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Billion Dollar Backstory
Stacy Havener
132 episodes
2 days ago
Host Stacy Havener brings you the storytelling tips, sales strategies, behavioral secrets, and inspirational stories that help YOU turn your words into dollars. Learn from sales and marketing experts. Meet finance and investment leaders, founders and fund managers who have made it, and the ones on the rise. Because there are people behind the portfolios. Their stories matter. So does yours. Presented by: Ultimus Fund Solutions // www.ultimusfundsolutions.com GemCap // www.geminicapital.ie @stacyhavener // www.billiondollarbackstory.com
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Investing
Business,
Marketing
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All content for Billion Dollar Backstory is the property of Stacy Havener and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Host Stacy Havener brings you the storytelling tips, sales strategies, behavioral secrets, and inspirational stories that help YOU turn your words into dollars. Learn from sales and marketing experts. Meet finance and investment leaders, founders and fund managers who have made it, and the ones on the rise. Because there are people behind the portfolios. Their stories matter. So does yours. Presented by: Ultimus Fund Solutions // www.ultimusfundsolutions.com GemCap // www.geminicapital.ie @stacyhavener // www.billiondollarbackstory.com
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Investing
Business,
Marketing
Episodes (20/132)
Billion Dollar Backstory
130: How to Create a Business Plan That Actually Moves the Needle in 2026

If you’re like most founders, “creating a yearly business plan” is one of those tasks you keep bumping to the bottom of your to-do list. 

Maybe you tell yourself you’ll get to it when things slow down, but they never do. 

And before you know it, you’re steamrolling into the new year without a plan, which leads to overthinking every single decision and drowning in busy work. 

And somehow you end the year wondering how you were so busy… without feeling like you moved the needle at all. 

Stacy doesn’t want that to be your reality at the end of 2026. That’s why today, she’s walking through the exact planning framework she uses with clients inside her membership, The Boutique Investment Collective.

In this episode, she covers:

  • How to set a 10-year “10-bagger” goal that feels exciting and directional (not something that makes you freeze or avoid the plan altogether)
  • Her process for breaking big annual goals into quarterly focuses you can realistically carry while still running a business (and a life)
  • Why it’s time to stop using AUM as your only scorecard
  • How to get clear on what’s in your control, what isn’t, and where you’re wasting energy trying to force outcomes
  • The mistake that’s making your sales harder than they should be (and how to streamline your sales process in 2026) 

---
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

Show more...
1 week ago
27 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
129: From a $5M Cold Call to a $1B Comeback: Cole Wilcox of Longboard Asset Management on the Fundraising Grind and Founder Resilience

Everyone loves a success story, but what we don’t talk about enough is what it costs to get there.

And what it’s like before the money is wired or anyone cares. 

Before all of that, there was a guy with a phone, a thesis, and a long list of people telling him no.


That guy was Cole Wilcox.


In this episode, Stacy Havener sits down with Cole, CEO & CIO of Longboard Asset Management, to talk about what it really takes to build an investment firm when you don’t start with pedigree, proximity, or institutional backing, just conviction and the willingness to keep going when quitting feels rational.


In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • How one cold call turned into Longboard’s first $5M 

  • Why founder-led fundraising is unavoidable in the early years, no matter how strong your strategy is

  • What it feels like to hear “call me at $100M”… and then hear it again at $1B

  • How surviving multiple market crises permanently reshaped Cole’s relationship with risk

  • The moment Longboard nearly shut down, and the structural pivot that kept the firm alive

  • The real cost of broken partnerships (and why people issues end more firms than markets)

  • What resilience actually looks like when walking away feels like the logical move

  • Why staying power might be the most underrated edge a founder has


More About Cole:

Cole Wilcox, Chief Investment Officer at Longboard, has specialized in trend following investment strategies for over 20 years. As a co-author of award-winning research, he has been profiled in bestselling investment books, featured in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Bloomberg, and is a frequent guest on popular podcasts. Cole leads a highly accomplished team at Longboard, delivering innovative, low-correlation investment strategies that leverage trend following to capture market opportunities.


