Patrick O’Brien loves the idea of being recognized with Exit Planning Institute®’s (EPI) most recent Circle of Excellence honorees. After all, his start in exit planning intersected with theirs.
“I am humbled to be honored along with Pete, Rich, Chris, and Ken,” he shares. “Every story has a beginning, and Pete and Rich were the genesis for this story. We were having so much fun building the chapter, assisting the Sniders with the launch of EPI, and rolling out the first EPI national business owner survey—the time went by in the blink of an eye.”
For Patrick, it was the energy found in those early working partnerships that became the very cornerstone of what defines a Certified Exit Planning Advisor’s (CEPA®) success. He brings that same energy today to every interaction with his clients at PNC Bank as Wealth Director. He and his team work to ensure clients benefit from a full complement of investment, trust, financial planning and private banking services to help them achieve their financial goals.
“My purpose is to ensure that business owners and their families are positioned for success for the next chapter of their lives,” he says. “If I have five meetings in a day, I am having five totally different client conversations, which is intellectually stimulating. There is a lot of energy behind these interactions that ultimately, when executed properly, should lead a CEPA to an impactful outcome.”
Patrick views every interaction as an opportunity to learn for him, the client, and other advisors.
“When I’m conversing with each client’s advisory team, it provides us with a chance to learn from each other and guide the client toward an optimized outcome,” he explains. “The ability to speak purposefully with a client about their options, painting the landscape for them, and collaborate with their other advisors seamlessly leads to some fantastic outcomes.”
The fact that exit planning is not a solo effort is something that Patrick appreciates. The collaborative effort fuels him. Clients rely on the advisor’s collaboration and insights, expecting to work as a team to optimize their outcomes.
“The beauty of working with CEPAs is that you immediately know they understand this is a team outcome. The lone ranger mentality will not work,” he says. “Everyone may bring a specialty to the table. The ability to check your ego at the door, being respectful of other advisory team members, staying committed to respectful debate, and whiteboarding before you meet with the client are also important characteristics.”
Patrick has learned over the years that successful collaboration requires trust.
“To collaborate effectively and be in sync in front of a client, all parties must know each other and trust each other,” he says. “The team must be focused on the client’s success. Everyone wins when the client wins, but nobody gets anywhere when the team is not in sync.”
To do that well, he recommends taking the time to understand how other CEPA practitioners go to market, deliver results, and are motivated. These factors help you understand how they define success in their practice, and how you can be a good partner.
The focus on others is something he puts into practice and teaches his team as well.
“I try to practice and embody the characteristics of a servant leader, someone who listens and lifts those around them to achieve more than they thought was possible,” he shares. “I clearly outline expectations and roles, emphasizing accountability both individually and as a team and adapting to the individual needs of each team member while being open to learning from others.”
He knows that his success is predicated on the success of his team, so he’s focused on creating an environment that inspires outcomes, where team members support each other, and everyone is comfortable expressing and respectfully debating ideas to learn from one another.
While others would argue that Patrick’s list of accomplishments is long, it’s not where his focus is.
“I find that I gain the most personal satisfaction from being a part of something that creates an outcome that puts families on the right path and will be impactful for several generations to come,” he says. “The look on a client’s face when the team paints that picture for them is a look of gratitude and incredibly rewarding.”