Beyond the Numbers

If you're planning to claim Social Security the moment you're eligible just to "get your money back," fiduciary financial planner Chris Everett wants you to slow down and run the real numbers first. Claiming at 62 instead of waiting until 70 can mean a 76% difference in your monthly benefit — and for a couple, the lifetime income gap can exceed $200,000. In this episode, Chris walks through a real married-couple scenario show...

Patrick Smith has spent 15 years building C2 Creative Studio, a Chicago branding and design agency built on a simple idea: get creatives working directly with clients, without layers of account managers in between.

In this conversation, Patrick shares the financial lessons of growing a creative business from two people to a working studio — including the missed invoice that pushed him to invest in real systems — and walk...

Most people think they're ready to retire once they've hit a savings number — but readiness isn't about how much you've saved, it's about whether that money can generate income that outlasts you.

In this episode, fiduciary financial planner Chris Everett breaks down why retirement plans fail: underestimated healthcare costs (often exceeding $300,000 for a couple), ignored inflation, and longevity risk that turns "the number" i...

Susanna Mlot is an experienced business transformation executive, an aspiring author, and a longtime client of host Chris Everett's fiduciary practice.

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, she joins Chris for an unusually candid conversation about navigating a meaningful relationship later in life — including a partner whose adult children are still struggling to accept it — while building a financial plan that support...

The Long-Term Care Decision Most People in Their 50s & 60s Are Ignoring

Most people in their fifties and sixties know long-term care exists. They just don't plan for it — because thinking about it is uncomfortable. So they put it off. And putting it off is itself a decision. Just not the one they'd make if they were thinking clearly.

In this solo episode of Beyond the Numbers, fiduciary financial planner Chris Everett break...

Donata Stroink-Skillrud is a licensed attorney, certified information privacy professional, and the president and co-founder of Termageddon — a privacy policy platform covering 120+ laws that has helped thousands of businesses from solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies stay compliant as privacy regulations continue to multiply.

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, she joins host Chris Everett for a wide-ranging conver...

Most people don't lose money from bad decisions. They lose money from no decision — waiting for clarity that never quite comes while the window quietly closes.

In this solo episode of Beyond the Numbers, fiduciary financial planner Chris Everett walks through the three financial decisions that carry the highest cost of delay and why if you're between 58 and 67, right now is the most important financial window of your life.

Mark...

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with renowned business strategist, author, and thought leader Rashad Tabakawala for a powerful conversation about leadership, technology, and what it means to stay human in an increasingly data-driven world.

After spending nearly four decades at the forefront of digital transformation, advising global organizations such as Google, Meta, IBM, Walmart, and JPMorgan Ch...

What if prosthetic limbs could become a source of confidence instead of something people try to hide?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Chris Everett sits down with renowned industrial designer and entrepreneur Scott Summit — founder of Bespoke Innovations and Ethereal Matter — for a powerful conversation about empathy-driven design, entrepreneurship, and building technology that restores dignity.

After designing p...

Sound Investments: The Intersection of Hearing and Financial Wellbeing | Beyond the Numbers Podcast

What if one of the biggest risks to your financial future… had nothing to do with the stock market?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with hearing care expert Adam Dell to explore the powerful—and often overlooked—connection between hearing health and financial wellbeing.

From rela...

What happens when you combine entrepreneurial instinct, emerging tech, and a deep understanding of how sales actually works?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with Paul Pacun, CEO and Founder of vablet, to explore how modern sales teams can operate smarter, stay compliant, and build real trust with clients.

Paul shares the story behind the “light bulb moment” sparked by the iPad—a...

What does it really take to build an elite engineering team—and why is retention one of the most overlooked financial risks in business?

In this episode of Beyond The Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with John Szeder, a Fractional Chief Technology Officer and “zero-to-one” builder, to explore the intersection of engineering leadership, business performance, and long-term value creation.

From his early ins...

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with Ralph Dahm, a veteran in technology, financial investigations, and executive search, to explore the growing world of crypto fraud and blockchain forensics.

Ralph began studying Bitcoin in 2013, when it was increasingly being used to bypass anti-money laundering (AML) laws an...

What does it take to lead under extreme pressure — and still build a life of purpose, fulfillment, and legacy?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, fiduciary financial planner Chris Everett sits down with Sean Patton — former U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) commander, Novus Global executive coach, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and author of A Warrior’s Mindset: Six Keys to Greatness.

Sean breaks down why...

Beyond the Numbers: How CAST Water Safety Foundation Teaches Toddlers to Self-Rescue with Liz Hubbert

What if the “water baby” dunking we see on vacation is actually teaching toddlers something dangerous—like believing an adult will always be there to pull them up for air?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, host Chris Everett sits down with Liz Hubbert, leader of the CAST Water Safety Foundation, to share the ...

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers — where money meets meaning and purpose, host Chris Everett sits down with Brad Jenkins, CFP®, Chief Investment Officer & CEO of MarketGuard, to unpack what it really takes to pursue strong returns without living through stomach-churning volatility.

Brad shares the unlikely origin story that started with him reading the financial section in 7th grade, the moment he realized the indu...

What does freedom really mean when you’ve lived without it?

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers: Where Money Meets Meaning & Purpose, host Chris Everett sits down with authors and former journalists Nonna and Russell Working, a couple whose journey from the Soviet Union to the United States gave them a lived understanding of free speech, censorship, and the real cost of standing on principle.

Russell, a Pushcart Pri...

Welcome to Beyond the Numbers, the podcast where money meets meaning and purpose. In this episode, host Chris Everett sits down with Phyllis and Dr. Glenn Hill, founders of Connection Codes, to explore the science, faith, and human experience behind real connection. Born out of their own marriage struggles and shaped by decades of research, their work reframes how we understand emotions, communication, and relationships — not...

In this episode, Brian Becker joins the show for a thoughtful and grounded conversation on leadership, discipline, service, and what it really takes to build teams and organizations that last.

Brian reflects on his career journey, the mentors who shaped him, and the values that guided his leadership decisions over time. From personal accountability and operational excellence to the quiet strength of consistency, this discussion hi...