Managing Your Practice

How can financial professionals become and remain effective leaders in a landscape that is rapidly evolving? In this episode of  Managing your Practice , Dimensional host Stephen de Man welcomes Jack Swift, author of  Level 7 Leadership: The Blueprint for the Human + Machine Era , to discuss the importance of human leadership amid the growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI). Stephen and J...

How can advisors play a more meaningful role in helping affluent families make informed, values-driven decisions? In his debut episode, Dimensional host Stephen de Man welcomes Dave Specht and Jeff Coyle to explore wealth management for highly affluent families. Dave is the Senior Fellow of the Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurs, author of The Family Business Whisperer , and founder of A...

What role should a board of directors play in shaping the future of your business? In this episode, Lindsay Jordan, Senior Manager in Financial Accounting Advisory Services at Ernst & Young LLP, joins host Catherine Williams, Dimensional's Head of Practice Management, to explore how advisory boards can become a powerful catalyst for growth, governance, and strategic alignment. They emphasize that...

What role should marketing play in the growth of a modern advisory business? In this episode, Dimensional's Head of Practice Management, Catherine Williams, sits down with Lauren Hong, founder and CEO of Out & About Communications and host of The Out & About Podcast , and Megan Carpenter, co-founder and CEO of Ficomm Partners and host of Growth Leaders of Wealth Management Podcast , to explore how...

How can advisors better meet their clients' needs and preferences when it comes to insurance and annuities? In the first episode of a new miniseries exploring the key services advisors can offer to strengthen their practice, Head of Practice Management Catherine Williams sits down with DPL Financial Partners Founder and CEO David Lau. They discuss what DPL is doing in the insurance space, dispel c...

What's really driving mergers and acquisitions in the financial advice industry today? In this episode, Dimensional's Head of Practice Management, Catherine Williams, is joined by Chris Frieden and Brian Hamburger for a conversation on M&A, succession planning, and the role of outside capital in the industry. They unpack how buyer expectations are evolving, why preparation matters long before a tr...

Cue the podcast takeover! In this year-end roundtable, Dimensional Practice Management Regional Directors Stephen de Man, Livia Ramirez, Mark Colaço, and Peter Wozniak share the top practice management themes and advisor insights from 2025. Covering human capital, operations, and firm growth, the team highlights what resonated most with advisors this year and closes with a forward-looking conversa...

Recorded live at the Practice Management Symposium, Dave Butler, Co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors talks with Catherine Williams, Dimensional's Head of Practice Management, about developing and sustaining an organization's mission, vision, and values and why this work matters to advisors. Dave discusses how guiding principles shape culture, decision-making, and the client experience and offers i...

What is an "admired leader," and how can you become one? Dr. Suzanne Peterson, partner at CRA | Admired Leadership, has been studying and advising businesses for over 20 years on how senior leaders can create influence and develop trust within their organizations. She joins Dimensional's Catherine Williams for an episode of  Managing your Practice to discuss the traits, behaviors, and communicatio...

How will artificial intelligence (AI) transform an advisor's business, and what does it look like in practice? In this episode of  Managing your Practice , Dimensional's Catherine Williams sits down with award-winning Prosperity Capital Advisors President and Alison Wealth Management CEO Dave Alison and VastAdvisor.ai CEO Ian Karnell to explore the opportunities for integrating AI into financial s...

What does it take to make a bold career move—or guide your clients through one? In this episode of  Managing your Practice , Dimensional's Catherine Williams sits down with CBS News business analyst and best-selling author Jill Schlesinger to explore the mindset and mechanics behind meaningful transitions. From her own pivot from advisor to national media voice, to stories from her book  The Great...

What does it really take to transition a thriving advisory firm to the next generation? Catherine Williams sits down with Aaron Hasler of SkyView Partners and Matt Crow of Mercer Capital to unpack the realities of internal succession. Covering financing options, common roadblocks, and generational dynamics, this episode offers actionable insights for founders and future owners alike. Whether you'r...

