Don't Do That

Don't Do That

By Kelly WaltrichBusiness
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Don't Do That episodes

  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Treat Retirement Like One-Size-Fits-All with Bonnie Treichel, Endeavor Law

    In this thoughtful and energizing episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Bonnie Treichel, Chief Solutions Officer at Endeavor Retirement and Endeavor Law, to explore why retirement planning—and entrepreneurship—should never follow rigid, one-size-fits-all rules.

    Bonnie shares her path as a multi-business founder serving financial advisors in the retirement plan and wealth management space, including why she chose the title “Chief Solutions Officer,” how listening to clients led to launching a second business, and where advisors continue to misstep around compliance, ERISA, and participant communication.

    The conversation centers on Bonnie’s upcoming book, Your Retirement Sketchbook (co-authored with Jamie Hopkins), which reframes retirement as a flexible, evolving journey shaped by personal values, emotions, and life transitions—not just spreadsheets. Together, Kelly and Bonnie discuss how advisors can better support clients through both the financial and human sides of retirement, the power of “what-if” planning, and why failure has been one of Bonnie’s greatest teachers.

    About Our Guest:

    Bonnie Treichel is the Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement, a consulting firm that helps plan sponsors, advisors, and service providers solve complex challenges in the retirement plan industry. Drawing on her background as both an ERISA attorney and advisor, Bonnie delivers practical governance and compliance solutions for the day-to-day realities of running successful retirement plans.

    Bonnie is also a Partner at Endeavor Law, where she advises financial services firms on retirement plan-related documentation, regulation, compliance, and litigation. A recognized thought leader in retirement plan governance, she has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, PlanAdviser, 401(k) Specialist, Ignites, NAPA Net Daily, and the Journal of Pension Benefits.

    Her accolades include InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 (2023), the ABA’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award (2022), and NAPA Top Influencers (2024, 2025). Bonnie is an active member of the American Retirement Association and the American Bar Association’s Tax Division, serves on RISA’s advisory board, and is a board member of the FinServ Foundation. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, running, biking, spending time with her golden retrievers, Sadie and Sunny, and volunteering with Make-A-Wish.



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    25 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Stop Listening to Your Clients with Matt Schulte, eMoney Advisor

    In this inspiring and heartfelt episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Matt Schulte, the longtime head of financial planning at eMoney Advisor, who recently retired after 25 remarkable years. Together, they explore what it takes to build a world-class financial planning platform, the power of advisor-driven innovation, and why staying close to your clients is the ultimate competitive advantage.

    Kelly and Matt cover:

    00:00 Don’t Stop Listening to Your Clients

    00:45 Meet Matt Schulte, Head of Financial Planning at eMoney Advisor

    01:17 Early Days at eMoney: From Minnesota to Philadelphia

    04:06 Startup Life and Learning from Ebbs and Flows

    06:39 Timing, Opportunity, and Taking the Leap

    08:19 Balancing Passionate Founders and Steady Execution

    12:50 Pioneering Interactive Client Planning

    16:11 The Role of Advisory Boards in Shaping eMoney

    18:19 Work Hard, Play Hard: Culture and Fun at eMoney

    20:30 Emotional Reflections on Retirement

    27:09 Building the University Program and Fostering Financial Planning Education

    31:04 The Future of Planning and AI as an Advisor Partner

    38:14 Don’t Stop Doing Discovery on Your Clients

    41:54 Advisor Co-Creation and Building Meaningful Integrations

    47:58 The Gravitational Pull: Why eMoney Was a Life’s Work

    51:16 Closing Thoughts and Final Reflections

    About Our Guest:

    Matthew Schulte was Head of Financial Planning at eMoney Advisor and a member of the company’s executive leadership team, where he helped guide the strategic direction of the organization. A founding employee of eMoney Advisor, Schulte spent 25 years playing a central role in defining and evolving the firm’s market-leading financial planning platform. He has worked extensively with firms and enterprise clients on platform implementation, adoption, and best practices, helping advisors deliver more comprehensive, client-centered planning.

