Between Meetings with Matt Heine

In this episode of Between Meetings, Matt Heine welcomes Professor Lauren Cohen, specialised in behavioural finance and innovation at Harvard Business School. They explore the rise of family offices, the intersection of technology and advice, and how generational shifts are reshaping wealth management. Lauren offers practical advice for advisers and institutions navigating change, and shares stories from his research and work with leading global families and fintechs.

In this episode, Matt Heine sits down Eliza De Pardo, a leading consultant to wealth management firms. They explore the differences between the US and Australian advice markets, the key ingredients for firm success, and how technology and marketing are reshaping client growth. Eliza discusses her journey, the importance of strategic leadership, and her new online course, Ignition, aimed at helping firms under $250 million in assets achieve sustainable growth. Check out below information on the Ignition Program: IGNITION: From Practice to Powerhouse Launches January 5th, 2026! The first online business growth course built exclusively for advisory firms under $250M AUM. Seven strategic modules covering firm development stages, the challenges and solutions, financial fundamentals, 5 big growth strategies, crafting your client value proposition, building service packages that are profitable and implementation frameworks - plus, access six months of live monthly Q&A sessions with Eliza De Pardo to drive implementation. Early Action Pricing: Save $500 when you enroll before January 30th. Join the waitlist now. Enrol January 5th, 2026 at www.depardoconsulting.com

Matt Heine welcomes Michael Goodman, President of Wealthstream Advisors Inc., for an in-depth conversation on building and scaling a successful advice firm, recognised as a "Best Place to Work." Based in Manhattan, Michael reflects on his 29 year journey - from starting the practice solo to managing $1.7 billion in AUM with a 23-person team. He discusses the power of process, workflows and capacity planning, why culture has been his greatest differentiator, and how he has created a widely respected ownership model for staff. They also explore U.S. industry trends including private equity rollups, de-consolidation, and succession challenges, plus how AI and technology are reshaping advice delivery. A must-listen for anyone interested in leadership, growth and the future of financial planning.

Matt Heine welcomes Kon Costas, Managing Director of The Principals' Community, for a wide-ranging chat on the future of financial advice. With decades of leadership experience across Westpac, BT and now a national self-licensed adviser network, Kon offers powerful insights on what makes businesses grow, merge successfully, and remain resilient. They discuss trusted leadership, why self-licensing is rising, and how cultural alignment is key to any successful M&A deal. Kon also shares how his team supports 135 advice firms and 1,300+ advisers through governance, CPD and peer-driven growth. A must-listen for anyone navigating change or thinking about the next evolution of advice. 00:01:12 – Entering financial services Kon Costas shares how his career began in banking with Westpac in 1989, eventually transitioning into financial advice and later leadership and licensee roles. 00:03:13 – Reflecting on industry change Kon discusses the evolution of financial planning, the Royal Commission, and the ongoing challenge of adviser shortages despite increased professionalism. 00:05:07 – Lessons in change management Kon reflects on his experience navigating industry change, emphasising transparency, trust, and leading from the front during both tough and growth periods. 00:07:06 – The Principals' Community Now Managing Director of The Principals' Community, Kon explains its mission to support successful self-licensed practices through governance, education, and scale. 00:11:38 – The rise of self-licensing Kon explores trends in self-licensing, highlighting flexibility, control, and the importance of capability—while cautioning that cost should not be the primary driver. 00:21:45 – Business performance and growth He shares key data points from member firms, such as average client load (105 per adviser), profitability benchmarks, and the push for greater efficiency and organic growth. 00:23:47 – M&A trends and traps Kon unpacks the current M&A landscape, warning against rushed deals and stressing the need for cultural alignment, thorough due diligence, and clear expectations. 00:32:38 – Building the future of advice He calls for industry-wide collaboration to attract and train the next generation of advisers, boost the profession's reputation, and increase the reach of quality advice. 00:36:24 – Looking ahead Kon closes with optimism, encouraging advisers to embrace the abundant opportunities ahead, especially with technology enabling broader client reach.

