Email Marketing for Financial Advisors
Be present when your clients need you the most
Presence is our fully-automated financial advisor email marketing service that leverages the power of our legendary content to deliver timely, relevant communications to your current clients and prospects.

Bring in Assets
Deepen relationships with targeted email marketing campaigns that provide valuable content to your current clients and your future ones.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Focus on running your business and let us manage your digital marketing, your email list, your ideal target audience segments, and your opt-in list, unsubscribes, and CTAs (calls-to-action).
We've got your back
We know what your prospects are looking for when they search for financial services, and we can provide email content tailored directly to them.
Email Marketing Campaigns that generate AUM
From marketing tactics to email newsletters to CRM automation, our tools and strategies have helped advisors build very successful financial practices, many reaching upward of billion-dollar financial planning advisories.
The power of this system can be distilled down to the quality of our messaging content.
Our messages and letters have generated tens of billions of dollars in new assets under management.
And now, with Presence, you, too, can enjoy the benefits of the asset-generating message strategies that have built some of the biggest practices in the industry.
Presence simplifies your email marketing and lead generation. It can inspire prospects to call you. It can generate referrals. It can help you build your business, just as it’s done with others who’ve used it before. But easier than ever before.
You won’t even have to touch your email service provider.
We write it. You approve it. We send it. You grow.


What do I get?
- Proven Email Marketing Strategy
Proven content to nurture, educate, and generate more assets from what you already have.
- Content Calendar & Project Plan
We meet once a quarter to map out your upcoming marketing calendar, so you don’t have to worry about what to send and when.
- A Long-Term Partner
Clients using Presence think of us as part of their team. We only offer a select number of spots to make sure we give them our best.
- Expert-Designed Emails
We write, design, segment, and schedule all of your marketing emails for you. And then we analyze the metrics on your open rates, unsubscribe rate, and measure your conversion rate to refine your campaigns. Never think about your email subject lines again! If you’re just plain done with trying to hack together your email marketing effort, then it’s time for us to manage your online Presence!
Let Presence keep you connected so you can focus on your practice

Presence Effortlessly Builds Your Brand
When you send email messages that educate or enlighten your clients and prospects, it automatically positions you as an expert advisor. We write our marketing content to help advisors just like you create a lasting brand that showcases your integrity, builds trust in your audience, and even helps you get new clients through referrals and word of mouth. With Presence, you create top-of-mind awareness that develops a base of raving fans.
Presence Creates Opportunities
It’s simple. We’re marketers. We know how to create action with words because that is our job. We’ll get you the prospects who want to work with you, and help clients think of you first when talking with their friends and family. It’s your job to do what you do best and provide great financial advice.


Presence Builds Stronger Relationships with your Clients
Emotions drive rash investment decisions. When the market is strong, not much “handholding” is needed. When markets are volatile, your clients and prospects are bombarded by confusing, terrifying, and conflicting news. Your message must cut through this noise and follow up with your thoughts on how your clients can thrive through a crisis. You need to rapidly explain complicated situations that ease their fears and worries and make them easy to understand.
Presence communicates over time that you understand your clients and prospects worries and concerns, which in turn, demonstrates your dependability by providing timely information. This action alone builds confidence in your ability to guide these individuals through market volatility, which generates both word of mouth and real referrals.
Stay Top-of-Mind with One-Click Approvals
Our service is “Done-for-You”, which means we do the planning, design, and delivery of your email messages. All you have to do is click and approve, or send changes, and we take care of the rest.
Track Results with Ease
We keep tabs on how your campaigns are performing, digging deeper into metrics to make smarter decisions for your future campaigns. In addition, you will have access to the reporting you need to view the results of each campaign. In this way, we can ensure that you are getting the leads you need to grow at the pace you want.

Let's get started.
If you’re ready to quit the email rat race and finally put your emails on autopilot, let’s get you started on one of our plans.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our Presence team before getting started, please call: 888-495-7303 or schedule an appointment by clicking the button below.
