Billion Dollar Backstory

Being great at investing is one thing but if no one knows about you or what you stand for, good luck growing your fund.  It might sound harsh, but it’s true. In today’s world, attention is the new currency and you can’t afford to ignore it. That’s why today, Stacy is bringing her friend Dr. Daniel Crosby back on the mic for a very special 100th episode of Billion Dollar Backstory. They’re picking...

Let’s be honest: writing for LinkedIn can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to sound smart, credible, and professional. But also… like a human. In this Episode, Stacy shares the exact approach she uses to walk that line between being personable and credible (and to generate leads for her firm, Havener Capital, in the process).  Listen in as she breaks down:  How to use the 5 Pillar framework...

Stacy’s had a front row seat to a lot of boutique success stories but this one is something special. Tucker Walsh didn’t just build one billion-dollar firm, he did it again. And now? He’s back at it for a third time. In this Episode, Tucker and Stacy talk about what it really takes to build an investment firm from the ground up.  They also discuss:  The realities of raising capital in today’s mark...

Most fund managers are happiest behind their screens, crunching data and studying markets. That’s their zone of genius, so it makes sense. But when you step into the founder seat, everything changes. Investing is no longer your only job. Suddenly, marketing and distribution aren’t just important, they’re non-negotiables.  Today’s guest, Sean Peche, knows this firsthand. He’s the Founder and Fund M...

Most college students aren’t spending their free time building trading algorithms. But Alex Boyd isn’t most people. From an early start on an investment desk to founding Aware —a tool that helps professionals build real influence on LinkedIn in a fraction of the time—Alex’s journey is anything but typical. He’s also an introvert who understands what it’s like to want to show up online… without bec...

Panels are everywhere in the asset management world. But let’s be honest, most of them aren’t exactly lighting the room on fire. So why is something that seems so simple, so hard to get right? Is it really that tough to throw a few smart folks on stage and ask them questions? To find out, Stacy called in her friend Dan Mikulskis. Dan is the Chief Investment Officer at the £31B People’s Partnership...

After exiting a successful startup, Rafael Loureiro went looking for a better way to do estate planning…and came up empty. The experience? Clunky. Expensive. Outdated. So like any smart entrepreneur would do, he decided to build something better. Today, Rafael is the CEO of Wealth.com , a FinTech firm backed by Google Ventures and designed to modernize the estate planning process for advisors and...

Founders don’t start firms because it’s easy; they do it because they believe there’s a better way. That was true for today’s guest, Ben Beneche, who left the comfort of a $200B+ global firm to launch his own boutique: Tourbillon Investment Management. In this Episode, he sits down with Stacy to discuss: His backstory: How his nomadic childhood shaped the independence and resilience he leans on as...

There’s nothing worse than walking into a conference room full of investors. Suddenly, everything you thought you knew about running a great meeting goes out the window. You’re wondering who to make eye contact with, whether anyone is actually interested, and why no one is saying anything.  Crowded meetings are awkward. They’re intimidating. But they aren’t impossible to rock. You just need a good...

Whether you’re raising capital on your own or thinking about hiring someone to help, chances are… you’re focused on all the wrong things. The biggest lesson Stacy learned while raising $8B for boutique asset managers (which ultimately helped drive over $30B in follow-on AUM)? Flashy resumes, market hot takes, and smooth talkers don’t close deals. The fundraisers who consistently crush it in meetin...

Raising capital starts with real relationships. And in 2025, social media is the easiest way to make those connections…right? Well… not always. What if the allocators you’re trying to reach aren’t posting? You can’t comment. You can’t DM them. Heck, maybe they don’t even accept your connection requests on LinkedIn.  Then what? How do you reach someone who seems impossible to reach? How do you star...

You know storytelling is powerful. You’ve heard that facts don’t close deals—feelings do. But when it comes time to talk about yourself, it suddenly feels...awkward. When is the right time to tell a story? And how do you know if you’re sharing too much or sounding too braggy?  Listen in as Stacy tackles these questions and breaks down:  The #1 storytelling mistake fund managers make  Why telling y...

As a boutique, blending in isn’t just a mistake; it’s a death sentence. You don’t need to be BlackRock. You need to own what makes your fund different.  But let’s be real: finding your edge—and actually leading with it —can feel like showing up to a black-tie event in your pajamas. Awkward. Exposed. Uncomfortable. That’s why in this Episode, Stacy breaks down: Why trying to prove you’re “better” i...

