By Suzanne Siracuse
The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.
Suzanne Siracuse interviews Vanessa Martinez, CEO and managing partner of Expressive Wealth, to explore how holistic financial planning and inclusive communication can transform the client experience. Vanessa shares her journey, rooted in the values instilled by her parents, who overcame educational limitations in war-torn Central America. This background shaped her commitment to empowering clients through education and comprehensive wealth management.
Vanessa also discusses the need for financial advisors to shift their strategies in the face of longer lifespans, emphasizing longevity risk as a critical factor in planning. She highlights the importance of understanding diverse and blended family dynamics, going beyond assumptions, and focusing on meaningful communication with clients.
Highlights from this episode include:
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About Our Guest:
With 15+ years of wealth management expertise, Vanessa is dedicated to aligning your financial goals with holistic well-being. Vanessa traveled abroad for her undergrad and earned her BBA in Guatemala, C.A. Returning to Chicago; she received her MBA in finance at North Park University while gaining insights from her time at JPMorgan Chase. Her commitment to comprehensive client wealth advisory led her to earn FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 certifications.
Are you ready to learn the keys to building a profitable, sustainable, and impactful business in the ever-evolving financial landscape?
Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Hamburger, the visionary founder, president, and CEO of MarketCounsel Consulting, and founder and chief counsel of the Hamburger Law Firm. In this episode, Brian sits down with host Suzanne Siracuse to share his journey through the wealth management industry, exploring the challenges advisors face today. Together, they dive into the critical role of objective advice and strategic planning in successfully navigating these complexities.
Brian and Suzanne discuss:
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About Our Guest:
Brian is an entrepreneur, attorney, columnist, and outspoken industry advocate for independent investment advisers. For the past 19 years, he has served at the helm of the MarketCounsel companies and the Hamburger Law Firm. Brian was named an Innovator in InvestmentNews’ 2020 class of Icons & Innovators and included in “The IA25: Investment Advisor Magazine’s Annual List of the Top Influential People in the Industry” in 2020. In 2015, Wealth Management named Brian as one of the top thought leaders in wealth management saying, “Over the past decade, Hamburger has been the architect behind almost all of the highest-profile breakaway deals in the industry, helping advisors navigate the legal thicket of transitioning away from brokerages and into independent business models.
On the latest episode of Focused on the Future, host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Sibyl Slade, founder and president of IntegriVest Wealth Advisors. Sibyl shares her journey from working at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to establishing her own independent financial planning firm. Their conversation delves into the evolution of her career, the what she learned after starting her own firm, and her innovative approach to structuring her fees in order to meet clients where they are.
Highlights from today’s episode include:
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About Our Guest:
Slade is the founder and president of IntegriVest Wealth Advisors, LLC. an independent financial services firm. She lends her 28 years of banking and finance experience to provide personalized comprehensive financial planning and advisory services to small business owners and professionals. In 2022, she was recognized as a Visionary for Advisor Group’s Women Forum. In 2019, she was a nominee for the Ladenburg Institute of Women & Finance. Before founding IntegriVest Wealth Advisors, LLC, Slade began her financial services career as a financial advisor with Waddell & Reed, where she was recognized as a recipient of Waddell & Reed’s 2015 Pacesetter as well as received her Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Designation. In 2017, Slade became an independent financial advisor and became an industry thought leader. A 21-year veteran of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, in this capacity, Slade served as a senior regional community development manager for the Atlanta Fed’s community and economic development (CED) team whereby she provided regional and national input around these areas.
Join us on this episode of Focused on the Future as host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Beth Bosworth, wealth advisor and head of planning at Perigon Wealth Management. Beth highlights her effective strategies for attracting and retaining next-gen clients, how being a member of the LGBTQ community influenced her planning services with clients, how she participates as a team member and leader, and her recommendations for evaluating which tech tools work best for your firm.
Key discussion points include:
This episode is a must-listen for financial professionals looking to modernize their practices, deepen client relationships, attract new clients, and embrace inclusivity as a core component of their firm.
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Connect With Beth Bosworth:
About Our Guest:
Beth Bosworth is a Wealth Advisor with Perigon Wealth Management and oversees the firm’s financial planning operations alongside the Planning Team. Her passion is to help clients manage the risks associated with accumulating and preserving wealth. Her favorite part about her career is that she has the privilege of living life alongside her clients. She is an avid advocate of the independent wealth management space, and values protecting her fee-only practice.
