Michael Kitces has spent years studying what drives satisfaction among financial advisors, going beyond firm performance metrics to focus on personal wellbeing and career fulfillment.

His latest research, the 2025 Advisor Wellbeing Study, reveals how advisor happiness has shifted in recent years and what factors are shaping those changes. Drawing from responses across the industry, the study highlights both encouraging trends and emerging concerns.

One of the most notable findings is that overall advisor wellbeing has improved, largely due to more stable work environments and stronger market conditions. But not all advisors are experiencing that progress equally, as younger professionals report lower optimism and a weaker sense of purpose.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, about what truly drives advisor wellbeing. He explains how experience, autonomy, compensation structure, and firm dynamics all shape long-term satisfaction and career direction.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Michael E. Kitces is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

Michael Kitces has spent years studying what drives satisfaction among financial advisors, going beyond firm performance metrics to focus on personal wellbeing and career fulfillment.

His latest research, the 2025 Advisor Wellbeing Study, reveals how advisor happiness has shifted in recent years and what factors are shaping those changes. Drawing from responses across the industry, the study highlights both encouraging trends and emerging concerns.

One of the most notable findings is that overall advisor wellbeing has improved, largely due to more stable work environments and stronger market conditions. But not all advisors are experiencing that progress equally, as younger professionals report lower optimism and a weaker sense of purpose.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, about what truly drives advisor wellbeing. He explains how experience, autonomy, compensation structure, and firm dynamics all shape long-term satisfaction and career direction.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Michael E. Kitces is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

Growing up in a small Pennsylvania town, Max Kulyk knew from an early age that the identity others saw didn’t fully match how he understood himself. Over the course of several decades, he built a career in financial services, raised a family, pursued theology and founded Chicory Wealth, all while continuing to explore questions of purpose, identity and authenticity.

After years of reflection and personal growth, Max made the decision to begin his gender transition at the age of 64. That experience deepened his understanding of what it means to feel truly seen, while also reinforcing his commitment to creating a workplace where employees, clients and advisors are supported.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Max Kulyk, CEO and founder of Chicory Wealth, about his personal journey, his path into financial advice, and how his experiences shaped the culture and values of his firm. They discuss building an advisory business rooted in meaningful conversations, creating healthier workplaces, and the impact of authenticity on leadership, well-being and client relationships.

Max discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Max Kulyk:

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About Our Guest:

Max Kulyk is the CEO and founder of Chicory Wealth, a fee-only financial life planning and sustainable wealth management firm. Since entering the financial services industry in 2002, Max has focused on helping people build healthier relationships with money by connecting financial decisions to their personal values, goals, and overall well-being.

Before Max began his career in financial planning, he studied political philosophy and theology, earning a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of Integrating Money and Meaning: Practices for a Heart-Centered Life.

Outside of work, Max enjoys spending time with his wife, Dr. Wendy Farley, their four children, grandchild, family dog Teddy, and visiting Orcas Island in Washington. His interests also include pickleball, good beer, and time with family and friends.

Michael Kitces has spent years studying what drives satisfaction among financial advisors, going beyond firm performance metrics to focus on personal wellbeing and career fulfillment.

His latest research, the 2025 Advisor Wellbeing Study, reveals how advisor happiness has shifted in recent years and what factors are shaping those changes. Drawing from responses across the industry, the study highlights both encouraging trends and emerging concerns.

One of the most notable findings is that overall advisor wellbeing has improved, largely due to more stable work environments and stronger market conditions. But not all advisors are experiencing that progress equally, as younger professionals report lower optimism and a weaker sense of purpose.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, about what truly drives advisor wellbeing. He explains how experience, autonomy, compensation structure, and firm dynamics all shape long-term satisfaction and career direction.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Michael E. Kitces is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

Carolyn Armitage spent decades building a career in wealth management while privately carrying the emotional effects of childhood trauma. For years, she compartmentalized those experiences, believing she could simply push through them while focusing on work, achievement and daily life.

After an emotional breaking point following her mother’s funeral, Carolyn began exploring deeper forms of healing, including somatic therapy and psilocybin, a natural psychedelic compound found in over 200 species of mushrooms. That process helped her better understand how unresolved trauma had shaped her nervous system, relationships and sense of self over the course of her life.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Carolyn Armitage, founder and CEO of Wealth Management Consulting and RIA Circle, about her experience with trauma recovery, emotional healing, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Her experience led her to produce a recent documentary, “Journeys,” a two-hour film addressing the ethics behind the use of psilocybin to navigate trauma.

She discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Carolyn Armitage:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Carolyn Armitage is a longtime leader in the wealth management industry with experience spanning advisory work, executive leadership, consulting, and investment banking. Having built and led multiple wealth management firms throughout her career, she brings a broad perspective shaped by her work as an advisor, operator, and consultant. Her background includes building high-performing teams, guiding firm growth, and helping organizations create long-term value through strategic leadership and integration.

