A Chat With Hank

Today’s chat is with Bill Kieffer. Bill is the Founder of Kieffer & Associates where he specializes in military veteran career transition, executive coaching, and strategic talent management. His recently authored “Military Career Transition: Insights from the Employer Side of the Desk”, debuted as the #1 New Release in Amazon’s Job-Hunting Category in July 2021.  Besides some personal banter,  we discuss his background and how he has helped coach veterans through their military to civilian transition. He also shares wonderful insights that benefit businesses looking to better understand and enhance engagement with current and future veteran employees. To find out more about the book, click here. To discover more about Kieffer & Associates, click here. 

Today’s discussion is with Erika DeBlasi. Erika is the President and Founder of Advisor Expressions which is a marketing partner for financial professionals who lack the time to market their own practice that acts as your marketing coach and quarterback, all in one. She provides advisors with a broad spectrum of marketing and communication strategies and then implements and monitors  them for the firm. To find out about Advisor Expressions, we have a link on our Outside Resources page or you can visit them at Advisor Expressions. 

Today’s discussion is with Richard Heft. Richard is the Co-Founder and President at Extension Marketing. Extension Marketing is dedicated to marketing specifically to financial services companies, which includes asset and investment managers, wealth managers, RIA’s, hybrids, broker-dealers, and numerous other financial institutions and business models. Extension Marketing delivers a wealth of experience and bring a fresh approach or a new angle to make an engaging impact to your target audience. We talk a bit of his personal journey, the trends in the industry to delivering marketing solutions and other valuable marketing insights. To find out more about Extension Marketing, you can visit them at here. 

Today’s discussion is with Christian Hyldahl. Christian is the Founder and President of Varium Investment Partners, an “in-sourced” CIO solution for independent RIA’s. With over 150 years of investment experience, Varium Investment Partners created a  method that focuses on managing investment solutions which is designed to maximize the ROI in the investment process. Advisors' clients receive an integrated and institutional caliber investment solution so advisors can accelerate AUM growth by focusing on client service and business development all while capturing substantial amounts of "lost" value normally transferred to third party investment solutions. We discuss the differentiating factors when comparing Varium to larger outsourced CIO’s, how they address volatility, and his views on the continued consolidation and it’s impact upon RIA’s and the industry. You'll find a link to their website at the top of our Outside Resources page or directly at Varium Investment Partners.

Today’s discussion is with Elysabeth Alfano,  CEO at VegTech. VegTech is a new ETF in the sector of plant-based innovation. Elysabeth is also the Founder of Plant Powered Consulting, which is  a boutique firm crafting powerful brand stories and identities in the expanding plant-based marketplace.  Besides the investment side and the consulting work, she also hosts the weekly Plantbased Business Hour where she interviews leaders in the plant-based arena for a deeper dive into the trends of the sector. This business hour is also supplemented by  The Plantbased Business Minute, which is a weekly show that gives a brief review and analysis of the week's top headlines. We chat about how she got her start, why the plant-based sector has seen such incredible growth as well as her long-term views and professional insights. To find out more about VegTech, click here. This discussion does not represent or constitute a solicitation of any investments. The fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) contains this and other important information about the investment company, and it may be obtained by visiting EATV.VegTechInvest.com. Read it carefully before investing. An as always, past performance is no guarantee of future results. AFP LLC or any of its entities, employees or owners are compensated in any manner.

Today’s discussion is with Susan Danzig  founder of Susan Danzig LLC , where she focuses on business development coaching for professionals in the financial services industry. For over 20 years, Susan has worked with financial services professionals by helping them  understand, appreciate, and clarify their true value, define their specialization, and create effective marketing strategies. We discuss her personal path, the driving factors that guided her to where she is today and more importantly, how one can better utilize proven strategies to enhance a practice that is more efficient resulting in increased revenues. You can find out more about Susan and the services available by visiting  here.