---
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

Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 13 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
128: From Harvard Endowment’s $4B Agriculture Team to Founding an Investment Boutique, Meet Mike Denklau of Dorset Agriculture

“Be authentic.” “Own your story.” “Sharpen your edges.”

We say these things at Havener Capital all the time (and Stacy says them a lot). But here’s the real question: do they actually move the needle?

Mike Denklau, founder of Dorset Agriculture, is here to tell you they do. Today, he’s giving us a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you stop code-switching… and start building from your real story.

Before launching Dorset, Mike was part of Harvard’s endowment, helping manage a $4B+ agriculture and timber portfolio. Long before that, he was an Iowa farm kid. The journey from flannel in the fields to fund meetings in Boston is full of lessons for any founder navigating identity, fundraising, and first-time firm-building.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:

  • How a kid from Iowa ended up managing billions at Harvard and how that full-circle moment sparked Dorset’s launch

  • The overlooked opportunity in ag investing most firms ignore (and where meaningful, steady alpha may actually be hiding)

  • How Mike landed his first investor without a pitch and without trading his comfy flannel in for a stiff suit to fit in 

  • Why boutique founders need to stop hiding behind polish and let LPs see the messy middle (because that’s where conviction is built)

  • What early-stage fundraising actually feels like and how to keep going when the uncertainty feels personal and loud

This isn’t just a story about agriculture. 

It’s a case study in what happens when you own your different, build what the market didn’t even know it needed, and let your backstory do what it does best: open doors that fitting in never could. 


More about Mike Denklau: 

Mike was born into a third-generation farming family and raised on a farm in Iowa. He has 14+ years of investment and finance experience and was involved with $8B+ of transactions.


Prior to Dorset, Mike was an agriculture investor at Solum Partners and Harvard Management Company. Previously, Mike held investment and investment banking roles at Hudson Advisors, Barclays, and Lehman Brothers.


Mike earned a MBA and JD from Northwestern University and a BBA in Finance and a BS in Political Science from the University of Iowa. Mike is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Mike enjoys golf, skiing, and Hawkeye football. He currently lives in Boston with his wife, two children, and golden retriever.


---
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

Show more...
3 weeks ago
1 hour

Billion Dollar Backstory
127: Ops That Actually Work: Real Stories from the Front Lines with Ultimus Fund Solutions

In this industry, everyone talks about innovation. But innovation rarely starts in a conference room. It starts when a client hits a wall. When they’re overwhelmed, under pressure, or staring at an opportunity they can’t quite reach alone.

That’s where Ultimus Fund Solutions steps in. This team doesn’t just throw tech at the problem. They roll up their sleeves, pick up the phone, and build real solutions, side by side with their clients.

In this episode, you’ll hear what that actually looks like:

  • A multi-billion-dollar RIA streamlining 400+ SMAs and mutual funds into a single ETF that’s now at $1.2B and climbing
  • A $20B alternatives manager slashing launch time nearly in half with Ultimus Gateway
  • A private credit strategy that didn’t exist until Amanda’s team built it, piece by piece
  • A middle office crew turning “random one-off asks” into a well-oiled machine
  • A data team translating challenging requests into crystal-clear, decision-ready KPIs

If you’ve ever wondered what a true partnership feels like in financial services, this is your peek behind the curtain.

More About Ultimus:
Ultimus Fund Solutions delivers fund servicing, middle and back office support, and one-of-a-kind solutions across ETFs, mutual funds, private funds, and alternatives, with real people who actually listen, collaborate, and deliver.

Learn more at billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
4 weeks ago
1 hour 20 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
126: Three Ways to Make Panels Less Awkward and More Effective | Story Snacks Series

Panels are weird. Everyone’s trying to look smart without sounding rehearsed. 

And somehow you’re supposed to introduce yourself and tell memorable stories in just a matter of minutes. 

It’s not easy, and it’s not something you want to wing (especially if you want to make sure your participation is worth your while).

That’s why, in this episode, Stacy’s breaking down her top dos and don’ts for showing up sharp and human on a panel. Whether you’re intro’ing yourself or riffing off someone else’s point, these moves will help you actually make your time on stage count.


