The Agent of Wealth

Before you hire your first employee, file your first patent or bring on a co-founder, there are a few legal decisions that can determine whether your startup succeeds—or struggles. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis is joined by Philip Crowley, startup advisor, attorney, founder of Crowley Law LLC and author of Avoid Startup Failure . Drawing on decades of experience...

What's the biggest threat to your retirement? It might not be inflation or market volatility. It could be losing your strength, mobility, and independence. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams is joined by Susan Brady , a physical therapist, integrative health practitioner, and bone health expert with more than 30 years of experience. Susan shares why buildin...

Your condo or co-op may be your biggest investment—but is poor board governance quietly reducing its value? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams is joined by Tina Larsson, Co-Founder of The Folson Group , New York's premier co-op and condo consulting firm. After uncovering $340,000 in unnecessary expenses in her own building, Tina left a successful Wall Stree...

What if a single form you filled out decades ago could override your will and completely change where your assets end up?  For millions of Americans, outdated beneficiary designations create costly estate planning mistakes that can leave loved ones fighting legal battles, paying unnecessary fees, or losing inheritances altogether. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis e...

SpaceX is poised to become one of the world's most valuable public companies overnight. The question is: does the opportunity justify the risk? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis takes a deep dive into the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO. Rather than offering a simple buy-or-sell recommendation, Marc breaks down the company's S-1 filing, explores the business...

You've spent years building equity in your home — but when does it make sense to actually put that equity to work? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams breaks down the three most common ways homeowners access their home equity: Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs), Home Equity Loans, and Cash-Out Refinancing. He explains how each strategy works, where each on...

The easy 5% returns on cash may be disappearing — but that doesn’t mean your money has to stop working hard. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis breaks down one of the biggest shifts happening in personal finance right now: the decline of high-yield cash account rates. After two years of earning 5%+ in savings accounts and money markets, many investors are wondering w...

What if success has less to do with talent — and more to do with how we learn, adapt, and grow over time? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , the Bautis Financial team discusses another book in their Book Club series : Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant. In Hidden Potential , Adam Grant argues that achievement isn’t reserved for naturally gifted pe...

A heartbreaking story. A growing threat. And a practical framework every family should know before it’s too late. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis explores the rise of modern financial scams — from romance fraud and investment schemes to AI-generated deepfakes that can mimic the voices and faces of loved ones. Through the real-life story of a woman manipulated out...

What if one investment could potentially reduce your tax bill today and generate income tomorrow? Oil and gas investing might not be as out-of-reach — or as risky-as-you-think. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams is joined by Courtney Moeller , an oil and gas investor, entrepreneur, and Navy veteran who helps high-income earners reduce their tax burden and build...

Most business owners think the path to growth is doing more — but what if that mindset is actually holding you back? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams is joined by David McGhee , a Business Performance Coach with over 20 years of experience helping six-figure business owners scale to seven figures — without burning out. David shares why focusing less on growth...

After discovering a community of 470,000 single parents, one expert realized something surprising: no one was teaching the practical side of doing it alone. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis is joined by Pat Hankin, business professional, parenting expert, and author of The Field Guide for Single Parents — a practical, no-fluff resource designed to help solo parents...

Most renters accept the listed price — but what if that’s your biggest mistake? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams is joined by Justin Pogue, founder of Rental Secrets , to uncover how renters can better understand landlord psychology — and use it to their advantage. In this episode, you will learn: Why landlords are highly motivated to fill vacancies — and how...

America’s aging population is creating one of the most powerful demographic trends of the next two decades — and it’s reshaping opportunities in real estate. But senior living is far more complex than traditional multifamily investing. From staffing challenges to operational improvements and investor structures, understanding the sector requires a unique blend of healthcare expertise and real esta...

What if the best way to solve problems… is to stop them from happening in the first place? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , the Bautis Financial team discusses another book in their Book Club series : Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath. Through real-world examples and insights from the book, the team explores why organizations often get stuck reac...

What happens when systems designed to succeed are actually built to fail? In today’s episode, we explore why growth-at-all-costs can undermine even the most well-intentioned organizations. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , co-host John Williams is joined by Eugene Theodore , strategist, former photojournalist, and author of Built to Collapse , to uncover the hidden forces shaping modern bus...

Perfection is a trap. Excellence is a system. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , host Marc Bautis is joined by Stanley Bronstein — attorney, CPA, life coach, and creator of The Way of Excellence — to explore the powerful difference between perfection and excellence, and why that distinction can transform your health, wealth, and life. After losing more than 220 pounds and maintaining...

Affordable housing. Durable cash flow. And an asset class that historically outperformed during recessions. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , co-host John Williams is joined by Leo Young, Founder and Managing Partner of Cornell Communities , a real estate investment firm focused on acquiring and operating manufactured housing communities across the United States. With experience spanning mo...

Most people assume Medicare will cover long-term care — until they discover, often too late, that it won’t. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , co-host John Williams sits down with Raymond Lavine, founder of Lavine LTC Benefits , to unpack one of the most misunderstood areas of financial planning: long-term care. From defining what long-term care actually means to exploring where care is deli...

Do you really need a banker in an era of digital banking, AI, and one-click financial tools? And if so, what kind of banker actually makes a difference for your business? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , host Marc Bautis is joined by Walt Postlewait, a longtime banking and credit risk leader with more than 20 years of experience in commercial lending, financial innovation, and access to ca...

As wealth transfers across generations, cybercriminals are positioning themselves to intercept it. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , host Marc Bautis is joined by Robert Siciliano , one of the nation’s most trusted authorities on cybersecurity, identity theft, and fraud prevention. Robert is a private investigator, Certified Speaking Professional, bestselling author, and the creator of The...

Paying investment fees is normal. Not knowing what you’re paying isn’t. Research shows that many investors underestimate — or completely overlook — the true cost of investing, with more than 20% believing they pay no fees at all. In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , co-host John Williams , CFP®, breaks down the often-misunderstood world of investment fees. He explains the different way...

Are gold and silver simply relics of the past, or critical tools for navigating what may be the next major shift in the global monetary system? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , host Marc Bautis is joined by David Morgan, a precious metals analyst and monetary system critic with more than four decades of experience. David is the co-author of The Silver Manifesto , publisher of The Morgan Re...

What if the real problem with education isn’t that students aren’t learning enough — but that they’re learning the wrong things for today’s workplace? Too many graduates are prepared for exams, but not for collaboration, uncertainty, or real-world decision-making — including money In this episode of The Agent of Wealth , co-host John Williams is joined by Simon Holzapfel, co-founder and CFO of L-E...

What if the biggest communication breakthroughs have less to do with what you say — and more to do with how well you listen? In this episode of The Agent of Wealth Podcast , the Bautis Financial team discusses another book in their Book Club series : Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit . As conversations ar...