Billion Dollar Backstory

Raising capital isn’t about having the perfect pitch deck. And there’s no magic button that makes assets pour in.At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing: trust.If you want to grow your boutique, you have to build real relationships with investors. Take it from $6B CEO Conor Hoey. He’s spent over a decade raising capital, leading investments, and even securing the right backers for his football club. And along the way, he’s learned one simple truth: People do business with people.In this Episode, Conor and Stacy dig into:Why investors actually say yes (hint: it’s not just about performance)What football and finance have in common when it comes to finding the right investorsThe biggest mistakes boutique funds make when trying to break into new marketsWhy you need to stop hiding behind emails and start picking up the phone (seriously, just do it)If you know relationships are the key to raising capital but aren’t sure how to actually build them, this Episode is for you. Learn More About Conor Hoey:Conor is the CEO of Gemini Capital in Ireland, an organisation that provides an easy and cost effective way for Investment Managers from around the world to create and distribute UCITS funds.  Having been in the Finance industry over 30 years in London and Dublin, he has worked across insurance, consulting, asset management and securities services.Outside of work, he is well known for his passion for Drogheda United, a League of Ireland professional soccer club where his family’s involvement goes back 75 years.  Conor is a former chairman and current director of the club.  They recently won the Football Association of Ireland Cup, which he can be seen cradling in his profile picture.  This means European football for the club later in 2025.  He is also a keen musician, cook, traveller, pickleballer and soon to be author!   - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

Most fund managers panic when investors push back.They freeze. They fumble. And they walk away from capital they almost had.Not because their pitch was bad but because they didn’t know how to handle objections with confidence.In this Episode, Stacy is sharing her best tips for handling push back like a pro. She’s breaking down: Why objections can actually be your best friend - and bring you closer to a yes - IF you shift your mindset The most common investor pushbacks you need to be ready for (and how to flip them)The underrated sales skill that turns “not sure” into “tell me more”And what Eminem can teach you about owning the elephant in the room (so it doesn’t own you)This is Story Snacks! A bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in less than 20 minutes per week! - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

Struggling to stand out to allocators? Wondering why your pitch isn’t landing?Kristof Gleich has sat on both sides of the table. Today, he’s the President & CIO of $50B Harbor Capital, but before that? He spent 8+ years leading manager selection at JP Morgan, fielding pitches from managers just like you.In this episode, he and Stacy dive into:Kristof’s path from physics to finance—how he went from studying physics to landing his first finance job at Goldman Sachs right after 9/11What actually makes a fund manager stand out (hint: it’s not tweaking a model or slapping “contrarian” on your deck)Why it pays to celebrate even the smallest wins as you grow your fund Harbor Capital’s approach to backing emerging managers early (and why he believes more allocators should follow suit) About Kristof Gleich:Kristof Gleich joined Harbor in 2018 and in 2020 was appointed CIO of Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc. He has oversight responsibility for our Investment, Distribution & Marketing and Executive Office functions. He provides insight while helping lead Harbor’s strategic growth plan. Prior to joining Harbor, Kristof was a managing director and global head of manager selection at JPMorgan Chase & Co. He earned a B.S. in Physics from University of Bristol. Kristof is a CFA charterholder. - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

If you’re always chasing investors, hires, or deals… you’re doing it wrong.The most successful boutique founders don’t try to close everyone. They focus on alignment—and that’s exactly what Amy Volas is here to help you master.As a top sales leader turned founder of Avenue Talent Partners, she helps startups hire the right sales leaders. Along the way, she’s seen the costly mistakes founders make—whether they’re hiring, fundraising, or scaling—and she’s here to help you avoid themIn this Episode, Amy and Stacy discuss: Why trying to close everyone is the fastest way to burn outHow the most successful founders and fund managers attract the right people (and repel the wrong ones)The hiring scorecard that will save you from expensive hiring mistakesWhy gut feelings aren’t enough—and how to build a hiring process that actually worksThe mindset shift that will make raising capital and growing your firm a lot more sustainable - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

Judith MacKenzie’s path is as unconventional as it is inspiring. She didn’t learn to invest on Wall Street. The lessons that led her to the founder’s seat, running the boutique investment arm of $2.5B Downing LLP, started in her dad’s small news and ice cream shop in the Highlands long before finance was on her radar.In this Episode, she sits down with Stacy to discuss: Her backstory– the surprising business lessons she learned as a kid and how they still influence her investing todayWhy qualitative research is just as rigorous as the numbers and how to test a company’s integrityThe biggest red flags in management and governance that investors often missHow to stay true to your strategy when the market pressures you to pivotWhat it’s like to be the only woman in the room and what needs to change for the next generation of women in financeMore about Judith MacKenzie:Judith is passionate about investing in UK smaller companies and has spent 30 years immersed in the investment world, firstly as a technology analyst and then as a fund manager. She is Chair of the small and mid-cap lobbying body, the Quoted Companies Alliance, and has experience as a board member in both private and public companies.  With a value-oriented investment style, Judith has driven investment returns in excess of the industry benchmarks. Hailing from the Scottish Highlands, Judith spends her spare time in the hills with her dogs or trying not to fall off horses. - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

