Mindset & Emotional Intelligence
Build self-awareness, resilience, and influence. Strengthen communication, manage priorities, and lead yourself before leading others.
Financial Advisor Academy
Where Advisors Become Leaders
Develop the Skills That Turn Knowledge Into Performance
A 12-month journey designed by top producers to help promising advisors build mindset, sales mastery, entrepreneurial thinking, and client experience excellence through instruction, coaching, peer learning, and real-world application.
Discuss an Advisor With D2 →12 months Continued developmentApplied learning Practice and feedbackOwner visibility Participation and progress
Now enrolling
First Session: January 26, 2027
Begin with an owner conversation and allow time for D2’s review and interview. Accepted advisors must complete enrollment by the deadline.
Enrollment deadlineJanuary 7, 2027
Program length12 months
Discuss an Advisor With D2 →Submitting the interest form does not enroll the advisor or commit the practice.The performance gap
Technical Knowledge Is Only Part of the Job
An advisor can understand the technical side of the business and still struggle to:
01Turn planning knowledge into confident sales conversations
02Build a consistent pipeline and earn referrals
03Lead people and manage priorities with confidence
04Think like an owner and take responsibility for growth
Franchise owners feel these gaps through more time spent managing, weaker sales discipline, and missed opportunities for growth.
FAA provides the structure, practice, feedback, and accountability advisors need to turn knowledge into performance.
The Academy
What Is the Financial Advisor Academy?
The D2 Financial Advisor Academy was built to develop the next generation of elite advisors through a structured 12-month journey designed by top producers, not corporate trainers. This is a blueprint for real-world performance combining mindset, sales mastery, and entrepreneurial thinking to help advisors rise from good to elite.
The Academy core
Four Pillars of Advisor Development
Sales Mastery
Ask better questions, listen actively, communicate value, and close with confidence. Develop prospecting, niche marketing, and referral habits that move opportunities forward.
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Understand the economics of advisory success. Connect time, activity, and business decisions to growth and profitability, and take greater ownership of the practice’s performance.
Client Experience Excellence
Deliver a client experience that builds trust, loyalty, and advocacy. Make the value of your advice clear and create moments that earn introductions and referrals.
What participants are saying
“The FAA has helped me take the next step as an advisor. Beyond just the technical skills, it has taught me a lot about the communication skills, leadership skills, and mindset that is necessary to reach my full potential as an advisor, business owner, and leader. I’ve taken what I’ve learned from those sessions and began implementing it immediately in my very next meetings. The information and training has been invaluable.”
Kyle GebleinFinancial Advisor Academy Participant
Learning, practice, and accountability
The Program Experience
FAA combines focused instruction with continued application and accountability.
12 Monthly Webinars
Each 60-minute cohort session focuses on one applied curriculum topic connected to advisor performance.
Six Small-Group Sessions
Facilitated 60-minute sessions help advisors apply the work and receive personalized feedback. Small groups and masterminds alternate monthly.
Six Mastermind Sessions
These 60-minute sessions support peer problem-solving, shared learning, and perspective from advisors facing similar opportunities.
EQ-i 2.0 + EQ 360 Development
Participants complete EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360 assessments and individual debriefs to understand strengths, patterns, and development priorities.
Live Workshop
A 1½-day, in-person workshop provides concentrated learning, discussion, practice, and connection.
Practice-Based Assignments
Field assignments connect each curriculum topic to the advisor’s practice through action commitments and real client and business situations.
Participant commitment
A Clear, Realistic Commitment to Development
Reserve time for learning, discussion, and implementation. Complete a brief business scorecard every two weeks so progress stays visible between sessions.
01Scheduled sessions
Two hours each month: one webinar and one small group or mastermind
02Active participation
Attend sessions, contribute to discussions, and apply feedback
03Assignments and implementation
Approximately 2–3 hours of independent work each month
04Business scorecards
A brief scorecard completed every two weeks
05Workshop attendance
Plan separately for the 1½-day, in-person workshop
06Typical monthly commitment
Approximately 4–5 hours, excluding the live workshop
Academy leadership
Meet the Team Leading FAA
Drew Watson
CEO of Align Wealth Management
Barron’s Top 1200 Advisor; number one in Kentucky two years in a row.
Read bio →
Travis Chaney
CEO of D2
Founding Partner of a CAC practice; multiple-time FC of the Year winner.
Read bio →
Mike Kendra
Coach and Consultant at D2
Owner/CEO, FP Solutions RI; former officer in the U.S. Army.
Read bio →
Mandy Abney
Certified EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360 Coach at D2
Helping advisors turn self-awareness into stronger communication and leadership.
Read bio →Candidate readiness
Who Is a Strong Fit?