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3-4 Emails sent per Month
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Customized Email Template
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CRM Integrations
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Peace of Mind
Pay Yearly
SPECIAL OFFER-
3-4 Emails sent per Month
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Built-in Compliance Assistance
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Customized Email Template
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CRM Integrations
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Peace of Mind
Experience Presence

Whenever market volatility strikes, you should send a handholding letter. This is perhaps the single best thing you can do to cement your brand as an expert advisor, which in turn will win you more assets, more referrals, and more new clients.
With Presence we will send a new handholding letter whenever there’s a major market swing or geopolitical event. For example, when the world woke up to the news that Russia had invaded Ukraine, we released this handholding message before the markets even closed that day.
Q&A: How the Russian Invasion of Ukraine May Affect Investors
Dear |First Name|,
On Thursday, February 24, after months of tension and military buildup, Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s the first major war between European nations in decades and brings significant humanitarian and economic ramifications for the entire world.
I want to assure you that my team and I have spent a lot of time analyzing the situation and how it might impact you. We’ll go over some of the details in a moment, but the most important thing for you to know is that we are keeping a close eye on everything. We remain confident in our investment strategy as well as the path to your financial goals.
Now, as you can imagine, the markets fell sharply when the world woke up to the news of invasion. In this message, I’m going to explain what effect this war is likely to have on both the global economy and on the markets. Because I’m a financial advisor, not a geopolitical expert or military strategist, I’m going to refrain from commenting on why this war is happening, even though I have my own opinions, as I’m sure you do. Before continuing, though, I do want to say that my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. While this message will focus on the financial and economic consequences of war, nothing compares to the human cost. I earnestly hope that peace prevails as soon as possible.
Now, let’s do a Q&A about how this conflict will impact investors. These are some of the most common questions I’ve heard from clients over the past few days.
Q: Why is this conflict impacting the markets?
A: You’ve undoubtedly noticed in recent weeks how volatile the markets have been. The ultimate reason, frankly, is quite simple. War brings disruption. To production, to trade, to everything.
That’s especially true with this conflict. When it comes to the global economy, Russia and Ukraine are key players. For example, both together comprise 29% of the world’s wheat.1 Ukraine alone is one of the world’s top producers of corn, while Russia is Europe’s largest source of both oil and natural gas. Both countries also play a major role in producing minerals and metals – think copper, nickel, platinum, etc.
These are not products the world can live without. From the U.S. to China, from Germany to Ghana, we depend on these products to eat, communicate, get to work, grow crops, and even stay warm. If you think of the global economy as a big spider web, touching a strand on one end causes the entire web to vibrate – sometimes violently.
Now, there are steps both Europe and the United States can take to mitigate these issues. (More on that in a moment.) But given that we are still recovering from supply disruptions caused by the pandemic, war is the last thing the world needs right now.
Another reason this conflict is impacting the markets is because of the shock it will have on the global financial system – in the form of economic sanctions the West has started levying on Russia.
Q: What are the U.S. and European Union doing about this?
A: Before we get into what the U.S. is doing, let’s quickly cover what the U.S. is not.
This is not a war between the United States and Russia. Currently, there are no plans to send U.S. troops into Ukraine.2 While American forces have reinforced several nearby countries like Poland and Romania, these are fellow NATO members. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, which means NATO is not bound by the terms of its alliance to defend it from invasion. Instead, the U.S. will support Ukraine by providing supplies, intelligence, and logistical assistance.
Because Russia’s actions are both a violation of international law and its own pledge to respect Ukraine’s borders3, the U.S. and many other western countries have announced a number of economic sanctions.4 Some of these sanctions include:
- Asset freezes and travel bans on dozens of influential Russian politicians and business leaders.
- Restricting Russia’s access to the European Union’s financial markets.
