Category: ASD

FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: From Near-Death to New Purpose with Martine Lellis

The Healthy Advisor: From Near-Death to New Purpose with Martine Lellis

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While studying at Duke University, Martine Lellis started to feel sick. It developed quickly into a hospital visit where she was diagnosed with pneumonia in both her lungs. The condition escalated into a near-deadly situation, so her doctors decided to induce a coma even before her parents were able to reach her.

 It became so serious that while in a coma, she received her last rites, the religious ceremony performed by a Catholic priest for someone who was dying.

 Thankfully, she woke up three weeks later to make a full recovery, although the road back to normal functionality was difficult.

 Diana Britton speaks with Martine Lellis, principal of M&A partner development at Mercer Advisors, on her near-death experience, its profound impact on her life, and how it has fueled her passion for making bold, compassionate choices in the financial services industry.

 

Diana and Martine discuss:

  • Martine’s near-death experience and its aftermath
  • Her recent experience meeting with the doctor who saved her life at Duke
  • Another health scare she had with long COVID
  • How overcoming significant health challenges shaped her professional and personal outlook
  • The importance of gratitude and resilience in her leadership role
  • Her current philanthropic efforts and commitment to giving back to the community

 Resources:

 Connect With Martine Lellis:

 Connect With Wealth Management & NREI:

 About Our Guest:

 Martine is Principal, M&A Partner Development, and is responsible for driving the growth and expansion of the organization through strategic mergers and acquisitions of other RIAs. Based on her more than two decades of experience in the independent wealth management space, she leads like-minded firms in their transition decisions, including assessment of fit, due diligence, financial analysis, talent mapping, and deal negotiations. Martine also currently serves as Chief Talent Officer, overseeing Talent Management and HR Operations for the company, with a focus on developing and growing the talent of the organization. She has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Mercer Advisors since joining the firm in 2020.

 If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

 The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

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FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: The Juggle Is Real With Anna Howard and Kimberly Sanders

The Healthy Advisor: The Juggle Is Real With Anna Howard and Kimberly Sanders

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Kimberly Sanders followed a typical path into financial services, gaining an undergrad in finance and working for a series of banks and brokerage firms. When she became pregnant, she made the decision to stay home for eight years to raise her kids. But when it was time to return to work, the path was not so smooth.

 For Anna Howard, her path into the industry was driven by a desire to earn validation from her father, also an executive in financial services. Later in her career, she realized the path she took and focused on building a more authentic and fulfilling life for herself. She and her husband recently went through a multi-year process to become foster parents, so now they’re managing four kids, two of which have special needs, while working full-time.

 In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton explores the balance between work and home life with Anna Howard, head of Private Wealth at LPL Financial, and Kimberly Sanders, head of Strategic Wealth Services at LPL.

 They touch on:

  • The unique struggles faced by women in the financial services industry, particularly with work-life balance
  • The journey back into the workforce after taking a hiatus and the obstacles encountered along the way
  • The importance of male sponsors
  • Strategies for managing personal well-being and family life while pursuing a demanding career
  • The importance of mentorship, advocacy, and building a support network for women in finance

 Resources: 

 Connect With Anna Howard:

 Connect With Kimberly Sanders:

 Connect With Wealth Management & NREI:

 About Our Guests:

 At LPL Financial, Anna Howard focuses on serving high-net-worth advisors and their clients, launching LPL Private Wealth Management to offer industry-leading benefits and enhanced service. Prior to LPL, she advanced her career at First Republic Bank and Wells Fargo Private Bank, where she developed innovative resources and grew assets under management.

 Kimberly Sanders, Senior Vice President, Advisor Solutions at LPL Financial, leads LPL Strategic Wealth Services, a modern supported independence solution that enables advisors and business owners to build and grow their firms according to their vision. In this role, Kimberly oversees a seasoned management team that enables advisors to optimize on LPL’s relationships, resources, and services to build equity in their brand and business so advisors can continue to thrive. Prior to LPL, Kimberly served RIA clients and prospects at Schwab Advisor Services, providing business consulting to support the custodian’s existing and potential clients. 

 If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

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FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: Living Life Urgently with Kristine McManus

The Healthy Advisor: Living Life Urgently with Kristine McManus

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At the end of 2022, Kristine McManus got an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. Yet doctors thought it was the least aggressive form and easily treatable. 

