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Next Mile

Next Mile

By: Milemarker
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 Next Mile is a podcast about bringing together the people and technology shaping the wealth management industry. Brought to you by Milemarker.Copyright © Milemarker Inc. Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Forging a Path to Freedom and Independence with Adam Spiegelman

    Forging a Path to Freedom and Independence with Adam Spiegelman
    Feb 3 2026
    Episode 130: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Adam Spiegelman, Founder and Wealth Advisor at Spiegelman Wealth Management, which offers investment and wealth management programs and services for high-net-worth clients. The company’s mission is to develop enduring relationships with clients by providing professional guidance for a lifetime of financial security. Adam talks with Kyle about what it really means to go independent and why freedom, service, and intentional scale matter more in financial services. He shares why he left large firms to build a boutique RIA, the emotional weight of the transition, and how he maintains a human-centric approach in an automated world. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:32) - Adam's money moment (03:18) - Navigating the LPL acquisition of Commonwealth (06:07) - What Adam learned after going independent (08:41) - The reality of independence (10:09) - The challenges and rewards of building a custom technology ecosystem (13:03) - What made Commonwealth technology user-friendly (17:53) - Adam's vision for Spiegelman Wealth Management (20:20) - What great service actually looks like in practice (22:31) - Adam's growth strategies (26:04) - Adam's outlook on the future of the wealth management industry (28:30) - Adam's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Freedom creates clarity, but also responsibility. Going independent removes bureaucracy but also challenges leaders to own every decision, especially in technology and operations. Great service lives in the small, thoughtful moments. Picking up the phone, anticipating confusion, and proactively helping clients through stressful situations often matter more than flashy offerings. Growth doesn't have to mean “bigger”. Staying intentionally small can be a competitive advantage when relationships, trust, and responsiveness are the core product. AI will change the work, but not remove the human role. As modeling and analysis become commoditized, judgment, empathy, and contextual thinking become even more valuable. Quotes "I talked to dozens of recruiters, firms, and advisors. And I did all this due diligence with one purpose in mind: to scare me out of wanting to go independent. And no one could scare me. I knew in my heart that this was the absolute right thing to do." ~ Adam Spiegelman "I learned a long time ago that this business is not just about lining my pockets. It's not about money and fees, it's about relationships." ~ Adam Spiegelman "People want to take more charge of their finances. Gone are the days of pension plans and the government providing all that support." ~ Adam Spiegelman Links Adam Spiegelman on LinkedIn Spiegelman Wealth Management Fidelity Investments A Gentleman in Moscow 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.
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    34 mins
  • The Real Alpha Inside Modern Advisory Work with Mitch Hamer

    The Real Alpha Inside Modern Advisory Work with Mitch Hamer
    Jan 27 2026
    Episode 129: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Mitch Hamer. Mitch is the Founder & Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth, where he partners with families to navigate their financial lives with clarity and intention. With an approach rooted more in psychology and behavior, Mitch helps clients step back from the things that get far too much attention and focus on the priorities that are often overlooked. Kyle and Mitch unpack the real alpha inside modern advisory work. They also discuss the challenges of scaling a highly personalized service, the importance of building a multi-generational firm to serve multi-generational clients, and the self-aware entrepreneurial path that focuses on alignment, work-life balance, and finding your own unique way in the industry. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:55) - Mitch's money moment (03:32) - Mitch's journey from options trading to wealth advisory (09:16) - Why advisors say planning is everything (12:08) - The challenges of scaling highly personalized service (15:38) - What it takes to start an RIA without an established book of business (22:03) - The difference between a strategist and a technician (25:40) - How Intersecting Wealth builds a multi-generational firm (29:35) - The future of Intersecting Wealth (31:26) - Mitch's take on the future of the financial services industry (34:27) - Intersecting Wealth's tech stack (35:34) - Mitch's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Planning, not returns, is where trust is built. Advisors often feel pressure to deliver higher returns, but most client anxiety comes from uncertainty around spending, legacy, and purpose. Behavioral insight is a real advisory skillset. Advisors who understand behavior, fear, emotion, and decision-making are positioned to add more value than technical portfolio expertise alone. Don't confuse activity with value. Spending too much time on complex, non-scalable technical work can prevent growth. Realize that your greatest contribution might be in the human element, the listening, strategizing, and having hard conversations with clients. Quotes "I realized that the value-add was the conversations away from investments. And that's the reason why I ended up doing really deep advanced planning across the financial planning spectrum." ~ Mitch Hamer "When you're sitting across from a family, and you're starting to unpack what they're trying to accomplish or what makes them nervous, it's often verbalized as 'I'm uncomfortable with risk'. But what I'm seeing them verbalize is 'I don't really know what my plan is.’” ~ Mitch Hamer "You can't overlay tech on trust. It's not going to be a tech platform that moves advisors over. It's going to be a service model that wins them." ~ Mitch Hamer Links Mitch Hamer on LinkedIn Intersecting Wealth Cboe Global Markets John Marshall Goldman Sachs Morgan Stanley Merrill Lynch Stratos Wealth eMoney Advisor RightCapital Income Lab Wealthbox Money Together 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.
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    39 mins
  • How to Build a Firm That Outlasts You with Tyson Ray

    How to Build a Firm That Outlasts You with Tyson Ray
    Jan 20 2026
    Episode 128: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Tyson Ray, CEO, Founding Partner, and Senior Wealth Advisor at FORM Wealth Advisors. Tyson helps financial advisors exit their businesses with clarity, confidence, and no regrets. He's been recognized as a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor, AdvisorHub Advisors to Watch, and Barron's Top 1200 Advisor. Kyle and Tyson discuss what it takes to build a successful wealth advisory practice that balances growth, client care, and community impact. Tyson shares the strategies, leadership mindset, and values that have guided his career to success. He also discusses his SPACE (See, Prepare, Act, Commit, Exit) framework, which reveals how advisors can exit their practice confidently and fully compensated, while keeping their clients' interests first and foremost. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:12) - Tyson's money moment (05:48) - Valuable lessons Tyson learned during the early stages of his career (07:26) - How to build a career that lasts a lifetime (10:23) - The power of structure, boundaries, and accountability in scaling a firm (13:51) - The SPACE framework (21:29) - The importance of building a multi-generational team (30:07) - How Tyson finds and trains his team members (32:52) - Why you should “never enter data twice” (34:59) - Tyson's outlook on the future of the industry (40:36) - Tyson's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Great leadership begins with humility. The best leaders don't pretend to have all the answers. They listen, learn, and grow alongside their teams. Don't let fear define your future. If you know a change is necessary for growth, don't let fear hold you back from what is ultimately the right thing for your firm's long-term health and your own personal well-being. Invest in the next generation of advisors. Intentionally recruit and mentor younger team members to build a truly multi-generational firm—one where clients feel confident their advisor won’t retire before they do, and where modern, responsive service comes naturally. Make space for succession. You cannot effectively plan for your future or your firm without intentionally creating the time and mental room to do it. The succession process is not just about selling or retiring; it's about seeing a vision, committing to the necessary actions, and exiting with confidence and purpose. Quotes "You can't let fear prevent you from doing what's right." ~ Tyson Ray "The reason most of us don't do planning for ourselves is that we don't create the space to do it." ~ Tyson Ray "How to build your business is to hire caretakers of what you've built to free you up, because most likely, you are the rainmaker." ~ Tyson Ray Links Tyson Ray on LinkedIn FORM Wealth Advisors Total Succession 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.
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    43 mins
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