Behind the Advice

Natalie Jamison’s first career was in luxury hotels. She loved the work, but the hours made it hard to picture the family life she wanted. When she moved into wealth management, she brought the best of hospitality with her: a focus on making people feel looked after and understood. In this episode, she tells Brenda how her mother’s misunderstanding about an investment led Natalie to make financial literacy a cornerstone of her practice. They also talk about why she worries about the rise of finfluencers and why she likes to throw a few punches after a stressful day. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After years of long hours in finance, William Chan realized his career was costing him precious time with his family. When the pandemic gave him a chance to rethink his priorities, he made a bold move: leaving corporate finance to become an independent financial planner. He and Brenda discuss what led him to take that leap, how he talks to his children about money and how artificial intelligence is changing the way financial planners work with clients. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On his first day at an investment firm, Ryan Bushell expected career advice from his then-boss. Instead, he got a lesson about fancy and ordinary office chairs that still shapes how he manages money. Today, Ryan is chief executive officer and portfolio manager at New Haven Asset Management in Toronto, where he continues to put his distinctive investing philosophy into practice. He and Brenda discuss the mentor who changed his approach to wealth management, the challenges of starting over in his thirties and why he steers clear of investing in technology stocks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Millie Gormely grew up on a dairy farm outside Thunder Bay, Ont., where money could be unpredictable and hard work was simply part of life. As a kid, she learned that if she wanted something, she had to earn it. That philosophy carried on into adulthood. It took juggling multiple jobs, and eventually multiple surgeries, before Millie realized she needed to slow things down. Today, Millie is a financial planner who focuses her practice on independent women. She and Brenda discuss the intense work schedule that landed her in the hospital, why some lifelong savers struggle to spend in retirement and her new financial planning book, More Than Numbers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After losing his entire RRSP investment on a hot stock tip, Harp Sandhu learned that building wealth doesn’t have to be exciting. Today, Harp is a senior wealth advisor and portfolio manager with Sandhu Wealth at Raymond James Ltd. in Victoria. He helps his clients navigate the financial complexities of moving between Canada and the U.S. Harp is also seeing more Canadians return home after years south of the border and is facing new questions about their money, taxes and investments. Harp and Brenda talk about the investing mistake that shaped his approach, why cross-border moves are becoming more common and what Canadians need to consider when bringing their finances back home. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when you’re forced to navigate an estate before you’ve had much experience managing your own finances? For Kimberly Wood, becoming the executor of her mother’s estate at 23 was a life-changing education and the start of her career in wealth management. Today, Kim is a wealth advisor with Johnstone Wealth Management Group at National Bank in Toronto, where she focuses on investments, estate and financial planning. She and Brenda discuss a financial choice that cost her a longtime friendship, why being the smartest person in the room can sometimes work against you, and the financial challenges of preparing to grow old alone. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brenda Bouw returns to host a new season of Behind the Advice, The Globe and Mail podcast about financial advice—and the people who give it. This season, advisors across Canada discuss how they steer clients through volatile markets, rising costs and shifting economic rules, and share the moments that shaped how they do the job. New episodes begin September 23. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rona Birenbaum has been a natural saver from day one. Raised in a middle‑class household, she learned to scrutinize every purchase – a habit that took decades to loosen. After starting her career working as a multi‑branch manager at a credit union, Rona found sales targets and quotas clashed with the individualized financial planning that clients actually needed. In 2000, she took a major leap, going independent to launch Caring for Clients, a financial planning‑first advisory practice. In this episode, Rona talks with Brenda about her decades‑long struggle with “saver’s guilt,” how she helps retirees feel secure about spending their hard‑earned money and why she thinks Mary Poppins would be a great financial advisor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We often think of financial planning as a game of math. But for Zainab Williams, the real work doesn't start with numbers; it starts with understanding the person sitting across from her. Zainab is a certified financial planner and dedicated money coach who operates on an advice-only model. She and Brenda discuss why she views financial planning as a form of behavioural therapy, why she’s worried about the speed at which AI is affecting personal finance choices, and how establishing personal guardrails around money can give people the freedom to live fully today while still securing tomorrow. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After supporting his wife through three midwife-assisted pregnancies, Aravind Sithamparapillai realized that Ontario's midwives were navigating complex tax choices and unique career longevity hurdles with very little support. Today, Aravind is a financial planner at Ironwood Wealth Management Group, where he specializes in advising midwives and women in health care. He speaks with Brenda about his cross-continental family history, what he learned from female mentors in the industry and how he navigates deeply vulnerable conversations around financial planning. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After years of climbing the ranks at some of Canada’s largest financial institutions, Shay Steacy felt that the traditional wealth management model often ignored the very people who needed advice the most. Today, she is an independent advice-only financial planner championing a philosophy of “financial independence, live early.” Shay speaks with Brenda Bouw about the babysitter who taught her an early lesson in budgeting, the feeling of being a salesperson at a big bank, and why she has the word “balance” tattooed on her arm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Herman Chan’s path to becoming a financial planner was anything but linear. He started out with a journalism degree and a dream of being a sports writer, before a stint in retail management convinced him it was time for a career change. After 15 years of supporting other advisors at major firms such as RBC and London Life (now Canada Life), Herman took the leap into independent advice. We talked about his "frugal-boomer" upbringing in Port Coquitlam, B.C., why he thinks every good advisor needs to be a bit like Batman, and the “Platinum Rule” that guides his new firm, Crimson Financial. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine being fifteen years old, sitting in a private school classroom, and being told you have to leave because the tuition hasn't been paid. For Elke Rubach, that moment was the beginning of a crash course in what happens when a family assumes someone else is “handling the money.” Elke’s journey from that uncertainty led her across the globe, from practising law in Mexico City to the London School of Economics, and eventually to the high-stakes world of banking compliance in Canada. Today, Elke runs a holistic family advisory firm where she uses her legal background to stress test her clients' lives. She and Brenda discuss her transition from lawyer to advisor, why she describes her business as a “game of bumper cars”, and how she helps families avoid the trauma of running a financial marathon without any training. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Money choices are rarely simple. They come wrapped up in fear, ambition, regret and our own life experiences. On season four of Behind the Advice, we’re going deeper into the world of the adviser. Not just the polished presentations and growth charts, but the late‑night client calls, awkward confessions, and the moments when plans collide with things like illness, divorce, job loss or sudden opportunity. In each episode, we talk candidly with advisors about how they found their way into the industry, the lessons carved out over decades of markets and mistakes, and the personal histories that quietly steer the counsel they give. Season four launches on May 20th. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Brenda speaks with Jay Smith, senior portfolio manager at CIBC Wood Gundy. Jay talks about his early career as an academic, how a PHD in philosophy prepared him for the world of finance, and how he talked his way into a job at Merrill Lynch in the 1970s. He also shares some lessons he’s learned over his five decades in the investment industry and how those experiences have shaped the investment strategy he uses today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Brenda speaks with Lori Curtiss, a certified financial planner and the founder of A Money Maker Mindset, based in Calgary. The two talk about Lori’s childhood in a small farming community in Alberta, the financial challenges of becoming a single mother at 18, and how she learned to be less controlling with her own money later in life. Lori also discusses why choosing to become an advice-only financial advisor was the best move of her career and how she built a thriving practice despite a strong dislike of networking. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Brenda speaks with Tina Tehranchian, a senior wealth advisor at CI Assante Wealth Management in Toronto. The two discuss Tina’s childhood in Iran, how losing her family’s wealth during the Iranian Revolution changed her perspective on money, and her experience immigrating to Canada during a recession. They also discuss Tina’s path into the financial services industry and her recent appointment to the Order of Canada. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Brenda speaks with Darren Coleman, senior financial advisor and portfolio manager with Portage Cross Border Wealth Management at Raymond James. The two discuss Darren's entry into the financial services industry at a very young age, how caregiving and longevity are reshaping the business, and why he believes understanding human behaviour is just as essential for an advisor as understanding the numbers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Behind the Advice, Brenda Bouw speaks with Shiraz Ahmed, founder and CEO of Sartorial Wealth in Mississauga. Shiraz spent more than two decades in the financial services industry, most recently as an advisor at Raymond James, before starting his own firm in 2025. They discuss Shiraz’s earliest days in the industry as a cold caller, the regulatory challenges of being a cross-border advisor and why he felt the time was right to leave his longtime firm and go out on his own. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the first episode of season 3, Brenda Bouw interviews Lin Sok, an independent financial advisor from Montreal. Lin talks about how her experience growing up with immigrant parents and selling mixtapes in high school sparked her entrepreneurial spirit. They also cover how open banking could give consumers and advisors more control, Lin’s views on crypto in a portfolio, and practical ways to build a finance career beyond traditional banks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.