You’ll learn:

  • What makes a 90-second intro land
  • How to make a panel feel less like a meeting that should’ve been an email
  • A better way to add to someone else’s point (without just repeating it and blending in)

This is Story Snacks, a bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in under 20 minutes a week.


---
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

Show more...
1 month ago
7 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
125: Seb Stewart, Partner at $20B Pacific Asset Management & IMI Chair on Why Allocators Really Say Yes and How Boutiques Win

Most people love to talk about the “boutique advantage,” but very few can show you what it actually feels like from the allocator’s side of the table.

Seb Stewart can.

Seb is Partner and Head of US Institutional BD at Pacific Asset Management (~$20B AUM) and Chair of IMI, the global think tank for specialist firms. 

In this episode, Seb and Stacy sit down at NASDAQ Studios to discuss what allocators actually value, why boutiques win when they stop acting like large platforms, and how human behavior (not products or performance) raise real funds. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

  • Why fundraising is really about selling people and behavior, not products
  • The underestimated trust dynamic between PMs and fundraisers
  • The behavioral cues allocators read before they ever open your deck
  • Why boutiques win on access, alignment, independence, and specialization
  • Key insights from IMI’s landmark research on what truly sets boutiques apart
  • Why distribution and story remain the biggest choke points for boutiques

More About Seb:
Seb Stewart is Partner and Head of US Institutional Sales at Pacific Asset Management, where he leads BD across pensions, endowments, foundations, consultants, and family offices. Previously, he was a Partner at Somerset Capital Management, helping grow the firm from $1.5B to $10B AUM.

He also serves as Chairman of IMI, the global think tank representing nearly 60 specialist asset managers and over half a trillion in combined AUM.


---
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

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 3 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
124: The First Step to Bringing Your Fund to the U.S. (It’s Not What You Think) | Story Snack Series

If your firm’s outside the U.S. and you’re thinking about bringing your fund here, you’ve probably already started googling and found yourself a million new to-dos. 


But before you start checking off all of the boxes (structure, fees, compliance, product, etc.), make sure you’re not skipping the vital first step most fund managers miss.

In this episode, Stacy breaks down the underrated first step that sets successful firms apart when they expand into (or out of) the U.S. and why the smartest managers start with who, not how.


You’ll learn:

 • The mindset shift that saves months of frustration
 • How co-creating with investors builds traction early
 • Who to call when you’re entering or exiting the U.S. market
 • A smarter way to test your idea before spending a dime


This is Story Snacks, a bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in under 20 minutes a week.



---
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

Show more...
1 month ago
9 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
123: Devon Drew, From Sales Exec at a Trillion Dollar Asset Manager to Founder of Tech-Enabled Sales Platform AssetLink on Why Fund Distribution Needs Disruption

You know those Wall Street movies where young, hungry salespeople make 500 dials a day?

That was real life for Devon Drew.


He built his career in distribution at some of the biggest asset managers in the world—including Vanguard—before walking away from it all to launch AssetLink, a tech platform designed to disrupt how fund distribution gets done.


Because Devon realized something: the model wasn’t just archaic, it was broken.

Now, he’s putting powerful tools in the hands of fund managers who’ve been overlooked for too long and giving wholesalers a way to work smarter, not harder.


In this episode, Stacy and Devon discuss: 

  • What it’s really like to go from Wall Street to founder life

  • Why the old-school “spray and pray” sales model needs to go

  • How AssetLink is making sales teams more efficient (and more human)

  • What Silicon Valley taught Devon about innovation (and what Wall Street can learn from it)

  • His experience with Google’s accelerator program and what it means to build “tomorrow, today”


More About Devon:

Devon Drew is the Founder & CEO of AssetLink, an AI-powered platform modernizing fund distribution.

