Tag: Career Growth
The Healthy Advisor: What’s Driving Advisor Wellbeing with Michael Kitces

The Healthy Advisor: What’s Driving Advisor Wellbeing with Michael Kitces

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Michael Kitces has spent years studying what drives satisfaction among financial advisors, going beyond firm performance metrics to focus on personal wellbeing and career fulfillment.

His latest research, the 2025 Advisor Wellbeing Study, reveals how advisor happiness has shifted in recent years and what factors are shaping those changes. Drawing from responses across the industry, the study highlights both encouraging trends and emerging concerns.

One of the most notable findings is that overall advisor wellbeing has improved, largely due to more stable work environments and stronger market conditions. But not all advisors are experiencing that progress equally, as younger professionals report lower optimism and a weaker sense of purpose.

In this episode of The Healthy Advisor, host Diana Britton speaks with Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, about what truly drives advisor wellbeing. He explains how experience, autonomy, compensation structure, and firm dynamics all shape long-term satisfaction and career direction.

Key takeaways:

  • How stabilized work environments and rising markets have contributed to improved advisor wellbeing since 2023
  • Why younger advisors report lower optimism and purpose, especially in firms with outside ownership structures
  • The connection between experience, autonomy, and long-term satisfaction in advisory careers
  • How compensation per hour, not total income, plays a key role in advisor happiness and fulfillment
  • Why staff support and delegation are critical to reducing burnout and improving productivity outcomes

Resources:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

Connect with Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Michael E. Kitces is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

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The Healthy Advisor: How Vulnerability Transforms Leadership with Stacie Calder

The Healthy Advisor: How Vulnerability Transforms Leadership with Stacie Calder

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When Stacie Calder first joined the financial services industry, she pounded the pavement and quickly climbed the corporate ladder. But her rise came with a cost. 

In this episode, she opens up about the persona she adopted to fit a traditional mold of leadership, one that silenced her authentic voice in favor of external approval.

A turning point came when a close friend called out her lack of vulnerability, sparking a profound shift in how she showed up, not just as a leader, but as a person. That insight became a catalyst for embracing authenticity, building deeper connections, and redefining success on her terms.

In this episode, WealthManagement.com Executive Editor Diana Britton speaks with Stacie Calder, executive vice president of North American distribution and marketing at Conquest Planning, about her personal and professional evolution. The episode highlights the power of daily habits, intentional goal-setting, and community support in navigating adversity.

Stacie discusses: 

  • Her passion for fitness and nutrition, and how it shaped her early life and career
  • The pressures faced as a woman in financial services and the challenge of proving herself
  • The turbulent times of restructuring at Manulife and her eventual departure
  • Her personal experience of going through a divorce and how it altered her perspective
  • The healthy coping mechanisms that kept her grounded during challenging life transitions
  • The power of embracing vulnerability and authenticity at work

Resources: 

Connect with WealthManagement.com:

Connect With Stacie Calder:

About Our Guest:

Stacie Calder is dedicated to creating meaningful connections and inspiring boldness in those around her every day. She is passionate about eliminating obstacles, driving efficiency, and serving her colleagues and clients with purpose. Drawn to frictionless experiences and motivated by gritty, resilient individuals, Stacie brings energy and intention to everything she does.

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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