Next Mile

Episode 169: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Brendan Frazier, creator of The Ultimate Meeting Series and host of The Human Side of Money. Brendan began his career consulting with advisors on retirement income before building an advisory business and focusing his work on behavioral finance, psychology, and communication. He created The Human Side of Money to translate those ideas into practical tools for advisors. Kyle and Brendan explore why annual review meetings often become routine maintenance instead of the anchor of the client experience. Brendan shares a framework built around whether clients feel understood, know how they’re doing, and believe they’ll be okay, plus why purpose and the desired client feeling should shape the meeting. They also discuss connecting with beneficiaries before wealth transfers, using AI for meaningful callbacks and better follow-up, and why trust, empathy, and behavior-change skills become more valuable as technology improves. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:41) - Brendan's money moment (08:17) - Why client review meetings fall short (10:04) - Reactive value versus intentional client value (14:18) - Designing the meeting around the client (15:29) - The three questions every review should answer (16:56) - Defining the purpose and feeling of a great meeting (18:49) - What “Am I going to be okay?” means for wealthy clients (23:16) - Rethinking the generational wealth transfer (27:34) - Building relationships with the next generation before the inheritance (30:28) - Using AI to create more room for human advice (33:23) - Using callbacks to make clients feel remembered (37:51) - Brendan's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (40:55) - What human behavior tells us about the future of advice (43:10) - Brendan's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Design meetings around what clients need, not what you need to prove. A review meeting shouldn’t primarily showcase the work the firm completed. Start with the client’s questions, concerns, and desired outcomes, then build the conversation around them. Make sure every client leaves feeling understood, informed, and reassured. Brendan reduces the psychology of a strong review meeting to three questions: Do you understand me? How am I doing? Am I going to be okay? Those questions provide a practical foundation for deciding what belongs in the meeting. Build next-generation relationships before there is money to transfer. Beneficiaries are unlikely to stay simply because their parents did. Consistent contact, relevant experiences, and genuine understanding give the next generation a reason to develop their own relationship with the firm. Use AI to strengthen human skills rather than substitute for them. AI can surface personal details, reduce administrative work, and help prepare more thoughtful follow-up. But trust, empathy, curiosity, decision guidance, and behavior change remain skills advisors have to deliberately develop. Quotes “Nobody actually wants to maximize their wealth. Everybody wants to maximize their life. Money is just a tool to fund the life that you want to live.” ~ Brendan Frazier “The review meeting is quite literally the anchor of the client experience. And it’s average at best, and oftentimes we treat it as nothing more than a glorified maintenance task.” ~ Brendan Frazier Links  Brendan Frazier on LinkedIn The Ultimate Review Meeting The Human Side of Money podcast Wired Planning RFG Advisory The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis Daniel Kahneman Amos Tversky Kitces.com Jeff Levine on LinkedIn Merrill Lynch Julie Littlechild / Absolute Engagement Dan Allison on LinkedIn Scott Galloway UBS Inside the Box by David Epstein Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 168: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Matt Celenza, Managing Director and Partner at Americana Partners. Matt began his career at Morgan Stanley before joining Smith Barney, where he spent more than a decade with the Citi Family Office. He later led Boulevard, the firm he sold to Americana Partners in 2025.  Matt shares why adding services in-house doesn’t make a firm a family office, and why the real work is coordinating each family’s needs in the order that matters to them. He outlines how complexity, not net worth alone, signals the need for that model, and why investing is often one of the last pieces of the conversation. Kyle and Matt also unpack how families with illiquid wealth find liquidity, how disciplined collateral management protects large loans, and why Matt expects firms using the family office label to be held accountable for it. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:13) - Matt's money moment (04:07) - What separates a true family office from an RIA (08:10) - When wealth becomes too complex for traditional wealth management (11:24) - Balancing customization with scale (12:59) - What brings families to a family office (14:42) - Managing liquidity when wealth is tied up in illiquid assets (18:59) - Managing collateral around concentrated wealth (21:57) - When wealth becomes collateral (22:59) - Why service still matters more than technology (26:53) - Matt's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (29:39) - Matt's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Complexity—not simply net worth—determines when a family needs deeper coordination. Significant wealth can create interconnected decisions around liquidity, trusts, taxes, lending, philanthropy, and