Don't Do That

Kelly Waltrich
  • 5.0 (25)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Introducing the Don’t Do That podcast hosted by Kelly Waltrich: Sick of self-proclaimed experts on podcasts telling you what to do? Us too. Don’t Do That, hosted by Kelly Waltrich, is the antidote to canned cliches and generic business advice perpetuated on the popular platform. Every episode features a financial services leader, entrepreneur, or innovator sharing the mistakes he or she made on the road to success (whatever that might be for you), so you can take a shortcut to your goals.

  1. Don’t Do That: Don’t Confuse Complexity for Value with Mike Betz, Nitrogen

    2D AGO

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Confuse Complexity for Value with Mike Betz, Nitrogen

    In this thoughtful and insight-packed episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly sits down with Mike Betz, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Nitrogen, for a wide-ranging conversation on wealth tech evolution, advisor workflows, AI, and one of the most common (and costly) mistakes professionals make: overcomplicating what should be simple. Kelly and Mike cover: 00:56 Mike’s background across advisory firms and wealth tech platforms 03:14 Why every wealth management firm is now, in effect, a technology firm 04:00 Where firms get tech right (and wrong): solving for experience vs. forcing tools into the business 04:44 The shift back toward fewer, more integrated platforms 06:38 The emerging divide between large aggregators and mid-sized firms 07:36 How point solutions are evolving into platform features 09:04 How AI is reshaping advisor workflows (before, during, and after meetings) 09:28 “Reinventing the interface”: moving from clicking to instructing 09:53 Challenges firms face adopting AI, especially around security and compliance 10:31 Nitrogen’s approach to AI integration and the introduction of “Nucleus” 11:12 What AI should—and should not—do for advisors 12:07 The growing need for flexibility and interoperability across tools 13:12 Why note-taking AI has become a “can’t live without it” technology 17:17 The episode’s core mistake: confusing complexity for value 18:15 The Mark Twain principle: if you didn’t have time to simplify, you made it too long 19:07 Dog sledding analogy: why the simplest systems are often the most sophisticated 22:13 “Bottom Line Up Front” (BLUF): why executives value clarity over detail 25:24 Decision-making styles and balancing speed vs. thoroughness 27:02 Why business rewards clarity, not length (despite what school teaches) 29:25 The “shoebox principle”: organizing complexity creates immediate value 31:25 Silent expectations vs. delight: why fundamentals matter more than extras 33:35 Final takeaway: do the simple things extraordinarily well before chasing complexity About Our Guest: Mike Betz is the Strategic Relationships Director at Nitrogen, where he oversees many of the company's largest and most complex relationships. With more than 20 years in WealthTech, Mike has built, broken away, and scaled RIAs, helped launch several startups, and has worked in, at, and alongside some of the industry's largest technology platforms.  His career spanning both sides of the WealthTech ecosystem gives him a rare perspective on how technology, advisory operations, and customer experience actually intersect. He holds an MBA, the CFPⓇ designation, and is a UW-Madison grad, where he pole vaulted for the Badgers. Mike lives in Minnesota with his wife Meagan and their three rescue dogs. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    36 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Buy Mission-Critical Tech Based on the Roadmap with Chuck Failla, Sovereign Financial Group

