Pathways with Amber Stitt
🎙️ Get ready for Pathways with Amber Stitt, your go-to podcast for financial insights and motivation to take action today! 💪💰
Are you feeling overwhelmed when it comes to planning for your financial future? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many individuals and small businesses struggle with creating a solid game plan to protect themselves and their loved ones. That's where we come in.
Join me as we dive into our core framework, "Pathways to Peak Performance," where we'll tackle each of the 5 steps to bring you closer to success in every episode. Through education and motivation, our podcast is designed to inspire anyone to achieve success and resilience, no matter the obstacles they face in life.
And that's not all! We've also got the Physician's Edition, specially curated for medical professionals and small business owners who need help with their insurance planning. This bonus series is tailored to address the unique challenges and goals of these individuals.
Don't miss out on valuable insights, expert tips, and empowering stories that will empower you to take control of your financial future. Tune in to Pathways with Amber Stitt now and unlock the keys to a brighter, more secure tomorrow! 🎧💡💼
Pathways with Amber Stitt
Bringing Insurance & Wealth Management Together: NAIFA e3's Vision with Jason Foster
🎙️ You’re about to meet Jason Foster, an industry leader with a passion for collaboration, who helped create the NAIFA e3 conference to bridge the gap between insurance and wealth management professionals. 🌟
In this episode, Jason reveals the origin story behind the e3 brand, why bringing these fields together matters, and how events like e3 empower real transformation.
Discover Jason’s personal approach to turning conference takeaways into action and learn about the power of authentic networking, leadership, and significance over mere success.
If you’re ready for fresh ideas, strategic partnerships, and inspiration to level up your impact, this conversation is your invitation to take action and build meaningful connections.
Let’s talk about collaboration, leadership, and building a legacy in your industry. 🚀
📽️ To watch this episode: https://youtu.be/o8y-117VoDk
🔗 To connect with Jason Foster:
📲 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjfoster1/
📲 Website: https://pinnacleifs.com/
#pathwayswithamberstitt #amberstitt #naifae3 #jasonfoster #jfwealthstrategies
📻 Thank you for tuning in to Pathways!
🔗 Connect with Amber on Social Media:
📲 Be sure to visit Amber's website:
🎬 And remember, let's take action today!!!
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Jason Foster [00:00:00]:
I think with things like this, events like this, the goal is to always walk away with 2 or 3 things that you could take back and implement. Even at all the conferences I go to, that's what I try. I always try to find that 1 or 2, 3 things at most that I can go back and implement in my own practice, or business.
Amber Stitt [00:00:20]:
Hello and welcome to Pathways e3, a special edition of Pathways with Amber stitt. The Pathways e3 podcasts were recorded with special guests who were attending and collaborating at the NAIFA e3 conference in Newport Beach, California in September 2025. Let's join the conversation.
Amber Stitt [00:00:39]:
I'm with Jason. We are live at NAIFA e3. Welcome to the podcast, Jason.
Jason Foster [00:00:45]:
Awesome. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
Amber Stitt [00:00:47]:
So I'm so excited to talk about the origin story that comes along with the e3, just the idea behind it. Can you share a little bit more about that?
Jason Foster [00:00:55]:
Yeah. So I want to say it was right before Covid the team put together the whole e3 brand. So we put that together. It was a mixture of a handful of us that were on that committee. And that's where we kind of came up with those key words there. The "Empower, Engage, Explore".
Amber Stitt [00:01:14]:
Yeah.
Jason Foster [00:01:15]:
And that's kind of the whole e3. And then Covid hit, and we didn't have any e3, so we had this brand and all these ideas and so once things started getting back to normal, we introduced it back 2 years ago.
Amber Stitt [00:01:33]:
Okay. Because this is the second year?
Jason Foster [00:01:34]:
This is 3rd year, technically.
Amber Stitt [00:01:36]:
Yeah.
Jason Foster [00:01:37]:
So we finally were able to put one on in San Diego. That was kind of the start of it. And then it's just kind of evolved and has gotten a little bit bigger. And then this year we really wanted to just kind of change it up a little bit more, so we hired a company who will be here, they're one of our sponsors, Echo & Stone.
Amber Stitt [00:01:57]:
Okay.
Jason Foster [00:01:57]:
And they completely did a full rebrand, from colors to, you name it. And that whole word collaboration started coming into the picture then. And that's when we decided to go e3 collaboration. So we still have the e3, but we added the collaboration in there. And part of that is my vision with bringing the insurance world and the wealth management world together.
Amber Stitt [00:02:23]:
Why is that important?
Jason Foster [00:02:25]:
Yeah, well, why is that important? So, there's always these industry conferences that we go to, and it's either insurance or it's wealth management. There's never one that necessarily ties in both. And so that was kind of my whole vision coming into this year was how can I bring both sides? Now NAIFA has predominantly been an insurance organization, but they changed their name to National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
Jason Foster [00:02:53]:
Well, where's that "Financial Advisor" piece been? And so that was the whole start of that part of the brand. And here we are, a whole year of planning and really putting this together. And I think I reached out to you back in, when was it, January, February? So I'm excited.
