I'm the first to admit that I have forgotten a lot of what I learned as an undergraduate student at the University of Northern Iowa (in all fairness I have learned a lot since then as well). But there is one thing that has stuck with me for the last 25 years and I think about it often. It is the inscription above an entrance to one of the historic academic buildings on campus, Wright Hall: "Do not do what is already done."

This simple statement challenges all of us to be better, faster, less expensive, or different.  In a sea of sameness, where competition among financial professionals to build new business is intense, different can be a game-changer.

Let's face it, most companies have no shortage of financial pros calling with offers to assist with the 401(k) and other retirement plans. These calls are so prevalent that most C-suites have filters in place to block them from reaching the decision-makers.