Beyond the Stock Market, a Groundfloor Production

Groundfloor
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Investing

Welcome to Beyond the Stock Market, a Groundfloor Production exploring the future of investing. Each episode goes beyond the headlines to unpack emerging trends, shifting investor behaviors, and the evolving relationship between traditional finance and new opportunities. Hosted by Groundfloor co-founder and CEO Brian Dally and joined by investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, the show offers candid conversations into the rapidly evolving investment landscape. With a focus on access and education, Beyond the Stock Market equips seasoned and new investors with the knowledge they need to participate in tomorrow’s markets today.

Episodes

  1. Aug 6

    Ep 08 Part 1: Specialty Finance and the Music Royalties Category with Pier Asset Management CEO Jillian Murrish

    Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally hosts Beyond the Stock Market and interviews Jillian Murrish, co-founder and CEO of Pier Asset Management, a niche specialty finance investment firm. Jillian explains Pier’s focus on deal sizes that large institutions often overlook, and explains specialty finance as lending against portfolios of contractual cash flows such as loans, receivables, advances, and royalties. She describes Pier’s evolution from consumer and small business lending into music royalties, where distributor reports provide detailed streaming data. Jillian outlines why rights holders sell royalties, how music revenue typically cycles, and Pier’s emphasis across different types of catalogs. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:22 Why Pier Started 03:10 What Is Specialty Finance 04:28 Early Strategy and Sectors 06:09 Underwriting Cash Flows 07:54 Music Royalties Data Edge 10:02 Deal Flow in Music 11:17 Why Sellers Need Liquidity 13:51 Pricing Risk and Decay 17:26 Portfolio Size 19:01 Wrap Up and Part Two Tease Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Jillian Murrish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-murrish-b324a52b/ References: Pier Asset Management: https://www.pieram.com/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any return figures or projections discussed are illustrative only and are not guaranteed. Private market investments may be illiquid and are not suitable for all investors. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

  2. Jul 23

    Ep 07 Part 2: Late Stage But Fragile: AI’s Impact on the Market and the K-Shaped Economy

    Host Brian Dally continues his conversation with Stacey Schacter of VION Investments about where the U.S. is in the broader market cycle. They discuss the K-shaped economy, Social Security’s projected depletion, and how AI may cause near-term job losses but could ultimately drive retraining, entrepreneurship, and an employment boom if used as a tool. Stacey cautions about overreliance on opaque models and stresses understanding assumptions. He flags sovereign debt and potential weakening of dollar dominance as a major long-term risk. The episode closes with a rapid fire Q&A. 00:00 Welcome Back Part Two 00:27 Late Cycle Fragility 02:45 Distress And Divergence 04:33 K Shaped Economy 05:19 Social Security Squeeze 07:45 AI Horizon And Jobs 11:00 Models Need Assumptions 14:32 Signals To Watch 15:54 Politics Tech And Debt 20:52 Rapid Fire Investing Qs 23:15 Alternate Life Paths 24:42 Wrap Up Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Stacey Schacter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyjschacter/ References: VION Investments: https://www.vioninv.com/ ​The Beige Book from the Fed: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/publications/beige-book-default.htm Ray Dalio Principles Around Debt Cycles: https://www.principles.com/big-debt-crises Sliding Doors film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120148/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any return figures or projections discussed are illustrative only and are not guaranteed. Private market investments may be illiquid and are not suitable for all investors. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

  3. Jul 9 ·  Video

    Ep 07 Part 1: VION Investments’ Stacey Schacter on Distressed Receivables, Specialty Finance, and Risk Management

    Host Brian Dally interviews Stacey Schacter, founder and CEO of VION Investments, a liquidity provider focused on performing and non-performing consumer and commercial receivables. Stacey recounts moving from tax and securities law into major bankruptcy and liquidation work, becoming CEO of a receivables division, then founding VION 17 years ago with backing from a New York private equity group. He explains VION’s approach across varied transactions,, discusses fraud seen in auto finance, and outlines how VION evaluates opportunities via specialized knowledge, avoiding over-leverage and binary bets, using data-driven stress scenarios, and favoring deals with wider margins for error. 00:00 Welcome and Mission 00:43 Meet Stacey Schacter 02:48 Early Career Pivot 05:36 Founding VION in 2008 07:04 What VION Actually Does 09:38 Fraud Stories in Auto 10:18 Performing vs Nonperforming 12:50 Froth Leverage and Patience 14:20 Private Credit vs Spec Fin 18:49 Managing Distress Risk 21:46 Wrap Up Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Stacey Schacter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyjschacter/ References: VION Investments: https://www.vioninv.com/ DeLoreon Motor Company: https://delorean.com/ Advanta Bank: https://www.advantabankcorp.com/ SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any return figures or projections discussed are illustrative only and are not guaranteed. Private market investments may be illiquid and are not suitable for all investors. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