What if I told you the Chief Strategy Officer of the largest bank in the Eurozone could teach you some ultra-valuable lessons about storytelling, thought leadership, and innovation?You’d probably be surprised, right? I don’t blame you.Even Stacy had her own mental picture of what a “banker” might be like before sitting down with Philippe Gijsels—and let’s just say this conversation shattered every stereotype.Listen in today to hear Philippe and Stacy discuss: What Darwin can teach us about innovation Why storytelling is essential—especially when tackling heavy, complex topics like Superinflation, Hyperinnovation, and Climate Transition.His journey as an author—how, for over 30 years, he naturally refined his stories in the back-and-forth of conversations long before he ever picked up the proverbial pen - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

In this edition of Story Snacks, Stacy breaks down:Why thought leadership is the ultimate equalizer for smaller fundsHer Four A’s Framework for using thought leadership to increase AUM without a big team or budgetHow to pick the marketing platform that matches your unique skills (and feels doable for you)The biggest mindset trap that keeps fund managers stuck—and how to avoid itThis is Story Snacks! A bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in less than 20 minutes per week! - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

At 17, Jonathan Treussard hopped on a one-way flight from Paris to LA with dreams of being a musician.  He didn’t wind up playing jazz professionally, but he did end up managing billions for some of the world’s wealthiest families. Listen in as Jonathan and Stacy discuss his big pivot from music to finance, plus: The lessons he learned navigating the Great Financial Crisis at Ziff Brothers InvestmentsHis perspective on balancing risk, regret, and resilience in wealth managementThe gap he saw in traditional wealth management that led him to start his own firm, Treussard CapitalHow he uses storytelling to break down complex financial concepts for his clients  - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

If you’re like most fund managers, you’re busy serving your current clients—so much so that bringing in new ones feels overwhelming. After all, you’re not a salesperson, and it may even make you a little uncomfortable to hit the pavement and sell your services. Hiring marketing support can help you sidestep that discomfort and bring in more business. On the other hand, hiring before you’re ready could end up costing you time and money in the long run. That’s why, in this Episode, Stacy breaks down: The two biggest mistakes fund managers make when hiring marketing professionals (and how to avoid them)The first step every founder must take before outsourcing marketingThe truth about hiring “connected” industry veteransHow to know when it’s time to hire your first in-house marketing personThis is Story Snacks! A bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in less than 20 minutes per week! - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership

Show Notes: When considering investing in the energy sector, most investors assume there are two paths to pursue: either the traditional fossil fuels route or one aligned with a greener future. Lisa Audet Founder & CIO of Tall Trees Capital believes in a third, better, way: The holistic approach represented by the energy transition, a structural megatrend affecting every sector of the economy. In this Episode, Lisa and Stacy discuss: How Lisa’s time at Tiger Cub firm sharpened her instincts around investing in the energy transition The key pillars shaping the Tall Trees’ investment strategy The “non-obvious” opportunities for helping generate superior risk-adjusted returns The outlook for the energy transition megatrend Welcome to the Meet the Boutique Series, where we’ll take you behind the scenes to see how the top asset managers innovate and thrive.  Enjoy this episode? Hit Subscribe! There are more exclusive webinars to come.  More About Lisa Audet: After working for more than a decade at one of the top global macro hedge funds in the world, Lisa Audet felt a desire to start something new, as she had done many times in her career. Lisa’s life-long willingness to step into the unknown was grounded in a global perspective acquired from many years of living and working overseas in South America, Europe and Africa and by 30+ years of investment experience across a diverse range of assets and industries. Driven by her prior success in energy investing, she founded Tall Trees Capital to invest in some of the most compelling opportunities represented by the secular, multi-decade themes found in the energy transition. Lisa has an undergraduate degree in International Studies from The American University. Additionally, she served in the U.S. Peace Corps and is fluent in Portuguese. Want More Help With Storytelling? +  Subscribe to my newsletter to get a weekly email that helps you use your words to power your growth:https://www.stacyhavener.com/subscribe   - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership  - - -Make The Boutique Investment Collective part of your Billion Dollar Backstory. Gain access to invaluable resources, expert coaches, and a supportive community of other boutique founders, fund managers, and investment pros. Join Havener Capital’s exclusive membership