Do you ever feel like your business has hit a plateau? You might be working hard but your results seem stagnant? The truth is, getting to the next level isn’t about putting in more hours. It’s about working smarter with the right framework. 

Tony Robbins, said it best, “In order to take our lives to the next level, we must realize that the same pattern of thinking that has gotten us to where we are now will not get us to where we want to go.” 

That’s true in both business and life. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten. 

Take John, a financial advisor with 20 years of experience. He had built a comfortable business, but he always felt he was capable of more. He hired Advisor Solutions and together we walked through seven steps, The Next Level System, that transformed his advisory practice. Let’s review the stepwise approach he used to turn things around. 

Step #1: Next Level Mindset 

Your mindset is the foundation of growth. If you believe you can’t break through your current ceiling, you won’t. But if you adopt a growth mindset, you’ll see obstacles as opportunities to reach the next level. Advisors who scale their businesses are the ones who think differently, embrace change, and believe in what’s possible.  

John’s biggest challenge was his mindset. He believed he had “hit his ceiling.” So, we worked on questioning his limiting belief systems to help him shift perspective. This was the “light bulb moment” that he needed to create lasting change! 

Step #2: Next Level Goals 

Without clear goals, you’re simply wishing for success and wandering without direction. The most effective advisors set specific, measurable, time-bound objectives. To take your goals setting to the next level you need goals that create focus and accountability. 

Once John embraced a growth mindset we worked on getting crystal clear with his goals. Instead of vaguely wanting “more success,” he got clear on what success would look like and decided his goal would be to grow his assets by $12 million over the next twelve months by increasing referrals by 30%. Those targets gave him direction and motivation. 

Step #3: Next Level Systems 

Success isn’t about willpower; it’s about systems that ensure consistency. They ensure that every lead, every client interaction, and every follow-up happens the same way, every time. Whether it’s a prospecting system, a sales system, or a client servicing system, structure is what keeps the engine running. 

John’s business ran on habit, not structure. Prospecting was inconsistent, follow-ups got lost, and servicing lacked organization. Together we built repeatable systems for lead generation, appointments, and client servicing. This gave him confidence nothing would slip through the cracks. 

Step #4: Next Level Tools & Techniques 

Systems need tools to power them. Whether it’s for time management, prospecting, sales or client servicing having the right tools and techniques can mean the difference between spinning your wheels versus moving forward! 

For John, this meant learning and applying several Advisor Solutions Tools and Techniques to manage his sales pipeline, overcome objections, set appointments, ask better questions, make stronger connections and help prospects and clients alike understand his recommendations, which inevitably helped him close more sales!  

Step #5: Next Level Daily Activities 

Big goals are achieved through small, repeatable actions. Daily activities such as prospecting calls, client meetings and portfolio reviews are where the rubber meets the road. Successful advisors know exactly what high-value tasks move the needle and they do them consistently.  

That’s exactly what John discovered. By beginning each day with a clear list of high-value activities such as prospecting calls, follow-ups, and scheduled client reviews, he started to see momentum build. The small steps done consistently began to add up to big results! 

Step #6: Next Level Accountability  

I’ve heard it said, “What gets measured gets managed”. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) keep you honest about progress. 

For the first time in his 20-year career, John tracked the numbers of calls, appointments, conversions, and assets gathered. At first, this level of accountability was uncomfortable for him, but soon he came to appreciate it. The numbers didn’t lie, and they showed him both where he was succeeding and where he needed to get more success. 

Step #7: Assessment (What’s Working and Why) 

Finally, step back and ask yourself the following: What’s working, why is it working and what’s not working? Assessment assures you’re effective, not just busy. 

John quickly saw the value of assessment when we reviewed results. This allowed him to double down on what worked and cut out what didn’t. 

Why The Next Level System Works 

Success is no accident, it’s the result of following the right steps. The Next Level System works because each step builds on the last. By aligning mindset, goals, systems, tools, activities, accountability, and assessment, you create a foundation that consistently attracts and retains clients. 

In under a year, John surpassed his goals, built a referral engine, and put systems in place that gave him both growth and control. Most importantly, he no longer felt stuck—he was finally on track to the success he had always envisioned.