Throughout his career, RJ Moore has led some of the largest wealth management firms in the industry through challenging times. He’s held CEO positions at Cetera Financial Group, Legal & General Investment Management America, and ABN AMRO La Salle Bank. He’s also the former president of LPL Financial.

But perhaps his biggest challenge came during the summer 2023, when he was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. His doctor called, saying the skin cancer had spread to much of his body, including his brain, heart, lungs, the lymphatic system and liver.

When he got the news, RJ made a conscious decision not to view the cancer as something he had to fight or battle. What if the adversity could become a turning point for gratitude, perspective and a deeper connection with others?

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with RJ Moore, partner at Private Advisor Group, about his unexpected journey with melanoma. He shares how the diagnosis reshaped his view of life, leadership, and daily priorities. 

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RJ Moore is a Partner at Private Advisor Group and helps lead the overall governance of the firm. He brings over 30 years of experience in financial services to the team.

Prior to joining Private Advisor Group, RJ has held CEO positions at Cetera Financial Group, Legal & General Investment Management America, and of ABN AMRO La Salle Bank. He was also President of LPL Financial.

RJ earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Financial Management Services from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts of Business Administration from the University of Texas.

He is the former chair of Invest in Others and has also served on the boards of The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Historical Society, and Jane Addams Hull House. In addition, he is an ardent supporter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Navy Seal NSW Family Foundation. In 2024, RJ was honored at the AIM Steps Against Melanoma Foundation walk.

RJ lives in San Diego with his wife, Sarah. Outside of work, he enjoys visiting family and friends across the U.S., spending time in Palm Springs, and reading Historical Biographies.

RJ Moore is solely an investment advisor representative of Private Advisor Group, and not affiliated with LPL Financial.

This month, Jamie Hopkins’ new book, “Your Retirement Sketchbook,” co-written by Bonnie Treichel, hits bookstores, and a lot of advisors know Hopkins as a retirement planning expert. Less known is his own personal story, which includes the passing of his father in a job-site accident when he was 8 years old.

“This has impacted so many things in my life—my desire to be a dad, a sense I would die early, a fear of heights and a scarcity mindset for years around money,” he writes in the book.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton chats with Jamie Hopkins, CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust and co-author of “Your Retirement Sketchbook,” about those fears and how childhood loss shaped his approach to retirement planning and life. He also explains the importance of financial advice access for underserved workers, the career decision that helped him be more present with his children, and why protecting health and relationships should matter as much as building wealth.

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Jamie P. Hopkins is CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors and CWO of WSFS. A Wall Street Journal best-selling author, educator, and executive speaker, Jamie has previously served on numerous advisory boards around the financial services industry, such as Wing.app, Wealth.com, C2P, IncomeLab, and was a national trustee member of NAIFA. He currently sits on the advisory board of Focal, an AI startup. Jamie is also the founder and president of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, FinServ Foundation, and was recognized as the 2021 RIA Thought Leader of the Year by WealthManagement.com and Top 10 Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisor for 2023. Jamie has also taught financial planning courses and created course content at Creighton University and American College of Financial Services since 2012.

In 2018, Melissa Caro’s perfectly healthy 72-year-old mother was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and within 24 hours she became her sole caregiver, her financial planner, her life coach and her healthcare advocate. At the same time, her 87-year-old stepdad was falling apart and spiraling into dementia, and her husband was in the hospital with severe back problems.

As a Type A personality, she struggled significantly during this time. During one doctor’s visit for her mother, a nurse reminded her to take care of herself.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Caro, founder of My Retirement Network, a financial education resource for clients and the advisors who serve them, on how she navigated caregiving while managing her career and other responsibilities.

She discusses the emotional complexity of caregiving, the gap in financial literacy for those without advisors, and how her experience shaped her mission to help people understand their finances during life’s most challenging moments.

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Melissa Caro is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, CFP, and the founder of My Retirement Network, a digital media platform dedicated to promoting financial literacy. With a mission rooted in the belief that knowledge empowers people to create the future they envision, Melissa brings decades of experience in finance and education to her work. She has witnessed firsthand the positive impact that understanding finances can have on people’s lives, far beyond just numbers.

Melissa’s goal is to make financial literacy accessible and meaningful for everyone. My Retirement Network was created to bridge the gap between complex financial concepts and the everyday decisions that shape financial futures. The platform empowers individuals at every stage, whether they’re planning for retirement, starting a career, or teaching their children about money, to understand and take control of their financial well-being. Through education and awareness, Melissa supports people on their journey to building a stronger, more informed financial foundation.

