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 that shift has made all the difference in her leadership and life.
Kelly and Heather cover:
01:07 The evolution of SignatureFD's "Net Worthwhile" messaging and philosophy
03:09 Heather's approach to authentic social media and family storytelling
06:36 How showing up in the hard moments defines leadership
08:21 The importance of speaking truth with love
09:50 Why this business comes down to hiring people you relate to
10:58 Heather's philosophy on marketing patience and long-term investment
12:00 The "fail fast, pivot fast" approach to business experiments
14:52 Why marketing is always the first thing cut (and why it shouldn't be)
16:10 The importance of being accountable to growth metrics
17:31 Building true marketing funnels and infrastructure in wealth management
18:45 Learning from industries outside professional services
19:56 Heather's powerful "Don't Do That" - don't pick up other people's trash
22:25 How to distinguish between valuable feedback and head trash
24:08 The importance of being "inwardly sound" and knowing yourself
25:06 Using trusted advisors to reality-check feedback
26:32 The "moat" concept: Controlling what gets across your emotional drawbridge
30:47 How men and women handle criticism differently
32:50 The moment Heather realized she needed to model better self-talk for her daughter
35:00 Real examples of industry trash that successful leaders face
36:33 Why we're all taking off the orange vest and putting down the trash picker
Connect with Kelly Waltrich:
Connect with Heather Fortner
About Our Guest:
Heather is the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of SignatureFD, an integrated and comprehensive wealth management firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina, recent
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