- Halting construction of the undersea Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was set to deliver natural gas to Germany and be a major source of new business for Russia.
- Barring Russian banks from raising money in the west or trading new debt in U.S. or European markets.
According to President Biden, these sanctions are just the first wave, with more soon to come.
Now, there’s no question that sanctions will have a major impact on Russia’s economy. When Russia forcibly annexed Crimea in 2014, the U.S. also imposed sanctions on Russia that many experts believe have stalled Russia’s economic growth dramatically. (Since 2014, Russia’s economy has grown by an average of 0.3% per year, compared to the global average of 2.3%.5) These new sanctions are likely to be even greater, with an even greater effect.
But sanctions take time, and alone won’t stop Russian forces from penetrating Ukraine. They can also be a double-edged sword.
Since World War II, Europe has become more economically intertwined to prevent another devastating conflict. (This idea was the impetus behind the European Union.) Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has also worked to make Russia a more integral economic partner. The idea was that the more East and West relied on each other for trade, the less likely war would ever break out.
While this experiment has largely been successful, there’s a downside. Trade in times of peace brings mutual gain – but nixing trade brings mutual pain. Sanctions will undoubtedly punish Russian banks and companies that depend on foreign business. But it can also hurt U.S. and European firms that rely on business with Russia. This is another reason the war is roiling the stock market.
Q: Okay, so let’s focus on what’s happening here at home. How long will market volatility last because of this?
Obviously, that’s impossible to say. Furthermore, trying to guess – and then making decisions based on a guess – is one of the worst things we as investors can do. So, we’re not going to do it!
That said, there are some interesting things to note here. First is that, historically, geopolitical crises often have a surprisingly short-lived effect on the markets. For example, take the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world has never been closer to nuclear war than during those nerve-wracking thirteen days in 1962, yet during that time, the Dow only fell 1.2%. By the end of the year, the Dow was up 10%.6
Remember when Iraq invaded Kuwait back in 1990? The Dow declined more than 18% in the immediate aftermath – only to recover completely a few months later, and indeed climb 38% over the next two years.7 Eleven years later, after the September 11 attacks, the Dow fell over 14%, but returned to normal a few months later. 7 More recently, look at Brexit. When the UK voted to leave the European Union, it took most analysts by surprise, and many predicted it would lead to a major drop in the markets. At first, it did. The vote took place on a Thursday. The next day, the Dow fell over 600 points, and then another 250 points the Monday after.8 But less than a month later, the Dow climbed to a new record high.
As you can see, while geopolitical events often seem scary to investors, their impact on the markets isn’t necessarily huge. That’s because many things impact the markets. Even something as big as war is only one ingredient in the dish.
On the other hand, financial experts like to say that “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” So, just because history has leaned one way doesn’t mean it can’t shift course in the future. This current crisis could have a sustained impact on the markets for all the reasons we’ve discussed. There’s no way to know – meaning we need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for both possibilities. My team and I are well prepared.
Another thing we need to prepare for is the possibility of higher prices here at home.
Q: So, how will this war affect our own economy?
There’s no point beating around the bush: Consumer prices are already sky-high and are now likely to rise even higher.
Due to the pandemic, inflation has risen at a historic rate. New sanctions and supply-chain issues will only compound the problem. For that reason, it’s very possible we’ll see a jump in prices for the following goods and commodities:
- While oil prices and the price we pay at the pump aren’t the same, they are linked. On February 24 alone, oil prices rose above $100 per barrel.9
- Natural gas. As of this writing, prices are up 29% in Europe; we could see a similar rise.10
- Travel costs. Pricier oil means pricier jet fuel, which means higher airfares for travelers.
- As we’ve already covered, Russia and Ukraine are hugely important to the world’s supply of wheat, corn, and other staples.
- From your car to your cell phone, we rely on minerals and metals for our technology to function. Due to the pandemic, there was already a shortage of these supplies.