Raising capital isn’t about having the perfect pitch deck. And there’s no magic button that makes assets pour in. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing: trust. If you want to grow your boutique, you have to build real relationships with investors. Take it from $6B CEO Conor Hoey. He’s spent over a decade raising capital, leading investments, and even securing the right backers for...

Most fund managers panic when investors push back. They freeze. They fumble. And they walk away from capital they almost had. Not because their pitch was bad but because they didn’t know how to handle objections with confidence. In this Episode, Stacy is sharing her best tips for handling push back like a pro. She’s breaking down:  Why objections can actually be your best friend - and bring you cl...

Struggling to stand out to allocators? Wondering why your pitch isn’t landing? Kristof Gleich has sat on both sides of the table. Today, he’s the President & CIO of $50B Harbor Capital, but before that? He spent 8+ years leading manager selection at JP Morgan, fielding pitches from managers just like you. In this episode, he and Stacy dive into: Kristof’s path from physics to finance—how he we...

If you’re always chasing investors, hires, or deals… you’re doing it wrong. The most successful boutique founders don’t try to close everyone. They focus on alignment —and that’s exactly what Amy Volas is here to help you master. As a top sales leader turned founder of Avenue Talent Partners, she helps startups hire the right sales leaders. Along the way, she’s seen the costly mistakes founders ma...

Judith MacKenzie’s path is as unconventional as it is inspiring. She didn’t learn to invest on Wall Street.  The lessons that led her to the founder’s seat, running the boutique investment arm of $2.5B Downing LLP, started in her dad’s small news and ice cream shop in the Highlands long before finance was on her radar. In this Episode, she sits down with Stacy to discuss:  Her backstory– the surpr...

What if I told you the Chief Strategy Officer of the largest bank in the Eurozone could teach you some ultra-valuable lessons about storytelling, thought leadership, and innovation? You’d probably be surprised, right? I don’t blame you. Even Stacy had her own mental picture of what a “banker” might be like before sitting down with Philippe Gijsels—and let’s just say this conversation shattered eve...

In this edition of Story Snacks , Stacy breaks down: Why thought leadership is the ultimate equalizer for smaller funds Her Four A’s Framework for using thought leadership to increase AUM without a big team or budget How to pick the marketing platform that matches your unique skills (and feels doable for you) The biggest mindset trap that keeps fund managers stuck—and how to avoid it This is Story...

At 17, Jonathan Treussard hopped on a one-way flight from Paris to LA with dreams of being a musician.   He didn’t wind up playing jazz professionally, but he did end up managing billions for some of the world’s wealthiest families.  Listen in as Jonathan and Stacy discuss his big pivot from music to finance, plus:  The lessons he learned navigating the Great Financial Crisis at Ziff Brothers Inve...

If you’re like most fund managers, you’re busy serving your current clients—so much so that bringing in new ones feels overwhelming.  After all, you’re not a salesperson, and it may even make you a little uncomfortable to hit the pavement and sell your services.  Hiring marketing support can help you sidestep that discomfort and bring in more business. On the other hand, hiring before you’re ready...

Show Notes:   When considering investing in the energy sector, most investors assume there are two paths to pursue: either the traditional fossil fuels route or one aligned with a greener future.  Lisa Audet Founder & CIO of Tall Trees Capital believes in a third, better, way: The holistic approach represented by the energy transition, a structural megatrend affecting every sector of the econo...

Nobody knows what it takes to scale to the top like GEOWealth’s strategic advisor Scott MacKillop —he’s climbed literal mountains AND built some of the most successful TAMPS in the game. In this Episode, Scott and Stacy discuss:  His backstory: From dreaming of following his father's footsteps as a lawyer and practicing corporate and securities law to leaping into asset management His journey to f...

Not sure how to find investors that are willing to bet on your brand new fund? Stacy’s got you covered. Listen in as she breaks down:  How the Rogers Adoption Curve applies to finding the right investors  The difference between early adopters (like RIAs & family offices) and late-stage allocators  Why targeting late-stage firms leads to dead ends  Why smaller investment committees with fewer d...