With 18+ years in asset management and over $30B raised, his career spans major players like:

  • Merrill Lynch & J.P. Morgan Chase (Financial Advisor)


  • Fred Alger & American Century (VP, Wealth Management Sales)


  • Vanguard ($10T AUM, Sr. Exec in Broker/Dealer Sales)

In 2021, Devon founded DFD Partners, the early version of what would become AssetLink, a tool built to help under-resourced managers compete and win in distribution.

Drew has been recognized for his innovative work, receiving several accolades, including:

• Top 25 Founders of 2025 by Founders Square

• 2025 AWD Pioneer Award

• Top 10 to Watch in 2024 by wealthmanagement.com

• Finalist for the Wealthies Award in 2023, 2024 & 2025



---
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

Show more...
1 month ago
54 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
122: Your Founder Is Stepping Back—Now What? | Story Snacks Series

The founder is retiring. The team is evolving. The story… gets archived?

Not so fast.

In this episode, Stacy shares what to do before you toss the origin story and how to transition from version 1.0 to 2.0 without losing the magic.

Inside the episode:
 • Why “retiring the founder” ≠ “retiring the story”
 • How to pull legacy threads into your firm’s next chapter
 • What to do if the original story was never that strong to begin with

This is Story Snacks, a bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in under 20 minutes a week.


---
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

Show more...
2 months ago
6 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
121: Chat Reynders, Co-Founder of a $4B RIA Reynders McVeigh on True Impact Investing, Differentiation, and Owning Your Story

Some RIAs slap ESG labels on products and call it impact investing. Chat Reynders has been doing it for real, since before it was cool.

In this episode, Chat sits down with Stacy Havener to unpack the story behind Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management, the $4B firm he co-founded after starting his career… raising money for a whale documentary.


Yes, really.


In this episode, you’ll hear about:

  • The wild backstory of how raising $4.5M for an IMAX film on whales sparked Chat’s lifelong mission to fuse capital with purpose
  • Why Chat walked away from traditional finance (and how that shaped his view on sustainable investing)
  • The truth about ESG, what Wall Street got wrong, and how Reynders McVeigh is doing it differently
  • The power of curiosity, clarity, and staying true to your story (especially in a world full of productized sameness)
  • How declaring your firm’s identity can fuel growth both externally and within your team

Whether you're a founder, an investor, or someone trying to align your money with your mission, this conversation will get you thinking.

More About Chat: 

Chat Reynders is the Chairman and CEO of Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management, a $4B RIA he co-founded in 2005. With over 25 years of experience in investment management and social venture investing, Chat is known for blending fundamentals with forward-thinking strategies—and for being a true pioneer in values-driven investing.

Beyond finance, he’s raised over $150 million through public/private partnerships to support cultural and environmental initiatives worldwide. A longtime producer of socially conscious IMAX films (including the Oscar-nominated Dolphins), Chat’s passion for impact extends to his work on the board of the MacGillivray Freeman Educational Foundation and other nonprofits.

His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Barron’s, and Business Week.

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


---
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

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 5 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
120: Lon Stroschein, Founder of Normal 40 and best-selling author of The Trade, on Why High-Achieving Professionals Often Feel Unfulfilled and Want More From Their Story

Out of more than 100 episodes, this is the one that brought Stacy to tears.
And once you hear it, you’ll understand why.

Meet today’s guest, Lon Stroschein, founder of Normal 40, where he works with high-achieving professionals who look successful on the outside but feel stuck on the inside.

In this episode, he and Stacy talk about:

  • His backstory – how he went from farm kid to D.C. insider to leading billion-dollar deals in corporate America
  • What made him walk away from all of it with no backup plan, just a gut feeling that he was meant for more 
  • Why “success” can still feel empty (even when everything looks great on paper)
  • What it really means to outgrow your life (and how to know when you’ve hit that point)
  • The freedom that comes when you stop pretending and finally get honest with yourself

And the surprising patterns he’s seen after thousands of coaching convos with top performers who feel stuck, too

This one’s real, raw, and full of truth.
If you’ve ever thought “there’s gotta be more than this,” hit play.


More About Lon: 

Lon Stroschein is the founder of Normal 40®—a movement for elite providers who’ve built success but feel quietly stuck. He helps high performers trade the life they’ve outgrown for one they actually want.