The U.S. can release oil reserves to combat rising fuel prices, and Europe can turn to other places for natural gas and wheat. (Including the United States.) But while these measures can help, they’ll take time – and can only blunt a rise in consumer prices, not stop it entirely.
Interest rates may also be affected. Most experts expected the Federal Reserve would soon announce significant rate hikes to combat inflation. In light of the invasion, interest rates will probably still go up, but might be less than previously thought. That’s good news for the stock market, at least in the short term, but it won’t help slow inflation as much.
Whew! I just threw a lot of information at you, didn’t I? Well, take a breath, grab a sip of water, get up and stretch your legs – and then let’s cover the fifth and final question.
Q: Given everything that’s going on, what should we be doing about it?
Prior to today, the idea of one European country invading another seemed almost unthinkable. It was something for the history books, not the front page. But that’s the world we woke up to today. A different world than the one we went to sleep to yesterday.
But here’s the thing to remember, |First Name|. The world is always changing – and we’ve always done a great job of adapting!
Massive change often triggers massive uncertainty. Massive uncertainty often triggers massive overreaction. That’s why so many investors tend to lose money during times of volatility, because they make long-term decisions based on short-term emotions under a fog of uncertainty. By acting without overreacting, you are literally doing the single best thing you can to stay on track to your financial goals.
The situation in Ukraine will likely change every day, hour, and even minute. Headlines you read in the morning might be obsolete by afternoon. That’s why it makes no sense when investors panic, sell, or “cash out” just because of uncertainty. By the time they do, the situation they’re reacting to may have already passed! So, my advice, |First Name| Over the coming weeks, let’s keep doing what we always do. Let’s keep our heads and hold to our long-term strategy. After all, we already know that it works!
I hope you found this message to be informative. Of course, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your portfolio. My team and I are here for you. We’ll keep monitoring the situation, and if anything changes, we’ll let you know immediately.
Sincerely,

Sometimes, your clients will encounter important news or confusing headlines. When that happens, a little context can make all the difference between a client who is merely satisfied and one who is a raving fan of yours. With Presence we periodically release “Trending Now” messages explaining the economic news that’s, well…trending now.
As an example, here’s an example of what Presence would send it out for you, examining President Biden’s “American Rescue Plan of 2021.”
The American Rescue Plan
Dear |First Name with Spouse|,
Roughly one year ago, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. It was a massive, $2 trillion stimulus package designed to help boost the economy as it shuddered from the impact of COVID-19. The bill was generally considered a success – but on its own, it wasn’t enough to keep the economy from falling ill.
The great tragedy of this pandemic, of course, is that over 500,000 people have lost their lives.1 But it’s not the only one. Due to COVID, over 22 million jobs were lost.2 Millions more saw their hours or paychecks decrease.
Fortunately, the CARES Act, and a second round of stimulus passed in December, helped blunt some of this pain. For example, the December stimulus is credited with helping retail sales jump 5.3% in January, which was five times higher than expected.3 But there is still a long way to go. As of early March, there are still nearly 10 million people out of a job, with 4.1 million of those considered “long-term unemployed”.2 That means they’ve been jobless for 27 weeks or more. Millions more still find it immensely difficult to make rent, pay off debts, or even buy groceries. As Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve recently said, “While the economic fallout has been real and widespread, the worst was avoided by swift and vigorous action. [But] the recovery is far from complete.”4
In short, our economy has been off life support for quite a while – but it is still a long way from healthy. With that in mind, Congress recently passed a third round of stimulus worth almost as much as the original CARES Act. It’s called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
This is major legislation, with benefits for many Americans. So, to help you understand what the Act does, and how it will impact you, I have prepared a special breakdown. As I am sending this to all my clients, some information may apply to you, and some may not. Please read it carefully, and then let me know if you have any questions.
As always, |First Name with Spouse|, I hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you!