    With 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Schulte brings deep expertise across financial planning strategy, advisor workflows, and technology-enabled advice. Prior to joining eMoney Advisor, he served as an Advanced Marketing Consultant at Prudential Securities, focusing on insurance and estate planning across the Northeast. Schulte holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas with a concentration in financial services, and the CFP®, CLU®, and ChFC® professional designations.



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    53 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed with Dani Fava, Carson Group

    In this candid and deeply thoughtful episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Dani Fava, Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group, to unpack leadership, AI, career growth, and one of the most common (and dangerous) professional traps: building your identity around being needed.

    Dani shares how Carson is using AI to radically increase advisor capacity, why data infrastructure is the real foundation of innovation, and what it actually takes to build a scalable, valuable firm. But the heart of the conversation lands on Dani’s powerful “Don’t Do That” lesson - why being indispensable can limit your growth, burn you out, and destroy enterprise value, and why true leaders focus on becoming valuable, not needed.

    Kelly and Dani cover:

    00:00 Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed
    00:51 Meet Dani Fava, Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group
    01:56 How Carson Is Becoming an AI-Native Organization
    02:47 Creating Advisor Capacity Through AI
    04:35 How AI Expands Advisor Capacity and Enterprise Value
    06:07 Dani’s Early Vision for AI in Financial Services
    08:26 Why AI Adoption Is Accelerating Now
    09:30 Why This Tech Wave Is Different
    11:38 What It Takes to Build AI Capabilities
    13:40 Data Ownership as the AI Differentiator
    15:15 Looking Outside Financial Services for Innovation
    17:32 AI’s Role in Compliance and Risk
    19:56 The Premise of “Don’t Do That”
    20:29 Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed
    21:59 Why Being Needed Is a Leadership Trap
    23:37 Becoming a Multiplier, Not a Bottleneck
    25:15 Trust, Failure, and Leadership Culture
    29:33 Building Enterprise Value Without Being the Product
    31:53 Leadership, Parenting, and Letting Go
    35:15 Final Takeaways on Value and Growth

    About Our Guest:

    Dani Fava serves the pivotal role of Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group, wielding over two decades of experience in wealth management to drive our strategic direction. Charged with enhancing the client experience through differentiated products and services, Dani's leadership is instrumental in shaping innovative growth strategies and advancing the industry on financial advice and the use of AI. Before joining Carson Group, Dani held influential positions at Envestnet and TD Ameritrade, where she spearheaded initiatives such as digital onboarding, strategic partnerships, and AI integration. 

    Dani's contributions include the development of advisor technologies like iRebal and the Model Market Center, reflecting her commitment to empowering advisors with cutting-edge tools and insights. Her impact and forward-thinking vision earned her a spot on FinTech Magazine's Top 100 Women in FinTech (2021), InvestmentNews' Women to Watch (2020), and ThinkAdvisor's 2020 IA25, underscoring her status as a trailblazer in wealth management innovation. In addition to her professional achievements, Dani is recognized for her thought leadership in the industry, often speaking at conferences and contributing to discussions on the future of financial technology. 



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    37 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Skip the Sounding Board with Matt Ackermann, Integrated Partners

    In this candid, hilarious, and deeply insightful episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich turns the microphone on longtime friend and industry creative force Matt Ackermann. Known for asking the questions, Matt opens up about his unconventional career path - from financial journalism and multimedia storytelling to shaping brand, culture, and content inside one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the industry.

    At its core, this conversation is about ownership: owning your enthusiasm, owning your growth, and owning the need for people who can protect you from yourself. If you’re in financial services - or any industry craving more creativity, humanity, and joy - this one’s for you.

