Billion Dollar Backstory

The second generation in wealthy families could choose a safe path within the family business. But today's guest, Khaled Said, dared to pave his own way, co-founding Capital Generation Partners, a $4B London-based family office. While his choice to take the leap paid off, he didn’t gain success overnight. His backstory is filled with twists and turns and valuable lessons for any boutique founder.   Listen in as Khaled and Stacy discuss:  ●     His backstory — from searching for the perfect-fit firm to manage his family’s assets in Europe to coming up short and filling the gap by setting up his own shop ●     What nobody tells you about the slow burn of starting up in asset management ●     His tried-and-true litmus test for keeping integrity at the forefront of client service at CapGen●     CapGen’s differentiation playbook: how they’re writing a new narrative in serving ultra-high net worth families About Khaled Said:  Khaled is Managing Partner of Capital Generation Partners, a wealth management business based in London.  Khaled is the voice of the client within CapGen setting the standards he believes clients deserve.  Having managed his own family money, Khaled is an experienced investor and has particular insight into the problems families face when trying to get the best from the investment management industry. Clients benefit hugely from Khaled’s principled and commercial approach to investing and his commitment to ensuring that client portfolios are managed by people who think like principals not agents.  Khaled chairs the Client Portfolio Committee which is tasked with making the final decisions on the content of client portfolios and sits on the Asset Allocation, Investment and Risk Committees. Khaled started his career as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company where he specialised in private equity. Khaled is involved with various charities: he sits on the Boards of Saïd Foundation and Turquoise Mountain.  He has a degree in Law from Oxford University, a Masters in History from Harvard and an MBA (Dean’s List) from INSEAD.Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Songs: Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor, Billy Joel – Piano ManBooks: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know Kindle Edition by Malcolm Gladwell  ---Running a fund is hard enough.Ops shouldn’t be.Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus- - -Thinking about expanding your investor base beyond the US? Not sure where to start? Take our quick quiz to find out if your firm is ready to go global and get all the info at billiondollarbackstory.com/gemcap

Get a glimpse inside the mind of an allocator in part 2 of our Ask an Allocator series. Today, you’ll hear from Paul Bodnar, CIO of CM Wealth, a $1.78B Family Office.  Listen in as Paul and Stacy discuss: ●      His backstory - from college intern at a tech start-up to CIO●      The power of being candid about challenges and failures in meetings ●      A common pitfall in the M&A and RIA space: not keeping clients first when scaling  About Paul Bodnar: Paul is Chief Investment Officer of CM Wealth, a multi-family office with $1.8 billion under management. Paul’s career in asset management started in equity research at Longbow Research in 2003 where he rose to a Vice President and Senior Equity Analyst role covering industrials. While in that role, he was named to the Wall Street Journal’s 'Best on the Street" Analysts in 2011 and received a similar award from the Financial Times in 2010.  He left Longbow in 2012 to co-found Incremental Insights, an emerging markets-focused investment research firm. Paul has a degree in Business Management with a minor concentration in International Economics from Case Western Reserve University. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, playing lacrosse, and mountain biking. Paul is married with one daughter, a hardcore Chelsea FC fan, and a follower of Cleveland sports.  Resources Mentioned in This Episode:Songs: Pixies - Here Comes Your Man , Lou Reed - Vicious, Fugazi - Waiting RoomBooks: King: A Life by Jonathan Eig, Same As Ever by Morgan Housel ---Running a fund is hard enough.Ops shouldn’t be.Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus- - -Thinking about expanding your investor base beyond the US? Not sure where to start? Take our quick quiz to find out if your firm is ready to go global and get all the info at billiondollarbackstory.com/gemcap

