Alex Newman returns to The Advisor Journey to share his innovative two-pronged approach to growing Grape Wealth Management: building a vibrant community of retirees through in-person events while implementing advanced AI systems for practice efficiency. Alex reveals how his "Retire Temecula" events have evolved from just five attendees to gatherings regularly drawing 80-150 people, creating powerful organic growth opportunities. Simultaneously, he explains his custom AI implementations for perso...
Jul 16, 2025•34 min
In this special host-only episode of The Advisor Journey , Will Steiner and Dasarte Yarnway discuss how advisors can effectively integrate AI into their businesses to drive growth and efficiency. They break down practical strategies for using AI to enhance marketing, streamline operations, and improve client experiences. Plus, they cover essential tools every advisor should know, address common misconceptions about AI replacing jobs, and share insights on how AI will reshape the financial advice...
Jul 09, 2025•34 min
Ari Taublieb, Chief Growth Officer at Root Financial, joins The Advisor Journey to share how he helped scale the firm from $25 million to $1.1 billion in AUM, primarily through YouTube. Ari breaks down the playbook behind Root’s explosive organic growth, fueled by video content, community building, and a culture-first hiring model. He explains how one viral YouTube video can change everything, why conversion starts before the first meeting, and what it really means to build a client experience t...
Jun 25, 2025•50 min
In this episode of The Advisor Journey , Ben Olsen, founder of Beemo Automation, shares his remarkable journey from financial advisor to a leading innovator in advisory technology. Ben dives deep into how his passion for improving day-to-day advisor workflows led him to create a company dedicated entirely to AI-driven solutions and automation tailored specifically for RIAs. In his conversation with hosts Will Steiner and Dasarte Yarnway, Ben highlights the most significant bottlenecks facing adv...
Jun 11, 2025•49 min
Joe Schmitz joins The Advisor Journey to reveal how he's built Peak Retirement Planning from a solo practice to a firm with nearly 60 team members in just three years, growing to $300 million in assets under management. Joe shares his laser-focused approach to serving "Midwestern Millionaires" – clients with $1-10 million in assets who embody the hardworking, frugal values he grew up with in rural Ohio. His multi-channel marketing strategy through YouTube, workshops, books, and Kiplinger article...
May 27, 2025•36 min
In this value-packed episode, Thomas Kopelman returns to share how he's built a thriving advisory practice generating $1.5 million in annual revenue with extraordinary profit margins. Thomas breaks down his business model serving business owners through a high-touch, premium flat-fee approach ranging from $12,000-$18,000 annually. Listeners will discover Thomas's detailed client service approach, including his team structure that maximizes everyone's strengths, his "reverse engineering" process ...
May 14, 2025•47 min
What does it take to transform from a hard-charging entrepreneur to a visionary leader driven by love and abundance? In this episode, The Advisor Journey welcomes Omani (formerly Ron) Carson to discuss his evolution as a business leader and person. From his early days of relentless hustle to building Carson Group into an industry powerhouse, Omani shares the key lessons that shaped his journey. This conversation is packed with insights for financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking pu...
Mar 26, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Hosts Dasarte Yarnway and Jason Wenk sit down with Nyle Bayer and Matt Middleton, the visionaries behind Future Proof. They discuss the evolution of financial industry events, the role of AI in wealth management, and the biggest challenges advisors face today. From career-defining connections to groundbreaking innovations, this conversation dives into how technology and human relationships are reshaping the industry. Plus, bold predictions for the next five years and why embracing change is no l...
Mar 05, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 88
In this episode Dasarte sits down with Chris Fisher, co-founder of ISTO Advisors, to explore how a firm built on service, coaching, and intentional culture has scaled to nearly $1 billion in AUM. Chris shares how ISTO’s philosophy—serving team, clients, and community—creates a foundation for sustainable growth, why investing in people (not just processes) is the key to success, and how their Director of Coaching and Culture helps every team member thrive. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to ma...
