Don’t Pick Up Other People’s Trash with Heather Fortner, SignatureFD

Are you walking around with a bag full of other people's opinions about who you should be?On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Heather Fortner, CEO of SignatureFD, for a refreshingly honest conversation about authenticity, leadership, and the messy reality of balancing it all. Heather shares her journey from trying to be everything to everyone to embracing her quirky, authentic self, and why that shift has made all the difference in her leadership and life. Kelly and Heather cover:01:07 The evolution of SignatureFD's "Net Worthwhile" messaging and philosophy03:09 Heather's approach to authentic social media and family storytelling06:36 How showing up in the hard moments defines leadership08:21 The importance of speaking truth with love09:50 Why this business comes down to hiring people you relate to10:58 Heather's philosophy on marketing patience and long-term investment12:00 The "fail fast, pivot fast" approach to business experiments14:52 Why marketing is always the first thing cut (and why it shouldn't be)16:10 The importance of being accountable to growth metrics17:31 Building true marketing funnels and infrastructure in wealth management18:45 Learning from industries outside professional services19:56 Heather's powerful "Don't Do That" - don't pick up other people's trash22:25 How to distinguish between valuable feedback and head trash24:08 The importance of being "inwardly sound" and knowing yourself25:06 Using trusted advisors to reality-check feedback26:32 The "moat" concept: Controlling what gets across your emotional drawbridge30:47 How men and women handle criticism differently32:50 The moment Heather realized she needed to model better self-talk for her daughter35:00 Real examples of industry trash that successful leaders face36:33 Why we're all taking off the orange vest and putting down the trash pickerConnect with Kelly Waltrich: LinkedIn: Kelly WaltrichLinkedIn: Intention.lyX: Intention.lyInstagram: Intention.lyConnect with Heather FortnerLinkedIn: Heather FortnerLinkedIn: SignatureFDSignatureFDAbout Our Guest:Heather is the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of SignatureFD, an integrated and comprehensive wealth management firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina, recently named to the Inc. 5000.During her twenty-year tenure at the firm, Heather has created and executed strategies that have exponentially grown SignatureFD’s AUM from $250M to over $7B. Her ability to combine strategic oversight in alignment with financial goals and enterprise risk mitigation has led the firm to maintain enterprise valuations, annual growth rates and client retention rates that consistently exceed industry averages. Deftly combining head and heart, Heather integrates operational excellence with strategic innovation and shepherding growth and scale in teams and organizations. Beyond operational expertise, Heather leverages her graduate degree in professional counseling to help uncover and connect people’s passions and talents to build teams that deliver excellent and inspiring client experiences.📩 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/