The Power of Trust: ETF Breakthru Connect
When Matt Middleton told me about ETF Breakthru Connect; the first big virtual meetings program for the ETF industry, the wealth management community, and the ecosystem that's grown up in between them, I was skeptical. "So people are going to voluntarily show up to have meetings? With people they don't know? People do that?"
The nature of my reality is that meeting people I don't know is actually quite stressful. It takes me some time to develop a theory of mind for somebody where I can figure out where they fit, how we relate, and frankly, to be able to see them as another human being with whom I'm developing a relationship. And while I have diagnosed neurospicy reasons for this, I've come to realize that pretty much everybody has this kind of reaction. While there are some true extroverts out there who get fed by having many, many unscripted interactions with lots of new people, most of us are cautious.
And in an increasingly trustless world, that caution seems warranted.
But listen to this conversation with Matt Middleton and I about what we're actually building and why a 15-minute double opt-in meeting might actually be the secret sauce for trust. And maybe you'll get an inkling for why I'm actually genuinely excited to have a few dozen meetings with total strangers at the end of June.
1. Intentionality.
My genuine worst-case scenario is when I have to show up at a cocktail party with more than eight people. A constant internal dialogue runs of whether I have a database entry in my head to match this face approaching me. Oh my, yes I do know this person, but wait a minute, what's their last name again? And where did they work? Or did they move? What is our point of connection? Why is this going to be an interesting conversation?
ETF Breakthru Connect is designed to calm all of those anxious voices in my head. I'll know ahead of time who I'm meeting with and why ... because I will have picked who I want to chat with. That initial decision for two people to select each other ... that's a trust sign. No unsolicited LinkedIn messages, no awkward, "So what do you do?"
2. 15 Minutes is Perfect
As I've reached a (ahem) certain age, I find my tolerance for wasted time has absolutely cratered. I'm only going to be walking around in this meat suit for so much longer, so "wasting time" is "wasting my life." One of the things I love about working in small teams is that interactions tend to be exactly as long as is useful (recognizing that just hanging out as people is sometimes incredibly useful too). Keeping every meeting to exactly 15 minutes solves this problem. Everyone is interesting for 15 minutes. Everyone has a story. And my experience with Breakthru meetings at Future Proof events is that I almost always leave wanting more. That's so much better than the alternative: watching the clock.
3. Virtual Solves Real Problems
While in-person is great for so many reasons — body language, eye contact, shared space, etc. — having meetings virtually solves some real problems, at least for me. The most obvious problem is just logistics: it's way easier for me to block off a few hours than it is to block off a few days and travel. But also: I'm in my comfortable home space, so I will be a LOT less nervous. I've got my favorite coffee mug, won't be hot, and there will be no sand in my shoes. My office will be silent but for the meeting. As much as I love being outside, these are all real benefits to goin' virtual.
I hope you'll join us in June. My plan is to grab a dozen advisors I've never met from the list and learn as much about you and your practice as I can.
ETF Breakthru Connect takes place June 23–24, 2026.
