Transparency – The Healthy Advisor Podcast

Transparency with Diana B.: The Road to Recovery

By healthy advisor | October 20, 2021

Advisor Gary Schwartz was always able to make money; at the young age of 12, he started delivering newspapers in the Bronx. That’s also when he discovered drugs and alcohol, which became a way for him to self-medicate and cope with his self-esteem issues. From there, the addiction progressed; cocaine and speed were his drugs of choice.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, is joined by Schwartz, president and CEO of Madison Planning Group in White Plains, N.Y., who’s been clean for 32 years. Gary shares about how he eventually got on the road to recovery. But once he got clean, he felt the need to overcompensate for his addiction and his past by buying things for his family and sending his kids to the best schools. But that eventually caught up to him as well, and he nearly had to file for bankruptcy.

He discusses his journey of overcoming those struggles to build his own advisory business, which is now thriving.

Gary discusses:

The experiences that shaped him early on in life;
What led him to become addicted to drugs and alcohol;
What his career looked like while he was struggling with addiction and how it has changed throughout recovery;
How family and friends played a role in getting help;
How his desire to overcompensate eventually led him to near-bankruptcy; and
How Gary’s experiences shaped his career in financial services.

Connect With Gary Schwartz:

Connect With Wealth Management & NREI:

About Our Guest:

Gary Schwartz opened the doors to Madison Planning Group in White Plains, N.Y. in 1997, followed by the Syracuse office in 2007, Long Island office in 2013 and Lake Worth, Fla. office in 2017. He attributes the firm’s success to the fact they are focused on one thing: managing the success of every single client. As part of his personal commitment to financial education, Madison Planning Group provides worksite educational seminars for employees of state agencies, unions, as well as financial workshops for employees of private and public corporations.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Finances

By healthy advisor | September 15, 2021

Advisor Robert Schein’s father worked hard his adult life to provide for his family, and just four months into retirement, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer. After about three years battling the disease, his father ultimately passed, thrusting his mother into having to take over the family finances.

Luckily, Schein and his brother stepped in to help and set her on a positive financial path. But many women aren’t as lucky. The experience inspired Schein to launch The Society of Financially Empowered Women, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating a community and forum where independent women may acquire the confidence to take control of their financial lives, in 2011.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, speaks to Schein, managing director and partner of Blanke Schein Wealth Management, a Hightower firm, in Palm Desert, Calif. about why he decided to dedicate his life to helping women better understand their personal finances.

In this episode, you will learn:

About his father’s journey to America and the values his father taught him growing up;
How his father’s stage four cancer diagnosis changed his life;
How Robert helped his mother navigate her finances after his father’s death;
Robert’s impression on how Wall Street treats women;
What inspired him to create the Society of Financially Empowered Women (Society of the FEW) and the Confidence Summit;
About the mission of the Society of the FEW, and how its efforts are expanding

Connect with Robert:

Connect with Diana:

About Our Guest

Robert L. Schein, is Managing Director, Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of Hightower/Blanke Schein Wealth Management. With more than 25 years of experience as a financial professional, Robert demonstrates a strong commitment to both his clients and community.

Robert leads the asset allocation, design, and implementation of the investment portfolio review process for Hightower/Blanke Schein Wealth Management. He specializes in developing and supporting investment strategies for high-net-worth individuals and families with complex estates, as well as philanthropic and retirement planning needs.

Robert also specializes in the leadership of a community and forum where independent women can acquire the confidence to be leaders in their financial lives. As Founder of The Society of Financially Empowered Women Inc. (www.thesofew.com), he has vowed to empower women with education, support, and community. Recognized for his leadership in this area, Robert has been featured in various publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, CNBC.com, Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, On Wall Street, Investment News, The Desert Sun, and Palm Springs Life. Robert is a national speaker on the topic of financial education for women and was recently asked to speak at the Desert Woman’s Show and P.E.O. International.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency With Diana B.: Bad Timing and Bearing the Loss of Loved Ones

By healthy advisor | August 18, 2021

Advisor Anne Marie Stonich was just 28 years old when she and her two partners started building their own wealth management firm from scratch. For anyone in the business, that first year can be brutal. But she did it while also caring for her newborn baby, and shuttling to and from the hospital to see her mother, who’s health was deteriorating. Later that year, her mother passed away. And just six years later, her older brother died suddenly of a heart attack.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor of WealthManagement.com, sits down with Anne Marie Stonich, chief wealth strategist and relationship manager at Coldstream Wealth Management, as they talk about her life journey and the struggles she faced along the way. She shares how her past has allowed her to grow and change who she is as a mother, wife and financial advisor.

