The Customer Wins

Sid Yenamandra is the Founder and CEO of Surge Ventures, a privacy tech venture studio. Surge Ventures helps create data governance, privacy, and compliance management startups in regulated industries.  Sid is an accomplished entrepreneur and software executive with a proven track record of success in cybersecurity and information governance. He has founded and successfully exited three startups, including Entreda, and served as VP of Product and Marketing at Plato Networks and Founder of PacketFX.  In this episode… The financial services industry is highly complex and ever-evolving. Entrepreneurs face numerous challenges when establishing a tech firm in the industry, from obtaining funding to developing a product that caters to the constantly changing market demands. To thrive in this fiercely competitive landscape, seasoned entrepreneur Sid Yenamandra emphasizes the importance of collaborating with experts. Whether you're just starting or seeking to scale your existing fintech business, these proficient professionals possess the know-how and proficiency to take your SaaS product to the next level. They offer valuable counsel and leverage their extensive network of connections to help you establish a foothold in the market. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Sid Yenamandra, Founder and CEO of Surge Ventures, to discuss his journey of building a RegTech, ComplyTech, and PrivacyTech-focused venture studio. Sid talks about Surge Ventures and how it helps people, investing in tech to solve compliance risks for wealth management firms, risk management, and AI adoption in the wealth management industry.

Jason Barber is the Founder and CEO of Uptick Partners, a firm that helps advisors break away to become fully independent. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) with over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. Jason is also the Founder and CEO of Holistic Planning, a fee-only RIA focused on delivering massive value to clients. Before Holistic Planning, he served as a financial advisor at Edward Jones. In this episode… Many financial advisors working in broker-dealer firms often feel they are not fully utilizing their expertise to help their clients. They aspire to break free from the broker-dealer dynamic and embark on their independent journey. However, it is an arduous task requiring time, effort, and resources. Jason Barber, a Certified Financial Planner, was no exception to this dilemma. After working as a financial advisor for Edward Jones for many years, he realized it was time to start his own RIA service. The primary aim of his venture was to deliver exceptional value to his clients while minimizing the conflict of interest. Through his experiences, he helps other advisors unleash their potential as breakaway advisors and achieve independence. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Jason Barber, Founder and CEO of Uptick Partners, to discuss how to become a fee-only RIA. Jason explains how Uptick Partners helps people, why advisors become independent, the value of becoming a fee-only RIA, and technological recommendations for breakaway advisors.

Clifton Schaller is the Chief Growth Officer at FutureVault, a market-leading provider of secure document exchange and digital vault solutions for the financial services and wealth management industry. With a background in corporate development, product management, and strategic partnerships, he is responsible for driving the intersection of top-line growth and product strategy. Clifton holds an impressive professional background, having previously served at prominent organizations including Capital One, Morningstar, and Nitrogen Wealth (formerly Riskalyze). He is also an advisory board member for Smart KX, a rising startup. In this episode… In today's fast-paced business environment, efficiency is fundamental. As institutions, firms, and professionals continue navigating the new norm, digital vaults have emerged as a must-have technology for streamlining document-driven processes. These secure virtual storage solutions offer structure and security that traditional document storage cannot match. Clifton Schaller, a notable figure in the emerging industry, says that digital vault technology can automate document-driven processes, reduce costs, and enhance client satisfaction. With secure access to critical information at their fingertips, institutions and professionals can make informed decisions faster, enabling them to stay ahead of the curve. He shares how they've built solutions designed to help the financial services industry keep its edge. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Clifton Schaller, Chief Growth Officer at FutureVault, to discuss the value of the digital vault technology. Clifton shares how FutureVault helps people, the value of using a third-party vault for client documents and compliance, how they use AI for document analysis and insights in wealth management, and career growth through confidence. 

Jen Goldman is the Founder of My Virtual COO, a firm helping businesses transform their operations with less stress, struggles, and missteps. She has over 30 years of experience as a business operations transformer, having helped over 1000 businesses thrive. She has taught her methods at national conferences, and her work has been published by Inc Magazine, Tech Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice, Liberated CEO, and trade publications. In this episode… Growing a business is rewarding but stressful. It entails juggling multiple business operations — expertise many leaders and teams might not possess. That's why many companies face stagnation after their initial growth spurt.  Jen Goldman, a business operations transformer, says that one of the biggest challenges businesses face is scaling their operations and teams to match their growth and deliver great customer experiences. It's not enough to add more staff or resources — cohesive and effective operations in the company are also crucial. You need a well-planned strategy that will help you grow and improve your business sustainably. She shares how she helps service businesses identify, implement, and accelerate their scalability and growth. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Jen Goldman, Founder of My Virtual COO, to discuss how businesses can grow by transforming their operations. Jen talks about My Virtual COO, improving customer experience through technology and communication, the value of treating your employees well, and the giver personality.

Murray Gray is the Co-founder of Xperiencify, a platform helping course creators get more people to complete their online courses. He is the developer of the “Experiencification” methodology: a powerful combination of techniques from the fields of games, adult learning psychology, and the gambling industries. A self-taught marketer and entrepreneur, Murray has made a career out of building software platforms to make life easier for other business owners. He is also the Founder of Engagify, and has previously founded and co-founded numerous companies such as Live Your Message, HeroicNow.com, Adicted.io, Fansflood, and others. In this episode… Courses are one of the best ways to improve someone's skills or train employees. However, research shows that only about 3% of people who purchase online courses ever complete them. Gamifying the course could be a game-changer for you.  Serial entrepreneur Murray Gray is a course creator who has been releasing courses for years to help people transform their lives through education. With time, he discovered that only a handful of people who bought his course would finish it and get the desired results. This propelled him to find an easy and fun way to get more people to complete his online courses. He shares how he increased the course completion rates by leveraging games and human psychology in the course creation process.  In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Murray Gray, Co-founder of Xperiencify, to discuss how course creators can improve course completion rates. Murray discusses how Xperiencify helps people, its metrics for online course completion rates and how they impact sales, key things to improve course completion rates, and its ideal clients and customer success stories.

