Don't Do That

Are you letting everyone else's opinions shape your decisions? 

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Penny Phillips, Founder of Journey Strategic Wealth, for a brutally honest conversation about entrepreneurship, motherhood, and building a financial advisory firm. Fresh off maternity leave with a three-month-old, Penny shares her unfiltered thoughts on the evolving financial services landscape, the challenges of being a woman in leadership, and why listening to too many opinions can derail your success. From the irony of independent advisors rolling up to PE-backed firms to the importance of trusting your instincts over external noise, this conversation doesn't hold back on the messy realities of modern-day business leadership.

Kelly and Penny cover: 

00:00 Introductions and Penny’s return to work after having a baby
01:30 The productivity boost of new parents and Parkinson’s Law
03:09 Penny’s background coaching advisors and her founder journey
05:31 Launching Journey East to give advisors “the best of all worlds”
06:34 Industry irony: Independent advisors rolling into big firms
08:28 Why ex-independents leading mega firms might be the answer
10:26 Journey’s mission: Lifestyle practices that scale like enterprises
12:30 The model: Back/middle office infra + coaching
13:47 Would she recommend the industry to her daughter?
15:55 Critique of women’s conferences and prepping women for real challenges
18:14 Penny’s “Don’t Do That”: Don’t listen to too many people
20:13 Her story: How seeking too many opinions crushed her confidence
22:11 Telling real feedback from noise
24:44 Be obsessed with the problem, not the solution
25:52 The reality of PE money in wealth management
26:30 Smart vs. sloppy acquisitions
27:00 Final thoughts: Trust your instincts and form your own views

Connect with Penny Phillips

• LinkedIn: Penny Phillips
• LinkedIn: JourneyStrategicWealth
• JourneyStrategicWealth

About Our Guest:

Penny Phillips has spent most of her career coaching and consulting financial advisors and institutions. She is the co-founder and President of Journey Strategic Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser built for advisors seeking independence and hands-on practice management support. 

Prior to founding Journey, Penny founded Thrivos Consulting, a practice management coaching company. She has worked in various leadership positions across the financial services industry and has authored multiple practice management training programs focused on helping financial advisors build better businesses and prepare for the next generation of wealth holders. 

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Are you walking around with a bag full of other people's opinions about who you should be?

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Heather Fortner, CEO of SignatureFD, for a refreshingly honest conversation about authenticity, leadership, and the messy reality of balancing it all. Heather shares her journey from trying to be everything to everyone to embracing her quirky, authentic self, and why that shift has made all the difference in her leadership and life. 

Kelly and Heather cover:

01:07 The evolution of SignatureFD's "Net Worthwhile" messaging and philosophy

03:09 Heather's approach to authentic social media and family storytelling

06:36 How showing up in the hard moments defines leadership

08:21 The importance of speaking truth with love

09:50 Why this business comes down to hiring people you relate to

10:58 Heather's philosophy on marketing patience and long-term investment

12:00 The "fail fast, pivot fast" approach to business experiments

14:52 Why marketing is always the first thing cut (and why it shouldn't be)

16:10 The importance of being accountable to growth metrics

17:31 Building true marketing funnels and infrastructure in wealth management

18:45 Learning from industries outside professional services

19:56 Heather's powerful "Don't Do That" - don't pick up other people's trash

22:25 How to distinguish between valuable feedback and head trash

24:08 The importance of being "inwardly sound" and knowing yourself

25:06 Using trusted advisors to reality-check feedback

26:32 The "moat" concept: Controlling what gets across your emotional drawbridge

30:47 How men and women handle criticism differently

32:50 The moment Heather realized she needed to model better self-talk for her daughter

35:00 Real examples of industry trash that successful leaders face

36:33 Why we're all taking off the orange vest and putting down the trash picker

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Heather Fortner

• LinkedIn: Heather Fortner
• LinkedIn: SignatureFD
• SignatureFD

About Our Guest:

Heather is the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of SignatureFD, an integrated and comprehensive wealth management firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina, recently named to the Inc. 5000.

During her twenty-year tenure at the firm, Heather has created and executed strategies that have exponentially grown SignatureFD’s AUM from $250M to over $7B. Her ability to combine strategic oversight in alignment with financial goals and enterprise risk mitigation has led the firm to maintain enterprise valuations, annual growth rates and client retention rates that consistently exceed industry averages. Deftly combining head and heart, Heather integrates operational excellence with strategic innovation and shepherding growth and scale in teams and organizations. Beyond operational expertise, Heather leverages her graduate degree in professional counseling to help uncover and connect people’s passions and talents to build teams that deliver excellent and inspiring client experiences.

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Is benchmarking your business by the "industry average" holding you back? 

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Jamie Hopkins, Chief Wealth Officer at WSFS Bank, to discuss leadership, talent development, and why average benchmarks might be limiting your growth potential. Jamie shares his experience transitioning from frequent travel to a more balanced life, his work with the FinServ Foundation helping young professionals enter the financial industry, and why he believes comparing yourself to averages is a recipe for mediocrity. 

Throughout their conversation, Kelly and Jamie explore the changing landscape of advisor talent, the return of sales training in financial services, and how to build a team passionate about “running through walls” for your business.

Kelly and Jamie cover:

01:28 Introduction to WSFS and Jamie's role as Chief Wealth Officer 
03:11 How a question from Jamie's son changed his career trajectory 
04:01 Kelly's similar "wake-up call" about work-life balance 
05:18 The FinServ Foundation's mission to help new professionals succeed 
06:04 The troubling statistic: 80% of advisors drop out of the industry by year five 
09:07 Why "Eat What You Kill" business models create burnout 
10:20 The missing piece in financial education: sales training 
10:50 Why advisors struggle to convert digital leads 
12:10 Jamie's social media signature style: using handwritten cards in videos 
14:00 WSFS's "wealth as a service" expansion plans |
20:54 Jamie's "Don't Do That": Stop comparing yourself to averages 
24:56 Why average benchmarks don't work for individual businesses 
26:23 Rallying your team around being the best 
29:57 Finding team members who truly buy into your vision 
33:37 Navigating leadership in a post-COVID world 
34:35 The importance of adaptability in modern teams 
36:13 Finding people willing to "run through walls" for your business

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Jamie Hopkins

• LinkedIn: Jamie Hopkins
• LinkedIn: WSFS Bank
• LinkedIn: FinServ Foundation

About Our Guest 

Jamie P. Hopkins has extensive wealth management experience, bringing innovative thinking, transformative leadership, and a strong reputation for fostering Client relationships. He oversees the private wealth management group’s financial advice strategies and growth initiatives, along with leading the institutional and personal trust businesses. 

Jamie graduated from Temple University School of Law, where he received his LLM., and Villanova University School of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate. Jamie earned a master’s degree in financial planning from The American College of Financial Services and a master’s degree in business administration from Villanova University. 

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Are you creating a culture where your team feels comfortable giving you honest feedback?

As a seasoned Turnaround and Growth CEO, Marwa leads organizations through pivotal stages of their development across various industries, with a specialization in financial services and technology. Marwa’s approach combines deep operational insight with innovative strategies, empowering teams to execute on a clear vision while tackling complex market dynamics, particularly in the fast-evolving fintech space.

Kelly and Marwa cover:

01:22 Marwa's background as a "business nerd"
 02:52 Her diverse industry experience and people-first leadership
 04:05 How they met through Assetbook's marketing needs
 04:46 Working with a spouse
 09:53 Why women should accept credit and celebrate wins
 12:06 Why it's often easier to take criticism than praise
 13:04 Culture vs. perks in the workplace
 14:28 Building genuine open-door policies and feedback culture
 15:14 The importance of client appreciation
 16:56 Leadership’s role in protecting teams
 17:55 Spot bonuses and employee recognition
 19:21 Recognition's impact on culture
 21:25 Marwa’s venture “Forked Up” helping small restaurants
 25:57 Marwa’s “Don’t Do That” – don’t be the smartest in your echo chamber
 27:55 Creating safe spaces for honest feedback
 29:07 Bringing solutions, not just problems
 31:21 Assuming positive intent in tough conversations
 33:07 Advice for leaders lacking feedback-friendly cultures
 34:33 Marwa’s love for her bold career journey

