As president of Unleashed Productions, Inc. and director at Finish Line Features, LLC, Robin is renowned for producing cause-based documentaries that inspire and educate. After beginning her career in the stock market, Robin's passion for photography and visual storytelling led her to documentary filmmaking. Her journey began in 2010 with a project about a high school cross-country coach diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. The success and emotional impact of this documentary ignited Robin's dedication to creating films that highlight important societal issues through creative content. Self-taught and supported by the vibrant San Francisco documentary community, Robin combines her business acumen with a deep commitment to storytelling, fundraising, and mentorship to bring impactful stories to life.

Featured Resources 

• Robin Hauser on LinkedIn

• Robin Hauser on Instagram

• Robin Hauser’s TED Talk 

• Finish Line Feature Films 

• Robin Hauser’s website

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• How Women Can Break into Financial Servcies Careers and Why They Should with Stephanie McCullough 

• Your Media Marketing Strategy: Start by Letting Your Why Shine Through

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Tune in as we chat with Robin about how her unique blend of business acumen and creative vision has led to powerful documentaries, the process of distributing her films so they go on to foster discussions and drive advocacy, and how she ensures every screening is not just a viewing but an opportunity for education and dialog.

Stephanie McCullough is a veteran financial advisor with 27 years of experience. Inspired by her father, a long-time financial advisor, she transitioned into the financial sector at age 30. Recognizing the value of his work, she decided to join his business. A pivotal moment in 1998, when she met a coach at a chamber of commerce event, significantly shaped her professional journey. Stephanie founded Sofia Financial in 2011 and focuses on empowering women to confidently take control of their financial futures. She creates a safe space for open and vulnerable discussions about financial matters.

Featured Resources 

• Stephanie McCullough on LinkedIn

• Stephanie McCullough on Instagram

• Sofia Financial on LinkedIn

• Sofia Financial on Facebook 

• Externship at Amplified Planning

• Financial Planning Association 

• AGC Advisors Growing As a Community

• Michigan State Financial Planning 

• The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors 

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• Building a Family Business: How Bridget Venus Grimes Solved her RIA Capacity Problem with her Daughter Marnie Bonner

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• Educating Financial Advisors on Healthcare Planning with Cole Craven

Tune in now as we chat with Stephanie about the power of her human-first approach and how she creates a safe space for her clients, tips for finding the right fit financial advisor, and how she provides support and education to help make financial planning less intimidating.

Cole Craven is the co-founder of Move Health Partners, based in Evansville, Indiana. Initially an advertising major with dreams of working at a big ad firm in a major city, his career path took an unexpected turn when a close friend introduced him to the health insurance industry. Starting at a large agency, Cole played a key role in scaling the team from 80 to nearly 400 members before his successful exit last summer. Now with Move Health Partners, he is dedicated to demystifying health insurance and Medicare, making them simple and easy to understand for both advisors and clients.

Featured Resources 

• Cole Craven on LinkedIn 

• Cole Craven on Twitter

• Move Health Partners on LinkedIn

• Move Health Partners on Facebook

• Movehealthpartners.com

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• Tips for Effective Branding and Website Strategies for Financial Services

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Tune in now as we chat with Cole about how he helps advisors and their clients unlock their next moves in life, the resources he provides to advisors when their clients need healthcare planning, and the power of human interaction and why it’s still preferred over AI for these important decisions. 

Ian J. Gates, former ESL teacher turned Army intel officer turned aspiring fee-only financial planner, brings a wealth of experience and unique insights into the financial challenges service members face. His military service and background in teaching refugees as well as affluent families have given him a rich and diverse perspective on financial literacy and planning. As host of the #BLUFFbooks podcast, Ian reviews new and classic books on personal finance to help the military community “build, lead, and understand financial freedom.” Focusing on the intersection of military service and financial planning, he advocates for tailored advice and specialized advisors to help military members and their families achieve financial stability and freedom.