Today’s discussion is with Adam Green, Adam is the CEO at YieldX which he co-founded with the present CIO, Steve Gross. Adam is no stranger to the entrepreneurial world. His first entrepreneurial venture was with Insomnia Cookies, which he helped develop while a student at Syracuse University. He teamed with friends to develop the concept into a business that has been a part of just about every college student’s late night culinary/munchie experience. In 2013, along with a team of leading technologists and financiers, Adam co-founded MoneyLion with Dee Choubey. MoneyLion is a mobile finance platform that empowers consumers to take control of their financial lives through better products for borrowing, saving, and investing where it develops a comprehensive view of a members’ personal finances that has encouraged sound financial behavior and better outcomes for over two million customers. Adam and I chat about his start as an entrepreneur, share some personal thoughts, we discuss YieldX, what makes the firm unique as a fixed income resource available to financial professionals, and he shares his thoughts on the growth of FINTECH and the future of YieldX. To  find out more about YieldX and to schedule a demo, click HERE

Today’s discussion is with Mark Schoeff Jr.  For nearly 12 years, Marks been a Senior Reporter with Investment News, where he writes about legislation and regulations affecting retail investment advisers and brokers. He been reporting extensively on the DOL’s  fiduciary  rule, on SEC’s REG B.I. and other investment-advice reforms of the most profound regulatory changes seen in a generation. Mark also covers FINRA,  the House Financial Services Committee, the Senate Banking Committee and other Capitol Hill committees and regulators. Mark and I  discuss some very timely topics, which includes SEC emphasis on ESG regulation, REG BI enforcement, crypto-currency, and touch on other impacts to industry. We also discuss SEC Enforcement under Wall Street’s top cop, Chairman Gensler and also chat about Mark's start in journalism. Mark has a keen ability to break down the complex and make it easier to comprehend without missing the primary intent of the article. You can visit Investment News HERE. Investment News is the trusted resource for financial advisers, providing investment news and analysis for financial advisers. Podcast transcript is available HERE.

Today’s discussion is with Bridget Venus Grimes. Bridget is the Founder of WealthChoice, a financial planning firm focused on helping women turn their professional success into financial success and she’s also the Co-Founder of Equita Financial Network, a collaboration of women-led financial planning firms. In 2018, she authored  Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom, where she addresses the unique issues women face in business, from addressing common obstacles and reaching goals to protecting assets while nurturing personal passions She’s been featured online at CNBC, Forbes and Investor’s Business Daily. To find out more about Equita Financial Network, click HERE. To find out more about "Corner Office Choices" click HERE. 

A brief review of the most commonly asked questions regarding executive placements, which includes the different compensations models for headhunters, fee expectations and avoidable mistakes. We also discuss, what to look for in a placement firm and how to determine if they are the right partner to help fulfill your hiring needs. Learn how we refined our existing placement services by developing a unique retainer model that is extremely low risk, but still provides all the benefits and is highly effective in terms of success and the quality of hire. To find out more about our Executive Placement services, click HERE.

Today’s discussion is with Chad Ramberg, President of Box Professional Insurance.  Box Professional Insurance serves investment companies that are regulated by the SEC and state registered advisors and investment companies that are conditionally exempt. Clients include RIA’s, public funds (mutual funds, ETF’s, etc.)  private funds, family offices and other business structures where the investment advice is deeply associated with a CPA, insurance agency, trust company or attorney.  Chad and I chat about the firm, the different business models they serve and how his previous experience gives him a  great perspective of those they serve. We also get into the other nuances of how they solve the risk management problems RIAs may face. To find out more about Box Professional Insurance, click here. Podcast transcript available here.

Today’s discussion is with Kristi Sachs, she is the CEO of WorkFlow Mindfulness. Today we are discussing Mindfulness, what it means, how it can benefit not only individuals, but the clear influence on leaders, managers, customers as well as the benefits to the bottom line of a company. We also chat about how Mindfulness can help people take control of people’s  lives, guide them towards their goals and to better understand how to balance a successful work life along a healthy personal life. You can visit her firm here. Podcast transcript available here.