Anne Marie discusses:

The events that unfolded during her first year building the business;
How she was able to balance her work, a newborn baby and a sick mother;
The challenges she faced in raising three young kids while running and growing a business;
The events leading up to her brother’s death;
How the loss of loved ones impacted her outlook on life; and
How her experiences have shaped her career as a financial advisor.

Connect With Anne Marie Stonich:

Connect With Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

Anne Marie co-founded Paracle Advisors LLC in 2004 in order to provide financial advice that is truly objective and highly personalized in its nature. Paracle recently merged with Coldstream Wealth Management, and she now serves as chief wealth strategist and relationship manager at Coldstream. She has over 20 years of industry experience, including two years at Deloitte and Touche and four years at Brighton Jones Wealth Management as a lead advisor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: Life as a Female Latina in Financial Services

By healthy advisor | July 21, 2021

Silvia Tergas has been fortunate to pursue her passions and use her differences to her advantage within the financial services industry. Silvia’s father, who escaped from Cuba during the Cuban Revolution, paved the way for her to get educated in the U.S. The values he taught her and the rest of the family led to several opportunities throughout her life, including her pursuit of a career in financial planning. It wasn’t an easy path, however.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Silvia, a financial planner with Prudential Advisors in Bethesda, Md., about how she found her passion in finance, the challenges she faced as a Latina woman in this industry and how she uses her differences to her advantage.

Silvia discusses:

Her father’s story of getting out of Cuba and meeting her mother in Honduras;
Growing up in and traveling around Latin America;
The values her father taught her and how those led her into financial planning;
The struggles she faced as a female Latina in the industry;
How she embraced and worked through the moments of discomfort in her life; and
Her work with the Hispanic community within financial services.

Connect With Silvia Tergas:

Connect With Diana Britton:

About Our Guest:

As a financial planner with Prudential Financial Planning Services, Silvia specializes in comprehensive financial planning services for a fee. Throughout the consultative financial planning process, Silvia works with her clients and their advisors, as applicable, to formulate a detailed and robust financial plan that is tailored to their needs.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: Overcoming the Racial Wealth Gap

By healthy advisor | June 16, 2021

Growing up in inner city Baltimore, Denika Tokunaga and her family struggled financially and couldn’t afford many of the luxuries that others had. That racial wealth gap affected many in the Black community, but she was determined to work hard and get educated so that she could get out of the inner city and overcome that wealth gap.

At the age of 18, with the help of her grandmother, she was able to enter school to become a nursing assistant. She eventually found financial services and a passion for closing the racial wealth gap.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Denika Tokunaga, president of Maven Wealth Management in Fulton, Md., who opens up about how she fought to overcome her circumstances and change her life’s path.

You will learn:

What Denika’s life was like growing up
How she experienced the racial wealth gap firsthand
How she got out of the inner city
How she overcame the challenges of being an African American woman in the wealth management industry
What advisors can do to help close the racial wealth gap, and
How her experiences shaped her work as an advisor.

Listen now to hear Denika’s journey to get to where she is today.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

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

By healthy advisor | May 19, 2021

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: A Tremendous Loss on 9/11 and the Path Forwards

By healthy advisor | April 21, 2021

Sept. 11, 2001 is a day most Americans can’t forget, when Al-Qaida coordinated four terrorist attacks against the United States, including on the Twin Towers in downtown Manhattan.

But for Chloe Wohlforth, managing director of Angeles Wealth Management in New York, it was the day she lost her father. Chloe was a junior in high school at the time, and that day her father went into work at Sandler O’Neill, an investment bank with offices on the 104th floor of the South Tower. He didn’t come home, and that tragic event would shape the rest of her life.

