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. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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 achieve 📩 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

  5. 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 Na 📩 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

  6. 12/12/2025

    Don’t Do That: Don’t Ignore Your Instincts with Jack Devine, The Arkin Group

    In this powerful and wildly insightful episode, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Jack Devine, former CIA spymaster, intelligence expert, and the man who helped shape some of the most pivotal moments in modern geopolitical history. Jack opens up about the guardrails of intelligence work, the chaos of today’s global landscape, how wealth managers can navigate uncertainty, and why, despite everything, he believes we are heading toward a more stable world. He also shares stories from the field, what Hollywood gets wrong, what it gets surprisingly right, and the one operation he’s most proud of (hint: it changed the direction of the Cold War). And yes… we even find out how he feels about Jack Bauer. Connect with Kelly Waltrich: LinkedIn: Kelly WaltrichLinkedIn: Intention.lyX: Intention.lyInstagram: Intention.lyConnect with Jack Devine: LinkedIn: Jack DevineWebsite: https://thearkingroup.com/About Our Guest: Jack Devine, founder and chairman of The Arkin Group, is a 32-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as both Acting Director and Associate Director of the CIA’s operations outside the United States as well as chief of the Latin American Division, the head of CIA’s Counternarcotics Center and the head of CIA’s Afghan Task Force. He was awarded the CIA’s Meritorious Officer Award for this accomplishment and is the recipient of the Agency’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and several meritorious awards.  Jack has written widely on intelligence including his two books, Spymaster’s Prism: The Fight Against Russian Aggression and Good Hunting: An American Spymaster’s Story, along with Op-Ed articles for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times. He has also made guest appearances on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg News, and is frequently called-upon to share his opinion on myriad geopolitical events.  Jack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 📩 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/

    1 hr

  7. 11/21/2025

    Don't Do That: Don’t Lie to Reporters (They’ll Find Out) with Jimmy Moock, StreetCred

    What happens when you inflate your firm's numbers in a press release?  Jimmy Moock, Managing Partner at StreetCred, has a simple answer: reporters will check, you'll get caught, and the damage will spread fast. In this episode, Jimmy and host Kelly Waltrich cut through the noise to reveal what actually makes news in financial services and what should stay in the drafts folder. Kelly and Jimmy cover: 00:00 – How Kelly and Jimmy met during their Orion days  01:32 – The client-PR dynamic  04:36 – The Fosberry Flop: Eric Clark's thought leadership genius  08:38 – Has fintech innovation news been replaced by M&A headlines?  11:35 – AI fatigue: Are reporters over it or just more skeptical?  14:47 – What people think is news (but isn't) 15:13 – New hire announcements: When they matter and when they don't  19:41 – Being first vs. being an option in enterprise deals  21:14 – Event announcements: User conferences vs. trade shows  24:25 – Dropping news at events and fighting for attention  27:32 – Jimmy's personal "Don't Do That": The Wu-Tang Clan email incident  31:29 – The big Don't Do That: Never lie or inflate numbers to reporters  33:32 – Why the ADV is easily checked and credibility is everything  35:17 – Kelly's reminder: The world is too small for even little lies  36:26 – Jimmy's final advice: What to look for in a PR firm  37:57 – The power of great PR and marketing working together About Our Guest  Legend has it that during Jimmy’s public relations internship during the summer of 1998 he landed a client on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” during his first week on the job. He spent the following six years in the fast-paced, high energy, creative New York City public relations environment where he worked closely with numerous C-level executives on their business communications initiatives. Clients ranged from Fortune 500 conglomerates to dotcom start-ups that focused on everything from consumer finance to broadcast television cameras to content delivery. He even launched one of the first DVD recorders in case anyone still uses one of those. For each client, Jimmy was responsible for publicizing multiple launches, product lines or service offerings while also aiding in the overall enhancement of his clients’ communications needs and objectives. 📩 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/

    40 min

  8. 11/06/2025

    Don't Do That: Don't Confuse Activity with Strategy with Lara Galloway, Elevation Point

    What happens when talented advisors spend significant money on marketing but see little to no results? For Lara Galloway, Head of Growth at Elevation Point, the culprit is a common misconception: mistaking activity for strategy. Volume won't fix a lack of vision, and good intentions paired with tactical execution but no underlying plan leave money on the table. In this episode, Lara and host Kelly Waltrich explore how RIAs can build intentional growth strategies that actually move the needle. They discuss why so many firms invest heavily in marketing without clear goals, how to identify your ideal client before you pick your channels, and why rallying the whole team around a shared vision makes more of a difference than hiring the fanciest agency. Kelly and Lara cover: 00:00 – Lara’s journey to Elevation Point and her intentional next move 01:35 – What Elevation Point does: taking minority stakes in RIAs to fuel growth 04:00 – Choosing the right leader and cultural fit 07:58 – Two leadership types: those who support vs. those who grow advisors 08:53 – Lara’s process: business planning, marketing consulting, accountability 10:48 – Why many firms don’t know what they’re working toward 11:38 – The “top 15 clients” exercise: ideal client profiling 13:07 – Why “What’s your unique value prop?” is the wrong question 14:21 – Helping firms articulate what they actually do best 16:24 – When firms get most excited: clear goals + 12-month activity plan 19:32 – What’s working: brand alignment and leveraging natural skill sets 21:32 – Preparing for 2026: FAQ content + LLM optimization 24:20 – Why metrics, dashboards, and accountability matter 25:06 – Lara’s “Don’t Do That”: Activity ≠ strategy. Volume won’t fix vision. 29:32 – Real examples: $50K+ marketing spend with no segmentation or results 32:35 – The baseline activity every firm needs—even on small budgets 33:21 – The “LinkedIn Five and Five”: five things, five minutes daily 40:45 – Identifying good-fit clients: collaborators vs. hands-off types 44:44 – The moral tug-of-war between what clients want vs. need 46:07 – Final advice: do an end-of-year audit of what’s working About Our Guest: Lara Galloway is the Head of Growth at Elevation Point, where she helps elite independent RIAs design and execute tailored growth strategies. Many of the firms she works with are former wirehouse advisors and top producers who’ve gone independent to build the firms they’ve always envisioned. Others are established RIAs seeking to break through growth plateaus. Lara combines coaching, consulting, and marketing expertise to help them scale intentionally while maintaining their independence. 📩 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/

    48 min
See All (39)

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
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Don't Do That
  • Show Website
    Don't Do That