Amber Stitt [00:03:14]:
Yeah. I feel like everyone's the friends of, between, we'll say all the acronyms here. We have NAIFA and then MDRT and then WIFS. There's so many of us. And I know there's other organizations that people are a part of, but when I talk to people and what they're really looking for, something that's really energizing. And I feel like that's partly what your vision was.
Jason Foster [00:03:34]:
Totally. And some of this comes from going to Future Proof.
Amber Stitt [00:03:39]:
I wasn't going to bring Future Proof up, but I was like, well...
Jason Foster [00:03:42]:
I'll bring it up because I get a lot of ideas and it's a fun vibe to be part of. And it's more relaxed and they bring in talented speakers and big companies. The panels are great. There's a lot of good stuff. But again, there's no insurance piece in there.
Amber Stitt [00:03:59]:
I felt like I heard they were bringing in a lot more other, but I didn't hear insurance, per se. But I heard it was a little bit bigger than just RIA AUM kind of introduction.
Jason Foster [00:04:09]:
Yeah. But again, it's still pretty strong on the RIA side.
Jason Foster [00:04:14]:
That's the bulk of it. It's great. It's great conference. But, how can I bring the two together, give it that kind of Future Proof vibe a little bit. And I'm trying to bring in that more relaxed, more the education piece. We have quite a bit of different categories from insurance to wealth management to even reverse mortgages, to employee benefits, 401K.
Jason Foster [00:04:39]:
I mean, you name it, it's all here. And people can choose what they want to go to. There's a mixture of everything for anybody in this industry.
Amber Stitt [00:04:47]:
Well, and I had talked with Shane a little bit about legacy, but going from transitioning out to coming in and for both sides of the coin, you and I are kind of like right in the middle of it all and the collaboration, for me, most of my business is split business and I know a lot of people making leaders conferences for different places in the insurance world, splitting business and just really, maybe not always just niching down, but just being really strong in one area and working together.
Jason Foster [00:05:12]:
Yeah.
Amber Stitt [00:05:13]:
I mean, this is nothing new. Celebrities and athletes, they're always doing their thing, but they're doing maybe the branding, the commercial. And so we can collaborate in different ways and either make more money or mentor and do other things. And so you certainly have done that over the last 20 years with your leadership, but the collaboration, that's I feel like that's...
Jason Foster [00:05:33]:
The tie. So, it's that team approach. And you can't be jack of all trades. So bringing in people that I always say, "Build your team." Your team of experts around you, you focus in on and stay kind of in your lane for the most part and you be the quarterback.
Jason Foster [00:05:52]:
And so I think that way of doing business is great. I watch a lot of financial advisors just on the wealth management side. And here comes that word "fiduciary". That word there.
Amber Stitt [00:06:04]:
What does it really mean?
Jason Foster [00:06:04]:
What is it? So it's interesting because that word never really came into play until really the last few years, it seems.
Amber Stitt [00:06:12]:
Do you think it was more like around the Fisher Investments?
Jason Foster [00:06:14]:
Could be. I mean, I think there's a handful of different things for sure, yeah.
Amber Stitt [00:06:19]:
This is where we're speaking to two different...maybe transitioning out, transitioning into the business and you doing so much leadership that really, how do we maybe do an e4 "Execution", little extra word there. How do we take these events like this one and really start implementing? Because I think that there's education. But what have you personally done that's helped you stay on top of coming in, getting educated, and then really putting it to work?
Jason Foster [00:06:42]:
I think with things like this, events like this, the goal is to always walk away with 2 or 3 things that you could take back and implement. Even at all the conferences I go to, that's what I try. I always try to find that 1 or 2, 3 things at most. That I can go back and implement in my own practice, or business. And so again, you're not going to take it all in and be able to just go back.
Jason Foster [00:07:07]:
I mean, my brain doesn't work that way. Some people's might. But just find a couple things and take it back and implement and share.
Amber Stitt [00:07:16]:
Thank you for joining us on this episode of Pathways. Please consider giving us a like and subscribing to the channel.
Amber Stitt [00:07:24]:
Your support goes a long way towards helping us bring you more compelling content.
Amber Stitt [00:07:29]:
Remember, let's take action together! Now let's jump back into the conversation.
Jason Foster [00:07:35]:
We just got done doing a LILI, which is our leadership program. We just graduated 5 students today.
Amber Stitt [00:07:41]:
Well, we can actually talk about that. I don't know a lot about that and I've been in the industry for quite a bit of time. So I think for the listeners that are here, or listening, if they're legitimately here at the conference, or are just listening for the first time, I think that's an important thing to share.