    00:00 – Opening reflections: risk-taking, curiosity, loving what you do, and the show’s no-fluff philosophy
    00:01:43 – Matt Ackermann: career origin story, journalism, InvestmentNews, Practice Makeover, and the pivot to RIAs
    00:04:18 – Career inflection points: impact, culture, trust, leadership, and finding the right home
    00:08:09 – Creativity at work: the “10% rule,” bold ideas, annual meeting experiences, and financial literacy for kids
    00:11:28 – Storytelling in financial services: trade media fatigue, Secret Life of Advisors, authentic advisor stories
    00:16:03 – Behind-the-scenes chaos: houseboats, flyboarding, job satisfaction, and bringing the right energy
    00:19:56 – People and connections: redefining value, seeking joy, favorite interviews, trust, and authenticity
    00:24:05 – Helping advisors shine: concierge-level creativity, compliance collaboration, and creative momentum
    00:29:31 – Creativity vs. corporate policy: expense reports, protecting yourself from yourself, and unchecked excitement
    00:36:32 – Planning and reflections: rallying for creativity in 2026, balancing ideas with outcomes, and closing thoughts

    About Our Guest:

    Matt supports the firm’s growth by creating content that enlightens, informs, and entertains. He is passionate about shining a spotlight on the incredible advisors and thought leaders at Integrated Partners and enjoys leveraging blogs, podcasts, and multimedia to showcase the firm’s talent. He has always believed he has a fun job wherever he goes, spending his career coloring inside - and at times outside - the lines to create compelling content. Through strong storytelling, Matt helps show and tell the impactful work advisors are doing from coast to coast.

    He has spent the past 20 years working for leading wealth management media outlets, producing content that stands apart. Before joining Integrated Partners in 2020, he served as Director of Multimedia at InvestmentNews, where he earned 15 ASPBE awards for digital content creation. His work included Practice Makeover, a reality series focused on helping financial advisors jumpstart their businesses, and a documentary on impact investing that debuted at the United Nations in 2019. Earlier in his career, Matt worked at Financial Planning, American Banker, and the New Jersey Law Journal, where he was honored with the New Jersey Press Association’s “Rookie of the Year” Award in 1997.



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    39 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Ignore Your Instincts with Jack Devine, The Arkin Group

    In this powerful and wildly insightful episode, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Jack Devine, former CIA spymaster, intelligence expert, and the man who helped shape some of the most pivotal moments in modern geopolitical history. Jack opens up about the guardrails of intelligence work, the chaos of today’s global landscape, how wealth managers can navigate uncertainty, and why, despite everything, he believes we are heading toward a more stable world.

    He also shares stories from the field, what Hollywood gets wrong, what it gets surprisingly right, and the one operation he’s most proud of (hint: it changed the direction of the Cold War). And yes… we even find out how he feels about Jack Bauer.

    Connect with Kelly Waltrich:

    • LinkedIn: Kelly Waltrich
    • LinkedIn: Intention.ly
    • X: Intention.ly
    • Instagram: Intention.ly

    Connect with Jack Devine:

    • LinkedIn: Jack Devine
    • Website: https://thearkingroup.com/

    About Our Guest:

    Jack Devine, founder and chairman of The Arkin Group, is a 32-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as both Acting Director and Associate Director of the CIA’s operations outside the United States as well as chief of the Latin American Division, the head of CIA’s Counternarcotics Center and the head of CIA’s Afghan Task Force. He was awarded the CIA’s Meritorious Officer Award for this accomplishment and is the recipient of the Agency’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and several meritorious awards. 

    Jack has written widely on intelligence including his two books, Spymaster’s Prism: The Fight Against Russian Aggression and Good Hunting: An American Spymaster’s Story, along with Op-Ed articles for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times. He has also made guest appearances on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg News, and is frequently called-upon to share his opinion on myriad geopolitical events.  Jack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.



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    1 hr 1 min
  • Don't Do That: Don’t Lie to Reporters (They’ll Find Out) with Jimmy Moock, StreetCred

    What happens when you inflate your firm's numbers in a press release? 

    Jimmy Moock, Managing Partner at StreetCred, has a simple answer: reporters will check, you'll get caught, and the damage will spread fast. In this episode, Jimmy and host Kelly Waltrich cut through the noise to reveal what actually makes news in financial services and what should stay in the drafts folder.