After facing divorce, financial hardship and even losing her home in a wildfire, Bridget Venus Grimes rebuilt her life and career around helping other women do the same, taking control of their finances, finding community and redefining success on their own terms.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton sits down with Grimes, president of WealthChoice and co-founder of Equita Financial Network, to explore her journey from Wall Street trader to pastry chef to financial planner for breadwinner women.

From personal struggle to powerful purpose, Grimes reveals how she built a network to uplift female advisors and how coaching, balance, and connection helped her thrive through life’s toughest seasons.

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Bridget Venus Grimes, CFP, is President of WealthChoice, a wealth management firm for women executives, and Co-founder of the SEC-registered investment advisor Equita Financial Network, a community of women-led financial planning firms. Bridget began her career in 1987, trading stocks for private hedge funds in New York City, before pursuing her passion for financial planning for women.

Bridget believes in empowering women to take confident steps toward a better life. She authored the best-selling book Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and has written countless articles for major US media channels. Her commitment to women’s financial education extends not only to women professionals but also to fellow financial planners. She has spoken at major industry conferences and co-hosted the Financial Planning Association’s Women’s Knowledge Circle.

Bridget splits her time between Arizona and California and enjoys boating, golf, entertaining, anything French, and, most of all, cooking. She holds a B.A degree in German language and literature and a minor in Art History from Mount Holyoke College.

For 35 years, Mark Singer owned an independent financial planning firm, Safe Harbor Retirement Planning, in the Boston area, a Commonwealth Financial Network affiliate. During that time, he was living life at full speed—running three businesses, exercising, playing golf, boating, spending time with grandchildren—until he had a life-changing stroke in October 2022.

He lost his ability to speak, swallow, eat and perform the most basic functions. His recovery forced him to slow down and retire from the business earlier than he expected.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton talks with Mark Singer, a retired financial advisor, about how the stroke reshaped his view of success and identity. His story points to the strength of resilience, perspective and compassion, both in business and in life.

Diana and Mark discuss:

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Author Mark Singer has been recognized for his vision and creativity within the world of financial planning. He is the author of two books, and the most recent, The Six Secrets to a Happy Retirement, is available on Amazon.com. Drawing upon his over three decades as a founder of one of the leading retirement firms in Boston, the book profiles the financial, emotional, and physical issues associated with the transition into retirement.

He retired from his role as president of Safe Harbor Retirement Planning in 2022, and had served as the Retirement Guide to thousands of investors since 1986. Mark’s approach was to focus on each individual client and ask the questions that other advisors and investors often overlook.

Mark is a frequent speaker and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, ABCNews.com, FoxNews.com, and Bloomberg Radio, as well as locally (Boston) on NECN and WRKO. 

Mark is also a multiyear recipient of Boston Magazine’s 5 Star Wealth Manager Award.

Ryan Marcus has a passion for helping the wealth management industry better serve the neurodivergent community. He argues that the industry is not serving them in an intentional way.

Neurodivergence refers to divergence in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal. It’s frequently used with reference to autistic spectrum disorders.

The issue is personal to Ryan, whose nephew, Nicholas, is on the spectrum. That experience revealed how unprepared the wealth management industry is to serve this growing community, even as trillions in wealth shift to younger generations.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor podcast, WealthManagement.com Executive Editor Diana Britton speaks with Ryan Marcus, chief business development and engagement officer at Binah Capital, about what he’s learned from his nephew, why authenticity matters, and how advisors can embrace practical, human changes that make a big impact.

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A recognized connector in the wealth management industry, Ryan Marcus has over two decades of experience leading strategy and client engagement across respected firms such as United Capital, RBC Advisor Services, and MarketCounsel Consulting. He has driven growth by aligning people, ideas, and opportunities, with a focus on enhancing client experience and deepening relationships. Known for building trust and offering strategic insight, Ryan has shared his perspective through industry panels and publications. His work continues to shape how firms think about client service, business development, and scalable infrastructure in an evolving regulatory and competitive landscape.

Lisa Erickson spent 37 years in financial services, ultimately leading the Public Markets Due Diligence team at U.S. Bank, which manages over $500 billion in client assets. In addition to her business acumen, she was best known for her selflessness, positivity and character.

But earlier this year, Lisa chose to retire early after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder of the nervous system. She now enters a new phase of her life, having to deal with this illness.

That wasn’t the first personal hardship she’s faced. In 2020, she lost her husband, Chris, to a sudden and aggressive illness.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Executive Editor Diana Britton is joined by Lisa Erickson, retired head of the Public Markets Due Diligence team in U.S. Bank’s Wealth Management’s Asset Management Group, who opens up about these personal struggles. These past few years have tested her strength in unimaginable ways, but they’ve also revealed lessons about grief, faith and finding purpose in the face of adversity.

