Mid-Year Review, Acknowledgements, and What's Next?
A statement of appreciation for you, as a subscriber and/or reader, and what's coming for Q3 and Q4 of 2024
Thank you!
On January 1, I took a bold leap to create a paid subscription option for this newsletter. To date, a number of you have supported me - so many in fact that it is difficult to express my gratitude to each of you individually for your support without significantly taking away from my day job(s).
So, that is what I want to do to start - thank you from the bottom of my heart for those of you who have subscribed and continue to read. I also want to thank those of you who have personally sent your own notes of appreciation and support. I apologize that I am not able to thank each of you personally, because as a one-person show I simply lack the time in the day to do so. Which brings me to my next call to action…
Guest Contributors
I was reluctant to put this out there, because I have made a similar call on LinkedIn each year for about 4 years running with little response or interest. But, just in case you are interested, I am renewing that call to contribute or collaborate. Why?
One of the goals of this newsletter is to provide you the types of education and content I wish I had when I was a law firm associate, which requires more than just one voice or figurehead.
A corollary to this goal is providing opportunities to those who have something - anything - to say about transfer tax and estate planning that is educational and not a sales pitch, especially because when I was a law firm associate it was intimidating trying to come up with original content that would be accepted by mainstream publications or continuing education providers.
You are part of a community, currently of over 1,100 subscribers and even more casual readers, and if you are interested (while somewhat idealistic) I hope to foster this as more of a community as readership grows.
Many publications avoid covering the same topic twice, which can be discouraging to you. I actually encourage unique voices on previously-covered topics, because tackling a topic from different angles (or even with different voices) can aid understanding. (That being said, I do reserve editorial approval on level of duplication).
I don’t want to leave you (as a reader base) hanging. Since I am a one-person show, sometimes I simply get too busy to maintain frequency and/or quality of content. Selfishly, you can help me out through your own contributions.
This call extends to any media - articles, videos, audio recordings, slides, prewritten content (to the extent you are authorized to share it), and even forms and clauses. If you want to share, I want to give you an extra channel to do so. And, if you are a student or job-seeker, I would like to use this platform to support you in your efforts as well. I am a big fan of the principles espoused by Charlie Hoehn in the Recession-Proof Graduate, and I wish to support those of you who are new to estate planning and want to check out and adopt those principles.
That being said, I do have a warning. I cannot come up with content ideas for you. I apologize if this sounds off-putting or invalidating, because I realize we all are busy, but if you send me something like “I am willing to write anything - just tell me what you want me to write about,” I cannot respond. That type of offer actually creates more work for me, and also tells me that your lack of familiarity will hamper not just the quality but the time needed to produce content. It works better if you have a current area of affinity, whether through research and/or experience, that you can further develop.
To entice you, I want to sweeten the pot a bit as to what is coming - both for readers and contributors…
Getting Paid
For now, this is still somewhat speculative because I have many moving parts to still address. But, my goal is to create a system where you can actually get paid for your contributions.
Why? Because I am tired of seeing continuing education providers who make money off “free” contributions from speakers and authors, under the guise of promoting you. That may have worked 30+ years ago when speaking opportunities were limited, but given the explosion of internet-based content, this value proposition (content in exchange for promotion) is no longer nearly as viable as it once was. And while I am not yet able to put my money where my mouth is - especially with respect to the written word - I am working on the ability to pay you for producing continuing education webinars.
That being said, I think it is helpful to temper your expectations. In my quest to become a thought leader, I have learned there is no overnight success. I have been featured on very prominent platforms, with little to show for individual appearances. Contributing once will not catapult you to instant fame and fortune, and it may take time to get readers familiar enough with you to make this a viable revenue stream. That being said, we can talk strategy if this is something that interests you.
And, of course, I continue to seek ways to give you continuing education credit for reading or listening to legacy content on here. CLE offerings are coming down the pike, at least for a handful of states, and I am working on CPE credit along with CE credit for financial advisors.
Future Topics, and Specific Acknowledgements
There are several active, ongoing series that I am continuing to work on - including C and S corporations for estate planners, the “ultimate” guide to Form 709, and everything you ever wanted to know about estate planning trusts. I also recently launched a new series on a “better” guide to funding the estate plan. As these series wrap up, my hope is to convert them into courses for CE credit as discussed above.
Coming up, Kristen Lewis has been kind enough to share guidance on special needs planning that I hope to break down for you, and I would like to thank Kristen for her contribution and support. Be on the lookout for articles on special needs planning and trusts, starting towards the end of this month or beginning of next month.
All that being said, this is not my only outlet. To thank, support, and promote those who are also giving me a platform and other opportunities, I want to call out some specific supporters in no particular order:
I would like to thank WealthCounsel for giving me an opportunity to speak in the Precursor tracks for the upcoming WealthCounsel Symposium. Details can be found here.
Also, I would like to thank Ross Riskin and the Investments & Wealth Institute (IWI). I will be presenting at the upcoming IWI Strategy Forum. Details can be found here. I would also encourage you to check out VisiWealth, through which Ross Riskin and a supporting cast continue to grow advice engagement visuals and resources in financial planning, tax, educational planning, and estate planning.
Some of the earliest “power” consumers of my content were Brandon Henry and Mosaic Advisors in Houston, TX. A significant chunk of my day is now dedicated to supporting Mosaic and their clients as a wealth strategist, and I want to acknowledge and thank everyone at Mosaic for their support.
My colleagues at Hutchins & Associates have always supported my efforts at education and content creation. Even though I have stepped away from the full-time practice of law, Steve and Carl Hutchins have continued to be in my corner throughout 7 years of my affiliation with the firm.
A number of thought leaders have supported and encouraged me along the way. I especially want to acknowledge and thank Frazer Rice, Paul Hood, Ed Morrow, and Brent Nelson, each of whom has been an advocate and supporter of my efforts.
Other wealth strategists, specifically George Pennock at Schwab and Jason Largey at Curi RMB Capital, have been supporters of both my content and my broader business ventures as an outsourced strategist.
Finally, I want to thank David Barnard and David St. Geme at Luminary. I have had the privilege of serving as a subject-matter advisor for Luminary, and I encourage you to check out their software. Luminary continues to be an innovator in the creation of visual review and summary tools, not just for advisors in general but specifically for those like me who wear the hats of wealth strategist and attorney.
Several of you have also supported me in various direct capacities along the way, and I hope you don’t take offense to the lack of a specific acknowledgement above. I have other personal opportunities in the works which are not yet finalized, but each of which can be traced to your support as a reader and subscriber. So, I want to acknowledge you as well. Thank you for reading, and please let me know how I can be a better resource for you. I may not be able to respond or provide direct acknowledgement, but please know that I do appreciate you.
Happy 4th of July, and cheers to a successful back half of 2024!
Sincerely, Griffin Bridgers