    In this candid and fast-moving episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly sits down with Chuck Failla, Founder and CEO of Sovereign Financial Group, for a conversation about growth, operational scale, advisor support, marketing, and the technology decisions that can make or break a firm. Kelly and Chuck cover: 01:01 Chuck shares Sovereign’s growth from a $100M lifestyle practice to a $1.2B firm 02:23 Building the platform Chuck always wished existed as an advisor 03:04 Why Chuck is committed to cash-flow-based planning over probability models 04:04 Leaving the broker-dealer model to build a more customized RIA platform 06:16 The catalyst that turned Sovereign into a growth engine 07:34 Marketing limits in legacy affiliation models and why centralized support matters 09:28 Sovereign’s “support as a service” and à la carte advisor platform 10:45 Why centralized marketing outperforms fragmented advisor-by-advisor efforts 12:11 Advisor optionality: incubator support and back-office-only models 12:42 Why firms underestimate marketing in M&A and growth planning 13:13 The math of marketing spend vs. buying books of business 15:00 Buying leads vs. building your own brand and acquisition engine 16:10 Sovereign’s strategy of acquiring accounting firms for growth and retention 18:44 DIY trends, AI, and why clients still want trusted human advice 20:50 Why investment selection alone no longer justifies advisor fees 21:10 The future of integrated wealth, tax, and estate services 22:41 Chuck’s “Don’t Do That” mistake: choosing tech based on a promised roadmap 24:30 The real cost of bad vendor decisions: exits, migrations, and wasted time 25:18 Why advisors must read terms of service, not just contracts 27:16 When it may make sense to buy based on roadmap promises 28:15 AI in wealth tech and why advisors using AI will outpace those who don’t 30:04 Chuck’s view on advisor productivity: if advisors do admin work, something is broken 32:07 Final takeaway: don’t anchor your firm to technology that can’t meet today’s needs About Our Guest: Chuck has been a financial advisor for more than 25 years. He started in the early 90s as a "cold calling cowboy" in NYC selling individual stocks. As he built his book, he always planned to go independent and did so in 1999 by opening an independent branch of Raymond James Financial. At that time, Chuck earned his CFP® designation and transitioned from individual stock picking to financial planning and asset allocating using mutual funds and SMAs. Chuck's practice evolved into what is today Sovereign Financial Group, Inc., an SEC registered RIA. With offices and advisors in the Northeast, Florida, and Colorado, Sovereign is one of the fastest growing RIAs in the country. Chuck is also the Dire 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    34 min

  3. FEB 23

    Don't Do That: Don't Automate the Human Out of Your Practice with Reed Colley, Orion

    In this energizing and forward-looking episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Reed Colley, President of Technology at Orion, for a conversation about where the advisory industry is heading and what it takes to stay ahead of the curve. The heart of the episode, though, focuses on something more fundamental: the advisor-client relationship. Reed argues that AI should not replace the human elements of advice; instead, it should eliminate the noise so advisors can focus on what clients hired them to do. His "Don't Do That" lesson cuts straight to it: stop treating the most repetitive, time-consuming parts of your workflow as inevitable, and stop ignoring the tools that can free you up to do the work only you can do. Kelly and Reed cover: 00:51 The origin of Summit and the vision behind it  02:46 Why the advisor-client relationship is the only metric that matters  05:55 What it feels like to lead tech innovation during an AI revolution  06:20 How AI is enabling leapfrog innovation at Orion  09:21 Denali: Building an LLM-agnostic, enterprise-grade AI platform  12:43 Orion's client base and earning the right to serve them  14:07 The Web 2.0 parallel and what this moment really means  17:46 How AI is changing Orion's internal teams  18:14 Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset in a solutions revolution  21:03 How team workflows are transforming in real time  24:00 What this moment means for the next generation  27:20 Orion Ascent preview  30:31 Reed’s Don't do That: Stop ignoring what AI can take off your plate  32:29 Don't automate the human out of your practice About Our Guest: Reed Colley joined Orion in January 2025 as President of Orion Advisor Technology following Orion’s acquisition of Summit Wealth Systems. As co-founder and CEO of Summit, Reed recognized the need to humanize wealth management by creating a modern, digital and mobile experience for advisors and their clients. Prior to Summit, Reed founded and served as CEO of Black Diamond Performance Reporting. He also founded calendar analytics platform Copilot, Do Something Great Today, and FlightPath Inc. Reed holds a Bachelor of Science with degrees in Engineering and Economics from Vanderbilt University, where he was a starting pitcher on the baseball team. Disclaimer: Outputs generated by Orion Denali AI should be reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness by financial professionals in all cases. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    37 min

