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CEO, NYT Best Selling Author, Speaker Brian Moran CEO, NYT Best Selling Author, Speaker Brian Moran has over thirty years of expertise as a CEO, corporate executive, entrepreneur, consultant and coach. His background as a corporate executive combined with his experience as an entrepreneur positions him with a unique skill set to help individuals and organizations grow and prosper. Brian’s corporate experience includes management and executive positions with UPS, PepsiCo, and Northern Automotive. As an entrepreneur he has personally launched and led successful businesses and been instrumental in the success of many others. In addition, he has consulted for dozens of world-class companies including Coldwell Banker, Mass Mutual, Medtronic, New York Life, and Tiffany & Co. Brian is a recognized expert in the field of leadership and execution. His realization that most people don’t lack ideas but struggle with effective implementation led him to the development of The 12 Week Year. In addition to his books, Brian has been published in many of the leading business journals and magazines. He is a sought-after speaker, educating and inspiring thousands each year. He is a visionary with a passion for helping others go beyond what they think they are capable of and achieve more than they ever thought possible. His greatest strength might be his ability to take success principles and strategies and help others apply them in a way that is powerful and effective, and gets results. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

President at Taylor Insurance & Financial Services Eszylfie Taylor President at Taylor Insurance & Financial Services Eszylfie Taylor is the president and founder of Taylor Insurance and Financial Services located in the financial district of Pasadena, California, and serves as financial advisor to individuals, business owners, and high net worth families. Over the past decade, Mr. Taylor has been widely-recognized as an accomplished producer in the industry, receiving the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), “Agent of the Year award: Los Angeles” in 2010 – 2012. Additionally, Mr. Taylor is a 13-time “Million Dollar Roundtable” qualifier, the last four of which he has been a “Top of the Table” producer, ranking him in the top 1% of all producers, worldwide. Most recently, he was selected to win NAIFA’s Top 4 Under 40 Advisors award for 2015. Mr. Taylor has achieved consistent high levels of production due to a combination of education, motivation, a positive outlook and deep desire to help others improve their lives. Over the course of his career, Mr. Taylor has obtained the Series 6, 63, 65, and 7 licenses, in addition to a Life and Health Insurance license. Mr. Taylor began his career at age 22 with New York Life Insurance Company, where he soon ascended to the Chairman’s Council reaching the ranking of #1 Broker in Los Angeles (2006 – 2013), Chairman’s Cabinet, which defines the top 50 agents out of the Country’s 13,000 plus (2010 – 2013), and #1 Agent for the Company’s African-American market (2006 – 2013). In 2007, he began building his own firm, Taylor Insurance and Financial Services. In 2013, he left New York Life to grow his independent insurance and financial services firm. Eszylfie was born and raised in Pasadena, California. As a top flight high school athlete playing in four varsity sports, he completed a notable collegiate basketball career at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Mr. Taylor currently sits on the board of three non-profit organizations dedicated to business empowerment, children’s’ health, and social services. In his free time, he mentors upcoming youth as the Founder of the non-profit Futures Stars Camp (www.futurestarscamp.org ) for kids, which is dedicated to providing basketball training and life coaching skills. In addition to his passion for business, Eszylfie is engaged in raising three daughters with his wife in Pasadena where he still resides. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Financial Wellness Home Equity Calculator: Home equity loans can be used to consolidate multiple payments into a single monthly payment. Try Our Consolidating Debt with Home Equity Calculator Home equity loans can be used to consolidate account balances from multiple credit cards or installment loans into a single loan while offering the added benefit of consolidating multiple payments into a single monthly payment. Back to Financial Calculators We Invite You To “Test Drive” Our Financial Wellness Content Today! Test Drive

Just drop us a line today to explore how we can assist you in increasing your productivity. We at Hoopis Performance Network look forward to hearing from you! Yes I Have 2025 Budget $ We Need to Use My organization has 2025 budget dollars that we need to use by year end. Please contact me ASAP to help us determine the best HPN solutions to utilize based on our 2026 goals and objectives. Hoopis Performance Network 790 Frontage Rd #300 Northfield, IL 60093 Phone: (847) 716-1800 Contact us First name* Last name* Email* Message Submit

Owner Red Zone Marketing, Author Maribeth Kuzmeski PhD Owner Red Zone Marketing, Author Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski is President of the consulting firm, Red Zone Marketing. Maribeth and her firm personally consult with some of the nation’s top financial professionals managing from $300 million to over $1 billion in client assets. Maribeth got her start as the 5th client in her firm happened to be a financial advisor. This advisor had $10 million in money under management that Maribeth helped grow into $200 million in under 5 years through niche-based marketing strategies. Today, Red Zone Marketing is fully focused on the financial services industry. Maribeth has written 9 books including the bestseller The Connectors . She is an international keynote speaker rated as a Top 25 C-Suite Speaker by Meetings & Conventions Magazine, has spoken at The Million Dollar Round Table, and has been a regular presenter at Barron’s Top Producer conferences. She is also an award-winning professor of marketing at Oklahoma State University. Maribeth has a bachelor’s degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, an MBA from The George Washington University, and a PhD in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University. When not working, Maribeth and her husband of 30 years are likely at a sporting event, golfing or with their two (somewhat) adult children. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Speaker, Consultant and Bestselling Author Jon Gordon Speaker, Consultant and Bestselling Author Jon Gordon is a speaker, consultant, and author of the international bestseller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy, The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work, and Training Camp: What the Best do Better than Everyone Else. Jon’s latest book, The Shark and The Goldfish: Positive Ways to Thrive During Waves of Change, is now available. The message in Jon’s books and speaking presentations is such that NFL coaches such as Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith, the PGA Tour and the FBI have called on Jon to inspire and benefit their teams. Jon and his books have been featured on CNN, NBC’s Today Show and in Forbes, Fast Company, O Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Clients such as The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Northwestern Mutual, Publix Super Markets and JP Morgan Chase also call on Jon to bring out the best in their leaders and teams. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a masters in teaching from Emory University. When he’s not speaking to businesses or schools, you can find him playing lacrosse or basketball with his wife and two “high energy” children. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List In working with companies of all sizes, we see a lot of wasted effort related to training. One mistake companies make is failing to focus on accountability and implementation after sending salespeople through training. We Forget Most Training Almost Immediately In 1885, German psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus proposed what he called the “forgetting curve.” He created a mathematical representation of the exponential rate at which we lose a memory “if no attempt is made to retain it.” In general, about 70 percent of a memory is lost within the first 24 hours. If we do nothing to focus on retaining that valuable training, then the time, money and effort we’ve spent on training is wasted. Not only do we forget what we learned in training sessions; we lose the momentum from those sessions after a while, too. Successful sales trainers know that if people do not integrate the skills they learn into their daily routine within three days, the initial enthusiasm of a sales training event wears off quickly, and no real change occurs. The Solution: Implementation and Accountability So how can you make sure salespeople retain more of what they learn? By having them implement what they learned right away. This requires having your sales leaders build in accountability with salespeople who go through training to ensure that they implement what they learned within 72 hours. Tips for Enhancing Knowledge Retention Here are some effective ways to enhance retention of that new knowledge: Before the sales training, provide your sales leader with instruction or training on how to hold salespeople accountable for implementing what they learn during the training within 72 hours. Have each salesperson identify changes he or she will make as a result of the training, by specific dates, in writing. Have the salespeople who completed the training meet in a follow-up session with their sales leader to discuss which strategies they plan to adopt, and by when. Assign someone the task of taking notes on these decisions and sending them to the salespeople and sales leader. Have the sales leader follow up on those dates to see if the changes were implemented on time. If you have coaches or mentors in your organization, get them involved in this implementation process. Measure the effectiveness of the new strategies after a specific amount of time. Train Sales Leaders on How to Hold Salespeople Accountable Because implementation and accountability are so important for knowledge retention, it is just as important to train the sales leaders as it is to train the sales force. When you commit to training your first- and second-line managers, they become part of the solution. Teach your sales leaders (1) how to make sure the salespeople implement the new material as soon as they return to the office and (2) how to hold them accountable for doing so. It is important for sales leaders to understand how to implement effective classroom resources, whether local or virtual, as well as the valuable techniques salespeople learn in joint sales calls. A home office or agency trainer may be responsible for dozens or hundreds of people to train. Many smaller firms do not have a full-time trainer on staff. By investing in sales leaders, both companies and firms can improve their results because the firm’s management team can do its job to make sure the sales force uses the information. Measure the Training’s Effectiveness Some training programs are more effective than others. If a training session proves to be of little use, you need to know that so you don’t invest in it again. Here are some ways to measure how effective the training is: After six months or one year, ask the salespeople who went through the training to rate it. Create a form for this purpose, and evaluate the collective opinions. Include both quantitative rankings (such as a ranking of 1 to 7 on various aspects of the training), as well as qualitative feedback, to include details about why the training was or was not effective. Ask your sales leaders to assess the training session’s overall effectiveness separately. Have them quantify, if possible, the impact the training had on sales so you can compare that number with the cost of the training. In Summary To ensure that you’re getting an optimum return on your training investment, make sure salespeople start implementing what they learned within 72 hours. And train your sales leaders on how to hold the salespeople accountable for doing so. Finally, assess the training after enough time has passed to determine its effectiveness. Use that feedback to determine how to spend future training dollars. Consider Hoopis Performance Network for Advisor Training Check out Hoopis Performance Network, which features online, ondemand, video-based training built on four Disciplines of Success with access to more than 400 sessions. HPN provides educational and training resources to launch, retool and reenergize all levels of financial professionals and staff. The curriculum is designed to help establish the cornerstones of a producer’s practice to ensure consistent growth and retention through higher levels of productivity. A Simple Way to Get More Out of Your Training Investment