Feb 19, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 87
In this episode of The Advisor Journey , hosts Jason Wenk and Dasarte Yarnway sit down with Chris Mastro of Impact Fiduciary to discuss his unique path to becoming a financial advisor. Starting as a client inspired by his own advisor’s impact, Chris made the leap into financial planning after a creative career in photography and operations. Learn how Chris’s blend of empathy, problem-solving, and a passion for sustainable investing fuels his practice, plus his advice for career changers aspiring...
Jan 22, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 86
In this inspiring episode of The Advisor Journey, host Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Candice Carlton, Head of Strategy at FiComm Partners, to discuss the transformative power of authenticity in business and life. Candice shares her journey from finance to strategy, the lessons she learned about aligning work with values, and her insights on overcoming anxiety and imposter syndrome. Learn how financial advisors can harness the power of video to grow their practices, find deeper purpose, and crea...
Dec 18, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Dasarte Yarnway and Jason Wenk break down four essential strategies to prepare advisors for a year of growth, efficiency, and client satisfaction. From choosing the right technology to defining your ideal client, Dasarte and Jason discuss actionable steps every advisor can implement now to set up for success in the coming year. Learn how to balance founder and manager mode, leverage new tech tools, and create a marketing megaphone that speaks to your target audience. Listen now for this guide to...
Dec 04, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 84
“It’s okay to stop when you’re happy”is an oft-quoted line in Advisor Journey discussions. In this episode, Jason and Dasarte are joined by someone who’s living it. Matt Stahl founded and successfully scaled his firm, Fiat Wealth Management. But at a certain point, he realized his true passions were elsewhere. Matt helps answer the question: How does one decide to walk away? ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altr...
Nov 20, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Clients are bombarded with investment information 24/7. How can advisors make sure their messaging is getting through? John Prendergast, founder of Blueleaf, joins The Advisor Journey for a wide ranging discussion about his experience building wealth management software, the problems advisors face as they scale, and how to manage client relations amid a noisy media environment. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. A...
Nov 06, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Thomas Cook founded his firm, Retire to Tellico, after identifying a niche in his community that could benefit from quality financial advice and planning. Thomas joins Dasarte on The Advisor Journey for a wide-ranging discussion about starting his firm from scratch, the notion of operating with an “abundance mindset,” and strategies for serving a wider. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-one ...
Oct 25, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 81
In this special host-only episode of The Advisor Journey, Jason Wenk and Dasarte Yarnway break down the key obstacle that’s holding back many advisors from evolving their businesses to be more efficient and create better client outcomes. Plus, they cover helpful practice management tips around hiring (and firing), retention, listening, and feedback loops. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-on...
Oct 09, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 80
In this episode of The Advisor Journey, we sit down with Dylan Parker and Anish Karyat from Moment to delve into the intricacies of fixed-income investing and to make an exciting announcement about fixed income opportunities on the Altruist platform. As the financial landscape shifts with rising interest rates and inflation, Dylan and Anish share their perspectives on the current market conditions, key economic indicators, and how well-timed innovations in this space will help advisors better se...
Sep 25, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Altruist’s VP of Marketing, Chris Hiestand, and Head of Content, Will Steiner, join The Advisor Journey to talk about all things advisor marketing, from the key principles that drive marketing success, to specific strategies that advisors can deploy to boost their marketing game. Plus, Chris and Will offer their must-hear hot takes about what matters – and what doesn’t – when it comes to winning new clients and growing your business. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice be...
Sep 18, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Say goodbye to boring conferences and hello to an intentional and community-driven atmosphere where connection, learning, and innovation thrive. Experience peer-led sessions covering timely and relevant information, happy hours, and curated networking opportunities. Dive deep into three core themes: enhancing your planning skills, growing your business, and maximizing efficiency for client delight. Come be a part of our community of advisors pushing the industry forward. Visit altruist.com/altru...
Sep 11, 2024•51 sec•Season 1Ep. 77
Listen in for a dynamic live discussion on enhancing your RIA’s operational efficiency. Featuring experts Angel Williams of Beck Bode, Charesse Spiller of Get Level Best, and Saundra Davis, MSFP of Sage Financial Solutions, this episode delves into practical strategies for optimizing processes, automation, and boosting client satisfaction. Discover actionable insights to streamline your operations and achieve excellence in your advisory practice. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financ...