  4. FEB 13

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Wear the Mask of Perfection with Sandra Joseph, Keynote Speaker/Singer/Author/Broadway’s Longest-Running Leading Lady from The Phantom of the Opera

    In this powerful and deeply human episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with history-making Broadway star Sandra Joseph to explore the pressure of performing at the highest level—and the dangerous temptation to hide behind perfection. Sandra holds the record as the longest-running leading lady in The Phantom of the Opera, spending more than a decade in one of the most demanding roles in theater history. But at the pinnacle of her career, on the night Phantom became the longest-running show on Broadway, Sandra found herself staring at the fire escape outside her dressing room, wanting to run. That moment sparked a deeper reckoning: If success doesn’t silence self-doubt, what will? Since leaving the stage, Sandra has built a second career as a keynote speaker and author of Unmasking What Matters, bringing hard-earned lessons about vulnerability, burnout, imposter syndrome, and authenticity to leaders across industries - including financial services. Together, Kelly and Sandra unpack what it really takes to perform at a high level for the long haul, why perfection is a mask that blocks connection, and how leaders can better connect the head and the heart in their work. This episode is a masterclass in authenticity, emotional connection, and sustainable success - for advisors, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone who has ever felt the pressure to get it “right.” About Our Guest: Sandra Joseph is a history-making Broadway star, a #1 international Amazon bestselling author, and a TEDx and keynote speaker. Her legendary run as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera spanned ten years and over 1,500 performances. She holds the record as the longest-running leading lady in the longest-running Broadway show of all time. Sandra has appeared on many national broadcasts including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The Today Show, Dateline, The Early Show, The View, and Oprah: Where Are They Now? Sandra is a member of The Transformational Leadership Council, an invitation-only group of 125 top thought leaders. Among the luminaries who endorse her work are Jack Canfield, Mark Nepo, Martha Beck, Marci Shimoff, and Geneen Roth. Sandra is the author of Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway. She is also the co-author, with five-time New York Times best-selling author Caroline Myss, of Your Creative Soul: Expressing Your Authentic Voice. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    38 min

  5. JAN 30

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Treat Retirement Like One-Size-Fits-All with Bonnie Treichel, Endeavor Law

    In this thoughtful and energizing episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Bonnie Treichel, Chief Solutions Officer at Endeavor Retirement and Endeavor Law, to explore why retirement planning—and entrepreneurship—should never follow rigid, one-size-fits-all rules. Bonnie shares her path as a multi-business founder serving financial advisors in the retirement plan and wealth management space, including why she chose the title “Chief Solutions Officer,” how listening to clients led to launching a second business, and where advisors continue to misstep around compliance, ERISA, and participant communication. The conversation centers on Bonnie’s upcoming book, Your Retirement Sketchbook (co-authored with Jamie Hopkins), which reframes retirement as a flexible, evolving journey shaped by personal values, emotions, and life transitions—not just spreadsheets. Together, Kelly and Bonnie discuss how advisors can better support clients through both the financial and human sides of retirement, the power of “what-if” planning, and why failure has been one of Bonnie’s greatest teachers. About Our Guest: Bonnie Treichel is the Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement, a consulting firm that helps plan sponsors, advisors, and service providers solve complex challenges in the retirement plan industry. Drawing on her background as both an ERISA attorney and advisor, Bonnie delivers practical governance and compliance solutions for the day-to-day realities of running successful retirement plans. Bonnie is also a Partner at Endeavor Law, where she advises financial services firms on retirement plan-related documentation, regulation, compliance, and litigation. A recognized thought leader in retirement plan governance, she has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, PlanAdviser, 401(k) Specialist, Ignites, NAPA Net Daily, and the Journal of Pension Benefits. Her accolades include InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 (2023), the ABA’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award (2022), and NAPA Top Influencers (2024, 2025). Bonnie is an active member of the American Retirement Association and the American Bar Association’s Tax Division, serves on RISA’s advisory board, and is a board member of the FinServ Foundation. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, running, biking, spending time with her golden retrievers, Sadie and Sunny, and volunteering with Make-A-Wish. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    24 min