Beth is a CFP® professional and holds a BA from the University of Georgia. She helps manage the Atlanta office and resides in Asheville, NC with her wife and two sons. She is an avid tennis player, enjoys golf, and spends the weekends hiking with her family and dog in the Mountains. Beth is also passionate about dedicating her time to worthy causes and has served the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for over 15 years.
Join us on this episode of Focused on the Future as host Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Liz Nesvold, Chair of Emigrant Partners. Liz highlights the three critical areas that firms need to focus on to ensure future success, discusses the key levers that contribute to obtaining a high firm valuation, and the profound impact her mother had on her leadership style.
Key discussion points include:
Join Suzanne and Liz for an insightful episode filled with career reflections, industry expertise, and practical advice that can help elevate your firm’s success. Whether you’re an industry veteran or just starting your journey in wealth management, this episode offers valuable perspectives on leadership, growth, and strategic decision-making.
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Connect with Liz Nesvold:
About Our Guest:
Liz serves as Chair of Emigrant Partners and Vice Chair of Emigrant Bank. In her dual roles, Liz works closely with all units of the bank that provide solutions to the wealth management industry, including Emigrant Partners, New York Private Trust, Sarasota Private Trust, Cleveland Private Trust, Summitas and Personal Risk Management Solutions. Liz has 30 years of experience as a passionate advisor, investment banker, and executive. Over her career, she has specialized in mergers and acquisitions, capital planning and fundraising, succession and liquidity planning, strategic advisory, compensation structuring, deep-dive financial and businessanalysis, and organic growth consulting. Liz began her investment banking career providing M&A and strategic advisory services to asset managers and securities firms in 1991 at Berkshire Capital. She cofounded the industry’s first-ever specialist M&A practice serving wealth management firms in 1996. In 2007, Liz launched Silver Lane, a boutique investment bank that routinely ranked as the #1 or #2 most active M&A advisor to the industry. Liz and her partners sold Silver Lane to a Fortune 500 company in 2019, and she transitioned from investment banking four years later to joining the wealth management industry. A proud advocate and mentor for women in financial services, Liz was named 2024 Finance Executive of the Year on behalf of WSR Pathfinder Awards. She was honored with the prestigious M&A Advisor’s Leadership Award in 2021, and was inducted into the M&A Hall of Fame. In 2019, Liz was recognized as a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews.
Join us on this installment of “Focused on the Future” as Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Stacy Francis, the Founder and CEO of Francis Financial, and the nonprofit, Savvy Ladies. Stacy shares the heartbreaking story of her grandmother’s life, and how it impacted her becoming a financial advisor working with women in transition such as divorce or widowhood. Stacy also discusses her firm’s growth strategy focused solely on organic growth and why every advisor should start a succession plan earlier than they think.
Key discussion points include:
Resources:
Don’t miss this compelling episode filled with inspiration and practical insights from Stacy’s journey. Get inspired and informed on “Focused on the Future.”
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Connect With Stacy Francis:
About Stacy Francis:
Stacy is the President and CEO of Francis Financial, a fee-only boutique wealth management, financial planning, and divorce financial planning firm dedicated to providing ongoing comprehensive advice for successful individuals, couples, and women in transition such as divorce or widowhood. She is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®), and Certified Estate and Trust Specialist (CES) with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Stacy is also the founder of the non-profit, Savvy Ladies, host of the Financially Ever After podcast, and the author of the white paper, Unveiling the Unspoken Truth: The Financial Challenges Women Face During and After Divorce and Financial Help for Widows – A Complete Resource Guide.
In this episode of “Focused on the Future,” Suzanne Siracuse interviews Shannon Eusey, Founder and CEO of Beacon Pointe Advisors. Shannon opens up about her unique journey, starting from her childhood experiences as the only girl on all-boys sports teams, shares her top 5 trends in wealth management, and discusses why scale is crucial for future success.
Key discussion points include:
Join Suzanne and Shannon and get ready to be inspired!
Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:
Connect with Shannon Eusey:
About Shannon Eusey:
Shannon is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Pointe Advisors (“Beacon Pointe”), which she founded in 2002. Beacon Pointe is one of the largest Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firms specializing in full-service financial planning and research-driven investments, partnering with institutions, retirement-sponsored plans, and private clients. Today, the firm has more than $30 billion in assets under advisement, with more than 55 offices and 500 employees nationwide.
