The Customer Wins

Geoff Moore is the CIO of Valmark Financial Group, a financial services agency working exclusively with entrepreneurial wealth management firms to meet its clients' unique and ever-changing needs. He leads a team of experts who use technology to solve business challenges and manage the cybersecurity of Valmark and its member firms. Geoff has over 20 years of experience in technology and financial services and was selected to the Surge Ventures Industry Council for his expertise in cybersecurity for financial service firms in 2022. In this episode… The financial service industry is constantly evolving. So what can you do as an independent financial advisor to keep up and serve your clients? According to Geoff Moore, wealth management firms can partner with agencies to help them achieve operational excellence, mitigate risks, and grow. Since the whole industry is evolving, these agencies also need experts to help them better serve these advisors. As a technology and financial services guru, Geoff shares how he supports his company in maneuvering the tech world to grow and become a support service for the industry’s top tier of financial advisors. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Geoff Moore, CIO of Valmark Financial Group. Geoff explains how Valmark helps people and what it prioritizes internally to serve its clients better. He also shares how he got into technology, how he supports the growth of Valmark, and the correlation between building operational excellence and customer experience.

Aaron Klein is the Co-founder and CEO of Nitrogen, a growth platform for wealth management firms. He has led the company to twice being named one of the world’s top 10 most innovative companies in finance by Fast Company Magazine. Aaron is also the Co-founder of Hope Takes Root, an initiative to use vocational training and life mentoring to change the future for orphans and at-risk kids in Ethiopia. He is an Investment News honoree of the industry’s top 40 Under 40 executives. In this episode… Do you want to transform a hesitant investor into a capable one that makes remarkable decisions? How can you do so as a financial advisor?  The wealth management industry is one of the most challenging industries to be in. Optimal returns are held back from a fear of losing their money. According to Aaron Klein, great financial advisors need clients willing to make bold decisions to create long-term financial outcomes. Learn how to turn your clients into gutsy investors as a financial advisor. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Aaron Klein, Co-founder and CEO of Nitrogen, to discuss how he helps wealth management firms succeed. Aaron talks about Nitrogen and how it helps people, the challenges and mistakes financial advisors make and how to overcome them, and the journey of building Nitrogen and the rebrand.

Austin Netzley is the Founder and CEO of 2X, a firm that works with six and seven-figure entrepreneurs in one-on-one coaching programs to help them scale. In less than three years, he and the 2X team have helped clients generate over $255 million while in the 2X hands-on coaching programs. Austin is an entrepreneur, investor, and author of From 6 To 7 Figures. Before 2X, he was the Founder and CEO of Epic Book Launch and Game Changers. In this episode… Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and not making progress as a six or seven-figure business owner? How can you drive consistent growth, make an impact, and have the best business along the way? Most small business owners tend to focus on the wrong things while trying to grow their brands. To scale with consistency and control, you should simplify your strategies and build and systemize your operational excellence. Austin Netzley shares his journey of helping entrepreneurs achieve sustainable business growth. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Austin Netzley, Founder and CEO of 2X, to discuss the better and simpler way to scale. Austin explains how 2X helps entrepreneurs scale, its customer success stories, how to delegate tasks, give up control, and still deliver on customer experience as entrepreneurs, and his thoughts on AI.

Justin Krane is the Founder of Krane Financial Solutions, a firm known for its strategic and holistic approach to financial planning. As a financial planner professional, he counsels clients on marrying their financial resources with their life goals and business ventures. Before establishing Krane Financial Solutions, Justin spent 12 years as a Vice President of Investments and Sales Manager at UBS Financial Services Inc. His Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation further underscores his proficiency in financial management. In this episode… Do you ever ponder how your personal principles align with your professional journey? Have you questioned how to seamlessly merge your passion and purpose with your business model?  Justin Krane, Founder of Krane Financial Solutions, exemplifies this balance perfectly. As a financial planner, he's built a reputation for blending financial savvy with an introspective, empathetic approach. This equilibrium between 'the numbers' and 'the human element' distinguishes Justin in a field often perceived as solely data-driven. In this episode of The Customer Wins, host Richard Walker engages in an enlightening conversation with Justin Krane. They delve into a range of topics from Justin's unique methodology to his emphasis on 'Return on Life' as opposed to just return on investment. Justin discusses how he integrates his philosophy of life into his work with clients, fostering deep connections and helping them make informed decisions, and the importance of staying focused on the human connection.

Marc Butler is the Founder and Consultant of Marc Butler Consultancy, a consultancy firm that helps wealth management and wealth tech firms improve their growth and performance. He is a respected global business and financial services executive with demonstrated success in start-ups and financial technology companies. Marc is also a contributing writer at Advisor Perspectives, the leading interactive publisher for wealth managers and financial advisors. He was previously the President of Skience and is an active board member at Future Capital, SIGNiX, and AdvisorBid. In this episode… Do you wish to unlock your potential and make your wealth management firm more efficient and scalable? What can you do to improve your growth and performance? Financial services professionals encounter challenges while fully helping their customers transform their finances. Due to evolution in the business space, many face technology and integration problems. Marc Butler recommends hiring consultants to take control of their data and start delivering proper solutions to their customers. He shares his journey in the fintech industry as a consultant. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Marc Butler, Founder and Consultant of Marc Butler Consultancy, to discuss how financial services firms can thrive through consultancy. Marc explains how he got into the fintech industry as a consultant, the problems Marc Butler Consultancy is solving, and his insights around data management and AI.