Lisa discusses:

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Lisa Erickson is a seasoned financial professional who recently retired as Head of the Public Markets Due Diligence Team at U.S. Bank’s Wealth Management group, where she helped manage over $500 billion in assets. Beyond her successful career, she’s faced profound personal challenges, including the sudden loss of her husband and her own Parkinson’s diagnosis. Through it all, Lisa remains committed to living with gratitude, faith, and resilience, inspiring others with her courage and openness.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].

The summer after his freshman year in high school, John Connell went on the Texas Giant rollercoaster in Arlington, Texas, the tallest wooden rollercoaster in the U.S. at that time. John ended up in the hospital, with injuries the doctors weren’t sure he’d recover from. That became an “origination point,” a wake-up call that forever changed the trajectory of his life.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor podcast, WealthManagement.com Executive Editor Diana Britton talks with John Connell, co-founder and CEO of Focal, about the life-changing experience. It shaped his perspective, inspired his relentless curiosity, and ultimately led to the creation of Focal, an artificial intelligence meeting management solution for financial advisors.

John opens up about the accident that nearly claimed his life as a teenager, how it fueled a lifelong commitment to impact, and why he believes hardship is a hidden teacher. He also shares how his global travels, time at Microsoft and passion for scaling meaningful change converged to create a company that helps advisors spend more time with clients and less on paperwork.

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John leads Focal as CEO, an AI note-taking platform and automation services provider. Focal goes beyond AI note-taking by helping firms automate KYC, onboarding, planning, and more. We are trusted by executives across Ritholtz, Fidelity, Vanguard, KPMG, and more as the industry’s most secure note-taker and automation provider, helping advisors save 8 hours a week and scale serviceable clients by 30%.

John started his career at Microsoft, where he managed a $1B P&L for Office 365 and contributed strategically to Microsoft’s landmark acquisition of LinkedIn. After relocating to San Francisco, he joined a video conferencing startup that was acquired by Dialpad. He then leveraged his expertise in enterprise SaaS and AI/ML to invest at a $5B AUM venture capital fund, later scaling an AI/compliance startup from its early stages as the first business hire to securing $36M in funding within three years.

John graduated from the University of Texas, combining studies in Finance and Management Information Systems with foundational experiences in wealth management at Merrill Lynch and equity trading at Jefferies in New York.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].

After a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry—rising from clinical research to business development and marketing—Paula Nangle took a step back to raise her young children and reflect on what truly mattered. 

 Motivated by her early experiences with money and a desire to make a meaningful impact, she reinvented herself as a Certified Financial Planner, helping others navigate their financial lives with clarity and confidence.

 In this episode, Diana Britton speaks with Paula, who’s now president and senior wealth advisor at Marshall Financial, on finding balance, overcoming career transitions, and integrating mindfulness into daily life.

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As President of the firm since November 2016, Paula is laser-focused on instilling the values that have guided Marshall Financial for 40+ years. “Running the firm is truly a team approach, with everyone in our management group working together seamlessly and in the same direction,” she says.

 That allows Paula to spend most of her time doing what she loves best: Working with clients as a Senior Wealth Advisor. In fact, the opportunity to build close, impactful relationships played a big role in her transition from a pharmaceutical career to financial planning.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].

Drew Shockley grew up on a dairy farm in Tennessee. He started working in insurance for $7.50/hour, and by his 30s had built and sold multiple companies—including an eight-figure exit in 2020.

From the outside, it sounds like a dream. But the road to Drew’s success was not a straight path. Along the way, he experienced burnout and struggled with the pressure of leading a much larger team. The personal lessons really stuck with him.

In this episode of the award-winning Healthy Advisor podcast, WealthManagement.com’s Diana Britton is joined by Drew Shockley, co-founder of Move Health, a platform that helps financial advisors forecast pre-retirement health insurance costs. He opens up about the struggles behind the success. He also reflects on building something more intentional this time around and how those lessons resonate with any entrepreneur or financial professional today.

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Born and raised in East Tennessee, Drew Shockley moved to Indiana for college and decided to make it home. He began his career in healthcare insurance in 2005 with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of the nation’s largest carriers.

Over the course of his 20-year career, Drew has trained thousands of agents in the health and Medicare space and has been a founding member or investor in three successful startups within the healthcare market.

He’s been married for 19 years and is the proud father of two teenage boys. On weekends, you’ll likely find him on the golf course, cheering on the Vols at a sporting event, or spending quality time with his family.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].