Transparency with Diana B

When Stacie Calder first joined the financial services industry, she pounded the pavement and quickly climbed the corporate ladder. But her rise came with a cost.  In this episode, she opens up about the persona she adopted to fit a traditional mold of leadership, one that silenced her authentic voice in favor of external approval. … Read More Read More

What happens when professional achievement outpaces personal well-being? Dr. Preston Cherry, founder of Concurrent Financial Planning, seemed to have it all—a thriving career and a secure six-figure salary in his late 20s. But beneath the surface, he was stuck in a seven-year fog, struggling to align his personal life with his financial success. In this … Read More Read More

Mary Saylor had been working hard to earn her accounting degree at Penn State University when she got some shocking news at the beginning of her senior year—she was pregnant. And while many women would think of it as a roadblock, Saylor saw it as a blessing. It didn't stop her from pursuing her degree … Read More Read More

Many advisors know Aaron Klein as the super-friendly, charismatic leader of Nitrogen, formerly Riskalyze, the company he founded about 13 years ago as a risk tolerance documentation tool. He's since stepped down from his role leading the company. What most advisors probably don't know is Aaron's personal journey—the challenges he faced balancing running a major … Read More Read More

Michelle Begina started her journey to financial independence after an unexpected betrayal. When she was just 17 years old, her parents used her college fund to buy a yacht instead of supporting her education. Michelle then had to forge her own path, overcoming adversity and reshaping her perceptions of money and trust. In this episode, … Read More Read More

George Kinder, raised in St. Clairsville, Ohio, was inspired by his passion for freedom and creativity to explore a deeper purpose for his life beyond traditional career paths. His work as a tax preparer revealed a universal longing for fulfillment, leading him to pioneer life planning, a method empowering individuals to pursue their true aspirations. … Read More Read More

Adventure racing—an off-road, navigation-based sport that fuses endurance, strategy, and teamwork—became a life-changing journey for Ryan VanGorder. What started as a casual comment while watching The Echo Challenge with friends transformed into a relentless pursuit of his physical and mental limits. Since 1999, Ryan and his team have tackled grueling competitions that stretch from a … Read More Read More

Having grown up around financial planning, Matthew Newman realized the importance of having everything in place before tragedy strikes. His father's advice to plan for the negative moments was a lifeline.  At age 39, he was diagnosed with Grade 3 Astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer. At the time, he had three children under 5, … Read More Read More

It was not just one struggle in her life that shaped Marissa Nehlsen. Since her formative years, she's faced adversity and come out stronger every time.  Despite significant hardships, including the loss of her family farm, enduring domestic abuse from her father, and coping with Stargardt disease, which has led to blindness, Marissa has built … Read More Read More

In her role as head of culture and field experience at RBC Wealth Management U.S., Shareen Luze is responsible for making sure the firm's 2,200 financial advisors feel supported and have a similar employee experience as those in the home office. One particular area of focus, which has become more acute in the global pandemic, … Read More Read More

While studying at Duke University, Martine Lellis started to feel sick. It developed quickly into a hospital visit where she was diagnosed with pneumonia in both her lungs. The condition escalated into a near-deadly situation, so her doctors decided to induce a coma even before her parents were able to reach her.  It became so … Read More Read More

Kimberly Sanders followed a typical path into financial services, gaining an undergrad in finance and working for a series of banks and brokerage firms. When she became pregnant, she made the decision to stay home for eight years to raise her kids. But when it was time to return to work, the path was not … Read More Read More

At the end of 2022, Kristine McManus got an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. Yet doctors thought it was the least aggressive form and easily treatable.  Shortly after her surgery, she received multiple messages from the hospital; it turns out she had the most aggressive form of breast cancer, triple-negative. Her outlook on life changed as … Read More Read More

As the staggering number of Opioid overdoses and deaths continue to increase, so does the threat on family finances and retirement dreams. Cheryl Canzanella knows that all too well. In August 2017, she lost her husband to an accidental overdose, exposing her to the horrific realities of the opioid crisis. Since his death, she's made … Read More Read More

At just 10 years old, William Hoffman's son Liam was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF), a rare genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. When Will and his family got the news, they could have succumbed to despair.  Instead, Will leaned into it, and has made it his mission to find … Read More Read More

While wellbeing and mental health have become a more mainstream conversation among the wider U.S. population since the pandemic, it's a topic still largely untouched by the financial services industry. New research from Kitces.com aims to measure and track trends across advisor wellbeing, just as the industry benchmarks anything else.  Over 1500 members of financial … Read More Read More

After selling her business in November 2022, Tina Powell earmarked 2023 her “year of health.” The first step on that journey was to get a full body scan at the Princeton Longevity Center on Martin Luther King day 2023. That scan would change the trajectory of her life.  That day, her doctors discovered a 2.1 … Read More Read More

As a busy and often stressed-out executive at one of the top RIAs in the country, James Bogart found himself neglecting his well-being, resulting in weight gain and various health issues.  A series of hospital visits prompted him to hire a concierge doctor and a nutritionist, leading to a remarkable 70-pound weight loss over the … Read More Read More