A fourth-generation South Dakota farm kid, Lon’s values were shaped by early mornings, hard work, and quiet grit. He spent six years working for a U.S. Senator, followed by six years in private banking and finance, then 14 years as a public company executive—leading strategy, growth, and M&A, including a $2.1B transaction.

In 2022, Lon made The Trade—leaving the title, income, and image behind, without a backup plan. No resume. No safety net. Just a belief that his work there was done, his best decade was in front of him, but that it wasn’t going to be found where he was standing. 

Since his resignation, Lon has coached thousands of elite professionals—physicians, executives, entrepreneurs, attorneys—who feel stuck at the top. Through 1,000+ confidential coaching calls (Rambles), he’s built the world’s most honest library of career transformation—and a library of some of the most incredible stories you will never hear. 

What he’s learned is simple: most people aren’t lost—they’re just done pretending.

Lon’s best-selling book, The Trade, continues to reshape the lives of people he will never meet.

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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 16 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
119:Toussaint Bailey, Exited Founder of a $2B RIA + Managing Partner of Uplifting Capital, on Differentiation, Values-Aligned Investing, and What Comes After a Big Exit

A lot of people build firms.
Very few sell them.
Even fewer?
Walk away from it all to start again.

But that’s exactly what Toussaint Bailey did.

After building and selling a $2B RIA, he’s back on the founder path, this time leading Uplifting Capital, a values-first platform rethinking what private market investing could look like.

In this episode, he sits down with Stacy to discuss: 

  • His backstory – How growing up in SoCal shaped his belief in “actionable faith in possibility”
  • Why he left a law partnership to help build an RIA
  • The cultural ethos that scaled Enso Wealth to $2B AUM and an eventual exit
  • Why he launched Uplifting Capital and how it’s redefining access to values-aligned private markets
  • A storytelling framework any fund manager can use to stand out (hint: it starts with “we’re not that.”)


About Toussaint Bailey:

Toussaint’s career has been built on a belief in the promise of possibility. As Founder and Managing Partner at Uplifting Capital, this belief manifests itself as investment in “Impact Alpha,” funds, and companies that produce compelling financial performance through gap-closing solutions in critical areas like education, healthcare, affordable housing, and renewable energy. 

 

Prior to founding Uplifting Capital, he was CEO and Chairman of Enso Wealth Management, a private wealth firm with a mission to translate wealth into fulfillment for clients and advisors. Toussaint joined Enso shortly after its formation in 2017, overseeing the firm’s rapid growth to nearly $2 billion of assets under management and its eventual acquisition. Before financial services, Toussaint spent over a decade as a practicing attorney.

 

Toussaint has served in several advisory and board capacities, including Impact Investment Subcommittee of the Alternative & Direct Investment Securities Association; Investor Advisory Board of HBCU Founder Initiative; Advisory Board of Catalyst Housing Group; Advisory Board of SIY Global; and Board of Regents of Saint Mary’s College of California.

 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

Book: Finding Meaning by David Kessler (the “sixth stage” of grief: finding meaning).

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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
2 months ago
56 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
118: Joe Greco, Founder of Palio, From the NYSE Trading Floor and CNBC to Performance Coaching in the C-Suite on How We Can Optimize for Peak Performance

The finance and investment industry is a tough club. It’s known for being money-centric, number-focused, aggressive… even cutthroat.

And few places capture that intense energy quite like the trading floor of the NYSE, where today’s guest, Joe Greco, cut his teeth.

He started as a floor trader and media commentator, appearing on CNBC and guiding real-time market decisions.

Today, as Founder & President of PALIO, Joe coaches executives in wealth, finance, and investing, helping them make high-stakes decisions with clarity, speed, and trust.

In this episode, Joe sits down with Stacy to discuss: 

  • Why he left the chaos of Wall Street to coach the C-suite
  • How being a husband and father of five reframed his definition of success
  • What Wall Street taught him about leading with clarity and speed 
  • The future of AI in Finance 


More about Joe:

Joseph Greco is the Founder & President of PALIO, where he coaches high-performing leaders and teams in finance and beyond. A former NYSE trader and media commentator, Joe blends financial acumen with behavioral insight to drive growth, alignment, and leadership transformation.

