About the Episode:
Conversation circles offer financial advisors a unique opportunity to build years of rapport in just a few hours through structured, meaningful dialogue. Join host Kirsten Schlumbom, Vice President, Head of Annuity Sales at C2P, for an insightful conversation with Ashley Ilardo, Regional Director & Vice President at Dimensional Fund Advisors, and Mia Hanson, former associate at DFA’s Global Client Group, now a Financial Planning Associate at Venture Visionary Partners.
Learn how these intimate gatherings create the trust, empathy, and vulnerability necessary for deeper client relationships while serving as powerful tools for attracting prospects and strengthening center of influence partnerships.
Key Topics Discussed:
Whether you’re looking to differentiate your practice, strengthen client loyalty, or create new pathways for business development, this episode provides a comprehensive framework for implementing conversation circles authentically within your firm’s culture and client service model.
Resources:
About the Host:
Kirsten Schlumbohm is the vice president, head of annuity sales at C2P. She has over 15 years of industry experience in which she’s served as an insurance and annuity wholesaler, sales trainer and leader, and financial advisor. In addition to her life and health insurance licenses, she holds her Series 66 and a degree from Iowa State University.
Kirsten is committed to empowering you and helping you reach the retirement finish line. She believes in optimizing processes to build strategies out of silos and encourage tighter collaboration.
About the Guest:
Regional Director and Vice President Ashley Ilardo works with teams across the Global Client Group to deliver outstanding client experiences through Dimensional’s specialty groups and communities. Ashley is the leader of the Women & Wealth Community, Dimensional’s largest client community, which brings together advisors to better support women investors across different demographics and life stages.
During her career at Dimensional, Ashley has worked in roles with the Enterprise and Bank Trust Groups on some of the firm’s largest and most complex client relationships. She also helped launch and lead Dimensional’s Women’s Inclusion Network and currently serves on the board of 3rd Decade, a nonprofit founded to provide financial education and mentorship to young adults.
Prior to joining Dimensional, Ashley was an investment executive at National Securities, where she established and maintained relationships with high-net-worth individuals. She holds an MS in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in mathematics and economics from Adelphi University.