Ashtan Moore is the Co-Founder and Partner of Model B, an independent agency that drives growth by creating magnetic connections between companies and their customers. He is also the Co-Founder and Advisor of Blueprint, a brand on a mission to automate the advertising process. Ashtan has achieved notable results and driven exponential growth for brands including Anheuser-Busch, Cognizant, Gilead Sciences, GN Store Nord, and many more. In his entrepreneurial career, he has founded, invested in, and operated over 10 businesses along with two successful exits. In this episode… Have you started a company but are struggling to scale it? How can you better connect with your customers to fuel growth? Ashtan Moore says that starting a company is already difficult, but growing can be even harder. As a serial entrepreneur that has founded more than ten companies, he has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience on how to scale a business. Ashtan shares his journey running an agency to help founders and executives who are genuinely committed to the growth of their organization. Listen to this episode of The Customer Wins as host Rich Walker welcomes Ashtan Moore, Co-Founder and Partner of Model B, to discuss how companies can grow. Ashtan explains how Model B helps people, how to acquire product market fit by asking for what people want before creating a product, his journey as an entrepreneur, and how Model B helps companies create excellent customer experiences.

Thom Singer is the CEO of Austin Technology Council (ATC), the leading unifying voice of technology in Central Texas. ATC is an informed opinion leader, providing the Austin Tech community with the insights, resources, and connections they need to grow and thrive.  Thom is a keynote speaker with over 15 years of speaking to corporate and association audiences about cultivating meaningful connections. He has worked as a Director at Stanton Chase International, an executive search firm providing clients with consulting services. Thom has also authored many books on the power of business relationships and networking. In this episode… Are you a tech leader in Austin struggling to grow and thrive? What is the secret sauce for your success in this area? According to Thom Singer, community collaboration and conversations can solve all problems in any industry. He believes adding one person to your inner circle is more impactful than adding 1,000 people to social media. He realized this after a successful career in business development for law firms, banks, and consulting firms. He now shares how he's working with the best thought leaders and visionary entrepreneurs to promote and support the Austin Tech Community. Listen to this episode of The Customer Wins as host Rich Walker welcomes Thom Singer, CEO of Austin Technology Council (ATC), to discuss how they help Austin tech leaders thrive through community. Thom explains how Austin has evolved over the years, ATC’s strategies for building connections, how building a network helps customers win, and shares his thoughts about building communities virtually.

Sanjeev Kumar is the Co-founder and CEO of Skience, a firm transforming financial services firms with innovative services and solutions. His passion for leveraging technology to solve business problems inspired him to found The Athene Group in 2001, which later transformed into Skience. With a mechanical engineering degree from Bangalore University, Sanjeev found the world of technology much more challenging and fun — starting a business that lets him build extensive relationships with financial services firms all across the world. In this episode… With constant evolution in the business world, financial services firms are struggling to keep up. So where can they get the right technology and guidance to help them thrive? According to Sanjeev Kumar, firms that are adopting technology in the financial services industry are the ones making a difference. The only problem is that tech is constantly evolving. Having worked in the industry for hundreds of firms, Sanjeev has developed a tool to help financial services firms streamline and automate their operational processes. Listen to this episode of The Customer Wins as host Rich Walker welcomes Sanjeev Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of Skience, to discuss how to thrive in the financial services industry through digital transformation. Sanjeev explains how Skience helps people, its partnership with Salesforce, its techniques and processes for creating excellent customer experiences, and its customer success stories.

Jud Mackrill is the Co-founder of Milemarker, a specialized team of experts focused on solving the data and integration problems of leading financial services companies. He is also the General Partner of Mammoth and an Advisory Board Member at LifeYield. Jud is passionate about connecting the future of financial advice through design, software integration, and investing in financial services companies. As a multi-award-winning marketer and designer, his work has contributed to the success of many leading financial services and advisory firms. In this episode… Are you struggling to thrive in the financial service industry as an advisor? What can you do to unlock your potential and make your business more efficient and scalable? Financial advisors nowadays are facing data and integration problems hindering their progress. Jud Mackrill recommends leveraging modern infrastructure and tools to become data-driven advisors. They simplify integration, automate processes, and create remarkable experiences for advisors and clients. Learn how to take control of your data and start delivering proper solutions to your internal and external customers as an advisor. Listen to this episode of The Customer Wins as host Rich Walker welcomes Jud Mackrill, Co-founder of Milemarker, to discuss how financial advisory firms can thrive. Jud talks about Milemarker and its services, why he got into the financial services industry, his first role at Orion, and how Milemarker helps financial advisors become more present with their clients.

Shelli Taylor is the CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, an entertainment company providing the best cinematic experience in the world through good food, good beer, and good film in one place. She is an accomplished Fortune 100 executive and also serves as a board member and public speaker. Before Alamo, Shelli spent her 25-year global career with brands like Starbucks Coffee Company, The Walt Disney Company, and Planet Fitness. She is well known for leading high-performance teams through rapid growth and transformation to achieve outsized results. In this episode… Do you find yourself getting distracted in most theaters and being able to fully enjoy the movie? Are there theaters that still offer singular, refined theatrical experiences? Shelli Taylor believes that a theatre should focus on offering the best guest experiences when setting its rules and culture. As for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, it has gone an extra step to become a dining cinema where food, beer, and film can be enjoyed in one location with dedicated customers. Now Shelli Taylor shares how they deliver the best film experiences to their customers. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, to discuss tips for the best customer experience in the film industry. Shelli talks about Alamo rules and culture and how they were developed, the value of hiring the right talent that aligns with your values, how to drive customer experience, and advice for entrepreneurs on how to win more customers.