Billion Dollar Backstory Stacy Havener

Get a glimpse inside the mind of an allocator in part 1 of our Ask an Allocator series. Today, you’ll hear from Bill Harding, CIO of Jackson National, with $29.8B directly managed fund-of-fund assets. 
 
Listen in as Bill and Stacy discuss:
Bill’s Backstory - from a financial analyst at a cheese manufacturer to CIO at Jackson NationalWhat it takes for a fund manager to win his nod of approval when pitching a partnershipWhy past performance isn't the whole story when allocators are on the huntThe hard-hitting questions you can expect fund buyers to ask (spoiler alert: it’s not quantitative!). 
About Bill Harding:
 
Bill joined JNAM as Head of Investment Management in October 2012, and
oversees the asset allocation and portfolio construction process, sub-adviser monitoring, and manager research.
 
He was previously Head of Manager Research for Morningstar Inc.’s Investment Management division and has more than 20 years of experience in portfolio management, asset allocation, and manager research while working at JNAM, Morningstar and Leprino Foods Company.
 
Bill graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. He holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and is a CFA charterholder.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 
Songs: Enter Sandman - Metallica
Books: On Fire by John O’Leary

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 Now
Podcast: Unhedged podcast - Financial Times
Books: Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb , Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein 
 

Success as a founder is about more than impressive AUM. It’s about maintaining autonomy and connection. It’s about taking pride in what you do, the team you’ve built, and most importantly having fun along the way. Take it from today’s guest, Greg Dean, founder of global small-cap specialist firm Langdon Partners.In this episode, he and Stacy discuss:
Greg's backstory: o From Fidelity Investments to co-founding a $27B investment firmo How his passion for connecting people and numbers drove him into small-cap investingo His big leap from the shallow end of co-foundership to founding his own firm
• Why AUM isn't the only measure of success in small-cap investing• Strategies for maximizing return on time in small-cap investing• The challenges of climbing the ranks in the fund world• Key advice for fund managers considering leaping into entrepreneurship
About Greg Dean: Greg founded Langdon Equity Partners, a firm that believes in making investment excellence through smaller company investing available to all clients.  He is the Chief Executive and lead investor for their smaller companies strategies. 
Previously, Greg was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Cambridge Global Asset Management, where he was the joint recipient of the prestigious Morningstar Breakout Fund Manager of the Year in 2015. His funds also won numerous industry awards.
Greg has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor's of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also a CFA charterholder.
He considers himself more of a thermostat than a thermometer, is a father of 2, can find the best coffee in any city, and a life-long Raptors fan.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Song: 22 Two's – JAY-Z  
Books: Same as Ever by Morgan Housel, Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor

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 Life
Book: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, George Newbern, et al.