David Thoms

Co-Founder | Summit Life Group | Helping Financial Advisors Build Thriving Retirement Practices | Author

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

In financial services, choosing the right IMO can be the difference between success and failure.

Commit to Consistent.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Everybody needs a few friends who aren't impressed with you. You can have a great month, win an award, think you're a pretty big deal...And they'll remind you of something stupid you did in 2009, or better yet, send you a picture of something stupid you did....Those are the people you need.

Friends who celebrate your wins, call you out on your BS, and won't let you start believing your own hype.

Stay around people who keep you accountable AND humble.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Anybody can be positive when they're winning.
The real test is when deals fall apart, nobody calls you back, and you start looking at landscaping businesses for sale.

Bad days happen. Bad weeks happen. Just don't let a bad week turn into a bad year.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I think we underestimate how far just having a good attitude will take you.
Nobody wants to work with the guy who's pissed off about everything.

Bad leads
Bad clients
Bad market
Bad weather
Coffee wasn't hot enough

At some point maybe it's not everything else, its you.  Business is hard enough already, so
be positive. Bring some energy. Be somebody people actually want to be around.
You don't have to walk around yelling "LET'S GOOOO" at 7am either. 
Just don't be miserable. Attitude matters. Probably more than we think.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I've realized there are a lot of things in business I can't control.

The economy.
Interest rates.
What my competition is doing.
Whether Zoom decides today is the day it needs an update 30 seconds before my meeting.

But I can control whether I show up. I can control my attitude. I can control how hard I work. I can control whether I follow through.

We spend way too much energy worrying about stuff we can't do anything about.

Control your controllables......And maybe update Zoom the night before.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I think one of the most underrated skills in business is just being easy to work with. Answer your phone. Do what you said you were gonna do. Show up on time.

Don't turn a 5 minute problem into a 3 day group text... Apparently, this is a competitive advantage now. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room.

You don't need 17 different systems and a morning routine that starts at 3:47am.
Just be dependable. Be someone people actually enjoy working with.

And for the love of God... if you say "I'll call you tomorrow"......Call them tomorrow. 

The bar really isn't that high.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Dennis Rodman was about 30 years ahead of his time.

Colored hair. Tattoos. Dresses. Reality TV. Dating celebrities. Random trips to North Korea.

In 1996 he was considered insane.

2026: “This guy understands personal branding.”

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

AI is a great tool. But if every LinkedIn post you write has a hook, 7 life lessons, perfect grammar and ends with “Here’s the truth…”

Here’s the truth…….We know.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I've learned that most people don't have a time management problem.....We have a distraction problem. I'll sit down to knock out something important...
Check one email.
Answer one text.
Look at my phone for "two minutes."
Next thing I know I'm watching a video of a guy pressure washing a driveway in Ohio.....45 minutes gone.
Meanwhile the thing I actually needed to do is still sitting there. 

Put the phone down. Do the important stuff first. Then you can watch the driveway get cleaned.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Victim mentality is undefeated......because somehow, even when it loses, it’s somebody else’s fault.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

One of the best skills you can learn in sales is not taking everything so personal.

They didn't answer your call, they're probably busy.
They didn't respond to your text......still probably busy.

They canceled the appointment.....ok that one pissed me off. 
But seriously, we waste a lot of energy creating stories in our head about why somebody didn't respond. Just follow up, be normal. Don't send them 9 texts asking if they're still interested. 

Stay in touch. Add value. Be there when they're ready.
A lot of sales are lost simply because we gave up before the other person was ready to buy.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I think we spend way too much time worrying about what everybody else is doing.

That guy is selling more.
That company is growing faster.
That person has 47,000 followers and apparently wakes up at 4am everyday.....WHO CARES.

Half the stuff you see online isn't even real anyway, so run your OWN race.
Get a little better, make a few more calls, take care of your people, then wake up tomorrow and do it again.

Comparison will wear you out and it's the thief of joy......especially on social media where apparently everyone is a millionaire by 26. 

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Social media has convinced us that being busy and being productive are the same thing.

You answered 3 DMs.
Liked 14 posts.
Watched 9 reels.
Argued with a stranger.
Checked your notifications 37 times,congrats.....You accomplished absolutely nothing today.

Get to work.

Commit to Consistent.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Financial services is the only industry where someone will trust a random guy on TikTok with their retirement...

then ask a licensed advisor 47 questions about a 1% fee.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

The WNBA figured out something most businesses never do....
It doesn’t matter why people are talking about you.

Just make sure they’re talking about you.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I used to think the best sales people had some secret closing technique...They don't.

They just actually follow up. that's pretty much it.
Someone says "call me next month" and they actually call them next month....Crazy concept.
Meanwhile the rest of us call twice, don't hear back and decide the person must have moved to another country. 

People get busy.
They forget.
Life happens.

Follow up with people. not only are fortunes made in the follow up, relationships are built there. You're sitting on more business than you think.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

Common sense is getting so rare we might need to start listing it as a special skill on LinkedIn.

[David Thoms @DavidThoms]

I think sometimes we make this business way harder than it needs to be. We are always looking for the next great idea, new marketing system, new CRM, new lead source, whatever it is.

Meanwhile, we probably have 10 people sitting in our phone that we just need to follow up with.
I'm as guilty of it as anybody. Most of the time the answer is pretty simple.
Make the calls.
Follow up.
Talk to people.
Get better.

Do it again tomorrow, not very sexy.....Probably won't sell a course, but it works.

COMMIT TO CONSISTENT.