In this energizing episode of The Power of Integrity Podcast, host Ralph Adamo welcomes Alanah Phillips—co-founder of Start With Catalyst, co-founder of Advisor Launch Lab, industry consultant, speaker, and author of Breaking Up With Your Broker Dealer.

Alanah shares her unexpected path from a roofing contractor’s daughter to one of the most respected strategist-advocates in financial services. With humor, candor, and unmistakable clarity, she describes how her early HR experience, desire to support her family, and curiosity about people led her into advisor recruiting, succession design, and practice transition support.

Ralph and Alanah dive into the heart of today’s conversation: integrity, radical transparency, authenticity, and the courage to do the next right thing—even when the incentives don’t line up in the short term. Alanah’s stories of guiding advisors through painful breakups, championing women in financial services, and navigating misaligned corporate cultures shine a spotlight on what principled leadership truly looks like.

• 🌟 The Origin of Catalyst & Advisor Launch Lab: How Alanah left a misaligned corporate structure to create an independent model that truly advocates for advisors—whether they’re seasoned “Michael Jordans” or rising “name-image-likeness” next-gen talent.
• 📚 Breaking Up With Your Broker-Dealer: The real-life story of a woman advisor whose income grew from $150K to nearly $1M after courageously making a transition that aligned with her values, autonomy, and long-term goals.
• 🔎 Radical Transparency as Integrity in Action: Why Alanah always tells advisors the truth—even when it goes against her own short-term incentives—and how that honesty compounds into trust, referrals, and long-term impact.
• 💡 Authenticity Is the Cheat Code: From sparkly shoes to bold colors to being fully herself with clients, Alanah explains why authenticity attracts the right relationships and repels the wrong ones.

"If you are your authentic self, you draw the right people to you—and you repel the wrong people. Honestly, it’s just more fun." — Alanah Phillips

If you’re an advisor seeking alignment, independence, or clarity about your next move—or a leader looking to deepen your commitment to integrity—this episode is essential listening. Subscribe to The Power of Integrity Podcast, share this conversation with someone navigating change, and remember: do the next right thing, and the long-term will always take care of itself.

Connect with Alanah:

📨 Email: hello@alanahphillips.com

🌐 Website: https://startwithcatalyst.com 🔗 LinkedIn: Search “Alanah Phillips – Catalyst” 🎙️ Podcast: NextGen in 10 (relaunching soon)

Connect with Ralph Adamo:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-adamo/
• Website: http://www.integrityiwm.com/
• Website: https://www.integrityatwork.com/
• Podbean: https://thepowerofintegrity.podbean.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@integritywealthmanagement9812

Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow!

Disclaimer:

Ralph Adamo is registered with and securities are offered through Kovack Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 6451 N. Federal Highway, Suite 1201, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308. Tel: 954-782-4771. Investment advisory services are offered through Kovack Advisors, Inc. Integrity Wealth Management is not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Kovack Advisors, Inc.

#PowerOfIntegrityPodcast #RalphAdamo #AlanahPhillips #StartWithCatalyst #AdvisorLaunchLab #BreakingUpWithYourBrokerDealer #FinancialAdvisorGrowth #RadicalTransparency #AuthenticLeadership #WomenInFinance #AdvisorTransitions

In this illuminating episode of The Power of Integrity Podcast, host Ralph Adamo sits down with Dr. Tess Breen—CEO, leadership and communication expert, and full-time professor at Chapman University. From “Horrible Bosses” that shaped her early career to earning her doctorate in leadership, Dr. Breen shares how emotional intelligence, self-leadership, and personal values became the foundation of her life’s work.

With four children, a thriving consulting practice, and a deeply personal commitment to foster youth advocacy, Dr. Breen opens up about what it means to hold tightly to your values no matter the room you’re in. She discusses how integrity shapes culture, why transparency builds trust, and how leaders must model the emotional intelligence they expect from others.

This conversation is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership—rooted in empathy, humility, authenticity, and the courage to be the same person everywhere you go.

