Financial Designs 11X Business Advisor Institute

Year 2: Participant Portal

Put the 11X principles into practice with session materials, operating tools, and helpful references.

Core Operating Tools

Operating Cadence
Pre / De / Re-Brief

How to Use >

Power to Connect

How to Use >

Army Map

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D.O.S.

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Planning Table

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Most Recent Session

Y2: Session 1 (July 8, 2026)

Session 1 - Zoom >
Passcode: 7&jyuc=$

Executive Recap:
Business owners do not need another proposal when the real issue is still unclear. A proposal can feel like progress, however it often moves the advisor into solution mode too early. The stronger advisory move is to slow down, clarify what is actually happening, and help the owner see what is at stake before anything is presented.

SARI gives that conversation a simple structure: Situation, Achieve, Roadblocks, and Impact. The advisor is not filling out a form. The advisor is creating a better owner conversation. What is happening now? What does the owner want to achieve? What is blocking progress? What is the impact if nothing changes, or if the issue gets solved?

That sequence protects the advisor from becoming another product vendor. ValuCompass, protection work, tax planning, succession planning, estate coordination, and specialist introductions all become stronger when they follow real discovery. The solution has more value when the owner first understands the problem clearly enough to act.

Language matters because positioning matters. “My practice” can keep the advisor small. “Our firm” signals capacity, process, team, and responsibility. Business owners are trying to build stronger firms, create enterprise value, protect families, manage risk, and make better decisions. The advisor’s language should match the seriousness of that work.

Collaboration is part of the value, not an add-on. The advisor does not need to personally solve every tax, legal, people, operational, or succession issue. The advisor does need to know who belongs in the room, how to prepare them, and how to protect the client relationship. A strong advisor army is not a referral list. It is a set of aligned professionals who understand the model, the client, and the work being done.

Time to Think is the operating discipline underneath the model. Better advisory work requires preparation before the meeting, clearer listening during the meeting, and a real debrief after the meeting. That rhythm keeps the advisor from missing the real ask and helps turn insight into action.

The value of the work is not activity. It is what the owner can now see, decide, protect, build, or move forward. Advisors should be able to show progress over time: what was clarified, what was coordinated, what risk was reduced, what opportunity was surfaced, and what decision moved. That is what supports serious advisory fees.

Practice moves to apply now:

  • Use SARI before offering a solution.

  • Slow down when an owner asks for a proposal.

  • Speak as a firm, not a practice.

  • Vet collaborators before introducing them.

  • Pre-brief and debrief important meetings.

  • Track value as visible progress, not activity.

Resources For You to Use:

  • Before 11X, I didn’t fully understand what we were actually providing—or how to present it in a succinct, value-added way. That lack of clarity made it hard to confidently charge what the work was really worth. Through 11X, that completely changed. The process gave me clarity, confidence, and a clear way to articulate our value. It made it possible for me to enter this space in a real way, and it changed the way we think about our business. We went from $1,500 engagements to $5,000, $10,000, $30,000, and even $120,000. It’s accelerating. All our new business, especially the bigger wins, has come directly from using the 11X process.

    Joe Bozo, Financial Advisor | Madison, Wisconsin

  • What 11X really gave me was credibility and confidence in how I engage business owners. I was already having the conversations, but I didn’t have a clear guide or framework to support them. 11X filled in those gaps. It helped me move from reacting in conversations to leading them, and from selling products to delivering real advisory value. The ideas, tools, and language create trust quickly—and that changes everything. One of the most important things for me is integrity. I never want to over-promise or charge significant fees without being able to deliver. 11X has helped me slow down, build a repeatable process, and confidently stand behind the value I’m offering. I don’t use everything exactly the same way, and that’s the point. 11X gives you the structure and flexibility to make it your own, believe in it, and build something that actually lasts.

    John Carlson CPFA®, CEPA®, Financial Advisor | Minot, North Dakota

  • For the first time in my career, my work feels grounded in real purpose and direction. That shift didn’t happen by accident. It came from developing a clearer awareness of where I’ve been, where I was headed, and where I now believe I’m going. Through 11X, I’ve gained confidence in how I see myself and how I show up for business owners. I no longer view myself as just another financial services professional in a crowded space. I see myself as needed, distinct, and capable of earning a seat at the table alongside perceived experts. The greatest impact hasn’t been tactics or scripts. It’s been mindset. I now approach conversations with clarity, conviction, and a deeper sense of responsibility to help business owners protect what they’ve built and the people who depend on it. Even as a solo operator still building my vision, the coaching, community, and generosity behind 11X have already reshaped how I think, how I lead, and who I am becoming. That impact is real...and lasting.

    Alex Wenke, Financial Advisor | Buffalo, New York

  • The biggest part of it was positioning myself away from a consultant role with them and being more of an advisor. In the consulting role, they’re expecting you to come and deliver PowerPoint. Whereas with an advisor, they’re asking you for wisdom that they can then go take action on.

    Duane Rollins, CEPA®, Advisor | Washington DC/Baltimore, MD

For most advisors, the path begins with Year 1. Year 2 shows that 11X is designed as a deeper development path, not a one-time seminar.

Explore Year 1

Executive Webinar

For advisors who want a focused first look at the 11X model, the executive webinar introduces the core moves behind stronger business-owner work: moving beyond product-led conversations, building a stronger advisory ecosystem, pricing serious advisory work, and executing with more consistency.

Learn More & Register