Knowing Me, Knowing You

What if wealth management didn’t just serve the wealthy? Laura Combs is flipping the script on who gets access to high-quality financial advice. As Executive Managing Director at Mercer Advisors and co-founder of its Wealth Path Group and InvestHERS initiative, Laura is on a mission to make comprehensive, values-aligned financial planning accessible, whether you’re managing $10,000 or $10 million....

Tina Powell refuses to quit. Nearly three years after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she’s still in the fight for her health, and for the health of the industry she inspires. Today, as Chief of Community at Intention.ly, Tina leads by example, showing advisors how to tell authentic stories that power better lives. In this episode, Tina shares why she believes community and connection ar...

ETFs have leveled the playing field for advisors and investors alike. Funds that were once available only to the largest firms are now available to anyone. In this episode, we talk to Elisabeth Kashner, VP and Director of Global Funds Research and Analytics at FactSet. She led research at ETF.com, where she authored extensively on strategic beta, ETF classification, efficacy, and robo‑adviser port...

Grace Belangia believes in the power of entrepreneurs so deeply that she frequently refers to entrepreneurship as “the backbone of democracy.” That’s why she’s dedicated her life to helping entrepreneurs bring their visions to life through her company, Make Startups. In this episode, Grace shares her thoughts on catalytic philanthropy, why she wishes more women thought of themselves as investors a...

When Rich Walker founded Quik!, he set out to tackle one of the most frustrating inefficiencies in wealth management: endless paperwork. Twenty-three years later, he is still on that mission, now with AI as his ultimate tool to make paper forms a thing of the past. In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You , Rich shares how he went from IBM intern to financial advisor to tech founder, building a...

Capital Gives You Wings: Jennifer Povlitz on Wealth, Purpose & Generational Impact When UBS Global Wealth Management U.S. Vice Chair Jennifer Povlitz talks about money, she’s really talking about possibility . Drawing on wisdom from her grandmother, “Capital equates to influence, and you can use that influence for good,” Jennifer makes the case for a new era of wealth management that starts wi...

When it comes to leveraging AI to scale financial services, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger proponent than Sandeep Mangaraj, co-founder and managing partner of Aileron Group. The data problem of the financial world has always been a sticking point. The avalanche of disorganized data with no easy way to analyze and access it has left financial professionals scratching their heads for decades...

Harry Mamaysky gets the feeling that a lot of advisors aren’t keeping up with the latest research – or any research at all, for that matter. And he’s not here to blame advisors! The financial industry is incentivized to attract new clients, which is typically best accomplished by emotional appeals rather than academic research.  Is it possible to apply investment best practices and still meet the...

Some days, the mountain is Everest, and other days, it’s just keeping up with your mammogram appointment. No matter what it is, you need clarity to recognize it. And to climb it! Cokie Cox, our guest on this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You , knows a bit about that. During the week, Cokie is a financial advisor who helps women navigate the challenges that come after divorce. On weekends, she cli...

In today’s fast-changing wealth landscape, differentiation is survival. Abby Salameh, Chief Growth Officer at RFG Advisory, believes that every advisor has a story worth telling and that it has nothing to do with the services they offer. To build a brand that drives growth, advisors should align their personal story with the feeling they want to evoke in clients and prospects.  With three decades...

“I remember meeting with a financial planner, and feeling talked down to, not feeling empowered.” When women feel heard, seen, and genuinely supported, they are capable of anything.  Caterina Rando is an expert community builder. She empowers women to reach their full potential. As an entrepreneur and trusted leader, she shares insights and tips to help wealth managers connect more meaningfully wi...

This July 4th, we celebrate freedom & purpose, and honor the people who have dedicated their lives to protecting it. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Comitz served in the U.S. Army for over 20 years. West Point grad. PhD in organic chemistry. Army professor. Strategic ops leader. And then? He was expected to start over. Veterans like Richard carry a rare combination of discipline, resilience, and pr...