Featured Resources 

• The #BLUFFbooks Podcast on Apple and Spotify

• #BLUFFbooks on LinkedIn

• Military Financial Advisors Association

• XY Planning Network (XYPN)

• MilMoneyCon

• GoVA Article: “Your Money or Your Life:” How to Avoid Military Family Overspending

• Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

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Discover how financial advisors can better serve military members and their families through specialized guidance for unique challenges and circumstances, such as deployments, relocations, and special benefits. Plus, hear how Ian’s book reviews on personal finance empower service members toward financial freedom.

Melissa Joy is a seasoned financial planner with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Her career began with a strong focus on investment research and due diligence, eventually leading her to become a partner at a larger firm where she also played a pivotal role in shaping marketing strategies and branding efforts. In 2018, Melissa embarked on a new journey by founding Pearl Planning. She sought to connect with clients who valued thoughtful, personal conversations over the scale of a large firm. By sharing her own story and emphasizing Pearl Planning’s unique value proposition, Melissa successfully established a niche in the market, attracting clients who appreciated the tailored approach offered by her boutique firm. Today, Melissa leads Pearl Planning with a commitment to providing personalized financial advice and building meaningful client relationships, reflecting her belief that the size of the firm should never overshadow the quality of service and attention to individual client needs.

Featured Resources: 

• Melissa Joy on LinkedIn

• Pearl Planning on LinkedIn

• Melissa Joy on Twitter

• Pearl Planning on Facebook

• Pearl Planning on Instagram

• Pearl Planning on YouTube

• PearlPlan.com 

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Tune in as we chat with Melissa about her journey through the financial services industry that led her to founding Pearl Planning, the power of creating a brand that stands out, and the importance of staying true to yourself to connect with clients on a personal level, building trust and success.

Spencer Lowe, CEO of SOLVD.cloud, was interested in entrepreneurship from a young age, starting with mowing lawns and door-to-door sales. Inspired by his father's late-career business venture, Spencer pursued his ambition to start his own business, earning a master's degree in information systems management. He began his career at a firm, where he honed his skills as a Salesforce consultant. Recognizing the rapid growth in the Salesforce market, Spencer founded SOLVD.cloud in 2019 to tackle its inefficiencies and the high costs faced by companies. Initially serving a broad client base, SOLVD.cloud refocused during the COVID-19 pandemic on high-tech SaaS and financial services, sectors that saw increased spending during this time. Today, SOLVD.cloud is renowned for its expertise in these areas, empowering businesses to revolutionize their CRM systems by optimizing tools and products to enhance workflows and drive growth. Emphasizing project management and technical expertise, SOLVD.cloud cultivates top Salesforce consultants and is thriving under Spencer’s leadership. 

Featured Resources 

• Spencer Lowe on LinkedIn

• SOLVD.cloud on LinkedIn

• SOLVD.cloud on Twitter

• SOLVD.cloud website

• SOLVD.cloud on YouTube

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• Unlocking Growth: How to Optimize CRMs and Operating Procedures with Kate Guillen of Simplicity Ops 

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• Website Redesigns: The Process Behind Building Websites for Financial Services Companies 

Tune in as we chat with Spencer about how to manage the implementation of Salesforce over time; compliance and other issues around using Salesforce in financial services; and how to know if you need Salesforce and its particular products, tiers, and integrations. 

Barbara Micheletti is the founder and CEO of Interrupting Aging, using her gerontology (the study of aging) expertise and financial services background to transform how financial professionals engage with their aging clients. Starting as an insurance agent in 2006, she built a successful business but faced significant challenges two years later when Brooke Corporation went bankrupt while she was also experiencing personal financial hardship. Emerging stronger, Barbara learned resilience, crisis management, and the importance of transparency. Today, she emphasizes the importance of holistic financial planning for all life stages. Through Interrupting Aging, Barbara inspires a positive approach to aging, guiding financial professionals to better support their aging clients both financially and emotionally.

