NAIFA's Advisor Today Podcast Series

Laurie Adams is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), helping people create financial plans to achieve financial security through investment management, retirement, trust, and planning services. She spent 21 years as a professional education instructor creating and teaching courses to CFP professionals, bank trust officers, CPAs, and insurance license holders. Laurie is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Life Underwriter Training C...

Tom Cothron is an agency manager for a multi-line insurance company offering auto, home, and life insurance products. Tom is a seasoned expert, spending 40-plus years dedicated to the financial services industry. He is a certified Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) and a Financial Services Certified Professional (FSCP). He currently presides as NAIFAs President Elect.

In this episode…

Financially planning for...

Harry Hoopis is an entrepreneur and industry leader in the insurance and financial services space who has built a successful firm based in Chicago, IL. He speaks, teaches, and inspires executives, advisors, and front-line salespeople — providing the systems, methods, efficiencies, and confidence needed to excel in the industry. He is the author of the best-selling book, The Road to the Bountiful Life, and recipient of NAIFA's prest...

Scott Blake is a Wealth Management Advisor and Founder at a leading wealth management firm delivering comprehensive planning, investment, and insurance services for individuals, families, and businesses to help them achieve financial success and live rich, rewarding lives. A passionate leader in his community, Scott is a 2022 national winner of Advisor Today’s 4 Under 40 Award and a board member of several organizations in Columbus...

Rith Nou is an agent. Rith offers her clients products to help meet different insurance and financial needs including college funding, retirement, managing costs for extended care, and income strategies.  

In this episode…

Are you a young financial advisor trying to succeed in the market? Maybe you’re working tirelessly, but feel like you haven’t made the progress you were hoping to at the current stage of your career. Whe...

Joe Jordan is an inspirational speaker and behavioral finance expert. In 2013, he released his award-winning book Living a Life of Significance, which has sold 90,000-plus copies in five languages. Additionally, Joe is a Founder of the Insured Retirement Institute and was featured on the cover of Life Insurance Selling Magazine. He was also honored by Irish America magazine as one of the “Top 50 Irish Americans on Wall Street.” Bef...

Lawrence (Larry) Holzberg is the Brokerage Director of Coastal Wealth, a single-source wealth management firm providing products and services to help address every aspect of your financial life. Larry’s 20 years of experience in brokerage, advanced sales, and solutions-based advice assists his responsibility in leading the firm’s financial professionals. He also serves as the National President of NAIFA, the only organization repre...

Joey Davenport is the Co-founder and President of Hoopis Performance Network (HPN), a LIMRA strategic partner providing innovative, web-based sales training and leadership development learning solutions for financial professionals. Joey is responsible for leading all sales and marketing, enterprise client relationships, solutions development, and team development for the organization. He is the executive producer for HPN and serves...

Lara Galloway is the SVP of Channel Management at White Glove, a marketing and management firm helping financial advisors connect and engage with quality leads. Lara collaborates with White Glove’s Resource Partners to provide educational resources to financial advisors on marketing practices, practice management, and presentation skills. She is also the host of White Glove’s FAST Podcast, featuring industry leaders who have discov...

Andrew Holt is the Government Relations and Grassroots Manager at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). NAIFA works on behalf of its members to promote a favorable regulatory environment, provide professional education services, and ensure ethical professional conduct for insurance and financial advisors.

Andrew spent several years of his career in the political arena, getting his start as an intern ...

Former NFL player Marques Ogden is a keynote speaker, business coach, and corporate consultant, passionate about elevating his clients' success. From an early age, Marques learned how to define his values and set goals for himself. He attended Howard University from 1998-2002 on a football scholarship and received his bachelor’s in finance — being drafted by the NFL in 2003. Marques is a best-selling author and host of the Get Auth...

Kathleen Owings is the Principal and Financial Advisor of Westbilt Financial Group, an independent financial advisory firm providing comprehensive planning for clients wanting to achieve personal goals. In 2007, Kathleen began her career in the financial services industry with New England Financial. Her licensure is in life and health insurance and she maintains Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations. Kathleen’s book, Put...

For over 30 years, Diane Boyle has been the Senior Vice President of Government Relations for NAIFA. Diane advocates for state, interstate, and federal laws that benefit the good of the people. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in political science and government.

In this episode…

When your passion and career revolve around making sure clients are on the right financial track, knowing how to polit...

Ken Leibow has over 36 years of insurance industry experience. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of InsurTech Express, a one-stop shop for insurance resources. He has held strategic and executive roles in Fortune 500 companies and proactively managed operations in alignment with the company vision. He is a recipient of the NAILBA ID20 Award, ACORD Leadership Award, and was recognized in 2016 with the NAILBA Chairman’s A...

Martha Underwood has been in the technology space for over 25 years and is skilled at successfully managing large-scale digital transformation initiatives. Co-founder of Prismm, a platform that allows you to securely store important documents, Martha focuses on executive advancement without compromising integrity or authenticity. She is a recognized speaker on the topic of women leading in technology and innovation within the busin...

Ike Trotter began his journey in the insurance world when he was 22 years old. Ike is highly skilled in analyzing long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement coverage, disability insurance, life insurance, and retirement planning. As a Financial Services Professional for Ike Trotter Agency, he provides healthcare, risk management, and "basic" estate planning solutions to families and small businesses. He is an active member and v...

Joe Templin is the Co-founder and CEO of The Intro Machine, a training ecosystem for professionals who want to build an introduction-based business. Joe began his career in financial services with the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, eventually becoming a “Top 10 Mike Gish Qualifier” and a “Top 10 College Unit Director.” He also served on Northwestern Mutual's recruiting, retention, and diversity committee and has earned...

Bryon Holz is the President of NAIFA, providing investments and insurance to successful individuals and business owners throughout the Southeast with Bryon Holz and Associates, which he oversees as President and Registered Principal. He has obtained numerous designations and certifications over the years, including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL), a...

Chris Gandy is the Founder of Midwest Legacy Group LLC, a boutique concierge insurance group for executives, professional athletes, physicians, business owners, and entrepreneurs. It focuses on the client's interests in wealth accumulation, wealth preservation, retirement strategies, insurance, asset protection, and investments.

Chris played professionally for the Chicago Bulls, the San Antonio Spurs, and in L'Hermaine, France, aft...