Financial Behavior Thought Leaders

Financial Behavior Thought Leaders

By Dr. Mary Bell CarlsonSociety & CultureBusinessEducation
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Financial Behavior Thought Leaders episodes

  • Inside the Speaker Accelerator Program with Mary Bell Carlson
    [embed]https://youtu.be/CjHVL-DCTGY[/embed]
    How do you turn a great presentation into a thriving speaking business?
    In this episode of Financial Behavior Thought Leaders, guest host Justin Hunsaker turns the tables on Mary Bell Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Behavior Keynote Group, to explore what separates talented speakers from those who consistently get booked, referred, and invited back.
    Mary explains why the biggest challenge isn't a talent gap but an execution gap. From developing a clear speaking position and delivering true thought leadership to building a strong speaker brand, creating compelling presentation assets, and cultivating powerful connections, she shares what it takes to build a sustainable speaking business.
    You'll also learn about the five pillars of the Speaker Accelerator Program and why a great keynote needs more than a polished speaker reel or an impressive website. It takes a cohesive strategy that connects your message, audience, performance, and business goals.
    In this episode, we explore:
    • The difference between speaking to market a product and building a business around keynote speaking
    • Why thought leadership goes beyond sharing tips and offering quick fixes
    • How to position your message for the right audience
    • Why speaker websites, raw presentation footage, and online visibility matter
    • The five pillars of a successful speaking business
    • How coaching, strategic partnerships, and public relations help speakers grow
    • One practical step to strengthen your speaker brand today

    Notable quote
    “It's not a talent gap. It's an execution gap.”
    Key takeaway
    Great speakers don't build successful speaking businesses on talent alone. They align their message, positioning, presentation, and business strategy to become more referable, bookable, and impactful.
    Subscribe to Financial Behavior Thought Leaders for more conversations about the ideas, strategies, and people shaping the future of financial services.
    40 min
  • Mind Over Money: Using Financial Psychology to Transform Client Outcomes with Danika Waddell
    [embed]https://youtu.be/lom7lF_1lV0[/embed]
    What if successful financial planning isn't just about the numbers, but the meaning behind them?
    In this episode of Financial Behavior Thought Leaders, Mary Bell Carlson talks with Danika Waddell, CFP®, RLP®, president and founder of Xena Financial Planning and a speaker with Financial Behavior Keynote Group, about the psychology behind financial decision-making and why even high-achieving clients struggle to follow through on financial advice.
    Danika explores how money scripts, emotional triggers, and deeply rooted beliefs shape client behavior. She shares practical ways advisors can use curiosity, active listening, and small, manageable next steps to help clients move forward without adding pressure or judgment.
    Key topics include:
    • Why financial advice alone doesn't always lead to behavior change
    • How money scripts influence spending, saving, and financial decisions
    • Recognizing and navigating emotional triggers in client meetings
    • Helping clients take ownership of their next steps
    • Using curiosity and better questions to build stronger client relationships

    Financial planning is about more than delivering the numbers. It's about understanding the person behind the plan.
    Learn more about Danika Waddell and book her for your next event through Financial Behavior Keynote Group :https://financialbehaviorkeynote.com/danika-waddell/
    23 min
  • How Advisors Stand Out In An Age Of Artificial Intelligence with Carl Richards
    [embed]https://youtu.be/IXCS2Cojoh0[/embed]
    As AI continues to transform financial planning, what makes a great advisor valuable in a world where technology can increasingly provide the answers?
    In this episode of Financial Behavior Thought Leaders, Mary talks with Carl Richards, creator of the New York Times Sketch Guy column and a longtime financial planner, about the deeply human side of financial advice. Carl explores why AI isn’t necessarily a threat to advisors—it’s a reminder of what has always made great financial planning valuable: human connection, presence, and the ability to help clients feel differently about their money.
    The conversation explores what happens when clients move beyond technical solutions and begin to experience greater clarity, confidence, and peace of mind. Carl shares why advisors need to create the conditions for clients to slow down, let their guard down, and have deeper conversations about what really matters.
    Carl also discusses practical ways advisors can use AI to enhance their work—from overcoming the “cold start” of a blank screen to recognizing patterns in past financial plans—while protecting the time and attention needed for meaningful client connection.
    Notable quote
    "You're getting paid for your presence."
    Key takeaway
    As technology makes financial solutions increasingly accessible, advisors have an opportunity to focus even more deeply on what technology can't replicate: human connection, presence, listening, and the ability to help clients feel understood. The future of financial planning isn't about choosing between technology and humanity—it's about using technology to create more space for meaningful human conversations.
    This episode is a reminder that the most valuable part of financial planning may not be the solution itself, but the experience of helping someone feel clearer, calmer, and more confident about their financial life.
    Resources & Links:
    • https://behaviorgap.com/
    • https://www.thesocietyofadvice.com/
    • More about Carl’s speaking:https://financialbehaviorkeynote.com/carl-richards/

    Connect with Carl:
    • LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thinkingcarl/

    36 min
  • The Retirement Rebellion – How Gen X Retires and The Challenges They Face with Dan Haylett

    Show Notes

    What if retirement planning isn't really about retirement at all, but about helping clients build the life they want next?

