EP 24 – Yelena Melamed on Building Data-Driven Growth Engines in Wealth Management

EP 27 – Building a High-Performance Culture at an Advisory Firm with Michael Graham

What if your daily actions were directly shaping the life you’ll look back on years from now? And what if growth, both personal and professional, could be engineered with clarity and discipline? In this episode, Dan Gilmartin interviews Michael Graham, CFP®, President and Co-Founder of Midwestern Securities, about building a firm rooted in intentionality and disciplined growth. Mike shares how starting with the end in mind, including writing your own obituary, can shape decisions across business and life. He explains how structured KPIs, guided client conversations, and repeatable systems drive consistent advisor performance.  The conversation also explores coaching, accountability, and how investing in people can unlock untapped potential across a team. Key takeaways: * How defining a clear end vision helps align daily actions with long-term personal and business goals * Why structured KPIs and consistent activity tracking create predictable growth outcomes for advisors * How guided client conversations can improve engagement, trust, and overall client experience * The role of coaching and accountability in helping mid-level performers reach their full potential * Why simplifying systems and processes can make it easier for teams to execute and scale effectively * And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin:  * Catchlight [https://catchlight.ai/] * LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/] Connect with Michael Graham:  * LinkedIn: Michael Graham [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-graham-cfp-2bb81934/] * Website: Midwestern Securities [https://midwesternsecurities.com/] About our Guest:  As the Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern Securities, Michael Graham, CFP®, provides visionary leadership and guides the company in pursuing bold ideas for the next chapter of its continued growth. He also provides consultation to the company’s financial institution partners on their long-term strategic growth and mutual success. In addition, Mike shares his many years of investment knowledge and time-tested philosophy as he serves on the Midwestern Securities Investment Committee, which oversees the Midwestern Securities Lighthouse Portfolios™ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png]. Mike has been in the financial services industry since 1996. An alumnus of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Mike obtained his securities licensing soon after graduation. He then joined his father, John, to start John Graham & Associates, Inc., which he has since built into a thriving retail wealth management firm from which he continues to manage and serve the financial planning needs of multigenerational clients.   He completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png] education program and passed the accompanying board exam in the spring of 2000. He currently holds seven other professional licenses. Mike was a driving force in the formation of Midwestern Securities Trading Company, LLC in 1999. He had a goal to bring accountability, expertise, and personal service to registered reps through a premier, emerging firm centrally located in the U.S. Mike is the host of the Banking on Growth podcast, interviewing industry professionals on topics that impact community banks and credit unions, as well as the financial advisors who operate within them.  Mike resides with his wife and sons in the local area. Together, they keep focused on the 4Fs: Faith, Family, Fitness, and Fun. Mike is very involved in his community. He has served as a Peoria Riverfront Museum Foundation board member; is a past president of the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce; served on the Roanoke-Benson CUSD 60 School Board; served as president of the Pediatric Resource Center Board; is a past president of the East Peoria Police Pension Board; served on the Finance Committee of Peoria Christian School; and the Board of Trustees for Eureka College. He was recognized in 40 Leaders Under 40 Class of 2007 and was the 2016 Pediatric Resource Center recipient of the Champions for Children award.

EP 26 – How RIAs are Using AI to Create Better Marketing with Michele Welsh

Growth gets harder when every firm has access to the same tools. What separates strong marketing is not the software itself, but the judgment, structure, and empathy behind how it is used. In this episode, Dan Gilmartin speaks with Michele Welsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, about building a practical AI and marketing system inside a wealth firm. She explains how her team evaluates tools through acceleration, accuracy, and innovation, how they train AI to reflect brand voice and empathy, and why clean CRM data drives better automation. Michele also shares how education-first content, strong prompt strategy, and patient distribution across formats help advisors build trust with high net worth prospects. Key takeaways: * Michele shares an AAI filter for judging tools by speed, better output, and new possibilities for teams * She explains why empathy, tone training, and compliance guardrails make AI output more personal and usable * Thoughtful prompts beat quick prompts when firms want content that sounds distinct and fits the brand * Clean CRM data helped advisors adopt automation by showing why bad inputs only create more bad outputs * Education across long, written, and short formats helps firms stay top of mind before prospects are ready * And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin:  * Catchlight [https://catchlight.ai/] * LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/] Connect with Michele Welsh: * LinkedIn: Michele Welsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelewelsh/] * Website: Verdence Capital Advisors [https://verdence.com/] About our Guest:  Michele Welsh is the Chief Marketing Officer of Verdence Capital Advisors. Michele leads firm-wide marketing, branding, and content strategies. These include setting and executing technology-based marketing solutions focused on excellent client experience and unbiased, transparent financial advice. Her multifaceted career has included roles as an Art Director, Creative Director, and the Founder & CEO of two startups. Michele has been featured on national network media including GMA, Fox News, and The Today Show. Additionally, she brought her entrepreneurial teachings to the Johns Hopkins MBA program where she co-opted case studies with the Carey Business School. In her community, Michele is a co-founder and board member of Sisters Circle, a mentoring program for girls and young women from underserved communities in Baltimore.

