selfcare – Page 2 – 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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Transparency with Diana B.: How John Hyland Fought Cancer and Won—Three Times

By healthy advisor | June 24, 2020

A lot of people in the industry know John Hyland, the co-founder and executive officer of Private Advisor Group, who has been in the industry for 31 years. But few know his personal story. When John was younger, he became involved with the New Jersey chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause that was dear to him at the time because a beloved aunt had died from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most deadly form of blood cancer. But he couldn’t know at the time how fateful that choice would be. In 2010, John was diagnosed with AML himself. He never imagined he would be facing his mortality at 43 years old.

In this episode, Hyland joins Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, to share his experience with the disease, including the unimaginably painful treatment process, his challenges with depression, relapsing in 2014 and 2016, the road to recovery, and beyond.

In this episode, you will learn:

About John’s Iron Man triathlon training, and what events led to his AML diagnosis
How he discovered that he had relapsed
How he coped with being quarantined and separated from his kids during treatment
How COVID-19 has impacted him and drudged up old feelings of being in quarantine for long periods of time
About John’s biggest takeaway from his cancer experience
How he deals with thoughts of dying, and how the experience taught him to appreciate the time he has
And more.

As of three months ago, he had no signs of Leukemia. Listen now to hear John’s experience recovering from AML.

WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton on LinkedIn | John Hyland’s Email | Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | Contact Diana

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Transparency With Diana B.: Working Mothers in Quarantine

By healthy advisor | May 27, 2020

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.

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Transparency With Diana B.: A Near-Death Experience

By healthy advisor | May 13, 2020

While the numbers are constantly changing, the coronavirus has claimed many, many lives, and the casualties continue to climb. And during this time, as mortality is top of mind for many and emotions are running high, it may help to hear from someone who has faced death, head-on, and lived to tell the tale.

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by Brandon Garrett, president and chief investment officer of Snow Garrett Wealth Management, who had a near-death experience several years ago. What began as a fun vacation to the beautiful Cayman Islands with his wife and friends ended with him laying in a hospital bed, with a bacterial infection that led to septic shock. He thought it might be the end of his life.

The infection, of course, did not claim his life. But the experience did change him permanently and helped him to live more purposely going forward.

In this episode you will learn:

The details of Brandon’s own near-death experience
What he was feeling and thinking during the ordeal
How he found inner peace in the face of death and fear
How the experience changed his life
The importance of focusing on yourself as much as your clients
The importance of personal and professional communication
And more.

Tune in now to learn how to recognize whether you’re living purposely, with a bigger picture objective in mind, or simply living in the moment.

Resources: Wealth Management | Email | Coronavirus Coverage | Diana Britton’s LinkedIn | Snow Garrett Wealth Management

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Transparency With Diana B.: From Riches to Refugee

By healthy advisor | April 29, 2020

Many people tend to dwell on horrific experiences, making it difficult to move forward and live their lives. Others embrace the trauma, using it to build strength and a thick skin.

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by Kashif “Kash” Ahmed, founder and president of American Private Wealth, an advisory outside of Boston. In 1990 at the age of 17, Kash and his family found themselves at the center of Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait by Saddam Hussain’s forces, over oil pricing and production disputes. Hussain led Iraq with an iron first for several decades, and Kash’s family, including his father who was instrumental in building Kuwait’s oil industry, was at the top of his list of people to take hostage. Kash went from riches to refugee in a matter of hours.

In this episode, you will learn:

About his six-week journey out of war-torn Kuwait into Pakistan
How Kash at a young age learned the importance of sticking to his principles
How he learned to embrace these traumatic experiences and be grateful for what he has
How he turns his adversity into strength
What led Kash to become a financial advisor, and how he dealt with biases against Muslims
And more

Tune in now to learn how to embrace adversity and use it to build strength.

Editor’s Note: This podcast was recorded before we found out that Kash had contracted COVID-19. Our editors have been in touch with him, and he’s recovering with no extreme symptoms. As with his experience fleeing Kuwait, he’s got a positive attitude, saying on Twitter “#COVID19 – You will not defeat me!”

Resources: WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | American Private Wealth

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

By healthy advisor | April 1, 2020

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.: Focus on Outcomes, Not Income

By healthy advisor | February 5, 2020

Growing up in Monmouth County the child of two schoolteachers, Conor Delaney struggled being one of the poorest kids in school, dumpster diving for toys and going through several foreclosures on his family’s homes. But the months following his high school graduation were, perhaps, the worst. His father died suddenly; his aunt, heartbroken by her brother’s death, killed herself; and his mother’s health was deteriorating. On top of that, he was living out of his car as he entered his freshman year in college.

He could’ve easily given himself over to an alcohol addiction, which ran deep in his family. Instead, he took a positive approach to life, and channeled his struggles into building a book of business and creating a company aimed at helping those who need financial advice the most—middle class Americans.

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, WealthManagement.com’s managing editor, is joined by Conor Delaney, founder of The Good Life Companies, an independent advisory firm with about 200 advisors. Conor draws on his own personal experiences, but also discusses the tendencies and issues that he’s observed among the advisors he oversees.

“What are we chasing, and is it the right thing and if it’s not, how can we channel that into doing something better?” he asks.

In this episode, you will learn: