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-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
A mixed day for the Aussie market, with the ASX200 finishing mostly flat, up just 3 points. Energy names were the stars, jumping more than 3% as oil prices surged following new US sanctions on Russian oil giants. Woodside climbed over 4% after announcing a strategic partnership, and Karoon Energy soared almost 10% on its quarterly update. Gold miners found some relief after yesterday’s heavy losses, with Regis Resources up 5%, while Fortescue gained 2.4% after posting record iron ore shipments. Super Retail Group slipped despite higher sales, and ASX shares eased after its AGM. Tonight, investors will be watching US jobs data and corporate results from Intel and Ford, before RBA Governor Michele Bullock speaks in Sydney tomorrow. The content in this podcast is prepared, approved and distributed in Australia by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814. The information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the appropriateness of the information before acting and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The ASX200 closed 0.7 % higher at 9,115, a fresh all‑time high and an 11.5 % YTD gain, best since 2021. Materials led the rally, with BHP and gold miners soaring as gold topped $4,359/oz. Hub24 jumped 10.5 % on record inflows, while Cleanaway fell after a failed AGM vote. Look ahead to US earnings, Canadian inflation and an RBA governor speech. The content in this podcast is prepared, approved and distributed in Australia by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814. The information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the appropriateness of the information before acting and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
ASX200 fell 0.81% on Friday, erasing a 0.86% gain from the record high day. Energy led losses, down 2.8%, with tech and financials also slipping. Gold surged to a fresh over $4300 record, up 6% on the week, while silver rose 3.5%. Ahead, US earnings, a pending RBA speaker and US inflation data dominate, plus busy local AGM and corporate updates. The content in this podcast is prepared, approved and distributed in Australia by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814. The information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the appropriateness of the information before acting and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Safety often relies on more than just local police; it can take an effort of the entire community. That's where Doug Fehr, chairman of Battlefords Citizens on Patrol and the Saskatchewan Citizens on Patrol Association, steps in. He joins Tamara Cherry ahead of the 1st annual AGM training seminar and conference in Saskatoon and what people can expect to learn.
Hi from the Darling Downs Radio Club with QNEWS for the period beginning Sunday, 19 October. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the club, bringing you an update. By the time you hear this, JOTA will be in full swing. Whilst the planets didn't align for formal club participation this year, we're heavily focused on helping young people to develop STEM skills - that's Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, all core components of the amateur radio hobby, and all addressed in the study you do to get a ham licence. And if you or someone you know is a scout and you'd like to know how we can help tide the STEM, drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au. Seriously, don't underestimate the value of what you learn to get your ham ticket. Not only does that get you on air, but we'll bet anything you like that those skills will pop up over and over again in your professional and home lives away from amateur radio. If there is such a thing. One great piece of news that came our way during the week: the Queensland Office of Fair Trading has formally registered the new rules that we voted in at our AGM in September. Our Rules are posted on the DDRCI website underneath the DOCUMENTS tab, so that you can read them at any time. Now: looking forward to the calendar and our next meeting. It's on Monday, 10 November and will again be held at the Scout Hall in Victory Street Newtown, and of course by telepresence. We're ramping up our focus on Electro Magnetic Radiation or EMR. Why? Because understanding of EMR goes directly to two things that are important to our ability to operate harmoniously - by not creating interference problems for our neighbours, and by operating safely so that we don't create problems for anyone. All our amateur transmitters emit electro-magnetic radiation - but do you know exactly how much and are your operations safe? John VK4JBE from Bayside District Amateur Radio Society is going to give us an overview of what the electro-magnetic radiation safety standards are, and explain how to apply them to our amateur stations. He's going to cover some work done by the Wireless Institute of Australia, and the Radio Society of Great Britain, both of whom have produced some tools to help. That's all vitally important stuff, and you can meet John and hear from an expert on Monday, 10 November. As always, all the info on QNews is available online and you can check our website at ddrci.org.au, or email us via secretary@ddrci.org.au if there's something specific you'd like to ask. And as always, if you like what we're doing: become a member. It's really inexpensive and your support helps heaps. I'll see you next week - 73 from John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club. Kevin VK4UH HERE, President of the Brisbane VHF Group and Convener of the QTech 2025 conference, to be held in Brisbane in two weeks' time. The two-day conference will run over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of November and is being held at the conference facilities of the Kedron Wavel RSL in Chermside, one of Brisbane's northern suburbs. The theme of this year's conference is “The future of Amateur Radio is in your Hands” The programme includes presentations covering a wide range of aspects of our ever-expanding hobby, from entry-level, recruitment and supporting young people in AR right through to advanced technical advances in equipment and operating. In addition, there will be trade displays and equipment demonstrations. Also arranged, an exciting live ARISS telebridge where local high school students will be able to pose questions to the astronauts orbiting aboard the international Space Station, via Amateur Radio. Information and an open invitation to all to participate in this inaugural event has been circulated widely in AR Magazine, via this WIA national broadcast and via a variety of internet sites and other social media outlets.