Featured Resources:

• Barbara Micheletti on LinkedIn

• Interrupting Aging on LinkedIn

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• Your Media Marketing Strategy: Start By Letting Your Why Shine Through

• Providing a Human-First Value Add for Clients and Advisors

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Tune in now as we chat with Barbara about the journey that led her to gerontology, how she serves financial professionals, the growing aging population and the issues they face that financial professionals can help with, and some of the ways financial professionals can identify problems with aging clients before they arise. 

Kate Guillen is a seasoned operations professional with over a decade of experience in the investment management industry. Her journey began as a client service associate for a broker-dealer and she later became the operations manager at a registered investment advisor, where she was given the freedom to solve operational issues with technology and discovered her passion for AdvisorTech. In 2020, she founded Simplicity Ops to help financial advisors and their teams simplify systems and standardize operations. Today, Simplicity Ops has partnered with over 50 firms, dedicated to maximizing their technology and ensuring robust operating procedures to support growth and excellent client service.

Featured Resources 

• Kate Guillen on LinkedIn

• Simplicity Ops on LinkedIn

• Redtail

• Wealthbox 

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• The Role of Marketing and the CMO in Today’s Financial Services Industries with Nick Richtsmeier 

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Tune in now as we chat with Kate about how to implement CRM changes sustainably, how to get the whole team on board for adopting new operating systems, and tips and tools she loves with Redtail and Wealthbox. 

Nick Richtsmeier is the principal at CultureCraft, an innovative firm dedicated to providing tools that unlock critical questions for wealth management professionals and firms. With a career deeply rooted in the wealth management industry, Nick spent nearly a decade as an advisor before transitioning into executive roles. His experience includes serving as CMO and COO for small to mid-sized registered investment advisor (RIA) firms, where he identified recurring issues that kept RIA businesses stuck in unproductive cycles — a key factor fueling the current era of consolidation. Passionate about addressing these challenges, Nick founded CultureCraft to equip wealth managers with the insights and strategies needed to break free from these cycles and achieve sustainable success.

Featured Resources 

• Nick Richtsmeier on LinkedIn 

• CultureCraft on LinkedIn

• CultureCraft Blog 

• Why CMOs Never Last article on Harvard Business Review

Tune in now as we chat with Nick about setting up your marketing leaders for success and determining when to hire an integrated agency or a CMO. Plus, discover how to ensure your marketing efforts align with your overall business goals, and more. 

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Bridget Venus Grimes is president and founder of WealthChoice. She launched her family firm in 2016 in response to the financial challenges faced by breadwinner women across the nation. Recognizing the need to expand her capacity to serve her growing clientele of over 65 families, she made the decision to bring her daughter Marnie on board. Through this strategic move, Bridget aims to ensure continuity and quality service for her clients while fostering a legacy of financial empowerment for future generations. With assets under management reaching $90 million, Bridget's dedication to providing comprehensive financial guidance while nurturing a successor reflects her passion for empowering women to make informed financial decisions. In her book, Corner Office Choices, Bridget compassionately guides women through the four financial derailers she has observed over time. With keen insight and unwavering dedication, she continues to support this dynamic group of women, addressing their unique challenges and empowering them to navigate their financial journey with confidence and clarity.

• Bridget Venus Grimes on LinkedIn
• Bridget Venus Grimes on Facebook
• Bridget Venus Grimes on Instagram
• Get Bridget’s Book: Corner Office Choices
• Bridget’s Rethinking65 article: How I’m Solving My Practice’s Capacity Issue
• Bridget on the Kitces podcast: Finding Personal Scale By Leveraging Yourself Through Outsourced Delegation
• Marnie Bonner on LinkedIn

Tune in now as we chat with Bridget about the importance of identifying a niche demographic, the strategic moves she made to expand her capacity and continue meeting the needs of her expanding clientele, plus how she paved the way for a seamless transition to bring her daughter, Marnie, on board as her successor. 

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