Starting Strong: Your January Video Sprint Plan

Dec 21

The Advisor Growth Lab Report — Where Data Meets Personality (And They Actually Get Along)

Author: Andrew Murdoch | YT Era
Reading Time: 14 minutes (or however long your New Year's resolution lasts)

Executive Summary

Here's an uncomfortable question to kick off your 2026: How many YouTube videos did you publish in 2025?

If your answer is "zero" or "a few," congratulations—you've just described why 49% of advisors don't share educational content due to execution uncertainty (Broadridge, 2024). That's not a YouTube quick start for financial advisors. That's a YouTube never-start.

Meanwhile, Josh Scandlen of Heritage Wealth Planning committed to publishing one video per day for 90 days straight in 2018. He experienced zero engagement for the first month. His first comment came on a video about divorcee Social Security planning—weeks into the experiment. Today? He has 87,400 subscribers generating 60-80 new clients annually with acquisition costs 40-50% below the $3,119 industry average (Sara Grillo, 2020; Kitces Research, 2019).

The difference between advisors who build YouTube channels and advisors who talk about building YouTube channels isn't talent, budget, or time. It's the willingness to sprint when everyone else is stretching.

This report gives you the exact video marketing implementation framework to launch your 2026 with momentum—not another dusty resolution.

The Week Hollywood Admitted Defeat

Here's something that happened while you were debating whether YouTube is "professional enough" for financial advisors: The Academy Awards announced they're leaving ABC—their home for nearly 50 years—for YouTube.

Starting in 2029, the Oscars will stream exclusively on YouTube. The Academy outbid Disney, NBCUniversal, and Netflix to make this happen (Variety, December 2025).

The math that killed broadcast television: Oscar viewership peaked at 57.25 million in 1998. By 2025, it's under 20 million—a 66% decline (Nielsen, 2025). Meanwhile, YouTube offers access to 2.53 billion monthly users globally.

YouTube now commands 13.4% of all television viewing in America—more than Disney, Netflix, Paramount, or NBCUniversal (Nielsen, July 2025). Adults 65+ are the fastest-growing demographic, with viewing nearly doubling since 2023.

If you've ever hesitated because YouTube seemed "not where serious people are," consider this: Hollywood's most prestigious institution—founded in 1927, celebrating its 100th anniversary—chose YouTube to carry them into their next century.

The debate is over. Your clients are already there. The only question is whether you'll meet them.

The 90-Day Experiment That Created a Client Acquisition Machine

Why "Someday" Is the Most Expensive Word in Your Vocabulary

Let me tell you about the most important financial decision Josh Scandlen ever made—and it had nothing to do with asset allocation.

In March 2018, Scandlen left his job at USAA after 10 years. He took a $100,000 distribution from his IRA, paid the 10% early withdrawal penalty, and bet everything on a YouTube channel nobody had heard of (Heritage Wealth Planning case study, 2020). His commitment? One video every single day for 90 days. No exceptions. No "I'll make it up tomorrow."

The first month was brutal. Zero comments. Zero engagement. Zero indication that anyone on the planet cared about his retirement planning videos. Most advisors would have quit. Most advisors do quit—that's why only 3% successfully acquire clients through YouTube (Broadridge, 2021).

But Scandlen didn't quit. And somewhere around week six, something shifted. A video about Social Security planning for divorcees got a comment. Then another. Then the algorithm started noticing.

Fast forward to today: Heritage Wealth Planning has published 6,765 videos, accumulated 36.8 million total views, and generates 60-80 new clients annually through YouTube alone (SPEAKRJ Stats, 2024). His client acquisition cost? Between $1,940 and $2,580—compared to the industry average of $3,119 (Kitces Research, 2019). That's a 40-50% reduction in what it costs to acquire each client.

Here's what Scandlen said about his approach: It was "this or bust" (Sara Grillo interview, 2020).

That's not a marketing strategy. That's a burning-the-boats commitment. And it's exactly why his YouTube growth for financial advisors worked while everyone else's "we should probably do video" plans collected dust.

The Math Behind the Sprint Mentality

Let me show you why sprinting beats strolling when it comes to YouTube.

According to YouTube Creator Insider (2024), channels publishing weekly see 4x more suggested video appearances than sporadic publishers. The algorithm rewards consistency because consistency signals reliability. YouTube wants to recommend channels that will keep viewers on the platform—and channels that disappear for three weeks at a time don't inspire confidence.

But here's where it gets interesting for advisors specifically.

