May 20, 2026
In this episode of the Model FA podcast, host David DeCelle sits
down with Taylor Schulte, CFP and founder of Define Financial, to
explore the journey from unplanned entry into financial advising to
building a thriving, $300M AUM retirement planning firm. Taylor
shares how sales experience shaped his early career, the lessons
learned navigating marketing challenges, and the strategic
decisions behind his podcast and YouTube content. The discussion
emphasizes consistent content creation, understanding audience
dynamics, and leveraging community to grow both client
relationships and business impact.
In this
episode:
• Organic Beginnings, Structured Growth: Taylor candidly shares how
he “stumbled into” financial advising and turned early challenges
into a disciplined approach to client acquisition and
marketing.
• Sales Experience as Foundation: Early exposure to sales, whether
at Morgan Stanley or other firms, provides skills that underpin
successful client relationships and advisory growth.
• Building a Marketing Funnel: Defining the ideal client,
simplifying the funnel, and aligning podcast, email, and video
strategies are key to generating meaningful leads.
• Podcasting as a Middle-of-Funnel Tool: Stay Wealthy Retirement
Show functions as a trust-building platform for an engaged, warm
audience, converting listeners into clients through clarity and
explicit calls to action.
• YouTube for a Cold Audience: Long-form video enables reach beyond
the warm podcast audience, but success depends on algorithmic
understanding, consistency, and patience; each platform demands a
different approach.
• Consistency and Metrics Matter: Regular content, short- and
long-form video, and monitoring engagement help translate effort
into measurable business outcomes over time.
• Audience Clarity Is Critical: Growth requires understanding who
listens, who converts, and which content moves prospects through
the funnel efficiently.
• Strategic Restructuring Pays Off: Pausing growth to optimize
internal processes, systems, and team alignment ensures scalable
revenue growth from $2M to $10M and beyond.
• Community Amplifies Impact: Engagement with peers via AGC (now
part of WealthTender) reinforces accountability, collaboration, and
professional development.
• Books and Balance: Taylor draws insights and inspiration from
fiction (Dark Matter) and non-fiction (Golf Architecture for Normal
People), underscoring the importance of personal enrichment
alongside professional growth.
Taylor’s story is a strong reminder that advisor growth is not
about doing every marketing tactic at once, but about understanding
your audience, building the right funnel, and staying consistent
long enough for trust to compound. If you’re a financial advisor
looking to sharpen your marketing, improve client engagement, and
create content that actually supports business growth, this episode
is well worth your time.
#FinancialAdvisor #MarketingStrategy #Podcasting #YouTubeMarketing
#ClientEngagement #RetirementPlanning #FinancialAdvisorJourney
#ContentCreation #AudienceBuilding #DefineFinancial #ModelFA
#AdvisorGrowth #SalesExperience #WealthManagement
Connect with
Taylor Schulte:
Website: definefinancial.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taylorschulte
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About the Model FA Podcast
The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In
each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry
experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes
to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in
the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice,
and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear
stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas
from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of
your dreams.
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Our
Team
President of Model FA, David DeCelle
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