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
  • The Operating System Behind Scalable Advisory Firms with Matt Regan

    The Operating System Behind Scalable Advisory Firms with Matt Regan
    Jan 13 2026
    Episode 127: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Matt Regan, President at Wealthcare. With more than two decades in the financial services industry, Matt has helped build several transformative business models, including launching the retail brokerage and OpenIPO system at WR Hambrecht+Co. His work has consistently focused on scaling world-class organizations with a strong commitment to the client experience. Kyle talks with Matt about building scalable, sustainable advisory businesses at the intersection of technology and operations. Matt shares his journey into wealth management, the evolution of Wealthcare from planning software to a full-service platform, and how standardized systems drive organic growth and enterprise value. They dive into affiliation models, M&A strategy, talent challenges, and the future of advice in an AI-driven world—especially for emerging advisors and smaller clients. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:44) - Matt's money moment 0. (03:58) - Wealthcare's origin story (06:20) - Wealthcare's affiliation model (12:24) - Common pitfalls in M&A (14:04) - The talent gap and finding Gen 2 successors (15:33) - Matt's thoughts about the future of M&A (19:34) - What it takes to build a firm from $0 to $100M in today's market (22:47) - The role of AI in serving HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) (26:50) - Why soft skills are the new hard currency (28:27) - Matt's outlook on the future of the industry (32:37) - Matt's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Standardization creates enterprise value. A repeatable operating system is what turns an advisory practice into a real business. Consistency across planning, investments, client service, and operations becomes your biggest growth lever. Tech-enabled platforms only matter if the tech actually supports the advisor's workflow. A true tech platform is not a stack of tools. It's a single operating system that connects planning, investments, trading, and service in one experience. "Date before you marry" might be the future of advisor M&A. Affiliation provides an opportunity for advisors to integrate systems, see the culture, and test-fit a partner long before selling the firm. It reduces regret and increases alignment. Not every acquisition is a good acquisition. Great M&A means buying businesses you can meaningfully improve. Quotes "What the founder of this firm preached was that you should do things in a very systematic, repeatable way. It's the only way you scale. It's the only way you grow organically." ~ Matt Regan "[Being a financial advisor] takes an incredible amount of resilience and aggressive dedication to building a business. And it's not for the faint of heart." ~ Matt Regan "Progress empowers the people who work for us here and creates career paths and a valuable professional life for Wealthcare's employees. I care deeply about the people who work here. And I want to see them not only succeed financially, but become happy people." ~ Matt Regan Links Matt Regan on LinkedIn Wealthcare Capital Management Wells Fargo Fidelity Investments Orion Advisor Solutions Charles Schwab Morgan Stanley The Passenger Blood Meridian 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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    36 mins
  • Scaling White-Glove Client Experiences with Sarah Simmer

    Scaling White-Glove Client Experiences with Sarah Simmer
    Jan 6 2026
    Episode 126: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Sarah Simmer, Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor at Heritage Wealth Advisors. Sarah delivers customized wealth management and tax planning services to individuals and families, with a special focus on multi-generational households. Sarah talks with Kyle about what world-class client experience truly requires, especially for ultra-high-net-worth families. She shares the tactical side of scaling a white-glove firm, highlighting the importance of rigorous client segmentation, the courage to have difficult fee conversations, and how to use data to determine exactly who you should and shouldn't be serving. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (03:10) - Sarah's money moment (06:11) - How Sarah's mother influenced her career in wealth management (09:13) - How an auditor's mindset translates to serving high-net-worth families (10:30) - What client experience means for ultra-high-net-worth families (13:16) - How Sarah uncovers and manages client expectations (17:55) - Why proactively discussing fees can reinforce value (22:46) - How Heritage scales white-glove service to ultra-high-net-worth clients (30:03) - How a scaled white-glove service feels personalized (34:08) - Sarah's outlook on the future of the financial services industry (36:22) - Sarah's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Client experience is not a deliverable. It's the whole relationship. The client's perception is the reality. Leaders need a consistent feedback loop to ensure the experience matches the intent. Audit-trained minds bring hidden superpowers. Learning how to learn quickly and diagnose problems is often more valuable than specific industry knowledge. Don't fear the fee conversation. While many leaders shy away from this topic, proactively raising it allows you to realign expectations. If the client hesitates on the fee, it's an immediate signal that there is a disconnect in the perceived value of the service being delivered. Providing white-glove services at scale requires a personalized approach. White-glove service feels impossible to scale unless you define exactly who fits in which bucket. Quotes "At the end of the day, we're a people business, so the client's experience is their reality. We can think we're doing a fantastic job, but if the client has a terrible experience through all of it, we're not going to stay in business." ~ Sarah Simmer "If you believe in the value you're providing to your clients, you shouldn't be scared to check in with them on how that fee feels." ~ Sarah Simmer "If we can focus on making the information and the story we're trying to get to the client more aligned with the types of experiences they enjoy, that's the goal." ~ Sarah Simmer Links Sarah Simmer on LinkedIn Heritage Wealth Advisors PwC Dee Ann Remo KPMG International McKinsey A Bit Much Northanger Abbey 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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    41 mins
  • Why Wealth Tech Still Feels Broken

