In Episode 15 of The Top One Podcast, Jerry Corless and Chaz Emerson dig into one of the most defining moments in an advisor's career — how to lead clients (and yourself) through a down market.

A few unfiltered moments from this one:

→ On the third role advisors play: "Of course you know I serve as financial planner... and the other one you probably don't think a lot about is behavioral coach."

→ On the truth Chaz repeats to every client: "Risk tolerance doesn't change in a down market."

→ On what loss actually means: "We still have the same number of shares we had before. You haven't lost it until you sell it."

→ On the recurring pattern: "It's not different this time. Something different is happening, but it's not different this time."

→ On separating the signal from the noise: "Read actual economists or actual portfolio managers... not what the news outlets are saying."

→ On what clients remember: "That's when you know you've got a really good relationship with your clients — when they're worried about you."

How the top 1% lead clients through volatility:

1. Set appropriate expectations at the start — frame the three roles (planner, "marriage counselor," behavioral coach) before the volatility hits
2. Lock in risk tolerance with a real assessment, not a guess
3. Be proactive at a defined trigger (often around a 10% pullback) — pick up the phone, leave voicemails, lead the conversation
4. Use an automated weekly market commentary email so clients feel the consistent touch
5. Reference the client's actual diversified portfolio — not just the S&P or the Dow headline
6. Manage your own mental and physical state — sleep, exercise, prayer, peer conversations, real data
7. Don't freak out — clients are watching, and the calls you make now create the referrals after the recovery

And the line Chaz comes back to: "We can't control the market. What we can control is the way that we react to it."

If you've ever wondered what separates the advisors who keep clients through a downturn from the ones who quietly lose them after it, this is the conversation.

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Hosts Jerry and Chas discuss the emotional and mental journey of financial advisors, exploring five distinct psychological phases that run parallel to an advisor's business lifecycle. The episode provides insights and strategies for recognizing these mindsets to help practitioners navigate them more effectively and find renewed fulfillment in their careers.

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This episode of The Top One, hosted by Jerry Corless and Chas Emerson, delves into the concept of hidden costs that can severely limit a financial planner's growth and vision. The hosts categorize these costs into three main areas, starting with Mindset, which focuses on the critical distinction between expenses and necessary investments. They emphasize that growth comes from making strategic investments, not by being "too cheap" and cutting expenses. Key investments discussed include hiring administrative assistance sooner than an advisor might think they are ready for, adopting technology like a CRM and automation, and committing to personal development through coaching programs and books. The overarching message of the first category is that to reach the "top one," advisors must focus on the highest and best use of their time.

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In this episode of the Top One podcast, co-hosts Jerry Corless and Chas Emerson welcome Matt Hutcheson, co-owner of Wellness Financial Advisors in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss the asset gatherer model versus the money manager model. Matt shares his 28-year journey in the financial industry, including a past experience where he and his business partner realized their self-built investment models consistently underperformed the benchmark.

Matt explains their decision to shift completely to an asset gatherer, relationship-focused practice, which involves outsourcing investment selection to professional strategists like BlackRock, Vanguard, or Fidelity. The value they now add is focused on superior service and providing holistic financial counsel to clients, including discussions about taxes, insurance, major purchases, and lifestyle goals, rather than just investment returns

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In this episode, you'll discover why most goal-setting fails—and what actually works. Drawing from research showing that graduates with written goals significantly out-earned their peers, Chas Emerson and Jerry Corless break down their proven frameworks for achieving extraordinary results across business, relationships, health, and spiritual life.

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In Episode 10 of The Top One Podcast, Jerry Corless and Chaz Emerson sit down with Katie Stenson — the consultant who's helped advisors across the platform get to zero inbox — to break down how technology, when applied right, gives you back your time.

A few unfiltered moments from this one:

→ On the #1 problem she sees: "Email overload is by far the number one thing... it leads to that task slipping underneath the rug."

→ On what email is actually for: "Email was made to give information, not hoard information."

→ On the hidden time drain: "Reprocessing is the thing that's taking up time. That's the inefficiencies that so many people are doing."

→ On systems as a path, not a switch: "Systems are small steps towards a big goal."

→ On the real outcome: "Discipline and consistency... is going to drive you closer to that end goal and habit that you're really wanting to develop."

The four areas Katie sees advisors struggle with most:

1. Email management
2. Task management
3. Note-keeping
4. File documentation

The tool stack she recommends:

• Outlook for email
• Microsoft To-Do as the single task manager — one list, everything on it
• OneNote for client notes you can send with one click
• Microsoft Teams as the team hub — intake forms, SOPs, onboarding, all in one place

And the line Chaz came back to: "You don't have to buy another piece of technology — you have to utilize what you've got better."

If you've ever lost an hour to reprocessing the same email three times, this is the conversation.

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In Episode 9 of The Top One Podcast, Jerry Corless and Chaz Emerson share the stacked reading list that's shaped how the top 1% of advisors think, build, and grow — moving from vision to goals to habits to focus to inner excellence.

A few unfiltered moments from this one:

→ On emotional intelligence as a double-edged sword: "That same trait of high emotional intelligence can also lead us to get our feelings hurt easily ourselves."

→ On the data behind written goals: "Only 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans... and on average had 10 times as much as the other 97% altogether."

→ On bad habits: "Bad habits are creeping and they are not difficult to take on. Good habits require careful attention and discipline." → On focus at the top: "There are all kinds of things that you can be involved in on a daily basis that don't move the needle... they're all work."

→ On what holds advisors back: "The fear of man lays a snare."

The stacked reading list, in order:

1. The Game of Numbers by Nick Murray — the foundational book on client acquisition, rejection, and believing in financial planning
2. Goals by Brian Tracy — casting a 10-year vision and setting clearly defined, measurable, time-bound goals
3. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy — consistency wins, and keeping score is non-negotiable
4. Atomic Habits by James Clear — building sustainable good habits and breaking the bad ones 1% at a time
5. The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan — focus plus accountability (written goals + sharing them lifts execution by over 70%)
6. Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy — the heart-and-soul read that unlocks the final 1–2% of talent and ability

And the closing line from the James Kavanagh poem Jerry read to wrap the episode: "Until I was in competition with no one, and life was clear again."

If you've ever wondered what the top 1% actually read — and in what order — this is the conversation.

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Join Jerry Corless and Chas Emerson on the Top 1 Podcast as they explore the five phases of an advisor's lifecycle. In this episode, "Navigating the Advisor Lifecycle," they discuss:

• Inception
• Sustainability
• Capacity
• Expansion,
• and owner-not-operator.

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