Here's a question that'll make you squirm: Would you invite your worst client to a backyard barbecue?
Yeah, me neither.
Katie Braden asked us this during our recent Dealcasters interview, and honestly, it stopped us cold. This CFP-turned-video strategist has worked with financial advisors across 35 countries, and she's discovered something most of us completely miss about professional video presence.
Forget everything you think you know about looking "professional" on camera.
Katie's barbecue test is brutally simple: Show up on video exactly like you'd show up when meeting a client for coffee. Not the buttoned-up, suit-and-tie version of yourself that you think impresses people. The real you—the person who builds actual relationships.
Besides, isn’t pretending to be someone you're not completely exhausting?
Katie ditched managing million-dollar portfolios to teach this stuff, and her reasons why are what make this conversation interesting. She realized that by the time prospects got on discovery calls with her, they'd already watched her videos and built a relationship. They weren't asking "where do I sign?"—they were practically begging to work with her.
But then she had to ask herself: “Would I invite this propsect to my backyard barbeque?”
Here's where it gets interesting. Katie revealed the three universal barriers that stop people from creating video: fear, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism. These aren't cultural or industry-specific. They hit everyone from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to financial advisors in rural Australia.
Her solution? Start messy. Record your first take and upload it. She literally tells her clients that take 18 is always worse than take 1 because our brains break under pressure.
The pilot in her (yes, she's also a licensed pilot) brings this systematic approach that removes all the analysis paralysis:
Simple checklists. Clear frameworks. No room for overthinking.
What surprised me most was her stance on equipment. Katie has a photography degree and owns professional gear, yet she'll shoot videos after workouts, sweaty and disheveled, using just her phone. Why? Because content beats production every single time.
Katie's approach isn't about lowering quality standards—it's about raising authenticity. She's proving that when you drop the professional mask and show up as yourself, you attract better clients and build stronger relationships faster than any polished corporate strategy ever could.
The barbecue test isn't just about video. It's about having the courage to be human in a business world obsessed with appearing perfect.
Want the full breakdown? The complete interview reveals Katie's exact framework for overcoming camera anxiety, plus her sandbox method for building confidence without the pressure.
Make sure to check out Katie Braden’s amazing content (which by the way, is valuable to any content creator - not just Financial Advisors!) at AdvisorVM and follow her on LinkedIn.
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