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#101 – Becoming the First-Call Advisor: Insights from Family Office Expert Rich Wolkowitz

Client Experience & Loyalty, Generational Wealth, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What can financial advisors learn from those guiding the world’s wealthiest and most complex families?

And how can you position yourself as the advisor your A+ clients call first?

In this episode of the Top Advisor Podcast, Bill Cates interviews Rich Wolkowitz – attorney, advisor, and founder of Xylogenesis. From White House counsel to family office insider, Rich shares unique lessons that every financial professional can use to deepen trust, expand value, and strengthen client relationships.

3 Key Takeaways:

  • Advising ultra-wealthy families is about more than money. The right brain side –  trust, relationships, and emotional dynamics – is often where true value is built. 
  • Being the “first call” advisor sets you apart. Learn how to position yourself so clients rely on you first – for both financial strategy and unexpected family challenges. 
  • Legacy requires alignment. Rich’s brilliant tree rings metaphor shows families (and their advisors) how to connect future aspirations with present-day decisions in a meaningful, lasting way.

Bill and Rich Discuss:

  • Why speaking truth to power is essential for advisors who want lasting influence  
  • Rich’s personal journey – from next-gen family business member to White House attorney to trusted family office advisor 
  • Real-life examples of the unexpected roles a family office advisor can play – from finding rare medical specialists to supporting a cat with cancer 
  • Why building a strong advisory team and collaborating across disciplines keeps you off the “replace” list 
  • How to help families build sustainable, purpose-driven offices with the right people and plan 
  • … And more!

Connect With Rich Wolkowitz:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Rich Wolkowitz:    

Rich Wolkowitz is the Founder of Xylogenesis® | Family Office Advisory, bringing more than 25 years of first-hand experience working inside and alongside family offices of every type. 

A third-generation member of his own family’s enterprise, Rich grew up learning about stewardship, responsibility, and the values of family leadership from his father. That early foundation shaped his career in law, business, and family office management.

Rich began his legal journey at the White House before joining an AM 100 law firm, where he became an Equity Partner and Chair of the Hiring Committee. He specialized in international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, serving as outside counsel and trusted consigliere to public companies, private equity- and venture-backed firms, and family enterprises. He later stepped into his own family’s business and went on to lead two different single-family offices as a non-family executive. 

Prior to founding Xylogenesis®, Rich managed a global family business consulting firm.

Known for his ability to “speak truth to power.”  Rich now advises multigenerational families, their family offices, and teams of trusted advisors on the complex continuum of family, business, and legacy needs.

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#100 – From Top Advisor to Industry Leader: Derrick Kinney’s Secrets for Making Competitors Irrelevant and Attracting Clients

Client Experience & Loyalty, COI's, communicating your value, Creating Advocates, Generational Wealth, Leadership, Life Balance, Marketing, Philanthropy, Practice Management, Prospecting, Referrals & Introductions, Social Media, Target Marketing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Standing out as a financial advisor requires more than credentials; it’s about clarity, connection, and purpose.

How do you move from being “just another advisor” to someone clients instantly trust and want to work with? How do you stop competing on titles and start owning the problems your clients care about most?

In this special 100th episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Derrick Kinney, bestselling author of Good Money Revolution and former top-ranked advisor, about the mindset and strategies that helped him scale his practice to the top 1% before transitioning into coaching advisors. Derrick explains how clarity of purpose, the right words, and emotional connection can transform an advisor’s business and make competitors irrelevant.

Derrick discusses: 

  • Why he sold his successful advisory practice to pursue writing, coaching, and media work
  • The biggest mistake advisors make when introducing themselves and how to “own a problem” instead of relying on credentials
  • How asking the right questions and not solving problems too quickly keeps prospects engaged and builds trust
  • The importance of narrowing your focus, presenting yourself as a specialist, and connecting with clients’ pain points
  • How visibility in media and storytelling can make competitors irrelevant and attract ideal clients
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Derrick Kinney:

About Derrick Kinney:

Derrick Kinney is widely considered one of the most engaging and down-to-earth money and business experts in the country. He built one of America’s top financial firms and helped countless clients become millionaires. Then, he sold it to give everyone access to his Middle-Class to Millionaire Playbook. As America’s Financial Educator, he’s a sought-after guest on top podcasts and a go-to expert on FOX, CNN, CNBC, and Yahoo Finance. He’s also the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of Good Money Revolution.