  6. JAN 23

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Stop Listening to Your Clients with Matt Schulte, eMoney Advisor

    In this inspiring and heartfelt episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Matt Schulte, the longtime head of financial planning at eMoney Advisor, who recently retired after 25 remarkable years. Together, they explore what it takes to build a world-class financial planning platform, the power of advisor-driven innovation, and why staying close to your clients is the ultimate competitive advantage. Kelly and Matt cover: 00:00 Don’t Stop Listening to Your Clients 00:45 Meet Matt Schulte, Head of Financial Planning at eMoney Advisor 01:17 Early Days at eMoney: From Minnesota to Philadelphia 04:06 Startup Life and Learning from Ebbs and Flows 06:39 Timing, Opportunity, and Taking the Leap 08:19 Balancing Passionate Founders and Steady Execution 12:50 Pioneering Interactive Client Planning 16:11 The Role of Advisory Boards in Shaping eMoney 18:19 Work Hard, Play Hard: Culture and Fun at eMoney 20:30 Emotional Reflections on Retirement 27:09 Building the University Program and Fostering Financial Planning Education 31:04 The Future of Planning and AI as an Advisor Partner 38:14 Don’t Stop Doing Discovery on Your Clients 41:54 Advisor Co-Creation and Building Meaningful Integrations 47:58 The Gravitational Pull: Why eMoney Was a Life’s Work 51:16 Closing Thoughts and Final Reflections About Our Guest: Matthew Schulte was Head of Financial Planning at eMoney Advisor and a member of the company’s executive leadership team, where he helped guide the strategic direction of the organization. A founding employee of eMoney Advisor, Schulte spent 25 years playing a central role in defining and evolving the firm’s market-leading financial planning platform. He has worked extensively with firms and enterprise clients on platform implementation, adoption, and best practices, helping advisors deliver more comprehensive, client-centered planning. With 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Schulte brings deep expertise across financial planning strategy, advisor workflows, and technology-enabled advice. Prior to joining eMoney Advisor, he served as an Advanced Marketing Consultant at Prudential Securities, focusing on insurance and estate planning across the Northeast. Schulte holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas with a concentration in financial services, and the CFP®, CLU®, and ChFC® professional designations. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    53 min

  7. JAN 9

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed with Dani Fava, Carson Group

    In this candid and deeply thoughtful episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Dani Fava, Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group, to unpack leadership, AI, career growth, and one of the most common (and dangerous) professional traps: building your identity around being needed. Dani shares how Carson is using AI to radically increase advisor capacity, why data infrastructure is the real foundation of innovation, and what it actually takes to build a scalable, valuable firm. But the heart of the conversation lands on Dani’s powerful “Don’t Do That” lesson - why being indispensable can limit your growth, burn you out, and destroy enterprise value, and why true leaders focus on becoming valuable, not needed. Kelly and Dani cover: 00:00 Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed 00:51 Meet Dani Fava, Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group 01:56 How Carson Is Becoming an AI-Native Organization 02:47 Creating Advisor Capacity Through AI 04:35 How AI Expands Advisor Capacity and Enterprise Value 06:07 Dani’s Early Vision for AI in Financial Services 08:26 Why AI Adoption Is Accelerating Now 09:30 Why This Tech Wave Is Different 11:38 What It Takes to Build AI Capabilities 13:40 Data Ownership as the AI Differentiator 15:15 Looking Outside Financial Services for Innovation 17:32 AI’s Role in Compliance and Risk 19:56 The Premise of “Don’t Do That” 20:29 Don’t Build Your Identity Around Being Needed 21:59 Why Being Needed Is a Leadership Trap 23:37 Becoming a Multiplier, Not a Bottleneck 25:15 Trust, Failure, and Leadership Culture 29:33 Building Enterprise Value Without Being the Product 31:53 Leadership, Parenting, and Letting Go 35:15 Final Takeaways on Value and Growth About Our Guest: Dani Fava serves the pivotal role of Chief Strategy Officer at Carson Group, wielding over two decades of experience in wealth management to drive our strategic direction. Charged with enhancing the client experience through differentiated products and services, Dani's leadership is instrumental in shaping innovative growth strategies and advancing the industry on financial advice and the use of AI. Before joining Carson Group, Dani held influential positions at Envestnet and TD Ameritrade, where she spearheaded initiatives such as digital onboarding, strategic partnerships, and AI integration.  Dani's contributions include the development of advisor technologies like iRebal and the Model Market Center, reflecting her commitment to empowering advisors with cutting-edge tools and insights. Her impact and forward-thinking vision earned her a spot on FinTech Magazine's Top 100 Women in FinTech (2021), InvestmentNews' Women to Watch (2020), and ThinkAdvisor's 2020 IA25, underscoring her status as a trailblazer in wealth management innovation. In addition to her professional achieveme 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    36 min

