Funded Contentment: Brian Portnoy on Money, Meaning, and Better Advice

Brian Portnoy believes that great financial advice starts long before portfolios and performance. It starts with understanding what actually matters to people.

In this episode of The Advisor Journey, Brian, founder of Shaping Wealth and author of The Geometry of Wealth, shares how behavioral finance, psychology, and purpose-driven conversations can transform the advisor-client relationship.

He introduces the concept of “funded contentment,” the idea that true wealth is the ability to underwrite a meaningful life. Brian explains why emotion is inseparable from money, why advisors should lean into deeper conversations, and how helping clients feel seen and understood creates stronger relationships and better outcomes.

This conversation challenges traditional approaches to advice and offers a framework for advisors who want to move beyond market commentary and toward work that is both human and enduring.

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Real-life strategies for the modern financial advisor who’s ready to scale. Join Altruist leaders and guests as they share proven tactics, unfiltered advice, and hard-won lessons you can apply to your own practice. These conversations will propel your career to the next level—don’t miss it.

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Altruist Corp ("Altruist") offers technology and tools designed to help financial advisors achieve better outcomes. Advisory and certain other services are provided by Altruist LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser, and brokerage related products and services are provided by Altruist Financial LLC, a member of FINRA/SI...