The Capital Play with CJ Hawkins

In this episode of The Capital Play , CJ Hawkins sits down with Will Taylor , Regional Vice President at Raymond James Investment Management, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build trust, scale relationships, and win in high-stakes finance. Growing up in a crime-infested neighborhood in Philadelphia, Will learned early lessons about money, risk, and ambition that would shape a...

In this episode of The Capital Play, CJ Hawkins sits down with former pro basketball player turned investment banker, Varun Ajjarapu. After playing overseas in Croatia, Varun made an ambitious pivot into high finance, breaking into the industry without the traditional background and rising through the ranks at two boutique investment banks. From deal flow to mindset, Varun shares how competitive a...

In this episode of The Capital Play , CJ sits down with Chris West , a New Orleans native whose story is anything but traditional. From breaking into elite M&A at Rothschild to deploying billions in private equity at HarbourVest and H.I.G. Capital, Chris carved out a high-impact investing career before pivoting into operating roles at high-growth companies across the U.S. and Africa. Now pursu...

In this debut episode of The Capital Play , CJ sits down with Jake Chasan to unpack his journey through some of the most competitive corners of high finance — from investment banking at Goldman Sachs to venture capital at Sapphire Ventures, and now the MBA program at Stanford GSB. They dive deep into the real differences between IB and VC, not just in terms of work style but in mindset, pacing, an...