    In this episode of Financial Behavior Thought Leaders, Mary Bell Carlson sits down with Dan Haylett to explore why Gen X is challenging traditional ideas about retirement and what financial advisors need to understand about this emerging generation of "retirement rebels."

    Dan explains why traditional retirement planning can fall flat with Gen X, particularly when the conversation focuses primarily on spreadsheets, investments, and financial optimization. Instead, he shares why purpose, identity, relationships, structure, and well-being need to be part of the conversation—and how money can serve as "freedom fuel" for the life clients want to lead.

    The conversation also dives into how spending can reveal a client's values, why advisors should pay attention to the connection between money and well-being, and how the FIRE movement reflects a broader shift toward viewing money as a tool for creating freedom and possibility.


    Dan and Mary discuss:

    • Why Gen X is approaching retirement differently from previous generations
    • What Dan means by "retirement rebels"
    • Why traditional retirement planning can feel disconnected from what clients actually want
    • How purpose and values influence spending and financial decisions
    • Why advisors should look beyond a client's bank statement and ask what their spending means
    • Dan's "retirement code" and the human, financial, and behavioral elements of planning
    • Why purpose, identity, relationships, structure, and well-being belong in retirement conversations
    • How advisors can close the gap between the financial plan and what retirement actually feels like for the client

    Dan also shares practical questions and exercises advisors can bring into their day-to-day client conversations, helping them connect purpose and identity to spending decisions, relationships with money, and the advisor-client relationship.

    Notable quote

    "The plan and the person rarely meet in the middle."

    Key takeaway

    Retirement planning is about more than the numbers. For today's clients, advisors have an opportunity to connect the financial plan with purpose, values, identity, and the life their clients want to create—closing the gap between what the numbers cover and what retirement actually feels like.

    Resources & Links:

    • More about Dan:https://www.humansvsretirement.com/
    • More about having Dan come to speak:https://financialbehaviorkeynote.com/dan-haylett/

    Connect with Dan:

    • LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-haylett-retirement-coach/

    26 min
  • Reimagining CE: Sailing Toward Better Conversations with Andi Wrenn
    In this episode of Financial Behavior Thought Leaders, Mary Bell Carlson sits down with Andi Wrenn to explore why so much continuing education leaves financial professionals technically certified but not actually better prepared for the conversations that matter most with clients.
    Andi shares her perspective on the biggest problem with most CE: it talks at people instead of engaging them. She explains why interactive, actionable learning helps professionals remember more, apply ideas in real life, and improve the way they work with clients.
    The conversation also dives into Andi's creative new CE experience, "Sailing Towards Better Financial Conversations," a seven-day cruise featuring workshops, a behavioral finance book study, ethics credit, and hands-on practice sessions. The event is designed to blend professional development with travel, family time, and real-world application.
    Resources & Links:
    • CE at Sea Experience with Andi: https://app.tern.travel/trips/gKxZ79SHnp4FraQJ9c4KUQ/landing_page
    • Coaching Capability: https://www.coachingcapability.com/
    • More about Andi: https://financialbehaviorkeynote.com/andi-wrenn/

    Connect with Andi:
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andiwrenn/

    [embed]https://youtu.be/xXKerUP5zfI[/embed]
    19 min
  • Overwhelmed and Burned Out with Kristy Archuleta

    What if the biggest threat to your clients isn't market volatility—but your own burnout? Kristy Archuleta joins us to explore why burnout has become one of the greatest challenges facing financial professionals, and what it takes to continue showing up with empathy, excellence, and resilience when you're running on empty.

    Kristy Archuleta is a financial therapist, educator, and internationally recognized speaker who has spent her career helping financial professionals understand the human side of money. In this episode, she shares why burnout is more than feeling tired—it's a gradual process that affects decision-making, relationships, and the quality of care advisors provide to their clients.

    Here's the short version: burnout doesn't happen overnight, and it can't be solved by simply working harder. As financial professionals face increasing demands, emotional labor, and constant pressure to perform, resilience becomes an essential professional skill—not just a personal one. Kristy explains how recognizing burnout early and making intentional changes can help advisors better serve both their clients and themselves.

    Kristy shares practical strategies for navigating stress before it becomes overwhelming, why self-care is a professional responsibility rather than a luxury, and how small shifts in mindset and daily habits can restore energy and purpose. Instead of waiting until you're completely exhausted, she encourages listeners to build resilience while they're still able to make meaningful changes.