Sincerely yours,


Similar to our "trending now" and "handholding" content we also release periodic content on the current state of the market. As an example we have provided "midterms & markets"
Your clients may be wondering what the elections could mean for the markets. To help educate them on what they should – and should not – be thinking about, we released this market update email how the markets historically perform before and after a midterm election.
Four Things You Should Know About the Midterms
Dear |First Name|,
With elections right around the corner, many clients have been asking me what the results could mean for the markets. So, without further ado, here are four things you should know about the relationship between midterms and markets.
- The stock market usually dips before a midterm election.
As you know, this has been a rough year for the stock market. Both the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 have flitted in and out of bear market territory for several months. But while this type of volatility is never fun, in a sense, it’s pretty typical. Why? Because, historically, markets have fared the worst during midterm-election years. In fact, according to one study, the S&P 500 averages a 19% decline in the months before a midterm!1
Of course, there are many reasons why the markets rise and fall. The single biggest reason this year, of course, is stress over inflation and the Federal Reserve’s response to it. But midterm elections often tend to drag the markets down on their own. The reason can be summed up in a single word: Uncertainty.
As you can imagine, the months leading up to a midterm come with a lot of questions. Which party will control Congress come November? What new legislation can we expect? How will the results affect our taxes, healthcare, and budget? Pundits earn their living by making predictions. The fact is, no one knows what the future will bring until the future becomes the present.
The markets, of course, are allergic to uncertainty. It’s the driving force behind many a market pullback. And with so much uncertainty before a midterm election, it’s not surprising the markets would struggle.
- After the fall comes the bounce.
Now for some good news: Historically, the markets enjoy a major rally in the third year of a president’s term. The S&P 500, for example, usually climbs an average of 32% in the twelve months after a midterm election.2
If you think about it, this makes sense. After an election, uncertainty begins to fade as we gain a better idea of which party holds the cards and what their agenda will be. Just as uncertainty drags the markets down before an election, the resolution of uncertainty often pushes the markets back up!
Now, there’s an important caveat here: Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
This little bit of market wisdom is always true – and it’s especially worth remembering now. You see, most years after a midterm, investors don’t have to worry about the threat of a recession.
For months, the Fed has been trying to follow an incredibly tricky recipe: Bring down inflation without bringing down the economy. To do this, they have attempted to raise interest rates gradually and incrementally. Unfortunately, the effects have been minimal thus far. That means more rate hikes are likely in the future. Each one brings an increased risk of a recession in 2023, and if that happens, all bets are off regarding how the markets might react.
Indeed, history shows that the markets sometimes don’t do well after a midterm whenever there is slow economic growth mixed with high inflation and rising energy costs. This was often the case in the late 1960s and 1970s…and it’s just the sort of stew our country finds itself in right now.
On the other hand, even a recession – real or merely imagined – doesn’t mean 2023 will be a bad year for stocks. The markets move more on the expectation of future events than the events happening right now. It’s quite possible that, as 2022 winds down, the markets will have already priced in the threat of a recession. That means investors may be more likely to act on the anticipation of future good news instead of overreacting to bad news that was already expected.
Whatever the markets do after the midterms, though, there’s one thing you can rest easy about: It won’t matter which party “wins” in November.
- Historically, the markets don’t care which party is in control of Washington.
Whether you’re a passionate Republican, devoted Democrat, or something in between, the fact is that the markets aren’t as partisan as people.
Talking heads can argue till the cows come home about which party is better for the markets, but I’m not going to get into that here. (It’s not like you need another political pundit in your life!) History shows that, while some years rise higher than others, the markets tend to rise after an election no matter which party is in power.
The reason for this is simple. While politics certainly play a role, the markets are affected by many things – and Washington is not at the top of the list. Corporate earnings. Supply and demand. Interest rates. Inflation. Housing prices. Employment. I could go on. And while it’s true that the government has an influence on many of those things, the government does not dictate the daily rhythm of the markets.
