Knowing Me, Knowing You

Most financial advisors present a perfectly logical wealth strategy, only to watch a client completely freeze. The standard response is to reopen the spreadsheet, point to historical returns, and double down on the math. But resistance is rarely an analytical problem; it is an emotional signal rooted in deep personal history, unaddressed biases, and a natural fear of giving up control. While the i...

Most successful professionals handle massive complexity at work, but feel completely overwhelmed by their own financial clutter. Papers pile up, accounts sit scattered across institutions, and a five-million-dollar portfolio still looks exactly like the ten-thousand-dollar starter account they built decades ago. Finding a specific niche can certainly help, but the deeper opportunity often lies in...

Most people hear the words "reverse mortgage" and shut down. The reputation precedes the product, and for decades, that reputation wasn't good. But the landscape has changed, and so has the conversation around what home equity can actually do for people in retirement and beyond. In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Gutman, senior mortgage broker, certified reverse mortgage profes...

Every wealth management firm wants organic growth. Few achieve it consistently. In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, we sit down with Mark Tibergien, one of the most influential voices in the evolution of the RIA industry. As the longtime leader of Pershing Advisor Solutions, Mark helped shape the growth of hundreds of advisory firms and witnessed firsthand the transformation of wealth mana...

Every wealth management firm wants growth. More leads. More meetings. More assets. Yet despite increased spending on marketing, lead generation platforms, AI outreach, and prospecting tools, many advisors are finding that growth feels harder than ever. Pipelines may be full, but conversion remains frustratingly low. In this episode, we explore the trust gap that exists in modern prospecting. While...

For decades, retirement planning has revolved around a familiar process: determine a client's risk tolerance, build a diversified portfolio, and hope the numbers work out. But what if that entire framework starts in the wrong place? In this episode, we explore why cash flow, timing, and purpose may matter far more than traditional risk questionnaires. As retirees transition from accumulating...

In this episode, I sit down with Sonya Lutter, Certified Financial Planner, licensed marriage and family therapist, and a leading voice at the intersection of money and mental health. As a co-founder of the Financial Therapy Association, Sonya has spent her career helping the industry bridge the gap between technical expertise and human understanding. We explore what financial advisors are still m...

In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Taylor, CFP®, nationally recognized financial planner, fintech consultant, and founder of the Goodland Group, to explore what it really means to deliver advice that works in real life and not just on paper. With over 20 years in financial planning and a decade building inside fintechs like Learnvest, SoFi, Monarch Money, and Ellevest, Natalie brings a rare...

In this episode, I sit down with Wesley Rowlands, partner and advisor at Atikan Wealth Partners, to explore a different approach to financial planning that starts with purpose, not products. With nearly two decades of experience and a deeply personal connection to the impact of money, Wes brings a perspective rooted in both technical expertise and lived experience. We talk about why most advisors...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Daniel Crosby, psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and Chief Behavioral Officer at Orion Advisor Solutions. Daniel has spent nearly two decades bridging the gap between academic behavioral science and the real-world work of financial advisors, and the conversation we had is one I know you'll return to again and again. We explore why behavioral...

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Goren, a driving force behind the modern financial planning education movement. As Chief Strategy Officer at Danko Education and director of curriculum at the Global Financial Planning Institute, Matt helps shape how the next generation of advisors learns, thinks, and serves clients across borders.  We explore how psychology and behavioral finance fit into han...

Financial institutions are great at planning for the predictable, but what happens when life doesn't follow the plan? A divorce, a medical crisis, a leaky roof. These are the moments that reveal whether the financial system was really built for the people inside it. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Estiverne-Colas, Director and Head of Payments Practice at Proficient, founder of AGE Ad...

Every advisor knows the feeling. A promising prospect sits across from you, nods through the whole conversation, says it was helpful, and then disappears. Most advisors chalk it up to competition or timing. But what if the real problem happened before anyone walked through the door? In this episode, we explore why the moment that determines whether a prospect converts isn't the first meeting....

If you’re an advisor trying to grow your firm while still buried in the day-to-day of clients and operations, this episode will hit home. Steven Tenney has spent over three decades in wealth management, from building his own RIA to advising leaders on how to grow, scale, and create firms that last. In this conversation, Marla and Steven break down the shift most advisors never fully make: moving f...

Tim Hamilton has spent nearly two decades helping builders - entrepreneurs, founders, and high-growth professionals - navigate the complex side of wealth. From managing concentrated assets to life-changing events like home purchases, new children, or business exits, Tim helps clients align their financial decisions with their values, psychology, and long-term goals. In this conversation, Marla and...

Shaun Williams started his career in one of the fastest environments in finance, trading options on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. Then he did something a little off script for someone in that world: he stepped away from the trading floor and went out to see the world, eventually reaching all seven continents…without flying! His travel changed his beliefs about money. He paid attention to...

Most firms assume advisors leave for a bigger payout. That assumption is costing them. In this conversation, Shelby Nicholl shares what actually pushes advisors to make a move. Sometimes it’s compensation, but more often than not it is a slow drift from belonging, a lack of clarity about the future, or feeling undervalued despite driving revenue. Shelby sits at the intersection of where advisors a...

You cannot “move fast and break things” when you’re responsible for someone’s retirement, their kids’ education, or the business they built over 30 years. So why are so many advisors still borrowing playbooks from tech without asking what actually fits our industry? In this conversation, Jason Pereira pushes past the surface-level AI hype and gets honest about what changes and what doesn’t. Yes, l...

Advisors are trained to solve technical problems, but most client relationships don’t strain at the technical layer, but at the emotional one. In this conversation, Marla sits down with behavioral finance expert Meghaan Lurtz, Ph. D., to explore the subtle difference between doing what’s efficient and doing what’s effective. Rules of thumb like the 4% withdrawal rate or six months of savings help...

Clients walk into meetings informed now. They’ve read articles, run scenarios, and heard opinions from everywhere, yet many still leave unsure about what actually fits their life. That moment reveals where advice either deepens or flattens. In this conversation, Marla talks with Alex Potts, visionary CEO who scaled Loring Ward and Buckingham Strategic Partners to over $50B in assets, all while kee...

Think about how often growth introduces distance in the client-advisor relationships. More clients, more systems, more noise, and suddenly the conversations feel thinner even when the service is strong on paper. Advisors rarely lose clients because of performance, but they often lose them if context slips through the cracks. In this episode, Marla speaks with Jim Roth, a longtime leader in wealth...

Whether you're acquiring a firm, merging teams, or preparing for succession, the thing that tends to crack first is trust. In this solo episode, Marla unpacks what really causes client relationships to weaken during transitions, even when deals are clean, teams are capable, and the messaging is polished. The first signs? Diminished engagement. Missed growth targets. Clients saying they’re fin...

Every year brings new tools, new language, and new promises about growth, and last year was no different. Advisors adopted AI, expanded their services, and refined their processes, but many firms still felt a sense of sameness creeping in. The question became harder to avoid. If the offerings look similar, where does differentiation actually come from? In this solo episode, Marla shares a simple t...

After an exit, money stops behaving like a simple scorecard and starts to carry a different weight, one that brings freedom and pressure at the same time. That tension runs through this conversation with Sriram Gollapalli, as he reflects on what it means to suddenly hold responsibility for capital, choice, and long-term consequences all at once. I That experience is exactly why he founded Long Ang...

This episode will challenge everything you've been taught about pitching your services. It’s not about what you offer, but about how clients feel. If you’re still leading with your planning process, it’s time you realize that your clients don’t care…until you speak to their emotions first. If you've ever fumbled through the “what do you do?” question or watched a prospect's eyes gla...