Today's guest is my friend and colleague Sonya Dreizler. She grew up in financial services through her family, but then branched out and worked all the way up to being CEO of a broker dealer. She spent six years after that as a consultant in the industry and now is one of the co-founders of CHOIR, a diversity tech platform for financial services. She has so much experience that she brings to this conversation, but even more than that, she has one of the most generous spirits when it comes to having candid and true and authentic conversations about gender and race diversity, and about the impact of those things as it pertains to working that out inside a business. Whether you're a small business owner or a large business owner, she is willing to entertain those conversations and I'm excited today for us to spend some time there, and also to learn a little bit more about her background in financial services, a little bit more about who she is as a person and to get to know the story about Sonya. 

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Sometimes the industry of finance is a hot mess. And there have been many times that I've thought about whether or not this is truly the place for me to try and make an impact or leave a legacy or whatever it is that we are out here attempting to do with our lives on a day to day basis. And it's in moments like that where people like Mike Garry have crossed my path. The industry may be a mess but let me tell you -- it is filled with people who have good hearts and who want to make a difference and be a part of a community that cares for helping others make it out alive. I wish I could have laid this whole podcast out bare to you all with no edits, because you would've been able to see even more of the humanity and the compassion and the kindness that is happening behind the scenes each and every day between the people of finance. Even still, you're in for a treat as you listen in on this conversation Mike and I had about how incredibly tough it can be to start your own RIA (Registered Investment Advisory) on a shoestring and a prayer. He did it though. And I'm incredibly grateful to him for his openness and courage to share it with the world. This one goes out to all the Mike Garry's of the world who are bringing their full hearts to finance. Thanks for showing up and making space for humanity and kindness in this industry. 

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Hello friends. I am absolutely delighted - and I use that word intentionally today - DELIGHTED for you to meet my next podcast guest. Bob DePasquale, also known as “The Generosity Guy” reached out to me many moons ago when he was crafting together this book that we are going to talk about today. At the time, he knew way more about me than I knew about him, which was super intimidating…but as you’re about to find out when you listen to him, it only took about fifteen seconds for me to feel like we’d been friends our entire lives. 

He has such a cool positive energy about him, and so when he and I met for the first time in Atlanta this past November and he shared his personal story of facing cancer and 9/11 as a freshman athlete in a school thousands of miles away from home…I was once again reminded that breaking points don’t always have to break people. 

His story is one of encouragement and hope, and the impact of a specific part of his story is the reason behind his way of living what he’ll refer to as “radical generosity.”

Go for a walk, or grab a cup of tea and find a place to settle into for the next 45 mins with me and Bob. Here’s my promise that you won’t regret it.

Where to find Bob:
On Twitter: @BDePa
On IG: @BDePa
On LinkedIn: Bob DePasquale
On Amazon: Personal Finance in a Public World

Check out the YouTube video of this episode here!

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Today we kick off this book club series. I wanna find a book that's interesting to me, bring it to you and give you access to the author.  So that is what we're doing today. I have Nick Maggiulli with me. He is @ dollarsandata on Twitter and also on Instagram. 

And what he does especially well, is interpret data in a meaningful and relevant way. But what he's done recently is compile a lot of his blog posts into a book called "Just Keep Buying." And this book is really special because it takes the concepts of finance and puts them into a format where it's not just learning the concepts themselves, but it's learning the math and the formulas behind it so that you can see some real data for yourself on things like, should I go back and get that Master's degree? So some of these things that we aren't sure if we need to do, he's got some answers for them,  not just from a conceptual standpoint, but from a practical standpoint. And then the other thing that you'll hear us chat about in the show is  this hope that he's inspired for people who may be behind on their financial savings who may feel like there's time that they can't capture back for themselves and are feeling a little lost and defeated about what they can do this late in life. So thanks again for tuning in. So excited to have Nick with me here on the show today.

