
Hosted by Stacy Havener · EN

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

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-suiteHow being a husband and father of five reframed his definition of successWhat 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/dW1CdSUWant 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