FAA is not for everyone. It is designed for advisors who are coachable, hungry for growth, and ready to rise to a higher standard.
The strongest candidates are prepared to examine their habits, complete the work, apply feedback, and take greater ownership of their development.
→Are coachable and hungry for growth
→Have a strong technical foundation and need support applying it
→Demonstrate potential for greater responsibility and production
→Want to strengthen their communication and business-development skills
→Are willing to practice new approaches and implement what they learn
→Have the support of their franchise owner
A shared commitment
A Clear Partnership for Developing Promising Advisors
The franchise owner supports development within the practice. D2 delivers and manages FAA, with monthly reporting that helps the owner reinforce progress.
Discuss an Advisor With D2 →The Franchise Owner’s Role
- Recommend an advisor with the potential and readiness to grow
- Discuss the advisor’s goals and development needs with D2
- Support attendance, assignments, and implementation
- Reinforce the importance of the advisor’s continued development
D2’s Role
- Evaluate readiness and confirm program fit
- Deliver the curriculum, coaching, and facilitated learning
- Track attendance, assignments, participation, and scorecard completion
- Provide a monthly progress report covering attendance, assignments, scorecards, and participation
- Manage the day-to-day administration of the Academy
From conversation to program readiness
How the Process Works
Initial Conversation
D2 discusses the program, advisor fit, and expectations with the franchise owner. The franchise owner recommends an advisor for consideration.
Invitation to Apply
D2 sends the application link directly to the recommended advisor.
D2 Review and Interview
D2 reviews the application and meets with the advisor to evaluate fit.
Acceptance and Orientation
Accepted advisors complete enrollment and prepare for the 12-month experience.
Application does not guarantee acceptance.D2 confirms readiness, commitment, and cohort fit before enrollment.
The complete 12-month path
FAA Curriculum at a Glance
Each stage builds practical capabilities that show up in the advisor’s daily work, client relationships, business decisions, and leadership.
Months 1–3
Foundation
Orientation & Mindset
Establish goals, expectations, and personal responsibility. Translate purpose into focused weekly action.
Emotional Intelligence
Strengthen self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and influence. Use assessment insights to identify personal development priorities.
Questions & Active Listening
Ask purposeful questions, listen for what matters, and lead stronger client and prospect conversations.
Months 4–6
Sales Mastery
Creating Urgency & Closing
Help clients make clear, timely decisions and advance opportunities without creating pressure.
Niche Marketing & Prospecting
Define a market, focus outreach, and build a more intentional prospect pipeline.
Referrals & Advocacy
Earn introductions through trust and value and create a repeatable professional-advocacy approach.
Months 7–9
Client & Business
Value & Client Experience
Connect advice to the client’s priorities and deliver an experience clients recognize and value.
Planning & Communication
Communicate recommendations with clarity and make complex ideas easier to understand and act on.
Business Economics & Profitability
Understand the business impact of activity and connect time, pipeline, and service to results.
Months 10–12
Leadership
Team Contribution & Leadership
Work effectively across roles and responsibilities and contribute beyond individual production.
Consistency & Performance Ownership
Build disciplined habits, follow through, and sustain execution when priorities compete.
Integration & Future Development
Consolidate learning, identify next priorities, and carry a clear development plan forward.
Frequently asked questions
What to Know About FAA
Does FAA replace corporate or technical training?
No. FAA complements the technical training advisors already receive. The program concentrates on applying that knowledge through stronger communication, leadership, business development, decision-making, and execution.
How much time should an advisor reserve?
Plan for approximately 4–5 hours monthly, including 2–3 hours of independent assignments and implementation. The 1½-day live workshop is additional to the normal monthly commitment.
Can an advisor apply directly?
The process starts with the franchise owner. After an initial conversation, D2 sends the application link directly to the recommended advisor. D2 reviews fit before confirming acceptance.
Does the franchise owner manage the program?
No. D2 manages FAA day to day and provides monthly progress reporting. The franchise owner supports participation and reinforces development within the practice.
What is the investment for FAA?
Program investment and available options are reviewed with the franchise owner during the initial FAA conversation.
When does the next cohort begin?
The first session is January 26, 2027. Accepted advisors must complete enrollment by January 7, 2027. Begin the owner conversation and application process before the enrollment deadline.
Start the conversation
Talk With D2 About the Financial Advisor Academy
If you are considering FAA for an advisor in your practice, we would welcome the opportunity to learn more about the individual, your goals, and the areas in which further development would have the greatest value.
Complete the form, and D2 will contact you to schedule a conversation.
Submitting this form does not enroll an advisor or commit your practice to the program. It begins a conversation with D2 about program fit, timing, and next steps.