In the midst of this extreme tragedy, there was uncertainty surrounding her family’s financial situation; her father was always in charge of the finances. Fortunately, a family friend stepped in, and introduced Chloe and her mother to a financial advisor, who supported them during that extremely difficult time and helped them find financial security.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Chloe, who shares how the events unfolded and the blessings that 9/11 has brought to her life, despite the loss.

In this episode you will learn:

What happened on 9/11 for Chloe and the following days
How Chloe and her mom were able to find financial security
About the support offered by Sandler O’Neill following the attacks
How Chloe’s human connections and opportunities lead her to the advisory space
How her experiences have shaped the work she does now at Angeles Wealth Management
And more.

Listen now to Chloe’s story and how the emotional and financial support from others made a difference in her life.

Resources: WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton LinkedIn | Angeles Investments | Contact Chloe | Contact Diana

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: On the Brink of Bankruptcy

By healthy advisor | March 17, 2021

Every FINRA-registered rep is required to publicly disclose on their BrokerCheck profile certain events, such as regulatory actions, client complaints, and terminations. But the regulator also requires reps to disclose certain personal financial events, such as tax liens.

Advisor Justin Reckers has always been transparent on his U4 about his troubles, which included a short sale on a home by his former wife, an employment separation and tax liens. But despite the disclosures, those things hurt his career, and brought him to the brink of bankruptcy. It all started with this short sale on his former home, something he really didn’t have anything to do with and had no control over.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Reckers, lead financial advisor at Fonte Financial Advisors, and CEO of Wellspring Divorce Advisors in Carlsbad, Calif. Justin shares details about how his past affected his career in financial services, but also how he has come back from those troubles.

In this episode, you will learn:

The events that led up to Justin’s money problems
How his two divorces affected his personal finances and business career
The importance of taking your own advice
How these events helped shape Justin’s work
How he built up his current business from $12 million to nearly $100 million today
And more.

Listen now to hear Justin’s story and the lessons he has learned from his past experiences.

Resources: WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton LinkedIn | Justin Reckers LinkedIn | Contact Justin | Contact Diana

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B.: Dealing with Personal Traumas of the Past

By healthy advisor | February 17, 2021

Growing up the son of a firefighter, Brian Walsh Jr. was taught to give back to the community and help others, and that led him to pursue one of the most difficult jobs in the U.S. military as a Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land), the country’s special operations team. But, just days before he was set to enter the SEALs’ training program, he got into a serious car accident while driving home from Baltimore, and his life suddenly changed.

Walsh survived, against all odds, and went on to become a police officer. But he experienced even more personal trauma in that role, and not dealing with it ultimately led him to thoughts of suicide and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Brian Walsh Jr., a senior financial advisor at Walsh and Nicholson Financial Group in Wayne, Pa. who shares details about the rock bottom time in his life, and how he sought help and healing.

In this episode, you will learn:

What led Brian to became interested in the military
How his training in mixed martial arts possibly saved his life
The challenges and life lessons he experienced as a police officer
His mental state after leaving the police force
How he overcame PTSD
How his personal trauma has shaped him and his work as an advisor
And more.

Listen now to hear Brian’s story.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More

Transparency with Diana B: Battling Lymphoma in the Midst of a Pandemic

By healthy advisor | January 20, 2021

Douglas Duerr was having medical issues for three years, including various skin problems and swollen lymph nodes. During that time, he was misdiagnosed and blown off by doctors, many of whom said he was a perfectly healthy man. His bloodwork kept coming back normal. But Doug knew his body, and it was telling him something was wrong.

After a long time searching for answers, Doug was finally diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, last February, just before COVID sent the U.S. into lockdown.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, chats with Douglas Duerr, founder of Duerr Financial Group in Montville, N.J., who shares the details of his recent battle with lymphoma, including how the illness has affected his life and business practice. Thankfully, he’s currently in remission.

You will learn:

The events that led up to Doug’s lymphoma diagnosis
The emotional and physical toll the treatment had on him
How the COVID-19 pandemic impacted him—in good and bad ways
How his faith helped him get through this rough period
How Doug kept his practice going during this time
And more.

Listen now to hear how Douglas’s persistence––and refusal to ignore minor health warnings––saved his life.

Resources: WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton LinkedIn | Contact Douglas Duerr | Contact Diana | Transparency with Diana B.: How John Hyland Fought Cancer and Won—Three Times

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More