Next Mile

Episode 152: In this special compilation episode, Kyle Van Pelt and Jessica Perez revisit four conversations centered on one of the biggest challenges facing advisory firms today: scaling while maintaining exceptional client service. Anne McPhail shares why intentional leadership and culture create lasting organizations. Michael Vedders explains how thoughtful planning and advisor development lead...

Episode 151: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Eric Amar, Founder & CEO of Accelerated Wealth Partners, about the shifting dynamics between massive corporate firms and independent boutique RIAs. He discusses the balance between scale and personalization, the rise of mega RIAs, and the trade-offs advisors face when choosing independence. From his front-row seat at Focus Financial Partners during...

Episode 150: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Kathy Longo, President & Founder at Flourish Wealth Management. Kathy has a remarkable talent for distilling complex financial concepts into simple, easily digestible concepts. She built Flourish Wealth Management out of a passion for making financial management more enjoyable.  Kathy talks with Kyle about how building a strong operational foundatio...

Episode 149: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management.  Ben is the author of five books on investing, including his newest, Risk and Reward. He's the creator of the blog A Wealth of Common Sense and co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast. Ben talks with Kyle about how content has become a powerful engine for growth, cl...

Episode 148: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Dan Johnson, Senior Managing Director and Head of Wealth Management Practice at F2 Strategy. Dan is an industry leader in portfolio management systems implementation, investment performance conversions, centralized portfolio management, and integrations with advisor-driven toolsets.  Dan talks with Kyle about scaling the wealth and asset management...

Episode 147: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Patrick Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO of Signal Advisors. Patrick started his career as a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual before becoming an independent advisor. Before Signal, Patrick founded RepPro, the first electronic application platform for fixed and fixed index annuities in the IMO business. Patrick talks with Kyle about the hidden econo...

Episode 146: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Vib Arya and Sean Meighan of Envestnet. As Head of Strategic Relationship Management, Vib is a seasoned wealth and investment management leader with more than 25 years of experience driving innovation and efficiency across RIA, institutional, wirehouse, and fintech channels. As Head of RIA Distribution, Sean has spent his career helping advisory fir...

Episode 145: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Aaron Wormus, Chief Technology Officer at SMArtX Advisory Solutions. Aaron has spent years building technology infrastructure for the financial services industry, from hedge fund platforms to enterprise-grade advisory systems. At SMArtX, he focuses on solving the operational and data challenges that prevent advisory firms from scaling efficiently wh...

Episode 144: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Tim Gavin, Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Compliance Officer at MCF. Tim helps lead the firm’s long-term strategic direction across operations, compliance, advisor support, technology, and growth initiatives. Kyle and Tim discuss what sustainable growth actually looks like inside a modern advisory firm. Tim explains why organic growth creates strong...

Episode 143: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Scott Schwartz. Scott is one of the Managing Partners and a Wealth Management Advisor at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. With more than 40 years of experience in helping clients achieve their financial planning goals, Scott has created tailored financial plans that empower clients to make informed decisions. Scott talks with Kyle about what it takes t...

Episode 142: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Nate Angelo, CEO of Composition Wealth. Nate brings a diverse background spanning institutional investing and advisory leadership, with a focus on building firms that balance growth, culture, and client experience. His career reflects a commitment to thoughtful leadership and long-term value creation in the RIA space. Nate talks with Kyle about how...

Episode 141: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Erik Brenner, CEO, President, and Founding Partner at Hilltop Wealth and Tax Solutions. With more than 30 years of experience, Erik has assisted thousands of individuals in integrating retirement, tax, and estate strategies. At Hilltop, he blends leadership and client advisory responsibilities, shaping the firm's future vision and strategies while p...

Episode 140: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Anne McPhail, Managing Director at Novare Capital Management. With more than 30 years of experience across corporate banking and wealth management, Anne brings deep experience in wealth management, with a focus on guiding clients through major life transitions and building advisory relationships rooted in trust, empathy, and long-term perspective.  ...

Episode 139: Kailash Duraiswami is the Chief Technology Officer at Milemarker, where he leads the development of data infrastructure and AI-powered solutions for modern advisory firms. With a unique blend of financial expertise and deep technical knowledge, Kailash brings his passion for innovation, data strategy, and scalable technology to help wealth management firms thrive in a multi-platform w...

Episode 138: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Michael Vedders, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Enterprise Resources at NorthRock Partners. In his role, Michael is responsible for extending NorthRock's reach and reputation. With more than a decade of experience in marketing and leading complex organizational projects, Michael has helped build teams, launch major branding initiatives, produc...

Episode 137: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Verity Larsen, Founder & CEO at Versoft Consulting. Versoft partners with RIAs to help navigate complex technology decisions, system conversions, and data strategy. Verity talks with Kyle about the realities behind data lakes in wealth management and why maintaining clean, accurate data is harder than it looks for RIAs. From the myth of "clean data"...

Episode 136: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Nicole McMullin, Senior Vice President of Product at Wealth.com. Nicole is a seasoned product leader with a proven track record of building and scaling high-performing product organizations. She brings deep experience in product strategy, cross-functional leadership, and translates customer needs into meaningful outcomes.  Nicole talks with Kyle abo...

Episode 135: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Jessica Perez, VP of Growth at Milemarker. Jessica brings a boots-on-the-ground perspective to the wealth management technology space, working directly with advisory firms to help them unlock the full potential of their data.  Kyle and Jessica recap key lessons from the Orion Ascent conference, where the central theme was “Relentless”—a mindset focu...

Episode 134: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Chip Kispert, Founder & Managing Partner at Beacon Strategies. Chip has spent decades building and leading one of the country’s most trusted wealth management partners, helping shape its national footprint through intentional M&A, strong partner alignment, and disciplined operational systems. His career reflects a deep commitment to sustainable grow...

Episode 133: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Jennifer Goldman, Founder and Strategic Operations Transformer and Integrator at My Virtual COO. Jen is an operations expert with 30 years of experience helping 1,000+ service businesses to thrive.  Jen talks with Kyle about what it really takes to run a profitable, scalable advisory firm. From defining what makes a truly great operator to navigatin...

Episode 132: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Andrew Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Rossby. Before Rossby, Andrew served as Executive Vice President at TAG Advisors and as a Securities Principal at Cambridge Investment Research.  Andrew talks with Kyle about entrepreneurship, growth, and designing better businesses. With a background in musical theater and a career that spans mortgage broker...

Episode 131: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Joe Moss, Founder at AdvisorTechBook. With a background in real estate and data analysis, Joe has become a go-to resource for financial advisors looking to optimize their tech stacks.  Joe talks with Kyle about the rapidly evolving world of advisor technology, AI, and personal branding in wealth management. He discusses how financial advisors can si...

Episode 130: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Adam Spiegelman, Founder and Wealth Advisor at Spiegelman Wealth Management, which offers investment and wealth management programs and services for high-net-worth clients. The company’s mission is to develop enduring relationships with clients by providing professional guidance for a lifetime of financial security.  Adam talks with Kyle about what...

Episode 129: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Mitch Hamer. Mitch is the Founder & Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth, where he partners with families to navigate their financial lives with clarity and intention. With an approach rooted more in psychology and behavior, Mitch helps clients step back from the things that get far too much attention and focus on the priorities that are often overlo...

Episode 128: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Tyson Ray, CEO, Founding Partner, and Senior Wealth Advisor at FORM Wealth Advisors. Tyson helps financial advisors exit their businesses with clarity, confidence, and no regrets. He's been recognized as a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor, AdvisorHub Advisors to Watch, and Barron's Top 1200 Advisor.   Kyle and Tyson discuss what it takes to build...