Trust in wealth management isn’t built on returns. It comes from how you show up when things get messy.

When markets rise and fall, strategies shift, and emotions run high, that’s when trust is really put to the test.

In this episode, Tom Kelly, Chief Investment Officer and Senior Advisor at SJS Investment Services, shares how transparency, patience, and emotional intelligence shape real confidence between advisors, clients, and investment partners.

Through two contrasting stories of rising and falling trust with third-party asset managers, Tom reveals what he has learned about strengthening long-term relationships, as well as what can quickly unravel them.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why wealth management is ultimately a trust-based business.
• How transparency around both wins and losses strengthens long-term confidence.
• What red flags appear when investment managers avoid discussing risk.
• Why proactive communication matters most when things go wrong.
• How emotional intelligence shapes trust during market volatility.
• The role diversification plays in balancing excitement and long-term stability.
• Why knowing the person behind the portfolio matters more than just performance.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “I always say I'm an investment advisor or work in the wealth management industry, but truly… it's a trust business at the end of the day.” - Tom Kelly
• “Everyone loves to talk about everything that’s good and the potential good that can come, but people are oftentimes very short on the risks.” - Tom Kelly
• "Trust oftentimes takes a long time to build and can be destroyed instantaneously with one wrongdoing.” - Tom Kelly

Resources:

• SJS Investment Services

About Tom Kelly:

Tom Kelly is the Chief Investment Officer and Senior Advisor at SJS Investment Services, an independent registered investment advisory firm with nearly 30 years of history. He leads with a long-term investment philosophy focused on diversification, discipline, and client-first decision making. Tom is known for pairing institutional-level investment rigor with relationship-driven service rooted in transparency and trust.

Connect with Tom:

LinkedIn: Tom Kelly, CFA

Connect with Anne:

LinkedIn: Anne Claessen

Connect With Us

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Rise and Fall of Trust wherever you get your podcasts. And if you’re thinking about launching a podcast that builds trust and drives results, that’s our jam. Schedule a free call at Cashflow Podcasting to learn more.

What separates leaders who earn trust effortlessly from those who struggle, even with all the right qualifications?

In this episode, Stars & Stripes Financial Advisors founder Phillip Hulme reflects on why understanding someone’s language, background, and lived experience isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s often the difference between trust that grows easily and trust that never forms at all.

Phillip grew up in a military family, enlisted at 17, and spent over 7 years in service before transitioning into corporate America—and later financial planning. In our conversation, he shares how competence and compassion work together to build trust, why reliability is a superpower anyone can develop, and how one painful leadership experience taught him what not to replicate.

Listen in to hear stories about showing up fully, even when your time in an organization is coming to an end, and why listening without defensiveness is one of the most underrated trust-building habits a leader can have.

What You’ll Learn:

• How cultural competence creates immediate trust with military clients.
• Why reliability is one of the strongest signals of character.
• How compassion and competence work together in trust-building.
• What Phillip learned from a leader who lacked emotional intelligence.
• Simple habits he uses to invite feedback and strengthen relationships.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “One of the biggest components of trust is competence. And if I'm coming from a similar background—if I know your language, I know your culture—it allows me to be competent.” - Phillip Hulme
• “Competency is a part of trust, but competency is not all-encompassing… It is necessary, but insufficient.” - Phillip Hulme
• “Allowing people to speak their truth, to be honest, to operate with integrity requires that you have enough compassion to hear somebody out.” - Phillip Hulme
  
  

Resources:

• Stars & Stripes Financial Advisors: Blog | Services
  
  

About Phillip Hulme:

Phillip Hulme is the founder and Chief Financial Advisor at Stars & Stripes Financial Advisors, where he serves military members and veterans through culturally competent, accessible financial planning. A U.S. Army veteran himself, Phillip spent over 7 years in active service before moving into corporate America and ultimately discovering that financial advising was the perfect intersection of his love for personal finance and his desire to serve the military community. Phillip built his firm with a model that works for real military households — focusing on pensions, disability, healthcare, and GI Bill benefits rather than traditional asset-based requirements. Today, he helps clients navigate life transitions, build financial clarity, and make confident decisions rooted in trust and shared understanding.

Connect with Phillip: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Connect with Anne: LinkedIn

Connect with Us

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Rise and Fall of Trust wherever you get your podcasts. And if you’re thinking about launching a podcast that builds trust and drives results, that’s our jam. Schedule a free call at Cashflow Podcasting to learn more.

In a world full of constant distractions, the people who choose to make time for us stand out — and for Charlie Horonzy, founder of Focused Up Financial, that simple act has become one of the clearest measures of trust. Across his career, Charlie has experienced both the steady confidence that comes from a generous mentor who always shows up, and the frustration that emerges when communication breaks down and leadership disappears. Those two contrasts shaped his entire understanding of trust, not just in financial planning, but in parenting, teamwork, and everyday relationships.

In this episode, Charlie reflects on why mentorship mattered so deeply early in his career, how availability builds confidence for clients and colleagues, and what he learned from an experience where shifting expectations and unclear communication caused trust to fall apart.

What You’ll Learn:

• How simple availability can become a powerful trust-building habit.
• Why presence matters more than ever in a distraction-heavy world.
• How inconsistent communication erodes trust even without malicious intent.
• What leaders often overlook when hiring, mentoring, or promising career progression.
• How Charlie uses early lessons (good and bad) to shape the way he serves clients and raises his kids.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “What's really neat about this in this day and age is people who can make the time for you. I view it as it's even more important because there's so many other distractions—whether it's work, family, whatever it is—away from time.” - Charlie Horonzy
• "You can't really trust someone if they're telling you one thing and then they're doing another. You gotta be true to your word.” - harlie HoronzyC
• “Every day, children are watching and they're looking for us to be leaders. And through that, they're gonna have the biggest trust in us, especially when they're young. And we can either develop that trust… or we can start to break that trust.” - Charlie Horonzy

Resources:

• Focused Up Financial, LLC
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

About Charlie Horonzy:

Charlie Horonzy is a fee-only financial advisor, CPA, and Certified Financial Planner™ who founded Focused Up Financial to help individuals and families align smart planning with meaningful life goals. With a background in public accounting and a passion for integrating tax strategy into long-term financial decisions, Charlie now supports clients in building clarity and confidence around their finances. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring Chicagoland with his wife and three children, biking the Salt Creek trail, and volunteering in his community.

Connect with Charlie:

Website: Focused Up Financial

LinkedIn: Charlie Horonzy, CFP®, CPA

Facebook: Focused Up Financial

YouTube: Focused Up Financial

Connect with Anne:

LinkedIn: Anne Claessen

Connect With Us

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Rise and Fall of Trust wherever you get your podcasts. And if you’re thinking about launching a podcast that builds trust and drives results, that’s our jam. Schedule a free call at Cashflow Podcasting to learn more.