Knowing Me, Knowing You

A good succession plan can transfer assets. A great one transfers trust, relationships, and everything that doesn’t live in a CRM. 

In this episode, Jake Saba, Vice President of Growth and Succession at Focus Financial Network, shares what really goes into a smooth transition—not just assets, but wisdom, trust, and client relationships. Drawing on the firm’s experience guiding over 60 advisor successions, Jake explains why psychological readiness often matters more than timing, and why documenting your value proposition is key to continuity.

We talk candidly about the fears that come with “replacing yourself,” how technology is changing the game for successors, and how AI tools are helping advisors capture their approach in ways that make handoffs easier for clients and teams alike. Whether you’re decades from retirement or facing a transition now, this episode is packed with insight on how to build something that lasts beyond you.

Tune in for a conversation about legacy, leadership, and what it really means to future-proof your practice.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with us! 

• Jake Saba on LinkedIn
• Focus Financial Website
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Lorie Jones, president of Fearless Financial Advisors and host of the Fearless Females podcast, shares how listening—deep, patient, and human—builds real trust in financial advising. Lorie’s approach breaks away from the traditional numbers-first model, creating space for clients to share their lives, values, and fears.

From helping women align their money with what matters most, to calling out the old narratives that said “money is for boys,” Lorie shows how true financial empowerment begins with connection. We dive into the parallels between parenting and advising, why capturing emotional insights matters just as much as the spreadsheets, and how small changes—like replacing "I'm sorry" with "I appreciate your patience"—can transform careers and confidence.

Tune in to hear how Lorie is helping women redefine what financial success looks like one fearless step at a time. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with us! 

• Lorie Jones on LinkedIn
• Fearless Financial Advisors Website
• Fearless Financial Advisors on Facebook
• Fearless Females Podcast on Apple Podcasts 
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

What if the key to great financial planning had nothing to do with spreadsheets and everything to do with how someone feels about money?

In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Miye Wire shares how her award-winning planning practice centers on empathy, discovery, and action. With over 30 years of experience and a team built around emotional intelligence, not just financial acumen, Miye is redefining how advisors connect with clients.

From one-page action plans to deeply personal discovery conversations, Miye’s approach is rooted in knowing clients as people first. She explains why understanding someone’s relationship with money—formed decades earlier—can shape everything from college savings to retirement timelines.

You'll hear how her firm builds trust across generations, why she hires based on personality, and how asking the right hypothetical questions reveals what truly matters. If you’ve ever wondered what makes advice actually stick, this episode is your answer.

Connect with us! 

• Miye Wire on LinkedIn
• Miye Wire, LLC
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

When governments, Fortune 500 companies, and military leaders want to understand the future—they call Brian David Johnson (BDJ).

As Intel’s first futurist, BDJ has spent 30 years advising the world’s most powerful institutions on what’s coming next—and how to prepare for it. But in today’s world of economic uncertainty, generational shifts, AI disruption, and declining trust in financial systems, his insights have never been more relevant for you.

In this episode, BDJ joins Marla Sofer to share why wealth management has been solving for the past—when it should be designed for the future.

🔍 Inside this conversation:

• Why futurecasting is not about prediction—it’s about agency
  
  
  
• The human side of AI (and why fear misses the point)
  
  
  
• How the financial industry lost sight of trust
  
  
  
• What real personalization looks like when it’s rooted in values, purpose, and identity
  
  
  
• How your vision of the future can shape your decisions today
  
  
  

Whether you're a financial advisor, fintech innovator, or someone rethinking your relationship with money—this episode will challenge what you think you know about the future… and show you how to design a better one.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

BDJ’s Book - What You Need to Know About AI

BDJ’s Book - The Future You: Break Through the Fear and Build the Life You Want

Connect with us! 

• Brian David Johnson on LinkedIn
• Phaedrus Engineering
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Women are set to control $30 trillion in wealth by 2030, yet the financial industry still doesn’t speak their language. Cary Carbonaro, bestselling author and CFP®, is changing that—by sharing everything… from the holdings in her own personal investment portfolio to her tax returns to her financial fears.

Cary approaches each client as "a teacher, therapist, and cheerleader," often recommending resources like therapy or meditation to support overall wellbeing. 

She recognizes that while men typically focus on asset allocation and performance metrics, women care more about security and life goals.

“Will I have enough money?”

“Am I okay?” 

“How much can I give away to my child?"

In this episode, we dive into:

🔹 Why women are often overlooked in financial planning

🔹 The surprising "bag lady fear" even high-earning women face

🔹 How honesty and personal connection transform money conversations

Ready to rethink how you manage money? 

