The Customer Wins
This is The Customer Wins podcast where business leaders discuss their secrets and techniques for helping their customers succeed and in turn grow their company.
Transforming IT Buying: Authentic Matches With Tonya Turrell
Tonya Turrell is the Founder and CEO of TechnologyMatch, a buyer-first platform that connects IT leaders with technology providers through AI-powered matchmaking and demand generation. A three-time founder with two successful exits, she is known for challenging traditional lead-generation models and creating trust-based alternatives that prioritize buyer intent. Tonya has earnedĀ Inc.Ā recognition on both theĀ Inc. 5000 and Female Founders 250 for leadership and innovation. She also hosts theĀ Between Fires and FuturesĀ podcast, where she explores IT leaders' changing role amid AI's growing influence.
In this episodeā¦
Technology buyers today are inundated with sales outreach, making...
Building Trust-Driven Tech Partnerships With Brian Hyman
Brian Hyman is the Founder and CEO of High Meadow Solutions, a wealthtech advisory and consulting firm that helps wealth management organizations modernize their technology, optimize operations, and drive successful business outcomes. He founded the company to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, helping firms make better technology decisions and implement them effectively. Brian has deep expertise in digital transformation, CRM strategy, Salesforce, data management, and AI adoption within the financial services industry. Under his leadership, High Meadow Solutions has become a trusted partner for wealth management firms seeking to improve advisor experiences, streamline workflows, and accelerate growth.<...
Customer Psychology, Marketing, and Growth With Bob Serling
Bob Serling is the Founder of Licensing Lab, a consulting firm that helps companies understand why customers buy and how to create marketing that drives more sales. He is a buying behavior specialist known for uncovering the real motivations behind customer purchasing decisions. Bob pioneered the Customer Created Framework, a customer-driven approach to developing products, offers, and marketing strategies. He has spent more than 35 years helping businesses improve customer experience, increase conversions, and accelerate growth.
In this episodeā¦
Many businesses struggle to understand what truly motivates customers to buy. As a result, they create products, se...
[Governance Series] Transforming Wealth Management Compliance With David Reeve
David Reeve is the Founder and CEO of InvestorCOM, a compliance technology company that helps wealth management firms streamline regulatory requirements, investor disclosures, and retirement rollover processes. He has led the company for more than three decades, building long-term partnerships with leading financial institutions across North America. David leads InvestorCOM in delivering simple, advisor-friendly technology that improves compliance and enhances the client experience. He is recognized for his expertise in wealth management technology, regulatory innovation, and helping financial advisors become more productive and effective.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors and wealth management firms face mounting pr...
Redefining Meetings and the Agentic Future With Artem Koren
Artem Koren is the Co-Founder and CPO at Sembly AI, an AI-powered meeting intelligence platform that helps teams capture, organize, and act on insights from conversations and meetings. He leads the company's product vision, building AI tools that improve collaboration, productivity, and decision-making for modern organizations. With a background in systems engineering, enterprise consulting, and product leadership, Artem specializes in creating human-centered AI solutions for the workplace. Since co-founding Sembly AI in 2019, he has helped pioneer innovations in meeting intelligence, AI teammates, and agentic workflows.
In this episodeā¦
Businesses today are overwhelmed by meetings, information ov...
[Governance Series] Revolutionizing Compliance for Small Firms With Paranj Patel
Paranj Patel is the Founder and CEO of ClearLines Group, LLC, a boutique regulatory and compliance advisory firm that helps broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and fintech firms navigate complex regulatory environments. He brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services, including senior operational and compliance leadership roles at Prudential. Paranj previously served as Chief Compliance Officer for both a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and an SEC-registered investment adviser, where he led regulatory oversight, examinations, and compliance strategy. Today, he focuses on helping firms strengthen compliance programs, reduce regulatory risk, and align compliance with business growth.
In this episodeā¦
Transforming Cloud Marketplace Sales With AI With Trunal Bhanse
Trunal Bhanse is the CEO of Clazar, a platform that helps software companies sell and grow revenue through cloud marketplaces like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. He previously held engineering leadership roles at Confluent, Airbnb, LinkedIn, and Yahoo, where he specialized in marketplaces, billing systems, and product growth. At Confluent, Trunal led teams focused on cloud marketplaces and monetization infrastructure, which inspired the creation of Clazar. Today, he helps SaaS companies simplify cloud marketplace operations, accelerate go-to-market execution, and improve customer experience.
In this episodeā¦
Selling software through cloud marketplaces can create unexpected operational and te...
[Emerging Tech] Human Stories Triumph Over AI With Dan Lievens
Dan Lievens is the Founder and CEO of Share One, a platform that helps businesses capture authentic customer stories through scalable video testimonials. He is a serial entrepreneur who has founded more than a dozen companies across technology, marketing, and other industries. With decades of experience, Dan focuses on helping businesses build trust, increase conversions, and grow through real customer experiences rather than traditional marketing. He is also known for his work in trust-based or testimonial-driven marketing, emphasizing human connection in an AI-driven world.
In this episodeā¦
Businesses are drowning in AI-generated content, making it ha...
[Emerging Tech] How AI Copilots Are Transforming Wealth Management With Jagdeesh Prakasam
Jagdeesh Prakasam is the Founder and CEO of Qdeck, an AI-powered fintech platform that helps financial advisors automate workflows, analyze data, and deliver personalized client insights. He leads the company's vision and operations, building technology that modernizes how wealth managers serve clients and make investment decisions. Jagdeesh has a background in quantitative finance and previously served as CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer at a hedge fund before launching Qdeck. Through Qdeck, he focuses on combining AI with financial expertise to improve client communication, efficiency, and outcomes in wealth management.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors are ov...
[Emerging Tech] How To Transform Enterprise Data Into Insights With Suvrat Bansal
Suvrat Bansal is the Founder and CEO of Clarista, a platform that connects fragmented enterprise data and delivers real-time, AI-powered insights for faster decision-making. He is a seasoned data leader with over 25 years of experience transforming data into business growth across global financial institutions. Before founding Clarista, Suvrat held senior roles, including Chief Data Officer at UBS, as well as leadership positions at Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. He is known for building scalable data strategies and pioneering approaches that simplify complex data environments into actionable intelligence.
In this episodeā¦
Organizations struggle to make sense of...
Building Brand and Culture for Customer Success With Liz Fritz
Liz Fritz is the Co-Founder of F2 Strategy, a leading wealthtech consulting firm that helps wealth and asset management companies make better technology and business decisions. She is a seasoned marketing executive with nearly two decades of experience in the financial services industry, including leadership roles at prominent firms such as Wells Fargo, US Bank, and BNP Paribas. Liz specializes in brand strategy, marketing, and culture development, helping organizations translate strategy into growth and enterprise value. She is also a frequent industry speaker and advocate for advancing women in the wealthtech space.
In this episodeā¦
Ma...
[Perspective Series] Revolutionizing Rural Healthcare Access With Dr. Kara Hartl
Dr. Kara Hartl is the Founder and CEO of Troy Medical and Creator of the Rural Health Hub, which uses a hybrid telehealth model to connect rural communities with high-quality medical specialists and keep care local. She is a Harvard-educated physician and entrepreneur dedicated to improving access to care in underserved areas. After building a multi-specialty medical center in Alaska, Dr. Hartl saw firsthand the challenges rural patients face and set out to solve them. Today, she leads innovative efforts to expand specialty care, integrate technology, and improve health outcomes for millions of rural patients.
In this...
Powering Seamless Customer Experiences With Shawn Bowen
Shawn Bowen is the CTO of Quik!, a company specializing in enterprise forms processing solutions that empower financial advisors and businesses to digitize workflows and automate complex form submissions. He brings over two decades of experience building high-performance software systems and leading engineering teams. Before joining Quik!, Shawn held leadership roles, including VP of Software Development and CTO at other technology organizations, where he developed advanced data and analytics platforms. At Quik!, he focuses on improving reliability, scalability, and customer experience through API-driven architecture, automation, and AI innovation.
In this episodeā¦
Modern businesses rely heavily on...
