Redefining Client Discovery in Finance With Marla Sofer

Marla Sofer is the Founder and CEO of Knomee, a fintech platform that empowers individuals to align their financial decisions with their personal values and goals. With over two decades of experience in financial services — including leadership roles at JP Morgan, BlackRock, Microsoft, and Carta — she has consistently championed client-centric innovation in the industry. Motivated by the industry's shortcomings in truly understanding clients, Marla launched Knomee to redefine client discovery through behavioral science and self-reflection. Beyond her professional endeavors, she is a renowned speaker on financial services evolution and a passionate advocate for women's empowerment.

In this episode…

Financial advisors often believe they understand their clients well, yet many rely on shallow, one-size-fits-all planning strategies. The industry's product-driven incentives and limited client engagement usually prevent advisors from exploring what motivates their clients. How can financial professionals move beyond basic data points to foster deeper, more meaningful client relationships?

Marla Sofer, a seasoned financial services expert with over 20 years of experience across banking, asset management, and fintech, shares that most advisors lack the tools and frameworks to dig deeper into the values and goals of their clients. She emphasizes the importance of guided self-discovery and behavioral insight to replace outdated planning models. Marla explains how advisors can encourage clients to reflect on what brings them joy, articulate their goals in greater detail, and build trust by moving beyond conventional metrics like age or retirement numbers. These techniques differentiate an advisor’s practice, leading to stronger engagement and retention.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Marla Sofer, Founder and CEO of Knomee, about redefining financial planning through behavioral science. Marla discusses how self-reflection leads to smarter financial decisions, the challenges of legacy planning, advisor-client dynamics, and the need for scalable client segmentation. She also shares her entrepreneurial journey, leadership influences, and long-term vision for the industry.