Author: trtnetwork

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Sneha Shah, Executive Vice President and Head of New Business Ventures at SEI. Sneha brings more than 25 years of global leadership experience across data, technology, and human-centered innovation.  Jack and Sneha explore how innovation actually takes root inside large financial services organizations. Sneha shares how SEI is incubating new ideas, empowering employees, and turning emerging technologies like AI and tokenization into real-world impact. The conversation spans mindset shifts, the role of community, generational and gender-based wealth transfer, and why partnerships—not ownership—will determine who wins in the next era of wealth management. In this…

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 navigating the messy middle of firm growth, Jen shares practical insights on constellation thinking, building operational leaders, and making hard profitability decisions. She also dives into the emotional and structural crossroads firms face as they scale, the evolving role of technology and AI in operations, and why clean data and strong systems still require human ownership.

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(03:33) – Jen’s money moment

(06:39) – What it takes to be a great operator

(08:55) – How “constellation thinking” works

(12:19) – Balancing SOPs with creativity in operations

(14:42) – The profitability challenges in the growth process

(16:57) – What determines whether you should build or join a platform

(21:42) – How Jen utilizes AI in her work 

(23:01) – Why AI can’t replace CRMs

(27:27) – Why it’s important to have clean CRM data

(32:36) – What it takes to build a process for advisors and investors

(37:35) – What Jen looks for when engaging with advisors

(39:53) – Jen’s outlook on the future of the financial services industry

(42:51) – Jen’s Milemarker Minute

Key Takeaways

Think like an operator. Great operators don’t work in silos. They practice “constellation thinking”—understanding how a change in one area (people, process, technology, profitability) impacts the rest of the organization. Sustainable growth comes from seeing those connections before making decisions.

Progress beats perfection when scaling a business. Operators must act with imperfect information and accept small failures along the way. Waiting for perfect data or perfect conditions slows growth. Progress, iteration, and course correction are what move firms forward.

Your growth path depends on how well you’ve built your team. When firms hit major crossroads, whether to scale into a platform or join one, the deciding factor is often people. Leaders who develop decision-makers and future executives create optionality—those who don’t often feel stuck or fatigued.

Systems create stability, but creativity keeps operations moving. SOPs and structured processes are essential for consistency, but operators must also stay flexible and creative when reality doesn’t follow the playbook. Balancing structure with adaptability is key to running a resilient firm.

Quotes

“Your data is so important. It’s telling you stories. If you don’t keep it clean, it’s not going to tell you what you need to do next with the business.” ~ Jennifer Goldman

“Businesses cannot scale unless they’re constantly and continuously improving. It doesn’t have to be a heavy lift. Just shine a light, make a small change, and keep going.” ~ Jennifer Goldman

“This clarity around data and understanding, pulling it together, and using it effectively is so important. It allows you to have more touch with the people around you, whether it’s clients or the advisor teams.” ~ Jennifer Goldman

Links 

Jennifer Goldman on LinkedIn

My Virtual COO

The Let Them Theory

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

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This week, Jack Sharry talks with Garrett Beam, Head of Digital Solutions at Cetera Financial Group. Garrett drives the product vision, strategy, experience, design, and execution across various platforms and products to support Cetera’s overarching strategic plan. He collaborates closely with the users and internal teams, including development and engineering, quality assurance, marketing, training, sales, and other groups, to deliver impactful solutions, go-to-market activities, adoption initiatives, and ongoing enhancements. Garrett talks with Jack about how the asset and wealth management industry is moving toward the great convergence, where technology, operations, and investment solutions seamlessly blend to meet rising consumer expectations.…

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 brokerage and financial advising, Andrew shares the parallels between creative careers and financial services, why repeatable processes beat flashy marketing plans, and how thoughtful design can transform the advisor experience. 