The ASX 200 hit record highs today, closing at 9068 up 78 points (0.9%) in a very strong session. Today, it was banks and industrials doing much of the heavy lifting — along with a solid contribution from the gold sector. MQG led the charge, jumping over 5% on the back of news it had sold some of its data centre assets — good news all around. The big kicker came at 11:30 am, with jobs data showing an unemployment rate of 4.5%. That gives the RBA plenty of room to cut rates further on Melbourne Cup Day. Across the industrials, gains were broad-based: WES up 1.3%, WOW up 1.9% , GMG up 4.9% and buoyed by enthusiasm for data centre exposure following Macquarie's sales. CSL added 1.8%. TLS rose 0.4%. The banks were steady if unspectacular, while insurers and wealth managers shone. HUB soared 10.5%. AMP also rallied 8.5% on the back of a positive quarterly update.The technology sector, however, missed the memo on record highs — WTC and XRO both slipped around 1.4%, continuing their recent stumbles.The resources sector was busy once again. BHP edged slightly higher, while FMG and RIO eased. The gold miners were the standout as gold hit fresh record highs. NEM up 3.4% and EVN up 3.3%. The rare earths and lithium stocks came under pressure after Scott Bessent talked of an extension of the 100% tariffs deadline if China eased export restrictions. LYC fell 5.7%. Other rare earth names substantially also weakened in sympathy.In corporate news, MYX rose 11.3% after it received court approval for its takeover by Cosette, with no wriggle room left — though FIRB approval is still required. RIO is searching for strategic partners to develop a huge copper deposit inBougainville. TWE edged 1.8% higher after its AGM, where Chairman John Mullen discussed ongoing challenges and sales developments in China.On the economic front, the jobs report confirmed unemployment rising to 4.5%, with a steady participation rate. That combination pushed bond yields lower, the Australian dollar weaker, and equity markets higher — a triple treat for investors heading into Friday and more US results.Asian markets rise, Japan up 0.5% China up 0.1% and HK down 0.4%.10-year yields fell to 4.17% on jobs data.European markets slightly lower. UK GDP today.Want to invest with Marcus Today? The Managed Strategy Portfolio is designed for investors seeking exposure to our strategy while we do the hard work for you. If you're looking for personal financial advice, our friends at Clime Investment Management can help. Their team of licensed advisers operates across most states, offering tailored financial planning services. Why not sign up for a free trial? Gain access to expert insights, research, and analysis to become a better investor.
The Wednesday Madhouse was down a few members but that doesn't mean the advice wasn't any less helpful. An unfrotunate man in Tennessee was a bit "stumped" after the advice he recieved from his radio while running from cops. Wednesday Morning Madhouse - October 15, 2025
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode is with an experienced asset allocator who has operated at the intersection of insurance and asset management throughout his career.We sat down in Prudential's Newark studio with PGIM's Head of Multi-Asset and Quantitative Solutions, Phil Waldeck. Phil is responsible for nearly $140B in AUM, where the business unit leverages PGIM's deep public and private markets expertise for the purpose of developing customized portfolio solutions to meet insurer and other investors' unique objectives. Phil previously served as Chief Transformation Officer at Prudential, CEO of Prudential's Workplace Solutions Group, and as president of Prudential's retirement business, which comprised of $250B in assets. Phil was also the architect of Prudential's pension risk transfer business, which he grew to over $170B. Phil and I had a fascinating conversation about the intersections between insurance and asset management. We covered:The evolution of how insurers allocate to private markets.The importance of asset liability management.How insurers are leveraging their balance sheet to invest in private markets and collaborate with alternative asset managers.How insurance and asset management interact and the benefits of an integrated platform.How PGIM's $1T in public and private credit informs how they invest.Why insurers are allocating to private credit.Thanks Phil for sharing your perspectives and wisdom on insurance and private markets. We hope you enjoy.