investments. The value of a family office comes from coordinating those decisions rather than treating them independently. Adding services doesn't automatically create a family office. A firm also needs advisors who understand how to use those resources together and an operating model capable of supporting the relationship. Capabilities matter only when the team can coordinate them effectively. Manage wealth according to its purpose, not a single return target. Different trusts, entities, liquidity needs, and liabilities may require different mandates. Matt's approach to "integrated investing" treats investments as one part of a broader balance-sheet and risk-management strategy. Technology should strengthen service rather than replace it. Reporting platforms and AI can make complex information easier to manage and reduce manual work, but Matt sees personal coordination and availability as the enduring value of the family office relationship. Quotes "Whatever you did to make your money, no doubt, was a difficult task in and of itself with experience and knowledge. None of that traditionally works with keeping your money." ~ Matt Celenza "There is a big difference between trying to sell and trying to solve." ~ Matt Celenza "Investing to me is one of the last things that comes into play with a family who has a lot of money. It's more preservation. It's more awareness of risk." ~ Matt Celenza "Technology is secondary to the service that we offer. It's the way that we deliver this coordination. That you can't replace." ~ Matt Celenza Links  Matthew Celenza on LinkedIn Americana Partners Morgan Stanley Citi Wealth’s 2026 Global Family Office Report Merrill Private Wealth Management Jason Fertitta Addepar JPMorganChase WeWork A Better LA USC Thornton School of Music Buffalo Bills / Josh Allen Mammoth Mountain In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Truman Capote Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 167: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Marcos Segrera, Principal, Wealth Manager, and Director of Growth & Development at Evensky & Katz/Foldes Wealth Management. Marcos began his career in insurance before moving into the RIA channel, where his work now spans client advice, advisor development, growth strategy, and the firm’s next generation of leadership. Kyle and Marcos explore why sales is really a transfer of confidence, and why RIAs need to invest more intentionally in developing young advisors. Marcos shares how Evensky & Katz is expanding its approach to marketing and content as AI makes authentic human connection more valuable. They also discuss “funded contentment,” the role of advisors as guides, and why firms preparing for AI should focus first on clean data, documented workflows, and client-facing talent.  In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:33) - Marcos's money moment (06:31) - Why learning to sell still matters (10:09) - Developing advisors straight out of college (14:37) - Why Evensky & Katz is investing in content (19:45) - Why authenticity matters more in the age of AI (21:57) - Finding purpose beyond financial success (27:01) - Why AI won't replace human connection (29:49) - The value of an advisor who challenges you (32:12) - Preparing a 40-year-old firm for AI (35:41) - Designing the workflow before choosing the technology (37:07) - Marcos's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (41:21) - Marcos's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Treat sales as a transfer of confidence. Technical expertise matters, but advisors still need the ability to connect, communicate, and help people feel confident making decisions. Developing those skills should be part of advisor training rather than something firms expect people to pick up on their own. Use AI to strengthen the human experience, not replace it. As information and automated advice become easier to access, trusted human judgment may become more valuable. The opportunity is to let technology handle more of the mechanics while advisors spend more time understanding clients, challenging assumptions, and navigating consequential decisions. Do the operational work before chasing the newest AI tool. Clean data and well-documented workflows determine what technology can actually improve. Before automating a process, understand how it works today, why each step exists, and whether the result improves the client experience rather than simply creating internal efficiency. Ask clients what they want to avoid. A question about goals can feel abstract, while a question about what someone is trying to avoid often reveals what matters most. Portfolios, tax strategies, and insurance then serve those bigger conversations. Quotes "Sales is a transfer of confidence." ~ Marcos Segrera “People tell you what their goals are when they tell you what they’re trying to avoid.” ~ Marcos Segrera “The people talking about it the most are the ones doing the least with it because they’re the ones getting to the quickest solution, which is probably not where you wanted to be anyway.” ~ Marcos Segrera “You should delegate everything that it’s humanly possible to delegate because you cannot delegate going to dinner with your wife. You cannot delegate taking your kid to school in the morning.” ~ Marcos Segrera Links  Marcos Segrera on LinkedIn Evensky & Kats / Folds Wealth Management Prudential AXA UBS Merrill Lynch J.P. Morgan University of Florida To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink Shaping Wealth The Geometry of Wealth