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How Caresultants Supports Wealth Managers & Their Clients:
A case study
The Challenge
Todd Kennedy has been a wealth manager in New York City for twenty years. One of his current priorities is building a stronger relationship with a pair of new clients: Sam and Molly Devlin.
Sam and Molly are fraternal twins and the eldest children of real estate development legend Lou Devlin. Thanks to Lou’s decades of stunning financial success, none of his four kids truly needed to work, but Sam and Molly showed interest in their dad’s work from a young age. They graduated from Ivy League schools and joined the family business the following week. Within months, it was clear that both twins had inherited the Midas touch from their father.
With their meteoric rise came their own fortunes, and they joined Lou on the client roster at Todd’s firm, though it would be several more years before Todd himself was hired. The family’s long-time manager retired about five years ago, and while Lou’s account was transferred to a senior manager, Sam and Molly were reassigned to Todd.
For months, Todd has sensed that Sam and Molly are stressed about something, but he’s yet to figure out what it is. He’s learned over time that the twins never, ever share anything personal directly, but if they make a passing comment to each other and he asks about it, they don’t hesitate to open up and tell him what’s going on. So he listens, waiting for an opening.
Finally, his patience pays off. The Devlins are in the office for a quarterly check-in, and Molly’s about to take a sip of coffee before she turns to her brother and says, “Did you notice Dad’s shirt yesterday?”
Todd looks at Sam, who frowns and says, “You mean the coffee stain?”
“Second time this week,” Molly remarks.
Todd knows from his colleagues that Lou Devlin’s reputation for real estate genius is rivaled only by his militant dedication to maintaining an impeccable appearance. He never tolerates so much as a fleck of water on his person and is notorious for never going anywhere—even a casual lunch meeting—without a backup outfit.
Todd sees his opening. “The Lou Devlin had a coffee stain on his shirt? Did hell freeze over?”
Sam and Molly give him sad smiles. “Sure seems that way,” Sam says. He looks to his sister, who immediately starts talking.
It seems that coffee stains are the tip of the iceberg. Lou has been struggling to follow conversations about business and routinely forgets things he heard just minutes ago. They’ve mentioned it to their mother, but she appears to be in denial that anything is amiss.
Sam and Molly are worried about their father. Lou absolutely hates being coddled or pitied and is unlikely to handle the idea of aging in the public eye with much grace. Sam and Molly have no idea how to protect his dignity and get him the help he clearly needs.
Before they leave, Molly turns to Todd and surprises him with a hug. “Thank you for listening,” she says when she pulls away. She flashes him a grateful smile, and the Devlins leave.
Todd understands that something monumental has changed in their relationship over the last hour. Molly is famous for her stoicism, and many business journalists have speculated whether her stern demeanor is a strategy for surviving in a male-dominated field. She rarely smiles and never, ever shows affection. A hug from Molly is a profound gesture of comfort and trust.
The Solution
The way Todd sees it, he has a window of opportunity to capitalize on the moment. He immediately picks up the phone and calls his own father, Cliff. Cliff worked as a private driver throughout his entire career and has incredible insight into the inner workings of the wealthy.
Todd is mostly looking for a brainstorming buddy, but Cliff offers an immediate solution instead: Caresultants. Caresultants is a top-shelf elder care coordination service that can handle everything from doctor’s appointments to transportation.
“Just because someone’s rich or famous—or both—doesn’t mean they don’t want their privacy,” Cliff tells Todd. “The Caresultants people understand this. They’ve worked with very high-profile people before, so they know how to be discreet. Make sure your clients know that. That matters to them.”
Todd calls Caresultants to confirm what his father said. He calls Sam and Molly the next morning and asks if he can bring them coffee and talk for a few minutes. They seem a little confused when he arrives, so he cuts right to the chase.
“I don’t want to overstep, but I kept thinking about what you shared yesterday about what’s going on with Lou. The firm has worked with him for years, so of course I’m going to pay attention when he comes up. I did a little research, and there’s this great service called Caresultants that can hire all the best people to take care of your dad. They’ve also worked with people in the public eye before, so they understand how to keep things private. I know you’re busy and you want the best for your dad, and I can assure you, these guys are the best.”
As soon as he’s done talking, Molly hits a button on her phone and asks her assistant to set up a call with Caresultants. She and Sam thank him profusely for the coffee and the referral, and he heads back to the office.
The Results
A few months later, Todd gets a text from Sam, asking if he’s taking new clients. Todd says yes. Ten minutes later, he has three copies of the same email from Sam in his inbox, each sent to one of Sam’s friends:
This is Todd, the money guy I was telling you about. He’s not one of those crooks who will sign you up for bad investments. You can trust him to take care of you no matter what. He’ll get to know you, and he picks up on the little stuff. We trust him, and you can too.
By fully earning Sam and Molly’s trust, Todd inadvertently taps into their network of friends. They send him referral and referral, and his client load doubles overnight. The firm is thrilled. Best of all, the Devlins are noticeably more relaxed next time they see him. As usual, they don’t share much, but Todd knows, from their demeanor and a passing remark, that Caresultants is taking good care of Lou.
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For families, Caresultants provides structure, clarity, and peace of mind. For wealth managers, Caresultants is the solution many of their clients are looking for. If you’re curious about Caresultants and the possibility of referring your clients to us, schedule a brief call to learn more.
CARESULTANTS founded by Edward J. Abel R.N.
I am a registered nurse and the founder of Caresultants.
When I was a child, my father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS. I grew up caring for my father and developed a deep empathy for those struggling to understand and meet the needs of their aging loved ones. My passion for elder care inspired me to pursue a career in nursing.
I have a natural gift for managing the big-picture vision and fine details of a proactive care plan for someone whose needs are changing. I am deeply committed to helping others ensure that their aging loved ones are receiving quality care from the first signs of decline to their final days.
With over 40 years of experience in the medical community, I have brought together a team of healthcare providers across a vast spectrum of services to ensure top-quality care and an easier path forward for aging patients and those who love them.
