMG

Tournament time! Cinderella teams! All-Time Legends! Fast Breaks! Slam dunks! Buzzer beaters! In the words of Dick Vitale, “Are you serious?”

As with each team starting out in the tournament with the hopes of raising the trophy and cutting down the nets at the end, you as an advisor are on a constant journey toward your pinnacle as well. You are always striving for consistency, building momentum and focusing you and your staff on doing your best.

Throughout the 60’s and 70’s, one of the game’s all-time legends, John Wooden, guided and coached the UCLA Bruins. They were the most dominant team in sports winning 10 NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball titles. What can you learn from Coach Wooden and apply to your business?

Are You Living In The Moment ?

Posted on 12.22.14 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr. Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution, CMG

Every Holiday Season, our family plans a time together to watch ” It’s a Wonderful Life.” As Jimmy Stewart demonstrated in his role in, ” It’s a Wonderful Life,” participating in and influencing many people’s lives matters a great deal.

The movie, directed by Frank Capra, premiered on December 20,1946 at New York’s Globe Theatre. The main character, played by Stewart, was George Bailey who ended up staying in his hometown of Bedford Falls and taking over his father’s business, the Bailey Building and Loan. What most don’t realize and what I find very ironic is that the inspiration for the story came from Philip Van Doren Stern who had originally titled the story “The Greatest Gift’.

George Bailey, had a gift for helping others and here are two notable quotes that illustrate a similar way of thinking.

Lessons Learned From a Wise Professor

Posted on 09.12.14 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr. Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution, CMG

Sometimes, to achieve the greatest success, you have to embrace the prospect of failure. You can gain courage, perspective and wisdom with each failure to take on even greater challenges.

“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but by how high he bounces when he hits bottom.” – George Patton

In college, I had a professor who served as Patton’s assistant. He taught us a lot about the quote above. It was probably one of my best classes ever and it prepared me well for our industry. I offer three key lessons he taught us:

Give thanks for your problems and challenges. By facing our challenges and overcoming them, we grow stronger, wiser and more compassionate. Many times we get things right by analyzing what went wrong. He used to say, “One of the best ways to learn math is to be given problems to solve. One of the best ways to prepare for an athletic event is to practice with a strong, competitive opponent.”
Failure produces results or outcomes you can learn from each time. View failure as an entry point for learning so you may continue growing. He used to say, “You haven’t failed until you stop trying.”
Disappointment and failure are just the feedback that gives us the opportunity to change. Oftentimes, failure is necessary for real learning to occur. Learning to overcome these obstacles is the very thing that forms character.

“Would you please show me the path”

Posted on 08.29.14 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr.
Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution
CMG

How would you like to be the one who shows your client the path to realizing their goals? What would that path look like? Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was shown the path, ” Follow the yellowbrick road”, what clients are constantly telling their advisors is, “show me the path to achieve my goals.” Show me “how to” successfully move from where I am today to where I want to be down the road. Every financial goal your clients will ultimately achieve depends on the day to day small steps they take under your guidance. Clients simply want relief from worry. They are desperately seeking a clear, disciplined and decisive plan of action.

Our biggest challenge as advisors is to help clients examine their dreams and goals carefully to find the right path suitable for them. Think about it. Isn’t your role awesome. Every single day your client has 24 hours to move forward along their path toward achieving their dreams and goals. It is simply up to you to help them make a little progress each day. What an opportunity!

Excellence is an Attitude

Posted on 04.10.14 |

Michael F. Sciortino, Sr.
Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Head of Distribution
CMG

Over the years, what I’ve observed is that excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude. An attitude that is practiced everyday. Vince Lombardi used to say, “The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.”

Recently, I ran across a quote by a well known retired CEO which exemplifies what successful advisors in our business display:

“To me, excellence means being better than the best. Its achievement requires an introspective assessment of everything we do, say, or make, and an honest inquiry; ‘Is it better than the best?’ If it is not we will ask ourselves, ‘What will it take?’ and then rally the resources required to get there.” – Jack Welch