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:23 Welcome to Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:03 Guest Introduction: Phil Waldeck03:29 Insurance and Asset Management Intersection04:51 Understanding Asset Liability Management (ALM)05:41 Liquidity and Private Markets07:08 ALM in Wealth Management10:44 Private Credit and Insurers11:31 Private Credit Flavors and Strategies12:42 Origination and Credit Culture14:32 Talent and Culture at PGIM15:06 Private Credit's Role in the Economy17:01 Borrowers Choosing Private Over Public Credit18:36 Public and Private Credit Blurring Lines19:00 Global Credit Capabilities20:09 Fewer Manager Relationships in Private Markets24:57 Challenges in Private Markets27:02 Underwriting Discipline in Private Credit27:34 Private Credit Market Growth30:22 Global Opportunities in Private Credit31:01 Future of Private Markets31:30 Regulatory Framework and Governance31:57 Educating Investors on Private Markets33:06 Creating the Perfect Private Credit Portfolio33:57 Diversification in Private Credit34:36 Advisors' Role in Private Credit Investing35:07 Wealth Channel Choices and Shelf Space35:53 Farm to Table Analogy in Private Credit37:32 Talent and Scale in Private Credit38:54 Maintaining Culture in Large Firms39:33 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsThe opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of PGIM, Inc. PGIM, Inc. is not responsible, endorses nor confirms its accuracy. All trademarks and other intellectual property used or displayed are the ownership of their respective owners. Unless noted otherwise in this podcast, PGIM, Inc. is not affiliated with, nor endorses any mentioned company or any linked third-party content. PGIM and its affiliates may develop and publish research that is independent of, and different than, the recommendations contained herein. PGIM's personnel other than the author(s), such as sales, marketing and trading personnel, may provide oral or written market commentary or ideas to PGIM's clients or prospects or proprietary investment ideas that differ from the views expressed herein.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
In this episode of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, hosts Butch and Joe Baya are joined by Jim McIlvaine from Optima Batteries to deliver the ultimate guide to marine batteries. The trio dives deep into the pros and cons of lithium, AGM, and lead acid batteries for fishing boats, covering essential topics like battery cycle life, weight, cost, and maintenance. Whether you're upgrading your trolling motor batteries or looking for the best boat battery for your fishing needs, this episode breaks down the latest battery technologies, real-world performance, and what to consider for your next marine battery purchase. Learn about battery safety, charging tips, and how to choose the right battery chemistry for your boat. Perfect for anglers, boat owners, and anyone interested in marine electronics and fishing boat upgrades. SPONSORS The Coastal Connection Mobile Baykeeper Sea Tow Test Calibration Bucks island Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Works Admiral Shellfish Foster Contracting SouthEastern Pond Management CCA Alabama STAR Tournament Fishbites Salts Gone Realtime Navigator Return em Right Shoreline Plastics Saunders Yachtworks Pure Flats KillerDock BOW Blue Water Marine Service ADCNR The Obsession Outdoors Black Buffalo Stayput Anchor
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
John Keane is the new Chairman of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland. The Doonbeg man was appointed at the group's AGM in recent days. To find out more, John spoke with Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) Amateur Drama Council Ireland Facebook
In Episode Six - the first in a two-part mini-series - Steve and Becky dive deep into Ronald Koeman's tenure as Everton manager. In the wake of Koeman's appointment in the summer of 2016, discover who joined the Board during a major shake-up at Goodison; after Moshiri's pledge to retain key players, find out who was first star out of the door; what happened on the pitch during Koeman's first six months in charge; how statements made at first AGM shaped events in the forthcoming transfer windows; and how effective was the Blues' trouncing of Manchester City in propelling them toward the goal of European football. Ask Steve and Becky questions or send your feedback to: DeepDive@UnofficialEvertonTimeline.com If you like what you hear and want more, grab a copy of Steve and Lyndon Lloyd's book, ‘The Unofficial Everton Timeline: 2014-2024, The Moshiri Years' by clicking here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unofficial-Everton-Timeline-2014-2024-Friedkin/dp/B0DSJWZJY3 It's available as an e-book, paperback and as an audiobook. Also follow our podcast page on X @EvertonDeepDive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn the science behind off-season battery maintenance with Jed Emert, Performance Sales Manager at XS Power Batteries, in this Race Industry Now technical webinar hosted by Brad Gillie from SiriusXM Ch. 90, Late Shift.Discover the differences between AGM and lithium chemistries, ideal storage voltages and temperatures, proper charging cycles, and load-testing procedures to maximize reliability and performance.XS Power shares practical, race-proven insights to help you keep your batteries at peak efficiency all year long.