Sherry Winn is the Founder and CEO of The Winning Leadership Company, a firm specializing in developing leaders who inspire their teams to work at championship levels. She is a two-time Olympian, National Championship Basketball Coach of the Year, and a three-time Amazon best-selling author. Sherry is also an internationally renowned speaker who frequently addresses audiences such as StubHub, AnyTime Fitness, New York Life, Edward Jones, and Technicolor. In this episode… Leading a team is no small feat. It requires a unique set of skills and qualities that not everyone possesses such as finding top talent, maintaining high loyalty, and taking your team to the next level. This is where working with a coach can be helpful. With over 34 years of experience as a national championship basketball coach and two-time Olympian, Sherry Winn acknowledges that coaching is not just for athletes or performers. It's for anyone who wants to improve their skills and reach their full potential. A coach can help you understand who you are, how you appear to others, and what you need to do to increase productivity. With a coach, you can become a better leader and build stronger relationships with your team. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Sherry Winn, Founder and CEO of The Winning Leadership Company, to discuss leadership strategies that create Olympic-level teams. Sherry explains how The Winning Leadership Company helps people, the correlation between sports and business, the qualities of a good leader, and her pivotal moments in becoming a better leader.

Daniel Yoo is the Founder of FinMate AI, an AI note-taking assistant designed by financial advisors, for financial advisors. He spent the first seven years of his career as a financial advisor for renowned firms such as Equitable, TD Ameritrade, and Schwab before transitioning to lead operations and fintech. Drawing on his experience in the advisory and tech spaces, he has created valuable tools for the financial community. In addition, he holds his FINRA series license. In this episode… As a financial advisor, taking accurate and detailed notes during client meetings is a crucial part of the job. However, it is a time-consuming task. Using AI can be a game-changer. Renowned FinTech entrepreneur Daniel Yoo recognized that note-taking in meetings helped him better serve his clients. He developed an AI-powered platform to help advisors concentrate on their clients during meetings without worrying about recording every detail. This allows them to build stronger relationships with clients by valuing their time and input. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Daniel Yoo, Founder of FinMate AI, to discuss how advisors can leverage AI for taking notes in client meetings. Daniel explains how FinMate AI helps financial advisors take notes, the advantages of taking notes during meetings, insights on security with AI products, and customer success stories.

Joe Moss, Co-founder of Pro Advisor Suite, discusses how financial advisors can grow their business by joining a community. He highlights the benefits of staying connected to stay relevant in a rapidly changing industry, tapping into the knowledge of other advisors, and building a loyal client base. The podcast explores optimizing tech stacks, using AI tools for community engagement, creating niche communities, the future of education, and strategies for online business success.

Eric Bourget is the Founder and CEO of HalfSerious, a renowned product innovation studio known for its exceptional creativity and unrivaled technological expertise. The company specializes in designing and creating bespoke software solutions that enable businesses to achieve their growth.  With a strong background in the video game industry, Eric brings a unique blend of creativity and technical insights to his work at HalfSerious. He is a highly sought-after speaker who addresses topics such as the role of design in business, nurturing passion in the workplace,, and the impact of AI on business operations. In this episode… The business space is rapidly evolving in the digital age and companies that fail to keep up risk falling behind their competitors. Digital transformation has crucial for long-term success, helping companies achieve greater growth and streamline their operations. By embracing transformation, businesses can potentially improve their agility, efficiency, and customer experience.  While technology can be complex, tech expert Eric Bourget suggests that the user experience should be intuitive and user-friendly.. As a tech developer company, involving clients in the development process is crucial. You can gain valuable insights that help you create customized solutions to address their unique challenges and opportunities. By tailoring the technology to each business’ specific requirements, you can ensure that it delivers the maximum value for all involved. In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Eric Bourget, Founder and CEO of HalfSerious, to discuss digital transformation for businesses. Eric explains how HalfSerious helps people, how to get companies to adopt new tech, and shares his insights on using AI in businesses.

Valarie Vest is the Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer of Cambridge Investment Research, an internally-controlled financial solutions firm dedicated to serving independent financial advisors and their clients. The company offers a range of flexible solutions, including advising, growth, technology, independence, and more.  Valarie has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Additionally, she's a corporate innovator and leadership coach who works directly with financial professionals and associates to identify emerging trends and translate insights into actionable strategies. In this episode… Building a successful practice as an independent financial advisor can be daunting. It's no longer enough to offer sound financial advice — clients expect more from their advisors. They want personalized service and seamless experiences.  Valarie Vest, an expert in the field, says that the key to success as a financial advisor is creating exceptional customer experiences. Through this, advisors can attract more clients, retain existing ones, and establish a base of loyal, satisfied customers. Unfortunately, not all financial advisors possess the expertise to create these lasting impressions. She recommends partnering with firms that offer advice, technology, and growth strategies to enable advisors to serve their clients better.  In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker sits down with Valarie Vest, Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer of Cambridge Investment Research, to discuss how financial advisors can thrive through better customer experiences. Valarie talks about how Cambridge, the foundational tools for connecting with customers, and how to design better experiences as a financial advisor.