Category: Mental Health
The Healthy Advisor: Getting Past the Seven-Year Fog with Dr. Preston Cherry

The Healthy Advisor: Getting Past the Seven-Year Fog with Dr. Preston Cherry

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What happens when professional achievement outpaces personal well-being? Dr. Preston Cherry, founder of Concurrent Financial Planning, seemed to have it all—a thriving career and a secure six-figure salary in his late 20s. But beneath the surface, he was stuck in a seven-year fog, struggling to align his personal life with his financial success.

In this episode, Diana Britton, executive editor at WealthManagement.com, sits down with Dr. Cherry as he opens up about his challenges—bankruptcy, self-medicating behaviors and racial microaggressions—all while searching for balance, healing and true fulfillment.

He discusses: 

  • The realization of his “seven years of fog”
  • The concept of life and money misalignment
  • Thoughts on money buying happiness
  • How his experiences inspired his new book “Wealth in the Key of Life”
  • What his journey has taught him about having empathy and compassion for clients

Resources: 

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

Connect with Dr. Preston Cherry:

About Our Guest:

Dr. Preston Cherry, Founder & President of Concurrent Financial Planning, leads the Financial Planning Program and directs the Charles Schwab Center for Personal Financial Planning at UW–Green Bay. With over 15 years of experience, he empowers people to shape their financial stories for wellness and freedom. His research focuses on personality traits and financial risks. Cited by top publications, he’s an Investopedia Top 100 Advisor and Financial Therapy Association President. Preston is also a poetry-writing, vinyl-loving uncle.

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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The Healthy Advisor: Climbing the Ladder as a Single, Young Mom With Mary Saylor

The Healthy Advisor: Climbing the Ladder as a Single, Young Mom With Mary Saylor

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Mary Saylor had been working hard to earn her accounting degree at Penn State University when she got some shocking news at the beginning of her senior year—she was pregnant. And while many women would think of it as a roadblock, Saylor saw it as a blessing. It didn’t stop her from pursuing her degree and a career in financial services. If anything, it made her more determined.

 Not long after giving birth to her daughter, she graduated from Penn State and started working in corporate accounting roles, earning her CPA and working her way up the corporate ladder as a single mother in her early 20s. While she had the support of her firm and her family, the grueling hours and time away from home were difficult for her and her daughter.

 In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton speaks with Mary Saylor, Senior Director of Wealth Management at Choreo, an RIA with nearly $25 billion in assets under management and advisement, about her journey as a single, young mother working her way up in the industry.

 She discusses: 

  • Her initial shock and the support received after finding out she was pregnant during college
  • Her experience being pregnant on campus
  • How she navigated this big life change at a young age
  • The challenges of balancing work and personal life as a single parent in the industry
  • What kept her going during these hard times and motivated to be successful in her career
  • Lessons learned and moving forward as her daughter has now gone off to college

 Resources: 

 Connect With Mary Saylor: 

 Connect with WealthManagement.com:

 About Our Guest:

 Mary Saylor is the director of wealth management at Choreo. She works with high-net-worth individuals and multi-generational families as well as institutions (non-profits, endowments, foundations, and corporate retirement plans) to find solutions to their wealth management needs. Mary’s high-net-worth clients include corporate executives, professionals and business owners, their families, corporate retirement plans and private institutions.

 

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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The Healthy Advisor: Beyond the C-Suite With Aaron Klein

The Healthy Advisor: Beyond the C-Suite With Aaron Klein

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Many advisors know Aaron Klein as the super-friendly, charismatic leader of Nitrogen, formerly Riskalyze, the company he founded about 13 years ago as a risk tolerance documentation tool. He’s since stepped down from his role leading the company.

What most advisors probably don’t know is Aaron’s personal journey—the challenges he faced balancing running a major fintech company with adopting and raising three children.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton sits down with Aaron Klein, co-founder and board member of Nitrogen, to delve into the highs and lows of his career and personal life.

Aaron discusses: 

  • The challenges of international adoption
  • Navigating bureaucratic hurdles and unforeseen changes
  • Balancing professional responsibilities with the demands of adoption
  • The impact of PANS diagnosis on his son and the healing journey 
  • How he came to the decision to step down as CEO of Nitrogen
  • What’s next for him

Resources: 

Connect With Aaron Klein:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

About Our Guest:

Aaron Klein is the co-founder of Nitrogen, the growth platform for wealth management firms, which started life as Riskalyze in 2011. As its first CEO, he led the company through 42 consecutive quarters of growth, scaling to serve tens of thousands of financial advisors, and twice being named one of the world’s 10 most innovative companies in finance by Fast Company Magazine. He passed the baton to his successor in 2023, and continues to serve on the firm’s Board of Directors.

