Imagine for a minute that you are a Brain Surgeon or even an aspiring one.

You want to learn about the latest techniques, enhance your skills, modernize your practice, and become the best version of yourself.

Who would you learn from or go to for this?

I have asked this question to different people, not just financial professionals. I am sure you know the answer.

The answer was unanimous. “I would go to the Best Brain Surgeon”, said each one, whom I asked this question to.

What would your answer be? You and I both know it is not going to be any different.

You would go to the Best Brain Surgeon. I would add that the person should also be someone who is passionate about teaching and making other professionals better.

Now let me ask you a set of questions:

1. Would you go to a Pharma Company Executive to learn about brain surgery and modernize?
2. Would you go to a Medical Association Executive (who is not a doctor) to learn and become world class?
3. Would you learn about Brain Surgery from the best ENT Surgeon?

If you feel like answering “yes”, read no further.

I asked this question to a few of you. The response was clear “No we won’t.”

Now apply this to our industry and profession.

Who should we be going to learn about the future of our industry /profession or how to become a world class financial professional?

I am constantly amazed at how “industry experts” with no to zero real life experience in your business are telling you how to run your practice.

If you do not have any experience in doing brain surgeries, you should not be an “industry expert” telling others how to do one.

Sadly, this is so prevalent and now it has almost become a nice business model.

Here are some questions and thoughts that could be useful for you:

1. What is your definition of world class or successful? Is AUM or Technology or something else your metric? The single most important thing in the finest brain surgeon is SKILL and not how much money she or he has earned. By the way even pharmacists earn quite well and there is nothing wrong with it. So, who do you want to be? What Skills are then essential for you to be the best version of yourself? Who can teach you this?
2. Who has faced the same challenges that I am facing now? Who or which firm has solved those challenges and built a truly scalable model?
3. Which firm has embraced change, has invested well in the business, and is constantly learning (and getting better)?
4. What are the processes required for success?
5. Who can truly help me grow? Have they done it themselves?
6. Are they just going to tell me or SHOW ME? Are they going to hand hold me on this journey and help me realize my dream or make the seemingly impossible into “I m possible”?

Finally, Learn Cooking Italian from a Chef who specializes in Italian not from a Chef who specializes in Mexican or from a group of Chefs who cook everything. I wrote about Cooking now because I am super hungry as I write this, and my brain has literally stopped functioning.

Who will you Learn from about modernizing your firm and becoming the best version of yourself? Well, you need to answer this for yourself.