July 2020 – The Healthy Advisor Podcast

Transparency With Diana B.: The Gifts and Trials That Come With Dyslexia

By healthy advisor | July 22, 2020

Dyslexia is the most common of all neurocognitive disorders, but contrary to what many may believe, some of the most innovative people in the country have dyslexia, including Charles Schwab and Bill Gates, to name a few. There are so many benefits and gifts that come with dyslexia, if only our society embraced people with the disorder and knew how to harness it.

Advisor Daren Blonski is also in that camp, having struggled with dyslexia throughout his life. From an early age, he would be filled with anxiety when teachers would call on him to read aloud. Once he entered college, he was officially tested and discovered he had dyslexia, changing his plans for college. But he always had to work harder than others to succeed in academia. After years of diligent work, he graduated and went on to become successful within the financial industry.

Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com is joined by Blonski, managing principal of Sonoma Wealth Advisors. He recounts his experiences with dyslexia and how the challenges shaped him as a person. He also discusses the impact of dyslexia on society, the success of some and the challenges even more face.

In this episode, you will learn:

About his early life with dyslexia
How his work ethic and efforts got him through school
How his struggles have shaped his outlook on life and career
The lessons he learned by facing his struggles
About the gifts that dyslexia can bring to a person
What one prison in Texas can teach us about phonemic awareness and larger societal issues
And more.

Tune in now to discover the benefits and struggles of those with dyslexia.

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Daren | Sonoma Wealth Advisors | Contact Diana

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Transparency with Diana B.: The Reality of Divorce With a Special Needs Child

By healthy advisor | July 8, 2020

As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and, perhaps, the preeminent divorce advisor in the industry, Michelle Smith has helped hundreds of women through the financial maze of divorce. But she’s even more qualified to advise on divorce because she’s gone through it herself—and with a child with special needs no less.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by Michelle Smith, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and CEO of Source Financial Advisors, an RIA in New York City. Michelle discusses her own experience with divorce, co-parenting a special needs child, learning to ask for help, and more.

Michelle received her son’s Down syndrome diagnosis three minutes after he was born. Although she didn’t feel equipped to parent a child with special needs, she instantly flipped into “I’ve got this” mode. But she was petrified when she saw her husband shut down. In that moment, she knew in her gut that her marriage was over.

In this episode, you will learn:

How the birth of her son sparked a realization about her marriage
Why it was important for her to take a step back during the divorce process
About her experience co-parenting a special needs child
How she ultimately learned to ask for help from her friends and family
Why Michelle and her friends decided to start their own school in New York City
Her advice for people going through divorce: how to mediate safely and why you should reconsider litigating
How COVID-19 could impact divorces
And more

Listen now to hear Michelle’s experience going through the divorce process and parenting her special needs son.

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