If you think about it, the markets are sort of like our own bodies. Our health is determined by what we eat, how much we exercise, our sleep, personal hygiene – and of course, by things we can’t control, like our own genes. In this case, politics are to the markets what brushing your teeth is to your overall health. Both very important, but not always the difference between life or death.
As I mentioned earlier, the S&P 500 usually rises after an election. That’s been true regardless of which party is in the White House or controls Congress. Where things get a little interesting is whether the government is united or not.
As of this writing, polls suggest that Republicans are favored to take back the House3, while Democrats will keep the Senate.4 If this happens, the result will be Congressional gridlock. Gridlock is rarely fun for us citizens, but the markets tend to take it in stride. That’s because gridlock usually means maintaining the status quo in terms of economic policy – and the status quo is something investors know how to handle.
Even if one party wins both chambers of Congress, though, you can make an argument for why it could be a boon for the markets. For example, if Republicans take control, it’s unlikely we’ll see any new tax changes or regulations that could affect corporate earnings. On the other hand, if Democrats retain both chambers, there’s a stronger chance of more fiscal stimulus, which investors have grown to rely on in recent years.
The point is that history shows the markets are as politically unbiased as you can get in this country. Which brings me to the fourth and final thing to know about the upcoming midterms:
- We never make investment decisions based on politics.
No matter if you wear a red baseball cap or a blue one, you should never make financial decisions based on politics.
This is especially true when it comes to your investments. Choosing whether to buy or sell based on who you think will win an election is the opposite of having an investment strategy. It’s investment speculation. And given how passionate many of us are about politics, it can severely color our thinking. How many people missed one of the longest bull markets ever because they disliked President Obama? How many people missed the “Trump Bump” because they disliked President Trump?
It’s true that the midterms – both before and after - do impact the markets somewhat. But that doesn’t mean we should change or abandon our strategy. Make no mistake: This is an important time of year. It’s a time when we, the people, get to decide the direction of our country, state, and local communities.
But it’s not the time for changing the direction you take toward your financial goals.
|First Name|, I hope you’re able to vote next month. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about Washington, the markets, or your portfolio, please feel free to contact me. If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s that I’m easier to get in touch with than your local politician!
On behalf of everyone at Reliable Securities, have a safe and stress-free election day!


With Presence you will also periodically receive visually stunning infographics for your emails. We found this helps keep your readers engaged and excited to open your emails.
As an example we have provided our "401(k) Questions" infographic, this would be a good infographic to send to any pre-retiree clients or prospects. It promotes calling you for a second opinion on how they can get the most out of their 401(k).
401K Questions
Dear |First Name|,
For many people, a 401(k) is the easiest and most convenient way to save for retirement. Unfortunately, many people don’t know as much about their 401(k) as they should. As a result, they aren’t getting as much out of it as they could.
To help, I’ve prepared a special infographic that lists five questions you should ask yourself about your 401(k). If you already know the answers, great! But if you don’t, it may be time for a review. If so, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to offer a second opinion on how to get more out of your 401(k).
I hope you find this infographic thought-provoking. As always, please feel free to call us at «CompanyPhone» if there is anything we can do for you.
Sincerely,


If you’re like most advisors, you probably know people whom you would love to have as clients but are unwilling or unable to solicit them directly. Every month we write two special emails just for them. One email is always based on a heartwarming story to inspire the reader and show that dreams really do come true if you work for them.
As an example, take this email about Manfred Steiner, who earned his Ph.D. in physics at the tender age of 89…showing why it’s never too late for any of us to dream a new dream.
Dream Your Dream
Dear |First Name|,
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years as a financial advisor, it’s that it’s never too late to dream a new dream…or achieve one, either.
Recently, I read a story that proved just how true this is. Allow me to introduce you to a man named Manfred Steiner.
Back in late 2020, Steiner earned a Ph.D. from Brown University in physics. As you know, graduating from college is a great achievement. Graduating from an Ivy League school, even more so. Earning a Ph.D. in one of the most difficult and complicated subjects known to man? That’s just staggering.