He’s also an active investor in commercial real estate and global sports teams, including Campobasso 1919, Ascoli FC, and Brooklyn FC.

Joe lives in Larchmont, NY with his wife and five daughters, and brings a spirit of faith, adventure, and continuous growth to everything he does.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:
Rerum Novarum: Encyclical Letter of Pope Leo XIII On Capital and Labour | https://a.co/d/dW1CdSU


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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 9 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
117: Do This Before You Post Another Chart on LinkedIn | Story Snacks Series

The chart you shared on LinkedIn isn’t flopping because people “don’t get it.”
It’s flopping because you made them work too hard to understand it.

That’s one of the most common content mistakes fund managers make:dropping data without enough context.

The good news? It’s an easy fix, and in this episode, Stacy shows you how.

She dives into:  
 • 3 quick rules to make your chart posts actually land
 • A better way to use data to tell a story
 • Why one great chart beats four cluttered ones every time

This is Story Snacks, a bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in under 20 minutes a week.

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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
3 months ago
6 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
116: Best-Selling Ghostwriter Holly Crawshaw Joyner on Building Authority with Books + LinkedIn

Your story isn’t too messy, too boring, or too personal to share.
It’s the very thing that sets you apart.

And Holly Crawshaw Joyner has built her entire business helping leaders do exactly that.

Holly’s ghostwritten 120+ books and built a standout brand on LinkedIn by being raw, honest, and far from perfect. She knows what it takes to turn life experience into the kind of authority that makes people stop scrolling, and start listening.

In this episode, Holly joins Stacy to discuss: 

  • The behind-the-scenes lessons from ghostwriting 120+ books (and what actually makes a good one)
  • How she built her business, The Story Spark, as a single mom during the pandemic
  • The honesty-over-perfection strategy that made her brand stand out on LinkedIn
  • Why LinkedIn is still the most underrated platform for introverts + thought leaders
  • Smart AI hacks to turn posts, podcasts, and raw ideas into publishable content
  • The real talk on self, hybrid, and traditional publishing (and how to know which path is right for you)

If you’ve ever thought about publishing a book, or finally leveraging LinkedIn to grow your business, this conversation will help you find the courage to get started. 


More about Holly:
 


Holly Crawshaw Joyner is a New York Times-bestselling ghostwriter. 

Since entering publishing in 2006, Holly has ghostwritten, edited, and coached well over 1,000 titles. In addition to the NYT Bestseller, other projects Holly has worked on have topped the most prestigious lists in the industry including Amazon Bestseller, Amazon Best New Release, and Amazon Top 100, among others.

She’s written books for all the major publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, Baker, and Hachette.

Since 2021, Holly has also been ghostwriting for and coaching clients on LinkedIn, teaching them how to build a brand and grow an engaged audience. In 2024 Holly was named the #1 U.S. LinkedIn creator for Audience Building and Brand Awareness. In 2025 she was listed as one of  the Top 20 LinkedIn experts worldwide. 

Holly is married to Drew. They live in Atlanta with her three daughters. She is a self-professed cat lady with an addiction to sour candy.

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.


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
115: Karl Heckenberg, Founder of $1B platform Constellation Wealth Capital, on Billion Dollar Partnerships, Founder-Led Firms, and Why People Matter More Than Performance

People matter more than performance. Yes, even in a numbers-obsessed industry. 

Take it from Karl Heckenberg, founder of Constellation Wealth Capital, a $1B platform that takes minority, non-controlling stakes in large RIAs and wealth management firms.

Yes, he understands the numbers and mechanics behind investing. But what actually sets him (and his fund) apart is the fact that he builds real partnerships. 