Imagine this: you've sold your biz and landed what many would consider their dream job at a multi-billion dollar firm. It’s secure and you’re coasting at the top of your game.  Now, imagine what it would take to trade it all in to leap back into the great unknown of entrepreneurship and build a boutique from scratch.  Guts. That’s what. Today’s guest, Adrian Clayton, had the guts to leap back into entrepreneurship when an unexpected tragedy shook him and reminded him of what his heart wanted all along - to sit in the founder’s seat again.  Listen in as Adrian and Stacy discuss: His backstory - From fresh-faced and hungry for a break in the investment world to chasing his passion and building Northstar Asset Management The Three Pillar Business Model for success in financial management: Operational excellence, investment management skills, and the distribution market, and why they’re importantThe secret to striking a balance between the two key components of investment management risk-taking and risk management About Adrian Clayton: Adrian joined the asset management industry in 1995 and has acted in the capacity of analyst, portfolio manager, CIO, board member, and CEO over his career.   After 13 years of successfully managing the top performing PSG Balanced fund as well as being the CEO of PSG Asset Management, he reluctantly decided to resign in late 2012 as a rare opportunity arose to acquire Northstar Asset Management.     Since then, Adrian has been following his dream of building a long-only, research-driven specialist asset manager with a powerful global skill-set.  Northstar has grown from R600m to R9bn or $500m over this time period, it now has a deep research DNA with a full research team working within the business. Adrian has a commercial background with a Masters in Finance and Strategy.Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Books: Into Thin Air by John Krakauer, Red Notice by Bill Browder

Bill Harding, CIO of Jackson National, shares insights on qualitative due diligence in asset management, importance of culture, and team dynamics. He discusses the transition from a financial analyst to an investment career, Jackson's investment strategy, and the significance of personal connections. The conversation also touches on innovative approaches in benchmarking and casual conversations on favorite songs and retirement goals.

Can classic value investing and AI coexist? Today, Jim Falbe is coming on the show to share his playbook for blending timeless strategies with AI WITHOUT losing the personal touch allocators love.  In this episode, Jim and Stacy cover:   His backstory:   o How losing his mom at 13 sparked his passion for financial management   o Why he left an investment giant to follow his dream of building his own firm Why AI isn’t just a trend: What he’s learned from 10 years in the data science gameThe secret sauce to building a company culture that’s built to last through challenging seasons Grab your popcorn and your Kleenex because Jim isn’t holding back in this episode. He’s sharing the raw emotion involved in foundership, and As you listen, you’ll feel like you’re talking to a friend that’s not afraid to dive into the real talk about life. From navigating grief to leading the charge in modernizing value investing – this episode will solidify one thing for you – you’re not alone in the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and life. About Jim Falbe: Jim is passionate about mentorship and investing. As the Founder of Saguaro Capital Management, he lives these passions daily.Jim was previously a Principal and Portfolio Manager at Vulcan Value Partners. With the Senior Investment Team, he was responsible for portfolio management, coverage of both portfolio and watch list names, and seeking out new investment opportunities. Before Equity Research, Jim was a humanitarian worker in the Middle East/North Africa region. Starting as an English teacher in Jordan, he taught over 800 students and finished by helping run a training center that educated over 1,500 students per year. His team of fourteen was on the ground during the Arab Spring and helped build a network for international aid efforts in Egypt and Libya.Jim is a CFA® Charterholder and earned his MBA in Investments from the University of Notre Dame. He also holds an MDiv in Theology and a BA as a University Scholar from Baylor University.Married with four energetic kids, Jim loves science fiction, history, long walks, chess, and Baylor Football.

James Eagle spent the bulk of his career telling stories with words, working as a writer for some of the biggest names in asset management.  Since then, he’s traded in the proverbial pen for coding software and now he tells stories with data as the founder of his firm Eeagli.  Today, James is sitting down with Stacy to discuss: His Backstory:       o From nerding out on coding in his teens to combining data and storytelling to build an investment communications empire      o His leap from a cushy job in financial management to entrepreneurship How he doesn’t let ADHD and Dyslexia define him or stifle his success How ADHD and Dyslexia feed into his strength as a stronger storytellerThe strategies he used to grow his Linkedin following to 145K+ His best tips for leveraging social media to generate leads About James Eagle: James Eagle, founder of Eeagli, combines his expertise in data visualization and investment writing to support the financial industry. With over 15 years of experience in investment management, in both equities and fixed income, he focuses on turning complex data into straightforward stories. James uses JavaScript and other tools to create animated data visualizations and writes content that explains investment strategies and the macro economic environment. Based in Zürich, Switzerland, he works with a range of clients, from asset managers to private banks, providing high-quality, timely content.Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Song: Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly NowPodcast: Unhedged podcast - Financial TimesBooks: Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb , Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein  

Former Fund Manager at a $27B Shop Turned Boutique Founder Greg Dean of Langdon Partners discusses entrepreneurship and small-cap investing. Topics include the importance of autonomy, maximizing return on time, challenges in fund industry, and advice for fund managers considering entrepreneurship.

