Tag: Financial Planning
Building Modern Marketing Momentum with Nick Ilev (Ep. 10)

Building Modern Marketing Momentum with Nick Ilev (Ep. 10)

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Progress often begins with understanding how people think and how their choices take shape. Firms today face more noise, more channels, and more competition than ever.

How do you reach people in a way that feels clear and genuine? How do you adapt to longer research paths and shifting expectations?

In this episode, Chip Kispert speaks with Nick Ilev, CEO of ProperExpression, about the changing buyer journey, the value of authentic content, and how structured marketing gives firms a steadier path forward. Nick also explains how AI supports efficiency without replacing human judgment and why a consistent framework helps lift both visibility and growth.

Nick discusses:

  • Building authentic content strategies that connect with audiences where they are, not where you want them to be
  • Why traditional SEO still matters alongside AI search optimization and how the two work together for visibility
  • Using LinkedIn ads effectively for advisor acquisition and the importance of communicating cultural fit through content
  • Implementing closed-loop marketing systems that track results and feed insights into future campaign planning
  • How AI serves as a tool to accelerate efficiency without replacing human connection and inherent marketing value
  • And more!

Resources:

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Connect with Nick Ilev:

About Our Guest:

Nick helps RIAs and WealthTech firms turn marketing into a measurable revenue engine. His background includes time as an in-house CMO guiding growth at a successful startup and experience as an agency founder leading marketing transformation across multiple sectors.

His mission is straightforward: to generate short-term ROI while building the foundation for long-lasting growth. He believes in alignment where strategy, execution, and analytics work together to accelerate results.

At ProperExpression, Nick and his team focus on building and optimizing the full funnel for wealth management organizations, covering strategic planning, content creation, digital advertising, conversion, and CRM enablement.

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The Future of Wealth Management: What’s Next in Tech & Finance with Michelle Feinstein (Ep. 9)

The Future of Wealth Management: What’s Next in Tech & Finance with Michelle Feinstein (Ep. 9)

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The wealth management industry is at a crossroads, and those who fail to adapt will get left behind.

In this episode, Chip Kispert welcomes back Michelle Feinstein, General Manager of Financial Services at Salesforce. With three decades of experience across Pershing, BNY Mellon, and Salesforce, Michelle offers an insider’s look at how firms can modernize, scale, and lead through disruption.

Together, they explore what it means to move from “builder” to “steward,” why AI and data strategy now define success, and how to break down silos between technology and talent.

What to expect:

  • How firms can unify people, process, and technology to scale smarter
  • The game-changing impact of AI, data, and MCP integration
  • Why firms must choose strategic partners over endless integrations
  • Practical ways to embrace innovation without losing human touch
  • And so much more!

Resources:

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Michelle Feinstein:

About Our Guest:

Michelle Feinstein is general manager and vice president, Global Wealth and Asset Management Solutions and Strategy for Salesforce Industries. Her expertise is in digital transformation for wealth management. This process of digitization is complex; it requires firms to accelerate plans to harness data, digitize advisor-client experiences, and modernize service to scale and support growth.

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Bringing AI Safely into Finance with Geoff Moore (Ep. 7)

Bringing AI Safely into Finance with Geoff Moore (Ep. 7)

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Artificial intelligence is shaking up wealth management, but how do you separate hype from what’s actually useful? 

In this episode, Chip Kispert sits down with Geoff Moore, Chief Information Officer at ValMark Securities, to talk about how his firm is weaving AI into real processes without losing sight of what matters most: people. 

From early wins with AI-powered document extraction to advisors reclaiming hours of family time and personal time thanks to AI note-taking tools, Geoff shares both the breakthroughs and the challenges of moving from proof of concept to production.

What to expect:

  • Early wins and cautionary lessons with AI adoption
  • How Compliance leaders can embrace, not fear, new tech
  • Why context management is the next big frontier
  • Real stories of efficiency translating into quality of life
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Geoff Moore:

About Our Guests:

Geoff Moore is the Chief Information Officer at Valmark Financial Group, where he leads technology strategy and innovation across the firm’s RIA, insurance, and broker-dealer businesses. With a focus on practical, people-first AI adoption, Geoff has guided Valmark through early wins in automation and data management, earning recognition as Box.com’s Small Business AI Disruptor Award winner. He serves on the CIO Inspire Chapter Board in Northeast Ohio and shares his insights as a panelist at industry events like the Advise AI Conference. Geoff is passionate about using technology to enhance both efficiency and advisor quality of life, helping professionals spend less time on manual work and more time with clients and family.

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How Better and More Complete Data and AI Help Advisors Get 1% Better Every Day (Ep. 6)

How Better and More Complete Data and AI Help Advisors Get 1% Better Every Day (Ep. 6)

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What happens when IRS tax data meets AI in the middle of an advisor shortage?

In this episode of Beacon: 1% Better Every Day, host Chip Kispert sits down with Kevin Knull, CFP®, and Browning Mank of TaxStatus to explore how their platform is reshaping advisor growth strategies and client service models.

Kevin shares his journey from the U.S. Coast Guard to fintech leadership, highlighting how solving big problems with technology and helping people has always been part of his DNA. Browning offers an unexpected but relatable story about dating that ties directly into why having better data leads to better outcomes.

Together, they reveal how TaxStatus helps advisors uncover held-away assets, prepare for wealth transfer, and scale fiduciary advice in a future where both financial advisors and CPAs will be in short supply.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why incomplete data puts advisors at risk of giving partial advice
  • How firms can discover hidden assets and unlock organic growth
  • The staggering advisor and CPA shortage ahead, and the opportunity it creates
  • Real-world use cases of how tax data transforms client reviews and prospecting

Resources:

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Kevin Knull

Connect with Browning Mank

About Our Guests:

Kevin Knull is the Chief Executive Officer at Tax Status, where he is focused on building strong teams and creating innovative strategies that drive growth and performance in the fintech and financial services industries. Over the course of his career, Kevin has led teams and driven transformation at leading firms including MoneyGuide Pro, PIEtech (MoneyGuide’s Truth platform), YCharts, and Symetra Investment Management. With a background that began at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and included three tours of duty, Kevin brings a service-first mindset to every role. His passion lies in solving big problems, leveraging technology, and helping advisors deliver better outcomes for their clients.

Browning Mank is the Senior Vice President and Enterprise Account Executive at Tax Status. She brings decades of experience across wealth management, insurance, and asset management, with a career that spans corporate, entrepreneurial, RIA, CPA, and fintech sectors. Browning spent 18 years in leadership roles at Fidelity Investments, where she oversaw sales strategy and execution across retail branches, regional centers, and institutional RIA/Broker-Dealer channels. Following her time at Fidelity, she founded a successful executive recruiting and consulting firm, and later held strategic roles with Ackerman Capital Management, ForwardLane Inc., and other prominent RIAs and fintechs. She joined Tax Status in 2024, where she focuses on helping wealth firms harness IRS data to improve client outcomes and drive organic growth. Known for her collaborative approach and creative problem-solving, Browning is dedicated to elevating client and employee experiences and unlocking new opportunities for the professionals she serves.

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