Don’t Do That: Don’t Skip the Foundation to Chase Fast Growth with Mike Barrasso and David DeCelle, WealthReach

Don’t Do That: Don’t Skip the Foundation to Chase Fast Growth with Mike Barrasso and David DeCelle, WealthReach

In this episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly sits down with Mike Barrasso and David DeCelle, co-founders of Wealth Reach, to break down how modern advisory firms should think about growth, prospecting, and technology. They explore the shift from passive referrals to proactive, data-driven outreach and why combining intent data with human follow-up is driving real results. The episode features a powerful double “Don’t Do That”: don’t approach growth selfishly - focus on helping more people - and don’t skip the fundamentals by jumping straight into tactics without a plan. The takeaway is clear: sustainable growth comes from strong foundations, clear messaging, and disciplined execution, not shortcuts. Kelly, Mike, & David cover: 00:00 Early traction and real results from Wealth Reach users (including a $500K win in week one)  00:48 Introduction to Mike and David and their backgrounds  02:53 Why Wealth Reach was built: “people in motion” vs. “money in motion”  05:43 How website visitor identification and intent data work together  08:59 Early results and what’s driving success  10:14 Why phone outreach still wins when paired with digital  11:17 The power of intent data in modern marketing  13:11 The sales infrastructure gap in advisory firms  14:21 How larger firms are building outbound teams  17:12 Don’t Do That #1: Don’t approach growth selfishly  20:59 Don’t Do That #2: Don’t skip planning or try to do everything at once  22:25 Reframing growth around serving clients  25:58 Why starting in the middle of the funnel fails  27:16 Building a full funnel before scaling tactics  30:34 Final takeaway: fundamentals first, then scale About Our Guests: David DeCelle is the Co-Founder of WealthReach and CEO of Model FA. David also co-authored Organic Growth Revolution with Dan Allison. Mike Barrasso is the Co-Founder and CEO of WealthReach, an AI-powered organic growth platform purpose-built for RIAs and wealth management firms. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndIMVJIcHhPaTVwVmtHb01JWnpvUDQyZ2lCZ3xBQ3Jtc0trOXphUVZ3YWN4cHQ5UERzcHJNYW9wTE0wcWk2cV9YQ1o1QVdvQTZDd3VRNWpBbkxmUWZsRnJKdFZtZGFFSlM0OVA5aFluMUFtVFZCckdDc1VjRmxLRlJjVUZ1bUJFMlV0OWFSN0tFU3VOQV9adlhQaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM] 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5MSGRjU21kMVk5eTBCRFhkdFBsSTNHZ0Zkd3xBQ3Jtc0tuVUR1dERBdk1hVWdGaTVhWEgzMURLbU51MzIxQ0d3RXlFOEJWdE02SkhCdEhxLWdtcjFsWDZNOWk0MkFZMW1vWnVqWDNvd05IRFRCS2lZd1BWRElMTm1Eem4xRWQycnlyaUg5cHZMQkZWRnZ1ZjBrZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2Fcontact-us%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM]