Most advisors aim to put their clients first. But, many fall short by leaning on status quo strategies - like 60/40 - that don’t necessarily serve their people in the best way possible.  Today’s guest has built not one, but two billion-dollar businesses. By asking “why not?” and differentiating his investment strategy, $3B RIA founder Dick Phister chose the smart move over the simple move, even when it wasn’t easy to execute (or explain to clients).  Ready to challenge the status quo? Listen in as Dick and Stacy discuss: ●      His backstory – how finding his dad’s gold coins sparked his passion for finance ●      Why he and his partners built a firm that pioneered the movement of democratizing alternative investments●      How storytelling has helped him attract clients and teammates who align with his unique approach to investing ●      Why he believes anyone (even left-brained quants) can master storytelling with the right training  ..and so much more.  About Dick Pfister: Dick has over 25 years of experience in the wealth advisory and financial services with an emphasis on diversifying traditional portfolios with alternative strategies. In 2015, he founded AlphaCore, which has become a leading wealth advisory firm. He serves as AlphaCore’s CEO and managing member of the Investment Committee.  Dick provided investment insight to the San Diego Foundation Investment Committee, the USD Emerging Leaders Council and served as a board member for Voices for Children, a charity focused on helping foster children throughout San Diego. He is also a member of the iCapital Advisory Council. Dick and his wife, Kristi, have three children and reside in La Jolla.Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Songs: Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor Books: The Obstacle Is The Way By Ryan Holiday , Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday

A founder's journey never truly ends. Sometimes, that feels like a blessing and a curse, all at once. Hearing 'no' over and over again gets old!  Today, Tim Welsh, founder of boutique consultancy Nexus Strategy, joins Stacy to talk about why the double-edged sword of foundership is more of a blessing than a curse. While Tim’s initial journey as a founder was behind him, he raised his hand to go back to the basics to get his latest idea off the ground.  Now, "The Wealthies" serves as his example of starting over - or starting fresh - to create something great as a multi-talented founder.  Ready for a healthy dose of motivation and advice that’ll make the startup grind a lot easier? Listen in as Tim and Stacy discuss:  Advice for any founder that’s shying away from founder-led sales The true cost of bootstrapping your fundraising The interplay between software and companies and RIAs   About Tim Welsh:Timothy D. Welsh, CFP® is President, CEO and founder of Nexus Strategy, LLC, a leading consulting firm to the wealth management industry.  Prior to founding Nexus Strategy, Tim was Director of Business Consulting Services for Schwab Advisor Services Tim is frequently quoted in the wealth management media on a wide range of business management and industry topics. He is the author of a number of industry white papers, a regular columnist for RIABiz, ThinkAdvisor, and wealthmanagement.com, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events. Tim earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business. Fun facts about Tim Welsh: He met Vanna White and Pat Sajack backstage at a taping of the Wheel of FortuneHe ran the New York Marathon He won an ESPN (show producers) fantasy football league 3 timesResources Mentioned in This Episode: Song: Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed LifeBook: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, George Newbern, et al. ---Running a fund is hard enough.Ops shouldn’t be.Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus- - -Thinking about expanding your investor base beyond the US? Not sure where to start? Take our quick quiz to find out if your firm is ready to go global and get all the info at billiondollarbackstory.com/gemcap

Discover how Equilibrium Wealth Advisors achieved $420 million AUM by using non-traditional marketing strategies like specializing, rebel playbook for success, and fresh client acquisition tactics. Learn about Matt Blocki's journey from finance to founding EWA, workplace challenges in the financial sector, and the evolution of wealth advisor training. Dive into the transition to business ownership, finding inspiration in personal happy places, and reflections on dream professions and legacy in the industry.