[Emerging Tech] The Future of Financial Advice Automation With Eden Ovadia
Eden Ovadia is the Co-Founder and CEO of FINNY, an AI-powered platform helping financial advisors identify prospects, automate outreach, and grow their client base more efficiently. She leads the company's mission to solve the organic growth challenge in wealth management through data, machine learning, and automation. Eden has a background in software engineering and machine learning, and previously worked at Boston Consulting Group, focusing on financial institutions and private equity.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors often struggle to grow their businesses efficiently, relying on outdated methods like referrals, manual prospecting, and fragmented data systems. This ma...
Scaling Client Success and Capacity With Dr. Jon Randall
Dr. Jon Randall is the Founder of XFA Coach, a coaching and consulting firm that helps financial advisors scale their practices and achieve extraordinary growth and profitability. He has been coaching and consulting top-performing advisors since 2004 and is recognized for helping firms overcome growth plateaus. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades as a successful financial advisor, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges that advisors face. Dr. Randall is also a published author and holds a doctorate in performance psychology, which informs his approach to leadership and business growth.
In this episodeā¦
Many fi...
[Emerging Tech] Turning Online Reviews Into Growth With George Swetlitz
George Swetlitz is the Co-Founder and CEO of RightResponse AI, a reputation management platform that helps location-based businesses win more customers by improving their visibility and credibility through strategic responses to online reviews. He previously served as CEO of Alpaca Audiology, a private equity-backed healthcare business that grew to over 200 locations nationwide. Earlier in his career, George worked at McKinsey & Company and held leadership roles at Sara Lee before advising CEOs and private equity firms on operational strategy and profitability improvement. He currently focuses on helping businesses turn customer feedback into actionable insights that drive growth and better customer...
Why Pressure Is a Privilege With Andy Schwartz
Andy Schwartz is the CEO and Managing Partner of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, a national wealth management and financial planning firm that provides personalized, goals-based fiduciary services to help individuals, families, and business owners manage and grow their finances. He co-founded the firm and brings over 40 years of experience as a CFP, focusing on helping clients build wealth, plan for retirement, and preserve their legacy. Under his leadership, the firm rebranded from Bleakley Financial Group to OnePoint BFG and has continued to expand its national presence and enhance its advisory capabilities. Andy is widely recognized in the industry for...
Rethinking CRM and AI Integration With Adrian Johnstone
Adrian Johnstone is the Co-founder and CEO of Practifi, a performance optimization platform that transforms data into insights, action, and excellence at scale. Practifi helps wealth management firms go beyond traditional CRMs and redefine what's possible. With over 20 years of experience in wealth management, Adrian has an extensive background as a consultant and tech company founder, advising businesses on their technology, client experience, and regulation. He is also a renowned speaker at industry events in Australia and the United States.
In this episodeā¦
AI is everywhere, and financial advisory firms feel intense pressure to adopt it...
[Emerging Tech] Compounding Institutional Knowledge for Growth With Ian Karnell
Ian Karnell is the Co-founder and CEO of VastAdvisor, an AI-powered growth platform that helps RIAs and wealth management firms build scalable, compliant client acquisition systems. He has over 25 years of experience at the intersection of FinTech, SaaS, and digital marketing, leading innovations that combine technology with financial services growth strategies. Before founding VastAdvisor, Ian built one of the largest independent digital agencies in the US and held senior roles driving strategic initiatives at firms like Envestnet. He is focused on replacing traditional lead generation with AI-driven systems that lower acquisition costs and accelerate organic growth for advisory firms.<...
Transforming Customer Experience Through Culture and AI With Katie DeFeo
Katie DeFeo is the Vice President and Chief Experience Officer of SunWest Federal Credit Union, a community-focused financial institution offering banking services such as loans, savings, and digital banking solutions. She leads efforts to enhance member experience by blending digital innovation with genuine human connection and clear communication. Katie champions authentic branding and customer-centric strategies to help SunWest stand out in a competitive financial landscape. Her leadership also drives the credit union's digital transformation initiatives, which aim to deliver personalized and efficient services to members.
In this episodeā¦
Many financial institutions pride themselves on strong se...
How Financial Advisors Can Grow Through Referrals With Bill Cates
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.
In this episodeā¦
Many professionals struggle to...