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#99 – What Every Advisor Needs to Know About Storyselling and Life Planning with Mitch Anthony

communicating your value, Marketing, Prospecting, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you think numbers and charts are enough to win clients, think again.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews renowned author and speaker Mitch Anthony about the decisive role of storytelling and life-centered financial planning. 

Mitch shares how neuroscience has proven that emotional connection, not just data, drives decisions, and how financial advisors can uncover deeper client relationships through meaningful conversations.

He also unpacks the real promise advisors should be making, that is, helping clients get the best life possible with the money they have.

Mitch and Bill Discuss:   

  • How story-based communication triggers emotional engagement and decision-making better than logic-heavy pitches
  • Why advisors should uncover the client’s story before telling their own, and how that builds trust
  • The importance of using relatable metaphors to explain complex financial concepts
  • The shift from ROI-focused advising to Return on Life (ROL) and values that can’t be easily compared
  • Simple but profound questions advisors can ask to build deeper connections without taking more time
  • …And more!

Highlights:

  • [00:04:15] Mitch defines “storyselling” and why it works so well
  • [00:14:30] The mistake most advisors make with stories – and how to fix it
  • [00:26:10] What life-centered planning really means (hint: it’s not just about the numbers)
  • [00:38:45] How to shift your discovery process to focus on “return on life”
  • [00:48:00] Mitch’s advice to advisors looking to deepen client loyalty

Sponsors: 

Connect With Mitch Anthony:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Mitch Anthony:

For more than two decades, Mitch and his team have provided training and development for both individual advisors and major organizations throughout the world. Mitch personally consults with firms around the world on both life-centered financial planning and relationship development.

Mitch is a consistently top-rated presenter who has spoken around the world, from private client events to audiences of more than 10,000. He has been named “one of the most meaningful speakers in financial services today” and hailed as one of the industry’s top “Movers & Shakers” for his pioneering work. Along with Texas Tech University, he has developed a certificate program in Life-Centered Financial Planning.

Mitch is a sought-after expert for the media and a regular columnist for Financial Advisor magazine. His columns have appeared on CBS MarketWatch and in the Journal of Financial Planning. Mitch is also host of the daily radio feature, The Daily Dose, heard on over 100 radio stations nationwide.

StorySelling for Financial Advisors, cited by Financial Advisor magazine as the number one “must-read” book for financial professionals, is an industry standard. In addition to The New Retirementality (now in its 5th edition) and Your Clients for Life, Mitch is the author of many groundbreaking books for advisors and consumers, including Defining Conversations,  The Financial Professional’s StoryBook, Your Client’s Story, Selling with Emotional Intelligence, The Financial Lit-Kit (The Cash in the Hat, The Bean is not Green, and Where Did the Money Go?), and Life-Centered Financial Planning.

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#98 – The Crisis of Differentiation: Michael Kitces on What Actually Works for Advisors

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, Finance, Practice Management, , , , , , , , , ,

Financial advisors face the real challenge of proving their worth to clients who have more options and skepticism than ever before. 

How do today’s top advisors cut through the noise, establish credibility, and attract clients in a way that actually works?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com and a leading voice in the advisory profession, about what truly moves the needle for financial advisors. 

They tackle the foundational role of trust, the evolving meaning of holistic advice, effective tactics for client acquisition, and what separates advice-focused advisors from product-driven ones. The conversation also looks ahead at the future of financial planning and practical strategies advisors can use to grow their firms.

Michael discusses:

  • The essential role of trust in both building relationships and driving client acquisition
  • How advisors can leverage “borrowed trust” through referrals and other trusted sources
  • His mission to make advisors “better and more successful”
  • The changing definition of a holistic advisor and the increasing importance of delivering real, advice-first value to clients versus just selling products
  • Research-backed insights into which marketing activities effectively generate new clients and revenue for advisory firms
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Michael Kitces:

About Michael Kitces:

Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL, is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.

Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.

Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.

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#97 – Sustainable Success for Financial Advisors – Integrating Work and Life with Kristin Harad, CFP

Life Management, Practice Management, , , , , , , , ,

Many advisors build thriving practices, only to feel trapped by the very work they love.

What if your career could energize, rather than drain, your life?

In this intriguing conversation, Referral Coach Bill Cates, CSP, CAPE interviews Kristin Harad, CFP®, founder of Full Advisor Coaching, who explains how financial advisors can embrace work-life integration rather than chasing an elusive balance.

Kristin unpacks her five-part framework for designing a business that fuels a life of fulfillment, freedom, and intention.

Kristin and Bill Discuss:

  • Why “work-life balance” is a myth and how to think instead in terms of integration
  • Common friction points high achievers experience when pursuing both career and personal goals
  • Her five-part framework for envisioning an integrated work-life future 
  • The importance of mindset shifts like embracing progress over perfection
  • Practical steps advisors can take, including calendar audits and giving
    themselves permission to prioritize life alongside work
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Connect With Kristin Harad:

Resources: 

About Kristin Harad:

After years in financial services marketing with companies like Visa, Charles Schwab, and JPMorgan Chase, Kristin Harad set out on her own in 2006.

She founded VitaVie Financial Planning, the first fee-only financial planning firm focused on expectant parents and growing families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starting from nothing, she built it into a six-figure business in under three years.

The freedom of entrepreneurship brought Kristin the satisfaction and fulfillment she had always craved, sparking her desire to help other firm leaders achieve the same. In 2014, she transitioned full-time into training and coaching independent financial advisors. She launched her coaching business to share the strategies and systems she had developed to grow her own firm and create a life she loved.

As Kristin began sharing insights from launching and scaling her successful RIA, she discovered the joy of helping fellow entrepreneurs reach their dreams, both within their businesses and beyond. She has since guided hundreds of financial advisors and understands what works for solo practitioners, boutique firms, and enterprise RIAs alike.

Kristin is passionate about helping advisors renew their entrepreneurial energy, focus on what matters most as leaders, and discover the success and fulfillment they’ve been searching for.

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#96 – The Financial Mindset Fix: Joyce Marter on Mental Fitness for Advisors and Clients

Client Experience, Creating Advocates, Leadership, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do your clients’ money mindsets ever drive you crazy?

Do you wish you could get them to just “think right” about their money?

What if you knew that some of your clients’ financial challenges are rooted in their DNA?  Is that possible?  It’s called “epigenetics.”   (BTW – This is true for you too!)

In this episode, Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE interviews Joyce Marter, LCPC, CSP, author of The Financial Mindset Fix, to discuss the deep emotional and psychological factors that influence your clients’ (and your) relationship with money.

3 key takeaways:

  • Money beliefs are formed early and often unconsciously. Childhood experiences, family attitudes, and even generational financial traumas (yes, epigenetics!) can shape how your clients perceive and handle money as adults.
  • Financial anxiety is normal—even for high earners. Mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral tools can help your clients (and maybe even you!) shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset, leading to healthier financial decisions.
  • Empathy is your most powerful tool. You don’t have to be a therapist, but being comfortable talking about the emotional side of money can forge stronger client relationships and set you apart as a true holistic advisor.

Bill and Joyce discuss:

  • The strong link between mental health and financial wellness, and how unresolved emotional issues can hinder financial progress
  • How financial trauma, such as job loss, debt, or family beliefs, can impact money behavior and decision-making
  • Why empathy is essential for advisors when addressing clients’ emotional concerns around money
  • The 12 core mindsets from her book, including detachment, responsibility, support, and abundance, and how these can positively influence client outcomes
  • How mindfulness practices and cognitive behavioral tools can help clients manage financial anxiety and build long-term resilience
  • …And more!

Addressing clients’ emotional relationships with money isn’t just a feel-good strategy; it’s deeply practical. When advisors acknowledge and support the intersection of mental health and financial planning, they help clients achieve not only stronger portfolios, but also a sense of holistic success and genuine peace of mind.

By expanding the conversation beyond dollars and cents to include mindset, emotion, and resilience, financial advisors become indispensable guides for their clients – chnot just to wealth, but to well-being.

