Bill Cates is the Founder of Referral Coach International, a company that helps professionals grow their business by generating referrals and personal introductions through proven relationship marketing systems. He is a bestselling author of several books on referrals and business growth, including Get More Referrals Now and Radical Relevance. Bill has spent over 25 years helping thousands of financial professionals and business owners move from incremental to exponential growth by improving client engagement and communication. He also hosts the Top Advisor Podcast and founded The Cates Academy for Relationship Marketing.

Many professionals struggle to grow through referrals without feeling awkward, pushy, or inauthentic. At the same time, deeply held money beliefs — often shaped by fear or scarcity — can quietly sabotage both personal finances and client relationships. How can leaders overcome these hidden barriers to build trust, growth, and lasting wealth?

Bill Cates, a referral expert, bestselling author, and coach to financial advisors, explains that referrals still dominate how people choose advisors — but only when handled with empathy and intention. He emphasizes shifting from asking to creating natural introductions, planting referral seeds through service, and aligning growth strategies with how clients want to connect. Bill also highlights the importance of understanding money mindsets, recognizing the emotional stories behind financial decisions, and transforming fear-driven behaviors into confident actions through education and awareness.

In this episode of The Customer Wins podcast, Richard Walker interviews Bill Cates, Founder of Referral Coach International, about growth through referrals, money mindset, and client trust. Bill discusses why introductions outperform leads, how scarcity thinking affects advisors, and how storytelling can reshape beliefs about money.

Chirag Gandhi is the Co-founder and CEO of Mili, an AI-powered platform that automates administrative workflows for financial advisors, helping them save time and focus on client relationships. Under his leadership, Mili has raised funding and expanded its enterprise AI platform in the wealth management space. Chirag previously worked in venture capital and growth equity, where he helped raise and manage significant investment funds, gaining deep experience in financial services. Before founding Mili, he held roles in investment firms and served as an angel investor supporting early-stage startups.

Financial advisors are overwhelmed by administrative work, fragmented systems, and rising expectations to adopt AI — without compromising compliance or client trust. Many teams experiment with AI tools, only to find they don't fit real workflows or create new risks. How can firms use AI to save time and scale impact without losing control?

Chirag Gandhi, a fintech entrepreneur and AI systems expert, explains how advisory firms can apply AI in practical, compliant ways by focusing on workflow-specific automation. He emphasizes starting with meetings as a data source, using real-time note structuring, and integrating deeply with existing systems rather than layering generic tools. Chirag also shares why safe design choices, human-in-the-loop oversight, and clarity on build-versus-buy decisions are critical to making AI actually work in regulated environments.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Chirag Gandhi, Co-founder and CEO of Mili, about applying agentic AI in financial services. Chirag discusses designing compliant AI systems, deciding when to build versus buy AI tools, and how agents can automate tasks while preserving human relationships.

Ellen Rogin is a CPA, CFP, and financial intuitive at Create Great, a company dedicated to helping people transform their relationship with money and build lasting prosperity. She combines decades of experience as a traditional financial advisor with her intuitive insights to guide clients toward greater financial confidence and abundance. Ellen is a New York Times bestselling author and sought-after speaker whose work has been featured on major media outlets and helps individuals and entrepreneurs reshape their money mindset. Her approach focuses on easing money stress, expanding wealth potential, and empowering people to use money as a force for good.

Many people believe that earning more money will automatically reduce stress and create happiness, yet financial anxiety often persists no matter how much income grows. Deep-rooted money beliefs formed early in life can quietly drive worry, overwork, and dissatisfaction. How can individuals change their relationship with money so that it feels supportive and empowering rather than stressful?

Ellen Rogin, a CPA, CFP, and financial intuitive, explains that lasting financial well-being starts with awareness of money beliefs and emotional patterns, not just numbers. She encourages noticing the language people use around money, replacing worry with clarity, and questioning beliefs like money must be hard to earn. Ellen also highlights practical steps such as journaling for insight, balancing generosity with self-care, and using intuition alongside logic to make aligned financial decisions.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Ellen Rogin, financial intuitive at Create Great, about transforming one's relationship with money. Ellen discusses financial intuition, reshaping money beliefs, and the impact of generosity, while also exploring ancestral money patterns, mindful language, and her four-step prosperity framework.

Jason Early is the Founder and CEO of RISR, a wealthtech platform that helps financial advisors support business owners with business valuation, succession, exit planning, and risk clarity. With extensive experience in financial services, he has dedicated his career to building innovative tools and solutions for advisors and the clients they serve. RISR was recognized by Investment News as Best New Technology, and Jason was named to the publication's 40 Under 40. Before founding RISR, he held advisory leadership roles and served as President of a wealth technology firm specializing in private company valuation services.

Business owners often have most of their wealth tied up in their company — but many don't know what their business is really worth or how it fits into their retirement, estate, and legacy plans. Advisors frequently treat the business like a plug-in number, which can lead to misguided planning and missed opportunities. How can advisors bring real clarity, reduce risk, and help business owners plan for a successful exit?

Jason Early, a wealthtech founder and longtime financial services leader, explains that effective advice starts with true business clarity: establishing the current value of the business and the value it needs to reach to support goals like retirement and philanthropy. He recommends guiding owners to identify and mitigate both equity risk and operational risk. Jason also emphasizes planning early, operating the business as if it's always ready to sell, and building a succession or exit plan since most businesses don't successfully transact.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Jason Early, Founder and CEO of RISR, about helping advisors deliver better outcomes for business owners. Jason shares insights on business valuation clarity, risk reduction, and exit planning. He also discusses tax planning trends, how AI is changing software building, and the mentors who shaped his leadership.