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Join me and Justin Castelli as we talk about how manifestation has impacted his family, his basketball trajectory, his career, and ultimately his personal life and pursuit of his passions. We unpack the parallels (and the differences) between manifestation and optimism, and talk a lot about what it is (and isn't) - if you're looking for a breakthrough and trying to turn something you're passionate about into reality, or even if you just love interesting and inspiring conversations, this is definitely the episode for you.

Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible. 

This information is presented for illustrative purposes only. This information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable and current, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

This presentation does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security regardless of whether such security is referenced in this brochure.

No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission.

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

We're kicking off a new series on the podcast called "Everything Has A Purpose" and the goal is to help our listeners connect the dots through their whole story and see how everything - the hard stuff AND the good stuff - has been an important part of getting them to where they are today.

Today's guest is David Auerbach, the Managing Director at Armada ETFs (www.armadaetfs.com).  David knows a thing or two about how your career can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows, and how you can find yourself contemplating things you never imagined just to escape the life that you hate and that you feel you don't have any control over.

Yes, this is a finance show and we talk about finance...but we do that through hearing the stories of people in finance, or sometimes people who used money to accomplish incredible things in their lives, and even people who've learned something about money that could help others.

Thanks for listening in!
Jess
VP - Brand Partnerships @ Alpha Architect

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Two things are given to you without your choice: your family and your biology. These things do not have to define you...but they CAN inform you. In this episode, Mark and I talk about how his formative years and his ADHD diagnosis could have (and maybe should have) put him on a path toward destruction. Instead, with the generosity and care of a few people early in life, he chose to make one small change every day and relentlessly pursued better. 

Get to Know Mark:

Mark started his professional work life as a consultant with Accenture, where he helped clients for 14 years. He founded The Bleakley Financial Group of Virginia in 2005, and for the last 16 years he has been the coach/lead advisor for the firm as well as its CEO. Prior to graduating from university, he was an auto mechanic, was in the auto parts industry, and spent time as a retail store manager. Mark’s focus has always been either providing advice or fixing things. What drives Mark is helping others reach their goals.

Mark’s role is primarily as lead advisor and client strategist. Mark’s passion is ensuring that the Counselor team is completely focused on properly caring for you, that you enjoy working with us, and that you receive value from everything the team does for Counselor’s clients.

Mark believes both financial freedom and fun can occur concurrently. You will find that he has an active (sometimes too active!) sense of humor. He’s quite proud that his teammates, Angela and Melissa, have been with Counselor for 14 and 12 years and will do everything possible to make sure Danielle stays “forever”, as well. He’s a little nutty about college basketball, golf, and several other sports. In addition, he loves taking beach and golf trips with his family and is an avid reader.

Mark holds an Accounting degree from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as the CFP® and RICP® designations. He is life and health licensed in Virginia, has the 7 registration held through LPL Financial and the 66 registration held through both LPL Financial and Private Advisor Group.

Connect with Mark:
Twitter: @bleakleyva
[email protected]
www.bleakleyva.com

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Two things are given to you without your choice: your family and your biology. These things do not have to define you...but they CAN inform you. In this episode, Mark and I talk about how his formative years and his ADHD diagnosis could have (and maybe should have) put him on a path toward destruction. Instead, with the generosity and care of a few people early in life, he chose to make one small change every day and relentlessly pursued better.

Get to Know Mark:

Mark started his professional work life as a consultant with Accenture, where he helped clients for 14 years. He founded The Bleakley Financial Group of Virginia in 2005, and for the last 16 years he has been the coach/lead advisor for the firm as well as its CEO. Prior to graduating from university, he was an auto mechanic, was in the auto parts industry, and spent time as a retail store manager. Mark’s focus has always been either providing advice or fixing things. What drives Mark is helping others reach their goals.

Mark’s role is primarily as lead advisor and client strategist. Mark’s passion is ensuring that the Counselor team is completely focused on properly caring for you, that you enjoy working with us, and that you receive value from everything the team does for Counselor’s clients.

