December 25, 2019
Merging Firms To Better Serve Clients: The Rapid Growth Of FDS
Today we are joined by the team from Financial Design Studio (FDS), a fee-only firm in Deer Park, Illinois. Husband and wife duo Michelle and Stephen Smalenberger started FDS three years ago with the intention of eventually growing their team, while Trevore Meyer and Rob Stoll each st …
December 18, 2019
Ep #234: A Successful Succession Plan: An Interview with David Shotwell
Today we have XYPN member David Shotwell on the show! Now the owner of Shotwell Rutter Baer, David says he feels like he is just getting started—despite beginning his career in the brokerage world over 20 years ago. He is a great example of a successful succession plan and how you nev …
July 31, 2019
Ep #214: A Three-Year Check-In with Shawn Tydlaska
Shawn Tydlaska is the founder of Ballast Point Financial Planning, an independent fee-only practice dedicated to helping young professionals and families set and achieve their financial goals. Shawn was on this podcast two years ago to talk about his first year in business, and he joi …
June 19, 2019
Ep #209: Finding Success after Being Fired as a Partner - The Career of Mark Wilson
After working for his previous firm for 19 years and then being unexpectedly fired, Mark Wilson was forced to reset his life. Now the owner and only employee of MILE Wealth Management, Mark joins the show today to discuss what pushed him to start his own firm and how he is focusing on …
June 12, 2019
Ep #208: 3 Years In and Hitting Her Stride - An Interview with Meg Bartelt
After coming on the show two years ago to talk about her first year in business, Meg Bartelt has agreed to come back to share her journey and progress since then. In this episode, Meg gives a raw and authentic look at the life of an entrepreneur and opens up about how she handles the …
May 29, 2019
Ep #206: Running a Hyper Growth Firm with Your Spouse - The Career of Michelle Smalenberger
Michelle Smalenberger has over 12 years of experience working at a nationally-recognized firm and has been mentioned in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Financial Advisor IQ. Today she joins the show to discuss the benefits of owning a business with your spouse and how …
May 01, 2019
Ep #202: Learning from Your Mistakes to Build the Business of Your Dreams - The Career of Sue Peck
Today XYPN member Sue Peck, founder of Evolution Financial, recounts the compelling story of how she discovered she was ready to start her own business after nearly 12 years of working for an investment management firm. She discusses the struggles of starting off on your own, where sh …
April 24, 2019
Ep #201: Merging and Then Buying a Practice - The Career of Quinn Arnold
From corporate finance to financial planning with almost no experience as a planner, Quinn Arnold went from not being able to find a financial planner for himself to fostering a relationship that pushed him into the field and ultimately led to him owning a firm. In this episode, he di …