Don’t Do That: Don’t Confuse Complexity for Value with Mike Betz, Nitrogen

In this thoughtful and insight-packed episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly sits down with Mike Betz, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Nitrogen, for a wide-ranging conversation on wealth tech evolution, advisor workflows, AI, and one of the most common (and costly) mistakes professionals make: overcomplicating what should be simple. Kelly and Mike cover: 00:56 Mike’s background across advisory firms and wealth tech platforms 03:14 Why every wealth management firm is now, in effect, a technology firm 04:00 Where firms get tech right (and wrong): solving for experience vs. forcing tools into the business 04:44 The shift back toward fewer, more integrated platforms 06:38 The emerging divide between large aggregators and mid-sized firms 07:36 How point solutions are evolving into platform features 09:04 How AI is reshaping advisor workflows (before, during, and after meetings) 09:28 “Reinventing the interface”: moving from clicking to instructing 09:53 Challenges firms face adopting AI, especially around security and compliance 10:31 Nitrogen’s approach to AI integration and the introduction of “Nucleus” 11:12 What AI should—and should not—do for advisors 12:07 The growing need for flexibility and interoperability across tools 13:12 Why note-taking AI has become a “can’t live without it” technology 17:17 The episode’s core mistake: confusing complexity for value 18:15 The Mark Twain principle: if you didn’t have time to simplify, you made it too long 19:07 Dog sledding analogy: why the simplest systems are often the most sophisticated 22:13 “Bottom Line Up Front” (BLUF): why executives value clarity over detail 25:24 Decision-making styles and balancing speed vs. thoroughness 27:02 Why business rewards clarity, not length (despite what school teaches) 29:25 The “shoebox principle”: organizing complexity creates immediate value 31:25 Silent expectations vs. delight: why fundamentals matter more than extras 33:35 Final takeaway: do the simple things extraordinarily well before chasing complexity About Our Guest: Mike Betz is the Strategic Relationships Director at Nitrogen, where he oversees many of the company's largest and most complex relationships. With more than 20 years in WealthTech, Mike has built, broken away, and scaled RIAs, helped launch several startups, and has worked in, at, and alongside some of the industry's largest technology platforms.  His career spanning both sides of the WealthTech ecosystem gives him a rare perspective on how technology, advisory operations, and customer experience actually intersect. He holds an MBA, the CFPⓇ designation, and is a UW-Madison grad, where he pole vaulted for the Badgers. Mike lives in Minnesota with his wife Meagan and their three rescue dogs. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndIMVJIcHhPaTVwVmtHb01JWnpvUDQyZ2lCZ3xBQ3Jtc0trOXphUVZ3YWN4cHQ5UERzcHJNYW9wTE0wcWk2cV9YQ1o1QVdvQTZDd3VRNWpBbkxmUWZsRnJKdFZtZGFFSlM0OVA5aFluMUFtVFZCckdDc1VjRmxLRlJjVUZ1bUJFMlV0OWFSN0tFU3VOQV9adlhQaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM] 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5MSGRjU21kMVk5eTBCRFhkdFBsSTNHZ0Zkd3xBQ3Jtc0tuVUR1dERBdk1hVWdGaTVhWEgzMURLbU51MzIxQ0d3RXlFOEJWdE02SkhCdEhxLWdtcjFsWDZNOWk0MkFZMW1vWnVqWDNvd05IRFRCS2lZd1BWRElMTm1Eem4xRWQycnlyaUg5cHZMQkZWRnZ1ZjBrZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2Fcontact-us%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM]

Don’t Do That: Don’t Buy Mission-Critical Tech Based on the Roadmap with Chuck Failla, Sovereign Financial Group

