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The Advisor Journey

The Advisor Journey
Author: Altruist
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© 2025 The Advisor Journey
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Real-life strategies for the modern financial advisor who’s ready to scale. Join Altruist founder and CEO Jason Wenk, Altruist’s Head of Community Dasarte Yarnway, and guests as they share proven tactics, unfiltered advice, and hard-won lessons you can apply to your own practice. These conversations will propel your career to the next level—don’t miss it.
101 Episodes
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Nyle Bayer, CMO of Future Proof, joins The Advisor Journey to share how he helped turn a bold idea into one of the most innovative events in wealth management. Drawing from his background as an advisor and now event builder, Nyle explains the principles behind Future Proof’s growth, from creating unforgettable experiences to engineering meaningful networking opportunities. He breaks down what advisors can learn from world-class event marketing—why product quality comes first, how every touchp...
Torie Happe, Head of Partnerships at Holistiplan, joins The Advisor Journey to discuss how tax planning has become a cornerstone of modern wealth management and why advisors leveraging tools like Holistiplan stand out in today’s competitive landscape. In this engaging episode, Torie shares Holistiplan’s journey from a grassroots solution with just a few thousand users to a platform now serving over 50,000 advisors. She explains how the tool empowers advisors to deliver “aha moments” for clien...
Cathy Curtis, founder of Curtis Financial Planning, joins The Advisor Journey to unpack how she built a thriving advisory practice focused exclusively on serving single women, sustaining steady growth for over two decades. In this insightful conversation, Cathy shares the pivotal shift she made after floundering as a generalist, and how committing to a clearly defined niche accelerated her success. She breaks down practical marketing strategies—combining compelling digital branding with inten...
Kevin Thompson, former MLB player and founder of 9Innings Capital Group, joins The Advisor Journey to share his experience transitioning from professional baseball into financial advisory and his strategic approach to building an independent advisory firm. Kevin discusses his intentional shift away from commission-based products toward holistic financial planning driven by authentic client relationships and values alignment. In this candid conversation, Kevin explores common challenges adviso...
Emily Binder, founder of Beetle Moment Marketing and WealthVoice, returns to The Advisor Journey to share her deep expertise in financial services marketing. Emily dives into the critical shifts she's witnessed over her eight years in the industry, emphasizing the democratization of content creation and the evolving landscape shaped by short-form video and social media. In this insightful episode, Emily highlights why authenticity and distinctiveness are more crucial than ever, detailing prac...
Alex Newman returns to The Advisor Journey to share his innovative two-pronged approach to growing Grape Wealth Management: building a vibrant community of retirees through in-person events while implementing advanced AI systems for practice efficiency. Alex reveals how his "Retire Temecula" events have evolved from just five attendees to gatherings regularly drawing 80-150 people, creating powerful organic growth opportunities. Simultaneously, he explains his custom AI implementations for pe...
In this special host-only episode of The Advisor Journey, Will Steiner and Dasarte Yarnway discuss how advisors can effectively integrate AI into their businesses to drive growth and efficiency. They break down practical strategies for using AI to enhance marketing, streamline operations, and improve client experiences. Plus, they cover essential tools every advisor should know, address common misconceptions about AI replacing jobs, and share insights on how AI will reshape the financial advi...
Ari Taublieb, Chief Growth Officer at Root Financial, joins The Advisor Journey to share how he helped scale the firm from $25 million to $1.1 billion in AUM, primarily through YouTube. Ari breaks down the playbook behind Root’s explosive organic growth, fueled by video content, community building, and a culture-first hiring model. He explains how one viral YouTube video can change everything, why conversion starts before the first meeting, and what it really means to build a client experienc...
In this episode of The Advisor Journey, Ben Olsen, founder of Beemo Automation, shares his remarkable journey from financial advisor to a leading innovator in advisory technology. Ben dives deep into how his passion for improving day-to-day advisor workflows led him to create a company dedicated entirely to AI-driven solutions and automation tailored specifically for RIAs. In his conversation with hosts Will Steiner and Dasarte Yarnway, Ben highlights the most significant bottlenecks facing a...