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Marwa Zakharia

• LinkedIn: Marwa Zakharia

About Our Guest:

As a seasoned Turnaround and Growth CEO, Marwa leads organizations through pivotal stages of their development across various industries, with a specialization in financial services and technology. Whether revitalizing underperforming operations or driving scalable, sustainable growth, she has a proven track record of navigating challenges and identifying key opportunities for expansion. Marwa’s approach combines deep operational insight with innovative strategies, empowering teams to execute on a clear vision while tackling complex market dynamics, particularly in the fast-evolving fintech space.

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Are you trying to build your advisory business without the right support systems?

In this episode of Don't Do That, David Wood, Chief Visionary Officer at Gateway Financial, joins Kelly Waltrich to discuss why advisors shouldn't go it alone in today's changing financial services landscape, particularly as scale becomes increasingly important for success.

During the episode, David highlights the impact of implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) at his firm, shares his perspective on firm culture amid industry consolidation, and explains why advisors need partners to thrive in a rapidly evolving environment with unprecedented opportunity.

Kelly and David cover:

00:23 David’s role as Chief Visionary Officer and implementing EOS at Gateway
01:13 Why EOS is gaining traction in financial services
03:25 How culture drives Gateway’s success and M&A strategy
05:04 The thought behind Gateway’s office design and environment
07:34 Why cultural fit is key in acquisitions
11:33 How the broker-dealer and advisor landscape is shifting
13:41 What makes an advisor a fit for Gateway Financial
15:44 The financial services community’s supportive nature
16:57 David’s “Don’t Do That” – don’t go it alone today
19:09 How independence is evolving for financial advisors
23:38 David’s take on consolidation and the industry’s future
25:38 How AI will change—but not replace—advisory firms
27:24 The 4 areas advisors need most help with: marketing, ops, tech, and leadership
31:57 Why there’s more opportunity than ever amid change

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with David Wood

• LinkedIn: David Wood
• LinkedIn: Gateway Financial Partners
• Website: Gateway Financial Partners

About Our Guest:

David Wood, a pioneer in the financial services industry, established Gateway Financial Partners in 1994, which he continues to steer as the Chief Visionary Officer. Wood’s experience spans across several decades, marking him as a leader, an accomplished entrepreneur, and an influential figure in the financial landscape. He possesses an innate ability to identify growth opportunities and is committed to delivering innovative strategies that elevate the success of independent practices.

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Do you trust the experts you hired?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich is joined by Molly McClure, Head of North America Marketing at intelliflo. Molly shares her experience building intelliflo's U.S. marketing presence from the ground up, the importance of balancing creativity with data-driven results, and why events like Future Proof Festival are game-changers for financial services branding. 

Molly's "Don't Do That" message: Stop hiring experts and then not trusting them to do what they do best.

Kelly and Molly discuss:

00:56 Molly's background and nearly 20 years in marketing 
02:38 An overview of intelliflo and its expansion from the UK to the US market 
07:12 The importance of marketing creativity alongside metrics and data 
09:00 Molly's experience launching the intelliflo brand at Future Proof Festival 
13:46 The unique branding opportunities at outdoor industry events vs. traditional conferences
15:15 intelliflo's creative surfboard simulator booth experience 
17:17 The critical balance between brand building and lead generation 
21:25 Molly's "Don't Do That": Don't hire experts and then micromanage them 23:00 The organizational imbalances that lead to micromanagement 
25:07 How marketing often loses its creative spark when overly managed 
27:54 Why marketing is often a thankless position despite driving success 
30:30 How job candidates can assess a company's management style before joining 
34:10 The importance of earning trust and autonomy as a new team member
36:35 The power of bringing solutions, not just problems, to leadership

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Molly McClure

• LinkedIn: Molly McClure
• LinkedIn: intelliflo
• Website: intelliflo

About Our Guest:

Molly McClure, Head of US Marketing for intelliflo, Invesco's financial advice software division, brings nearly two decades of marketing leadership experience in financial services and technology to her role. With an MBA from Michigan State University and a bachelor's from Wake Forest University, McClure has leveraged her education and expertise to drive remarkable growth.