In this candid and fast-moving episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly sits down with Chuck Failla, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesfailla/] Founder and CEO of Sovereign Financial Group [https://www.sfgroupinc.com/], for a conversation about growth, operational scale, advisor support, marketing, and the technology decisions that can make or break a firm. Kelly and Chuck cover: 01:01 Chuck shares Sovereign’s growth from a $100M lifestyle practice to a $1.2B firm 02:23 Building the platform Chuck always wished existed as an advisor 03:04 Why Chuck is committed to cash-flow-based planning over probability models 04:04 Leaving the broker-dealer model to build a more customized RIA platform 06:16 The catalyst that turned Sovereign into a growth engine 07:34 Marketing limits in legacy affiliation models and why centralized support matters 09:28 Sovereign’s “support as a service” and à la carte advisor platform 10:45 Why centralized marketing outperforms fragmented advisor-by-advisor efforts 12:11 Advisor optionality: incubator support and back-office-only models 12:42 Why firms underestimate marketing in M&A and growth planning 13:13 The math of marketing spend vs. buying books of business 15:00 Buying leads vs. building your own brand and acquisition engine 16:10 Sovereign’s strategy of acquiring accounting firms for growth and retention 18:44 DIY trends, AI, and why clients still want trusted human advice 20:50 Why investment selection alone no longer justifies advisor fees 21:10 The future of integrated wealth, tax, and estate services 22:41 Chuck’s “Don’t Do That” mistake: choosing tech based on a promised roadmap 24:30 The real cost of bad vendor decisions: exits, migrations, and wasted time 25:18 Why advisors must read terms of service, not just contracts 27:16 When it may make sense to buy based on roadmap promises 28:15 AI in wealth tech and why advisors using AI will outpace those who don’t 30:04 Chuck’s view on advisor productivity: if advisors do admin work, something is broken 32:07 Final takeaway: don’t anchor your firm to technology that can’t meet today’s needs About Our Guest: Chuck has been a financial advisor for more than 25 years. He started in the early 90s as a "cold calling cowboy" in NYC selling individual stocks. As he built his book, he always planned to go independent and did so in 1999 by opening an independent branch of Raymond James Financial. At that time, Chuck earned his CFP® designation and transitioned from individual stock picking to financial planning and asset allocating using mutual funds and SMAs. Chuck's practice evolved into what is today Sovereign Financial Group, Inc., an SEC registered RIA. With offices and advisors in the Northeast, Florida, and Colorado, Sovereign is one of the fastest growing RIAs in the country. Chuck is also the Dire 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndIMVJIcHhPaTVwVmtHb01JWnpvUDQyZ2lCZ3xBQ3Jtc0trOXphUVZ3YWN4cHQ5UERzcHJNYW9wTE0wcWk2cV9YQ1o1QVdvQTZDd3VRNWpBbkxmUWZsRnJKdFZtZGFFSlM0OVA5aFluMUFtVFZCckdDc1VjRmxLRlJjVUZ1bUJFMlV0OWFSN0tFU3VOQV9adlhQaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM] 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5MSGRjU21kMVk5eTBCRFhkdFBsSTNHZ0Zkd3xBQ3Jtc0tuVUR1dERBdk1hVWdGaTVhWEgzMURLbU51MzIxQ0d3RXlFOEJWdE02SkhCdEhxLWdtcjFsWDZNOWk0MkFZMW1vWnVqWDNvd05IRFRCS2lZd1BWRElMTm1Eem4xRWQycnlyaUg5cHZMQkZWRnZ1ZjBrZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2Fcontact-us%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM]

Don't Do That: Don't Automate the Human Out of Your Practice with Reed Colley, Orion

In this energizing and forward-looking episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Reed Colley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedcolley/], President of Technology at Orion [https://orion.com/], for a conversation about where the advisory industry is heading and what it takes to stay ahead of the curve. The heart of the episode, though, focuses on something more fundamental: the advisor-client relationship. Reed argues that AI should not replace the human elements of advice; instead, it should eliminate the noise so advisors can focus on what clients hired them to do. His "Don't Do That" lesson cuts straight to it: stop treating the most repetitive, time-consuming parts of your workflow as inevitable, and stop ignoring the tools that can free you up to do the work only you can do. Kelly and Reed cover: 00:51 The origin of Summit and the vision behind it  02:46 Why the advisor-client relationship is the only metric that matters  05:55 What it feels like to lead tech innovation during an AI revolution  06:20 How AI is enabling leapfrog innovation at Orion  09:21 Denali: Building an LLM-agnostic, enterprise-grade AI platform  12:43 Orion's client base and earning the right to serve them  14:07 The Web 2.0 parallel and what this moment really means  17:46 How AI is changing Orion's internal teams  18:14 Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset in a solutions revolution  21:03 How team workflows are transforming in real time  24:00 What this moment means for the next generation  27:20 Orion Ascent preview  30:31 Reed’s Don't do That: Stop ignoring what AI can take off your plate  32:29 Don't automate the human out of your practice About Our Guest: Reed Colley joined Orion in January 2025 as President of Orion Advisor Technology following Orion’s acquisition of Summit Wealth Systems. As co-founder and CEO of Summit, Reed recognized the need to humanize wealth management by creating a modern, digital and mobile experience for advisors and their clients. Prior to Summit, Reed founded and served as CEO of Black Diamond Performance Reporting. He also founded calendar analytics platform Copilot, Do Something Great Today, and FlightPath Inc. Reed holds a Bachelor of Science with degrees in Engineering and Economics from Vanderbilt University, where he was a starting pitcher on the baseball team. Disclaimer: Outputs generated by Orion Denali AI should be reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness by financial professionals in all cases. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndIMVJIcHhPaTVwVmtHb01JWnpvUDQyZ2lCZ3xBQ3Jtc0trOXphUVZ3YWN4cHQ5UERzcHJNYW9wTE0wcWk2cV9YQ1o1QVdvQTZDd3VRNWpBbkxmUWZsRnJKdFZtZGFFSlM0OVA5aFluMUFtVFZCckdDc1VjRmxLRlJjVUZ1bUJFMlV0OWFSN0tFU3VOQV9adlhQaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM] 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5MSGRjU21kMVk5eTBCRFhkdFBsSTNHZ0Zkd3xBQ3Jtc0tuVUR1dERBdk1hVWdGaTVhWEgzMURLbU51MzIxQ0d3RXlFOEJWdE02SkhCdEhxLWdtcjFsWDZNOWk0MkFZMW1vWnVqWDNvd05IRFRCS2lZd1BWRElMTm1Eem4xRWQycnlyaUg5cHZMQkZWRnZ1ZjBrZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2Fcontact-us%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM]