Facing the hurdles of disadvantaged youth, Heather Kelly's life was marked by a single mother, a disabled sister, and limited opportunities. She moved out of her home in Ozone Park, Queens, at the young age of 16. On top of that, she has struggled with dyslexia, a learning disorder and neurological condition that posed additional … Read More Read More

When financial advisor Cary Carbonaro met her first husband, she thought she had it all. She had a great upbringing in New York, wonderful family and friends. She was very successful. And while her fiancé looked very good on paper, the relationship turned out to be toxic.   Behind closed doors, the marriage was a nightmare, … Read More Read More

When Mike Wunderli started his journey into wealth management, he was excited about a career that had a combination of sales and finance, interpersonal and analytical. He built up an impressive book of business, helping entrepreneurs and business owners engineer liquidity events for their companies.  But then, the 2008 financial crisis hit, causing the downfall … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Resiliency and Other Lessons Inside Lehman →

Maria Castillo Dominguez grew up in Ronda, a small mountaintop town in the south of Spain. And while she had a great support system, she also had a very humble childhood, and things were difficult for her family financially. And because of that background, she lacked a lot of opportunities. Most of her family members … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Persevering in the Face of Adversity with Maria Castillo Dominguez →

After selling her firm to EP Wealth in 2016, Lynn Ballou became a fixture among EP's leadership team that worked to take the RIA to new heights. She's also served as a mentor for younger advisors and a fierce advocate for greater diversity in the wealth management industry. Lynn had to put all of that … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Living With Cancer With Lynn Ballou →

In his financial advisory practice, Paul Peeler specializes in planning for mental illness caregivers and their families. But Paul has his own story of caring for a family member with a mental illness and the emotional toll the experience has taken on him. When a close family member spiraled into a mental health crisis, he … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Caring for Family With Serious Mental Illness With Paul Peeler →

A lot of people in the industry know Stephanie Bogan; she's a sought-after business and practice management coach and speaker. Before starting Limitless Advisor, her current coaching firm, she founded a consulting firm at the age of 24 and sold it in a 7-figure deal to a Fortune 200 company. She then joined Joe Duran's … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Overcoming Insecurities and Self-Doubt With Stephanie Bogan →

Sathya Chey Patterson was born into struggle. She came into the world in a Thai refugee camp, as her family had just escaped from the Cambodian genocide, an explosion of mass violence that saw between 1.5 and 3 million people killed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, a communist political group, in the 1970s. … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: A Refugee's Journey and the Power of Sound Healing With Sathya Chey Patterson →

Trigger warning: This episode discusses content some listeners may find upsetting. A lot of folks in the wealth management industry know Tyrone Ross; he's a frequent speaker at industry events, an active “finfluencer” on social media, and a thought leader in the crypto asset space. Less known is his life journey and how he got … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Lessons Learned From a Dream Not Realized with Tyrone Ross →

A little more than six years ago, Robert started living a healthier lifestyle, working out a lot more, in an effort to lose weight. But one day while working out, he had a widowmaker heart attack, which happens when you have a blockage in the biggest artery in your heart. The name of it leaves … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Beating the Odds and a Fresh Perspective on Life With Robert Steinberg →

Mary Martin had always been very health conscious, making sure she ate right and stayed in shape. But several years ago, she had a miscarriage at five months' pregnant, although she didn't know she was pregnant at the time. The experience helped her learn that from an emotional standpoint, she wasn't really present in her … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: The Art of Mindfulness With Mary Martin →

Trigger warning: This episode discusses content some listeners may find upsetting. Journalist Davis Janowski grew up in the Panhandle of Florida, where he grew accustomed to sunny weather and developed a deep passion for the great outdoors. But when he moved to Syracuse, N.Y., at age 25 for grad school, the cold weather and lack … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Living With Major Recurring Depression With Davis Janowski →

When Lori Eisel first found out her son had an addiction problem, she tried to do everything in her power to get control over the situation and help him. But even years later, he is still on the road to recovery. In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Lori Eisel, president … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: When a Child Struggles With Opioid Addiction With Lori Eisel →

Advisor Joseph R. Biondo Sr. just recently celebrated 60 years in the financial services industry, but his path to success was not a linear one. In his 83 years, he has experienced his fair share of struggles—both personally and professionally. In fact, his life began with tragedy. Just three weeks before he was born, his … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Reflecting on a Life Well-Lived, Yet Not Without Tragedy →

A little over a year ago, advisor Jonathan DeYoe was in a healthy place; he was meditating on a regular basis, working out, eating and sleeping right. But in the summer of 2021, he tragically lost his only brother and business partner when he drowned in the Pacific Ocean. He says his life came to … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Rebuilding Healthy Habits After Traumatic Loss With Jonathan DeYoe →

On average, there are 130 suicides per day, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and individuals who work in financial services are 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide than the national average, according to the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance.  Right before advisor Larry Sprung was set to break away and launch his … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: The Loss of a Loved One and a Passion for Suicide Prevention With Larry Sprung →

In 2020, Danika Waddell's prior firm was audited by the State of Washington, and the state found that her U4 was never filed properly, after four years of working with clients. The whole ordeal was traumatic for her.  In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton is joined by Danika Waddell, president and founder of … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor Podcast: The Silver Lining With Danika Waddell →