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Are you listening to understand, or just listening to respond?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich is joined by Jack Sharry, who shares his journey from LifeYield to Managing Director at SEI following their December acquisition. Jack discusses his excitement about building the industry's first full Unified Managed Household (UMH) platform, reveals the philosophy behind his book on authentic and ethical persuasion, and explains why truly listening is one of the most powerful skills anyone can develop.

Kelly and Jack discuss:

01:20 Jack's journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship with LifeYield
03:25 The December 2024 acquisition of LifeYield by SEI
05:41 Jack's passion for teaching and making a difference beyond business
10:52 The power of UMH (Unified Managed Household) to improve financial outcomes by a third
13:18 Jack's personal experience with financial planning and what matters most
14:23 What made the SEI acquisition work well - a thoughtful, disciplined approach
18:26 Jack's "Don't Do That" - stop waiting for your turn to talk and start truly listening
19:21 The "Trust Triangle" concept: authenticity, empathy, and narrative
26:04 The challenge of slowing down to focus in a busy world
31:19 Jack's four-point approach to meaningful conversations: location, vocation, relation, and recreation
32:16 How Jack learned to listen better - a homework assignment that changed his approach

Resources

• Know The Score: An Independent Validation Of SEI LifeYield By E&Y

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Jack Sharry

• LinkedIn: Jack Sharry
• Website: SEI
• Wealthtech On Deck

About Our Guest:

In Jack’s distinguished financial services career, he has been a fierce advocate for innovations in product development, technology, marketing and financial advice to lift clients' interests and retirement security and enable advisors and firms to maximize organic growth.

Jack hosts a highly popular B2B podcast, WealthTech on Deck, where he explores the confluence of digital and human advice with industry leaders. He writes frequently for Financial Advisor magazine on industry trends. And his book, “Authentic and Ethical Persuasion,” is required reading in management classes at Babson College, where he is an executive in residence. 

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Are you carrying the weight of every business decision on your shoulders?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich chats with Adrian “AJ” Johnstone, CEO and co-founder of Practifi, about the delicate balance of leadership decision-making. 

AJ shares his journey of leading Practifi back to its roots serving RIAs and why growth should be purposeful rather than pursued at all costs. With refreshing candor, AJ discusses the privilege of supporting financial advisors who help clients achieve their personal outcomes while offering practical advice about building strong teams and making confident decisions in the face of conflict.

Kelly and AJ cover:

2:07 AJ's background and a brief overview of Practifi as a "kick-ass CRM for advisors" 
3:11 Practifi's transformation and return to focusing on RIAs 
4:43 Evolution of Practifi's brand story and authentic positioning 
6:50 Practifi’s role in helping the advisor shine
7:06 The importance of integrity in growth strategies versus "grow at all costs" mentalities 
9:06 The freedom of growth and entrepreneurship without PE pressure 
10:35 AJ's “double-edged” Don't Do That: Don’t assume you have to make all the business decisions – but don’t hesitate to swim against the tide.
13:07 Building a strong leadership team and trusting their expertise 
14:37 Finding outside sounding boards and maintaining vulnerability as a leader 
18:26 Advice for financial advisors on defining growth on their own terms 
21:41 The challenges of CRM implementation and viewing technology as an investment 
23:12 Discussion about business planning gaps in the industry 
24:51 Caution against making decisions based on fear messaging and industry pressure
26:16 The importance of learning from mistakes on the path to success

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Adrian Johnstone

• LinkedIn: Adrian Johnstone
• LinkedIn: Practifi
• Website: Practifi

About Our Guest:

Adrian has over 20 years experience helping advice businesses of all sizes leverage technology for growth. A regular presenter at industry events in Australia and United States, Adrian offers deep insight into the technology needs of advisors. Adrian owns Practifi’s go-to-market strategy and direction globally.