But none of that is what makes Steiner’s story so noteworthy. What’s noteworthy is that he did it all at the age of 89.
You read that right. A Ph.D. in physics at 89 years old!!! (That sentence probably deserves a few extra exclamation marks.)
When Steiner was young, he dreamed of being a physicist. But his family urged him to be a doctor instead, so he earned his medical degree and became a hematologist. He even served as the Head of Hematology at Brown’s medical school.
Steiner’s career was long and fruitful, and like many people, he decided to cash in his chips and retire at age 70. Thankfully for him, and for the world, Steiner understood that retirement isn’t the end of a journey. It’s the start of one.
More specifically, retirement is a chance not only to do what you’ve always wanted to do but be what you’ve always wanted to be. And Steiner still wanted to be a physicist. So, he set about becoming one. It was a lifelong goal, and he still had a long life to live. Back to Brown he went, taking one or two classes each semester. (Because, hey, retirement is also about relaxing.)
In a few years, he earned his bachelor’s degree – but he wasn’t finished. As he puts it, “I thought, ‘Why not continue now? I might as well get a Ph.D. It’s always been my dream. I wanted this.’”1
So, he kept taking classes. Kept reading books. Kept doing homework. Kept writing papers. Kept passing tests. (No word on whether he availed himself of the other joys of college life – I suspect he was too busy.) Slowly but surely, he mastered the science of physics. Until, finally, nineteen years after retirement, he wrote his dissertation on “Corrections to the Geometrical Interpretation of Bosonization”. 1
I confess, I don’t know what that means – but it was the final step in earning his PhD. (A dissertation, by the way, is more than just a simple essay or research paper. It’s an original work that “contributes knowledge, theory, or methods to a field of study”. Meaning that, in years to come, other students may well study Steiner’s writings to increase their own knowledge!)
In some ways, I think that’s the coolest thing of all: That no matter how old you are, you can not only achieve your goals, but can also add to the collective knowledge of the world.
“I was elated,” Steiner said after receiving the honor. “I mean, I made it! I really made it.” 1
So, what is the world’s newest octogenarian physicist going to do now?
Simple: Do physics!
As Steiner says, “I’ve reached what I’ve always wanted. Now, I want to do it. I know I’m going to be 90 soon, but physics is what interests me, and this is what I want to end my life with.” 1
***
Every January, many of us set new goals and make new resolutions. Some people question the point of this endeavor. After all, not everyone succeeds in what they want. But whether we’ve tried something and failed…
Or if we once had a goal but were forced to put it aside for other concerns…
Or if we simply didn’t dare to dream at all, because the star we sought seemed too far away…
It is never too late to start. It is never too late to dream. And it is never too late to do.
Manfred Steiner proves it.
So, as we enter a New Year, |First Name|, go and dream that dream no matter what it is or where you are in life. There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll achieve it. After all, why not?
It’s just physics.


Holiday related content will not only build tremendous goodwill with your clients and prospects, they will cement your identity as that of a Good Citizen.
As an example of what type of holiday content you would receive with Presence we have provided this email on a true story about a soldier in the Korean War who wanted to give his family the greatest Christmas gifts they ever received. It’s a heartwarming tale about what really matters on Christmas.
The American Rescue Plan
Dear |First Name with Spouse|,
Merry Christmas! In honor of the season, I wanted to share a story I heard recently. To me, it perfectly illustrates what the Christmas season is truly about.
The year was 1952, and a young man named Virgil was very sick, and very far from home. That’s because he was a soldier in the Korean War.
Virgil had known much hardship that year. He’d endured freezing nights on sentry duty. He’d patrolled for miles in water-filled boots, hoping snipers couldn’t see him. He’d suffered concussions and persistent ear-ringing from artillery fire. He’d seen friends die.