Dave Zoller of Streamline Financial started his YouTube channel in May 2020. After seven months of consistent weekly publishing, he had exactly 70 subscribers (Zoller interview, October 2024). Seventy. Not seven thousand. Seventy.

Then one video about Social Security optimization generated 20 appointment requests over a single weekend. As Zoller explained to Steve Sanduski: "That's when I knew we had something. One video accomplished what traditionally took months of seminars and cold calling."

After 10 months of focused effort, YouTube's algorithm began serving his content to exactly the right audience—70% of his viewers were over age 55, precisely matching his target demographic of pre-retirees with substantial assets (Zoller interview, 2024). Today, Streamline Financial has 72,000 subscribers and generated $60 million in new assets in 2022 alone.

The pattern is clear: Sprint through the desert, and you eventually find water. Walk aimlessly, and you die of thirst. (Dramatic? Yes. Accurate? Also yes.)

If you're serious about building YouTube as a growth engine for your practice, we help growth-focused advisors implement these frameworks with expert guidance. [Apply to work with us here.]

Your 5-Day Video Sprint Blueprint (No Fancy Equipment Required)

Day 1-2: The Foundation Videos Nobody Wants to Make

Here's where most advisors sabotage themselves before they start: They try to create the "perfect" first video.

Stop it.

Dave Zoller admitted in his interview with Bradley Johnson that he "was terrible at video" when he started. His early production? An iPhone. His approach? "Document, don't create"—recording himself talking about the same retirement topics he was already writing about (Zoller interview, 2024).

Your first two videos should answer the questions you get asked most frequently by prospects. Not the questions you wish they'd ask. Not the sophisticated topics that demonstrate your brilliance. The actual questions that come up in every initial consultation.

For most advisors serving pre-retirees:

Video 1: "When Should I Take Social Security?" This is the single most important retirement decision for millions of Americans and drives massive search volume. Carroll Advisory Group built 450,000 subscribers and $227.6 million in AUM largely through Social Security content (Carroll case study, 2025).

Video 2: "How Much Do I Need to Retire?" The evergreen anxiety question. Every prospect has wondered this at 2 AM. Be the advisor who answers it clearly.

These aren't creative masterpieces. They're trust-building exercises. Heritage Wealth Planning's breakthrough video on "Taxes and Retirement Planning" achieved over 200,000 views not because of production quality but because it addressed a real concern with genuine expertise (Heritage case study, 2025).

Day 3-4: The Timely Authority Videos

Now you demonstrate that you're paying attention to what's happening right now.

Multiple critical deadlines converged on December 31: RMDs with a 25% penalty for missed distributions (IRS, 2025), Roth conversions that cannot be backdated, and a new 0.5% AGI floor on charitable deductions starting 2026.

Video 3: "5 Year-End Tax Moves You Probably Missed (And What to Do Now)" Even if the deadline passed, this content establishes you as someone who tracks these details.

Video 4: "Medicare Premiums Hit $200/Month for the First Time—Here's What High Earners Need to Know" CMS announced 2026 Medicare Part B premiums will rise to $202.90/month (CMS, November 2025). For high earners, IRMAA surcharges push premiums to $689.90/month—3.4x the standard premium. This is content your competitors aren't creating.

These videos position you as a current, connected advisor—not someone recycling the same generic content everyone else produces. According to Wyzowl's 2025 research, 82% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a video. Timely expertise accelerates that trust-building dramatically.

Day 5: The Personal Philosophy Video

This is the one that separates you from every other advisor with a webcam.

Why do you do this work? What's the mistake you see clients make repeatedly? What do you believe about money that most people get wrong?

Root Financial's James Conole built his entire YouTube strategy around a clear philosophy: helping people retire with confidence through comprehensive planning. His weekly videos since late 2021 have generated $120 million in new AUM annually with net-negative marketing costs—YouTube pays them $120,000 in ad revenue while production costs only $20,000 (Kitces Podcast #445, October 2024).

Your philosophy video doesn't need to change the world. It needs to let the right prospects self-select. The ones who resonate with your approach will reach out. The ones who don't weren't going to be good clients anyway.

The Accountability System That Separates Builders from Browsers

Why Most Advisors Fail (It's Not What You Think)

Here's the cautionary tale nobody wants to hear.

Jeff Rose built 384,000 YouTube subscribers over 13 years. He was one of the earliest financial advisors to embrace video, launching his channel in January 2011. By any measure, this was a YouTube success story.

Then life happened.

By July 3, 2024, Rose publicly admitted defeat on Twitter/X, revealing that his last two videos "didn't even crack 1,000 views" despite the massive subscriber base. His confession? He "wasn't able to commit to publishing" consistently after his blog and other business interests took priority (Rose Twitter/X, July 2024).

Thirteen years of work. 384,000 subscribers. Reduced to triple-digit views because consistency died.

The YouTube algorithms don’t care about your past accomplishments. YouTube cares about your current behavior. Rose's engagement rate dropped to 3.2%—far below the 8-12% standard for successful finance channels (VidIQ, 2024). The death spiral is predictable: inconsistent posting leads to reduced reach, which leads to lower views, which leads to less motivation to post, which leads to more inconsistent posting.

This is why your January sprint needs an accountability system built in from Day 1.

The Three-Layer Accountability Framework

Layer 1: The Calendar Block

Advisors spend an average of only 2.1 hours per week on all marketing activities (Broadridge, 2024). That's not enough for YouTube production. You need dedicated, non-negotiable time blocks.

James Conole of Root Financial records podcasts on Tuesdays and releases YouTube videos on Saturdays. Every week. No exceptions. This rhythm trained both his team and the algorithm to expect content at predictable intervals.

Block 90 minutes twice per week for your first month. One block for recording, one for review and upload. Put it in your calendar like a client meeting.

Layer 2: The Publishing Commitment

Announce your publishing schedule publicly. Tell existing clients you're launching a YouTube channel with new videos every Wednesday. Post about it on LinkedIn—not for views, but for accountability.

Once you've made a public commitment, skipping a week feels like breaking a promise rather than "missing a deadline."

Layer 3: The 90-Day Checkpoint

Eric Sajdak and Anthony Hellenbrand of Safeguard Wealth Management started their YouTube channel when COVID hit in 2020. They published 2-4 videos per month consistently (WealthManagement.com, April 2025). No viral moments. Just steady content production.

Within five years: $597 million in AUM with an 86% compound annual growth rate. In April 2025, Merit Financial Advisors acquired them specifically for their YouTube capabilities, with Merit's leadership stating they had "nothing like" Safeguard's content engine (PR Newswire, April 2025).

Your 90-day checkpoint isn't about subscriber counts. It's about proving you can maintain consistency long enough for compound effects to begin. As I detailed in my report on annual planning frameworks for YouTube marketing, the first quarter is about establishing rhythm, not chasing metrics.

Quick Wins That Build Momentum

The psychology of sprints works because small wins compound into confidence. Here are momentum-builders for your first month:

Repurpose Immediately: Every video becomes a podcast episode (audio only), a blog post (transcript with light editing), three LinkedIn posts (key points), and an email to your list. One piece of content, five distribution channels. This is the content multiplication strategy that separates efficient advisors from overwhelmed ones.

Celebrate the First Comment: Scandlen got his first comment on a video about divorcee Social Security planning after weeks of silence. That single comment proved someone was watching. Your first comment matters more than your first thousand views.

Track the Right Metrics: In month one, track consistency (did you publish on schedule?) and completion rate (did you finish videos you started?). Don't obsess over views yet. According to Wyzowl (2025), 93% of marketers report positive ROI from video—the highest in the survey's 11-year history. The ROI will come if you stay consistent.

Build Your "Swipe File": Every week, save 2-3 questions from client meetings that would make good video topics. By month three, you'll have more content ideas than time to produce them.

The advisors who treat YouTube as a transferable business asset rather than a marketing experiment are building practices worth acquiring. Merit didn't pay for Safeguard's subscriber count—they paid for documented, repeatable systems.

Your January sprint isn't just about creating videos. It's about proving you can build something that compounds.

The Part Where We Ask You to Do Something

You've read about Josh Scandlen's 90-day sprint. You've seen Dave Zoller's breakthrough after 10 months of consistency. You've learned about Jeff Rose's cautionary tale of what happens when consistency dies.

Now what?

Here's the honest truth: 73% of the advisors reading this will do nothing (Source: my imagination, but it feels accurate). They'll bookmark this report, think "that's interesting," and go back to whatever they were doing before.

The other 27% will block time on their calendars right now. They'll record their first video with whatever equipment they have. They'll publish something imperfect and learn from it.

Which group are you in?

If you want expert guidance implementing this framework—including compliance review, production systems, and accountability structures—apply to work with YT Era here. We help growth-focused advisors build YouTube channels that generate measurable business results.

But honestly? You don't need us to start. You need 90 minutes, a smartphone, and the willingness to be bad at something new for a while.

Josh Scandlen took a $100,000 penalty to bet on himself. What's your excuse?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many videos do I need before seeing results?

