The Advisor Lab by CION

Shannon Spotswood is CEO at RFG Advisory, an innovative RIA platform empowering entrepreneurial advisors to build their businesses and own their firms. We sat down with Shannon for a conversation on recent technological innovation driving growth in the wealth management space, and how RFG is providing advisors with the tools and support to scale.

Dr. Amy D'Aprix, Founder and President of LifeBridge Strategies, has over two decades of experience coaching financial advisors on how to best serve clients as they navigate life transitions such as aging, retirement, and estate transfers. We sat down with Dr. Amy to learn how her LifeMap platform and Trusted Advisor of Choice CE help advisors have more meaningful client conversations that build trust and foster multigenerational relationships.

Jeff Ransdell is Managing Director and Founding Partner of Fuel Venture Capital Partners, a tech-focused VC firm creating opportunities for advisors and their clients to invest in high-growth disruptive technologies. We sat down with Jeff to discuss access to private market strategies for individual investors, and learn how Fuel maintains a strong commitment to serving financial advisors.

Trey Prescott is Director of Business Development at Advisory Services Network, a turnkey RIA platform providing custodial and back office infrastructure that allows independent advisors to focus on growth and client relationships. We sat down with Trey at Future Proof Citywide to learn how Advisory Services Network is supporting the next generation of advisors in establishing independence, nurturing clients, and scaling their businesses.

Doug Fritz is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of F2 Strategy, a leading research and consulting firm focused on technology, marketing, and operations for the wealth and asset management space. We sat down with Doug at Future Proof Citywide to discuss how F2 is helping advisors drive valuation expansion and modernize their firms.

Alternative investments for the private wealth channel have experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Mark Gatto, co-Founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, sat down with Derek Schwartz in the CION booth at Future Proof Citywide for a conversation on making alternatives accessible to advisors and their clients. They discuss the importance of structure, manager selection, and diversification when it comes to designing an alternative investment strategy built for the individual investor.

Alex Laipple is the Chief Growth Officer at Ethic, a tech-driven investment management platform that helps advisors deliver personalized, values-focused portfolios to their clients. We sat down with Alex at Future Proof Citywide to learn how advisors are differentiating their practices with portfolio customization and building deeper, more personal connections with clients.

We sat down with Larry Shumbres, Founder and CEO of Archive Intel, an AI-powered compliance software solution. Larry joins Mark Gatto, co-Founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, to discuss how AI technology is improving workflows in the wealth management space.

We sat down with Jeffrey Roach, Chief Economist at LPL Financial, for a 2026 outlook on the markets and economy. Jeffrey and Derek discuss inflation, tariffs, and market performance in relation to a K-shaped economy that's setting the stage for the year. Jeffrey provides a forecast for the labor market and actions of the Fed, and encourages advisors to favor long-term trends over the headlines as a basis for an investing strategy.

Tyson Ray is the CEO and Founding Partner of FORM Wealth Advisors, an independent practice with a holistic, relationship-based approach to financial planning. We sat down with Tyson to tap into his expertise in exit and succession planning for advisors, and discuss his forthcoming book, Total Succession: 5 Steps for Financial Advisors to Exit Confidently, Be Fully Compensated, and Keep Clients' Interests First.

Jason Wenk is the founder and CEO of Altruist, a fully-integrated digital brokerage platform and RIA custodian designed to help fiduciary advisors optimize and scale their practices. Jason joins host Mark Gatto, co-founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, to discuss how Altruist is re-envisioning the custodial space and improving the accessibility and outcomes of financial advice.

Brad Johnson is the Co-Founder of Triad Partners, a business development coach for financial advisors. We sat down with Brad to learn how Triad helps advisors scale their practices to nurture business growth while achieving freedom in their personal lives.

We sat down with John Roberts, Executive Vice President and Chief Field Officer of Northwestern Mutual, for a conversation on the role of the advisor-client relationship in financial planning. John shared his insight on how advisors are establishing niche specialties to differentiate their practices, and balancing modern technology with human connection in their relationships with clients.

From the beginning of his career, Gabriel Shahin, CFP®, set out to educate investors and serve aspiring wealth accumulators. As Founder and Principal of Falcon Wealth Planning, Gabriel now leads a fee-only RIA focused on financial planning, with an emphasis on tax and retirement structuring. We sat down with Gabriel to discuss his new book, How the Rich Get Richer: Your Ultimate Guide to Building Wealth. Gabriel dives into the financial planning principles and investing strategies that allow high-net-worth individuals to establish lasting wealth, and shares how understanding your clients' financial motivations is integral to successful, long-term client relationships.

Dimple Shah is Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy and Client Experience at Osaic. We sat down with Dimple at Future Proof Festival to discuss how the generational wealth transfer is creating a unique opportunity for advisors looking to grow their practices.

Colleen Jaconetti, CPA, CFP, is a Senior Manager at Vanguard Investment Advisory Research Center. Host Mark Gatto, co-Founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, sat down with Colleen at Future Proof Festival for her insight on how advisors can elevate their financial planning with tactical, behavioral finance coaching.

We sat down with Cheryl Nash, President of APL at InvestCloud, on the boardwalk at Future Proof Festival to discuss the current landscape of retail investing. APL is a portfolio management platform that powers construction, modeling, trading, and rebalancing for managed accounts. Cheryl shares how APL democratizes access to private market strategies and enables the private wealth channel to invest in alternatives.

Jennifer des Groseilliers is the CEO of The Mather Group, a fiduciary investment advisory firm with a comprehensive approach to financial planning. Jennifer joins host Mark Gatto, co-Founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, at Future Proof Festival for a conversation on how to foster a company culture of leadership.

Gene Farrell is the President and CEO of Vanilla, a leading provider of estate planning technology for financial advisors. We sat down with Gene at Future Proof Festival for a conversation on the role of the financial advisor in the estate planning process, and how advisors can bring estate planning support to clients of all wealth levels.

Ryan Sullivan is the Head of Buy-Side, Americas at FTSE Russell. Ryan joins guest host Mark Gatto, co-Founder and co-CEO of CION Investments, on the boardwalk at Future Proof Festival to discuss the 2025 FTSE Russell US Retail Investor Survey.

Tom Fields, CFP,® CEO of Fynancial, started his business to solve a problem he identified in the wealth management space: communication channels hadn't evolved for the modern world. He developed Fynancial, a digital communications platform for RIAs, so advisors could offer clients a centralized digital experience on a mobile app. We sat down with Tom to get insight into how advisors can generate conversation and grow their practices by simplifying the client experience.

Before he was the founder and CEO of Domain Money, Adam Dell envisioned and built several technology products focused on consumer finance solutions. His experience equipped him with a rich understanding of the mass affluent client profile, and enabled the launch of Domain Money, a financial planning and investment advice platform designed for mass affluent clientele. We sat down with Adam to learn how Domain Money partners with RIAs to serve and develop client leads from a new generation of future wealth accumulators.

We sat down with Victoria Greene, CFA®, CRPC®, Chief Investment Officer and Founding Partner at G Squared Private Wealth, for a midyear outlook on the markets and interest rate environment. Victoria discusses how to support clients remaining invested amid tariffs, volatility, and uncertainty, and gives insight into the evolving landscape of alternative investments.

Justin Bass, Senior Wealth Manager and Managing Director of MAI Capital Management, has spent the last three decades as an advisor for athletes and sports business professionals. We sat down with Justin to understand his approach to working with a unique client niche, and learn how he draws on both his passion for sports and knowledge of financial planning to offer targeted expertise to clients.

Jessica Polito is the founder and principal of Turkey Hill Management, an M&A advisor for wealth managers. We sat down with Jessica to discuss how the growing landscape of independent fiduciaries and RIA aggregators is fueling M&A activity in the wealth management space.

Carolyn Bare is the founder and CEO of Trust Matters Financial, a financial advisory focused on investment management and wealth transfer for special needs heirs. We sat down with Carolyn to discuss tax-efficient estate planning strategies, and how advisors can use them to better serve clients with special needs scenarios.

Chris Cherry is the Head of Partnerships at Future Proof. We sat down with Chris at Future Proof Citywide to talk about how industry partnerships are the key to creating opportunities for advisors at Future Proof events.

Devon Drew is the CEO of AssetLink, a distribution platform leveraging data intelligence to connect advisors with investment solutions that meet their needs. We talked to Devon at Future Proof Citywide about data as the driving force behind AI, and the capabilities of AI in the wealth management space.

Shannon Spotswood is the CEO of RFG Advisory, a visionary RIA platform empowering independent financial advisors to build and scale their own practices. We sat down with Shannon at Future Proof Citywide to discuss succession planning, women and investing, and strategies for serving multigenerational families through the wealth transfer.

Sean Allocca is the Executive Editor of The Daily Upside, a leader in business journalism delivering economic and financial insights to over 1 million investors. We talked to Sean at Future Proof Citywide about the opportunity for advisors and their clients to invest in alternatives, and how advisors can stay informed on private market assets.

Caleb Silver is the Editor-in-Chief of Investopedia, a pivotal education resource for advisors and their clients. We sat down with Caleb at Future Proof Citywide to discuss financial education as an integral component to investing, particularly in the alternatives space. Caleb shares his insights on recent market volatility, the concerns of individual investors, and the crucial role that education plays in the client-advisor relationship.

Larry McDonald was a Vice President at Lehman Brothers in 2008, and out of that experience he produced a framework of twenty one indicators of economic health that can also detect early signals of opportunity and danger. His most recent book, How to Listen When Markets Speak, released last year, was early in connecting the dots between past, present and the future that is now. Larry and his research platform, The Bear Traps Report, has a unique and well informed take on what we are seeing right now, with the shock of tariffs, the motivation of the current administration, the resistance of the Fed, and the reaction of markets and businesses. He presents his views on how to amend the 60/40 to ride out the storm, and where the opportunities are.  

XY Planning Network (XYPN) founders Michael Kitces and Alan Moore saw a need to do financial planning differently. They developed XYPN to make financial planning more accessible by creating a turnkey advice and planning platform that currently supports and empowers more than 2,000 independent financial advisors to serve whomever they want, however they want. Arlene Moss, lead executive business coach at XYPN, coaches financial planners through the challenges that come with establishing and growing their practices. On this episode, we get into how XYPN coaches bring the key component of human connection to helping advisors power their practices.

Callie Cox is the chief market strategist of Ritholtz Wealth Management and the author of OptimistiCallie, a newsletter of Wall Street quality research for everyday investors. Callie has spent the past decade providing investors with rational, evidence-based insights on the markets and economy. On this episode, we get into how advisors can balance empathy and understanding with a scientifically-grounded approach to guiding clients through market volatility.

George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, is internationally recognized as the Father of the Life Planning Movement. Life planning focuses on the human side of financial planning. It puts people, not products, at the center of analysis and advice, helping clients meet unique goals and unlock the greatest meaning in their lives. George has a new book, The Three Domains of Freedom, and we get into it on this episode.

Martinelli Financial Services has been acting as a fiduciary for clients since 1981. Michael Martinelli joined his father Ernie 11 years ago, and together they've leaned into expanding the role of alternatives in HNW client portfolios. We get into how they approach it, what the pain points are, and where they see the industry going. 

We sat down with Gabe Rissman, co-founder and President of YourStake. Gabe has created a firm with a vision of simplifying advisors' work and enhancing the client journey to drive personalized investing. YourStake began with the "NoScore" data approach in 2020 to offer a transparent alternative to traditional ESG data. Today, it offers a suite of AI-driven solutions for every part of the advisor-client relationship.

We sat down with Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre, a certified Financial Therapist and consultant with a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Shay's work focuses on supporting advisors in strengthening their relationships with their clients and integrating interior finance concepts into their practices. She helps advisors work through generational family dynamics to have productive conversations, and to help people find the motivation to get past their money mindset

Jonathan Foster, President and CEO at Angeles Wealth Management, has a created a stratgic vision for his firm that taps into his deep understanding of family wealth dynamics and the unique wealth management needs of ultra-high-net worth families and individuals. As co-founder of Angeles Wealth, Jonathan played a key role in developing the platform that offers comprehensive wealth advice and institutional-quality investment solutions to generationally wealthy clients. We get deep on how he helps clients create and preserve multi-generational wealth. 