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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The Healthy Advisor: Betrayal on the Dock and the Road to Financial Independence With Michelle Begina

The Healthy Advisor: Betrayal on the Dock and the Road to Financial Independence With Michelle Begina

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Michelle Begina started her journey to financial independence after an unexpected betrayal. When she was just 17 years old, her parents used her college fund to buy a yacht instead of supporting her education. Michelle then had to forge her own path, overcoming adversity and reshaping her perceptions of money and trust.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton sits down with Michelle Begina, a senior partner, managing director and private wealth advisor with Snowden Lane Partners in New York City. She shares her personal experiences with financial insecurity masked by wealth and how it shaped her current approach to financial advising.

Michelle discusses:

  • The emotional and financial shock of losing her college fund
  • Her decade-long journey working to self-fund her college education
  • The grief she carried for years without realizing it
  • How she dealt with her parents’ betrayal and found healing
  • The challenges and revelations that emerged from her childhood money stories

Resources:

Connect With Michelle Begina:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

About Our Guest:

If you still think of wealth as purely a numbers game, you haven’t met Michelle Begina. Michelle joined Snowden Lane Partners in 2017 as a Managing Director and Financial Advisor, bringing with her a passion for financial literacy that marries the science of wealth management with the art of financial therapy. 

Michelle got her official start in the world of financial planning with American Express Financial Advisors, where she counseled high net worth individuals to not only manage their wealth and build their legacy, but to experience a sense of ease in their relationship with money. It’s a concept she’s honed throughout her career: our relationship with money (yes, it’s a relationship!) impacts our ability to create and enjoy prosperity.

Michelle has brought this unique approach to each of her successive roles, serving as District Investment Specialist and later Annuity and Compliance Specialist for Northwestern Mutual Life, New York City District Financial Planning Specialist for Merrill Lynch, and Vice President – Wealth Management for Smith Barney/Morgan Stanley before finding her home at Snowden Lane.

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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The Healthy Advisor: Using Life Planning to Turn Inward With George Kinder

The Healthy Advisor: Using Life Planning to Turn Inward With George Kinder

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George Kinder, raised in St. Clairsville, Ohio, was inspired by his passion for freedom and creativity to explore a deeper purpose for his life beyond traditional career paths. His work as a tax preparer revealed a universal longing for fulfillment, leading him to pioneer life planning, a method empowering individuals to pursue their true aspirations.

And while he has trained hundreds of advisors to use life planning with their clients, he also hopes advisors will use it inwardly. Kinder recently released his new book, The Three Domains of Freedom: Each Moment is Yours, Your Life is Yours, Civilization is Yours, which he considers to be a health and wellness book for financial advisors.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton sits down with George Kinder, president and founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. He says advisors can achieve better health and balance by modeling life planning principles, adopting mindfulness practices, and prioritizing their own well-being alongside their clients’.

George highlights: 

  • The origins of life planning in his personal journey 
  • The three domains of freedom and their impact on health and wellness
  • Balancing life planning with career demands
  • Mindfulness practices for financial professionals
  • The role of fiduciary responsibility in today’s world

Resources:

Connect With George Kinder:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

About Our Guest:

Harvard-educated George Kinder revolutionized financial advice for more than 35 years by training over 5,000 professionals in 30 countries in the field of financial life planning. He founded the Kinder Institute of Life Planning in 2003 after 30 years as a practicing financial planner and tax advisor. 

George Kinder’s latest book, Reflections on Spectacle Pond: The Weekly Edition, is available as a free email subscription through Substack. Inspired by the 30 years he has spent living at the edge of a small New England pond, the book is a meditative guide to living in nature’s cycle, week by week, and moment by moment. Among his seven books, he has written one on mindfulness,  Transforming Suffering into Wisdom, and another book of photography and poetry, A Song for Hana. 

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: How Adventure Racing Shaped My Life and Business With Ryan VanGorder

The Healthy Advisor: How Adventure Racing Shaped My Life and Business With Ryan VanGorder

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Adventure racing—an off-road, navigation-based sport that fuses endurance, strategy, and teamwork—became a life-changing journey for Ryan VanGorder. What started as a casual comment while watching The Echo Challenge with friends transformed into a relentless pursuit of his physical and mental limits.

Since 1999, Ryan and his team have tackled grueling competitions that stretch from a few hours to several days, pushing themselves against nature and their own endurance. 

But Ryan’s path took a harrowing turn when a race led to a life-threatening medical emergency, landing him in a coma. Emerging from that experience, he embraced a fierce commitment to living fully, adopting a “YOLO” mindset that fuels both his life and his approach to business.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton sits down with Ryan VanGorder, CEO of Opto Investments, to share his story of survival, resilience, and how his brush with death reshaped his outlook on life and work.

Ryan discusses:

  • His introduction to adventure racing and the unique allure that hooked him
  • Memorable moments from races across rugged landscapes
  • The life-changing near-death experience during the Primal Quest race in Moab, Utah
  • How adventure racing taught him valuable lessons for managing risk in business
  • How adventure racing helped him find balance and meditation

Resources:

Connect With Ryan VanGorder:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

About Our Guest:

Ryan VanGorder is Opto Investments’ Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining Opto, Ryan was a managing director at BlackRock, leading finance in the Asia Pacific region. Ryan has more than 20 years of financial services experience and began his career in 2001 at Quellos, a Seattle-based hedge fund of funds. When he’s not focused on building Opto into a world-class business, you might bump into Ryan running or biking on a trail near you.

