--- title: "The Real Alpha Inside Modern Advisory Work with Mitch Hamer" description: "This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Mitch Hamer. Mitch is the Founder & Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth, where he partners with families to navigate their…" url: https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/the-real-alpha-inside-modern-advisory-work-with-mitch-hamer updated: 2026-01-27 --- [Now playing](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast) [Podcast**Next Mile**](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast) [Episodes](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast)[Guests](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/guests) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@milemarkerinc) [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-connected-advisor/id1691759257) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lw8kHGnS1JJBMZLPYxc9S) Episode 129 · Jan 27, 2026 · 39 min # The Real Alpha Inside Modern Advisory Work with Mitch Hamer [**Mitch Hamer***Founder & Lead Advisor, Intersecting Wealth*](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/guests/mitch-hamer) [Apple Podcasts ↗](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-connected-advisor/id1691759257) [Spotify ↗](https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lw8kHGnS1JJBMZLPYxc9S) ## About this episode This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Mitch Hamer. Mitch is the Founder & Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth, where he partners with families to navigate their financial lives with clarity and intention. With an approach rooted more in psychology and behavior, Mitch helps clients step back from the things that get far too much attention and focus on the priorities that are often overlooked. Kyle and Mitch unpack the real alpha inside modern advisory work. They also discuss the challenges of scaling a highly personalized service, the importance of building a multi-generational firm to serve multi-generational clients, and the self-aware entrepreneurial path that focuses on alignment, work-life balance, and finding your own unique way in the industry. In this episode: - (00:00) - Intro - (01:55) - Mitch's money moment - (03:32) - Mitch's journey from options trading to wealth advisory - (09:16) - Why advisors say planning is everything - (12:08) - The challenges of scaling highly personalized service - (15:38) - What it takes to start an RIA without an established book of business - (22:03) - The difference between a strategist and a technician - (25:40) - How Intersecting Wealth builds a multi-generational firm - (29:35) - The future of Intersecting Wealth - (31:26) - Mitch's take on the future of the financial services industry - (34:27) - Intersecting Wealth's tech stack - (35:34) - Mitch's Milemarker Minute **Key Takeaways** - Planning, not returns, is where trust is built. Advisors often feel pressure to deliver higher returns, but most client anxiety comes from uncertainty around spending, legacy, and purpose. - Behavioral insight is a real advisory skillset. Advisors who understand behavior, fear, emotion, and decision-making are positioned to add more value than technical portfolio expertise alone. - Don't confuse activity with value. Spending too much time on complex, non-scalable technical work can prevent growth. Realize that your greatest contribution might be in the human element, the listening, strategizing, and having hard conversations with clients. **Quotes** "I realized that the value-add was the conversations away from investments. And that's the reason why I ended up doing really deep advanced planning across the financial planning spectrum." ~ Mitch Hamer "When you're sitting across from a family, and you're starting to unpack what they're trying to accomplish or what makes them nervous, it's often verbalized as 'I'm uncomfortable with risk'. But what I'm seeing them verbalize is 'I don't really know what my plan is.’” ~ Mitch Hamer "You can't overlay tech on trust. It's not going to be a tech platform that moves advisors over. It's going to be a service model that wins them." ~ Mitch Hamer **Links** - [Mitch Hamer on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/) - [Intersecting Wealth](https://intersectingwealth.com/) - [Cboe Global Markets](https://www.cboe.com/en/) - [John Marshall](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-marshall-61341a21/) - [Goldman Sachs](https://www.goldmansachs.com/) - [Morgan Stanley](https://www.morganstanley.com/) - [Merrill Lynch](https://www.ml.com/) - [Stratos Wealth](https://www.stratoswealth.com/) - [eMoney Advisor](https://emoneyadvisor.com/) - [RightCapital](https://www.rightcapital.com/) - [Income Lab](https://incomelaboratory.com/) - [Wealthbox](https://www.wealthbox.com/) - [Money Together](https://www.amazon.com/Money-Together-relationship-unstoppable-financial/dp/1804090816) **Connect with our hosts** - [Milemarker.co](https://www.milemarker.co/) - [Kyle on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevanpelt/) - [Jud on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/judmackrill/) **Subscribe and stay in touch** - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connected/id1691759257) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lw8kHGnS1JJBMZLPYxc9S) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@milemarkerinc) **Produce game-changing content with Turncast** Turncast helps your company grow by producing