Sep 04, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Taylor Schulte, a renowned financial advisor and founder of Define Financial, joins The Advisor Journey to share a masterclass on advisor marketing strategies and to address some common mistakes advisors make. For example, is trying to serve a wide range of clients and blast your message out on as many channels as possible a winning approach? Taylor offers insights on creating a strong brand identity, finding the right niche for your business, and investing in a marketing funnel that delivers co...
Aug 21, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In this episode, Dasarte takes a deep dive into the key insights and strategies shared by Stoy Hall during our recent conversation. He highlights the transformative power of storytelling in the financial advising space and how these techniques can be applied to enhance client relationships and practice growth. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-one platform built exclusively to help RIAs star...
Aug 14, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Join us as Stoy Hall shares transformative storytelling techniques for financial advisors and shares how implementing these tools can help elevate your practice. Discover how to tailor your communication and services to various client profiles through compelling narratives and personalized advice. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Techniques for understanding diverse client needs. • Strategies for crafting engaging stories that simplify complex concepts. • Tips for personalizing service offerings...
Jul 31, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In this episode, Dasarte recaps his favorite takeaways from our conversation with the legendary Bill McNabb. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-one platform built exclusively to help RIAs start, run, and grow their practices. Our platform saves you time and reduces your costs: You can manage your entire book of business, get performance reporting, and bill your clients with ease and efficienc...
Jul 26, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 72
For advice about leading a successful career in the financial services industry, it’s hard to find a better source than Bill McNabb, former CEO and Chairman of Vanguard. Bill joins The Advisor Journey to discuss his career trajectory, what it takes to be a leader, and how to build robust and resilient teams. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-one platform built exclusively to help RI...
Jul 17, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Dasarte recaps our episode with Altruist’s Head of Investments, Adam Grealish about the significant–often overlooked–value of tax management. In the initial episode, Adam unpacks strategies with the potential to improve clients’ after-tax, after-fee returns to the tune of 1-2% per year. The discussion also includes an overview of Altruist’s forthcoming automated tax management tool, TaxIQ. For advisors exploring ways to generate additional tax savings for clients,this episode is a must-listen. A...
Jul 03, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 70
As an advisor, how do you wield your digital influence? And how do you do it in an emotionally intelligent way? Industry expert Sheri Fitts joins us for an exclusive conversation with Jason and Dasarte. In this episode, she breaks down the importance of digital EQ and explains how advisors can use it to take their firms to the next level. Want to hear more from Sheri? Check out her upcoming conference SWAYLive at https://swaylive.sherifitts.com/swaylive2024 ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to ...
Jun 28, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In this episode, Altruist’s Head of Investments, Adam Grealish, joins Jason and Dasarte for a conversation about the significant–often overlooked–value of tax management. Adam unpacks strategies with the potential to improve clients’ after-tax, after-fee returns to the tune of 1-2% per year. The discussion also includes an overview of Altruist’s forthcoming automated tax management tool, TaxIQ. For advisors exploring ways to generate additional tax savings for clients,this episode is a must-list...
Jun 24, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Dasarte recaps our conversation with Ben Beck, the co-founder of Beck Bode. Dasarte highlights three important take aways for all advisors and explains how you can apply the idea of radical honesty to your firm. ABOUT ALTRUIST: We’re on a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and more accessible to everyone. Altruist is an all-in-one platform built exclusively to help RIAs start, run, and grow their practices. Our platform saves you time and reduces your costs: You can manage...
Jun 05, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 67
In this episode, Ben Beck, the co-founder of Beck Bode, explores the strategies that have fueled his firm’s impressive growth. He highlights the transformative role of radical honesty in cultivating trust and enduring client relationships, which has been pivotal in driving exponential growth. Ben shares compelling stories and lessons from his journey, particularly his philosophy of “losing to win again,” where setbacks are seen as opportunities for future success. He also discusses his firm's ch...
May 29, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 66