Send us a textWhen a nonprofit faces a full board turnover, staff departures, and community outrage all at once, most Executive Directors want to run away. Nina Horvath stayed. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Nina Horvath, Executive Director of the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, producers of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Years ago, Nina joined Coastal as their ED just two weeks before a contentious AGM that resulted in a complete board shake-up. What followed was months of turmoil, community mistrust, and staff uncertainty. Through transparency, communication, and stubborn resilience, Nina helped guide the organization back to stability. Her leadership built psychological safety, trust with the community, and provided much-needed calm through the storm. Governance Crisis in Nonprofits - The Highlights: Transparency is your anchor in chaos Closed doors fuel suspicion. Nina used weekly all-staff meetings and open communication so people knew what was happening and why. Community needs a seat at the table Quarterly town halls gave members and musicians space to ask questions, share feedback, and hold leadership accountable. A transition board can stabilize governance A small, mixed transition board of former members and community reps helped build the path forward in a collaborative way. Funders will stick with you if you are honest One-on-one check-ins with major funders, plus a clear plan forward, kept support intact. Leadership in crisis is about trust, not perfection Nina second-guessed herself early. Her advise to her past self would be to ground decisions in values and move at the speed of trust.
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the evolution of infrastructure investing with a leading scaled specialist firm in infrastructure.We sat down in Stonepeak's Hudson Yards office with a pioneer in infrastructure investing: Mike Dorrell.Mike is the Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Stonepeak, building the foundations for the firm to achieve a rapid ascent to $76B from its founding in 2011.Mike brings deep expertise to bear in the infrastructure asset class. He has over 20 years of experience investing in infrastructure, starting his career at Macquarie, where he ultimately held the title of Senior Managing Director. He then joined Blackstone, where he was a Senior Managing Director in Private Equity and Co-Head of the Infrastructure Investment group, before striking out on his own to build one of the industry's largest infrastructure investing firms in Stonepeak.Mike and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion about infrastructure investing and why it's becoming an increasingly important part of the private capital ecosystem. We covered:The early days of infrastructure investing.How infrastructure investing has evolved.How Mike's experiences at Macquarie and Blackstone informed how he wanted to build Stonepeak.How institutional investors have approached infrastructure investing and why individual investors should consider exposure to infrastructure assets.Stonepeak's DNA and what makes the firm different from other infrastructure investors.Why being a scaled specialist is a competitive advantage.How Stonepeak was built from scratch to scale.How Stonepeak identified investing in data centers early on and well before the data center boom began.Why launch a wealth solutions business and how it's a reflection of the firm's DNA, culture, and values.Thanks Mike for coming on the show to share your expertise, wisdom, and passion for infrastructure investing.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:18 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:10 Guest Introduction: Mike Dorrell03:58 Mike's Journey to Stonepeak06:46 Challenges in the US Infrastructure Market11:09 Successes and Setbacks in Infrastructure Deals12:06 Privately Held Infrastructure in the US17:05 Public vs. Private Infrastructure18:34 Impact of Infrastructure on Daily Life19:16 Stonepeak's Significant Market Presence22:10 Balancing Public Good and Investor Returns22:53 Regulation and Good Judgment in Infrastructure23:55 Challenges in Privatization25:52 Skills Needed for Infrastructure Investing26:29 Access to Infrastructure for Individual Investors27:10 Institutional Market's Experience with Infrastructure30:50 Asset Allocation and Infrastructure33:40 Private Equity vs. Infrastructure Investments34:10 Institutional Allocation Trends34:46 Patience and Peace of Mind in Investing35:14 Warren Buffet's Investment Philosophy35:38 Biggest Risks in Infrastructure35:50 Electric Utility Asset Risks36:28 Data Center Business Risks37:02 Evaluating Data Center Investments38:46 Economic Differences: Building vs. Buying Data Centers40:21 Pricing Power in Data Centers46:03 Connectivity Data Centers Explained49:16 Navigating Infrastructure as an Asset Class50:09 Finding the Right Assets at Fair Prices50:27 The Evolution of Infrastructure Investing53:31 Founding Stonepeak57:20 Raising Capital in Early Days59:46 Lessons from Blackstone01:01:22 Building a Strong Investment Culture01:03:37 Maintaining Culture While Scaling01:06:20 The Importance of the Wealth Channel01:07:41 Focus on Quality and Customer Experience01:08:33 Cycling and Business Philosophy01:09:26 The Importance of Investment Decisions01:10:27 Final Thoughts on Investment ProcessEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