Sponsors:

Connect With Joyce Marter, LCPC, CSP:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Joyce Marter, LCPC, CSP:

Internationally renowned mental health thought leader and financial mindset expert, Joyce Marter, considers her life’s purpose to spread the Mental Wealth; to remove the shame and stigma from both mental health and financial stress, and provide a global audience with practical strategies and tools to heal, recover, thrive, and prosper.

Joyce enjoys travel and has visited over 20 countries, with Thailand, Turkey, and Ukraine being some of her favorites. She welcomes opportunities to travel internationally to speak at large conferences or events. While she only speaks English, she has experience collaborating with a translator during her talks.

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#95 – The $30 Trillion Opportunity: Serving Women Investors Better with Cary Carbonaro, CFP®

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, Education, Finance, Leadership, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Most advisors know women will control the majority of wealth by 2030—so why aren’t more of them preparing now?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Cary Carbonaro, CFP®, Managing Wealth Advisor and the Women and Wealth Ambassador at Ashton Thomas. Cary explains how the financial industry has historically overlooked female clients and what needs to change to better serve and retain them. She also outlines actionable ways advisors can create more inclusive, client-centered practices that truly resonate with women.

Cary discusses:

  • The reasons most advisors still struggle to connect with women, despite long-standing data showing their rising financial power
  • How traditional practices, language, and analogies often alienate female clients and prospects
  • Why offering separate meetings for women within couples can significantly strengthen advisor-client relationships
  • How behavioral finance tools help advisors build deeper emotional connections and trust with women
  • The importance of changing hiring practices and early outreach to increase female representation in the advisory profession
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Cary Carbonaro:

About Cary Carbonaro, CFP®:

Cary Carbonaro is an award-winning Certified Financial Planner professional with 25+ years of experience. She is passionate about increasing financial literacy and empowering women, and is the author of the best-selling wealth management books for women. She is a CFP® Board Ambassador and was appointed to represent the industry in the media. At Ashton Thomas, Cary will provide Private Wealth Management Services and spearhead the establishment of the Women and Wealth leadership initiative. She has spoken internationally on financial literacy for women and endows a scholarship at her alma mater. She also founded the Women’s Giving Alliance and resides in Winter Garden, FL, with her husband.

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#94 – From Stuck to Scaling: How Top Advisors Build Momentum with David DeCelle

Life Management, Practice Management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are you building a business you love — or one that’s wearing you down?

In this episode of Top Advisor Podcast, I interview David DeCelle, CEO of Model FA, whose passion is helping advisors fall in love with their practice – either “again” or for “the first time.”

David shares actionable insights on scaling your business while maintaining passion and enthusiasm.

David said, “Success in financial advising is about more than strategies; it’s about loving your business and creating genuine connections.”

How can financial advisors simplify operations to regain focus? What practical steps foster trust and meaningful growth?

David discusses strategies for systematization, identifying personal strengths, and the importance of nurturing client relationships authentically. 

Bill and David discuss:

    • Why advisors lose enthusiasm and how to reignite it.
    • The four personality types in advising and the tailored growth method.
    • Creating balance by leveraging the “Energy Audit” framework.
    • The “Deposits vs. Withdrawals” approach to deepening client trust.
    • Utilizing AI to enhance business efficiency without replacing human connections.
    • …And more!

Sponsors:

Connect With David DeCelle

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About David DeCelle:

Raised in a middle-class household, David knew at an early age that he wanted to redefine success for his generation of the family. Making money was a big motivation, but knowing how to put money to work was his main goal. That’s why he chose to become a financial advisor. And he’s never looked back. He’s a compulsive learner, the guy who cares the most, and one of the hardest workers you will ever meet. He loves nothing more than acquiring layers of life-enhancing knowledge – from social media strategies to self-actualization – and sharing it to help others grow and succeed. His most treasured moment is watching a financial advisor fall in love with the business again.

He is equally committed to his own mind and body fitness, and to intentionally spending quality time with family and friends.