by Brian Portnoy The Money Guy Show Joe Schmitz Jr. From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks Dodge Viper Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 166: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Dessy Prasad, COO at Northwest Asset Management and RIA Innovations. Dessy began her career at Northwestern Mutual in Seattle as a financial representative on the insurance side, working alongside investment advisors and their teams. She joined Northwest Asset Management 11 years ago and helped support its growing advisor platform and operational infrastructure. Kyle and Dessy explore how advisory firms can give advisors flexibility without allowing their technology and operations to become fragmented. Dessy shares why the CRM serves as the central hub for their workflows, how her team customizes support around individual practices, and when outsourcing can free advisors to spend more time with clients. They also discuss onboarding, communication, AI note takers, specialized versus general-purpose AI tools, and why cybersecurity and compliance have to be part of every technology decision. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:25) - Dessy’s money moment (04:11) - From open architecture to architecture with intent (05:23) - Building a tech ecosystem around a central hub (06:51) - Customizing workflows without creating chaos (07:58) - Evaluating AI tools for advisors (11:35) - When outsourcing starts to make sense (13:05) - Choosing the right RIA support model (14:28) - Using communication and workflows to improve execution (15:57) - Using CRM workflows to keep onboarding on track (17:01) - How the firm is evaluating AI tools (19:23) - Dessy's outlook on the future of financial services (20:41) - Building compliance into technology evaluation (21:37) - Dessy’s Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Curate your tech stack around a central hub. Open architecture works best with intent: start with the system your team logs into every day, then add only the tools that have a clear purpose and work together. A connected platform is easier for advisors to adopt than a long list of tools. Vet AI tools before you adopt them. Note takers can take real administrative work off an advisor’s plate, but they also handle sensitive client information. Reviewing a vendor’s documentation and talking with its engineers and compliance team helps confirm that PII stays protected. Protect the work only you can do. When administrative and back-office responsibilities begin taking time away from client relationships, firms have to decide whether to add internal capacity or outsource. The goal is to give advisors more room to focus on the work where they create the most value. Operational excellence comes down to communication. Taking the time to understand each practice shows what an advisor actually needs, and onboarding is where that matters most. Automated workflows that alert every team, paired with steady personal contact, keep a stressful transition from slipping through the cracks. Quotes “A crucial part of having a healthy ecosystem is not just adding a bunch of tools, but rather having a platform where everything has a purpose.” ~ Dessy Prasad “As an advisor, your key strengths are usually building and maintaining client relationships. It's kind of hard to do when you're bogged down with too many back-end projects.” ~ Dessy Prasad “We’ve gone from trying to connect to a bunch of different tools to asking ourselves what tools work to create the best ecosystem for our advisors.” ~ Dessy Prasad Links  Dessy Prasad on LinkedIn Northwest Asset Management RIA Innovations Nelly Mubashi on LinkedIn Northwestern Mutual Salentica Jump Zocks The Secret by Rhonda Byrne Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 165: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Grace Balestrieri, Senior Director of Client Experience Operations at Brighton Jones. Grace began her career in software, where her work spanned implementation, customer experience, and operations. She now brings that playbook to wealth management, building the systems, processes, and technology that let advisors focus on clients. Kyle and Grace discuss what "scaling with soul" means in practice and why growth can't come from simply adding people, tools, and complexity. Grace unpacks how Brighton Jones' Centralized Administrative Office brings custodian expertise to high-volume work, and why firms building one should plan for a learning runway and staff ahead of demand. She also shares how the firm's training program is evolving into Richer Life University, what advisors can borrow from B2B sales about activity and referrals, and why she believes technology will make relationships the real differentiator. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:19) - Grace's money moment (03:05) - Bringing a software mindset into wealth management (05:13) - Why firms shouldn't overlook talent from outside the industry (06:36) - What it means to scale with soul (07:56) - How centralized operations help advisors scale (10:17) - Building expertise you don't have yet (13:46) - Inside Brighton Jones University (14:54) - Expanding into Richer Life University (16:01) - Finding the right career path inside a firm (17:23) - What wealth management can learn from B2B sales (20:58) - Grace's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (22:48) - Staying human in an age of AI (24:30) - Grace's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Scale with systems, not headcount. Adding people, tools, and complexity only goes so far. Better processes, consistency, and technology free advisors for the relationship work that depends on their judgment and that clients value most. Centralize high-volume work with specialists. A dedicated team that knows each custodian's nuances reduces not-in-good-order paperwork and back-and-forth. It's also easier to measure and improve than the same work spread across a firm. Give centralization time to earn trust. Efficiency and adoption won't arrive on day one. Plan a runway for the team to learn and for advisors to build confidence, and staff for capacity before the volume ramps. Use technology to make the human side of advice more valuable. As AI removes more administrative work and levels parts of the competitive landscape, the opportunity is to turn that reclaimed capacity into stronger conversations, greater trust, and deeper client relationships. Quotes "We can't just ask people to work harder and hire and hire and hire more people and add complexity and add more tools. What we have to think about is better technology, better process, more consistency across the firm, better ways we service clients so that we can maintain the soul." ~ Grace Balestrieri "You can teach the industry. People, as fast learners, can grow and evolve and understand the nuances, but you can't teach the skill set, the experience, the judgment, the critical thinking." ~ Grace Balestrieri "Plan the runway for the team to learn, for people to build the trust, to work out the kinks, and know that your ROI isn't going to be immediate." ~ Grace Balestrieri Links  Grace Balestrieri on LinkedIn Brighton Jones Outreach WALL-E The Book Club for Troublesome Women Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Produce game-changing content with Milemarker Studio Milemarker Studio helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at MilemarkerStudio.co.

Episode 164: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Kristina Baron, Co-Managing Partner and Managing Director at Oxford Financial Group. Kristina started in the industry as a high school intern in a financial advisor's office and later worked at Goldman Sachs before joining Oxford. Today she helps lead a team that serves roughly 700 families across the country. Kyle and Kristina explore what it takes to coordinate advice for families whose needs span investments, estate planning, taxes, trusts, outside advisors, and multiple generations. Kristina shares why understanding a family’s values should precede any solution, how Oxford structures teams and communication to make complexity manageable, and why continuity depends on giving younger generations a voice. They also discuss data integrity, connected technology, practical AI applications, and Kristina’s concerns about how consolidation and pressure for new revenue streams could reshape the RIA landscape. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:31) - Kristina's money moment (04:56) - Why understanding has to come before expertise (07:10) - Coordinating estate planning across jurisdictions (10:05) - Standing out when every firm says it serves families like yours (15:38) - Working alongside a family's other advisors (18:12) - Making a complex service model feel simple (19:46) - Planning for every generation of the family (23:23) - Why communication breaks down between generations (27:14) - Building the data foundation before layering on technology (30:08) - Where AI fits in serving ultra-high-net-worth families (33:33) - Kristina's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (36:43) - Kristina's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Understand the family before designing the solution. Technical expertise only goes so far when several generations, advisors, and priorities are involved. Open-ended questions about values, concerns, and goals help determine what the family actually needs before specialists begin solving for it. Coordination matters as much as specialization. Complex families may work with attorneys, CPAs, insurance professionals, and multiple wealth managers at once. Shared communication, clearly assigned follow-up items, and a coordinated team help keep good individual advice from becoming a fragmented overall plan. Bring the next generation into the conversation before a transition happens. Continuity becomes harder when a family structure reflects only the founder generation’s priorities. Families can preserve important values while still giving later generations enough context and voice to understand, engage with, and eventually help shape the plan. Build the data foundation before expecting more from AI. Clean information and connected systems reduce manual work and give AI more useful problems to solve. The opportunity is to accelerate analysis and information retrieval while preserving human judgment and the personal interaction that complex families still value. Quotes "Facts help drive decision-making, but I think feelings and values drive even more important decision-making." ~ Kristina Baron "We can't fool ourselves that we're the best at everything, so we need to work together as a team to accomplish it, and really understand what it is that you're trying to solve for." ~ Kristina Baron "There's a way to still hold true to the values of generation one, while also allowing conversations and evolution into what's really important for generation two and beyond." ~ Kristina Baron Links  Kristina Baron on LinkedIn Oxford Financial Group Jeffrey H. Thomasson — Founder and CEO of Oxford Financial Group Morningstar Direct Goldman Sachs Kubota Marie Benedict What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter Good to Great by Jim Collins Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 163: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Megan Carpenter, CEO and Co-Founder at Ficomm Partners. Megan entered the industry through a college internship and started her own marketing consultancy at 29 before co-founding Ficomm with Jason Lahita. She has since refocused the firm exclusively on RIAs, working as an embedded growth partner that pairs marketing strategy with advisor coaching. Kyle and Megan explore what Ficomm's research reveals about the path from referral to hired advisor. Megan shares why the wealthiest investors turned out to be the least referral-reliant segment surveyed, and how younger investors now use four or more touchpoints before reaching out. They discuss the "referral-only" website approach, why the prospect experience begins long before the first meeting, and how advisors can create content that fits them and still reach clients where they are. Megan also examines AI discovery and why she sees marketing becoming a leadership responsibility. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:08) - Megan’s money moment (04:26) - How Ficomm evolved from PR firm to embedded growth partner (08:15) - Finding your niche as your business evolves (13:45) - What research reveals about how investors find advisors (19:10) - Building trust after the referral (21:29) - Does the "referral-only" website still work? (25:22) - The overlooked opportunity in serving the mass affluent (26:46) - Starting the client experience before the first meeting (30:32) - Creating content that fits you and your ideal clients (34:58) - How AI tools are changing advisor discovery (39:01) - Megan’s outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (41:32) - Megan’s Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Referrals get you on the list, not the client. Megan’s research suggests prospects often investigate an advisor before ever making contact. Your website and content need to reinforce the recommendation and demonstrate whom you understand and serve. Define your ideal client, but leave room to evolve. Early-stage businesses often need to work with the clients they can attract. The goal is to build around shared values, strong relationships, and the people you can genuinely serve well, then narrow your focus as the business matures. The prospect experience is part of the client experience. Nearly three-quarters of investors surveyed chose an advisor who demonstrated an understanding of their specific needs. Show that understanding in your messaging and first touchpoints, not just after the engagement letter is signed. Build a growth engine that fits who you are. Match your clients’ preferred channels with your team’s strengths. Megan uses conversations and speaking engagements as source material that her team repurposes, without requiring her to become an active personal social media publisher. Quotes "Referrals really get you onto the list, but don't necessarily get you the client. What's changed is not necessarily the value of the referral, but what happens immediately following the referral." ~ Megan Carpenter "Contrary to what the industry thinks, the wealthiest investors are actually the least referral-reliant segment that we surveyed." ~ Megan Carpenter "All AI is really doing is collapsing the gap between being findable and being worth finding." ~ Megan Carpenter “The firms that win will have marketing at the leadership table, not in a support role.” ~ Megan Carpenter Links  Megan Carpenter on LinkedIn Ficomm Partners The New Growth Equation Jason Lahita Goldman Sachs BlackRock Absolute Engagement Julie Littlechild Michael Kitces James Conole Beautiful Chaos by Jessica Urlichs Harry Potter Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 162: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Brian Fernandez, President at Krilogy. Brian brings more than 20 years of experience working with complex family office needs and continues to serve clients as an advisor. As the firm’s integrator, he pairs that client perspective with a focus on operational excellence, helping translate its founder’s vision into execution. Kyle and Brian explore how investing ahead of demand prepares an advisory firm for its next stage of growth. Brian explains how Krilogy uses EOS to create accountability, develops future partners through internal training, and reinforces culture as its team expands. They also discuss the ongoing responsibilities of building software, the importance of mastering tools before adding more, and the staffing demands behind family office services. Throughout the conversation, Brian considers how firms can expand their capabilities while remaining attentive to the people they serve. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:16) - Brian's money moment (03:15) - Investing ahead of growth  (04:59) - Building a culture of organic growth  (08:05) - What makes a great integrator  (13:18) - The meaning behind Krilogy's name and its core purpose (16:27) - Developing the next generation of advisors (19:28) - How Krilogy preserves its culture despite rapid growth (21:08) - Building a platform for entrepreneurial advisors (23:02) - Krilogy's current tech stack and how it's evolving  (24:25) - Build vs buy: How Krilogy evaluates technology investment decisions  (26:22) - What's next for Krilogy (28:03) - Why customized advice is harder than scaling a manufactured product  (29:07) - Brian's outlook about the future of the financial services industry (33:44) - Brian's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Invest ahead of the growth curve. Don't wait until your firm is overwhelmed to build the people, systems, and infrastructure you'll need. Sustainable momentum comes from building executive capacity, infrastructure, and talent pipelines before reaching the next phase of growth.  