top-quality content and fostering transformative conversations. We specialize in content generation, podcasting, digital strategy, and audience growth for fintech and financial services companies. Learn more at [Turncast.com](https://www.turncast.com/). ## The write-up [Listen to this week’s episode](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hIAEGpc4YGYywczkgNwnI) ## Episode 129 On this week’s episode of Next Mile, I sit down with [Mitch Hamer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/). Mitch is the Founder & Lead Advisor at [Intersecting Wealth](https://intersectingwealth.com/), where he partners with families to navigate their financial lives with clarity and intention. With an approach rooted more in psychology and behavior, Mitch helps clients step back from the things that get far too much attention and focus on the priorities that are often overlooked. Mitch unpacks the real alpha inside modern advisory work. He also discusses the challenges of scaling a highly personalized service, the importance of building a multi-generational firm to serve multi-generational clients, and the self-aware entrepreneurial path that focuses on alignment, work-life balance, and finding your own unique way in the industry. #### **Key Takeaways** - Planning, not returns, is where trust is built. Advisors often feel pressure to deliver higher returns, but most client anxiety comes from uncertainty around spending, legacy, and purpose. - Behavioral insight is a real advisory skillset. Advisors who understand behavior, fear, emotion, and decision-making are positioned to add more value than technical portfolio expertise alone. - Don’t confuse activity with value. Spending too much time on complex, non-scalable technical work can prevent growth. Realize that your greatest contribution might be in the human element, the listening, strategizing, and having hard conversations with clients. #### **Quotes** “I realized that the value-add was the conversations away from investments. And that’s the reason why I ended up doing really deep advanced planning across the financial planning spectrum.” ~ [Mitch Hamer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/) “When you’re sitting across from a family, and you’re starting to unpack what they’re trying to accomplish or what makes them nervous, it’s often verbalized as ‘I’m uncomfortable with risk’. But what I’m seeing them verbalize is ‘I don’t really know what my plan is.’” ~ [Mitch Hamer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/) “You can’t overlay tech on trust. It’s not going to be a tech platform that moves advisors over. It’s going to be a service model that wins them.” ~ [Mitch Hamer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/) #### **Links** - [Mitch Hamer on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/) - [Intersecting Wealth](https://intersectingwealth.com/) - [Cboe Global Markets](https://www.cboe.com/en/) - [John Marshall](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-marshall-61341a21/) - [Goldman Sachs](https://www.goldmansachs.com/) - [Morgan Stanley](https://www.morganstanley.com/) - [Merrill Lynch](https://www.ml.com/) - [Stratos Wealth](https://www.stratoswealth.com/) - [eMoney Advisor](https://emoneyadvisor.com/) - [RightCapital](https://www.rightcapital.com/) - [Income Lab](https://incomelaboratory.com/) - [Wealthbox](https://www.wealthbox.com/) - [Money Together](https://www.amazon.com/Money-Together-relationship-unstoppable-financial/dp/1804090816) #### **Connect with our hosts** - #### [Milemarker.co](https://www.milemarker.co/) - [Kyle on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevanpelt/) - [Jud on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/judmackrill/) #### **Subscribe and stay in touch** - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connected/id1691759257) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0Lw8kHGnS1JJBMZLPYxc9S) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9lElDmOZrI) **While there, please don’t forget to Download, Like, and Subscribe.** If you’d like to schedule a time to talk with me about anything we cover on our podcast or [Milemarker](https://www.milemarker.co/), [click here for 15 minutes](https://meetings.hubspot.com/kyle-van-pelt). Kyle Van Pelt [**Mitch Hamer***Founder & Lead Advisor, Intersecting Wealth*](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/guests/mitch-hamer) Next Mile Conversations with the people building the next era of wealth management, hosted by Kyle Van Pelt. New episodes every Tuesday. [Get the newsletter →](https://www.milemarker.co/resources/newsletter) [Talk to Milemarker →](https://www.milemarker.co/contact) ## Keep listening Ep. 170 · Nov 10, 2026 · 27 min ### [Building a Boutique at Scale with Leah Sciabarrasi](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/building-a-boutique-at-scale-with-leah-sciabarrasi) Leah Sciabarrasi, Crestwood Advisors Ep. 168 · Oct 27, 2026 · 32 min ### [The Difference Between a Family Office and an RIA with More Services with Matt Celenza](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/the-difference-between-a-family-office-and-an-ria-with-more-services-with-matt-celenza) Matt Celenza, Americana Partners Ep. 164 · Sep 29, 2026 · 40 min ### [Why Expertise Alone Isn't Enough for Ultra-High-Net-Worth Families with Kristina Baron](https://www.milemarker.co/podcast/why-expertise-alone-isnt-enough-for-ultra-high-net-worth-families-with-kristina-baron) Kristina Baron, Oxford Financial Group