    Why Wealth Tech Still Feels Broken
    Dec 30 2025
    Episode 125: In this special New Year's 2025 episode, Kyle Van Pelt brings together four standout voices to explore why wealth technology still feels broken—and what actually fixes it. Jeremy Nelson explains how rising client complexity demands centralized planning and operational tech that can truly scale. Art Ambarik shares how fragmented data and poor transitions create bottlenecks that distract advisors from clients. Kylie Felker shows how efficient systems make room for unreasonable hospitality and deeply human service. And Terry Parham Jr outlines how impact, efficiency, and effectiveness improve when firms own and streamline their data. Together, these conversations reveal how better integration—not more tools—is the path forward. In this episode: (00:00) – Intro (00:30) – Jeremy Nelson on rising client complexity and why centralized tech is essential for scale (03:25) – Art Ambarik on data bottlenecks, advisor transitions, and removing operational friction (08:30) – Kylie Felker on using efficient systems to create unreasonable hospitality for clients (15:30) – Terry Parham Jr on evaluating wealth tech through impact, efficiency, and effectiveness Links Jeremy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-my-element-wealth/ Element Wealth: https://myelementwealth.com/ Art Ambarik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-ambarik-cfp%C2%AE-75359457/ Perigon Wealth Management: https://www.perigonwealth.com/ Kylie Felker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyliekotowskifelker/ Foster Victor Wealth Advisors: https://fostervictor.com/ Terry Parham Jr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tepjr/ Innovative Wealth Building: https://innovativewealthbuilding.com/ 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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    18 mins
  • What It Takes to Build the Next Generation of Talent

    What It Takes to Build the Next Generation of Talent
    Dec 23 2025
    Episode 124: In this special Christmas 2025 episode, Kyle Van Pelt brings together four standout voices to explore what it takes to identify, attract, develop, and retain the next generation of talent. Daniel Spurgeon shares how firms can spot potential early and create intentional career pathways instead of reactive hires. Kristen Oziemkowski explains what today’s young professionals are really looking for—and how purpose, culture, and clarity drive attraction. Eric Kittner highlights the power of mentorship, in-person learning, and real responsibility in developing talent. And Matt Matrisian makes the case that long-term growth, trust, and investment are essential to retention. Together, these conversations offer a practical roadmap for building teams that thrive well into the future. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (00:54) – Daniel Spurgeon on identifying potential early and building intentional career pathways (07:32) – Kristen Oziemkowski on attracting young professionals through purpose, culture, and clarity (16:53) – Eric Kittner on developing the next generation through mentorship and real responsibility (24:52) – Matt Matrisian on retaining talent by investing in growth, trust, and long-term vision Links Daniel Spurgeon on LinkedIn Commonwealth Financial Services Kristen Oziemkowski on LinkedIn The Mather Group Eric Kittner on LinkedIn Moneta Group Matt Matrisian on LinkedIn Signature Estate & Investment 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.
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    32 mins
  • How Planning Drives Better Investment Decisions with Tim Thomas

    How Planning Drives Better Investment Decisions with Tim Thomas
    Dec 16 2025
    Episode 123: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Tim Thomas, Chief Investment Officer and Wealth Manager at Badgley Phelps Wealth Managers. Tim joined Badgley Phelps in 2008 and brings more than two decades of experience in financial planning and portfolio management. He specialized in security analysis and selection, portfolio construction, asset allocation, and alternative investments. Tim shares with Kyle about the mechanics of modern portfolio construction. He discusses why the financial plan must be the north star for investment strategy, how to navigate the noisy and rapidly democratizing world of alternative investments, and how AI is changing the backend of advisory work without replacing the human connection. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:33) - Tim's money moment (02:57) - Marrying financial planning with investment strategy (03:56) - How investing has changed over time (06:18) - The rise in alternative investments (09:55) - Understanding alts as more than one asset class (16:24) - How Badgley Phelps helps clients navigate the nuances of alts (18:27) - Managing M&A and the acquisition of Marshall & Sullivan (21:45) - How Badgley Phelps approaches holistic planning (23:40) - Tim's thoughts about the future of the industry (27:25) - Tim's Milemarker Minute Key Takeaways Planning is a strategy. Investments are implementation. The most effective portfolios are built after the cash flow model is complete. By understanding the client's lifestyle needs and success rates first, you can determine the specific hurdle rate required to achieve their goals. Democratization of alts is exciting, but operational risk is real. Alternative investments are booming, but they shouldn't be added to a portfolio just because they are trendy or accessible. Customization beats cookie-cutter strategies. Whether it's equities, fixed income, or alts, thoughtful leaders build client portfolios around client-specific needs — income, growth, risk tolerance, or liquidity — instead of defaulting to one-size-fits-all recommendations. The quarterback model vs. the generalist. There is a massive industry push to bring tax, legal, and estate planning in-house. Sometimes, building a bespoke team of external experts serves the client better than a one-size-fits-all internal department. Quotes "Planning has really come to the forefront, and the investments are critically important because that is the implementation of the plan. But the planning has definitely risen in prominence, and it has a much bigger role than it used to." ~ Tim Thomas "It's just incredible to see how fast alts have grown in prominence and how big an allocation they're getting in portfolios these days. We're missing out on some opportunities by not having them." ~ Tim Thomas "When you think about technology, computers are really good at crunching a lot of data, sorting, and solving a lot of different things at the same time. What they can't replace is that conversation with a client." ~ Tim Thomas Links Tim Thomas on LinkedIn Badgley Phelps Wealth Managers Vanguard iCapital CAIS Focus Financial Partners Marshall & Sullivan, Inc. Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology Boom: Bubbles and the End of Stagnation 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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    30 mins