    Kelly and Jimmy cover:

    00:00 – How Kelly and Jimmy met during their Orion days 

    01:32 – The client-PR dynamic 

    04:36 – The Fosberry Flop: Eric Clark's thought leadership genius 

    08:38 – Has fintech innovation news been replaced by M&A headlines? 

    11:35 – AI fatigue: Are reporters over it or just more skeptical? 

    14:47 – What people think is news (but isn't)

    15:13 – New hire announcements: When they matter and when they don't 

    19:41 – Being first vs. being an option in enterprise deals 

    21:14 – Event announcements: User conferences vs. trade shows 

    24:25 – Dropping news at events and fighting for attention 

    27:32 – Jimmy's personal "Don't Do That": The Wu-Tang Clan email incident 

    31:29 – The big Don't Do That: Never lie or inflate numbers to reporters 

    33:32 – Why the ADV is easily checked and credibility is everything 

    35:17 – Kelly's reminder: The world is too small for even little lies 

    36:26 – Jimmy's final advice: What to look for in a PR firm 

    37:57 – The power of great PR and marketing working together

    About Our Guest 

    Legend has it that during Jimmy’s public relations internship during the summer of 1998 he landed a client on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” during his first week on the job. He spent the following six years in the fast-paced, high energy, creative New York City public relations environment where he worked closely with numerous C-level executives on their business communications initiatives. Clients ranged from Fortune 500 conglomerates to dotcom start-ups that focused on everything from consumer finance to broadcast television cameras to content delivery. He even launched one of the first DVD recorders in case anyone still uses one of those. For each client, Jimmy was responsible for publicizing multiple launches, product lines or service offerings while also aiding in the overall enhancement of his clients’ communications needs and objectives.


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    40 min
  • Don't Do That: Don't Confuse Activity with Strategy with Lara Galloway, Elevation Point

    What happens when talented advisors spend significant money on marketing but see little to no results? For Lara Galloway, Head of Growth at Elevation Point, the culprit is a common misconception: mistaking activity for strategy. Volume won't fix a lack of vision, and good intentions paired with tactical execution but no underlying plan leave money on the table.

    In this episode, Lara and host Kelly Waltrich explore how RIAs can build intentional growth strategies that actually move the needle. They discuss why so many firms invest heavily in marketing without clear goals, how to identify your ideal client before you pick your channels, and why rallying the whole team around a shared vision makes more of a difference than hiring the fanciest agency.

    Kelly and Lara cover:

    00:00 – Lara’s journey to Elevation Point and her intentional next move
    01:35 – What Elevation Point does: taking minority stakes in RIAs to fuel growth
    04:00 – Choosing the right leader and cultural fit
    07:58 – Two leadership types: those who support vs. those who grow advisors
    08:53 – Lara’s process: business planning, marketing consulting, accountability
    10:48 – Why many firms don’t know what they’re working toward
    11:38 – The “top 15 clients” exercise: ideal client profiling
    13:07 – Why “What’s your unique value prop?” is the wrong question
    14:21 – Helping firms articulate what they actually do best
    16:24 – When firms get most excited: clear goals + 12-month activity plan
    19:32 – What’s working: brand alignment and leveraging natural skill sets
    21:32 – Preparing for 2026: FAQ content + LLM optimization
    24:20 – Why metrics, dashboards, and accountability matter
    25:06 – Lara’s “Don’t Do That”: Activity ≠ strategy. Volume won’t fix vision.
    29:32 – Real examples: $50K+ marketing spend with no segmentation or results
    32:35 – The baseline activity every firm needs—even on small budgets
    33:21 – The “LinkedIn Five and Five”: five things, five minutes daily
    40:45 – Identifying good-fit clients: collaborators vs. hands-off types
    44:44 – The moral tug-of-war between what clients want vs. need
    46:07 – Final advice: do an end-of-year audit of what’s working

    About Our Guest:

    Lara Galloway is the Head of Growth at Elevation Point, where she helps elite independent RIAs design and execute tailored growth strategies. Many of the firms she works with are former wirehouse advisors and top producers who’ve gone independent to build the firms they’ve always envisioned. Others are established RIAs seeking to break through growth plateaus. Lara combines coaching, consulting, and marketing expertise to help them scale intentionally while maintaining their independence.