Dan Zitting is the CEO of Nitrogen, a platform that empowers advisors by creating more engaging, confidence-building client conversations. He is a longtime SaaS entrepreneur and operator with a background in building software in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). Before Nitrogen, Dan founded Workpapers.com and later led Galvanize through significant growth, culminating in its $1 billion acquisition by Diligent. At Nitrogen, he focuses on using modern technology to help advisors deliver more personalized guidance so clients can invest and live fearlessly.

Financial advice can feel overwhelming and emotional, especially when clients are unsure whether they're making the right decisions or if their long-term plans are truly secure. Advisors, in turn, often struggle to translate complex topics like risk, taxes, and income planning into conversations that feel clear, personalized, and confidence-building. How can advisors strengthen client trust while scaling those high-impact moments across a growing book of business?

Dan Zitting, a SaaS executive and enterprise software leader with deep expertise in governance, risk, and compliance platforms, shares how advisors can elevate client outcomes through better engagement and communication. He emphasizes meeting clients where they are emotionally, using structured talk tracks to prepare for meaningful conversations, and presenting recommendations in a professional, visual format that clients can actually absorb. Dan also highlights how modern AI can reduce prep time by automating data ingestion, uncovering hidden planning insights from documents like brokerage statements and tax returns, and helping advisors focus more on guidance and trust rather than manual workflow.

In this episode of The Customer Wins podcast, Richard Walker interviews Dan Zitting, CEO of Nitrogen, about helping advisors create fearless client moments through better engagement and AI-powered tools. Dan discusses rebranding beyond risk tolerance, building an AI-first platform, and using tax insights to deepen planning conversations.

Richart Ruddie is the Founder of Captain Compliance, a data privacy and compliance software platform that helps organizations navigate complex data protection laws and automate compliance. He is a serial founder and entrepreneur with a track record of building and exiting successful online businesses. Richart is recognized as a privacy expert and often speaks on data privacy and regulatory risk at industry events. His work focuses on empowering companies to build trust with customers and avoid costly legal issues related to privacy.

Many organizations inadvertently expose themselves to legal risk through data privacy oversights, often despite their best efforts to comply. With regulations evolving at breakneck speed, a single misstep — such as an outdated policy or a faulty consent tool — can lead to costly lawsuits. How can your organization stay compliant and protected while continuing to scale and prioritize the customer experience?

Richart Ruddie, a passionate advocate for data privacy, tackles these very issues by offering a comprehensive software solution designed to help businesses navigate data privacy laws and prevent costly litigation. He explains how even B2B and financial services firms are at risk, emphasizing that privacy requirements aren't just about marketing — they're about protecting employee and customer data from breaches and misuse. Richart dives into real-world examples where a lack of compliance led to massive fines and job losses, illustrating the high stakes involved.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Richart Ruddie, Founder of Captain Compliance, about building trust and protecting businesses through innovative privacy compliance. Richart discusses not only the technical challenges of privacy but also the immense value of a customer-obsessed culture, scaling personalized service, and the importance of staying ahead of ever-evolving regulations.

Mark Ovaska is the Co-founder and CEO of Precept, an AI-driven integration platform that helps fintech companies connect to any API quickly and simplify complex data integrations. He co-founded the company to eliminate lengthy and costly integration projects, enabling teams to scale without engineering bottlenecks. Before Precept, Mark led software platform revitalization and other ventures, blending technical leadership with product strategy. His background also includes creative work in photojournalism, with work featured in major publications.

Many organizations struggle with fragmented data, sluggish integrations, and disconnected systems that create friction for both teams and customers. These challenges hinder the ability to deliver timely, personalized, and reliable customer experiences at scale. How can businesses overcome data complexity without adding more cost, time, or technical debt?

Mark Ovaska, a technology and product executive with deep experience in data platforms, integrations, and AI-driven systems, explores these issues. He explains why great customer experiences depend on connected, portable data and how standardization reduces friction and unlocks scale. Mark shares how AI can map and connect systems in real time, eliminate redundant integration work, and shift focus away from "how many integrations exist" toward readiness and flexibility. His guidance centers on treating data infrastructure as foundational plumbing that enables faster innovation, agentic workflows, and long-term growth.

In this episode of The Customer Wins podcast, Richard Walker interviews Mark Ovaska, Co-founder and CEO of Precept, about simplifying data integrations to power better customer experiences. Mark discusses AI-powered integration speed, the role of data standardization, and how modern infrastructure enables agentic workflows and scalable growth.

Molly Pierce is the CEO of Track That Advisor, a firm that helps independent financial advisors turn complex business data into clear, actionable insights to grow and scale effectively. She joined Track That Advisor in 2017 and is passionate about helping advisory teams track their metrics and reach their full potential. Molly holds a Bachelor's degree in finance and economics from Grand Canyon University.

Many advisory firms invest heavily in marketing and lead generation, yet still struggle to convert prospects or understand why their growth stalls. Without clear visibility into which processes work and which break down, teams often rely on guesswork instead of data-driven action. How can advisors simplify their metrics, cut through analysis paralysis, and focus on the numbers that actually drive growth?

Data expert Molly Pierce breaks down the core metrics that every advisor should track and explains why these leading indicators matter more than lagging ones, such as ROI. She explains how to measure stick rate, close rate, average case size, and cost per client while emphasizing the importance of serving existing clients to generate organic growth. Molly also encourages firms to compare their results with industry benchmarks, leverage pending leads, and use data as a spotlight to reveal hidden business opportunities.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Molly Pierce, CEO of Track That Advisor, about leveraging data to drive growth for advisory firms. Molly discusses the value of benchmark comparisons, the power of focusing on current clients, and why human connection still matters in an AI-driven world.