• Home: Leading Financial Advisor Recruiting Firm
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Testimonials
    • Case Studies
    • Representative Deals
  • Services
    • For Financial Advisors
    • For Independent Business Owners
  • FAQs
  • Articles
  • Podcast
    • Industry Update
    • Independence 101 Series
  • In the News
    • Moves in the News
  • Tools for Advisors
    • Diamond Consultants Advisor Transition Report 2022
    • NEW – Edward Jones Advisor Transition Report 2022 edition
    • Merrill Information Hub
    • UBS Information Hub
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe for Updates

Questions? Call us: 908-879-1002

Contact us...
Diamond Consultants: Financial Advisor Recruiting FirmDiamond Consultants: Financial Advisor Recruiting Firm
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Mindy Diamond
      • Louis Diamond
      • Howard Diamond
      • Jason Diamond
      • Barbara Herman
      • Deborah Aronson
      • Wendy Leung
      • Cathy Nichols
      • Debbie Wallen
      • Allison Brunwasser
      • Joshua Tomolak
      • Shelley Muzio
      • Caryl Felicetta
      • Donna Riopel
      • Kelly Griffiths
    • Testimonials
    • Case Studies
    • Representative Deals
  • Services
    • For Financial Advisors
    • For Independent Business Owners
      • Sell-Side M&A Advisory
      • Consulting
  • FAQs
  • Articles
    • Subscribe for Updates
  • Podcast
    • Industry Update
    • Independence 101 Series
    • Subscribe for Updates
  • In the News
    • Moves in the News
    • Transition Announcements
  • Tools For Advisors
    • NEW – Diamond Consultants Advisor Transition Report 2022
    • NEW – Edward Jones Advisor Transition Report 2022 edition
    • Merrill Information Hub
    • UBS Information Hub
    • Other Tools
    • Subscribe to e-Newsletter

Podcast

For Financial Advisors

From Musician to Advisor: $500mm Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Finds Her Voice and a 5x Valuation in True Independence

Posted by Mindy Diamond

A conversation with Katherine Forrester Schneewind, Founder and CEO, High Note Wealth

Overview

Katherine Forrester Schneewind left a country music career behind to follow her dream of becoming a financial planner so she could help others take control of their financial destinies. In 2019, after building the practice to $500mm in AUM, she and brother Michael Forrester left Northwestern Mutual to launch RIA High Note Wealth.

Listen in…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:58 — 72.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Podchaser | TuneIn | Deezer | Anghami | RSS

> Download a transcript of this episode…

About this episode…

Picture this: A 23-year-old with a college degree in music, which was earned while singing with the Cash Family, decides to leave Nashville and the country music scene behind to follow her life’s dream.

That is, to be a financial planner.

Sure, you might think the story should be told the other way around.

But for Katherine Forrester Schneewind, her life’s calling wasn’t about becoming the next country music star. Instead, she was driven by a strong desire to help others become stars in their own lives – their financial lives – by empowering them with knowledge and advice so they could take control of their destiny.

So in 1996 she joined Northwestern Mutual, and learned the ropes in “defensive planning” as she describes it, estate planning and insurance as well as investments.

It was a recipe for success that resulted in building the business to $500mm in assets under management in a little over two decades, making Katherine one of Northwestern Mutual’s top advisors.

But, as is common with many self-motivated entrepreneurial types, she started to feel restricted by the firm’s “red tape” in serving clients and growing the business. After conducting due diligence, Katherine and brother/partner Michael Forrester decided that a move to another firm felt too lateral. So in 2019, they launched independent firm High Note Wealth in partnership with Dynasty Financial Partners and Schwab Advisor Services.

In this episode, Katherine shares her story with Louis Diamond, including:

  • From Musician to Advisor: $500mm Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Finds Her Voice and a 5x Valuation in True Independence A conversation with Katherine Forrester Schneewind, Founder and CEO, High Note WealthHer journey from Nashville to the world of financial planning—and how Northwestern Mutualprovided the perfect foundation for her break into the investment world.
  • The changes Katherine saw at the firm—and how a strong “sales” culture can be both a positive and a negative.
  • The choice to go independent—and why taking a recruiting deal from a big firm didn’t feel like the right path for their business.
  • The one thing she misses the most in independence—and what she’s doing to recreate it at High Note Wealth.
  • The economic benefits she’s seeing as an RIA—and how the business is now realizing a 5x increase in valuation.

It’s striking how many top advisors we speak with discuss seminal moments in their lives that color their fate—sending them in a new direction with a level of drive and motivation that seems unstoppable.

For Katherine, making the leap ultimately came down to the sense of empowerment—that is, having “earned the right to be independent” and own her clients.

It’s likely to rank as one of our most interesting conversations to date, so be sure to listen in.