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(01:39) – Andrew’s money moment

(04:55) – Parallels between mortgage brokerage and financial advising

(07:07) – How Andrew built his early book of business

(11:50) – The financial-planning version of a closing credit

(13:07) – Redefining traditional conferences with The Unconference

(16:41) – How The Unconference generates the best business ideas

(19:43) – What it means to drive business forward

(25:04) – The concept of “less but better” in business and technology

(28:39) – Designing intuitive systems and reducing operational friction

(32:22) – Creativity, patience, and building differently

(35:16) – Andrew’s outlook on the future of the financial services industry

(44:13) – Andrew’s Milemarket Minute

Key Takeaways

Whether you’re selling a mortgage or a financial plan, technical skills are just the baseline. The real growth comes from mastering interpersonal and psychological engagement and understanding the emotional drivers behind a client’s financial decisions.

Plan a repeatable process. Growth becomes sustainable when your marketing and operations are simple enough to execute consistently every day.

Design for less but better. Complexity is the enemy of efficiency. In leadership and tech, aim for intuitive design that reduces clicks and surprises. Your goal should be to create a “source of truth” for data that lets your team spend less time on administration and more time on high-value work.

The best ideas at any conference or meeting rarely come from the person at the podium. They happen in the hallways, over coffee, or during shared activities.

Quotes

“Nobody gains great ideas by sitting there and being lectured at. It doesn’t happen. The best stuff happens in the conversations on the edges.” ~ Andrew Evans

“You can’t satisfy everyone. Whatever you’ve decided on for your firm’s tech stack, someone is going to hate it. So, design for the firm’s data integrity first, then let them pick their tools.” ~ Andrew Evans

“Focus on where your practice’s source of truth is. That’s where you really need your agent. Keep it focused. Keep it tight.” ~ Andrew Evans

Links 

Andrew Evans on LinkedIn

Rossby Financial

Raymond James

The Unconference

Kelsey McKenna

Seeds Investor

Midquel McClendon

Capital Square

The Design of Everyday Things

Redtail Technology

Wealthbox

Advisor360

eMoney Advisor

The Lord Of The Rings

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

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Produce game-changing content with Turncast

Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at Turncast.com.

75 million people read the wake-up call. Here’s what it means for your firm.

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Tim Kresl, Managing Principal & Head of US Client Success, and Ashley Wood, Managing Principal in Data & Analytics at Broadridge. Tim specializes in market strategy and quantitative analysis, while Ashley brings a strong background in client engagement and innovative financial solutions.  Tim and Ashley team up to help asset managers create more data-driven distribution strategies.  Tim and Ashley talk with Jack about the key findings of the 2025 MMI Investment Advisory Pulse Survey. They discuss the alignment and gaps between asset managers and wealth managers and the rising demand for tax-optimized portfolios. Tim…

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 simplify their technology, leverage AI effectively, build meaningful personal brands, attract top talent, and grow organically in an industry where relationships matter most.

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(01:26) – Joe’s money moment

(02:34) – Joe’s winding path to fintech

(05:47) – How people should evaluate AI in the future

(10:16) – The Zero Basis Points theory

(12:29) – The importance of data lakes in connecting AI capabilities

(18:49) – Why advisors need to tell their own stories

(20:41) – Strategies for attracting and retaining the best next-gen advisors

(27:35) – The difference between an audience and a community

(28:22) – Joe’s thoughts about the future of the financial services industry

(32:27) – Joe’s Milemarker Minute

Key Takeaways

Adapt to change, but focus on the fundamentals. The AI and advisor technology landscapes are rapidly evolving. Focus on core principles like accurate data, client relationships, and streamlined workflows.

Organic growth starts with personal branding. Share insights, solve problems, and build a reputation as a thought leader. Authentic content attracts clients and top talent.

Attract and retain talent by investing in people. Treat your team well, pay them fairly, delegate effectively, and provide a clear mission. The best talent often excels at critical thinking, not just technology.