Listen to Dan Solin, President at Solin Strategic LLC and Evidence Based Advisor Marketing, as he shares his journey from law to financial advice, revealing how his legal background shaped a preventative, client-first mindset. In this episode, Dan unpacks the power of simplicity in investing, advocating for low-cost, transparent strategies that cut through industry complexity. He introduces the neuroscience-informed "Solin process" to build trust and engagement and explains why listening—not talking—is the true competitive edge for advisers. He explores how AI and avatars can scale personalisation and content delivery, critiques outdated asset-based fees, and champions fairer, fixed models. Dan concludes by affirming that while technology will transform the industry, the human element remains essential in delivering meaningful, emotionally intelligent financial advice in Australia's evolving landscape. 00:01:35 – Dan's background Dan began his career as a lawyer before shifting into financial advising. He explains how his legal background influenced his focus on prevention over reaction, leading him to help clients make better investment decisions before problems arise. 00:03:01 – Writing and evidence-based investing Dan discusses his books on evidence-based investing, explaining how the industry often overcomplicates what should be a straightforward discipline. His philosophy centres around simplicity, low-cost solutions, and the importance of transparency. 00:05:09 – The Solin process He introduces the "Solin process," a neuroscience-informed approach to client engagement that focuses on asking open-ended questions. This process helps advisors convert prospects into clients by building trust and credibility. 00:08:08 – Neuroscience and listening Referencing studies from Harvard, Dan explains that listening creates pleasurable brain responses in clients. In contrast, dominating the conversation often leads to disengagement. Listening, he argues, is the true competitive edge in advisery services. 00:15:00 – Leveraging technology Dan explains how advisors can use AI and digital avatars to scale their outreach while maintaining personalisation. These tools are especially effective for connecting with younger clients and enhancing marketing efforts. 00:18:32 – Investment simplicity Dan challenges the idea that complex strategies are better. He advocates for evidence-based investing and the use of index funds, stressing that clear communication and low-cost solutions often yield better outcomes for clients. 00:22:10 – Rethinking fee structures Dan critiques asset-based fees, calling them outdated and often misaligned with the actual work advisors perform. He recommends more transparent, service-based or fixed-fee models that reflect real value delivered. 00:24:38 – The role of advisers in a tech-enabled future While AI will take over many routine functions, Dan believes the human element will remain essential. Advisers should focus on addressing complex emotional and financial needs, while tech handles repetitive processes. 00:27:44 – Using avatars to scale content Dan shares how he uses avatars to turn written content into hundreds of video clips. This allows him to scale his marketing and provide 24/7 access to resources without additional workload. 00:31:51 – Final reflections Dan concludes by affirming his belief in the integrity of most advisors and their willingness to evolve. By adopting better communication strategies and new technologies, the industry can deliver more effective and ethical service.

Hear Clayton Daniel, CEO of Ensombl, as he discusses the remarkable evolution of Ensombl from a small team to a thriving community of over 10,000 advice professionals. Clayton shares valuable insights on how Ensombl has grown in size and sophistication, the challenges and successes they've faced, and their unwavering mission to drive the positive evolution of financial advice. He delves into the importance of creating an agile workplace, leveraging AI to enhance efficiency, and the pivotal role of community in professional development. Clayton also talks about the significance of moderation in maintaining a healthy community and the profound impact of virtual PD days on continuous professional development, ensuring that advisers stay ahead in their field.

This episode looks back at some of the most incisive moments from Matt's conversations in 2024, with an array of impressive guests from diverse fields who share their experiences, insights, and key learnings for financial advisers. Listen to the full episodes from which these clips are taken: Ep 94: Embracing play at work to innovate and collaborate – Tane Hunter & Dara Simkin Ep 93: Keeping wealth and succession in the family – Philip Pryor Ep 92: Optimising advice firms for business efficiency – Sue Viskovic Ep 91: Growing the licensee of the future – Hugh Humphrey Ep 90: Building bonds in the financial sector – Danielle Press Ep 89: Sharpening advice firms for a competitive edge – Dean Lombardo Ep 88: Expanding horizons with alternative assets – Lawrence Calcano Ep 87: Partnering with purpose to create a better world – Jean Oelwang Ep 86: Scientifically revealing client preferences for personalised advice - Shachar Kariv PhD & Bernard Del Rey Ep 85: Leadership lessons from Facebook's former CEO - Stephen Scheeler

Listen to Philip Pryor, Founder & CEO at Family Business Central, talk through his career transition from psychology and large corporates to family businesses, finding greater fulfilment and leading to the founding of Family Business Central. Phil notes that the family enterprise market in Australia is less mature than the US and Europe, with fewer multi-generational families and a lack of understanding about family offices. He provides insights and examples of the emotional and logistical challenges families face when selling a business and highlights why fairness in family enterprises doesn't always mean equality. Phil outlines the importance of preparing the next generation through education, financial literacy, and involvement in family business activities to ensure long-term success. Lastly, he mentions that he is writing a book, titled "Risking It All," to help families in business navigate issues like communication, conflict management, and succession planning.

Listen to Hugh Humphrey, CEO of Count, as he traces his unique career path from roles in consulting, to telecommunications, and eventually to financial advice, now leading one of the largest licensee groups in Australia. Hugh shares the leadership insights he gained from other impressive leaders, such as values-based decision-making, the importance of effective communication, and the need to respond quickly and transparently when problem-solving. He chats through the evolving role of the licensee and the areas he is focused on with scaling the business, diversifying revenue streams, and integrating technology to improve client service. Finally, Hugh identifies technology and outsourcing as crucial for increasing efficiency and client capacity, while also emphasizing the need for more advisers and new ways for people to enter the profession.

Listen to Dean Lombardo, Founder & Principal of Effortless Engagement, as he shares his history in advice to becoming a consultant and an author. Dean talks through how he developed a unique method of evaluating client progression and confidence using short-term milestones and adult learning theory. He discusses the benefits of goals-based planning and explains how re-engineering adviser processes could lead to increased productivity, referrals, and better client outcomes. Dean suggests that advisers could address the advice supply gap and service more clients with less effort by using technology. He warns of the risk of not investing in intergenerational planning and multidisciplinary services and finally concludes that the best businesses are already using AI and other tools to enhance their client engagement and value proposition. Effortless Engagement: www.effortlessengagement.com.au

Listen to Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, relate how she was instrumental in creating the foundation of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, which brings together the business and not-for-profit worlds to scale change and create a better world. 20 years on Jean recounts what drew her from telcos into the impact sphere, how she observed and had a few ''light bulb'' moments whilst incubating groups of great leaders, like Nelson Mandella, which became the inspiration to write her book on Partnering. Jean shares stories of people and companies who have connected with purpose and the rituals they maintain for success. She highlights the opportunity for businesses to change the world, how this impacts the bottom line, and shares advice for smaller businesses starting their journey

Listen to Stephen Scheeler, CEO & Co-Founder of Omniscient Neurotechnology, relate how his corporate career moved to the internet and e-commerce sector, working at Facebook and finally setting up Omniscient, a leader in the field of neurotechnology. Stephen describes how he joined Facebook as one of the "adults" who helped transform the company from cult success into a global powerhouse. He explains how he learned to be a humble, flexible and transparent leader at Facebook, and the practices he adopted, such as posting his performance reviews, creating a good boss/bad boss list, and empowering his team to succeed. Stephen talks through how he co-founded Omniscient, a company that uses AI to decode the human brain and solve problems in areas like mental illness, neurodegeneration, emotions and intelligence.

Hear Marcus Price, CEO and Managing Director, Iress as he shares his background in banking to building PEXA and what drew him to the investment side of financial services with Iress. Marcus discusses the industry step change he accelerated with data and automation in banking decisions as well as bringing the digitisation of property settlements through PEXA (Property Exchange Australia) to fruition. He expands on the hallmarks of change management, his eye-opening first few days at Iress and the inspiration he draws from other companies. Marcus chats through the applications for AI as a tool to provide actionable insights and the need for tech toolkits for people in financial services. He finally shares his concerns over cybersecurity with old tech stacks, the role of communities, and where he sees Iress heading in the next few years.