Tune in now.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Women and Wealth - Order Today! Women and Wealth

Connect with us! 

• Cary Carbonaro on LinkedIn
• Cary Carbonaro on Instagram
• Cary Carbonaro on Facebook
• Cary Carbonaro’s Website
• Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

I see your money shame in your shoulders.

So many of us carry quiet shame around money—but what if that wasn't your story?

In this powerful episode, we talk with financial therapist Bari Tessler, creator of the Art of Money program, about how to shift from anxiety and avoidance to clarity and compassion. Together, we explore why most financial advice ignores our emotions, and how reconnecting with your body and values can transform your relationship with money.

🎧 Key Takeaways:

🔹 Shame is often the real reason we struggle with money

🔹 A 30-second “body check-in” can shift how you spend, save, and decide

🔹 You’re not just a spender or saver—you’re a whole person

🔹 Self-compassion is the gateway to financial confidence

Money isn’t just about numbers—it’s about how we feel. Let’s start healing that relationship.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with us! 

• Bari Tessler on LinkedIn
• Bari’s website
• Bari’s Linktree
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

What if your financial advisor supported your family’s holistic health and wellness, across generations?

In this episode, we sit down with Theodora Lau, influencer, serial author focused on the future of money, and founder of Unconventional Ventures, to explore how financial services can do better—not just collecting data but using it to help people live well. We talk about what real financial inclusion looks like, why aging populations are an opportunity (not a problem), and how tech can help the industry serve more people, not just the lucky few.

🎧 Key Takeaways:

🔹 What building your family’s future with the right financial relationships looks like

🔹 How tech often excludes the people who need it most

🔹 The surprising power of listening in a client’s own language

🔹 What coins, credit cards, and childhood piggy banks teach us about trust

Money is a tool to support people. Systems that recognize this purpose drive the change the world needs most.

Connect with us! 

• Theodora Lau on LinkedIn
• Banking on AI
• Unconventional Ventures
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

What if financial services truly understood who you are beyond your risk score or credit report?

In this episode we talk with Colleen Wilson, Chief Product Officer at Best Egg, about how wealth management can move beyond risk scores and spreadsheets to build real, human relationships.  We explore what it means to take radical responsibility for your financial life—and how advisors can act as partners, not gatekeepers.

🎧 Key Takeaways:

🔹 Why your financial identity should be yours to shape

🔹 How outdated tools keep financial services impersonal

🔹 What it means to serve—not stereotype—women in wealth

🔹 The power of collaboration between clients and advisors

From breaking tech silos to rethinking how we serve women in finance, this conversation unpacks how the system can finally meet people where they are.

Money is personal. Let’s treat it that way.

Connect with us! 

• Colleen Wilson on LinkedIn
• Best Egg
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Money isn’t just numbers—it’s deeply emotional. It influences our relationships, self-worth, and decision-making in ways we don’t always realize. In this episode of Knowing Me, Knowing You, we explore financial intimacy and break the silence around financial therapy with Ed Coambs, a leader in the field and Founder of Healthy Love and Money. Ed unpacks how our emotional connections to money shape our lives - and why understanding these emotions is the key to better financial health for you and your clients. 

🎧 Key Takeaways:

🔹 How financial intimacy strengthens relationships—personally & professionally

🔹 The hidden emotional triggers driving financial decisions

🔹 Why many therapists avoid money talk (and why that must change)

🔹 How financial professionals can integrate emotional awareness into their practice

Your money story shapes your life. Listen now to uncover patterns, rewrite undesired scripts, and build a healthier, more empowered relationship with money for better human relationships.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with us! 

• Ed Coambs on LinkedIn
• Healthy Love and Money
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee

Wealth management is evolving fast, and technology is at the heart of it. In this episode, we’re talking with Cheryl Nash, president of APL at InvestCloud, to explore how AI, data, and digital tools are transforming the advisor-client experience.

🎧 Key Takeaways:

🔹 How AI and data analytics are making wealth management more personal

🔹 The evolution of SMAs and UMAs—now accessible to more investors

🔹 Why integrating private markets and alternative investments is a game-changer

🔹 The massive wealth transfer ahead—and what it means for advisors

🔹 How digital-first strategies are shaping the future for women and diverse investors

🔹 The importance of better digital discovery as the key to personalized financial planning

Cheryl’s vision is clear: technology isn’t replacing advisors—it’s making them stronger. Tune in to hear how innovation is driving real change in financial services!

Connect with us! 

• Cheryl Nash on LinkedIn
• InvestCloud
• Marla Sofer on LinkedIn
• Knomee