Episodes

Most operations leaders are alone at their advisory firm. But you don’t have to be alone in your career. Whether you’re an operations professional, an advisor or even a compliance officer at a small or large firm, there are opportunities to find your tribe through a study group. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Shaun Kapusinski, Founder of HIFON, a private independent study group for RIA operations professionals. HIFON has quietly built an operations community for more th...

How we think, act and work has been overhauled in 2020. This has meant major shifts for news and media professionals that advisors rely on for the latest advice news and in how they engage and meet their peers at industry events. Are these media professionals hitting the mark and what do they see ahead? To find out, Laura Gregg is joined by InvestmentNews’ CEO, Christine Shaw in this episode. Christine shares how the InvestmentNews (IN) team has embraced the virtual world and shaken up how they ...

During uncertain times, it’s critical that advisors remind and reinforce the value that they are providing to their clients. In this episode, Laura Gregg welcomes Corey Hoffstein, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Newfound Research, a quantitative asset manager offering a suite of separately managed accounts and mutual funds to advisor firms and institutional investors. Corey talks about how Newfound chose to lead with empathy when reaching out to their advisor clients during the pandemic....

How can advisors take behavioral finance from theory to practice and address not only client biases but perhaps some of their own biases as well? Listen to this episode, as Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Stringer Asset Management’s Jonathan Bernstein. Jonathan has a passion for identifying and understanding the behavioral financial issues that can influence the long-term performance of a portfolio. He shares specific processes that advisors can implement to help clients limit or avoid p...

Advisors, are you well-equipped with the knowledge and expertise you need to provide clients with the insurance guidance they need? In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Rebecca Woan, Principal and Founder of Chartwell Insurance Services. Together, they discuss a range of risk management considerations. Rebecca highlights areas where high-net-worth clients may be at risk by being underinsured or by not having assets properly titled. Understanding the right questions to ask...

Why have some advisory firms grown while others have stalled during the pandemic? In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain discuss how advisors are gaining traction in the pandemic with Thrivos Consulting Founder Penny Phillips. Penny shares some timeless advice on prospecting, marketing and the urgent need to embrace change to build trust and nurture lasting client relationships. In this episode, you will learn: How Thrivos is helping advisors re-imagine their businesses What it takes an...

Just because you can’t meet your clients face-to-face at this time doesn’t mean you can’t host extraordinary events and attract new leads. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski, PhD, President of Red Zone Marketing. Maribeth shares some insights from her recent advisor study on how financial advisors are navigating through the pandemic. She discusses the impact of the pandemic on how advisors do business and shares some actionable ideas for creating m...

In a crowded financial advisory space, how can you stand out? To answer this question, Laura Gregg and David Partain welcome Devin Ekberg, chief learning officer and managing director of content development at Investments & Wealth Institute. Listen to hear about the research that the Investments & Wealth Institute conducted with Cerulli Associates on three key trends shaping the financial advice industry and testing advisors’ abilities to grow and drive practice profitability. In this episode, y...

Advisors, have you checked in with your clients recently? Adam Boyer, Head of Business Development for Emotomy at Northern Trust joins Laura Gregg and David Partain to discuss the importance of advisor-client relationships and what it takes to build client trust. Together, they explore the role technology plays in communication and the need for maintaining communication with clients — especially during challenging times like these – and how the right mix can help you grow your business. In this ...

While COVID-19 has sidelined hiring plans for many firms, many leaders are using this time to find top talent. Explore today’s hiring trends as Laura Gregg and David Partain welcome Fran Skinner to the podcast. As the co-founder of AUM Partners, a leadership and talent assessment consulting firm for the financial services industry, Fran shares insight into how firms are recruiting during the pandemic and how leaders are deepening relationships with existing employees. In this episode, you will l...

As the world becomes increasingly technology- and convenience-based, podcasting has risen as a new medium to showcase your voice and connect with your ideal audience. For advisors, podcasting has become a great way to build relationships with ideal and existing clients, all the while maximizing the advisor-client relationships and ROI alike. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain chat with podcasting professional Matt Halloran of Top Advisor Marketing. Matt shares his expertise in podcas...

There are specific actions that leaders must take if they’re serious about driving diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organization. Shundrawn Thomas, former President of Northern Trust Asset Management recently spoke with Laura Gregg and David Partain about the role of leaders in DE&I. He also talked about his recent open letter – Breaking the Silence – in which he shares some of the experiences he has encountered as an African-American man in the hopes of giving a voice to the silent pai...