Michael Kitces needs no introduction. One of the foremost voices in the industry, he's a financial planner in his role at Buckingham Wealth, and also a commentator, speaker, blogger, podcaster and educator. From Kitces.com, to his Nerds' Eye View blog and Advisor Success podcast, Michael leads the conversations that change the industry. XYPN, the integrated support system for independent financial advisors, is Michael's response to the problem of bringing younger advisors into the industry, and it's now celebrating ten years of helping advisors build the practice they want. We get into the bifurcation Michael sees in the industry, the role of AI, and more in this episode recorded at Future Proof. 

Matt Middleton is CEO of Future Proof, the most innovative and disruptive event in the wealth management industry. Only in its third year, Future Proof's events, starting with the Festival in Huntington Beach, are already the foundational and definitional events for where wealth management is going. Matt gets into his vision, and how keeping it tech-enabled and human-centered has meant both massive growth and an incredibly high level of attendee satisfaction.

Dr. David Kelly is the Chief Global Strategist and Head of the Global Market Insights Strategy Team for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. David provides valuable insight and perspective on the economy and markets to the institutional investor and financial advisor global communities. David's research focuses on investment implications of an evolving economic environment. He has developed a unique ability to explain complex economic and market issues in a language that financial professionals can use to communicate to their clients. 

Robert Russo has built a powerhouse firm around the concept of helping independent advisors identify where they need support to grow, and providing that support. From the complexities of business ownership, to gap analysis to grow a practice, his firm, Independent Advisor Alliance, has a process in place. The best part? They also provide a community focused on creating peer learning, growing and resources. 

Julia Healey, the CEO of United Charitable (unitedcharitable.org) has spent a career working with non-profits. She helms a nonprofit organization that works closely with wealth advisors and their clients to increase a donor's ability to do more with their contributions while minimizing their tax liability through Donor Advised Funds. We get into how giving has become central to how people think about money at all stages of their finanical journey, and how advisors have a central role to play. 

Derrick Kinney is a successful advisor who has become one of the top advisor coaches with his Advisor Accelerator program. He focuses on bringing meaning to money, for both clients and advisors. Along the way, he teaches advisors how to take back time, own problems to drive to solutions, create a strategic brand and rethink events and sponsorships so they are memorable and bring results. We get into the tactics, the specifics - and a lot of great stories. 

Michael Clarke, author of A Firm Worth Building, has figured out the balance between doing the work of an advisor and the work of running a business. Advisors can be prisoners of their own success, and Michael has created a framework and mindset for coaching advisors that covers everything from branding to firm culture to growth strategies, and that allows Advisors to focus streamline their own workload. Along the way, he developed National Referral Network, a COI community that focuses on helping every member create more value for clients. 

Masha Hodi, Partner and Client Experience Officer at Cerity Partners, has worn a lot of hats in her career, and she brings that knowledge to a conception of client experience that is built on and continually references growth. She breaks down how Cerity stays in front of an ever-changing industry, and the importance of creating and maintaining a strong culture. 

Stephanie Bogan, Chief Possibility Officer for Limitless Advisor, makes redefining success upwards - for herself and the advisors, leaders and founders she partners with - look easy. But there's a career's worth of insight, intelligence, method and practice in her coaching. Stephanie gets serious about the inspiration and the hard questions in this episode. 

Adrian Johnstone, CEO of Practifi, has spent a career harnessing technology to optimize growth. Gathering data isn't enough; it's about unlocking knowledge to create a customer experience that helps firms grow at every stage. Moving from insight to action is the challenge for advisors. Doing it consistently and at scale can seem impossible. Adrian breaks down how Practifi thinks about a rapidly evolving industry. 

Doug Boneparth is the financial voice of a generation, and over the course of his career, he's seen how the challenges his generation faced have redefined financial planning. Older millennials may make different decisions from past generations on everything from education debt for their kids to retirement to estate planning. The portfolios they need to reach their goals are very different and need to be based on a whole new set of assumptions.