Founder, Thrivos Consulting, LLC Penny Phillips Founder, Thrivos Consulting, LLC After a decade of working with financial advisors and institutions on practice management, Penny launched Thrivos Consulting with a vision of building a firm that would transcend the traditional norms of industry consulting. Founded on the belief that in order to thrive one must successfully navigate change, Thrivos offers services designed to support professionals and institutions as they learn to turn industry challenges into opportunities. With a keen ability to connect with professionals across varying demographics, Penny has had success working with clients ranging from top independent advisors seeking support around building a multi-gen team to multi-billion-dollar enterprises looking to explore scale and growth opportunities. Penny has worked with countless advisory teams and broker dealers on issues ranging from the integration of next generation talent to succession planning to communication and behavior management. She previously ran a national business-building workshop series for financial advisors. She has authored multiple practice management programs, and has been featured as a keynote speaker at conferences and events for the following firms LPL, Investors Group, Guardian Life, Morgan Stanley, MassMutual, Northwestern Mutual, Prudential, New York Life, Signature Financial Solutions, Flexible Plan Investments, RBC, and Platinum Advisor Strategies. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Retirement Expert, Economist and Bestselling Author Tom Hegna Retirement Expert, Economist and Bestselling Author Tom Hegna is the author of 3 books, Paychecks and Playchecks: Retirement Solutions for Life, Retirement Income Masters: Secrets of the Pros and most recently authored Don’t Worry, Retire Happy! Seven Steps to Retirement Security which is based on his popular public television show. Originally from Glenwood, Minnesota, he attended North Dakota State University on an Army ROTC scholarship and graduated with honors. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army and spent 6 years on Active Duty and another 16 1⁄2 years in the US Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2006. Tom has been a popular industry speaker for many years and is THE retirement income expert. As a former Fortune 100 senior executive, Tom has dedicated his entire career to helping retirees obtain a happily ever after retirement. He has been featured on FoxBusiness, American College Wealth Channel Magazine, Round the Table, Advisor Today and GAMA Magazine. Tom currently lives in Arizona with his wife and children. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Let’s admit it — the financial services business can be tough. It requires selling products to individuals who really need them but who often are in denial about this fact. That’s why there are two parts to learning how to become a successful professional in the financial services industry: Acquire the education and knowledge to build a successful and ongoing practice while having the confidence to engage prospects and clients in healthy and honest discussions. Develop the sales skills needed to take clients through the process of discovery to recognize their needs and wants and then to take action. Although we might consider some individuals to be natural-born salespeople, the reality is that most of these skills are learned. So how do you learn those skills? Primarily through repetition and failure. Repetition is the mother of all learning; however, learning the necessary skills to be a successful financial services professional can be a very long and challenging process. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a shortcut to gaining those skills? There is! Many have found mentoring to be that shortcut. What a Mentor Is The word “mentor” comes from a Greek character named Mentor. When Odysseus left Ithaca to participate in the siege and capture of Troy, according to Homer’s Odyssey, he entrusted the care of his wife, Penelope, and his infant son, Telemachus, to his great friend, Mentor. In time, Mentor became the advisor and wise teacher of Telemachus as he set off to find his father. A mentor is defined as an influential senior and trusted counselor or teacher, a person who will help guide someone on his or her path toward achieving goals. Mentoring gives us a brain to pick, an ear to listen and, when needed, a push in the right direction. It’s all about transferring the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise that are essential for any organization or practice. Mentoring can be an effective approach to create, organize, capture and distribute knowledge and demonstrate acquired skills. It supports both short- and long-term growth opportunities for both new associates and veterans. Mentoring Shortens the Learning Curve One of the key benefits of mentoring is that it reduces the time required to obtain and successfully execute the required practice-building skills much faster than the old tried-and-failed methods. Mentoring facilitates rapid learning because knowledge transfer is achieved by providing direct access to a range of experts and peers who can share the required skills in an actual working environment. Because 80 percent of this type of learning (knowledge transfer) is informal, mentoring empowers skill acquisition in ways that most training programs can’t. It shortens the learning curve, enhances productivity and helps everyone align their efforts with a successful business strategy. In addition to streamlining