Jason Foster [00:07:54]:
Yeah, absolutely, it's a program that was put together by Larry Lambert. He's a past national president, but also a past president of NAIFA California, as well. And all the curriculum is really designed...all the books, the readings, the movies...it's a 6 month program.
Amber Stitt [00:08:12]:
Okay.
Jason Foster [00:08:13]:
And one class a month. We get together for a full day.
Amber Stitt [00:08:16]:
Okay.
Jason Foster [00:08:17]:
And we go through...it's hard to explain because there's so much to go through. But it's not your typical learning leadership style like a Maxwell conference.
Amber Stitt [00:08:30]:
But is it for new, or established?
Jason Foster [00:08:31]:
Either, all. I think you can get...I think there's different perspectives. So everybody in this class, the 5 that we just graduated were...they're all 5 unique, different individuals.
Amber Stitt [00:08:43]:
Okay, cool.
Jason Foster [00:08:44]:
And they all came together. You become very vulnerable in this class. And we break things down in the small pieces and cry together, laugh together, have fun together. And that's what that program's all about. It's not about necessarily learning everything for yourself. It's learning what you can do for others, too.
Amber Stitt [00:09:06]:
That's cool.
Jason Foster [00:09:07]:
Yeah.
Amber Stitt [00:09:07]:
Which leads me to a trick question. Maybe a trick question for you. So if you're gonna pick between which is more important, "Success" or "Significance"?
Jason Foster [00:09:17]:
Ooh, Ooh.
Amber Stitt [00:09:19]:
I think it's tricky. Because I want both. I don't know if I wanna pick between that one.
Jason Foster [00:09:23]:
That's a tough one.
Amber Stitt [00:09:24]:
After LILI, it's "significance", right?
Jason Foster [00:09:27]:
Yeah, that's tough. I think everybody wants to be successful, right? So success is always there but, yes, I'd rather be more significant, I think, for sure, and have more of an impact on a greater group.
Amber Stitt [00:09:42]:
So for a potential takeaway, if you're hoping for this 3rd event, here for the listener, if they're to take away something from you and NAIFA say, the conference, your episode here, what is something, an action item? Maybe you're already teaching it within NAIFA and you want someone to do this today, no excuses. What would you tell someone that just really needs to have more significance, or success? Any advice there?
Jason Foster [00:10:08]:
I would say, from an advice standpoint would be learn from others. The networking piece is probably really the biggest one. So this whole conference, too, is more than just the education. It's really getting to know your peers in the industry and other people. Because that power of networking together, then that brings that collaboration together right back in there and everything just ties together. And you're going to the learning labs, and all that you're going to learn there.
Jason Foster [00:10:34]:
But really where you learn is the friendships and the things that those casual conversations...get to know other people in the industry. So for me, NAIFA goes back to 2008 was when I first came. When I first came in I got into leadership in 2010. Long story short, there were people like Shane, who you just interviewed, back in 2010. He's really the guy that really kind of brought me in fully into NAIFA.
Jason Foster [00:11:01]:
And I've learned so much from him and so many other people, after him. Those are lifelong relationships that go deeper than just the business now.
Amber Stitt [00:11:11]:
Well, that's kind of a tagline that I use to say, "Take action today!" So that's really kind of a reflection. If you're not making the contacts to then follow up after the fact, you'll stay where you're at. So I think that the networking, like you said, make it worth your time, go outside of your comfort zone & walk up to somebody that you don't know and follow up with them. Because we have no excuses. We talked on LinkedIn and that's why we're here.
Amber Stitt [00:11:33]:
Because I don't know that we actually had a chance at any of the other events before.
Jason Foster [00:11:37]:
No, and so, I think how we connected, yeah, I saw that you were doing podcasts. I'm like, "That's perfect. I need a podcast host, somebody to run this thing." I'm just going to reach out, so I'm glad it worked out. And this is awesome.
Amber Stitt [00:11:52]:
No, it's a beautiful place.
Jason Foster [00:11:53]:
Yeah.
Amber Stitt [00:11:53]:
So excited that we could do this together. So thank you so much for being here. And we're live at e3.
Jason Foster [00:11:59]:
Let's go.
Amber Stitt [00:11:59]:
All right. Thanks, Jason!
Jason Foster [00:12:00]:
If you're not here, get here!
Amber Stitt [00:12:01]:
See you next year!
Jason Foster [00:12:05]:
All right.
Amber Stitt [00:12:05]:
Perfect.
Jason Foster [00:12:06]:
Awesome.
Amber Stitt [00:12:07]:
Thank you.
Jason Foster [00:12:07]:
Yes.
Amber Stitt [00:12:08]:
Thank you for joining us for this special edition of Pathways e3 recorded at the NAIFA e3 conference in Newport Beach, California. Join us for more insightful conversations with the experts and leaders of their industries. Until next time, keep taking action on your unique path!