In this episode, he sits down with Stacy to talk about:

  • His backstory: from investment banker to CEO, and how he built a $1B platform by betting on people
  • Why founder-led firms outperform (and how Constellation supports them)
  • What makes a capital partner “friendly” (and what doesn’t)
  • Ownership and succession blind spots in wealth and asset management
  • Lessons from 40+ deals that apply to any founder looking to grow
  • The real ROI of relationships, connection, and shared values

More about Karl:
Karl serves as the President and Managing Partner of Constellation Wealth Capital. Before founding CWC, Karl was the CEO of Emigrant Partners and its affiliated company, Fiduciary Network. His career in the financial services has taken him to renowned institutions like Merrill Lynch, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Wells Fargo, and Charles Schwab. Karl has also contributed his expertise to several boards, including Sarasota Private Trust Company, New York Private Trust Company, and Cleveland Private Trust Company, and is currently on the board at Alternative Fund Advisors. He also held the position of Vice Chairman at Emigrant Bank and chairs the CWC Investment Committee.

A Washington, D.C. native, Karl is an alumnus of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.


Books Mentioned in This Episode:

  • The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel | https://a.co/d/j4ZWvk2
  • Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game — Michael Lewis | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393324818
  • The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine — Michael Lewis | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393338827
  • The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds — Michael Lewis | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393354776

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.


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
3 months ago
58 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
114: John Bowman, CEO of CAIA, on Founder-Led Sales, Listening Tours, and Why Empathy Wins in Finance

What if the most powerful thing a CEO can do… is show up?

That’s exactly what John Bowman is doing. As the new CEO of CAIA, he’s not sitting behind a desk or delegating from an ivory tower. He’s on a plane, in person, listening to the very people his organization serves.

In this episode, Stacy sits down with John to talk about the underrated power of founder-led sales (even when you’re leading a global organization), the ROI of empathy, and why success in finance is less about numbers and more about people than you think. 

They dig into:

  • John’s backstory: The leadership lesson he learned after getting laid off at 29 with three kids
  • Why walking the “listening tour” isn’t just smart, it’s essential
  • How storytelling shaped his career in this number-obsessed industry 
  • What CAIA’s member-first strategy can teach every founder and fund manager

Why he believes rejection is almost always redirection that’s either protecting you or leading you to where you’re meant to be 

More About John:

John was appointed CEO for the CAIA Association in January 2025. He has devoted over 25 years to the asset management industry to recover the narrative of the value that the investment profession brings to society. He is a staunch public advocate for market integrity, long-termism, investor outcomes, diversity, human dignity and educational standards, as necessary ingredients to building a sustainable and healthy profession. 

John previously served as Managing Director for the Americas for CFA Institute, a region comprised of 40+ countries from Canada, the U.S., Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Before that, John was a portfolio manager for non-US equity strategies at both Boston Company and SSgA for several years. 


John is a prolific, speaker,writer and commentator, frequently keynoting industry conferences and appearing in investment and business publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Pension and Investments, Financial Advisor, The Independent, Wealthmanagement.com and CNBC. Bowman earned a BS in Business Administration from Mary Washington College and is a CFA charterholder. 

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

  • The Advantage – Patrick Lencioni | https://a.co/d/2msVUSw
  • The 6 Types of Working Genius — Patrick M. Lencioni | https://a.co/d/15S3sKW
  • Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us — Seth Godin | https://a.co/d/ajf88KP


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.


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
113: Why Mixing Up Job Stories and Brand Stories Hurts Your Pitch | Story Snacks Series

You’ve got your pitch deck. Your talking points. Your “why us” slide.
But if you’re telling the wrong story in meetings, none of that matters.

In this episode, Stacy’s diving into the two MVPs of storytelling for fund managers: the job story and the brand story. Think of them like the hammer and wrench in your toolbox, you need both, but you’ve gotta know when to use each.


Inside this bite-sized episode, you’ll learn:
 • What makes a job story different from a brand story (and why that mix-up matters)
 • Why every fund or strategy deserves its own tailored story
 • How constantly tweaking your brand story for the room can make your message… fuzzy

This is Story Snacks, a bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in under 20 minutes a week.

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.


