Month: December 2025

FEATURE IMAGE
Action Over Fear: Designing a Life You Won’t Regret with Scott Danner (Ep. 96)

Action Over Fear: Designing a Life You Won’t Regret with Scott Danner (Ep. 96)

By |

In this episode of The Dream Architect Life, Brian Sweet sits down with Scott Danner, a longtime industry friend, author, coach, and Executive Vice President, Head of Legacy, at Steward Partners, for a real conversation about dreaming bigger, staying grounded, and building a life you actually want to live.

Scott shares how growing up without “extras” shaped his drive, how he moved from building a financial advisory practice to building a multi-state enterprise, and why the real win is designing a life aligned with your values. Along the way, he breaks down his LIFE model (Love, Impact, Faith, Energy), the “cheat code” habits he leans on daily, and why action is often the fastest way through fear. The conversation also touches on legacy, fatherhood, perspective, and a simple but powerful question: what would you regret not doing if time ran out sooner than you expected?

Scott discusses:

  • How thinking big starts with confidence, then grows into serving others
  • The LIFE model (Love, Impact, Faith, Energy) and how it shapes decisions
  • Why action and momentum can break the grip of fear
  • Daily practices that keep him steady when routines get disrupted
  • Books that shaped his perspective, including Think and Grow Rich, Man’s Search for Meaning, and Inner Excellence
  • And more

Resources:

Connect With Scott Danner:

Connect With Sweet Financial Partners:

About Our Guest:

Scott Danner is the Executive Vice President, Head of Legacy, at Steward Partners. Outside of his traditional financial advising role of 23 years, Scott W. Danner is the Executive Vice President of Steward Partners and Head of Legacy, the firm’s M&A division. He leads all M&A strategy for Steward Partners, oversees the Legacy division and its teams, and contributes to major firm initiatives and strategic growth efforts. After building Freedom Street Partners into a thriving firm, he led its merger with Steward Partners in 2023, bringing his expertise in M&A, succession planning, and business development to the forefront.

A recognized leader in financial services, Scott has helped scale firms, navigate transitions, and drive industry-leading expansion. Previously, as CEO of Freedom Street Partners, he grew the firm to seven states, overseeing 40 advisors managing nearly $3.5 billion in assets under advisement.  His impact has earned him as a finalist to the ThinkAdvisor’s Luminaries Individual Award for RIA M&A Leader of the Year (RIAs: Less Than $10 Billion AUM/AUA), recognition on InvestmentNews’ 2024 “Hot List”, and inclusion on the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list (2021, 2022, 2023).

Scott’s track record includes successfully building a $25M+ revenue business with over 100 employees, selling it at peak valuation, and establishing himself as a leading consultant in M&A for financial advisory firms. He is frequently sought after for industry insights and media interviews.

The opinions voiced in The Dream Architect Life Podcast with Bryan Sweet are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine what may be appropriate for you, consult with your attorney, accountant, financial or tax advisor prior to investing. Guests on the show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Carson Partners, a division of CWM, LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More
How Serendipity & Curiosity Can Shape a Wealthier Life with Sonu Varghese (Ep. 95)

How Serendipity & Curiosity Can Shape a Wealthier Life with Sonu Varghese (Ep. 95)

By |

What if curiosity could be your greatest financial advantage?

Bryan Sweet sits down with Sonu Varghese, VP and Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, for a conversation that blends mindset and money in unexpected ways.

From growing up in Oman to building a career in finance, Sonu shares how serendipity, curiosity, and courage shaped his life’s direction. He opens up about facing fear, creating his own luck, and learning through every setback. Bryan and Sonu also discuss how curiosity doesn’t just expand your mind, it can strengthen your financial life too, especially when it comes to making smarter, tax-efficient investment decisions that help you keep more of what you earn.

What to expect:

  • How curiosity can lead to life-changing opportunities
  • The link between mindset and financial growth
  • Real examples of turning fear into forward motion
  • The overlooked value of tax-efficient investing
  • And more

Connect With Sonu Varghese:

Connect With Sweet Financial Partners:

About Our Guest:

Sonu has over 15 years of experience in the Asset Management industry. Before joining Carson, he was a Partner and Director of Research at Convex Capital Management where he co-managed portfolios, advised clients and led the research effort, including creating a proprietary leading economic index for 30 countries and systematizing investment processes. Prior to that Sonu worked independently with hedge fund managers and high-net worth individuals to develop quantitative investment models for trading equities, options, ETFs and closed-end funds.

Sonu started his career in finance during the final year of his Ph.D. at Purdue University, when he got an opportunity to do options modeling work. He finished his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2006, with his dissertation focused on simulating blood flow in diseased arteries. However, he decided to pursue finance as he enjoyed the mathematical modeling aspect of it, and the challenges thrown up by human behavior in markets. Prior to his Ph.D., Sonu received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue and Bachelors in Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (Trichy) in India.

Sonu and his wife love to travel and are looking forward to doing a lot more of it as their twins grow up. They also enjoy listening to an eclectic selection of music as a family and being outdoors in the city (Chicago weather permitting). At home, you may find him hanging out with the family with a guitar in his hands, cooking or if the kids are asleep, watching TV or reading. He is also passionate about teaching Math – including statistics, probability and personal finance – at the community college in Chicago downtown.

The opinions voiced in The Dream Architect Life Podcast with Bryan Sweet are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine what may be appropriate for you, consult with your attorney, accountant, financial or tax advisor prior to investing. Guests on the show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC. Investment advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Carson Partners, a division of CWM, LLC, is a nationwide partnership of advisors.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Archives

Categories