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#93 – Advising Business Owners Through Their Exit with Scott Bushkie, CBI, M&AMI, CM&AP

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, communicating your value, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Generational Wealth, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Referrals & Introductions, Social Media, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , ,

Selling a business is a monumental decision, filled with considerations that can significantly impact the owner’s future.

How can advisors provide real value beyond investment advice during this crucial transition?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Scott Bushkie, CBI, M&AMI, CM&AP, founder of Cornerstone Business Services, about the key steps and considerations involved in selling a business. Scott shares findings from a national study on business owners’ perspectives on their financial advisors during this process. He also provides guidance for advisors looking to assist their clients through a business sale.

Scott discusses: 

  • (06:03) The top reasons business owners switch advisors after selling
  • (08:52) Key proactive moves advisors can make to maintain their client relationships
  • (18:20) The importance of teamwork in selling and enhancing business value
  • (24:29) Why it’s crucial to involve a team and never accept unsolicited offers blindly
  • (30:31) Real-life case studies demonstrating successful business sales and advisor retention
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Scott Bushkie:

About Scott Bushkie:

Scott Bushkie is the Managing Partner and Founder of Cornerstone Business Services. With more than 20 years in the M&A industry, Scott is a recognized leader in the field, providing exit strategies and M&A advisory services to business owners in the lower middle market. He has successfully executed sales to domestic and international buyers, private equity firms, family offices, and strategic buyers.

Scott is the founder and past chair of the Wisconsin chapter of MBBI and also the past chair of the IBBA. In 2014, Scott became the youngest person ever awarded the IBBA prestigious fellow designation. In 2017, Scott was named a fellow of the M&A Source, once again the organization’s youngest recipient. He writes for regional business press, including a monthly syndicated column for Gannett, and has been quoted by the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and other news outlets across the country.

In 2018, Scott launched the Cornerstone International Alliance, providing member firms with enhanced buyer reach, access to industry experts, resources, and structured best practice sharing. Operating with the philosophy that success breeds success, the alliance helps top-tier lower-middle-market M&A firms create more value for their clients.

Scott holds the Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary (M&AMI) certification. He is a Certified Business Intermediary and a FINRA registered broker holding securities licenses 62 and 63.

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#92 Connecting Generations Through Financial Literacy with Jeff Panik, CFP®, MSFS, CRPS

Client Experience, Client Experience & Loyalty, communicating your value, Creating Advocates, Education, Finance, Generational Wealth, Leadership, Marketing, Practice Management, Prospecting, Top Advisors, , , , , , , , ,

Building strong financial foundations isn’t just about numbers, it’s about nurturing relationships and leaving a legacy.

How can financial advisors inspire trust and empower the next generation? What role does education play in creating lasting client relationships?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Jeff Panik, CFP®, MSFS, CRPS, Principal of Balanced Wealth Partners, about his journey from military service to financial advising. Jeff shares his strategies for fostering financial literacy across generations, leveraging books to educate and connect, and creating balance in clients’ lives.

Jeff discusses:

  • (04:00) His transition from the US Army to becoming a financial advisor
  • (06:13) Using books to engage clients and their children
  • (08:41) Strategies for approaching financial planning as solving a retirement puzzle
  • (24:17) The significance of humility and relationship-building in the financial industry
  • (25:33) Advice for newer advisors on mentorship and navigating the industry 
  • …And more!

Sponsors:

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Jeff Panik:

About Jeff Panik:

With almost twenty-five years of experience as a financial advising professional, Jeffrey Panik, MSFS, CFP®, knows that his job is to help clients strike a balance between living well today and planning for the future. Throughout his career, Jeff has worked with hundreds of families, individuals, and small businesses to help them set goals, strategically manage their assets, and work toward achieving their dreams.

The first in his family to attend college, Jeff believes it is imperative to start the discussion of financial literacy early to best prepare for financial success throughout life. Jeff served in the US Army after college, which, as part of his service agreement, paid the student loans he had accrued. He was honorably discharged and began working as a Financial Advisor trainee at a large brokerage firm.

Though Jeff grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, he has lived in the Atlanta area for two decades. Jeff and his wife Rebecca currently live in Atlanta, Georgia. When he isn’t working, Jeff enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading, and all types of sports.

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