Your Marketing Team
Meet your Pod Squad! Each member of our team has years of experience and are experts in their specialty. They are part of Top Advisor Marketing because they believe in simple. Simple means affordable, intriguing, sustainable, fun, and effective.
Kirk Lowe
Founder | Brand Guy
Kirk Lowe is constantly pushing for better, more efficient financial branding and marketing. He is one of those rare professionals who graciously shares everything he’s working on, having success with, and/or has failed miserably at.
Over 17+ years in financial branding, Kirk has worked with independent advisors, RIAs, IMOs, and BDs helping each find their unique points of differentiation then bring it to life in their marketing. Kirk’s clients have spanned the UNITED STATES, CANADA and AUSTRALIA.
Kirk has published many white papers, exercises, assessments, and media articles over the years – many archived in AdvisorU. He’s spoken at conferences, boot camps and done countless webinars. Kirk’s focus has been to help advisors see the big picture, focus on what matters, and then get caught up in the details that work.
Matthew Halloran
Partner | CEO & The Voice of Top Advisor Marketing
Matt got started in the financial services industry 20 years ago as a certified life and business coach. As he became immersed in his client’s biggest needs, he built his knowledge and expertise as a financial branding and social media expert. More recently, Matt has added podcasting to that list.
Matt respects how tough it is to be great and effective at marketing while running a practice, living a life, and loving a family. He teaches advisors how to be themselves, let their passions shine through and create strong brands that resonate with ideal prospects and centers of influence.
Matt’s first book “The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors” available on Amazon was a big hit. He’s been leading the social wave in financial services for years – teaching top advisors how to be human in an oftentimes inhuman industry. His second book “99 best ideas”, was an Amazon bestseller and is filled with marketing ideas.
In his list of accomplishments, Matt has served in the Navy, is a trained therapist, been a radio host, and worked as a financial professional too. Matt’s breadth of hands on experience positions him superbly to help financial professionals build the marketing side of their practices. He’s been there, done that and has the T-Shirt.
Matt is married with two twin teenage boys. They are avid swimmers. Oh, and Matt’s dogs are a big ole St. Bernard and a rescue pitbull mix named Luke (after the Jedi).
Lisa Ferguson
Director of Operations
Lisa really enjoys helping people get organized, get answers and move forward. Lisa has worked in customer service for 30+ years helping develop and implement service processes and protocols. She’s a stickler for the details and getting $#!+ done. Over Lisa’ 30+ years, she spent 22 in the financial services industry. Her roles varied from Customer Service Representative, Learning and Development, Coaching and Mentoring, to Management and Risk Management. Lisa is a lifelong learner, always looking to better herself. She has gone back to school and achieved multiple certifications over the years, including, Website Design, Teaching and Training Adults, Customer Service Experience, and Interior Decorating. Lisa is very active in the community helping manage a soccer association and coaching a competitive soccer team. She’s an avid quilter, yes, I said quilter. Like any true Canadian, she’s loves hockey too. The best thing about Lisa, her laugh. It may even be better than Matt’s.
Jessica Brown
Marketing Editor
Jessica has always had a passion for the written word. In her early years, while her friends were kicking around a soccer ball or playing foursquare, you could find Jessica either reading or writing. Af school, Jessica would lean against the brickwall rereading books – often narrated by another of her passions, dogs.
Her love for stories evolved through her schooling and carreer to journalism. Jessica is in good company at Top Advisor Marketing– a marketing team with storytelling in its DNA.
Jessica helps financial advisors engage with their online audience in meaningful and genuine ways. She believes that when financial advisors tell stories about their brands, their audience can connect with them on a human level. Only then can financial advisors use social media to its utmost potential: to build and strengthen relationships.
Jessica has a Masters of Journalism and Communications degree. She is a fan of dogs, weightlifting, libraries and chocolate cake.
Gabriela Schilling
Branding and Marketing Director
Gabriela is passionate about all things communications. She has a background in mass communications, advertising, and public relations, making her a very dynamic professional. With over seven years of experience in corporate and marketing communications, Gabriela has been a strategic piece in helping companies go through rebrands, product launches, and pioneering social media initiatives.
She has worked in different industries such as manufacturing, five-star hotel chains, and print media. These experiences have provided her with enough experience to understand what businesses need to do in order to fulfill their marketing and communication goals.
She’s bilingual in English and Spanish and loves learning new languages. An avid self-learner, she enjoys going to industry events and doing online courses.
She likes to try new things and dedicates lots of time to DIY projects, baking, reading and drinking lots of coffee. When she’s not working, you can find Gabriela playing her guitar or keyboards, and constantly checking social media.
Robyn Walter
Executive Administrator
Julia Ritchie
Social Media Specialist
Julia is a lover of all things writing. With a passion for helping others and a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Communications, Julia is devoted to using her skill set to help people from all walks of life tell their stories.
Julia is also a strong believer in lifelong learning, and enjoys conducting extensive research to maximize the impact and effectiveness of her work.
At Top Advisor, Julia is now bringing her writing to the social media landscape, where she’s helping advisors tell their stories and connect with those who matter most online.
When she’s not in the office, Julia loves to read anything and everything, spend too much time keeping up with pop culture, and keeps active by running and swimming.
Lauren Bus
Social Media Specialist
Lauren is a natural storyteller with a passion for strategic communications. She brings to Top Advisor a lifelong love for the written word and an excitement for getting to the good stuff – what makes people who they are.
Lauren holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Communication, and she uses this background to help clients tell their stories. She works with advisors to connect with their audiences and strengthen relationships with their clientele.
When she’s not working, Lauren is a lover of animals, the outdoors, and all things green. She practices yoga, is a novice knitter, and consumes far too much caffeine.
Jennifer Chandler
Podcasting Coordinator
Jen is recently retired from the Canadian Forces after spending over 25 years helping soldiers and their families as a financial services administrator. Although she has two big dogs that help her to never feel alone, Jen missed the feeling of working with people and being able to help people. So she returned to the workforce by joining our team.
Now that Jen is an empty nester, she plans to spend her off-duty time traveling through Ontario with her husband to watch their daughter play soccer at the university level. Jen also enjoys camping with her family (well, it’s more like “glamping” but she still gets mosquito bites and cooks over an open flame, so it counts!).
Douglas Heikkinen
Branding Guy
Douglas Heikkinen has over 25 years of experience as a marketing and communications professional and creative services to the financial sector and others. He is a defector from the corporate world, taking with him a thorough understanding of the mindset of capital business.
He co-led two successful start-ups in 2004 and 2008; M Financial Wealth Management and Filigree Advisors and in 2009 he became President of a Northwest brand/design agency. Prior to that he spent 13 years at Schwab Advisor Services where he was instrumental in all aspects of the areas growth and maturity. In 2014 he started IRIS.xyz, a successful media platform that helps advisors succeed in business and life.
Douglas brings all of this and then some to the Top Advisor Marketing branding department. With his mind of marketing, and his eye for design, Douglas helps us build successful
Aric Johnson
Podcast Host
Aric is extremely passionate about helping others find success and fulfilment in all they do. He has been coaching and mentoring for over 20 years and finds his greatest fulfillment when helping others achieve more. Aric started his own coaching and consulting company in 2015, a second company focused on teaching BRI to advisors and has also joined our team as one of our podcast voice talents.
Aric knows how difficult it can be for any business owner to have their voice heard above the rest of the voices clients and prospects hear in their daily lives. He helps our clients find their voice and bring their personality and passion to their audience.
Aric and his wife Candi have helped raise 68 at risk youth as well as having two children of their own. Aric and Candi have two grandchildren and they, along with his VERY large dog, to keep him busy.
Patrice Sikora
Podcast Host
I love words and have worked in radio news for more than 40 years (the average lifespan of a cockatoo). While most of
that time has been focused on financial and consumer reporting, I have also hosted continuing education
telecasts for medical personnel including nurses and doctors. There was even a stint teaching environmental
education in the middle of a swamp. A Master’s degree in Geography covers science and social issues…not just
“where” something might be, but “how” it works and “why.” It is a wonderful background for a journalist.