Don’t Do That: Don’t Wear the Mask of Perfection with Sandra Joseph, Keynote Speaker/Singer/Author/Broadway’s Longest-Running Leading Lady from The Phantom of the Opera

In this powerful and deeply human episode of Don’t Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with history-making Broadway star Sandra Joseph [https://sandrajoseph.com/] to explore the pressure of performing at the highest level—and the dangerous temptation to hide behind perfection. Sandra holds the record as the longest-running leading lady in The Phantom of the Opera, spending more than a decade in one of the most demanding roles in theater history. But at the pinnacle of her career, on the night Phantom became the longest-running show on Broadway, Sandra found herself staring at the fire escape outside her dressing room, wanting to run. That moment sparked a deeper reckoning: If success doesn’t silence self-doubt, what will? Since leaving the stage, Sandra has built a second career as a keynote speaker and author of Unmasking What Matters, [https://a.co/d/0fSKka6x] bringing hard-earned lessons about vulnerability, burnout, imposter syndrome, and authenticity to leaders across industries - including financial services. Together, Kelly and Sandra unpack what it really takes to perform at a high level for the long haul, why perfection is a mask that blocks connection, and how leaders can better connect the head and the heart in their work. This episode is a masterclass in authenticity, emotional connection, and sustainable success - for advisors, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone who has ever felt the pressure to get it “right.” About Our Guest: Sandra Joseph is a history-making Broadway star, a #1 international Amazon bestselling author, and a TEDx and keynote speaker. Her legendary run as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera spanned ten years and over 1,500 performances. She holds the record as the longest-running leading lady in the longest-running Broadway show of all time. Sandra has appeared on many national broadcasts including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The Today Show, Dateline, The Early Show, The View, and Oprah: Where Are They Now? Sandra is a member of The Transformational Leadership Council, an invitation-only group of 125 top thought leaders. Among the luminaries who endorse her work are Jack Canfield, Mark Nepo, Martha Beck, Marci Shimoff, and Geneen Roth. Sandra is the author of Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway. She is also the co-author, with five-time New York Times best-selling author Caroline Myss, of Your Creative Soul: Expressing Your Authentic Voice. 📩 Stay Informed – Join Our Newsletter! Stay ahead of industry trends and get exclusive updates straight to your inbox: Sign Up Now https://intention.ly/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbndIMVJIcHhPaTVwVmtHb01JWnpvUDQyZ2lCZ3xBQ3Jtc0trOXphUVZ3YWN4cHQ5UERzcHJNYW9wTE0wcWk2cV9YQ1o1QVdvQTZDd3VRNWpBbkxmUWZsRnJKdFZtZGFFSlM0OVA5aFluMUFtVFZCckdDc1VjRmxLRlJjVUZ1bUJFMlV0OWFSN0tFU3VOQV9adlhQaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM] 💬 Let’s Talk! Have questions or ready to start your next marketing campaign? Contact us: https://intention.ly/contact-us/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5MSGRjU21kMVk5eTBCRFhkdFBsSTNHZ0Zkd3xBQ3Jtc0tuVUR1dERBdk1hVWdGaTVhWEgzMURLbU51MzIxQ0d3RXlFOEJWdE02SkhCdEhxLWdtcjFsWDZNOWk0MkFZMW1vWnVqWDNvd05IRFRCS2lZd1BWRElMTm1Eem4xRWQycnlyaUg5cHZMQkZWRnZ1ZjBrZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fintention.ly%2Fcontact-us%2F&v=7ADO-RknCgM]