Related Resources

From Insurance Sales to $8B RIA: A Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Story: A conversation with Andy Schwartz, CFP®, Principal, Bleakley Financial Group
Andy Schwartz went from selling insurance at Northwestern Mutual to managing $3.5B in assets and leading one of the firm’s largest groups. In 2014 they left to go independent as Bleakley Financial Group, now managing $8B in assets as a hybrid RIA. Listen->

A Northwestern Mutual Advisor’s “Jerry Maguire-Style” Breakaway Story
As a Managing Director at Northwestern Mutual, Brett Gilliland had a unique perspective of the limitations at the firm. So after 13 years and with $300mm in AUM, he left to build Visionary Wealth Advisors, today a $1.8B firm. Listen->

The Top 5 Reasons Why Northwestern Mutual Advisors Are Changing Firms
A growing trend of departures from Northwestern Mutual has left many of the firm’s advisors wondering what’s driving the momentum—and what their colleagues are finding on the other side. Read->

One Advisor, One Great Business, Three Possible Paths
By embarking on due diligence with clarity on the “end game,” advisors can better align the pros and cons of each option and their impact on long-term goals. Read->

Katherine Forrester Schneewind
Founder and CEO

Katherine is the Founder and CEO of High Note Wealth and she personally brings over 25 years of wealth management expertise to the business. She founded the firm with her brother Michael Forrester on the belief that all clients should be treated like family. Always active in the community, Katherine is a current board member of The Berg Group and the Schneewind Family Foundation and a former board member of the Ridgeview Medical Center Foundation and Northwestern Mutual’s FRA Board. She continues to give back to others through her work with her family foundation, Women’s Violence, The Animal Humane Society, and the University of Minnesota.

Katherine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music therapy from the University of Minnesota and holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU*) designations.

Katherine enjoys traveling, meaningful friendships, and self improvement pursuits. On September 8, 2013, she achieved her lifelong goal of finishing the Ironman Triathlon in Madison, Wisconsin, where she swam, biked, and ran 140.6 miles with a finishing time of 14:02:02.

Also available on your favorite podcast app and other media sites

                            

WealthManagement.com            Feedspot Top 35 Podcasts for Financial Advisors

 

Browse other episodes in this podcast series…

You may also be interested in...

Share
1

About Mindy Diamond

CEO – By counseling advisors on how to ask the right questions and “dig deep”, she helps them look at all of the opportunities available to find the one that allows them to reach their full potential. That is, to best serve their clients and live a life that is in sync with their own beliefs and values. Learn more...

    Subscribe to the Series

    Get updated by email when a new episode is added.


     

    WHAT OUR LISTENERS ARE SAYING…

    • Your podcast helped me a ton during my due diligence. There is no replacement for hearing from others who were successful leaving the wires. You are doing great things for the industry.

      Rory O’Hara
      Founder, Senior Managing Partner – Ausperity Private Wealth
    • A fantastic bundle of wisdom from one of the very best Curators of all things Wealth Management.

      Jim Dickson
      Founder - Sanctuary Wealth
    • I love the fact that you are talking a diverse group of people in our industry and educating us all. We are all doing our own thing, so it’s helpful listening to other interviews and hearing about different approaches to the business.

      Brock Moseley
      Founder, Miracle Mile Advisors
    • I didn’t realize what I could do until I heard what other advisors were doing. Then week after week, it was like the gaps were filled in. Without it, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go independent. Even after transitioning, I still can’t wait for Thursday mornings to hear the latest interview.

      Jerry Davidse
      CEO, Presilium Private Wealth
    • Best new resource I have come across in a long while.

      Daniel Gude
      Senior VP at LPL Financial
    • I would say one of the best things I ever did was listen to your podcast. I listened to it a thousand times. There are so many aspects to explore. You’re driving blind until you actually engage a professional.

      Michael Henley
      Founder & CEO, Brandywine Oak Private Wealth
    • Fantastic Podcast and a must-listen for anyone considering Independence!

      Robert Walter
      President, Sanctuary Wealth
    • This is outstanding. Every team considering independence should listen.

      Chris Cooke
      Managing Partner, Cooke Financial Group
    • Every advisor at a brokerage firm should listen to this podcast. I’m convinced that most advisors don’t realize their real value. Do your research. You deserve your true value and going out on your terms. It’s your life’s work. Even if you don’t transition to independence, know your value and options in order to make an educated decision.

      Robert Harris
      Senior Wealth Advisor, Avidian Wealth Solutions

     

    Other Recent Episodes

    • From Cold-Calling to $500mm Breakaway: A Former Merrill Advisor’s Team-Based Approach to Growth
    • Financing Independence: A Lender’s Perspective on Breakaway Transitions, M&A and Succession
    • Two $10mm Teams Leave the Wirehouse World in One Week: An Industry Update on Advisor Transitions
    Independence 101 The Basics for Advisors
    Feedspot Top 35 Podcasts for Financial Advisors
    We're available to answer your questions. Contact us

    Connect with us

    Search

    © 2023 · Diamond Financial Consultants, LLC t/a Diamond Consultants. All rights reserved.*

    • Leading Financial Advisor Recruiting Firm:
    • About
    • Services
    • FAQs
    • Articles
    • Podcast
    • News/Media
    • Tools/Resources
    • Contact
    • Our Locations
    • Privacy Policy
    • Site Map