Create a system for turning ideas into action. Visionaries need room to generate ideas, while operators need a process for prioritizing them. Separating idea generation from problem-solving can keep both sides productive.   Build your talent pipeline instead of waiting for talent to appear. Developing people internally can create advisors who understand both the technical side of the business and its culture and values. Training next-generation leaders through structured, in-house development systems builds deep cultural alignment and ensures senior leaders naturally step up to mentor incoming cohorts.   Culture has to become institutionalized as you scale. Strong cultures can't depend on one founder or executive. Teach the values consistently and give employees the confidence to hold one another accountable.  Quotes "You need one central advisor to coordinate everything. You may have a number of great advisors, but somebody has to own it." ~ Brian Fernandez "If we're creating human experience, as good as AI gets, I still think we're going to have the opportunity to be really trusted advisors and do the work that really is the emotional stuff around families, retirements, or selling businesses." ~ Brian Fernandez "When I think about what a true family office means, it's about the complexity of the clients and the depth to which the advisors have to go. And it's also the frequency with which you're dealing with things." ~ Brian Fernandez Links  Brian Fernandez on LinkedIn Krilogy Kent Skornia Envestnet | MoneyGuide  So Good They Can't Ignore You Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Episode 161: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Scott Hanson, Cofounder at Allworth Financial. Scott helped build the firm and led it through acquisitions, private equity ownership, and recapitalization before stepping aside as CEO. Drawing on experience as both a buyer and seller, he wrote The Private Equity Advantage to help business owners approach succession with greater clarity and intention. Kyle and Scott explore what separates a successful transaction from simply getting a deal done. Scott explains why growth and cultural fit matter, how deal terms shape outcomes, and why planning should begin well before a letter of intent. They also discuss choosing experienced legal counsel, communicating change to employees, and preparing emotionally for a different role. Scott reflects on his own transition out of leadership and shares why understanding your strengths—and defining success on your own terms—is essential to building a fulfilling next chapter. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:52) - Debunking private equity myths  (05:53) - Why integration is harder than closing the deal  (07:13) - The current state of M&A in wealth management (10:33) - The mindset that makes an acquisition successful  (13:47) - Structuring a tax-efficient transaction   (15:56) - How to choose the right M&A attorney  (19:36) - Preparing for life after selling a business (24:21) - Identifying the strengths that give you energy (25:36) - Communicating a transaction to your team  (28:36) - What's next for large private equity-backed firms  (31:48) - Scott's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Build a growing business before you think about selling. The strongest acquisition candidates aren't simply profitable—they have organic growth, momentum, and a clear plan for continued expansion.  Integration is where value gets created. Doing a deal is the easy part. The harder work is combining organizations in ways that improve the experience for clients, advisors, and employees. Know what you're giving up and what you're gaining. Selling a firm means exchanging some control for liquidity, resources, and potentially greater growth opportunities. The clearer founders are about that tradeoff, the more likely they are to thrive afterward.  Define success on your own terms. The next chapter doesn't have to look like someone else's. Understanding your unique abilities, what energizes you, and what you want from life can help shape a more fulfilling path after stepping away from leadership.  Quotes "For firms to be acquired, they have to be growing. And if they're not growing, there has to be some plan in place to make sure that there's growth, because that growth is super important for the buyer." ~ Scott Hanson "Doing the deal is the easy part. Integrating the organizations, that's where the work is." ~ Scott Hanson "I think what makes a successful integration and transaction is when the seller has the right kind of mindset. Understanding what the exchange is, what you're gaining, and what you're giving up—those who are clear on that do extremely well." ~ Scott Hanson Links  Scott Hanson on LinkedIn Allworth Financial The Private Equity Advantage Ian Wenik Focus Financial Partners Life Is in the Transitions Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Produce game-changing content with Turncast Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at Turncast.com.

