Knowing Me, Knowing You

What if larger financial firms sought to understand their advisors the way advisors seek to understand their clients? Steph Condra shares how this approach has landed Wellington-Altus the top spot on the “Top-Rated Investment Dealer in Canada” list six years in a row. 

As the Chief Experience Officer at Wellington-Altus, Steph walks us through how their advisory discovery process mirrors their client discovery process and helps create a culture of respect, appreciation, and collaboration. She also talks about why she believes behavioral finance is the only differentiator left in the business, (and don’t miss her story about how the price of peanut butter led to a lesson in anchoring for her mother!).

Connect with us! 

• Steph Condra on LinkedIn
• Wellington-Altus
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

In 1993, Pat Sweeny decided he wanted to be a different type of advisor. Rather than focus on his commission and selling mutual funds, he founded an RIA that was focused on financial planning and helping clients understand how to be more successful investors. Little did he know that three decades later, his RIA would be managing more than $8 billion, and financial planning and behavioral finance would become the norm in the industry rather than the exception.

In this episode, Pat talks about his decisions over the years, what he sees as the only differentiators in the industry now, why he believes we’re in a golden age of financial advice, and how behavioral finance changes everything. Tune in to hear the whole conversation!

Connect with us! 

• Patrick Sweeny on LinkedIn
• Apella Wealth
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

What if wealth management didn’t just serve the wealthy?

Laura Combs is flipping the script on who gets access to high-quality financial advice. As Executive Managing Director at Mercer Advisors and co-founder of its Wealth Path Group and InvestHERS initiative, Laura is on a mission to make comprehensive, values-aligned financial planning accessible, whether you’re managing $10,000 or $10 million.

In this episode, Laura shares how she “fell into finance” during the 2008 crisis, why she believes every client deserves a family office experience, and how her personal mantra, “Go for it,” has shaped her bold leadership style.
From empowering emerging investors to building a nationally recognized community for women in finance, Laura is proving that inclusive wealth management is the future of the industry.

✨ Tune in to hear how she’s leading the charge toward a more equitable and impactful financial system.

Connect with us! 

• Laura Combs on LinkedIn
• Mercer Advisors
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Tina Powell refuses to quit.

Nearly three years after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she’s still in the fight for her health, and for the health of the industry she inspires. Today, as Chief of Community at Intention.ly, Tina leads by example, showing advisors how to tell authentic stories that power better lives.

In this episode, Tina shares why she believes community and connection are the most powerful forces shaping wealth management right now, the lessons she’s drawn from her personal health journey, and why she’s creating AI clones of her colleagues.

This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the future of advice you won’t want to miss.

Connect with us! 

• Tina Powell
• Intention.ly
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

ETFs have leveled the playing field for advisors and investors alike. Funds that were once available only to the largest firms are now available to anyone. In this episode, we talk to Elisabeth Kashner, VP and Director of Global Funds Research and Analytics at FactSet.

She led research at ETF.com, where she authored extensively on strategic beta, ETF classification, efficacy, and robo‑adviser portfolio exposures. She’s also a founding co‑head of the San Francisco chapter and Speakers Bureau of Women in ETFs, reinforcing her leadership in advancing diversity and thought leadership in the ETF industry. 

In this rich, deeply informed conversation, Elisabeth explains why ETFs remain one of the most powerful and efficient tools for advisors, from rigorous due diligence frameworks to advanced tax optimization and trading strategies. You’ll gain clarity on how to navigate the crowded ETF landscape with intel grounded in unmatched research and industry visibility.

Connect with us! 

• Elisabeth Kashner on LinkedIn
• FactSet
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Knomee, Wealth management, 

Grace Belangia believes in the power of entrepreneurs so deeply that she frequently refers to entrepreneurship as “the backbone of democracy.” That’s why she’s dedicated her life to helping entrepreneurs bring their visions to life through her company, Make Startups.

In this episode, Grace shares her thoughts on catalytic philanthropy, why she wishes more women thought of themselves as investors and more men thought of themselves as philanthropists, and the three things entrepreneurs need to succeed (and none of them are money). Tune in to hear the full conversation!

Connect with us! 

• Grace Belangia on LinkedIn
• Make Startups
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

When Rich Walker founded Quik!, he set out to tackle one of the most frustrating inefficiencies in wealth management: endless paperwork. Twenty-three years later, he is still on that mission, now with AI as his ultimate tool to make paper forms a thing of the past.

In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Rich shares how he went from IBM intern to financial advisor to tech founder, building a solution that manages over 42,000 forms and generates 1.2 million each month for wealth management firms nationwide. But his story is not just about software. It is about privacy, trust, and designing technology that actually serves people.

We explore how AI is powering Quik!’s next chapter, from extracting and structuring data across any type of form to creating dynamic, TurboTax-like digital experiences for clients. Rich also opens up about his leadership philosophy, the cultural shift required to embrace AI, and his vision for giving clients more control over their own financial data.

If you are an advisor, fintech innovator, or client tired of processes that belong in another decade, this conversation will show you what the future of forms and client engagement could look like.

.Connect with us! 

• Rich Walker on LinkedIn
• Quik!
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Capital Gives You Wings: Jennifer Povlitz on Wealth, Purpose & Generational Impact

When UBS Global Wealth Management U.S. Vice Chair Jennifer Povlitz talks about money, she’s really talking about possibility. Drawing on wisdom from her grandmother, “Capital equates to influence, and you can use that influence for good,” Jennifer makes the case for a new era of wealth management that starts with knowing who you are, not just what you earn.

In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Jennifer and Marla explore:

• Why the coming $30 trillion wealth transfer is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for women
• The 4 most common—and avoidable—wealth transfer “surprises”
• How digital tools are making estate planning and client discovery more personal and less intimidating
• The link between success and significance in defining your financial legacy
  
  

Whether you’re an advisor, a wealth holder, or planning for the next chapter, Jennifer’s insights will inspire you to align your capital with your purpose and create impact that lasts for generations.

🎧 Listen now and start building the plan that reflects who you are.

Connect with us! 

• Jennifer Povlitz on LinkedIn
• UBS Wealth Management
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

When it comes to leveraging AI to scale financial services, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger proponent than Sandeep Mangaraj, co-founder and managing partner of Aileron Group. The data problem of the financial world has always been a sticking point. The avalanche of disorganized data with no easy way to analyze and access it has left financial professionals scratching their heads for decades now. 

Enter AI. As Sandeep sees it, generative AI is on the verge of a massive breakthrough that will lead to better data utilization than ever before. Tune in to hear this exciting conversation!

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Aileron Group

Connect with us! 

• Sandeep Mangaraj on LinkedIn
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Harry Mamaysky gets the feeling that a lot of advisors aren’t keeping up with the latest research – or any research at all, for that matter. And he’s not here to blame advisors! The financial industry is incentivized to attract new clients, which is typically best accomplished by emotional appeals rather than academic research. 

Is it possible to apply investment best practices and still meet the emotional needs of every prospect and client? Tune in for a fascinating discussion with Harry Mamaysky, a professor at Columbia Business School and the co-founder of QuantStreet Capital in New York. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• QuantStreet’s Substack

Connect with us! 

• Harry Mamaysky on LinkedIn
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee