Welcome to the Discovery Series: Unplugged podcast! Join Reh Bhanji and David Lee from Desjardins Insurance as they dive deep into the stories of real people, real advisors, and real-life experiences. From navigating the highs and lows of the financial industry, to finding success and fulfilment in unexpected places, this podcast is for advisors who want to be inspired, informed, and engaged. So, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, tune in and join the community!
Episode 134: A Health Plan for Your Retirement Portfolio - Aly Damji on Critical Illness, Wealth Preservation, and Planning Conversations
Aly Damji, President of HUB Capital, joins host Reh Bhanji to talk about a retirement risk that rarely comes up in planning meetings: critical illness.
Aly shares how his family’s fresh start in Canada and his father’s career as a chief underwriter shaped his respect for advisors. Then he explains how advisors can position critical illness coverage as protection for a client’s retirement portfolio. He uses an illustrative RRSP example to show what an unplanned withdrawal could mean for retirement income.
A practical listen for wealth-focused advisors who want to have more holistic planning conversations.
6 Oct 2026
Episode 133: Protecting the Protectors - Jesse Whalen on Injury, Purpose, and Building a Niche in Midwifery
At 23, Jesse Whalen was breaking through concrete with a 90-pound jackhammer inside a water treatment tank, in -30 degree weather. After three months of that work, he woke up one morning barely able to lift his arms. The injury ended his construction career. It also started a seven-year rebuild that made him a Certified Financial Planner with Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network.
In this episode, hosts Reh Bhanji and David Lee sit down with Jesse, a longtime DSU listener who is now a guest. They talk about how he built his practice around one community: Ontario midwives. Midwives are self-employed, paid per birth and on call around the clock. They spend their days caring for other families, and their own finances often come last.
Jesse walks through:
How his own time off work shapes the way he talks to clients about protecting their income
How committing fully to a niche changed his social media engagement and client relationships
The planning realities of his market: self-employed CPP contributions, key deductions and irregular cash flow
Why he lets clients book time with him rather than chasing them between births
Using webinars to reach new graduates and midwives who are curious about incorporating
His advice for advisors still hesitant to commit to a niche
David also plays a round of Fact or Fiction about midwifery in Ontario. Jesse shares the past DSU episodes that shaped his approach, including Episode 19 with Brent Swatuk (https://open.spotify.com/episode/02uGSjjxIdQYOk0M3Cd0xU?si=WGCHPS8ZTZKasDbHCaSF7g) on mastering your advisor niche and Episode 65, The Warrior Within, with Marco Levesque. (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pvmLg3JVi5Tcboq5R1S5X?si=TkdLQi1uTwaJR9H7B27NVw)
If this episode sparked an idea, share it with an advisor who's ready to find their niche.
22 Sept 2026
Episode 132: Becoming the Most Known Advisor in Your Market - Andrew McKeown on Events, COI Growth, and LinkedIn Storytelling
Visibility isn't built by accident. Andrew McKeown, Director of Business Development at PPI and President of the Ottawa Advocis Chapter, joins Reh Bhanji and David Lee to share how consistent community events helped build momentum across his region.
Andrew walks through his three rules for becoming the most known advisor in your market: event consistency, the COI multiplier, and the amplifier. He also covers how to plan events your clients will attend, how to think about cost over time, and how to extend every event through social media.
Who has been a guest on Discovery Series: Unplugged
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Brandon Durant
Graham Bergsma
Trina Owens
Sherry Gurrieri
Stephanie Stewart
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
31 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
72
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
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