What if losing everything was actually the beginning of your greatest chapter?

In this episode, Jeff Martinovich shares an extraordinary story of building and losing a billion-dollar wealth management firm and then fighting his way back from federal prison. Jeff is the founder and former CEO of MICG Investment Management, which grew to over $1 billion in assets and 100 associates in Newport News, Virginia. After the 2008 financial crisis triggered regulatory scrutiny, Jeff refused three federal plea offers, went to trial against the U.S. government, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. But that wasn't the end. Representing himself with a number-two pencil and a manual typewriter from the prison law library, Jeff filed over 500 motions, had trial court decisions reversed five times, and got two federal judges removed, walking free nearly seven years early. Today he advises 19 companies, speaks to CEO groups worldwide, and is the author of When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity, published by Forbes Books in January 2024. Jeff lives in Norfolk, Virginia with his wife Ashley and their young children.

The relationship that transformed Jeff's life: his wife Ashley. She had worked in his mortgage company years before his conviction, and about a year and a half into his prison sentence, she sent him a love letter out of the blue, saying she had always loved him and would stand by him until they won. She then drove seven hours each way to visit him once a month for seven years in what Jeff describes as a horrific prison visiting room. On the day he was released, she was waiting at the front gates to bring him home. They are now married with a young daughter, Carly, a miracle Jeff says he never deserved and considers his greatest motivation.

[00:03:40] Kurt and Kristen LudHart: The Introduction That Started It All

Kevin credits Kurt and Kristen LudHart for connecting him with Jeff
Jeff agrees on the power of trust-based introductions cutting through surface-level noise
Demonstrates how the right relationships open doors quickly and authentically

[00:04:43] What Jeff Does Today: Rebuilding After Ruin

Now works with a portfolio of 19 companies, helping CEOs and management teams grow
Has a team of experienced advisors; also runs a law firm and investment funds
Focused on helping owners create secure jobs, community impact, and charity support
Describes the last five years as a full business resurrection

[00:08:02] The Backstory: Air Force Academy to Billion-Dollar Firm

Attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, served at Langley Air Force Base during the First Gulf War
Got his MBA at night while at Langley, then entered finance as a rookie cold-calling stockbroker
Built MICG Investment Management in Newport News, VA to over $1 billion in assets and 100 associates
Grew to include three hedge funds, a mortgage company, insurance company, and real estate firm

[00:08:48] The 2008 Crisis and the Government Comes Knocking

The 2008 financial crisis triggered regulatory crackdowns on approximately 2,000 second-tier firms
MICG was too large to avoid the radar and too small to write a $200 million check to make regulators move on
Jeff was offered three federal plea deals and refused all three
Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after a five-week trial

[00:11:20] The Prison Law Library and 500 Motions

Sent to a violent prison in New Jersey, not the minimum-security facility typical for white-collar cases
Began helping other inmates with their cases, filing over 300 motions for others
Through this service, taught himself federal criminal law entirely by doing
Filed over 500 motions in his own case using a number-two pencil and a manual typewriter

[00:12:50] The Three Pillars That Got Him Through

Physical: committed to 1% improvement every day, weights and running the track, not just for protection but for endorphins and the energy to stay proactive
Intellectual: read 26 classics from the prison library and discovered a love of literature he never would have found otherwise
Spiritual: read the Bible front to back multiple times; got into yoga and meditation to channel his anger into something productive
Key mindset: treat adversity like a marathon, not a sprint, because it will take way longer than you think

[00:18:26] The Academy Roommate: From Prison to $8 Million Exit

Air Force Academy roommate flew out on Jeff's second day home from prison
Had several struggling companies and needed someone he could trust completely
Jeff and a team of Academy basketball and rugby teammates merged four losing companies
Sold to California private equity two years later for $8 million
Jeff's deep pride: these men had visited him in prison when he had nothing, and this was his way of giving back

[00:20:32] Ashley's Love Letter: The Relationship That Changed Everything

About a year and a half into his sentence, Jeff received a love letter from Ashley, a former employee
She wrote that she had always loved him and would stand by him no matter what
Drove seven hours each way to visit him once a month for seven years
Was waiting at the front gates the day he was released and brought him home

[00:24:20] The 12-Man Room: Jumping on Tony's Back

Describes a late-night prison confrontation: a large inmate named Tony began brutally beating a smaller Guatemalan man over commissary pricing
Jeff had spent months helping Tony with legal paperwork to get him transferred to a minimum-security camp
In the middle of the night, Jeff ran across the room and jumped on Tony's back, screaming that he was about to ruin his transfer
Tony came to his senses, went back to bed, everyone survived

[00:27:11] The Book and the Mission: When Not If

Forbes Books published When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity in January 2024
Amazon #1 bestseller; available on Amazon and at jeffmartinovich.com
Two halves: 20 lessons on how to prepare before a black swan event, and 20 lessons on what to do differently once it arrives
Jeff's goal: help business leaders avoid the mistakes he made on the way up and survive the ones they can't prevent

[00:30:06] Final Message: You Can Get Through Anything

Life doesn't throw curve balls, it throws bazookas, and Jeff lost everything down to zero
Message to anyone going through something terrible: you can get through anything, you just have to get through it
Believes God gives incredible rewards on the other side of the tunnel for those who endure

From Prison to Purpose with Jeff Martinovich