Mark believes both financial freedom and fun can occur concurrently. You will find that he has an active (sometimes too active!) sense of humor. He’s quite proud that his teammates, Angela and Melissa, have been with Counselor for 14 and 12 years and will do everything possible to make sure Danielle stays “forever”, as well. He’s a little nutty about college basketball, golf, and several other sports. In addition, he loves taking beach and golf trips with his family and is an avid reader.

Mark holds an Accounting degree from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as the CFP® and RICP® designations. He is life and health licensed in Virginia, has the 7 registration held through LPL Financial and the 66 registration held through both LPL Financial and Private Advisor Group.

Connect with Mark:

Twitter: @bleakleyva
[email protected]
www.bleakleyva.com

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Ramona has an incredible skillset for working through obstacles. On one side of the coin, this has been borne through many moments of struggle beginning in childhood. On the other side of the coin, Ramona chose to own her experience and became determined to continue to evolve into the person who has the space and freedom to bring her skills and passions to this world. 

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it is learning to dance in the rain."

- Pema Chodron

Ramona Maior has always been passionate about serving others and making a positive impact on her community. From her service in the United States Navy, to her service as a financial advisor, Ramona advocates for financial literacy and good stewardship of wealth within all communities including women, minorities and LGBTQ+.

With more than 10 years of financial services experience, Ramona seeks to build authentic relationships while implementing personalized investment plans, managing portfolios, and offering guidance on comprehensive financial planning topics.

Ramona provides a holistic approach to life planning and financial coaching while uncovering her client’s ideal life goals, navigating their values and money beliefs, and evolving their behavior to pursue those dreams. Additionally, her skills include Sales Leadership, Change Management, and Emotional Intelligence.

Her academic credentials include both a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master’s degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and holds Series 7, and 63 with LPL Financial, Series 65 with WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC, as well as her Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington State Life Insurance licenses.

Ramona is a dedicated volunteer with Project Homeless Connect; Human Rights Campaign; United Way; Junior Achievement of Arizona and Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. In her spare time, she enjoys being in nature, meditation, traveling abroad, and reading.

- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
- Personal CFO
- Financial Coach
- LGBTQ+, Financial, and Social Advocate
- Veteran Affiliate
- Mental Health Advocate
- Special Needs Consultant
- Holistic Wellness Coach

Twitter: @ramonacfp
website: www.familywmg.com

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/

Ramona has an incredible skillset for working through obstacles. On one side of the coin, this has been borne through many moments of struggle beginning in childhood. On the other side of the coin, Ramona chose to own her experience and became determined to continue to evolve into the person who has the space and freedom to bring her skills and passions to this world. 

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it is learning to dance in the rain."

- Pema Chodron

Ramona Maior has always been passionate about serving others and making a positive impact on her community. From her service in the United States Navy, to her service as a financial advisor, Ramona advocates for financial literacy and good stewardship of wealth within all communities including women, minorities and LGBTQ+.

With more than 10 years of financial services experience, Ramona seeks to build authentic relationships while implementing personalized investment plans, managing portfolios, and offering guidance on comprehensive financial planning topics.

Ramona provides a holistic approach to life planning and financial coaching while uncovering her client’s ideal life goals, navigating their values and money beliefs, and evolving their behavior to pursue those dreams. Additionally, her skills include Sales Leadership, Change Management, and Emotional Intelligence.

Her academic credentials include both a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master’s degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and holds Series 7, and 63 with LPL Financial, Series 65 with WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC, as well as her Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington State Life Insurance licenses.

Ramona is a dedicated volunteer with Project Homeless Connect; Human Rights Campaign; United Way; Junior Achievement of Arizona and Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. In her spare time, she enjoys being in nature, meditation, traveling abroad, and reading.

- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
- Personal CFO
- Financial Coach
- LGBTQ+, Financial, and Social Advocate
- Veteran Affiliate
- Mental Health Advocate
- Special Needs Consultant
- Holistic Wellness Coach

Twitter: @ramonacfp
website: www.familywmg.com

For full disclosure statement, visit www.alphaarchitect.com/disclosures/