DAC 2022 Distinguished New Advisor of The Future Award Winner: Doug Buss

The 2022 Distinguished New Advisor of the Future Award Winner is a 35-year veteran of the financial services industry who has re-engineered his practice to epitomize what it takes to pivot and become the advisor of the future.  Doug Buss, of Winnipeg, has 6 staff members at YourStyle Financial and plans to double his assets under management over the next 5 years. 

How will he do it?  According to Doug, there is one key ingredient to his success.

“I want to help people achieve their dreams,” Doug says with complete conviction.  Is there a formula for granting such a tall order? 

“Yes, I use a holistic planning process called Real Wealth Management to determine what is truly important to my clients, how to best provide solutions to both the family and the multi-advisory team of specialists we work with and, personally I live a very disciplined lifestyle to bring balance to all.”

Doug has also received outstanding results by committing to continuing education throughout his career. He holds the CLU, CPCA, CFP, CEA, and RWM™ designations.  His efforts have certainly paid off in his level of referability.  “We are proud that we are now serving 4 generations of families.”  

In fact, Doug’s average number of referrals is 4 per client; an impressive statistic.   His “out-of-the-box” thinking on why this is so.  “I listen to what the client wants and needs, and then make it happen.  The key is that we consistently follow a process to make sure that nothing is missed - whether it’s about a Thousand dollars or a Million dollars – the process is always the same.”

Doug has also shown an affinity for leadership, having become the President of his Business Networking group, BNI – a global organization of over 10,000 chapters. 

When asked how he has maximized his potential over the last several difficult years, again a simple process has worked well:  “I have requested introductions to my clients’ accountants and lawyers to discuss planning opportunities. When we meet, we share ideas to come up with the combined solutions required.  I find I then get referrals to their clients, too.”  

But the key leadership trait that truly makes Doug an Advisor of the Future is his commitment to showing others how to succeed:  “I want to help advisors learn the multi-disciplinary approach to managing clients’ wealth – Real Wealth Management – which I learned through my designation at the Knowledge Bureau.  This has been powerful because it is a way to give truly independent advice, and build a team to continue to serve future generations when the wealth transfers.  That will ensure sustainability of our service to the family for their future generations.  And that makes me feel great!”  

Evelyn Jacks, President of Knowledge Bureau and Founder of the Distinguished Advisor Conference notes, “What is really special about Doug is his aura of serenity, something that would put his clients immediately at ease.  He is also disciplined in so many aspects of his life, and that makes him inspirational: he achieves balance by being dedicated to all the important spheres - family, health, finance, education, fitness, music, his business, his employees and his spirituality.”  

The Distinguished Advisor Conference is now in its 19^th year and this year’s theme was Velocity:  How to Gain Momentum in the New Economy.  It featured 24 thought leaders in an incredibly rich agenda and a brand new DAC Virtual Campus that allowed for online networking while onsite.  Those who would still like to benefit from the thought leadership and earn CE Credits can take the online version of the conference. Contact Knowledge Bureau at     1-866-953-4769.

The DAC Distinguished New Advisor of the Future Award recognizes the next generation of new advisors and their contributions to excellence in their industry sectors.  Winners of the award receive a scholarship to the DAC, national coverage of their achievements and an opportunity to network with some of their most influential peers in financial services today. Previous winners include: Brandon Silbermann, Keeley Simpson, Lindsay Sawyer-Fay and Darren Ryan, Jon Earle, Joseph Alfie,  Kristin Ramlal, Steven Furtado, Frank Ryan and Lewis Kent.

ABOUT THE DAC DISTINGUISHED NEW ADVISOR OF THE FUTURE AWARD: Advisors who have been in the industry for AT LEAST 5 YEARS may apply, by completing the online application.  The deadline is September 1, 2023. New advisors will demonstrate outstanding achievements in the following areas:

1. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: outstanding service satisfaction in managing family wealth
2. REFERRABILITY: demonstrated excellence in exceeding expectations in providing services
3. INDUSTRY COLLABORATION: a commitment to an inter-advisory approach to services
4. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: breadth of professional development activities
5. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP: participation in leadership at work and/or in the community
6. BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: demonstrated skills in working with a team to grow the practice
7. INNOVATION: “out of the box” thinking in practice management and client base development
8. BUSINESS GROWTH AND RETENTION: demonstrated business growth and retention rates

The award is open to professional advisors in the accounting, bookkeeping, legal, financial, tax and wealthy advisory services, regardless of age. For more information about the speakers on the program, their topics and the venue, please call 1-866-953-4769 or visit the DAC website.

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