Billion Dollar Backstory

• 106: Want That Investor Lunch? Here’s What to Do First | Story Snack Series

  Headed to a new city and thinking, “Should I try to book lunch with that allocator?” Not so fast.If your first email is a wall of text with your bio, your strategy, and your lunch plans all crammed in… it’s probably going straight to the trash.The good news is that there’s a better way to warm up new prospects, and in this episode, Stacy is breaking down exactly how she extends invitations to brand new contacts without coming across as pushy. She’s covering: Why your outreach isn’t landing and how to fix itStacy’s “give, give, give, ask” framework for landing meetings (even with complete strangers) Smart, simple ways to show up before sending your invitation (so it doesn’t feel like a pitch slap) 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 - - -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

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• 105: Liz Fritz, Co-Founder of F2 Strategy, a Boutique Tech Consultancy on Leading with Authenticity in the Wealth Space While Building a Thriving Family

  Picture this: You’ve got a big job in finance, two tiny humans at home, and a brutal 90-minute commute. Then one day, you trade it all in to start a business with your husband.That’s exactly what Liz Fritz did.In this Episode, she joins Stacy Havener to chat about: Taking the leap from corporate to co-founder (with two babies in tow)What it’s actually like building a company with your spouse Why staying in your lane is the secret to growing fast without burning outHow story and authenticity help you stand out in the wealth management worldThe future of AI in finance Owning her voice in a male-dominated industry (and the resource that helped her do it)More about Liz:Liz Fritz is the Co-Founder and legacy CMO of F2 Strategy, the largest pure-play wealthtech consultancy in the U.S. With nearly 20 years of experience leading marketing for HNW and UHNW brands like Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and BNP Paribas, Liz knows how to turn strategy into real business growth—especially in the entrepreneurial and M&A space. She's a frequent industry speaker, a fierce advocate for women in wealthtech, and a champion of workplace well-being. Liz lives just outside Chicago with her husband (and F2 co-founder) Doug, their two boys, and one very lovable Labradoodle.Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The Hard Thing About Hard Things The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know Blue MindWant 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 - - -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- - -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

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• 104: Simon Evan-Cook, Downing Fox – The Role of Luck and Skill in Successful Fund Management and Business Building

  What if luck plays a bigger role in fund success than anyone wants to admit?Simon Evan-Cook isn’t just throwing that idea out there. He’s lived it.He spent years on the allocator side, vetting fund managers and learning what really sticks (hint: it’s not just your track record). Now that he’s a fund manager himself, he’s pulling back the curtain on the truth no one wants to say out loud…Yes, being good at what you do matters, but so does luck, timing, and learning how to stack the odds in your favor. In this Episode, Simon and Stacy dig into: Why some of the most skilled fund managers don’t always win13 ways emerging managers can make their own luckWhat allocators actually remember after your pitchAnd why being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable—is the real differentiatorResources Mentioned in this Episode: Influence by Robert CialdinAbout Simon Evan-CookSimon Evan-Cook is an award-winning multi-asset fund manager. In 2022 he joined Downing to set up and manage the Downing Fox range of funds. Before that he built his reputation at Premier Asset Management from 2006, where he was a senior member of their highly successful multi-asset team. He began his career with Fidelity in the late 90s, before joining Rothschild Asset Management and then Gartmore.Simon also writes on investment (and beyond), including a monthly column for Citywire Magazine and his investment blog on Medium.com. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and dog, devouring movies and books, and superficially damaging European golf courses.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 - - -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- - -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

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• 103: From Ranch Life to Running a $3B Firm — Meet Eric Flynn, CFA of Compound Planning

  Forget what you think you know about finance careers. Eric Flynn didn’t come up through Wall Street. He grew up on a ranch in Montana. An actual 20,000-acre ranch, wrangling cattle before most of us were out of bed. Today, he’s the EVP and Head of Wealth Management at Compound Planning, a $3 billion digital family office built by tech founders who believe wealth management should feel a lot less clunky and a lot more human.Eric’s story is part Yellowstone, part Wall Street, and all about finding the courage to own your different.  In this Episode, Eric and Stacy dig into: Why he ditched computer science for accounting (and why neither felt like a forever fit)How growing up on a ranch shaped his work ethic, mindset, and ability to fix just about anythingWhat it’s really like building your chops at a boutique family office where you do everythingWhy Compound’s approach to tech, AI, and client experience is changing the game for advisorsThe power of owning your story, especially in an industry that’s slow to celebrate what makes you differentAbout Eric Flynn:Eric is a tenured financial professional with over 23 years of experience in the wealth management space. At Compound Planning, Eric leads the Wealth Management business and is responsible for executing the strategic vision, leading the advisory team, and harmonizing the service offerings for an exceptional client experience. Eric’s background is in advising higher net worth clients and providing family office services as well as consulting to firms in the wealth management industry. Eric received a Masters in Professional Accountancy from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana and is a CPA and CFA Charterholder. Prior to joining Compound, Eric was a Principal of multiple registered investment firms, and also helped build a national consulting team catering to the wealth management industry. He has a passion for helping people and leading/growing teams. Outside of work, Eric enjoys most anything outside after having grown up on a large family ranch in Montana. He also has a passion for giving back to the community and serves on multiple boards including the Montana State University College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, Bozeman Health Foundation Board, and is the President’s Council Representative for the Western Region CFA Societies to the CFAInstitute Board of GovernorsWant 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 - - -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- - -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

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• 102. How a Female, First-Gen American Founder Turned European Credit on Its Head | Meet Agata Dornan and Her $230M Boutique, Chepstow Lane

  When you think about European credit investing, most people assume it’s only for the big shops with billions under management. Agata Dornan, Founder & CIO of Chepstow Lane, is here to challenge that, and she’s doing it with smarts, grit, and real talk about what it really takes to succeed.Agata’s path to launching her own boutique wasn’t a straight line. As a first-generation American who started out on the pre-med track at Middlebury, she discovered her passion for finance by accident (thanks to one random economics class) and never looked back. In this Episode, Agata sits down with Stacy to discuss: How a single economics class flipped the script on her entire careerWhy her liberal arts background is a secret weapon (and how it helped her land Chepstow Lane’s first big allocation)Lessons from her time at Soros (including what it was like working on Wall Street after 9/11)The hard truths every boutique founder needs to know about building a team and finding the right investorsHow Chepstow Lane is winning by focusing on the white spaces most firms overlookWhat she’s seeing in European credit today and why it might be time to pay attention About Agata Dornan:Agata led Soros Fund Management’s European credit investments from 2012 to 2020, managing corporate credit and financials, and became a partner and portfolio manager in 2016. Before that, she was a distressed research analyst at BlueMountain Capital in London, and she started her buy-side career at Soros in 2005 on the Distressed team, which later spun out to form Camulos Capital. She moved to London with them in 2006.She began her career at Deutsche Bank in NYC as an investment banking analyst in Energy and Chemicals. Agata has been investing in the US since 2005 and in Europe since 2006, with deep experience in restructurings across sectors and credit cycles.Agata graduated from Middlebury College in 2002 with a degree in International Politics and Economics, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, and completed programs at LSE and Tuck Business School. She lives in London with her husband and two children and is a dual US and Polish nationalWant 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 - - -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- - -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

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