Today’s discussion is with Jerry Michael, Founder & CEO of Smartleaf Asset Management LLC (SAM).  SAM is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor that leverages the advanced automated rebalancing workflow platform of its parent company SAM Inc. to provide customized, tax-optimized unified managed account (UMA) rebalancing and trade execution services. We discuss how wealth management firms, asset managers, and investment advisors can remove themselves from the portfolio workflow management and spend more time with their clients and prospects. We also discuss the industries deeply held belief that a model-based portfolio implies a “cookie cutter” approach, when instead models-based portfolios, through automation, allow customization and tax-efficiency which eliminates the barriers of entry for anyone who wants to utilize it. To find out more about Smartleaf, you can visit them here. Podcast transcript available here.

Today’s chat is with Derek Bruton, who is well known and respected in our industry. In his 30 plus year career, he’s had the ability to “see and understand where the puck is going” in the financial services industry. His understanding of trends, best practices and experience has allowed him to create competitive advantages for all the businesses he has led. Presently Derek is the host  of “Can You Hold My Attention” podcast, where he’s had such noted guests as William Sharpe (Sharpe Ratio), Chris Dudley & Detlef Shcremp from the NBA and  Jeff Kleintop and Fran Tarkenton just to name a few. Podcast transcript available here.

Today’s discussion is with TJ Gardner , SVP, Business Development  at GeoWealth.  GeoWealth is a leading financial technology and turnkey asset management platform (TAMP), combining a comprehensive and fully integrated platform with best-in-class portfolio solutions for both third-party and advisor-managed model portfolios. We discuss how their customizable open-architecture platform, and their proven spectrum of investment strategies address all essential needs of investment advisors at any size or stage by helping them grow faster and serve their clients more efficiently. To find out more about GeoWealth, click here.

Today’s discussion is with John Vekich, Managing Director at Foreside.  Foreside solutions covers the fund, broker-dealer, and advisor compliance landscapes. They are dedicated to delivering innovative services that not only meet current requirements but also anticipate emerging regulatory and marketplace developments. Clients rely on Foreside to provide the information, operational support and strategic advice that are needed to thrive in today’s complex arena of investments, compliance, and risk management. We discuss their breakaway broker platform and core services available to those practices breaking away from the traditional brokerage affiliation and running their own RIA. You can visit them here for more information.

Today’s chat is with Brent Owens, President of the cfd Investments and Creative Financial Designs. Their mission is to provide financial advisers with the necessary support, tools, techniques, quality financial products, and technologies for the achievement of their clients’ goals and objectives through a team of home office personnel committed to serving advisers in a Christ-like manner. They believe that you cannot push someone to the top of the mountain without getting there yourself. To find out more about cfd, you can visit them here. Podcast transcript available here. 

Today’s chat is with Steve Zuschin, Executive V.P. at LifeYield.  LifeYield utilizes technology to optimize asset location, make tax-smart withdrawals and maximize Social Security to manage household wealth. LifeYield looks across all accounts and holdings to show advisers how to improve overall tax efficiency, identify intelligent withdrawals and maximize Social Security benefits for clients. To visit LifeYield, click here.

Today’s discussion is with Shauna Mace, Founder of Inspire Growth , a business consulting firm specialized in sales. Shauna partners with financial advisors, asset managers and businesses in financial services who are ready to uncover and act on their best opportunities through holistic growth plans, project-based engagements, and workshops. Take inspired action towards your goals to drive tangible results. You can visit her site here.

Today’s discussion is with Mac Bartine, CEO of SmartRIA. SmartRIA is the industry’s leading provider of SaaS automated compliance software solutions for Registered Investment Advisors, wealth and asset managers and their staff. To find out more about SmartRIA, click here.