The best financial plan doesn’t start with what you have, but with who you are. And that’s exactly the kind of plan Jessica Gibbs, CFP® and partner at Monument Wealth Management, helps her clients build. In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You , she shares how it all begins with simple questions and honest conversations, until they get to what matters the most to each of them.  Family time, fre...

If you’re juggling 80 different software platforms to run your advisory practice, you’re not alone. As crazy as it sounds, it's the reality one advisor shared with Taylor Matthews, Founder of Farther, before joining their platform. In this episode, Taylor shares how Farther simplifies wealth management with fully integrated technology. Farther allows advisors to deliver family office caliber...

Nicole Casperson doesn’t believe women lack confidence with money. She believes they’ve been written out of the story. As a journalist-turned-founder of Fintech is Femme, Nicole has spent the last few years reframing the narrative that surrounds women in finance. From growing her newsletter to 50,000 fintech insiders in under a year to launching packed-out leadership summits, she’s created a platf...

Sonja Strzoda built her career in global asset management, advising boards, executives, and investors for over 25 years. She has seen what financial security looks like behind the scenes and why so many people, especially women, still feel unprepared or uncertain when it comes to their own money. Now, after stepping away from corporate life to serve on boards like WISE and the California Financial...

Kendra Thompson led wealth management strategy in roles at Accenture and Deloitte Canada, giving her a front-row seat to what Fortune500 broker-dealers, banks, insurers, and retirement firms were planning behind closed doors… and what didn’t work. She’s seen the boardroom disbelief, the resistance to change, and the industry’s failure to meet the needs of women, next-gen clients, and anyone who di...

He helped a lesbian artist escape persecution and launch an international career. What does that have to do with wealth management? Everything. In this unforgettable episode, Rod Sayegh, Chief Digital Officer at Fiduciary Trust and co-founder of one of the first LGBTQ artist residencies in the U.S., shares how using money with purpose changed lives, including his own. One artist was ready to give...

A good succession plan can transfer assets. A great one transfers trust, relationships, and everything that doesn’t live in a CRM.  In this episode, Jake Saba, Vice President of Growth and Succession at Focus Financial Network, shares what really goes into a smooth transition—not just assets, but wisdom, trust, and client relationships. Drawing on the firm’s experience guiding over 60 advisor succ...

In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Lorie Jones, president of Fearless Financial Advisors and host of the Fearless Females podcast, shares how listening—deep, patient, and human—builds real trust in financial advising. Lorie’s approach breaks away from the traditional numbers-first model, creating space for clients to share their lives, values, and fears. From helping women align their mon...

What if the key to great financial planning had nothing to do with spreadsheets and everything to do with how someone feels about money? In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Miye Wire shares how her award-winning planning practice centers on empathy, discovery, and action. With over 30 years of experience and a team built around emotional intelligence, not just financial acumen, Miye is red...

When governments, Fortune 500 companies, and military leaders want to understand the future—they call Brian David Johnson (BDJ). As Intel’s first futurist, BDJ has spent 30 years advising the world’s most powerful institutions on what’s coming next—and how to prepare for it. But in today’s world of economic uncertainty, generational shifts, AI disruption, and declining trust in financial systems,...

Women are set to control $30 trillion in wealth by 2030, yet the financial industry still doesn’t speak their language. Cary Carbonaro, bestselling author and CFP®, is changing that—by sharing everything… from the holdings in her own personal investment portfolio to her tax returns to her financial fears. Cary approaches each client as "a teacher, therapist, and cheerleader," often recom...

I see your money shame in your shoulders. So many of us carry quiet shame around money—but what if that wasn't your story? In this powerful episode, we talk with financial therapist Bari Tessler, creator of the Art of Money program, about how to shift from anxiety and avoidance to clarity and compassion. Together, we explore why most financial advice ignores our emotions, and how reconnecting...

What if your financial advisor supported your family’s holistic health and wellness, across generations? In this episode, we sit down with Theodora Lau, influencer, serial author focused on the future of money, and founder of Unconventional Ventures, to explore how financial services can do better—not just collecting data but using it to help people live well. We talk about what real financial inc...