Financial Planner Al McDonald Depends on Mac-based Daylite CRM & Productivity App to help his Clients “Live for Today and Plan for Tomorrow”

Our Customers / October 27, 2022 / Tucky Wong

Al McDonald has always been entrepreneurial. As a child, he sold greeting cards door to door, followed by a lawn-cutting business. In college, McDonald studied engineering and worked in that field for ten years before shifting focus. He wanted a career where he could keep using his technical and analytical skills but also bring out his entrepreneurial side, engage with clients and, most importantly, make a positive difference in their lives.

Graphic shows a photo of Al McDonald and title reads "Financial Planner Al McDonald Depends on Mac-based Daylite CRM & Productivity App to help his Clients “Live for Today and Plan for Tomorrow”.

He remembers his parents never getting any guidance on how to save and invest their money, and because of that, they spent more time worrying about paying day-to-day bills and less time enjoying life. So, he made it his mission to help others be rewarded for their hard work and enjoy the fruits of their labour with the peace of mind that comes with having a sound financial plan for the future.

“My parents grew up during the depression, and they were only thinking about money as the way to ensure they had enough to provide for their family and put food on the table,” said McDonald. “I can’t help but think that if my parents had someone like myself who had been able to show them how to invest and save more wisely or put their money to work, they would have had a better life and not had to work so hard. That’s part of my motivation, to make sure my clients have the advice they need to live for today and plan for tomorrow, so they can enjoy life a little bit more and not have to work so hard.”

It’s no surprise that McDonald worked hard to become a Certified Financial Planner in 1996, and in 2005 he and his partners Robin Bailey and Joe Ferrera founded Life and Legacy Advisory Group.

Life and Legacy Advisory Group set out to develop a simple, straightforward financial enrichment program to provide their clients with the freedom to LIVE FOR TODAY. PLAN FOR TOMORROW.™ 

Round shape contains a photo of two man standing side-by-side.

Al Mcdonald (right) and business partner Joe Ferreira (left) on Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Daylite Has Been a Part of Our Day-To-Day Operation since Day-One

When Life and Legacy Advisory Group started, McDonald and his team needed a dynamic Customer Relationships Management tool to streamline their processes and ensure they stayed connected with customers and anticipated their needs. And being a Mac-based business, it is a no-brainer to go with Daylite, “With our combined expertise approach, we needed a Contact Management or CRM system where we could have all the information in one place; a shared calendar and shared notes from client consultations so we all have visibility and we’re up to date on all our clients’ needs. Daylite does all that, which has been a tremendous success for us.” McDonald credits Daylite for helping grow the business year after year.

Image shows an iPhone, a MacBook and an iPad side by side, all containing different screens of workflows in Daylite.

As a Mac-based business, Al McDonald and his team rely on Daylite to have access to all the information at one place across their Apple devices.

Specifically designed to take advantage of the power and convenience of the Mac, iPad and iPhone operating systems, Daylite helps businesses with 1 to 100 people to manage more clients, close more deals and finish more projects. Daylite helps teams share communications, next steps, and details to keep everyone in the loop. This means instead of struggling with information silos, teams can collaborate and get the context they need to respond and take the next steps with clients without wasted time or interruptions.

Daylite Helps Keeps Life and Legacy Compliant

Financial advisors must navigate complex rules for regulatory compliance. According to McDonald, Daylite makes that easier too. “As you can imagine, in the financial services industry, we’re very compliance heavy. We must have our notes, we have to keep in touch, and we have to keep good records, and Daylite does all of that. It is an integral part of what we do.” From keeping track of communications to better managing leads and clients, Daylite has what it takes to keep client relationships moving forward.

Screenshot of Contact and Activity View in Daylite, showing information and history of a client called Allura Vaughan.

Daylite keeps an accurate history of all clients’ communication, documents, and records, which also helps Life and Legacy Advisory Group stay on top of compliance.

Daylite Drives Personal Touches To Obtain and Retain Clients

The Life and Legacy Group has built up a large and loyal clientele over the years. Knowing who these clients are and keeping them engaged is crucial. With Daylite, McDonald and his team can secure new clients using smart lists to target specific market segments by classifying contacts using keywords, categories, and other criteria. They can then use filters to find exactly who they are looking for. These filters are saved as “Smart Lists” that will update automatically when contacts match the criteria.

McDonald also appreciates the added personal touches they can provide to their clients thanks to Daylite. “Daylite has this nice feature where it will remind you of people’s birthdays, so it lets us know to give them a call or send them a card. There are many thoughtful features like this that help us further engage with our clients, so they know they are our priority.” He and his team rely on these dynamic smart lists to stay top of mind with his clients by sending out updates or personal check-ins.

Screenshot of smart lists in Daylite in dark mode.

McDonald and his team use Daylite’s smart lists to secure new clients, target specific markets, and stay in touch

Daylite Made with Small Businesses in Mind

McDonald describes Daylite as a small business tool that is easy to use but still powerful. And because Daylite is made with the small business in mind, this tool seems to anticipate his firm’s needs. “Every time I have a need or a challenge in the business and I think, what software tool is out there that can help me, I look at Daylite, and it’s already got it,” said McDonald. Not only is he impressed with how intuitive Daylite is, but he also appreciates the level of service he gets in terms of response from customer support staff if he ever has a question. “They are fabulous, they’re easy to reach if I need them, and if I have a problem that needs solving, they find a solution.” 

McDonald also highlighted Daylite’s mission and how it matches Life and Legacy Advisory Group’s vision:

“We believe in empowering small businesses like yours in a way that helps you manage more clients, close more deals, and finish more projects so you can scale your business. Daylite adapts to support you and your team through every step of your growth journey.”

Daylite’s mission

“There couldn’t be a better description of what it has meant for us at Life and Legacy Advisory Group. Since our launch in 2005, Daylite feels like it has been part of our team as we continue to grow in our mission of providing our clients with the guidance and peace of mind to LIVE FOR TODAY. PLAN FOR TOMORROW.

Today, not only does Daylite empower Life and Legacy Advisory Group to scale, but Daylite also helps Aria Benefits, a sister company that Al McDonald and his partners Robin Bailey and Joe Ferrera also founded to help businesses customize employee benefits programs that enhance people’s lives. Click here to learn more about how Daylite helped Aria Benefits overcome the pandemic with a 20% annual growth rate.

Hit play on the video below to watch Al McDonald’s interview with our CEO Alykhan Jetha and host Cyndi Edwards, where he talked about his entrepreneurial journey and all the ways he and his team get the most out of Daylite:

About the author: Tucky Wong is Marketcircle’s Senior Marketing Manager. With a wealth of Marketing experience that spans nearly two decades, her expertise has become an invaluable asset in the world of small business empowerment as she’s the great mind behind impactful content and strategies. Tucky’s commitment to empowering small businesses ensures that every strategy and piece of content resonates with the spirit of growth and achievement.

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