In this inspiring episode, host Mary Bell Carlson welcomes Heather Fortner, CEO of SignatureFD and a featured speaker with Financial Behavior Keynotes Group. Heather Fortner shares the transformative journey of scaling her wealth management firm from $250 million to over $10 billion in assets—all while fiercely preserving the soul and integrity of the organization. You’ll get a front-row seat to Heather’s personal and professional evolution, with candid insights on leadership, courage, and authentic growth.

The conversation opens with Heather Fortner's surprising keynote debut at Schwab Impact, detailing how she learned to practice authenticity on stage and why being true to herself became the cornerstone of her career. She recalls the winding path that brought her to Signature FD, starting as an intern and eventually ascending to CEO, drawing on both her technical expertise and counseling background to bridge the science of finance and the art of people.

Together, Mary Bell Carlson and Heather Fortner explore the real meaning behind “growth without losing soul,” discussing the importance of self-awareness, relational intelligence, and vulnerability in business leadership. The episode features Heather’s raw account of becoming CEO during one of the most challenging periods of her life, along with reflections on fear, courage, and parenting while leading a thriving organization.

Five Key Takeaways:

1. Authenticity is Crucial—On Stage and Off:
2. When Heather Fortner began her public speaking journey, she quickly realized that being authentically herself matters far more than perfect delivery. After tough feedback at her keynote debut, she learned to lean into her true voice and values—an approach she now carries into both her leadership and her talks.
3. Growth Is Both Technical and Human:
4. Heather credits her success to a rare blend of technical financial knowledge and deep empathy developed through her counseling training. True financial leadership, she shares, requires mastering both the “science of finance” and the “art of people,” understanding that every business system is fueled by human relationships.
5. Self-Awareness Fuels Sustainable Success:
6. Scaling an organization without losing its soul demands that leaders—and all team members—cultivate self-awareness and hold firm to core values. Heather believes personal growth and organizational growth are inseparable; when leaders are introspective and grounded, the teams and culture thrive.
7. Courage Means Choosing Action in the Face of Fear:
8. From tackling her first keynote to accepting the CEO role during the uncertainty of the pandemic, Heather describes pivotal moments where she faced fear head-on and chose courage. Her story highlights that it’s not the absence of fear, but the choice to move forward regardless, that defines true growth.
9. Human Connection Outlasts Technology:
10. Despite rapid advances in AI and financial technology, Heather and Mary agree that the hardest—and most rewarding—aspect of financial work is building genuine human connections. Relational skills, empathy, and forgiveness require lifelong practice and are essential in fostering trust, resilience, and personal fulfillment.