I once volunteered for an organization where I flat-out said the leadership\u2014excluding myself\u2014was stuck in 1986. I didn\u2019t say it to be funny. I said it because it was true.<\/p>\n
They were using the same dated tactics to bring in members and raise money that may have worked when Family Ties was a top-rated show, but not in today\u2019s world. They were clinging to old models like they were gospel, completely missing the reality that people, and how you reach them, have changed.<\/p>\n
And it wasn\u2019t just that organization. I worked at a law firm where the culture and marketing mindset felt fossilized. I tried using social media to talk about retirement plan issues, start conversations, build credibility, the kind of things that actually bring in clients. The managing attorney looked at me like I had three heads. Meanwhile, her husband, also an attorney, was out there doing the same thing and doing it well. But instead of learning from that, she treated it like something shameful. God forbid a lawyer actually markets their services in a way that connects with the present.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing: this business changes. Retirement plan rules evolve. Plan sponsors change how they hire providers. The way we communicate, the way we demonstrate value, the way we build trust\u2014it\u2019s all different than it was decades ago. And it keeps changing.<\/p>\n
You can\u2019t keep marketing like it\u2019s a fax machine world when everyone\u2019s glued to their phones. You can\u2019t wait around for referrals like you\u2019re reading from a Rolodex. If you want to grow, you need to evolve. Learn new platforms. Try new strategies. Stay relevant.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t about chasing every trend or jumping on every buzzword. It\u2019s about having the humility to recognize that you can\u2019t coast on what worked 30 years ago. Relevance is earned every day. And if you don\u2019t make the effort to stay current, someone else will, and they\u2019ll eat your lunch while you\u2019re still printing tri-fold brochures.<\/p>\n
Success today requires flexibility, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge your own assumptions. If you\u2019re in this business\u2014any business, and still think your \u201986 playbook is going to win today\u2019s game, I\u2019ve got news for you: the rules have changed.<\/p>\n
And yes, the best thing about 1986 was still the New York Mets. But unlike some people I\u2019ve worked with, at least the Mets have tried to evolve.<\/p>\n
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