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
4 months ago
9 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
112: Rewind: $1.5B RIA Founder Chad Willardson of Pacific Capital on Entrepreneurship | How Your Authentic Story Can Fuel Growth | Why Mindset in Money Matters

The impressively bold mindset that drove Chad Willardson to leave behind a million-dollar salary and a top 1% client base to build his own firm from scratch is the same mindset that grew his firm to $1.5B AUM and earned him the status of 5X bestselling author.

 

In fact, Chad’s story is proof that thinking like an entrepreneur can take you far in the fund world–and beyond. But can this mindset be learned and developed? Find out in today’s episode.

 

Plus, hear Chad’s full backstory and learn: 

  • Why advisors who think like entrepreneurs stand out to high-net-worth clients 
  • The hidden benefit of his LinkedIn presence: how he’s able to pass off sales meetings to his team almost entirely thanks to the strong trust he’s built on social 
  • His tips and tricks for balancing entrepreneurship and family life 

 

About Chad Willardson:

 

Chad Willardson is the President and Founder of Platinum Elevated, an exclusive coaching program where he helps entrepreneurs enjoy increased lifestyle and financial freedom by removing their stress about money, increasing their cash flow, and freeing up a ton of their time.

In 2011, Chad founded Pacific Capital, a family office specializing in wealth management for high-net-worth entrepreneurs. Chad's currently responsible for investing $1.5 billion dollars as a fiduciary. Before founding Pacific Capital, he spent nine years at Merrill Lynch, ranking in the top 2% of over 16,000 advisors nationwide.

 

Chad is a 5X best-selling author and Co-Host of The Smart Money Parenting Show, a podcast ranking in at #2 Apple for Parenting, Kids & Family. He is a Certified Financial Fiduciary® and Accredited Wealth Manager who also writes for Entrepreneur and Forbes. Chad earned his degree in Economics from Brigham Young University.

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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
4 months ago
50 minutes

Billion Dollar Backstory
111: Rewind: $1.2B Manager of Managers Turned Fintech Founder Lucky Walker of AM Insights on the Power of Data in Distribution

Fund managers, it’s time to ditch the pitch deck of doom. It’s not helping you differentiate. It’s putting allocators to sleep. 

Take it from Lucy Walker, Founder of data platform AM Insights, who spent the bulk of her career as a manager of managers allocating over $1B at specialist firm Sarasin Partners in the UK.

She knows this business inside and out, and today she’s sharing her wisdom on up-leveling your meeting game so you can land more investments. 

Listen in as she and Stacy discuss: 

·       Her backstory – from corporate allocation to launching her company 

·       Inside the mind of a fund-buyer: what makes a fund manager stand out to her

·       Why you should dig into data but not use it as a crutch in meetings 

·       The competitor bashing Achilles heel – how to show your differences to the peer group tastefully 

 

About Lucy Walker:

Lucy Walker is founder, chair, board director and advisor in investment management, technology and not-for-profit.

In 2020 she founded AM Insights, a fast and intuitive tool for the fund industry. She is Chair of the Aurora Investment Trust, and Senior Independent Director of Henderson International Income Trust. She is a former head of fund research and fund manager at Sarasin & Partners, advising on over £1.2 billion of assets for charities and high net worth individuals, and before that was at HSBC Global Asset Management. 

Lucy has been regularly featured in publications including the FT and The Telegraph, and was shortlisted for Fund Manager of the Year at the Women in Investment awards. She holds BSc Economics and is a CFA charterholder.

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


---
Running a fund is hard enough.
Ops shouldn’t be.
Meet the team that makes it easier. | billiondollarbackstory.com/ultimus

Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 1 minute

Billion Dollar Backstory
Host Stacy Havener brings you the storytelling tips, sales strategies, behavioral secrets, and inspirational stories that help YOU turn your words into dollars. Learn from sales and marketing experts. Meet finance and investment leaders, founders and fund managers who have made it, and the ones on the rise. Because there are people behind the portfolios. Their stories matter. So does yours. Presented by: Ultimus Fund Solutions // www.ultimusfundsolutions.com GemCap // www.geminicapital.ie @stacyhavener // www.billiondollarbackstory.com