October 2025 marks 250 years of the U.S. Navy and we begin our monthlong celebration with retired Rear Admiral Jeremy "Bear" Taylor, who considers himself the luckiest man alive.Commissioned in 1957, Bear would accumulate more than 6,000 flight hours in fighters and trainers and over 1,000 carrier landings during his 35+ years of service. He was assigned to 13 different aircraft carriers and flew 50 additional types and models of aircraft, including 10 helicopters.During the Vietnam War, Bear flew the A-4 Skyhawk, accruing 200+ Rolling Thunder missions in North Vietnam. He fired numerous AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles and was later involved in developing the JDAM. Bear commanded an A-7 Corsair II squadron, the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, and the Strike Fighter Wing of the Pacific Fleet.Visit https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/ where Bear and other Vietnam veteran stories are chronicled.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
Town Councillor Anne Stephenson chairs the Hampshire & Isle of Wight branch of the Huntington's Disease Association; she lost her husband to the disease some years ago. Their recent AGM featured an IVF-type process that prevents the defective gene that causes the disease being passed on to children, which was a very uplifting story. but the big news was of a dramatic medical breakthrough which made the national and international news. AMT 130 - delivered in one dose during brain surgery reduces the progression of the disease by 75% and they hope it will be approved by the end of 2026 in the US. There are also hopes the process could have other applications with diseases like Alzheimers'. Anne speaks to Mike Waddington about Huntington's Disease, the prospects for a cure and the importance of all people affected coming together. See Huntington's Disease Association - South East See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode provides a fascinating window into the world of private equity value creation and how AI can help transform both portfolio company and investment firm processes and operations to create value.We sat down in New York with Hg Partner and Head of Value Creation Chris Kindt to dive into how he spearheaded the growth of the firm's in-house value creation efforts and has built a high-performing team to meet the evolving needs of portfolio companies.Chris brings 15 years of experience in architecting and driving value creation to bear, with 11 years of experience at Hg and another 8 years as a consultant at BCG and Parthenon.Chris and his team are responsible for driving value across a portfolio of 55 companies that represents over $180B in enterprise value and would represent the second largest software company in Europe after SAP if it were a conglomerate.Chris and I had a thought-provoking discussion about value creation and the impact of AI on investing and operating companies. We discussed:How to build a high-performing value creation team.Where value creation has the biggest impact.How AI is transforming investment processes.How Hg has become an “AI-first” investment firm.Where AI will have the most impact in a company today and why agentic AI is transforming certain roles and processes within companies.How professionals can generate the most leverage from utilizing AI – without having cognitive decline.Why prompting and prompt engineering is so critical in the age of AI (and how you can use your weekends to perfect prompt engineering).How a management team can buy into AI and why the current time period represents an interesting opportunity for incumbents, particularly for those building mission-critical enterprise software.Thanks Chris for sharing your expertise and wisdom on company building and AI. We hope you enjoy.Note: this episode was filmed in August 2025.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:18 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:10 Guest Introduction: Chris Kindt03:58 Chris Kindt's Background and Journey05:43 Value Creation at Hg06:55 Pre-Investment and Diligence Process07:44 Management Team Dynamics08:40 Common Value Creation Interventions11:14 Building a Cross-Functional Team12:31 Scaling the Value Creation Team15:40 Measuring Value Creation Impact17:49 Investment Philosophy: Inch Wide, Mile Deep19:28 Partnerships with Management Teams20:03 Embedding AI in Value Creation20:24 Internal vs External AI Applications21:47 AI First Culture22:18 Effective AI Utilization24:04 Prompt Engineering and Whispering26:25 Choosing the Right AI Models26:50 AI Models: Strengths and Weaknesses27:42 Transformative Impact of AI28:21 Skills Needed in the AI Era28:26 AI's Role in Investment Firms28:55 Core Insights and Judgements29:04 The Core Skillset and Efficiency29:12 Philosophical Questions on AI and Talent Development30:18 Building Grit in the Age of AI31:12 Maintaining Discipline with AI32:08 AI as a Value Creation Lever32:35 Operational Efficiency and Copilots33:43 Emergence of Reasoning Models and Agentic Frameworks34:31 10x Efficiency in Engineering36:24 Challenges in Implementing AI37:16 AI Immersion Strategy Days39:52 Organizational Agility and AI42:15 AI's Impact on Investment Strategies43:26 AI in Mergers and Acquisitions45:29 The Importance of Proprietary Data47:12 AI Fatigue and Disillusionment48:07 Building AI Products and Agentic Products48:58 Hg's Internal AI Incubator49:59 The Next Wave of AI51:19 Voice and Multimodality in AI51:55 Globalization and Internationalization of AI53:35 Overestimating and Underestimating AI's Impact54:54 The Competitive Landscape of AI55:42 The Future of Value Creation with AI56:23 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