EP 25 – What High-Growth RIAs Do Differently with Mary Kate Gulick

What actually separates firms that grow organically from those that rely on referrals and market lift? Daniel Gilmartin discusses the launch of Catchlight’s RIA Growth Marketing Proficiency Report with Mary Kate Gulick, Founder of MK Wealth Marketing. Together, they break down what organic growth truly means, how top independent RIAs are structuring their marketing teams, and the patterns that show up consistently in faster-growing firms. Dan discusses: * Kicking off Season 3 and introducing the RIA Growth Marketing Proficiency Report * How organic growth is defined, stripping out M&A and market-driven gains * The four marketing proficiency levels, from generalists to data-driven growth teams * Five key attributes of faster-growing firms: specialization, accountability, intentional investment, data-driven funnel math, and executive alignment * And more Resources: * Access the RIA Growth Marketing Proficiency Report at Catchlight.ai [https://catchlight.ai/advisor-growth-program] Connect with Dan Gilmartin:  * Catchlight [https://catchlight.ai/] * LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/] About our Guest:  Mary Kate Gulick is the Founder of MK Wealth Marketing and a seasoned marketing leader in the financial services industry. She has held leadership roles at firms including FiComm, Carson, TD Ameritrade, and IBM. Mary Kate specializes in helping wealth management firms align brand, strategy, and growth initiatives to drive measurable results.  Connect with Mary Kate Gulick:  * MK Wealth Marketing [https://mkwealthmarketing.com/] * LinkedIn: Mary Kate Gulick [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marykategulick/] 1149679.31.0

REPLAY: Maximizing Your Organic Growth Funnel with Michelle Winkles, MBA

Sustainable growth does not come from chasing every tactic available. It comes from clarity, consistency, and systems that respect how people actually make decisions. In this replay episode, Dan Gilmartin sits down with Michelle Winkles, MBA, Partner and CMO at Mission Wealth, to revisit a foundational conversation on organic growth through digital marketing. This replay episode explores how firms can structure their websites, tech stacks, and workflows to attract higher-quality leads. Michelle explains how niche identification, data-driven personalization, and thoughtful follow-up create stronger relationships and more efficient funnels, while sharing how Mission measures performance and prioritizes long-term growth. Key takeaways: * Building a website that clearly communicates who you serve and guides multiple audiences toward the right next step * Using organic search and local SEO as a consistent source of higher-intent prospects * Organizing client data to identify clusters that can evolve into focused microniches * Creating automated yet personalized workflows that respect lead preferences and timing * Measuring organic growth by revenue generated relative to total digital marketing spend * And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin:  * Catchlight [https://catchlight.ai/] * LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/] Connect with Michelle Winkles: * Mission Wealth [https://missionwealth.com/] * LinkedIn: Michelle Winkles [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellewinklesmissionwealth/] About our Guest:  Michelle Winkles is an energetic, innovative, and results-focused marketing professional with over 20 years of distinguished business leadership experience. As a Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at Mission Wealth, Michelle spearheads the firm’s strategic marketing initiatives, guiding overall vision, leadership, and the execution of marketing and business development programs. A key part of her role is driving the firm’s digital growth strategy, where she has successfully developed and implemented a robust digital marketing funnel and growth engine. This includes building a comprehensive marketing technology stack designed to automate processes, enhance lead generation, and convert prospects into clients. Through her efforts, Michelle has streamlined marketing operations, expanded the firm’s digital footprint, and increased business opportunities. She is responsible for creating end-to-end marketing strategies that integrate messaging, branding, digital presence, demand generation, content creation, research, and thought leadership. Michelle collaborates closely with department leaders across Mission Wealth to ensure marketing efforts align with the firm’s growth objectives in the B2B, B2C, and M&I sectors. Recognized for her contributions to the business community, Michelle was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” business professionals by the Pacific Coast Business Times in 2018, highlighting her role in reshaping leadership and the economy in the Tri-Counties. Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2005. Driven by a passion for continuous learning, she obtained a Marketing Professional Certification from UCSB Extension in 2012 and completed her MBA with a Certificate of Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, and Nonprofit Social Business from Antioch University, Santa Barbara, in 2017.

REPLAY – Rethinking Growth in Wealth Management: Markets, Demographics & ROI with Jimmy Zhao

Organic growth sounds straightforward, but for many firms it remains one of the hardest challenges to solve. What happens when client demand slows, marketing feels risky, and internal teams struggle to connect the dots across services? In this replay episode, Dan Gilmartin revisits a timely conversation with Jimmy Zhao, Partner at McKinsey, to examine what truly drives organic growth in wealth management. They unpack why growth has slowed, how banks and RIAs miss opportunities hidden in their own data, and where new advisor relationships are emerging. The discussion also explores long-term investment thinking, referral strategies that convert, and why patience is critical when building sustainable growth engines. Key takeaways: * Why organic growth has slowed, and what interest rates and liquidity cycles have to do with it * Missed opportunities banks face when data, teams, and incentives remain siloed * How workplace channels are becoming a meaningful source of new advisor relationships * Why marketing programs often fail early despite strong long-term economics * What effective referral programs do differently to improve conversion and client experience * And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin:  * Catchlight [https://catchlight.ai/] * LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/] Connect with Jimmy Zhao:   * McKinsey & Company  [https://www.mckinsey.com/] * LinkedIn: Jimmy Zhao  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyrenzhao] About our Guest:  Jimmy Zhao is a Partner at McKinsey & Company. Jimmy leads McKinsey’s North American retirement division and works closely with wealth managers and other financial institutions in the retirement ecosystem to serve more clients and unlock new sources of growth. Jimmy collaborates with institutions across the US retirement landscape—including wealth managers, defined contribution recordkeepers, retirement plan advisors and consultants, technology platforms, and asset managers. Working in collaboration with the top executives at his client companies, Jimmy designs and executes transformational growth programs. He also leads McKinsey’s support for transactions and private capital investments in the sector. Over the past six years, Jimmy has supported over 50 deals across registered investment advisors (RIAs), independent broker-dealers, and WealthTech. Jimmy became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in 2012 and hosts educational events with the CFA Society in Boston.