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    49 min
  • Don't Do That: Don't Fall in Love with a Job Before Doing Your Due Diligence with Graham Thomas, The Compound Media

    What's the career mistake that can derail your confidence, drain your energy, and impact every area of your life? For Graham Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer at The Compound Media, it's falling in love with a job before asking the hard questions.

    In this episode, host Kelly Waltrich sits down with her friend and industry peer Graham to discuss the evolution of digital media, the power of relationship building, and the lessons learned from career missteps. They explore what makes Compound Media unique, from the genuine personalities behind the shows to the disciplined content creation process and why most RIAs shouldn't try to replicate it.

    Kelly and Graham cover:

    00:00 – Introduction to Graham Thomas and Compound Media
    02:07 – The evolution from financial advisor to media sales leader
    03:41 – How Graham rode the wave of digital transformation in B2B media
    06:47 – The challenge of sales leadership in the modern digital marketing era
    07:46 – Why people want to interact with personalities, not brands
    09:11 – The disciplined content creation process behind Compound's success
    12:07 – The reality of podcast production and why 90% fail
    13:21 – The importance of helping people find the right roles
    15:50 – Being respectful to younger professionals and the changing guard
    17:07 – Dealing with rude clients and setting boundaries
    19:41 – Why most RIAs shouldn't try to replicate Compound Media
    21:33 – The genuine personalities and truth that drive viewer loyalty
    24:15 – Finding a niche and starting slow with content
    25:00 – The trap of thinking your financial planning process is differentiating
    26:29 – How AI content is polluting major financial sites
    28:47 – Graham's "Don't Do That": Don't fall in love with a job before doing your due diligence
    30:31 – The importance of asking the right questions during interviews
    35:00 – Graham's personal story: leaving a great job for a bad fit
    36:04 – Having a panic attack during a sales pitch and what it taught him
    38:08 – The "hug your company" era and appreciating what you have
    39:12 – Using Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and other tools for due diligence
    40:00 – Why skill test checks matter when hiring marketers
    42:12 – Questions to ask: understanding day-to-day expectations and past performance
    43:43 – Being transparent about the hard parts of a role
    46:41 – Why you'll only truly love a small percentage of jobs in your life

    About Our Guest:

    Graham Thomas is the Chief Revenue Officer for The Compound Media Inc. With 25 years of sales experience, he has held leadership positions in Media, Data and Software, mostly in the B2B space. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife, 2 daughters, a dog and a cat.



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    49 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Mistake Activity for Achievement with Nate Lenz, Concurrent

    What does it take to build a platform that attracts entrepreneurial advisors while simultaneously making strategic acquisitions that most firms wouldn't even consider?

    In this episode, host Kelly Waltrich sits down with Nate Lenz, CEO and Co-Founder of Concurrent, to discuss scaling with purpose, avoiding the trap of busyness, and why the best growth strategies often come from solving problems you see right in front of you.

    Nate shares Concurrent’s unconventional path, from launching a minority equity investment program to acquiring a $10B retirement plan consulting business to targeting platform consolidation as their next major play. He reveals how his college football days shaped his leadership philosophy, why he'd rather his team work five productive hours than 80 busy ones, and how "speaking things into fruition" has become a secret weapon for execution.