Shortly after her surgery, she received multiple messages from the hospital; it turns out she had the most aggressive form of breast cancer, triple-negative. Her outlook on life changed as she was forced to miss one of the most important years in her children’s lives due to treatments. From that moment on, she focused on the value of living life urgently and cherishing meaningful moments.

In this episode of the Healthy Advisor Podcast, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton speaks with Kristine McManus, chief advisor growth officer at Commonwealth Financial Network, about her journey battling breast cancer and the profound lessons learned about living life to the fullest and not “saving for best.” 

Kristine discusses: 

  • Her initial breast cancer diagnosis and the unexpected turn of events
  • The challenges and treatments she faced during her battle with breast cancer
  • The importance of not saving the best for later and embracing the present
  • Lessons learned about gratitude, cherishing moments, and living a more urgent life

Resources: 

Connect With Kristine McManus:

Connect With Wealth Management & NREI:

About Our Guest:

Kristine McManus consults with financial services companies and advisors to enhance revenue growth and establish robust practices. Central to her approach is highlighting the unique qualities of the advisor, utilizing branding, communications, client events and marketing strategies to foster business development.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

 The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.

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FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: Resiliency and Other Lessons Inside Lehman

The Healthy Advisor: Resiliency and Other Lessons Inside Lehman

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When Mike Wunderli started his journey into wealth management, he was excited about a career that had a combination of sales and finance, interpersonal and analytical. He built up an impressive book of business, helping entrepreneurs and business owners engineer liquidity events for their companies. 

But then, the 2008 financial crisis hit, causing the downfall of large financial institutions like Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, where he worked at the time. Lehman became the largest bankruptcy ever, and that event would have a profound impact on Wunderli’s life—personally, and professionally. 

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton is joined by Mike Wunderli, current managing director at ECHELON Partners, who opens up about that dark time in his life, his struggles with unfulfillment, and the lessons learned watching Lehman and the economy collapse from inside the trenches. 

Mike discusses:

  • How he entered the wealth management industry
  • Advisor satisfaction and culture at Lehman
  • His experience inside Lehman leading up to the bankruptcy
  • Why client assets were tied up after the bankruptcy
  • Rehypothecation and other risks that surfaced during the financial crisis 
  • Why he felt unfulfilled professionally in the years following the collapse
  • How he came back from tough time in his life

Resources: 

Connect With Mike Wunderli:

 

Connect With Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Mike Wunderli is a Managing Director at ECHELON Partners and is integrally involved in all aspects of the firm’s activities. Prior to joining ECHELON, Mr. Wunderli founded Connect Capital Group (CCG) where he advises private, middle-market companies on pre-transaction planning, growth financing options and the development and execution of exit strategies. He also works closely with the private-equity and venture-capital communities to evaluate acquisition and investment targets and source proprietary deal flow.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.



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FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: A Refugee’s Journey and the Power of Sound Healing With Sathya Chey Patterson

The Healthy Advisor: A Refugee’s Journey and the Power of Sound Healing With Sathya Chey Patterson

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Sathya Chey Patterson was born into struggle. She came into the world in a Thai refugee camp, as her family had just escaped from the Cambodian genocide, an explosion of mass violence that saw between 1.5 and 3 million people killed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, a communist political group, in the 1970s. Her family then arrived in the U.S. financially destitute. Yet her humble beginnings and financially challenged upbringing have defined her truth.

 The experience taught her resilience and built habits of frugality that few others can grasp. Today, she uses those skills in her own wealth management practice.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton is joined by Sathya Chey Patterson, Wealth Advisor and Managing Partner at Arise Private Wealth, in discussing how her experience has shaped her perspective on life and the work she’s doing now.

Sathya discusses: 

  • How life in refugee camps during the Cambodian genocide shaped her childhood
  • How her family provided for the children once they came to the U.S.
  • How her experience growing up changed the way she explains money habits to clients
  • Why she became a financial advisor and what drives her in this career
  • How meditation and sound healing have helped her overcome challenges and heal from the past

Resources: 

Connect With Sathya:

Connect With Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Sathya Chey Patterson is a Managing Partner of Arise Private Wealth, an independent wealth management firm that consistently guides clients to pursue an elevated perspective.

