Grow Organically

About Grow Organically

Welcome to Grow Organically, the podcast presented by Catchlight(SM) where we host candid discussions with wealth management and financial pros. Each episode, we break down factors that affect growth at wealth management firms and how organizations can continue to be forward-thinkers in today’s competitive landscape. Join us as we chat with industry leaders and uncover actionable insights and success stories to help you achieve your growth goals. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Catchlight does not endorse any investment adviser or provide advice or recommendations to any prospective or existing client of an investment adviser as to the selection or retention of that investment adviser. To learn more, visit: catchlight.ai.com Catchlight Insights LLC. © 2024 Catchlight Insights LLC. All rights reserved.

Publisher

Catchlight

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Jun 2024

Latest episode

2 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Sept 2026

   EP 29 – How Financial Advisors Can Measure Marketing That Leads to Growth with David Franzke

   Marketing activity can look healthy on the surface while prospects quietly disappear somewhere deeper in the funnel. Knowing what to measure can reveal where attention, appointments, and opportunities are being lost. In this episode, Grow Organically host Dan Gilmartin speaks with David Franzke, Chief Marketing Officer at Advisors Excel, about building advisor marketing around clear business outcomes. They cover event marketing, seminar follow-up, funnel metrics, team goals, brand measurement, video, and the value of defining what a win should look like before launching a new initiative. David also shares how better data helped one advisor uncover a two-week follow-up delay that was hurting appointment attendance. Key points: How advisor marketing metrics can reveal where prospects are dropping out before becoming clients Why reducing the time between an advisor event and prospect follow-up can improve appointment attendance How clear goals help marketing teams connect campaigns, daily responsibilities, and company objectives How Advisors Excel built a repeatable dinner seminar process by studying advisor offices and attendees Why defining the desired result before starting a marketing initiative makes performance easier to evaluate And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin: Catchlight (https://catchlight.ai/) LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/) Connect with David Franzke: LinkedIn: David Franzke (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-franzke-b861a6159/) Website: Advisors Excel (https://www.advisorsexcel.com/) About our Guest: David Franzke is the Chief Marketing Officer at Advisors Excel, where he helps financial advisors grow their businesses through marketing, advertising, events, and business development support. He has been with Advisors Excel for 15 years, beginning as an intern at age 19 and growing alongside the organization as it expanded from roughly 80 employees to more than 1,200. In his role, David and his team work closely with advisors to strengthen marketing processes, improve event performance, use data to identify gaps in the client journey, and connect everyday marketing activity to larger business goals.

2. 

   10 Aug 2026

   EP 28 – No Lead Left Behind: A Modern Approach to Organic Growth with Samantha Allen

   Organic growth is becoming more challenging for many advisory firms, especially as competition for attention continues to increase. How do you create a marketing strategy that consistently attracts qualified prospects while giving advisors more time to focus on client relationships? In this episode, Dan Gilmartin sits down with Samantha Allen, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Merit Financial Advisors, to explore how marketing, sales, and technology can work together to create a repeatable growth engine. Samantha shares how Merit blends proven marketing channels with ongoing experiments, why video streaming has become one of the firm’s strongest sources of high-net-worth clients, how AI helps route leads to the right advisors, and why close collaboration between marketing and sales has become one of the company’s biggest competitive advantages. Key takeaways: Building marketing systems that let advisors spend more time serving clients instead of chasing leads. Using content to attract highly qualified, high-net-worth prospects through organic growth. Combining AI, automation, and human relationships to improve lead routing and follow-up. Creating stronger alignment between marketing and sales to improve the client experience. Re-engaging past prospects through data enrichment instead of letting qualified leads disappear. And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin: Catchlight (https://catchlight.ai/) LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/) Connect with Samantha Allen: LinkedIn: Samantha Allen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthajoallen/) Website: Merit Financial Advisors  (https://meritfinancialadvisors.com/) About our Guest: Samantha Allen is the Executive Vice President of Marketing at Merit Financial Advisors, where she leads the firm’s integrated marketing strategy across organic growth, digital marketing, content, brand, events, and advisor support. With more than a decade of experience in financial services marketing, she has held leadership roles at organizations including TD Ameritrade, helping firms connect marketing, technology, and business development to drive sustainable growth. Samantha is passionate about building scalable marketing systems, leveraging AI and digital channels, and creating stronger alignment between marketing and sales to improve both the advisor and client experience. She also serves on the board of the FinServ Foundation, supporting initiatives that strengthen the future of the financial services industry.

3. 

   3 Jun 2026

   EP 27 – Building a High-Performance Culture at an Advisory Firm with Michael Graham

   What if your daily actions were directly shaping the life you’ll look back on years from now? And what if growth, both personal and professional, could be engineered with clarity and discipline? In this episode, Dan Gilmartin interviews Michael Graham, CFP®, President and Co-Founder of Midwestern Securities, about building a firm rooted in intentionality and disciplined growth. Mike shares how starting with the end in mind, including writing your own obituary, can shape decisions across business and life. He explains how structured KPIs, guided client conversations, and repeatable systems drive consistent advisor performance. The conversation also explores coaching, accountability, and how investing in people can unlock untapped potential across a team. Key takeaways: How defining a clear end vision helps align daily actions with long-term personal and business goals Why structured KPIs and consistent activity tracking create predictable growth outcomes for advisors How guided client conversations can improve engagement, trust, and overall client experience The role of coaching and accountability in helping mid-level performers reach their full potential Why simplifying systems and processes can make it easier for teams to execute and scale effectively And more! Connect with Dan Gilmartin: Catchlight (https://catchlight.ai/) LinkedIn: Daniel Gilmartin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangilmartin/) Connect with Michael Graham: LinkedIn: Michael Graham (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-graham-cfp-2bb81934/) Website: Midwestern Securities (https://midwesternsecurities.com/) About our Guest: As the Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern Securities, Michael Graham, CFP®, provides visionary leadership and guides the company in pursuing bold ideas for the next chapter of its continued growth. He also provides consultation to the company’s financial institution partners on their long-term strategic growth and mutual success. In addition, Mike shares his many years of investment knowledge and time-tested philosophy as he serves on the Midwestern Securities Investment Committee, which oversees the Midwestern Securities Lighthouse Portfolios. Mike has been in the financial services industry since 1996. An alumnus of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Mike obtained his securities licensing soon after graduation. He then joined his father, John, to start John Graham & Associates, Inc., which he has since built into a thriving retail wealth management firm from which he continues to manage and serve the financial planning needs of multigenerational clients. He completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER education program and passed the accompanying board exam in the spring of 2000. He currently holds seven other professional licenses. Mike was a driving force in the formation of Midwestern Securities Trading Company, LLC in 1999. He had a goal to bring accountability, expertise, and personal service to registered reps through a premier, emerging firm centrally located in the U.S. Mike is the host of the Banking on Growth podcast, interviewing industry professionals on topics that impact community banks and credit unions, as well as the financial advisors who operate within them. Mike resides with his wife and sons in the local area. Together, they keep focused on the 4Fs: Faith, Family, Fitness, and Fun. Mike is very involved in his community. He has served as a Peoria Riverfront Museum Foundation board member; is a past president of the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce; served on the Roanoke-Benson CUSD 60 School Board; served as president of the Pediatric Resource Center Board; is a past president of the East Peoria Police Pension Board; served on the Finance Committee of Peoria Christian School; and the Board of Trustees for Eureka College. He was recognized in 40 Leaders Under 40 Class of 2007 and was the 2016 Pediatric Resource Center recipient of the Champions for Children award.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32