  4. Jun 25 ·  Video

    Ep 06: The Problems With Private Markets: Host Brian Dally Shares His Perspective

    In this episode of Groundfloor’s “Beyond the Stock Market,” host Brian Dally unpacks the negative headlines about private credit and argues the turmoil reflects structural issues and a liquidity/transparency mismatch. He contrasts the Wall Street aggregator models, where investors are forced to take on “manager of manager” risk, with Groundfloor’s direct, retail-first approach. After describing Groundfloor’s history since 2013, its focus on real estate debt, Brian emphasizes asset-level transparency, short-term loans, and vertical integration in origination, underwriting, and recovery as key differences in managing risk. 00:00 Intro 00:35 Private credit’s negative headlines 01:12 Groundfloor origin story 03:25 What are the issues behind private markets 06:59 Why Groundfloor is different 08:11 Retail investor takeaway Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any return figures or projections discussed are illustrative only and are not guaranteed. Private market investments may be illiquid and are not suitable for all investors. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

  5. Jun 11 ·  Video

    Ep 05 Part 2: Market Trends, AI CapEx Signals, and More About Stock Finance with Serengeti Asset Management

    Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally continues the conversation with Ray Yousefian of Serengeti Asset Management on where the market cycle stands, key signals like interest rates, demand, and hyperscaler CapEx. They discuss volatility across public equities and private credit, including pressure on software values, semiconductor strength, and credit stress from over-levered software firms. Ray contrasts equity’s compounding returns with private credit’s income-oriented cash yield and says both markets remain healthy absent major macro dislocations. They outline the Groundfloor–Serengeti partnership, positioning stock finance as a way to offer downside protection with capped upside relative to direct late-stage equity. 00:00 Welcome Back 00:27 Market Cycle Signals and AI CapEx 02:39 Public Equities vs Private Credit 05:50 Equity Compounding vs Credit Income 07:02 Groundfloor Serengeti Partnership 08:19 Big Cat Fund Return Profile 10:30 What’s Next for Serengeti 12:20 Rapid Fire Investing Q&A 14:57 Closing Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Ray Yousefian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-yousefian/ References: Serengeti Asset Management: https://serengeti-am.com/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial instrument. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any return figures or projections discussed are illustrative only and are not guaranteed. Private market investments may be illiquid and are not suitable for all investors. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

  6. May 28 ·  Video

    Ep 05 Part 1: Serengeti’s Structured Approach to Late-Stage Private Tech

    Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally hosts Ray Yousefian, Senior Managing Director at Serengeti Asset Management, to discuss how Serengeti structures investments around some of the world’s fastest-growing private technology companies. Ray explains how Serengeti helps founders, employees, and early investors unlock liquidity without fully selling their equity positions, while offering investors a more downside-protected way to gain exposure to late-stage private markets. The conversation explores overcollateralization, private market liquidity, downside protection, and why structured private credit strategies may appeal to investors seeking alternatives to traditional equity exposure. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:30 Ray’s Career Journey 04:05 What Special Situations Investing Means 06:10 Why Employees Need Liquidity 08:15 Overcollateralization Explained 10:05 Managing Downside Risk 11:40 Where This Fits in a Portfolio 14:00 Building Exposure to Private Tech Leaders 17:05 Understanding the Big Cat Fund 20:15 Return Structure and Investor Liquidity 22:10 Closing and Part 2 Preview Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Ray Yousefian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-yousefian/ References: Serengeti Asset Management: https://serengeti-am.com/

  7. May 14

    Ep 04: Homegrown’s Revenue-Based Capital for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses

    Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally hosts Michael Davis, CEO and co-founder of Homegrown, a fintech providing growth capital to proven brick-and-mortar operators such as restaurants, fitness studios, and retailers. Michael shares how his parents’ struggles getting bank financing inspired Homegrown and explains why traditional bank lending often fails these entrepreneurs due to regulatory risk limits and a cumbersome process. Homegrown offers revenue-based expansion capital via capped-return revenue contracts, designed to protect business cash flow and provide investors monthly payments with upside tied to growth. Michael discusses underwriting signals like performance through disruptions, diversification from existing locations, and the idea that local businesses can help absorb AI-driven job dislocation. He also describes investor appeal: regular cash flow, risk-adjusted returns, and backing tangible local businesses. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:55 Homegrown Origin Story 03:50 Why Banks Say No 06:46 Underwriting Real Risk 09:22 What Homegrown Funds 12:05 Revenue Contract Explained 17:47 AI Shock Absorber 20:57 Staying Resilient Now 24:34 Winning Investor Trust 28:59 Rapid Fire Round 33:28 Closing and Where to Find Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Michael Davis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavisbuilds/ References: Homegrown: https://joinhomegrown.com/The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205Acquired Podcast: https://www.acquired.fm/

  8. Apr 30

    Ep 03: How Hive Financial Assets Uses AI-Driven Underwriting to Power Consumer Private Credit

    Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally hosts Michael Schwartz, Chief Administrative Officer of Hive Financial Assets, a direct-lending private credit fund that has raised $160 million to finance non-bank consumer lenders. Michael explains Hive’s niche approach: embedding its algorithm into partner lenders’ workflows to help consumers facing event-driven needs like auto repairs, medical bills, appliance failures, and increasingly living expenses. He contrasts Hive’s simple-interest installment loans and borrower-friendly policies with predatory payday lending, noting repeat-borrower benefits. They discuss resilience from short-duration loans and real-time model adjustments to economic changes, and outline how the Hive-Groundfloor partnership formed. 00:00 Show Intro 01:35 What Hive Does 02:55 Private Credit Headlines 05:37 Middle America Borrowers 06:50 AI Underwriting Edge 11:15 Unit Economics Alignment 13:22 Loan Use Cases 16:48 Rates Terms Collections 18:30 Installment Loans Explained 19:48 Why Repeat Borrowers Matter 22:34 Short Duration Advantage 23:39 How Partnership Formed 27:38 Rapid Fire Insights 32:31 Closing And Next Deals Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Michael Schwartz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschwartz4/ References: Hive Financial Assets: https://www.hivefinancialassets.com/Author Erik Larson: https://eriklarsonbooks.com/about-the-author/

  9. Apr 16

    Ep 02 Part 2: Building Groundfloor Lending: Lessons in Culture, Capital Trends, and What’s Next

    Host Brian Dally continues his conversation with Patrick Donoghue, VP and GM of Groundfloor Lending, reflecting on Patrick’s 10-year journey helping build Groundfloor’s lending operations and proprietary technology as the company grew to over $1B in loans and more than $2B in platform investments. They discuss key milestones, challenges and early culture mistakes, and how the company improved by handling conflict more professionally while emphasizing transparency, authenticity, and community. Patrick explains how real estate project financing has evolved since 2016, with more capital availability, lower costs, and Wall Street-driven securitization replacing “hard money” norms. Looking ahead, he expects Groundfloor to expand longer-term exit capital options. 00:00 Welcome Back and Setup 00:24 Ten Years Building Groundfloor 02:57 Milestones and Growing Pains 05:00 Culture Shift and Values 07:23 Handling Conflict Better 08:28 Capital Trends Since 2016 10:42 Whats Next for Lending 11:51 Rapid Fire Real Estate QandA 14:06 Mission People and Wrap Up Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Patrick Donoghue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-donoghue-60723723/ References: Groundfloor Lending: https://lending.groundfloor.com/ Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni: https://a.co/d/0gckczD1

  10. Apr 16

    Ep 02 Part 1: Inside Private Credit: How Groundfloor Powers Real Estate Entrepreneurs