Dave Zoller published for 10 months before YouTube's algorithm favored his content. Josh Scandlen published daily for 90 days with zero engagement the first month. The common thread isn't a magic number—it's consistency maintained long enough for compound effects to begin. Plan for 6-12 months before expecting meaningful business results. (Not the answer you wanted, I know. Rome wasn’t built in a day.)

Q: What equipment do I actually need?

Less than you think. Zoller started with an iPhone. Scandlen's approximately $5,000 in equipment generated 60-80 new clients annually (Sara Grillo, 2020). Your smartphone, decent lighting (a window works), and a quiet room beats a $10,000 camera setup you're too intimidated to use.

Q: How do I handle compliance concerns?

Recognize that 34% of advisors cite compliance issues as a barrier (Broadridge, 2024)—meaning 66% figure it out. Position content as educational rather than advisory. Use third-party archiving services, include appropriate disclaimers, and focus on general education rather than specific recommendations. Consult your compliance department before publishing.

Q: What if my first videos are terrible?

They will be. Zoller admitted he "was terrible at video" when he started. The difference between him and advisors who never start? He published anyway. Your 50th video will be dramatically better than your first—but you can't get there without videos 1 through 49. Perfectionism is just procrastination in a nicer outfit.

Q: Should I focus on YouTube or LinkedIn?

YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine where 90% of households earning $100,000+ spend time (Pew Research Center, 2024). LinkedIn videos have limited searchability and no compound discovery effect. YouTube videos from 2018 still generate leads today—LinkedIn posts from 2018 are buried forever. What do you think?

Q: What topics should I cover first?

Start with questions you answer most in prospect meetings. For pre-retiree advisors: Social Security timing, retirement income, Medicare/IRMAA strategies, Roth conversions. Carroll Advisory Group built 450,000 subscribers focusing almost exclusively on Social Security. Niche expertise beats generic coverage.

Additional Resources (Because Knowledge Without Action Is Just Trivia)

Knowledge is power, but implementation is profit. Here are YT Era resources to accelerate your success (yes, we're shamelessly plugging our stuff… at least this stuff is FREE and we're honest about it):

Disclaimer

This report is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or marketing advice. Results vary significantly based on implementation, market conditions, and individual circumstances. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Any earnings or income statements are estimates based on documented case studies. Your results may differ substantially. Success requires consistent effort, strategic implementation, and ongoing optimization.

Before implementing any marketing strategies discussed in this report, consult with your compliance department or legal counsel to ensure alignment with your firm's policies and regulatory requirements.

Sources (For The Skeptics)

Because apparently "trust me bro" isn't a valid citation anymore:

Primary Research Reports:

Broadridge Financial Solutions. (2021, October). Third annual financial advisor marketing survey.
Broadridge Financial Solutions. (2024, February). Fifth annual financial advisor marketing survey.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025, November). 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles.
Nielsen. (2025, August 26). YouTube, Netflix ride the wave of summer streaming highs in Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge.
Pew Research Center. (2024). Social media use by income demographics.
Wyzowl. (2025). State of video marketing report 2025.
YouTube Creator Insider. (2024). Algorithm and publishing frequency analysis.

Case Study Sources:

Grillo, S. (2020). Heritage Wealth Planning YouTube marketing case study. Sara Grillo CFA Blog.
Kitces, M. (Host). (2024, October 2). Leveraging educational YouTube videos to drive hundreds of new clients per year with James Conole (No. 445) [Audio podcast episode]. In Financial Advisor Success Podcast.
PR Newswire. (2025, April 25). Merit Financial Advisors acquires Safeguard Wealth Management.
Rose, J. [@jjeffrose]. (2024, July 3). Thread on YouTube channel discontinuation [Tweet]. Twitter/X.
Sanduski, S. (Host). (2024, October). Dave Zoller interview on YouTube strategy [Audio podcast episode]. In Between Now and Success Podcast.
SPEAKRJ Stats. (2024). Heritage Wealth Planning YouTube channel analytics.
VidIQ. (2024). Jeff Rose/Wealth Hacker channel analytics.
WealthManagement.com. (2025, April). Merit acquires RIA with popular financial YouTube channel.

Industry Data:

DeVoe & Company. (2025, Q3). RIA deal book: Q3 2025 report.
IRS. (2025). Required minimum distribution rules and penalties.
Kitces Research. (2019, August). Client acquisition costs for financial advisor marketing strategies.

News Coverage:

Rubin, R. (2025, December 17). The Oscars moving to YouTube beginning in 2029, will stream free worldwide. Variety.

Mary Shimazu