Trending
Reworking Our Work & Our Client Experience
In so many ways, it feels like March 2020 was yesterday. That month was a turning point for all of us.
The week that everything changed, I spoke alongside Jamie Hopkins at an Eagle Strategies event in Houston, Texas. We crisscrossed the city over just a few days—meeting with advisors, hosting RMD workshops, and working long hours to make a difference. After wrapping up in Houston, we flew to Dallas for even more meetings. By the time I got home late Thursday night, I was wiped out.
I didn’t know it then, but I had COVID-19. My wife realized it before I did, waking up in the middle of the night to tell me I was radiating heat. Unfortunately, my sickness ruined my daughter's birthday party she had scheduled, and I then inadvertently shared the virus with my family in the following weeks.
And just like that, everything changed.
The Shift
Zoom became our conference room.
Screens became our connection to the world.
Work and life blurred together.
For a while, it felt like we were adjusting. But looking back, something vital was missing.
The natural rhythm of work—driving to meetings, walking between appointments, catching a moment to think—disappeared. Everything became back-to-back-to-back. We started running our days like machines.
We forgot how to pause.
The Market Made Room for Zoom
We forgot what it felt like to let our minds wander, to clear the mental inbox, to step away from the constant stream of notifications and agendas.
Rediscovering Space
Here’s the thing: stepping away doesn’t just feel good—it works. The best ideas, the sharpest thinking—they don’t happen in front of a computer.
Take this: psychologists discovered something called the Default Mode Network (DMN). It’s what lights up in your brain when you’re not actively focusing on a task. When you’re walking, driving, or letting your mind wander, your brain connects dots in ways it can’t when you’re heads-down.
That’s why your best ideas often hit you in the shower or on a quiet walk.
And it’s not just about creativity. It’s about clarity.
Stepping outside, breaking the routine—it helps us see the bigger picture. Whether it’s a tough business decision or how to best serve a client, giving yourself permission to not work often unlocks the solutions you need.
Why It Matters for Your Clients
Here’s where it gets interesting: your clients need this just as much as you do.
Think about it. They’re overwhelmed, too. Meetings. Deadlines. Life. Sometimes, the last thing they need is another rigid agenda or packed Zoom call.
Instead, imagine offering them something different.
The Power of Connection
There’s a principle in psychology called the Endowment Effect. People value things more when they feel personally connected to them. This doesn’t just apply to stuff—it’s true for relationships, too.
A quick, unscheduled call to check in? It matters.
A handwritten letter instead of an email? It stands out.
Stopping by to say hello in person? Game-changer.
A Fresh Take on Client Experience
Now let’s talk about another layer: loneliness.
Research shows loneliness has the same impact on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Your clients might not tell you, but they feel it. And here’s the opportunity—sometimes, they don’t need a polished presentation or a detailed financial plan. They just need someone to listen.
Pick up the phone. No agenda, no spreadsheet. Just a conversation. Ask them how they’re doing. Hear their stories. Understand the challenges they’re facing—not just in their portfolios, but in their lives.
This might mean you shouldn’t try to juggle 500 clients personally or build your business around surge meetings that push your clients through like some sort of cattle.
Reinventing Work (And Client Relationships)
The way we work has changed forever. But if we’re not adapting how we serve clients, we’re missing the bigger picture.
It’s not just about processes and systems—although those matter. It’s about experimenting. Iterating and understanding the personalities and preferences of the people you serve.
Your best work might not come from sitting at your desk, and your clients’ best experience might not come from another scheduled Zoom call.
Here’s the challenge:
- Take a walk instead of dialing in.
- Write a letter instead of sending an email.
- Step away from the desk, from the screen, from the routine.
It’s good for you. It’s good for your clients. And it’s how we build relationships that last.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present.
Final Thoughts
The most creative work doesn’t happen in the grind. It happens in the gaps. When we give ourselves—and our clients—space to think, connect, and breathe, we rediscover what really matters.
So, go for a walk.
Call a client without an agenda.
Touch some grass.
You might just find that your most productive moments—and your most meaningful relationships—happen far away from your desk.
Related: Advisors: Shift the Focus from Retirement to Living Fully