[Emerging Tech Series] Transforming Financial Advisors' Workflows With AI Agents With Chirag Gandhi
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.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors are overwhelmed by...
Unlocking Money Wisdom and Intuition With Ellen Rogin
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...
Unlocking Business Owner Wealth With Jason Early
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.
In this episodeā¦
...
Empowering Advisors To Help Clients Live Fearlessly With Dan Zitting
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.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advice can feel overwhelming and emotional, especially when clients are un...
[Emerging Tech] Protecting Businesses From Privacy Lawsuits With Richart Ruddie
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.
In this episodeā¦
Many organizations inadvertently expose themselves to legal risk through data pr...
[Emerging Tech] Eliminating Data Complexity for Growth With Mark Ovaska
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.
In this episodeā¦
Many organizations struggle with fragmented data, sluggish integrations, and disconnected systems that create friction for both teams an...
Data Strategies That Transform Advisory Practices With Molly Pierce
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.
In this episodeā¦
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 an...
Transforming Client Relationships Through Mindset Assessments With Colleen Bowler
Colleen Bowler is the Co-founder of C&J Innovations, a firm that provides tools and assessments to help financial advisors build deeper, life-centered relationships with clients beyond just the numbers. She is the Co-creator of The Passport Package, a mindset-based assessment system bridging the human and financial sides of planning. As a Certified Financial Planner with nearly 30 years of experience, Colleen previously built a top-one-percent advisory firm managing over $500 million in assets and completed a succession plan in 2020. Outside of her business ventures, she has co-authored a book and remains committed to mentorship, generosity, and helping others achieve balance...
[Perspective Series] Breaking Bread and Building Trust With Josh DeTar
Josh DeTar is the EVP of Evangelism at Tyfone, Inc., a company that builds omnichannel digital banking and payments solutions for credit unions and community banks. He champions the use of technology to empower financial institutions to deepen member relationships and deliver seamless digital experiences. Josh's personal credit union journey inspired his advocacy, having experienced the impact of community financial services firsthand before transitioning to the fintech industry.
In this episodeā¦
Many financial institutions promise personalized service, yet customers often feel disconnected when outdated digital tools undermine that experience. Community banks and credit unions, despite st...
Psychology of Money and Better Client Conversations With Brian Portnoy
Brian Portnoy is the Founder of Shaping Wealth, a company that delivers human-first, applied behavioral-finance learning and engagement for financial advisors, corporations, and educational institutions. A CFA charterholder with a PhD from the University of Chicago, Brian has over two decades of experience in hedge-fund and mutual-fund investing. He now focuses on helping people make better money decisions and align finance with a meaningful life. Brian is also the best-selling author of The Geometry of Wealth and The Investor's Paradox.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors excel at technical guidance but struggle with the deeper human ch...
How Brand Evangelism Drives Growth in Fintech With Diana Cabrices
Diana Cabrices is the Founder and Fractional Chief Evangelist of Diana Cabrices Consulting, a growth-focused firm that energizes B2B wealthtech and financial services brands by amplifying their stories and building emotional connection with financial advisors. She has a track record of driving significant revenue growth, having helped a martech platform grow its recurring revenue by 10x in three years. Diana partners with CEOs and leadership teams to serve as their outsourced brand evangelist, speaker, and growth ambassador. A frequent industry speaker and contributor, she leverages her experience across sales, marketing, technology, and advisor engagement to help companies scale.<...
[Perspective Series] Storytelling Secrets to Winning Pitches With Ben Wiener
Ben Wiener is the Managing Partner at Jumpspeed Ventures, a venture-capital firm focusing on early-stage, Jerusalem-founded tech startups. Since founding the firm in 2014, he has served as the lead investor in dozens of startups and often provided their very first capital. Before his VC work, Ben co-founded his first startup in 1999 and gained experience as both a corporate lawyer and clerk at Israel's Supreme Court. He is also the author of Fever Pitch and holds a BA in economics from Yeshiva University and a JD with honours from Columbia Law School.
In this episodeā¦
Communicating th...