    Host Brian Dally, CEO of Groundfloor, interviews Patrick Donoghue, Vice President and General Manager of Groundfloor Lending, about his lending background, early exposure to private/hard money lending, and joining Groundfloor in 2016. Donoghue explains how Groundfloor Lending is an end-to-end “factory” that originates, underwrites, closes, and services fix-and-flip and new construction loans, and describes how loans now flow not only to the retail investor platform but also into securitizations, creating a mix of private credit opportunities for retail and institutional investors. He outlines why borrowers choose Groundfloor—especially deferred interest to preserve cash flow—and shares market observations from recent years. Donoghue expects 2026 to remain sluggish, driven by affordability constraints and employment uncertainty. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:48 Patrick’s Career Journey 04:34 What Groundfloor Lending Does 06:17 Where Loans Get Sold 08:05 Retail and Institutional Mix 09:53 Who Borrows and Why 12:14 Deferred Interest Advantage 14:08 Housing Market Trends Now 16:28 Outlook for 2026 18:04 Wrap Up and Next Steps Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Patrick Donoghue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-donoghue-60723723/ References: Groundfloor Lending: https://lending.groundfloor.com/ Shark Tank: https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23

  11. Apr 1

    Ep 01 Part 2: Private Market Trends, Groundfloor Notes, and Staying Calm Through Market Cycles

    Brian Dally continues his conversation with Groundfloor head of investments Robert Varghese on lessons from past downturns amid inflation and rate volatility, emphasizing not panicking, having a plan, and diversifying, including through private markets. Varghese says Groundfloor’s 300,000 investors are seeking higher yield, diversification, access to new asset classes, and lower volatility supported by hard assets. He explains how Groundfloor’s Notes are positioned as CD-like but backed by pools of real estate loans and offering higher returns. He outlines plans to expand private market offerings beyond real estate lending and contrasts Groundfloor’s origination-first approach with competitors. 00:00 Welcome Back Part Two 00:36 Lessons From Downturns 03:08 Why Retail Investors Shift 04:51 Notes Program And 2026 08:51 Notes Versus Bank CDs 11:06 What Makes Groundfloor Different 15:29 Rapid Fire Q And A 18:03 Misconceptions About Hard Money 19:22 Career Advice For Managers 21:13 Final Thanks And Outro Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Robert Varghese on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-robert-varghese-cmt-b340338/ References: ​Groundfloor Notes: https://groundfloor.com/notes/Clayton Christensen: https://www.christenseninstitute.org/High Yield Investor by Sam Smith: https://www.youtube.com/@SamuelDividendsPublic Enemy, Fight the Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmo3HFa2vjg

  12. Apr 1

    Ep 01 Part 1: Introducing Beyond the Stock Market, a Groundfloor Production, with Groundfloor’s Head of Investments

    Host Brian Dally, CEO and cofounder of Groundfloor, launches the Beyond the Stock Market Podcast with first guest Robert Varghese, Groundfloor’s head of investments, to introduce the show and discuss private market trends. Varghese recounts 30+ years across investment banking and mutual fund management, before moving into fintech and private credit and joining Groundfloor. He defines alternatives and private markets (private debt, private equity, real estate, infrastructure), explains their growing mainstream access, and argues portfolios benefit from combining public and private assets to address stock volatility. He emphasizes all investing involves risk and investors must be appropriately compensated, highlighting risks beyond volatility such as duration, term, and liquidity. The episode ends teasing part two on future investing trends and Groundfloor updates. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:44 Meet Robert Varghese 01:43 Roberts Career Journey 06:10 Defining Private Markets 08:28 Why Not Just Stocks 10:34 Risk and Return Basics 14:19 What’s Next in Private Markets 17:07 Part Two and Wrap Up Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/ Connect with Robert Varghese on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-robert-varghese-cmt-b340338/ References: Treasury Bills: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/marketable-securities/treasury-bills/State Street: https://www.ssga.com/us/en/intermediary

  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Beyond the Stock Market, a Groundfloor Production exploring the future of investing. Each episode goes beyond the headlines to unpack emerging trends, shifting investor behaviors, and the evolving relationship between traditional finance and new opportunities. Hosted by Groundfloor co-founder and CEO Brian Dally and joined by investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, the show offers candid conversations into the rapidly evolving investment landscape. With a focus on access and education, Beyond the Stock Market equips seasoned and new investors with the knowledge they need to participate in tomorrow’s markets today.

Information