In this episode of The Negotiation, host Todd Embley sits down with David Perez-Des Rosiers, Director of the Beijing Chapter of the Canada-China Business Council (CCBC).The CCBC has been a cornerstone of Canada–China business relations for over four decades, supporting Canadian enterprises as they navigate opportunities and challenges in China. David shares his perspective on the chamber's work, its advocacy efforts, and the evolving landscape of bilateral trade and investment.The conversation also touches on the current state of Canada–China relations, recent provincial-level engagement such as Saskatchewan's trade mission to China, and the sectors where Canadian businesses are finding the strongest opportunities. David also previews CCBC's upcoming AGM, an important gathering for business leaders and policymakers to exchange ideas and chart the path forward.Whether you're a Canadian business eyeing China, a policymaker, or simply someone interested in international trade, this episode provides practical insights into one of Canada's most important commercial relationships.Discussion PointsDavid's role as Director of the CCBC Beijing ChapterThe role and mandate of the CCBC in Canada–China tradeServices and support offered to Canadian companies in ChinaRecent CCBC advocacy efforts and policy recommendations to OttawaThe state of Canada–China relations and signals from recent developmentsReflections on the Saskatchewan delegation's visit to ChinaTop opportunities for Canadian businesses in China todaySectors where Canada has strong positioning (agriculture, energy, consumer goods, services)Preview of the CCBC's upcoming AGM and its significanceAdvice for Canadian businesses navigating China's market today
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode is with two executives who have helped to build one of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.In Permira Part 2, Brian Ruder joins his Co-Managing Partner and Co-CEO Dipan Patel in Permira's London office to discuss the firm's evolution and how the business has grown to over €80B in AUM.Both Brian and Dipan bring deep backgrounds in private equity investing to bear as they now lead the firm through its next phase of growth.Brian joined Permira in 2008 after working as a Partner at Francisco Partners. He's Co-Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Permira, also serving on the firm's Executive Committee and the buyout funds' Investment Committee. He was instrumental in building the firm's Technology sector team, which he co-led until 2023 where he worked on a number of the firm's notable transactions, including Ancestry, Genesys, Informatica, LegalZoom, Magento, McAfee, Relativity, Zendesk, and more.Dipan joined Permira from Gores Group and is Co-Managing Partner and Co-CEO of the firm. He serves on Permira Holdings Limited Board and Permira's Investment Committee and Executive Committee. He's focused on technology and services investing, working on deals such as Renaissance Learning, Informatica, Axiom, Adevinta, AllTrails, Ancestry, LegalZoom, and more.Brian, Dipan, and I had a thought-provoking conversation about what it takes to build and run a scaled alternative asset manager and how to differentiate a firm and a culture. We discussed:How the firm's beginnings have shaped the culture that has been built and how that culture has permeated how they make investment decisions, work with companies, founders, and LPs.The benefits and challenges of the collaborative leadership model.How would an LP underwrite Permira's culture?How the firm's European heritage helps as an investor.The opportunity set in Europe.The investment culture at Permira and how its structure and set up helps investment processes and decision-making.Why software buyouts have become a larger part of the buyout investing landscape.The Growth vs. Buyout mindset.The advantage for technology forward incumbents.How AI is impacting software investing and how AI is impacting services businesses.The thought process behind launching a wealth solutions business, Permira Wealth, and how it reflects the culture of the firm.Thanks Brian and Dipan for coming on the show to share the evolution of Permira and your expertise and wisdom in private markets.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:18 Welcome to Alt Goes Mainstream01:56 Introducing Brian Ruder and Dipan Patel04:44 Private Equity and Technology04:54 Brian's Career Journey06:51 Dipan's Career Journey11:44 AI's Role in Modern Investing12:38 AI in Services and Technology13:27 Permira's Sector-Focused Approach13:54 AI's Broader Impact on Industries17:27 Leadership and Innovation in Private Equity18:49 Underwriting Deals in the AI Era18:53 Importance of Market Leadership21:58 Technology Forward Incumbents24:00 Permira's Continuous Innovation24:26 Building the Business of Permira24:36 Dipan's Perspective on Firm Growth25:35 Core Values and Their Impact26:39 Investment Strategies and Sector Focus27:19 Fluid Team Dynamics28:04 Growth vs. Buyout Mindset29:45 Long-Term Investment Philosophy30:29 Driving Terminal Value30:50 Optimizing Long-Term Profitability31:55 Case Studies: Informatica and Ancestry.com32:58 Skillsets for Growth-Oriented Investing33:26 Assessing Long-Term Outcomes34:09 Empowering Long-Term Thinking34:30 Big Picture Thinking in Investments38:05 Co-Leadership Model39:38 Challenges of Co-Leadership40:37 Permira's Entrepreneurial Culture43:14 Diversifying Capital Base44:58 Educating the Wealth Channel46:29 Permira's Brand in the Wealth Channel47:10 Future Evolution of PermiraEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
