Billion Dollar Backstory

You made it to the final investor meeting again. You were sure this one was yours because your pitch was on point (no surprise, given that you rehearsed every line). But still... no deal.What gives? Why are you always the bridesmaid but never the bride? In this episode, Stacy is breaking down why so many fund managers find themselves stuck in this frustrating loop. Listen in to learn: Why trying to win allocators over in the last round is a losing gameThe kind of meeting prep that actually pays off (hint: it doesn’t involve you rehearsing lines for hours in the mirror)How to make your message land without over-explaining and putting everyone in the room to sleep Why the final few minutes of your meeting are crucial and the secret sauce to standing out with your closing 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

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 scorecardHow to get clear on what’s in your control, what isn’t, and where you’re wasting energy trying to force outcomesThe 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

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 isWhat it feels like to hear “call me at $100M”… and then hear it again at $1BHow surviving multiple market crises permanently reshaped Cole’s relationship with riskThe moment Longboard nearly shut down, and the structural pivot that kept the firm aliveThe 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 moveWhy staying power might be the most underrated edge a founder hasMore 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

“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 launchThe 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 loudThis 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

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 climbingA $20B alternatives manager slashing launch time nearly in half with Ultimus GatewayA private credit strategy that didn’t exist until Amanda’s team built it, piece by pieceA middle office crew turning “random one-off asks” into a well-oiled machineA data team translating challenging requests into crystal-clear, decision-ready KPIsIf 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