But through it all, his mind always returned to one thing: His mother and two sisters. After his father died many years before, he’d taken care of them, filling the role of both elder brother and surrogate father. It had been almost two years since he’d last seen them, and he worried about them endlessly. His mother was getting older, and her health wasn’t always good. His first sister was working constantly, never having time to dance or do other things she loved. His second sister was lonely and scared and had nightmares that her brother wasn’t coming home.
Even when he’d spent a night pinned down by North Korean machine gun fire, with a bullet actually striking his helmet, he still worried about them. But the only way to communicate was by mail, and it could be months between letters. Sometimes their letters got lost in transit and didn’t arrive at all.
The only time Virgil didn’t worry was when he got sick. There was no time to worry. He was too busy shivering from a raging fever. Too busy vomiting up anything and everything the doctors tried to give him. Too busy being wracked with pain, a pain he’d never known was possible. Too busy watching the doctors discuss him in hushed tones, or check his vitals and frown, or look at lab results and shake their heads.
Too busy wondering why God wouldn’t just let him die so it could all be over.
But Virgil didn’t die. It took almost two excruciating months, but slowly, he felt the infection recede and his strength return.
By the time Virgil recovered, it was December. A few weeks before, he’d been airlifted to Japan to get better care. To help him recover, the Army granted him some extra R&R. So it was that he found himself spending Christmas in Tokyo. It was a long way from the small town he’d grown up in. As he took in the sights, Virgil passed by a shop window. Inside, on a rack, was the most beautiful set of embroidered silk stockings he had ever seen. That gave him an idea.
Virgil had grown up during the Great Depression. He’d seen his mother sell most of their belongings in order to put food on the table. Christmastime was the hardest. He and his sisters rarely got presents, and when they did, it was usually something that could be got at a flea market. And his mother never got anything all.
So, Virgil decided then and there to get his family Christmas gifts from Tokyo. For his mother, no more threadbare stockings, but silk stockings that would make her feel like a queen! For his oldest sister, a pair of beautiful slippers she could dance in. For his youngest sister, a gorgeous Japanese tea set she could play with to her heart’s delight. The Army had given him a little extra spending money, and he used it all, every cent. He pictured them opening their gifts on Christmas morning. Imagined their looks of delight, their audible gasps, the tears in their eyes. It made Virgil feel so warm inside, he thought that everything he’d just gone through would be worth it if it meant his family could have their greatest Christmas ever. Quickly, he bought the presents and paid to have them shipped. He included a little handwritten card with each, letting them know he’d recovered from his ordeal and wishing them a Merry Christmas.
A few months later, Virgil’s tour of duty ended. During the voyage home, he couldn’t stop thinking about his family’s gifts. He couldn’t wait to hear their stories of what it was like to open them. But when he finally arrived home, after hugging and kissing his family, he realized his gifts were nowhere to be seen. There was no tea set on the table, no slippers in the closet, no stockings in the drawer. His heart sank.
“What happened?” he asked. “Didn’t you get my gifts?”
“Of course we did,” her older sister said. And they showed him the cards he’d sent, carefully framed and placed on the mantle for everyone to see.
Then Virgil realized the packages had never arrived, only the cards. Heartbroken, he told them about the stockings, the slippers, and the tea set. He told them how he’d tried to make their Christmas the best ever.
That’s when his mother put her hands around his face. “My son,” she said, “the Army told us you’d been sick, and that you might not make it. But when we got your cards, we knew you were alive. We knew you would come home to us. It was the greatest Christmas gift we’ve ever gotten.”
That’s when Virgil realized the truth: Christmas had never been hard for his family, not in the way he had thought. Because Christmas wasn’t about opening presents or boxes under a tree. It wasn’t about silk stockings or other riches. It was about sharing a life full of love with your family. That is the real joy of Christmastime. That is the greatest gift of all.
|First Name|, on behalf of my entire team, I wish you and your family a safe and joyful holiday season. Merry Christmas!
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