AI is commoditizing technical financial knowledge. Advisors must shift their value proposition from “what I know” to “how I manage the relationship” to stay relevant.

Quotes

“The entire value of this industry’s proposition is going straight to the human relationship. And AI is going to make humans heroes in everything.” ~ Joe Moss

“The answer to organic growth is organic human content—basically building a personal brand.” ~ Joe Moss

“Living an amazing life is a journey of self-transformation. If you want to make a lot more money, you need to dump resources into your number one advisor tech, which is your brain.” ~ Joe Moss

Links 

Joe Moss on LinkedIn

AdvisorTechBook

Dave Ramsey

Parker Ence

Jump AI

Redtail Technology

Wealthbox

Zocks

Mark Gilbert

Zero Basis Points  – Podcast

Michael Kitces

Morgan Housel

Samantha Russell

Joshua Brown

Michael Batnick

Peter Mallouk

Joe Duran

United Capital Financial Advisors

Future Proof Citywide

Goldman Sachs

Root Financial

Altruist

Alex Hormozi

$100M Money Models

Ian Karnell

VastAssembly

The Alchemist

Justin Castelli

Santiago

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

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Produce game-changing content with Turncast

Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at Turncast.com.

As automation perfects the routine, the human skills—improvisation, presence, reading the room—become the edge.

This week, Jack Sharry talks with Michael Liersch, Chief Planning Officer at Edelman Financial Engines. Michael acts as the production arm at Edelman. He leads the firm’s strategic agenda around the convergence of financial planning, advice, technology, operations, investment solutions, and user experience. With a distinguished career spanning academia and financial services, Michael is also known for integrating behavioral insights into financial strategy. Michael talks with Jack about how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping financial advice, not as a replacement for humans, but as a force multiplier for listening, building trust, and improving outcomes. He also discusses the phases…

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 it really means to go independent and why freedom, service, and intentional scale matter more in financial services. He shares why he left large firms to build a boutique RIA, the emotional weight of the transition, and how he maintains a human-centric approach in an automated world.

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(01:32) – Adam’s money moment

(03:18) – Navigating the LPL acquisition of Commonwealth

(06:07) – What Adam learned after going independent

(08:41) – The reality of independence

(10:09) – The challenges and rewards of building a custom technology ecosystem

(13:03) – What made Commonwealth technology user-friendly

(17:53) – Adam’s vision for Spiegelman Wealth Management

(20:20) – What great service actually looks like in practice

(22:31) – Adam’s growth strategies

(26:04) – Adam’s outlook on the future of the wealth management industry

(28:30) – Adam’s Milemarker Minute

Key Takeaways

Freedom creates clarity, but also responsibility. Going independent removes bureaucracy but also challenges leaders to own every decision, especially in technology and operations.

Great service lives in the small, thoughtful moments. Picking up the phone, anticipating confusion, and proactively helping clients through stressful situations often matter more than flashy offerings.

Growth doesn’t have to mean “bigger”. Staying intentionally small can be a competitive advantage when relationships, trust, and responsiveness are the core product.

AI will change the work, but not remove the human role. As modeling and analysis become commoditized, judgment, empathy, and contextual thinking become even more valuable.

Quotes

“I talked to dozens of recruiters, firms, and advisors. And I did all this due diligence with one purpose in mind: to scare me out of wanting to go independent. And no one could scare me. I knew in my heart that this was the absolute right thing to do.” ~ Adam Spiegelman

“I learned a long time ago that this business is not just about lining my pockets. It’s not about money and fees, it’s about relationships.” ~ Adam Spiegelman

“People want to take more charge of their finances. Gone are the days of pension plans and the government providing all that support.” ~ Adam Spiegelman

Links 

Adam Spiegelman on LinkedIn

Spiegelman Wealth Management

Fidelity Investments

A Gentleman in Moscow

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

Subscribe and stay in touch

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube

Produce game-changing content with Turncast

Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at Turncast.com.