the transfer of marketing and selling knowledge, mentoring can fuel succession planning to ensure that clients will continue to be taken care of and that promises are kept once an advisor retires. Supplement Mentoring with Other Training Most mentors will help develop the skill sets necessary for their mentees to become successful. But even the most knowledgeable and skilled mentor doesn’t know everything. Therefore, it is important to supplement the mentoring relationship with additional educational resources and training to ensure that the mentee becomes fully developed in all aspects of his or her role. Early on, a robust and engaging curriculum will need to be provided. In time, pursuing professional designations should be considered. There are many types of financial services practices, from those that focus on protection products such as life insurance, disability and long-term care to those that use the multiline platform to service consumers and help them protect their property to those that serve primarily the investment marketplace. Mentoring can benefit those in all types of agencies, firms and companies. But mentoring is not about the product you offer; rather, it’s a strategy for improving the level of service, sales ability and skill in understanding clients and their situations. Mentoring Tips Based on Best Practices Here are some mentoring best practices: Mentees: Choose your mentor carefully. If having a mentor seems like a good strategic move, then pick someone with a practice you aspire to have. The mentor should be someone you can trust and feel comfortable sharing your beliefs and shortcomings with. Mentors: Be prepared before agreeing to mentor someone. Understand the level of commitment and what would be expected of you. Make sure you have the time, energy, and patience to start a mentoring relationship. Try it out on a trial basis. Many mentorships can be long term, but you could always try the arrangement out on a trial basis. This way, if either the mentor or mentee is uncomfortable or does not see the pairing as a good fit, bad feelings are less likely to exist if the relationship doesn’t continue. Specify both parties’ objectives. In any relationship, an up-front mutual understanding of what will be expected of both parties is very important. Don’t just verbalize these mutual agreements; put them in writing, and have a third party review them for additional input. And be specific. Clarity is essential before starting a mentorship. Clarify specific areas the mentorship will cover, including these details: 1) What both the mentee and mentor want out of the relationship. 2) A general structure for the meetings and conversations. 3) How the mentor and mentee will handle takeaway tasks/next steps/ action items. 4) How often the parties will communicate; the ideal times and days for these communications; and how and where this communication will be accomplished, such as in person, by phone or via video conferencing. 5) A confidentiality agreement. 6) Agreement about how to handle any splits in compensation and production credit. 7) How and when this mutual agreement can be modified or even be canceled Listen and learn. In successful mentorships, both parties will enjoy the benefit of learning, and they will listen to one another. Mentors must be willing to let the mentees speak freely and state whatever is on their minds, whether it is a question or a concern. There must be an open two-way dialogue. Mentors who only talk at their mentees will offer very little value. Be willing to share. The bottom line in a mentoring relationship is about sharing. If either party is not willing to share, then the true benefits of mentoring will be lost. By sharing their career experiences — both the good and the bad, as well as their techniques — mentors will help their mentees gain critical experience and avoid some of the pitfalls that many face. Mentees must be just as open and honest in return. Consider a mentoring relationship with someone outside your company or firm. Not all mentor– mentee relationships are formed with individuals who work for the same agency, firm or company. Sometimes it’s beneficial to see the perspective of someone who works in a different organization. But working with someone inside the same organization can offer additional benefits such as job security and the potential to become a partner or a successor one day. Work to derive mutual benefit. The relationship must offer both parties benefits. Ideally, the two will learn to work smarter and not necessarily harder. As the relationship progresses, it must become more efficient and more flexible. Mentees must understand that they have the primary responsibility for their career success — it is not the mentor’s responsibility. However, the more engaging a mentor is or can become, the easier the transfer of knowledge will be for both. Mentors and mentees: Be open to new ideas. Mentees can gain so much more than just knowledge and habits. A good mentor can have a huge impact on a mentee’s life path. But openness is not just something the mentor needs to have. Reverse mentoring is the process through which the mentee teaches the “old dog” new tricks. For example, a newer advisor could teach a veteran advisor how to navigate social media or how to use and benefit from new software programs and apps. Mentors who are open to listening and evolving their practices can learn valuable strategies from their younger colleagues. If you have not been engaged in using the mentoring concept, maybe the time has come to do so. We all seek increased productivity and the ability to break into new markets more efficiently and in less time. Mentoring may be the answer. Use Hoopis Performance network Videos in Your Advisor Training Consider using our virtual training videos in your company, agency or firm on mentoring relationship series for both financial professionals and the leadership teams. HPN brings you winning training for sales associates, and sales leaders. They can access training and information on their smartphones and tablets when they have spare time, learn at their own pace and customize their curriculum based on what interests them the most. Mentoring Opportunities and Benefits