After beginning her career as a financial advisor, Carolyn developed a strong understanding of the challenges advisors face firsthand. Over the years, she expanded her expertise through leadership roles across both large and boutique firms, helping organizations improve operational structure, advisor engagement, and enterprise value. Her experience has made her a trusted consultant to RIA leaders and wealth management executives navigating growth, succession, compensation design, and strategic planning decisions.

Carolyn has held leadership positions with several major firms and organizations, including HD Vest, now Avantax, ING Advisors Network, now part of Voya and Cetera Group, and Thrivent Advisor Network. She also led the Large Enterprise Business Management Consulting Team at LPL Financial. Prior to leading Thrivent’s independent RIA platform, TAN, Carolyn worked with ECHELON Partners, where she provided investment banking and consulting services to some of the industry’s largest and most established firms.

Her experience across advisory services, consulting, investment banking, and firm leadership gives her a deep understanding of the wealth management value chain and the complex business, family, and legacy decisions firm leaders often face.

Michael Kitces has spent years studying what actually drives satisfaction among financial advisors, going beyond firm performance metrics to focus on personal wellbeing and career fulfillment.

His latest research, the 2025 Advisor Wellbeing Study, reveals how advisor happiness has shifted in recent years and what factors are shaping those changes. Drawing from responses across the industry, the study highlights both encouraging trends and emerging concerns.

One of the most notable findings is that overall wellbeing has improved, largely due to more stable work environments and stronger market conditions. But not all advisors are experiencing that progress equally, as younger professionals report lower optimism and a weaker sense of purpose.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, about what truly drives advisor wellbeing. He explains how experience, autonomy, compensation structure, and firm dynamics all play a role in shaping long-term satisfaction and career direction.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Michael E. Kitces is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

Terri Kallsen has had an outstanding career in financial services over the last 30 years. During her tenure at Charles Schwab, she led 7,000 employees and managed $1.6 trillion in assets, played a key role in transforming Wealth Enhancement Group as COO and over the last two years, she has been instrumental in building Rise Growth Partners, the RIA investing company started by former United Capital CEO Joe Duran. And this year, she’s serving as chair of the CFP Board, a huge undertaking.

Terri has done this all while raising three children, moving three times and being a mentor to many women and young professionals in the industry. The path was not always easy. Through it all, running has been a constant for Terri, and a form of therapy through stressful times. She has completed 21 marathons, 50 half-marathons and numerous triathlons, and she brings the same endurance, discipline and vision from the course to her approach in wealth management.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton interviews Terri Kallsen, managing partner and head of partnerships at Rise Growth Partners and chair of the CFP Board, about her journey through leadership, ethical crossroads, and personal resilience. Terri reflects on integrity, fiduciary duty and building a career aligned with her true north.

She discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Terri Kallsen:

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About Our Guest:

Terri Kallsen, CFP, is an accomplished wealth management executive known for leading strategic initiatives and driving innovative solutions across both large institutions and rapidly growing RIAs. As Managing Partner and Head of Partnerships at Rise Growth Partners, a minority investor and strategic advisor to leading firms, she leads enterprise transformation for partner firms—supporting strategic planning, organic growth initiatives, client experience innovation, and platform and performance reporting enhancements. 

Before joining Rise, she served as Chief Operating Officer at Wealth Enhancement Group (WEG), where she oversaw advisor teams, platform and digital strategy, high-net-worth offerings, and trust services. Prior to WEG, she was Executive Vice President of Investor Services at Charles Schwab, where she led 7,000 employees and $1.6 trillion in assets under management. 

Known for her innovative thinking and commitment to advisor advocacy, Terri is a respected speaker and writer who has been featured in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MSNBC, CNN, and other leading outlets. 

She has been recognized numerous times for her dedication to mentorship, empowering women in the workplace, and advisor advocacy:

– San Francisco’s Financial Woman of the Year in 2019

– InvestmentNews Women to Watch 2024 Female Trailblazer of the Year Finalist

– Named by Financial Planning as one of 20 People who will shape wealth management in 2025

– InvestmentNews Top Financial Professionals in the US | Hot List 2025

Terri currently serves as Chair of the CFP Board of Directors. She also sits on the Hollins University Board of Trustees. 

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in Minnesota and a Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Terri earned her CFP certification in 2005 and is also a Certified Wealth Strategist. She received her Finance CFO Certificate at the University of Chicago Executive Education Program.

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. 

He discusses:

Resources:

Connect With RJ Moore:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

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.

Jamie discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Jamie Hopkins:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

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.

She discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Melissa Caro:

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About Our Guest:

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.