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, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

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FEATURE
The Healthy Advisor: The Fragility of Life and the True Value of Planning With Matthew Newman

The Healthy Advisor: The Fragility of Life and the True Value of Planning With Matthew Newman

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Having grown up around financial planning, Matthew Newman realized the importance of having everything in place before tragedy strikes. His father’s advice to plan for the negative moments was a lifeline. 

At age 39, he was diagnosed with Grade 3 Astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer. At the time, he had three children under 5, and his father-in-law was battling pancreatic cancer. All of a sudden, he saw life through a new set of lenses. 

Throughout his battle, he sought to make his journey a communal one. He began writing and sending emails about his experiences and reflections to friends and family, which unexpectedly grew into an audience of 20,000 people. His journey resonated deeply and offered a beacon of hope to many enduring struggles.

In this episode, Managing Editor Diana Britton speaks with Matthew Newman, a wholesaler at Pacific Life and author of “Starting at the Finish Line,” about his journey and the impact it had on his life.

Matt discusses: 

  • What happened leading up to his diagnosis
  • How he received the diagnosis 
  • His treatments
  • Where his strength comes from
  • What became his outlet 
  • The importance of revisiting the journey in daily life
  • What his experience can teach advisors 

Resources: 

Connect With Matthew Newman:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

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: Becoming Victorious, Not a Victim With Marissa Nehlsen

The Healthy Advisor: Becoming Victorious, Not a Victim With Marissa Nehlsen

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It was not just one struggle in her life that shaped Marissa Nehlsen. Since her formative years, she’s faced adversity and come out stronger every time. 

Despite significant hardships, including the loss of her family farm, enduring domestic abuse from her father, and coping with Stargardt disease, which has led to blindness, Marissa has built a seven-figure business and become a coach, speaker, and podcast host. 

In this episode, Nehlsen, the founder and CEO of Freedom Financial Group, discusses her journey from a challenging childhood on a North Dakota farm to leading a successful financial advisory firm. She offers a story of hope for others in pain, as she has yet to slow down or limit her goals.  

Marissa discusses:

  • How she fought back against domestic abuse initiating a major change in her life
  • Learning resilience while living in a trailer park with her mother and siblings
  • Workplace challenges like sexism, favoritism and rejection
  • Her battle with Stargardt disease and how her brother helped her through it
  • Mourning the death of her fiancé
  • The importance of faith and community support in overcoming life’s hardships

Resources: 

Connect With Marissa Nehlsen:

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

About Our Guest:

Marissa Nehlsen is the founder and CEO of Freedom Financial Group. She rose from humble beginnings as a rural North Dakota farm girl to build a multi-million dollar financial services company.

As an accomplished leader with proven results, Marissa Nehlsen’s unique style and approach enable clients to achieve extraordinary and sustainable outcomes. Fueled by the growth of others, she has over 23 years of solid experience. She built a holistic planning firm based on the core principles of educating, empowering, and equipping individuals, organizations, and businesses to make wise choices. Marissa Nehlsen delivers results by connecting with people to share her practical ideas and techniques, helping them achieve their goals and transform their lives through coordinated tax plans, legal plans, and financial plans.

 

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: Struggling With Anxiety With RBC’s Shareen Luze

The Healthy Advisor: Struggling With Anxiety With RBC’s Shareen Luze

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In her role as head of culture and field experience at RBC Wealth Management U.S., Shareen Luze is responsible for making sure the firm’s 2,200 financial advisors feel supported and have a similar employee experience as those in the home office.

One particular area of focus, which has become more acute in the global pandemic, has been mental wellbeing. 

 But Shareen has had her own mental health challenges, having struggled with anxiety for years. She first realized she had the mental health disorder after the birth of her first child, a son. At the time, she wanted to make it look like she had everything together to the outside world. But on the inside, she was dealing with feelings of excessive worry, an inability to relax or sit still, and lack of sleep. She was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety.

 WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton speaks with

Shareen Luze, head of culture and field experience at RBC Wealth Management U.S., who opens up about her mental health and how these experiences have shaped her approach to employee well-being.

 Shareen discusses: 

  • Her journey with postpartum anxiety and her realization about her mental health
  • The impact of perfectionist tendencies and societal pressures on mental well-being
  • Why she initially avoided talking about her mental health at work
  • How her life changed after being more vulnerable at work
  • Her experience with breast cancer and how she dealt with her anxiety during that time
  • The biggest mental health challenges facing financial advisors

 Resources:

 Connect With Shareen Luze:

 Connect with WealthManagement.com:

 About Our Guest:

 In her role as head of culture and field experience for RBC Wealth Management–U.S., Shareen Luze dedicates herself to ensuring the firm’s purpose-driven culture and strong values are at the core of every business decision. She has built a career around providing compassionate advice and counsel to employees, managers, and leaders.

 

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: 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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