The loss of a loved one can lead to a tidal wave of emotions before reaching acceptance and continuing on in life without them. Before starting his own practice, advisor Vance Barse experienced profound grief after losing five family members, including his biological father who he had never met. However, this darker time in his … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Closure at the Grave With Vance Barse →

Managing employee burnout is key to creating a healthy workplace environment. But what steps should advisory and financial services firms be taking to reduce stress and burnout in the workplace? In 2022, ActivTrak released a benchmark study on productivity and wellbeing within the financial services industry, revealing that this space is, in fact, better at … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Reducing Employee Burnout With Gabriela Mauch →

Early in his career in financial services, Matthew Grishman was working as a wholesaler, making a lot of money, and on the outside, he looked as though he was living his best life, with the Rolex watch, the shiny Allen Edmonds shoes, the Hickey Freeman suits. But on the inside, he was empty and trying … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Getting Financially Sober With Matthew Grishman →

Jess Bost found CrossFit during a traumatic time in her life. About her workouts, she says, “I went to the darkest place I could, and I fought my demons in that place.”  CrossFit, which stands for cross-discipline fitness, became her bridge to healing.  In this episode, Diana Britton is joined by Jess Bost, the vice … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Finding Healing in the Gym With Deadlifter Jess Bost →

In 2011, Jeff Martinovich was barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from any role in selling securities or associating with FINRA members, and he's currently serving a 16-year prison sentence, with about 2.5 years more on home confinement in Norfolk, Va. An ankle monitor on his left ankle keeps tabs on his movements.  But … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Barred But Not Broken →

Our experiences throughout childhood can have a major impact on the way we live our lives into adulthood. But after meeting Marc Nichols, you might never have guessed the trauma that he experienced growing up, one he describes as “inconsistent.”  In this episode, Diana Britton is joined by Nichols, product director at Arbor Digital, who opens … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Healing From Physical and Mental Abuse of the Past →

Dr. Travis Parry started his career as a financial advisor. But when Parry was just  26 years old, his father died of a sudden heart attack while mountain biking, and he had to clean up the financial mess left in his wake. That included processing his father's death claim, paying off his mother's house, helping … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Finding Balance With Dr. Travis Parry →

Stevyn Guinnip has seen secondhand the toll this industry can take on a person's health and wellbeing; her father, after all, was a financial advisor with Edward Jones for several decades. Advisors, she says, come into this industry and are told they have to hustle for the first five to 10 years and then will … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Treating Your Health As an Asset with Stevyn Guinnip →

With several business ideas and capital secured from investors such as Mark Cuban and Mark Burnett, Anthony Zhang had an impressive path towards a bright future. That is, until a terrible accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, changing his life forever.  In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by … Continue reading The Healthy Advisor: Life As a Quadriplegic with Anthony Zhang →

A Note to Transparency Listeners: In 2022, the podcast is going to be changing its name to “The Healthy Advisor,” to give a clearer idea of what the podcast is about. Transparency with Diana B. was not quite as transparent a title as we thought.  Julia Carlson got married at age 19, and right out … Continue reading Transparency With Diana B.: The Glass Ceiling and Financial Independence With Julia Carlson →

Eric Arnold is no stranger to failure. In fact, he failed out of college, got fired from two companies, failed at nine different startup ventures and lost everything on a bad investment.  In this episode, Diana Britton speaks with Eric Arnold, CEO of Planswell, about how he has learned from those failures and has been … Continue reading Coming Back From Failure with Eric Arnold →

Advisor Gary Schwartz was always able to make money; at the young age of 12, he started delivering newspapers in the Bronx. That's also when he discovered drugs and alcohol, which became a way for him to self-medicate and cope with his self-esteem issues. From there, the addiction progressed; cocaine and speed were his drugs … Continue reading Transparency with Diana B.: The Road to Recovery →

Advisor Robert Schein's father worked hard his adult life to provide for his family, and just four months into retirement, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer. After about three years battling the disease, his father ultimately passed, thrusting his mother into having to take over the family finances.  … Continue reading Transparency with Diana B.: Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Finances →

Advisor Anne Marie Stonich was just 28 years old when she and her two partners started building their own wealth management firm from scratch. For anyone in the business, that first year can be brutal. But she did it while also caring for her newborn baby, and shuttling to and from the hospital to see … Continue reading Transparency With Diana B.: Bad Timing and Bearing the Loss of Loved Ones →

Silvia Tergas has been fortunate to pursue her passions and use her differences to her advantage within the financial services industry. Silvia's father, who escaped from Cuba during the Cuban Revolution, paved the way for her to get educated in the U.S. The values he taught her and the rest of the family led to several opportunities … Continue reading Transparency with Diana B.: Life as a Female Latina in Financial Services →

Growing up in inner city Baltimore, Denika Tokunaga and her family struggled financially and couldn't afford many of the luxuries that others had. That racial wealth gap affected many in the Black community, but she was determined to work hard and get educated so that she could get out of the inner city and overcome … Continue reading Transparency with Diana B.: Overcoming the Racial Wealth Gap →