I wrote The High Diving Board after a series of near-death experiences—moments that forced me to look hard at my life and ask, “Why did I wait until my health failed to make real changes?”

I didn’t want anyone else—especially successful people who seem to “have it all together”—to wait until a crisis before they leap.

But working with hundreds of plateaued financial and insurance advisors taught me something even deeper about fear.

🧱 Simple Fears vs. Sophisticated Fears

New advisors wrestle with simple fears:

“What if they say no?” “What if I don’t know the answer?”

Those fears can be conquered with action—by making the call, asking the question, taking the meeting.

But successful advisors—the ones who’ve already “made it”—face more sophisticated fears.

“They say I should focus on a niche… but what if I miss other opportunities?”

“What if I raise my planning fees and lose good clients?”

“What if I can’t keep this going or it all goes away?”

These fears don’t respond to action alone. They live deeper—in the beliefs that quietly shape how we see ourselves as advisors.

🎯 The Fear Behind the Fear

One advisor I coached kept what he called his “Whale List”—50 successful people in his town who could change his business overnight. But he wouldn’t call any of them.

Why?

Because when he was a kid, he’d been a troublemaker. And those “whales” would surely remember him.

His fear wasn’t rejection. It was a hidden fear about his identity.

“What if they still see me as that screw-up?”

Finally, during one of our coaching sessions, I challenged him to call just one person from the list.

“Right now?” he asked. He hesitated, but then picked up the phone.

The “Whale” on the other end said,

“I’d love to talk to you. When can we meet?”

In that instant, the story my client had been telling himself for decades dissolved. His past no longer defined his present—or his potential.

💡 What 25 Years of Coaching Has Taught Me

After 25 years of working with financial advisors, I’ve learned that growth plateaus rarely come from a lack of tactics. They often come, in large part, from hidden negative fears and negative beliefs—those “sophisticated” fears disguised as practical concerns.

Once you they’re exposed in my conversations with advisors, they can’t unsee them. And that’s when their breakthrough begins—income growth, confidence, balance, even joy.

🔍 Your Turn

So, if you’re feeling stuck and the actions that got you to this point aren’t working to take you further, here’s my question:

What fear hiding behind a “logical” excuse is keeping you stuck?

Comment below or contact me to discuss this privately.

And keep REACHING…