    Kelly and Nate cover:

    00:01 – The non-linear reality of entrepreneurship + Concurrent’s momentum
     01:47 – What makes Concurrent different
     03:30 – Advisor centricity & celebrating independence in a consolidating industry
     07:19 – Why the pendulum swung: aging demographics, mainstream PE & strategic FOMO
     09:12 – How discipline + growth-mode bias protect returns
     11:30 – Strategic logic behind acquiring Next Retirement Solutions
     14:23 – Why firms should pursue creative acquisitions beyond AUM roll-ups
     15:41 – Next play: targeting RIAs supporting 10–50 advisors needing scale
     16:02 – How to identify true growth-mode firms beyond financials
     18:33 – What drives organic growth: niche focus, not “anyone with $2M”
     20:40 – Creating content that shows who you really serve
     22:13 – Nate’s “Don’t Do That”: never mistake activity for achievement (wisdom from college football coach & John Wooden)
     24:06 – Building a culture rejecting the “cult of busy” and focusing on outcomes
     25:35 – The quarterly exercise: what’s the one thing that moves the needle?
     26:30 – Don’t let perfect block good: launching Wealth Select + iterating on feedback
     28:32 – Speaking solutions into existence: how socializing ideas drives innovation
     31:09 – Framework for imperfect launches: define problem, incorporate authorship, iterate
     36:48 – Kelly’s reminder: write down your goal and look at it daily
     37:02 – Nate’s office philosophy: “No window is safe” when you need a whiteboard

    About Our Guest: Nate Lenz, CEO & Co-Founder, Concurrent

    Nate Lenz is the Co-Founder and CEO of Concurrent, bringing nearly 2 decades of experience in financial services and a singular focus on empowering advisors to have a meaningful impact on those they serve.  




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    39 min
  • Don’t Do That: Don’t Misinterpret Fiduciary Duty with Matt Sonnen, Coldstream Wealth Management and COO Society

    What’s the one operational mistake that can quietly erode margins and stall growth? For Matt Sonnen, COO of Coldstream Wealth Management and creator of The COO Society, it’s misinterpreting fiduciary duty, a trap that leads RIAs to overserve clients at the expense of profitability.

    In this episode, host Kelly Waltrich sits down with Matt to unpack lessons from his career as a COO and consultant to advisory firms. They dive into the realities of running a scalable, profitable RIA, from client segmentation and cost-to-serve to building processes before buying technology to managing change through mergers and acquisitions.

    Drawing on years of experience helping firms standardize operations, Matt shares why profitability should matter just as much as growth, how COOs can earn buy-in from advisors, and why the emotional side of M&A often gets overlooked. Most importantly, he reframes fiduciary duty for modern firms: putting clients first doesn’t mean giving away every premium service to every client. It means eliminating conflicts, being transparent, and protecting the long-term health of both the client and the firm.

    This conversation is filled with practical insights for leaders who want to scale without losing control of their operations, profitability, or culture.

    Kelly and Matt cover:

    00:00 – The COO’s role in driving communication and alignment

    02:15 – Why profitability matters more than revenue growth

    05:32 – Fidelity’s $9,222 “cost to serve” benchmark and what it means for segmentation

    08:47 – How overserving small accounts can erode margins and capacity

    12:05 – Why process must come before technology investments

    15:42 – Common operational gaps exposed in M&A integrations

    19:30 – Standardizing systems vs. flexibility in planning tools

    22:18 – Managing the emotional side of selling a firm

    25:54 – Building guardrails around advisor pricing and discounting

    28:36 – Reframing fiduciary duty: eliminating conflicts, not overserving

    30:12 – Matt’s “Don’t Do That”: Don’t misinterpret your fiduciary responsibility

    32:40 – Final advice on scaling profitably without sacrificing client experience

    About Our Guest:

    Matt Sonnen has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. As Chief Operating Officer, Matt manages all aspects of Coldstream’s operational platforms to identify opportunities to scale and systematize processes ensuring capacity for the firm’s continued growth. In addition, Matt will also oversee the firm’s Information Technology, Performance Reporting, Client Service, and CRM efforts.



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    34 min

About Don't Do That

From the publisher's feed

Introducing the Don’t Do That podcast hosted by Kelly Waltrich: Sick of self-proclaimed experts on podcasts telling you what to do? Us too. Don’t Do That, hosted by Kelly Waltrich, is the antidote to…