Sathya is more than a wealth advisor, she is her clients’ financial beacon, consistently offering an informed perspective so they can craft and implement an effective investment strategy that is suited to their specific needs and desires. Sathya understands the many complex financial decisions her clients may face, as well as the intricacies of their portfolios and investment markets, and ensures her clients are cared for today and in the future.

While receiving her BA in finance from Cal State Fullerton and an MBA from USC Marshall School of Business, Sathya began building experience in wealth management at Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors, LLC. She then joined the Carlsen Elliott Wealth Management team at Wells Fargo Advisors before launching her independent wealth management company, Arise Private Wealth, with her business partner Steve Carlsen.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

 

The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.



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Transparency with Diana B.: Dealing With the Emotional and Physical Abuse of the Past

Transparency with Diana B.: Dealing With the Emotional and Physical Abuse of the Past

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When he was about six or seven years old, Rob Bartenstein’s parents got divorced. The rest of childhood had its ups and downs, with some emotional and, at times, physical abuse caused by the men in his mother’s life.

His family also faced financial hardships, especially when his stepfather declared bankruptcy. Living on government cheese, processed cheese provided to welfare beneficiaries, the family had very little money to get by, putting further strain on the adults raising him. He eventually found his way into the military, which put him on a better path. But then an expected hospitalization and risky heart operation ended his military career and changed his perspective on life.    

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Bartenstein, CEO at Kestra Private Wealth Services in Austin. He shares some painful memories of his upbringing and describes how he ended up in financial services.

You will learn:

  • What Rob’s childhood was like
  • The emotional and physical abuse Rob dealt with at a young age
  • How Rob navigated through the dark moments in his life
  • How his life experiences informed his worldview, and ultimately his path to financial services

 Listen now to hear Rob’s life story and how several events led him to where he is now.

Resources: WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton LinkedIn | Kestra Private Wealth Services | Rob Bartenstein on LinkedIn | Contact Rob Bartenstein | Contact Diana

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Transparency with Diana B.: Living With Type 1 Diabetes

Transparency with Diana B.: Living With Type 1 Diabetes

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As an estate tax attorney, Melanie Schnoll-Begun spent so much of her life helping others plan their for their futures. But when she applied for a life insurance policy of her own during pregnancy, she never imagined she’d get a rejection letter. That was the moment she learned she had Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that now impacts every aspect of her life.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by Melanie Schnoll-Begun, the managing director and head of philanthropy management at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. She opens up about her journey living with diabetes, and how the disease has shaped her career. Melanie was later inspired to help launch Morgan Stanley GIFT Cures, a program that advances the development of research discoveries into new cures and treatments for a broad range of diseases. The diabetic community—and especially those with Type 1—is very compromised right now due to the coronavirus, and Melanie has had to have a heightened level of awareness during this time.    

 In this episode, you will learn:

  • How Melanie learned about her diagnosis
  • How having diabetes has shaped Melanie’s life and career
  • Misconceptions about Type 1 diabetes
  • How COVID-19 impacts people with Type 1 diabetes
  • What kind of work Morgan Stanley GIFT Cures is doing around COVID-19 
  • Melanie’s advice for coping with Type 1 diabetes
  • And more.

 Tune in now to hear about Melanie Schnoll Begun’s experience living with Type 1 diabetes.

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Contact Melanie | Morgan Stanley

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Transparency With Diana B.: Working Mothers in Quarantine

Transparency With Diana B.: Working Mothers in Quarantine

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When shelter-in-place orders started cropping up in mid-March, as the coronavirus started to spread in cities across the country, many schools and daycares closed. Babysitters and other caregivers, such as grandparents, were forced to separate from the kids they typically cared for. The circumstance brought a new challenge to working parents, who have been struggling over the last few months to work remotely, home-school their children, and keep the young ones engaged, occupied and happy. 

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, talks to three mothers in financial services about the challenges they’ve experienced balancing work and childcare during the quarantine.

Shana Sissel, chief investment officer of Spotlight Asset Group, has an energetic little boy who is feeling increasingly antsy inside their apartment. Kristine Porcaro, co-founder and president of Lexington Wealth Management, is preserving emotional energy for her two teenage girls. And Blair DuQuesnay, an advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management, is balancing the care of her young son and newborn daughter.