Story of the Week (DR):Disney Pulls Jimmy Kimmel's Show After Kirk Remarks Republicans Leverage Charlie Kirk's Death to Declare War on Free SpeechCharlie Kirk assassination reignites debate over Section 230 protections for social media companies"Section 230 needs to be repealed. If you're mad at social media companies that radicalize our nation, you should be mad," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I have a bill that will allow you to sue these people. They're immune from lawsuits."Nexstar And Sinclair, Two Largest Station Groups, Wield Influence In ABC Decision To Pull Jimmy Kimmel In Light Of His Charlie Kirk CommentsA $6.2 billion deal looms over Jimmy Kimmel's suspensionNexstar, the largest station group in the country, is a leading champion in the broadcast industry for the FCC to relax media ownership limits and has a major merger before the Trump administration, its proposed $6.2B acquisition of Tegna, creating a mega-company with 265 stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, representing 80% of U.S. TV households.Nexstar needs the agency to ease rules that currently limit the percentage a broadcaster can reach to 39% of the nation's television households.Sinclair also is seeking deregulation, and in its statement, it praised Carr. “We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr's remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks,” Sinclair said.Nexstar: founder/Chair/CEO Perry SookSinclair: the Smith family: currently nepobaby David Smith; board is 44% SmithWhat to know about Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman who went after Jimmy KimmelIn response to an opinion column in The Washington Post by Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, outlining his ideas for removing harmful content, Carr criticized Zuckerberg's call for government regulation as a violation of the First Amendment.He later praised Zuckerberg's "instincts" to show Trump's posts that amplified COVID-19 misinformation unaltered.Carr supported Trump's "Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship" targeting Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and 4 of its journalistsTrump's NYT Lawsuit Dismissed by Republican-Appointed JudgeA federal judge on Friday dismissed Donald Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday: a lawsuit is not "a protected platform to rage against an adversary."Comcast CEO criticizes ex-MSNBC contributor's remarks about Charlie Kirk in memo to staffTrumpy Billionaires Close In on TikTok TakeoverAllies of President Donald Trump are poised to get their hands on TikTok's U.S. operations.Entrepreneur Larry Ellison, worth approximately $350 billion, and Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist with a $2 billion net worth, have been pals with the president for years.Ellison's software giant Oracle, Andreessen's venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and private equity firm Silver Lake are among a group of U.S. businesses said to be nearing a deal to take over the American operations of the short-form video app, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.Nestlé Chairman to Step Down After Abrupt CEO FiringNestlé investors demand chair Paul Bulcke resign over CEO churn “I have full trust in Nestlé s new leadership and firmly believe this great company is well positioned for the future,” Bulcke said. “This is the right moment for me to step aside and accelerate the planned transition, allowing Pablo and Philipp to advance Nestlé's strategy and guide the company with a fresh perspective.”Board member (2018-) Pablo Isa new chairThe company appointed Dick Boer as lead independent director and vice chairman of the board of directors as of Oct. 1, while Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch was appointed vice chair of the board.A new ally against excessive CEO Pay: Pope LeoPope Leo appears to be particularly baffled by the Tesla pay package that could turn Elon Musk into the world's first trillionaire: “What does that mean and what's that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we're in big trouble.”Dave Ramsey Says 'We're Not All Equal. It Doesn't Work That Way' — The Rich Aren't Evil, It's Just Math and Jealousy Fueling the StigmaRashida Tlaib and Bernie Sanders introduce the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act. Proponents of the bill argue that it will incentivize large corporations to narrow their internal pay disparities by either increasing wages for their lowest-paid employees or reducing executive compensation packages Key Provisions of the Act:Tax Trigger: The new tax would apply to companies with a CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio of 50-to-1 or greater.Graduated Tax Rates: The penalty begins with a 0.5 percentage point tax increase for companies with a pay ratio between 50 and 100-to-1.Progressive Structure: The tax rate increase climbs with the pay ratio:1.0 percentage point for ratios between 100 and 200-to-1.2.0 percentage points for ratios between 200 and 300-to-1.3.0 percentage points for ratios between 300 and 400-to-1.4.0 percentage points for ratios between 400 and 500-to-1.5.0 percentage points for ratios exceeding 500-to-1.Broad Application: The act is intended to apply to both publicly and privately held companies with annual revenues of $100 million or more.Exxon