Investors prefer to work with financial professionals who they feel will understand them, according to a recent FlexShares study on diversity. How can we draw more people of color into the financial industry? And how can we help investors find those who are already out there? Today, Laura Gregg and David Partain welcome Dana Wilson, the CEO and founder of CHIP Professionals (Changing How Investors and Advisors Prosper). Dana explains what’s behind this new tool and how it is different from anyth...

Charitable giving is on the minds of many people, now more than ever. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Elena Pullen-Venema, the Director of Gift Planning at the Community Foundation of Snohomish County (Greater Seattle Area). Elena explains the foundation’s growing commitment to Racial Equity and how grants during the Coronavirus pandemic are being focused on supporting communities of color. She also describes how some foundations are partnering with advisors as they ...

The worldwide protests calling for racial justice and equity have been a wake-up call for us all and the lack of diversity in the wealth management space has been noted for years. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Connie Lindsey, formerly the Executive Vice President and head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Northern Trust, who has since retired. In this must-listen conversation, Connie talks about the importance of bet...

How should you advise clients who are going into a fight, flight, or freeze response to the market volatility? In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Dr. Sarah Newcomb, director of behavioral science at Morningstar. Sarah discusses how financial advisors can have productive conversations with clients to keep them on track. She reveals different emotional reactions that come to light during a crisis and ways for advisors to support their clients. In this episode, you will le...

The pandemic has altered our work style and the way we communicate. Many have come to rely on video conferencing and other digital tools to keep in touch. But what happens as we begin to migrate back to the office? In this episode of The Flexible Advisor podcast, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Bev Flaxington, a personal and career coach and a business development expert. Bev talks frankly about the good, bad and the ugly of our increased reliance on digital communication channels...

Doctors are experiencing financial uncertainty right now just like everyone else, despite their increased workload on the frontlines. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Lauren Oschman of Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors. Lauren talks about how she is adding value to doctors on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis and helping surgeons as they are sidelined from elective surgeries. In this episode, you will learn: What impact COVID-19 has on different types of medical do...

Do you know how to show your clients that you’re present and at their service? Do you know how to approach questions about portfolio performance right now? In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain are joined by Mark LaVoie, vice president at Prosek Partners, to discuss communication strategies for advisors to adopt during the pandemic. Mark shares which conversations to have –– and not have –– with clients right now along with ways to use email, video, and social media to maintain ongoing ...

This podcast conversation was recorded on April 29 and the data and material cited were as of that time. Navigating this health crisis and the financial volatility that goes along with it is like drinking from a fire hose. FlexShares is working hard to deliver a variety of resources for advisors under the banner of Stronger Every Day including 15-minute bite-size podcasts to give you some quick ideas around helping clients – and your business through this uncertain time. In this episode, Laura a...

When advisors choose to return to the office, they must do it with an abundance of caution. In this episode, Laura Gregg is joined by Ari Levy, MD, MBA and the Founder and CEO of SHIFT – a place for people looking for a transformative approach to healthcare delivery. Ari is a medical doctor, clinician and innovator, and dives into health considerations for re-opening physical offices. Together, they discuss updates to testing protocols, whether physical distancing will continue into the workplac...

With many states beginning to lift stay-at-home restrictions, you’ll want to create a plan for how and when to open your doors to employees and clients. Who should return to the office and when? How will you create and maintain a safe office environment? Laura Gregg and David Partain, along with Kelli Cruz, the principal and founder of Cruz Consulting Group, discuss things that advisory firms should be considering before unlocking the office door. It’s unlikely that “business as usual” will look...

Welcome to The Flexible Advisor podcast! This is the show for financial advisors that digs into industry trends, investor preferences, and FlexShares’ proprietary advisor and investor research. In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain welcome two special guests: Idea Decanter co-founder Laura Garfield and advisor Fernando Ereneta. Together, the four discuss how advisors can best get their message out to clients during this time of self-isolation and working from home using one simple tool ...

The Flexible Advisor Podcast Leveraging Technology To Improve Client Relationships – 15 Minute Conversation with Laura Gregg and David Partain Navigating this health crisis and the financial volatility that goes along with it is like drinking from a fire hose. FlexShares is working hard to deliver a variety of resources for advisors under the banner of Stronger Every Day including 15-minute bite-size podcasts to give you some quick ideas around helping clients – and your business through this un...