Episode 142

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Published on:

4th Sep 2025

Elite Insights - The Question High Achievers Rarely Ask: Do I Actually Want the Next Level?

Growth requires pain, and it's okay not to always want it. Ashley Connell reminds us that choosing not to pursue the next level right now can be a responsible decision rather than a failure.

In this episode you will learn:

• The unspoken expectation for high performers to constantly push for more - more clients, more revenue, more scale

• Progress becomes part of our identity as high achievers - we don't just set goals, we beat them year after year

• The tension between ambition and contentment that high achievers face

• The dark side of achievement is never feeling satisfied and missing the joy of what we've already built

• Growth has costs - rebuilding systems, restructuring teams, shifting leader identity, and short-term discomfort

• The importance of getting clear on why goals matter in your current season

• Setting meaningful goals that match your current business reality, not outdated expectations

Check out more about the Strategic Reset Sprint below to reflect, realign and walk away with a focused 90-day plan that matches where you are now, not where you think you're supposed to be.

The Strategic Reset Sprint

If you are ready for clarity and focus heading into the final stretch of the year, the Strategic Reset Sprint was built for you. It is a focused 6-week coaching experience designed to help ambitious leaders and business owners reflect, realign, and

reset.

Through this process, you will move away from scattered activity and constant

reactivity, and instead drive execution with clarity, structure, and a

focused plan you can follow.

What you receive:

  • Three private coaching sessions
  • Email support and reflection tools
  • A one-page execution plan you can actually stick to

The Sprint is for you if:

  • You have drifted from your priorities
  • You have big ambitions but you are not making the progress you expected
  • You are feeling a bit off track after the summer and find yourself reacting more than leading

September is one of the most pivotal months of the year. The choices you make now will determine whether you finish the year scrambling to catch up or executing with clarity and focus. A reset this month gives you the structure and momentum you need to close strong.

The Strategic Reset Sprint is designed to help you do exactly that.

Email me at meet@kristinburke.com to learn more.

Connect with Kristin

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Goal Setting Success Course

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About the Podcast

Elite Achievement
A leadership and execution podcast for financial advisors and firm leaders
Elite Achievement with Kristin Burke

You’re a financial advisor. Your calendar is booked with back-to-back client meetings. You have a vision to grow your firm. You’re not sure if you have the right team in place. You’re holding on to work you know you should be delegating. You want to spend more time doing complex planning and working with your best clients, but you’re still trying to deliver for every client in your book.

At the end of the day, you’re still the one driving the revenue.

Or…

You’re leading a team of financial advisors or a firm. You’re responsible for growth, but don’t produce the results yourself. They come through the people you recruit, develop, and retain. And many of them aren’t traditional employees, which means you’re leading as much through influence as you are through expectations and accountability.

Your calendar is full, but your time doesn’t always feel well spent. You start the day with a plan, and it quickly shifts as people come to you with questions, challenges, and decisions that need your input.

You’re constantly balancing competing priorities. Attracting and bringing in new talent. Launching and developing new financial advisors. Supporting career advisors as they continue to grow. Having difficult conversations when someone isn’t performing. Protecting the culture and keeping everyone aligned to the vision.

At the end of the day, you’re still accountable for the results.

Different roles. Same challenges.

How do you create clarity around your vision and get others aligned to it?

How do you focus on the right priorities when everything feels important?

How do you develop people and hold a high standard of performance?

How do you lead effectively while still driving results?

This is the work of Elite Achievement.

A leadership and execution podcast for financial advisors and firm leaders who are building and scaling a firm and being challenged to lead at a higher level as success becomes less about your individual effort and more about how you lead.

Kristin Burke brings over 20 years of industry experience and works closely with financial advisors and firm leaders as they build firms, develop people, and navigate the challenges that come with growth.

Elite Achievement is about setting a bold vision, executing consistently, and becoming the kind of leader capable of building a legacy.