    A few highlights from our conversation include how burnout quietly impacts client relationships, why many advisors struggle to recognize the warning signs, and the practical steps professionals can take to sustain excellence without sacrificing their well-being.

    If you work in financial services—or you're feeling stretched thin in any helping profession—this episode offers practical insights into preventing burnout, building resilience, and continuing to show up for others without losing yourself in the process.

    KEY TOPICS COVERED

    • Definition of burnout and stress management
    • Impact of burnout on client interactions and team dynamics
    • Practical strategies for managing stress: sleep, diet, exercise
    • The importance of deep listening and emotional regulation
    • How burnout affects prospecting and client retention
    • Building resilience through foundational self-care


    Resources & Links:

    • More about Kristy

    Connect with Kristy:

    • LinkedIn

    25 min
  • Stop Feeling Alone: Help One Person Everyday (HOPE) with Matt Halloran
    [embed]https://youtu.be/fVnbPK6n83g[/embed]
    What if the best way to overcome loneliness isn't waiting for someone to reach out—but choosing to help one person every day? Matt Halloran joins us to explore how meaningful connections are built through small, intentional acts of service, and why that simple mindset shift has the power to transform both our personal and professional lives.
    Matt Halloran is a speaker, author, branding expert, and communication strategist who has spent decades helping professionals find their voice and build authentic relationships. In this episode, he shares the story behind HOPE—Help One Person Every Day—and explains why combating loneliness begins with creating genuine human connections rather than chasing achievement or success.
    Here's the short version: loneliness is one of the biggest challenges facing people today, and it's affecting far more than our personal lives. Whether in the workplace, our communities, or our relationships, meaningful connections don't happen by accident. Matt argues that helping just one person each day creates a ripple effect that strengthens relationships, builds trust, and reminds us that none of us is meant to navigate life alone.
    Matt shares why asking for help is often harder than offering it, how small moments of vulnerability can create lasting relationships, and why this message resonates especially with people who have spent years believing they need to solve every problem on their own. Rather than waiting for a connection to happen, he challenges us to create it through intentional action.
    A few highlights from our conversation include why loneliness has become such a widespread issue, how the HOPE framework helps people reconnect with those around them, and the simple conversations that can make someone feel seen, supported, and valued.
    Whether you work in financial services, lead a team, or simply want to build stronger relationships in your own life, this episode offers a practical reminder that changing someone's day—and perhaps your own—can begin with helping just one person.
    KEY TOPICS COVERED
    • The impact of loneliness on society and men
    • The 'Hope' framework: help, kindness, presence
    • Stories of small acts making a big difference
    • The role of masculinity and emotional expression
    • Strategies for organizational and personal connection

    Resources & Links:
    • More about Matt

    Connect with Matt:
    • LinkedIn

    32 min
  • AI and the Future of Intentional Banking with Shane Walker
    [embed]https://youtu.be/JMFTDnk57T4[/embed]
    What if the biggest problem with your finances isn't your spending habits—but the banking system itself? Shane Walker joins us to explore why behavioral finance and mental accounting could reshape the future of banking, and what happens when financial systems are designed around how people actually think about money instead of how banks process transactions.
    Shane Walker is the Co-Founder and CEO of Qube Money and a longtime financial coach who has spent nearly two decades helping people build healthier financial habits. In this episode, he explains why traditional banking often works against intentional behavior and how applying behavioral finance principles can help people make smarter financial decisions every day.
    Here's the short version: most banking systems were built for efficiency, not human behavior. As automation and digital payments make spending easier than ever, people need financial tools that encourage intention instead of impulse. Shane explains why mental accounting—the way people naturally organize money in their minds—may hold the key to creating better financial outcomes.
    Shane explains why understanding financial behavior is just as important as building better technology, and how redesigning banking to align with human psychology can help people spend more intentionally without relying solely on willpower. Instead of asking people to change their habits, he explores how better systems can make better decisions the default.
    A few highlights from our conversation include why mental accounting is often misunderstood, how small changes to financial systems can create lasting behavioral shifts, and Shane's vision for a future where banking supports people instead of working against them.
    If you work in financial services—or you're looking for practical ways to become more intentional with your own money—this episode offers a fresh perspective on how behavioral finance could transform the future of banking.
    KEY TOPICS COVERED
    • Behavioral finance principles in banking
    • The limitations of traditional budgeting apps
    • The cash envelope method and its modern adaptation
    • The gap between subconscious and conscious money management
    • The role of AI in personal finance and banking
    • How labeling money influences spending behavior
    • The impact of emotional decision-making on finances
    • The future of AI in financial planning and banking
    • The importance of identity and community in financial change
    • How financial advisors can leverage AI tools