Through Shannon’s passion for financial education, she is a founding member of the Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute (founded in 2011), and Beacon Pointe Advisors is proudly the largest female-led RIA in the nation. She also co-authored Your Dollars, Our Sense, an International Best Seller, having ranked #1 in six business and finance categories. Beyond her corporate achievements, Shannon actively serves or has served on numerous boards, including Banc of California, Viewpoint Ventures, Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Orange County Chapter, the Charles Schwab Advisor Council, the TD Ameritrade Advisory Council, CNBC Financial Advisory Council, as well as the UCI Athletic Fund Board, Sisters of St. Joseph in Orange, and the Trustee for the Friends of the Girl Scout Council of Orange County.
Shannon and Beacon Pointe have collectively been recognized for many achievements, showcasing the success of Shannon’s career and the firm’s accomplishments. Some of these recent accolades include:
Prior to founding Beacon Pointe Advisors, Shannon played a pivotal role in Roxbury Capital’s Private Client Group, overseeing investment policy, asset allocation, and equity strategy. She also managed Roxbury’s Socially Responsible Investments Team and contributed to the firm’s strategic direction as a member of Roxbury’s Management Committee.
Shannon earned her MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and her undergraduate degree from UC Irvine, where she also played on the Women’s Volleyball Team. She resides with her husband in Newport Beach, California, where they raised their four children.
In this episode of “Focused on the Future,” Suzanne Siracuse interviews Dr. Vinay Nair, Founder of Tifin, about the current landscape of AI and its implications for the wealth management industry. They delve into various facets, including the opportunities and challenges AI presents, and the importance of adaptability for achieving success. Dr. Nair offers insights and advice for advisors and firm owners on leveraging AI to their advantage without feeling overwhelmed by rapid advancements.
Key points from the discussion include:
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Connect with Dr. Vinay Nair:
About Our Guest:
Dr. Vinay Nair is the Founder and CEO of TIFIN, a fintech platform that drives personalization for wealth using AI and investment intelligence. TIFIN operates a collection of fully-owned subsidiaries in wealth and investments that are shaping the future of investor experience. He was also the Founder and Chairman of 55ip, which was successfully sold to J.P. Morgan. Vinay serves on multiple boards including Chairman of full-service fund administrator platform Paralel Technologies and as part of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Leadership at the University of Colorado Boulder.
In this episode of “Focused on the Future,” Suzanne Siracuse talks with Rita Robbins, Founder and President of Affiliated Advisors, on the evolving treatment of women in the financial industry, the importance of focusing on clients’ adult children to capture next-generation wealth and the crucial role of networking in succession planning.
Specifically, Rita discusses:
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Connect With Rita Robbins:
About Rita Robbins:
Rita Robbins combines more than 4 decades of industry experience with a proactive, personalized approach toward empowering her advisors. Since 1994, when she founded Affiliated Advisors, Rita’s passion is to support advisors grow dynamic, efficient businesses.
Rita and her partners now leads over 100 advisors with more than $4.5 billion in assets under management. Rita has been with Osaic for 20 years. Her unique insights and experience into enhancing advisors’ practice growth and marketing have made her a sought after at industry conferences.
Rita was honored by Investment News as a “Women to Watch” in 2019 for her distinguished leadership in advancing the business of providing advice with her passion, creativity, and willingness to help others. In 2020, Crain’s recognized Rita as a “Notable Women In Financial Services”. Last year she was honored with the Alexander Armstrong Lifetime Achievement award.
A long time NYC resident, Rita and her family enjoy taking advantage of all that that City has to offer.
She is an avid New York City Ballet fan, and proudly serves as a Trustee of The Town Hall, a National Historic Landmark venue. Rita sits on several industry advisory board. She is a partner in the Lavender Hill Farm, one of the largest commercial lavender farms in the US.
In this episode of Focused on the Future, industry veteran Suzanne Siracuse sits down with Andrew Altfest, president of Altfest Personal Wealth Management and founder of FP Alpha, to explore the transformative power of AI in financial advising and how it’s reshaping the advisor’s value proposition.
Specifically, Andrew discusses:
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Connect With Andrew Altfest, CFP®:
About Our Guest:
Andrew Altfest, CFP®, MBA is President and Principal Advisor at Altfest Personal Wealth Management, a $1.7B RIA based in New York City. There he advises clients about their personal finances and drives financial planning strategies across the firm.
Andrew is also the founder and CEO of FP Alpha, the first AI-driven advanced planning solution that covers more than 16 areas of financial planning. The software enables financial advisors to save time in the planning process through automation, showcase their value beyond investments, and deliver a personalized, comprehensive experience that clients require. FP Alpha provides financial advisors the scale and depth of knowledge necessary to enhance their planning practices by providing key offerings such as tax, estate, and insurance to their entire client base, usually just reserved for top-tier clients.
The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.