Joe Schmitz joins The Advisor Journey to reveal how he's built Peak Retirement Planning from a solo practice to a firm with nearly 60 team members in just three years, growing to $300 million in assets under management. Joe shares his laser-focused approach to serving "Midwestern Millionaires" – clients with $1-10 million in assets who embody the hardworking, frugal values he grew up with in rural Ohio. His multi-channel marketing strategy through YouTube, workshops, books, and Kiplinger arti...
In this value-packed episode, Thomas Kopelman returns to share how he's built a thriving advisory practice generating $1.5 million in annual revenue with extraordinary profit margins. Thomas breaks down his business model serving business owners through a high-touch, premium flat-fee approach ranging from $12,000-$18,000 annually. Listeners will discover Thomas's detailed client service approach, including his team structure that maximizes everyone's strengths, his "reverse engineering" proce...
What does it take to transform from a hard-charging entrepreneur to a visionary leader driven by love and abundance? In this episode, The Advisor Journey welcomes Omani (formerly Ron) Carson to discuss his evolution as a business leader and person. From his early days of relentless hustle to building Carson Group into an industry powerhouse, Omani shares the key lessons that shaped his journey. This conversation is packed with insights for financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking...
Hosts Dasarte Yarnway and Jason Wenk sit down with Nyle Bayer and Matt Middleton, the visionaries behind Future Proof. They discuss the evolution of financial industry events, the role of AI in wealth management, and the biggest challenges advisors face today. From career-defining connections to groundbreaking innovations, this conversation dives into how technology and human relationships are reshaping the industry. Plus, bold predictions for the next five years and why embracing change is n...
In this episode Dasarte sits down with Chris Fisher, co-founder of ISTO Advisors, to explore how a firm built on service, coaching, and intentional culture has scaled to nearly $1 billion in AUM. Chris shares how ISTO’s philosophy—serving team, clients, and community—creates a foundation for sustainable growth, why investing in people (not just processes) is the key to success, and how their Director of Coaching and Culture helps every team member thrive. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mis...
In this episode of The Advisor Journey, hosts Jason Wenk and Dasarte Yarnway sit down with Chris Mastro of Impact Fiduciary to discuss his unique path to becoming a financial advisor. Starting as a client inspired by his own advisor’s impact, Chris made the leap into financial planning after a creative career in photography and operations. Learn how Chris’s blend of empathy, problem-solving, and a passion for sustainable investing fuels his practice, plus his advice for career changers aspiri...
In this inspiring episode of The Advisor Journey, host Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Candice Carlton, Head of Strategy at FiComm Partners, to discuss the transformative power of authenticity in business and life. Candice shares her journey from finance to strategy, the lessons she learned about aligning work with values, and her insights on overcoming anxiety and imposter syndrome. Learn how financial advisors can harness the power of video to grow their practices, find deeper purpose, and...
Dasarte Yarnway and Jason Wenk break down four essential strategies to prepare advisors for a year of growth, efficiency, and client satisfaction. From choosing the right technology to defining your ideal client, Dasarte and Jason discuss actionable steps every advisor can implement now to set up for success in the coming year. Learn how to balance founder and manager mode, leverage new tech tools, and create a marketing megaphone that speaks to your target audience. Listen now for this guide...
“It’s okay to stop when you’re happy”is an oft-quoted line in Advisor Journey discussions. In this episode, Jason and Dasarte are joined by someone who’s living it. Matt Stahl founded and successfully scaled his firm, Fiat Wealth Management. But at a certain point, he realized his true passions were elsewhere. Matt helps answer the question: How does one decide to walk away? ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible ...
Clients are bombarded with investment information 24/7. How can advisors make sure their messaging is getting through? John Prendergast, founder of Blueleaf, joins The Advisor Journey for a wide ranging discussion about his experience building wealth management software, the problems advisors face as they scale, and how to manage client relations amid a noisy media environment. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone...
Thomas Cook founded his firm, Retire to Tellico, after identifying a niche in his community that could benefit from quality financial advice and planning. Thomas joins Dasarte on The Advisor Journey for a wide-ranging discussion about starting his firm from scratch, the notion of operating with an “abundance mindset,” and strategies for serving a wider. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-o...