Diana’s joined by Shana, Kristine, and Blair who discuss the challenges of keeping their children emotionally and mentally fulfilled while stuck inside, as well as their mechanisms for staying sane. Diana draws on her own experience in this episode, working from home while caring for her 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.  

In this episode, you will learn:

  • About their experiences working from home with kids
  • How these moms feel about screentime and how they manage it
  • How they’re dealing with schools and daycares being closed 
  • How they’re dealing with acting out and heightened emotions
  • How to run an advisory business while caring for children
  • Ways these mothers maintain sanity and relieve stress
  • And more. 

Tune in now to hear a candid discussion about the challenges of caring for children and working from home during COVID-19.

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Spotlight Asset Group | Shana Sissel on LinkedIn  | Lexington Wealth Management | Kristine Porcaro on LinkedIn | Ritholtz Wealth Management | Blair DuQuesnay on LinkedIn  

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Transparency With Diana B.: More Tales From the “Boom Boom Room”

Transparency With Diana B.: More Tales From the “Boom Boom Room”

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When Julie Johnson started out as a financial advisor at Smith Barney in the 1990s, she was “smiling and dialing” to build up her book of business. She excelled in her rookie year, so much so that she was sought after by another wealth advisor who needed help expanding his practice. She jumped at the chance. But what seemed like a good opportunity turned into a nightmare.

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, WealthManagement.com’s managing editor, is joined by Julie Johnson, former senior vice president of UBS Wealth Management and current president and CEO of XY Communication, an executive coaching and public speaking firm. Julie shares her experiences being a female in a very male dominated industry at a time when there were places like “the boom boom room,” a famous party room at Smith Barney’s Garden City, N.Y. branch. Many women flocked to Wall Street in the ‘90s only to be held down by chauvinists. Julie was at the center of it, as she stayed in a years-long toxic relationship with her male partner, who made inappropriate advances.  

The stress of it all ended up taking a bad toll on her physical health, which eventually led her to leave the industry.

“When you feel so small and so disrespected for so many years, it has a physical and very real physical effect on you,” she says. “We have to give ourselves permission to say ‘no,’ and to get help.”

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The story of Julie’s successes and struggles in financial services
  • The negative tendencies of successful financial advisors
  • The importance of taking care of yourself first, before clients
  • How Julie learned to be her own advocate for her health
  • How she found the power to stand up for herself and leave the industry
  • How to let go of the pursuit of perfectionism and seek support
  • And more.

Tune in now to hear how Julie got through these difficult times.

Resources: 

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | XY Communication | Julie Johnson LI

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Transparency with Diana B.: Coming Out of the Closet

Transparency with Diana B.: Coming Out of the Closet

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Robert Castillo came out of the closet to his friends and family when he was 16 years old. But when he first got a job at a financial advisory firm in his 20s, he didn’t feel comfortable coming out to his colleagues. The financial services’ reputation for being very male-centric contributed greatly to that decision. He felt he didn’t fit in, and even considered leaving the industry at one point. He eventually did come out at work, and has become a leader in serving and empowering LGBT clients.

While Greg Fields didn’t come out of the closet himself—he’s straight, his son did at 13 years old. Fields wasn’t surprised by it; he spoke frankly to his son about gender and sexuality from a young age. But when his son came out, it did make him nervous; the first thing that came to his mind was his child’s safety. And even living in progressive Los Angeles, that was one of the realities he had to navigate with his son’s sexual orientation—bullying. Greg took action to help protect his son and to become an ally of the LGBT community.

In this episode of Transparency, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton talks to Robert and Greg, both financial advisors with Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management in Santa Monica, Calif., who co-lead the LGBT group at their firm. They share their stories in greater depth and explain what they’re doing to support the LGBT community in an industry that is—in many ways—still closed off to this culture. 

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Robert’s story of coming out in the financial industry
  • How Greg educated himself on the LGBT community and what he did to help protect his son from bullying
  • The importance of bringing good advice to this underserved community
  • Robert’s advice for other financial advisors who are in the LGBT community
  • What should be done to change the industry’s approach to LGBT issues
  • How to be more open-minded about the LGBT community and the financial needs of the community
  • And more.

Tune in now to hear their stories and find out what you can do to better understand and support the LGBT community within the financial services industry. 

Resources: 

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Gerber Kawasaki | Gerber Kawasaki LGBT Group

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