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Are you tiptoeing around what really needs to be said?

In this episode of Don’t Do That, Jason Early, CEO and founder of RISR, joins Kelly Waltrich to talk about why tough conversations are so important. “Bad news doesn’t get better with time,” Jason points out, and saying the thing that needs to be said often leads to breakthrough moments.

During the episode, Jason highlights the growing industry challenge that led him to found RISR, shares his approach to recruiting and hiring, and explains the importance of assuming positive intent during difficult discussions.

Kelly and Jason cover:

 01:25 Why advisors need better tools for serving business owners
 05:20 The demographic tidal wave of business owners retiring
 07:10 The increasing popularity of private company ownership
 07:50 Why advisors are rapidly adopting the RISR platform
 09:30 Jason's "Don't Do That" – stop avoiding tough conversations
 10:33 The value of saying what you think you can’t say
 12:02 How Jason and his team cultivate a culture of transparent communication at RISR
 12:24 The value of assuming positive intent during uncomfortable conversations
 15:39 Jason's approach to recruiting and hiring
 16:44 The importance of relationship-building in talent acquisition
 19:58 Implementing frameworks to balance gut instincts with strategic decision-making

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Jason Early

• LinkedIn: Jason Early
• LinkedIn: RISR
• Website: RISR

About Our Guest:

Jason is the Founder & CEO of RISR and has spent his entire career in financial services solving problems for financial advisors. RISR has been named by Investment News “Best new technology” and Jason as one of their “40 under 40”. He started his career with an advisory firm in Philadelphia where he spent seven years as a Managing Director. From there he joined an e-learning & consulting firm and prior to founding RISR, he was the President of a leading wealth tech firm that pioneered private company valuation services. He is a former alumni advisory board member of the American College of Financial Services, and board chair of the Brian H. Early Foundation. He and his wife Molly are most proud of their daughter, Isla. 

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What if AI could give you back nine hours a week—would you take it?

Mark Gilbert, CEO and founder of Zocks, joins host Kelly Waltrich for a conversation about the transformative potential of AI, a platform that actually delivers on its promise of saving advisors time, and the costly mistake of waiting too long to build marketing momentum. 

During the discussion, Mark explains how Zocks is helping advisors reclaim up to nine hours per week by eliminating the tedious administrative tasks they hate: meeting prep, documentation, follow-up, and data entry. Mark and Kelly also explore the nuanced art of properly timing a go-to-market motion, knowing where to start with your marketing, and more.

Tune in to discover:

01:29 – Mark’s journey from Microsoft and Hearsay Social to Twilio, leading to the founding of Zocks.
02:28 – The pivotal "aha moment" when advisors instantly embraced Zocks
05:00 – Zocks’ three game-changing differentiators: no-recording technology, structured data for powerful cross-client queries, and deep platform integrations.
06:50 – Real-world time savings: 7–9 hours weekly from meeting workflows, 1–2 hours daily from email management, and client response times reduced from hours to minutes.
08:53 – Carson Group’s 5-week deployment with a 90%+ weekly activity rate
09:35 – Mark’s vision for the future: "Scan, click, and things just happen.”
10:50 – Mark’s personal “don’t do that”: never delay marketing just because your product is great.
17:05 – Why marketing growth is like compound interest: “It grows slow… and then it just hits.”

Connect with Kelly Waltrich: 

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

Connect with Mark Gilbert: 

• LinkedIn: Mark Gilbert
• LinkedIn: Zocks
• Website: Zocks

About Our Guest:

Mark Gilbert is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zocks, a privacy-first AI platform for financial services that revolutionizes data capture from conversations. In this role, Mark leverages years of enterprise, AI, and fintech experience, as well as deep go-to-market strategy skills.

Prior to founding Zocks, Mark held executive product and technology roles at Twilio, Hearsay Social, and Microsoft. He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) focused in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

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