    Resources & Links:
    • More about Shane

    Connect with Shane:
    • LinkedIn

    31 min
  • Your Value Isn’t the Math. It’s the Meaning. With Tim Maurer
    [embed]https://youtu.be/2sXoeEpEtyo[/embed]
    What if your greatest value as a financial advisor isn't your technical expertise, but your ability to uncover the story your clients aren't telling you? Tim Maurer joins us to explore why financial advisor storytelling and meaningful client communication are becoming more valuable than ever as AI transforms financial advising, and what that means for the future of the profession.
    Tim Maurer is a Certified Financial Planner™, author, and Partner at SignatureFD whose work sits at the intersection of financial planning, behavioral finance, and human connection. In this episode, he explains why storytelling—not spreadsheets—is becoming an advisor's most defensible value as AI increasingly handles the technical side of financial planning.
    Here's the short version: technical expertise is no longer enough to set advisors apart. As AI makes financial planning tools faster and more accessible, the advisors who thrive will be the ones who can understand a client's values, ask better questions, and uncover the personal narratives that drive financial decisions.
    Tim shares why every client conversation is ultimately about more than numbers, and why advisors must first understand their own story before they can effectively help someone else navigate theirs. Rather than focusing solely on analysis, he explains how curiosity, empathy, and thoughtful conversations create the trust that technology can't replicate.
    A few highlights from our conversation include why advisors should stop treating meetings like math problems, how a client's story often reveals more than their balance sheet, and the practical questions advisors can ask to create more meaningful and impactful financial conversations.
    If you work in financial services—or you're interested in how AI is reshaping the future of financial advising—this episode offers a compelling perspective on why the most valuable skill you can develop may be your ability to listen for the story behind the numbers.
    KEY TOPICS COVERED
    • Why storytelling is becoming a financial advisor's greatest competitive advantage
    • How AI is reshaping the future of financial advising
    • The power of narrative in building stronger client relationships
    • Asking better questions to uncover the stories behind financial decisions
    • Why self-awareness helps advisors better serve their clients
    • Practical ways to create more meaningful financial conversations
    • Why human connection remains irreplaceable in an AI-driven profession

    Resources & Links:
    • More about Tim:https://financialbehaviorkeynote.com/tim-maurer/
    • https://signaturefd.com/tim-maurer/

    Connect with Tim:
    • LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmaurer/

    27 min
  • When Life Changes, So Does Your Money: Navigating Transitions Without Losing Yourself with Dr. Meghaan Lurtz
    [embed]https://youtu.be/UKZikbCaQAM?si=24vJLYlqOTyJZ5Jq[/embed]
    What if the hardest part of a financial transition isn't the money at all, but figuring out who you are on the other side of it? Dr. Meghaan Lurtz joins us to unpack why retirement, divorce, career changes, and other major life shifts hit so much harder than the numbers suggest, and what that means for anyone guiding someone through one.
    Dr. Meghaan Lurtz is a financial psychology researcher, educator, and practitioner who studies the deep connection between money and identity. In this episode, she breaks down why financial transitions are never just about dollars and cents. They are about navigating the life changes that reshape who we are and how we make decisions about money.
    Here is the short version: major life events rarely touch only your finances. Retirement, career shifts, marriage, divorce, or any other significant transition tend to reshape your sense of identity too, which is exactly why the financial decisions tied to those moments feel so much more emotional and complicated than they look on paper.
    Meg explains why understanding the human side of these transitions is becoming a core skill for advisors, and for anyone supporting someone through a major decision. Instead of leading with strategy, she shows how the right kind of conversation can help people move through uncertainty with more confidence, clarity, and purpose.
    A few highlights from our conversation: why your relationship with money shifts alongside life's biggest milestones, how advisors can show up better for clients in the middle of change, and the small conversational moves that build trust when someone is unsure of what comes next.
    If you work in financial services, or you are in the middle of a major life transition yourself, this episode is a thoughtful look at why understanding identity may matter just as much as understanding finances.
    KEY TOPICS COVERED
    • Why financial transitions are also identity transitions
    • How life changes reshape our relationship with money
    • The role of financial psychology in client conversations
    • Helping clients navigate uncertainty with confidence
    • Building trust during emotionally significant financial decisions
    • Practical ways to approach financial transitions more intentionally
    • Why understanding people is just as important as understanding financial plans

    Resources & Links:
    • (Less) Lonely Money- read more about Meg and her work
    • Meg's speaker page— learn more about her background and areas of expertise
    • Meg's keynote topics— explore the talks she brings to audiences

    Connect with Meg:
    • LinkedIn

    29 min

About Financial Behavior Thought Leaders

From the publisher's feed

What makes a keynote speaker truly unforgettable? What happens behind the scenes before they step onto the stage? And, as a financial professional or event planner, how do you know which speaker is the right fit for your audience?