[Emerging Tech] Reimagining CRM With AI for Advisors With Thomas Clawson
Thomas Clawson is the Co-founder of Slant, a next-generation AI-powered CRM built to help financial advisors streamline workflows and deepen client relationships. He co-launched the platform to replace traditional CRM systems by integrating AI agents that manage meetings, follow-ups, and client interactions. Under his leadership, Slant has raised $3.3 million in seed funding and scaled to serve over a thousand advisors. Prior to this venture, Thomas held leadership roles in marketing and demand generation at tech unicorns, including Whatnot and Podium.
In this episodeā¦
Financial advisors face growing pressure to deliver personalized service while managing an ev...
How Salesforce Is Transforming Financial Services With Michelle Feinstein
Michelle Feinstein is the General Manager and Vice President, Global Financial Services at Salesforce, a company that provides cloud-based CRM and enterprise software to help businesses connect with customers. She leads global solutions and strategy for the financial services sector, focusing on wealth and asset management. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Michelle guides firms in digital transformation, data usage, and advisor-client engagement. She works across product, partner, and client teams to modernize the technology and operations of financial firms.
In this episodeā¦
Financial services firms face challenges in unifying technology, streamlining advisor wo...
[Perspective Series] Authentic Connections: The Key to Winning Customers With Greg Bennick
Greg Bennick is the Founder and Executive Director of One Hundred For Haiti, an international humanitarian initiative focused on rural Haiti's development, community leadership, and human empowerment. He is also a keynote speaker, documentary producer, and author of Reclaim The Moment. Greg has delivered transformative presentations in 27 countries, spoken to audiences ranging from private groups to thousands at major corporate events, and has been recognized as a TEDx speaker. His work centers on building better teams, fostering authentic human interactions, and helping organizations and individuals reclaim focus amidst daily distractions.
In this episodeā¦
Many professionals st...
[Emerging Tech] Simplifying Operations in Wealth Tech With Max Klein
Max Klein is the Co-Founder and CEO of LEA, a company that automates client data workflows for wealth management firms using AI and APIs. He previously spent seven years at Amazon working on products like Alexa, Kindle, and Prime. Earlier in his career, Max lived in China for eight years, working in international business and public policy. He is also fluent in Mandarin and has founded prior ventures in education and global placement.Ā
In this episodeā¦
Wealth management firms often struggle to efficiently organize and manage client data. From PDFs and statements to client conversations, dat...
How Advisor Enablement Drives Client Success With Michael Jeanfreau
Michael Jeanfreau is the Director of Advisor Enablement at Mariner Wealth Advisors, a firm that provides wealth planning, investment management, tax, and estate-planning services to individuals and businesses. He leads strategies and tools to make financial advisors more effective and client-centric. Michael holds Series 63 and 65 licenses and has over 25 years of experience in financial services, spanning roles in wealth management and product development. He joined Mariner in 2021 and works to strengthen the advisor experience and support firmwide growth.
In this episodeā¦
Many financial advisors are hindered by inefficiencies ā from last-minute paperwork and disconnected tech tools to c...
Outsmarting Cybercriminals in Finance With Brian Edelman
Brian Edelman is the CEO of FCI, a firm that provides NIST-based endpoint and network cybersecurity and compliance solutions for heavily regulated industries. He founded the company in 1995 and has grown it into a managed security service provider specializing in cyber-regulated organizations. Brian is widely recognized as a cybersecurity expert and frequently speaks at industry conferences on topics like regulatory compliance and incident response. He holds a certificate in cybersecurity risk management from Harvard and serves as a Cybersecurity Technology Expert on the Forbes NY Council.
In this episodeā¦
Cybercriminals are evolving, and the threats fa...
[Perspective Series] Redefining Hiring Transparency With Ty Peck
Ty Peck is the Co-Founder and CEO of Business Draft, a career acquisition platform that helps companies hire faster through smart matchmaking, video tools, and streamlined applicant tracking. He drives the company's growth, fundraising, and product strategy, with a focus on cutting time-to-hire and enhancing the candidate experience. Under his leadership, Business Draft has secured seed funding and launched tools designed to simplify the hiring process for both candidates and employers. With over a decade of experience in corporate strategy and a candidate-first approach, Ty is passionate about leveraging technology and AI to eliminate hiring busywork.