Episode 160: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Joe Schmitz Jr, Founder and CEO at Peak Retirement Planning. Joe built the firm around a tax-focused, 5 Pillar Approach that helps Midwestern millionaires nationwide grow and protect their wealth. A Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA®), Joe also helps clients approach retirement with purpose and steward their wealth in alignment with their values. Joe talks with Kyle about the marketing and talent engine of fast-growing RIAs. He shares why Peak focuses on developing talent internally, how its intensive training programs prepare advisors for real client conversations, and why coaching is such an important part of the firm's culture. Joe also explains how a strong marketing engine has helped Peak expand its reach, define a specific niche, and build trust with prospective clients through YouTube, books, and other content. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (00:54) - Joe's money moment (02:09) - Building technical depth and soft skills in young financial advisors (04:28) - Why Peak focuses on developing talent internally  (06:10) - Inside Peak's training programs: Peak University and Peak Bootcamp  (09:40) - How Peak structures its training programs (14:44) - Why Peak sees itself as a media and marketing company first (17:10) - How Joe turns marketing knowledge into action  (19:00) - What YouTube has done for Peak Retirement Planning (20:38) - What motivated Joe to build a YouTube presence  (23:12) - How Joe builds Peak's long-term enterprise value (25:54) - Balancing marketing-driven growth with service capacity (28:34) - Peak's 'no creativity' policy and 'no shiny objects' marketing strategy (29:51) - The marketing checklist behind every piece of Peak content  (30:58) - How Peak's core messaging came together  (34:13) - Why Joe writes books instead of chasing other content formats  (36:11) - How Peak leverages technology for growth (38:45) - What Peak's purpose-driven conversation is all about (40:11) - Joe's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Build the talent you need instead of waiting for it to appear. If experienced hires aren't the right fit, create an environment that develops people from the ground up. A strong training program can become a long-term competitive advantage. Turn your best people into coaches. Developing talent becomes more scalable when experienced team members teach and mentor others.  Hold high standards for quality and brand detail. Every outward-facing material—from digital media to printed mailers—reflects the quality of a firm's work. Holding internal operations to high standards builds immediate credibility with potential clients. Build branding around real client pain points and identities. Developing authentic marketing messaging requires paying close attention to client conversations.  Treat content as a long-term asset. Books, videos, articles, and podcasts can keep building credibility and generating opportunities long after they're published.  Quotes "I think so many people are afraid to put time, effort, and money into marketing, and that's the biggest shortfall." ~ Joe Schmitz Jr. "There are so many shiny objects out there that people can go to. Don't go out there and try to do everything. Focus on one or two things to start that add value, that add a great return on investment, that you enjoy doing, and then see the success from there." ~ Joe Schmitz Jr. "If anything ever goes out from our firm, it better be done with excellence because that's all people know about the work we do." — Joe Schmitz Jr. Links  Joe Schmitz Jr. on LinkedIn Peak Retirement Planning I Hate Taxes Midwestern Millionaire The 2% Club Hazel AI Chop Wood Carry Water The Energy Bus  How to Win Friends and Influence People Make Your Bed Splitting Heirs The New Retirementality Kingdom Advisors Connect with our hosts Milemarker.co Kyle on LinkedIn Jud on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Produce game-changing content with Turncast Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at Turncast.com.