Catherine Williams sits down with Mark Sparvell, author of Good Brain Bad Brain and head of social learning initiatives at Microsoft. Together, they explore the neuroscience behind leadership, emotional intelligence, and the human capacity to thrive amid stress and change. Catherine and Mark discuss how understanding the brain's survival wiring—and learning how to reframe stress—can unlock motivat...

Dennis Moseley-Williams, founder of DMW Strategic Consulting, brings a fresh lens to the financial services industry through the concept of the "experience economy." Dennis shares how financial advisors can grow their business by shifting from delivering services to staging experiences. Learn how the experience economy can help you deepen client relationships, drive referrals, and create a brand t...

Casey Jacox, sales leader and author of  Win the Relationship, Not the Deal , turned his experience in sales and leadership into a career of coaching and mentoring professionals on building authentic relationships. He shares his expertise in building confidence, communication, and business development, offering strategies for advisors to strengthen client connections, differentiate their services,...

Scott Highmark, President of Mosaic Wealth, shares how his firm's mission, vision, and values have become the foundation for driving growth, shaping culture, and delivering a transformational client experience. From fostering a team-first environment to aligning financial strategies with clients' personal values, Scott breaks down how Mosaic integrates purpose and accountability into every decisio...

How can financial advisory firms successfully transition to the next generation of leadership? In this episode, host Catherine Williams talks with Jessi Howe of Silver Oak Advisory Group and Yusuf Abugideiri of Yeske Buie about their journeys to firm leadership. They share key lessons on succession planning, developing future leaders, and balancing ownership with firm growth. Whether you're a foun...

In this episode of the Managing your Practice podcast , Catherine Williams of Dimensional Fund Advisors is joined by Brady Fineske, president of TFO Wealth Partners, and Richard Stott, CEO and CIO of Connectum Capital Management. They explore the critical connection between health and wealth, sharing personal stories and strategies for helping clients align their finances with their life and healt...

Join Dimensional's Practice Management team as they recap the top trends that shaped advisory firms in 2024 and share insights to help you succeed in the year ahead. From strategic planning and business scaling to managing talent and enhancing the client experience, this year-end podcast highlights key takeaways, actionable strategies, and emerging opportunities. Hear expert perspectives on what w...

In this episode, Gordon Bernhardt and Scott Oeth discuss how storytelling and incorporating their own personal "why" into various interactions can support deeper client relationships and drive growth in their advisory firms. Bernhardt, a wealth manager and principal with Modera Wealth Management, and Oeth, a wealth manager and principal for Cahill Financial Advisors, dive into the connection betwe...

Helen Stephens, president and CEO of Aspen Wealth Management, has more than three decades of experience serving investors across various client profiles. Her firm has developed several personas for those clients that they serve best, and Stephens attributes success to advisory councils that match those personas. The councils provide a dedicated venue for soliciting feedback, communicating with the...

Helen Learmonth, director and financial planner at WealthFlow, and Matt Hall, cofounder and CEO of Hill Investment Group, put the client experience at the forefront of their business operations to increase retention and drive referrals. They have each incorporated their firms' mission and values, as well as a higher level of service and presence, to encourage client engagement and satisfaction wit...

Mark Johnsen, CEO of Wealth Architects, and Rob Greenman, Chief Growth Officer of Vista Capital, both live, breathe, and bear the responsibility in their respective firms for managing growth, and with it, creating a culture and sales cycle that fosters a business development mindset. They talk through their leadership styles and some of the ways their firms are driving behaviors on their team, inc...

Art Markman, PhD, is vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of more than 150 scholarly works on cognitive science and related topics. In this podcast episode, he shares his expertise on "smart" thinking and decision-making. With tens of thousands of decisions to make every day, what allows us to move from basic functions to strategic thinking and, as...

With more options than ever, how do advisors decide on a custodial partner? Ben Harrison of BNY Mellon Pershing, Gabe Garcia of SEI, and Thomas Moore of Betterment for Advisors join us in a roundtable discussion on how their custodial firms are going beyond asset security to offer services in other major operational and strategic capacities. They each offer internal perspective on what advisors sh...