• 🌱 Leadership Starts with Self: Dr. Breen explains how personal development, emotional regulation, and self-awareness form the core of effective leadership—and why she teaches her students to develop themselves before managing others.
• 🧡 Living Your Values Everywhere: Integrity is being the same person in every room. Dr. Breen describes holding tightly to her values while navigating family life, executive coaching, and university teaching.
• 🎓 The Pressure on Young Professionals: From burnout in high-achieving students to grind culture in the workplace, Dr. Breen shares why humility, intentionality, and balance matter more than chasing titles or checking boxes.

"You have to be the best version of yourself, and you have to be that person no matter what room you’re in." — Dr. Tess Breen

If you want to lead with clarity, empathy, and authenticity, this episode delivers the insight you need. Subscribe to The Power of Integrity Podcast, share this conversation with someone striving to grow as a leader, and explore how living your values can elevate your impact—in business, in family, and in life.

Connect with Tess:

🌐 Website: https://drtessbreen.com 📧 Email: tess@drtessbreen.com 📱 Social: @drtessbreen on major platforms

Connect with Ralph Adamo:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-adamo/
• Website: http://www.integrityiwm.com/
• Website: https://www.integrityatwork.com/
• Podbean: https://thepowerofintegrity.podbean.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@integritywealthmanagement9812

Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow!

Disclaimer:

Ralph Adamo is registered with and securities are offered through Kovack Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 6451 N. Federal Highway, Suite 1201, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308. Tel: 954-782-4771. Investment advisory services are offered through Kovack Advisors, Inc. Integrity Wealth Management is not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Kovack Advisors, Inc.

#PowerOfIntegrityPodcast #RalphAdamo #TessBreen #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #IntegrityInLeadership #ChapmanUniversity #ExecutiveCoaching #WomenInLeadership #PurposeDrivenLeadership #ValuesBasedLeadership

In this powerful episode of The Power of Integrity Podcast, host Ralph Adamo sits down with Haren Bhakta, CFA—a chartered financial analyst, wealth advisor, and creator of the Insider Ownership Index. Haren shares how an early fascination with the stock market, a hard lesson during the dot-com crash, and years at firms like Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley shaped his career and philosophy.

He also reveals the thinking behind his innovative index: a “skin in the game” approach that reweights S&P 500 companies based on insider ownership rather than market cap. For Haren, insider ownership is a direct signal of commitment, conviction, and long-term integrity from corporate leaders.

Together, Ralph and Haren explore how integrity shows up in investing, advisory work, personal ethics, and the difficult decisions that reveal who we truly are.

• 📈 Why Insider Ownership Matters: How Haren’s index rewards companies where executives invest their own money—and why those firms often outperform long-term
• 🧭 Integrity in Financial Advice: Haren explains fee structures, alignment, and why doing “what’s right, not what’s legal” is essential to ethical advisory work
• 🚨 A Real Integrity Test: The story of refusing a $200,000 withdrawal request until the rightful owner approved it—even when the rules said otherwise

"Sometimes the law says you can do something, but ethics say you shouldn’t. You always have to operate a couple of feet above the law." — Haren Bhakta

If you value principled leadership, ethical decision-making, and thoughtful approaches to building long-term wealth, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to The Power of Integrity Podcast, share this conversation with someone who cares about honesty in finance, and explore how integrity can elevate your personal and professional life.

🌐 Website: https://insiderownership.com 📧 Email: haren@insideownership.com

Connect with Ralph Adamo:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-adamo/
• Website: http://www.integrityiwm.com/
• Website: https://www.integrityatwork.com/
• Podbean: https://thepowerofintegrity.podbean.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@integritywealthmanagement9812

Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow!

Disclaimer:

Ralph Adamo is registered with and securities are offered through Kovack Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 6451 N. Federal Highway, Suite 1201, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308. Tel: 954-782-4771. Investment advisory services are offered through Kovack Advisors, Inc. Integrity Wealth Management is not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Kovack Advisors, Inc.

#PowerOfIntegrityPodcast #RalphAdamo #HarenBhakta #CFA #InsiderOwnership #SkinInTheGame #EthicalInvesting #WealthManagement #IntegrityInBusiness #FinancialLeadership #LongTermInvesting