  8. 12/19/2025

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Skip the Sounding Board with Matt Ackermann, Integrated Partners

    In this candid, hilarious, and deeply insightful episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich turns the microphone on longtime friend and industry creative force Matt Ackermann. Known for asking the questions, Matt opens up about his unconventional career path - from financial journalism and multimedia storytelling to shaping brand, culture, and content inside one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the industry. At its core, this conversation is about ownership: owning your enthusiasm, owning your growth, and owning the need for people who can protect you from yourself. If you’re in financial services - or any industry craving more creativity, humanity, and joy - this one’s for you. 00:00 – Opening reflections: risk-taking, curiosity, loving what you do, and the show’s no-fluff philosophy 00:01:43 – Matt Ackermann: career origin story, journalism, InvestmentNews, Practice Makeover, and the pivot to RIAs 00:04:18 – Career inflection points: impact, culture, trust, leadership, and finding the right home 00:08:09 – Creativity at work: the “10% rule,” bold ideas, annual meeting experiences, and financial literacy for kids 00:11:28 – Storytelling in financial services: trade media fatigue, Secret Life of Advisors, authentic advisor stories 00:16:03 – Behind-the-scenes chaos: houseboats, flyboarding, job satisfaction, and bringing the right energy 00:19:56 – People and connections: redefining value, seeking joy, favorite interviews, trust, and authenticity 00:24:05 – Helping advisors shine: concierge-level creativity, compliance collaboration, and creative momentum 00:29:31 – Creativity vs. corporate policy: expense reports, protecting yourself from yourself, and unchecked excitement 00:36:32 – Planning and reflections: rallying for creativity in 2026, balancing ideas with outcomes, and closing thoughts About Our Guest: Matt supports the firm’s growth by creating content that enlightens, informs, and entertains. He is passionate about shining a spotlight on the incredible advisors and thought leaders at Integrated Partners and enjoys leveraging blogs, podcasts, and multimedia to showcase the firm’s talent. He has always believed he has a fun job wherever he goes, spending his career coloring inside - and at times outside - the lines to create compelling content. Through strong storytelling, Matt helps show and tell the impactful work advisors are doing from coast to coast. He has spent the past 20 years working for leading wealth management media outlets, producing content that stands apart. Before joining Integrated Partners in 2020, he served as Director of Multimedia at InvestmentNews, where he earned 15 ASPBE awards for digital content creation. His work included Practice Makeover, a reality series focused on helping financial advisors jumpstart their businesses, and a documentary on impact investing that debuted at the United Nati 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/

    38 min
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5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Introducing the Don’t Do That podcast hosted by Kelly Waltrich: Sick of self-proclaimed experts on podcasts telling you what to do? Us too. Don’t Do That, hosted by Kelly Waltrich, is the antidote to canned cliches and generic business advice perpetuated on the popular platform. Every episode features a financial services leader, entrepreneur, or innovator sharing the mistakes he or she made on the road to success (whatever that might be for you), so you can take a shortcut to your goals.

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Waltrich
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Don't Do That
  • Show Website
    Don't Do That

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