What your pilot knows about communication
A simple analogy for what good advisors actually do
I was on a webinar last week when the presenter said something I haven’t stopped thinking about.
He was talking about pilots.
Specifically, the difference between a pilot who goes silent from takeoff to landing… and one who talks to you.
The communicative pilot welcomes you aboard.
Tells you the route.
Gives you a heads-up when turbulence is ahead.
Explains why the seat belt sign just came on.
You might not love flying, but you feel taken care of. You feel informed. You feel calm.
The silent pilot leaves you to imagine everything.
I’ve thought about this kind of thing for over 30 years as a financial advisor.
And I think it’s the clearest explanation I’ve seen of what good communication actually looks like — and what it isn’t.
Here’s the idea: communication isn’t about volume. It’s about intention.
The goal is to make sure you’re never left guessing.
I send a weekly email to about 900 readers — clients and others — because I’d rather you hear how I’m thinking about things directly from me than piece it together from headlines.
I’ve been writing on Substack for a while now, and there are 450-plus posts in the archive.
Not because I had 450 things to sell you.
Because I think staying in regular contact with the people I serve matters.
Beyond the newsletter, I’m in touch with every client directly — by email, phone, text, or Zoom.
At a minimum, I reach out to every client twice a year to invite a meeting to discuss things.
I’ve been doing this long enough to know that consistent contact is one of the most underrated parts of this work.
But here’s where it gets a little complicated.
When markets get choppy — when there’s a scary headline or a geopolitical event that everyone seems to be talking about — I often don’t send a special “here’s what’s happening” email.
That might seem strange.
Shouldn’t a communicative advisor be on the phone when things get volatile?
My honest answer: not always.
Here’s how I think about it.
If you’re living your life — having dinner with your family, going for a walk, doing whatever you do on a Tuesday — and you haven’t even seen that news story, why would I want to be the one to put it on your radar?
Many news cycles last 24-48 hours. What feels alarming on Monday is often forgotten by Thursday.
My hope is that through consistent, ongoing communication I can help you build enough confidence in your long-term plan that a short-term scare doesn’t send you into a tailspin.
If I’m doing my job right, you already know how I think about these things.
You don’t need a special bulletin every time the market sneezes.
That said, I don’t want to be the ostrich with my head in the sand either.
If something is truly significant — if there’s a real change in your situation, or something in the broader environment that genuinely warrants a conversation — I’ll reach out.
Back to the pilot.
A good pilot doesn’t come on the intercom every five minutes to say, “Still flying. Still fine.”
That would drive you crazy.
But they do tell you the plan upfront.
They give you context.
And when something matters, they let you know.
That’s what I’m trying to do.
What to do next:
If you’re a client and have a question, a concern, or just something you want to think through, reply to any of my weekly emails or call, email, or text me anytime. I’m always happy to hear from you.
If you work with a different advisor, take a moment to think about how they communicate with you. How often do they reach out? What do they focus on — what’s in your control, or what isn’t? Do you feel informed, or are you mostly left to sort things out on your own?
Think about how you consume financial news in general. Is it helping you make better decisions? Or is it mostly adding noise?
Bottom line: the best advisors — like the best pilots — don’t leave you to imagine the worst.
They tell you the plan, stay in touch, and use good judgment about when to speak up and when to let the flight speak for itself.
If you ever wonder where I stand, just ask.
Links and things
A big part of good communication is planning ahead and being prepared for things on the horizon. Or at least the ones we can see coming.
With this in mind, check out this tool I recently built with the help of Claude Code (an AI tool):
Thank you for reading!
If you have a question or would like my advice, simply reply to this email with your questions and I’ll be happy to respond with my thoughts…
Until next Wednesday,
Russ