Don't Do That

What’s the one trait that can make or break your growth journey? For Joe Steuter, Partner at Intention.ly, it’s resourcefulness — and he’s learned it from a lifetime of solving problems, starting with early mornings on a dairy farm in Nebraska.

In this episode, host Kelly Waltrich sits down in-person with her friend and business partner to unpack the lessons from 20+ years in financial services, including how to communicate with int...

Are you chasing marketing metrics but still feeling disconnected from your audience? 

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich welcomes Mark Forman, CMO of Optifino, a company rooted in one simple but transformative concept: truly knowing your audience through genuine human connection. Mark shares how his journey from poetry major to marketing leader taught him that the best marketers combine technical expertise with de...

What if the secret to success isn't what you should do, but what you absolutely shouldn't?

What do brilliant jerks, head trash, and the "parent thing" have in common? They're all career killers that successful leaders have learned to avoid—the hard way.

Kelly Waltrich curates the most eye-opening "Don't Do That" moments from 20+ industry titans who've made every mistake so you don't h...

Are you chasing achievement but still feeling disconnected?

On this episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich welcomes Chris Schembra, founder of 7:47, a company rooted in one simple but transformative concept: human connection through gratitude. Chris shares how a bowl of pasta and one powerful question sparked a global movement bringing people together in meaningful ways.

This conversation explores how marketers, leaders, and founde...

Are you beating yourself up over work-life balance every single week?

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Sara Baker, Head of M&A at Allworth, for a candid conversation about leadership, career pivots, and redefining balance. With a background that spans corporate law, financial services, and M&A, Sara shares her unique perspective on navigating growth, both professional and personal.

Kelly an...

Are you compromising your company's vision to avoid difficult conversations?

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Chris Schuba, CEO and Founder of Helios, for an honest discussion about the challenges of maintaining your entrepreneurial vision while building a team. Chris shares his unique approach to "insourcing" investment management for financial advisors, the dramatic origin story b...

Are you letting everyone else's opinions shape your decisions? 

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Penny Phillips, Founder of Journey Strategic Wealth, for a brutally honest conversation about entrepreneurship, motherhood, and building a financial advisory firm. Fresh off maternity leave with a three-month-old, Penny shares her unfiltered thoughts on the evolving financial services landscape, t...

Are you walking around with a bag full of other people's opinions about who you should be?

On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Heather Fortner, CEO of SignatureFD, for a refreshingly honest conversation about authenticity, leadership, and the messy reality of balancing it all. Heather shares her journey from trying to be everything to everyone to embracing her quirky, authentic self, and why tha...

Is benchmarking your business by the "industry average" holding you back? 

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Jamie Hopkins, Chief Wealth Officer at WSFS Bank, to discuss leadership, talent development, and why average benchmarks might be limiting your growth potential. Jamie shares his experience transitioning from frequent travel to a more balanced life, his work with the FinServ Foundat...

Are you creating a culture where your team feels comfortable giving you honest feedback?

As a seasoned Turnaround and Growth CEO, Marwa leads organizations through pivotal stages of their development across various industries, with a specialization in financial services and technology. Marwa’s approach combines deep operational insight with innovative strategies, empowering teams to execute on a clear vision while tackling complex m...

Are you trying to build your advisory business without the right support systems?

In this episode of Don't Do That, David Wood, Chief Visionary Officer at Gateway Financial, joins Kelly Waltrich to discuss why advisors shouldn't go it alone in today's changing financial services landscape, particularly as scale becomes increasingly important for success.

During the episode, David highlights the impact of implementing t...

Do you trust the experts you hired?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich is joined by Molly McClure, Head of North America Marketing at intelliflo. Molly shares her experience building intelliflo's U.S. marketing presence from the ground up, the importance of balancing creativity with data-driven results, and why events like Future Proof Festival are game-changers for financial services branding. 

Molly's &...

Are you listening to understand, or just listening to respond?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich is joined by Jack Sharry, who shares his journey from LifeYield to Managing Director at SEI following their December acquisition. Jack discusses his excitement about building the industry's first full Unified Managed Household (UMH) platform, reveals the philosophy behind his book on authentic and ethical persuas...

Are you carrying the weight of every business decision on your shoulders?

In this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich chats with Adrian “AJ” Johnstone, CEO and co-founder of Practifi, about the delicate balance of leadership decision-making. 

AJ shares his journey of leading Practifi back to its roots serving RIAs and why growth should be purposeful rather than pursued at all costs. With refreshing candor, AJ discusses the ...

Are you tiptoeing around what really needs to be said?

In this episode of Don’t Do That, Jason Early, CEO and founder of RISR, joins Kelly Waltrich to talk about why tough conversations are so important. “Bad news doesn’t get better with time,” Jason points out, and saying the thing that needs to be said often leads to breakthrough moments.

During the episode, Jason highlights the growing industry challenge that led him to found RISR...

What if AI could give you back nine hours a week—would you take it?

Mark Gilbert, CEO and founder of Zocks, joins host Kelly Waltrich for a conversation about the transformative potential of AI, a platform that actually delivers on its promise of saving advisors time, and the costly mistake of waiting too long to build marketing momentum. 

During the discussion, Mark explains how Zocks is helping advisors reclaim up to nine hours per...

Are you compromising your company's culture by hiring brilliant jerks? 

In this episode of Don't Do That, host Kelly Waltrich is joined by Ainslie Simmonds from BNY to discuss the importance of hiring for culture, avoiding toxic influences, and the power of loving the problem rather than the answer. 

Ainslie shares her journey from the fintech world to starting a fintech within BNY Mellon, outlining her insights on innovati...

Is your firm too focused on acquisitions while neglecting the power of organic growth? 

Kelly Waltrich welcomes John Wernz, a "reformed CMO" who now works with private equity firm Great Hill Partners as an Entrepreneur in Residence. Together, they explore a common pitfall in the financial advisory industry: prioritizing acquisitions and inorganic growth at the expense of developing strong organic growth capabilities. John ...

Are you limiting your growth potential by thinking too small? 

In this episode of Don't Do That, host Kelly Waltrich sits down with Billy Hopkins, CEO of Silver Oak Securities, to discuss the importance of thinking big, taking uncomfortable steps, and adopting an enterprise mindset to accelerate business growth.

With 25 years of experience building Silver Oak Securities from a small Tennessee firm to a thriving enterprise, Billy...