to offer auto-voting to counter shareholder activism. Here's how it works:Opt-In Program: The auto-voting feature is a voluntary, opt-in program for retail investors.Automatic Voting: Once enrolled, an investor's shares will be automatically voted in accordance with the board's recommendations on all proposals at shareholder meetings.Flexibility for Investors: Despite the automated nature, investors will still receive all proxy materials and retain the right to manually override the automatic vote on any specific proposal. They can also opt out of the program at any time, free of charge.Exxon's Stated Rationale:Leveling the Playing Field: Exxon argues that this program is a matter of fairness, designed to give retail investors the same ease of voting that institutional investors have. They contend that individual investors often lack the time and resources to research and vote on complex proxy proposals.Addressing Low Turnout: The company has highlighted that while retail investors hold a significant portion of its shares (nearly 40%), their voting turnout is low (only about a quarter of them vote).Countering Activist Agendas: Exxon has explicitly stated that activist groups have exploited this low retail voter participation to advance their own agendas, which the company claims are often political and detrimental to long-term shareholder value.Texas AG probes proxy advisers Glass Lewis, ISS amid ESG backlash By ReutersExxon Urges Europe to Repeal Rules to Make Companies Track Climate PollutionGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Tyson is ditching corn syrupIt also plans to axe sucralose, BHA/BHT, and titanium dioxide from its food by the end of 2025MM: New Poll Finds That Americans Loathe AI53 percent of just over 5,000 US adults polled in June think that AI will "worsen people's ability to think creatively." Fifty percent say AI will deteriorate our ability to form meaningful relationships, while only five percent believe the reverse.MM: Northeast US states form health alliance in response to federal vaccine limits MMAssholiest of the Week (MM):Which capitalist is the bigger assholeBob IgerIger yanked Kimmel after pressure from affiliate owners looking to curry FCC favor in a $6bn mergerThere are comparisons being made to when Iger cancelled Roseanne:From blowhard Iger apologist Jeff Sonnenfeld: “Iger has been a fearless, equal opportunity offender in defending Disney's corporate character, whether from intrusions by the left or by the right. He was criticized harshly from many on the political right when in 2018, he cancelled Rosanne, then ABC's #1 show, when its star imploded with a cruel racial tirade about President Obama's former top advisor, Valerie Jarrett.”Sonnenfeld ignores the content of what was said obviously, since he has to make a point to kiss Iger's ass - Kimmel said MAGA didn't want the shooter to be MAGA, Barr said a black woman was from Planet of the Apes… so, very the same?This isn't about brand protection, this is about economics - and Iger the dealmaker just made a trade: short-term political expediency for cash as he tries to unload ABCIn 2023, Iger was in talks with Nexstar to buy ABC outrightAlso 2023, massive deals between Disney and NexstarNexstar's ABC agreements expire December 202614% of Nexstar stations are ABC affiliates - Tegna would add 7%Disney already was cancelled by the right for having movies that were too woke, now they just Target-ed themselves right in the groinASSHOLE ACTION ITEM:Disney's next AGM is likely March 2026 - buy Disney stock with the intention of voting out every starfucky directorBonus option: buy shares of Coca-Cola, GM, Under Armour, P&G, Reckitt Benckiser, Bristol Myers, Target, Carlyle, and Lululemon to vote the same directors out of ALL their board positions - make shit decisions in one place, you'll make them everywhereDisney's Mel Lagomasino on Coca-Cola with Carolyn Everson (twofer!), Mary Barra at GM, Everson also at Under Armour, Amy Chang at P&G, Jeremy Darroch at Reckitt Benckiser, Derica Rice at Bristol Myers, Target (anti DEI AND anti free speech!), Carlyle, Cal McDonald at LululemonVote out Sonnenfeld - on the board of Lennar Corporation - vote him out for kicks since he's so deferential to CEOs, how on earth can he hold one accountable? Is he the voice of shareholders or CEOs?Perry SookThe buyer! Nexstar looking to acquire Tegna for $6bn, which would consolidate 80% of US households local news stationsNexstar has to make nice with Brendan Carr, chair of the FCC (I miss Lina Kahn… sigh) - and Carr is purely political, so here was how they bent the knee:“Nexstar's owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight's show. Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”Again, if you read Kimmel's actual comment, he's saying that MAGA doesn't want the shooter to be MAGA… he actually didn't say ANYTHING ELSE about the shooting itselfSonnenfeld: “Kimmel's suggestion that “the MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” doesn't square with the facts which are known at this point. Regardless, these comments are blatantly insensitive as political violence should never be tolerated or exploited as comedic entertainment, no matter who perpetrated it.”Except Kimmel didn't joke about political violence, he joked about the fact that MAGA is super hoping it wasn't their political violence.Perry Sook's political donations have been almost entirely to Republican candidates over the last decade (except for National Association of Broadcasters) - and it's paid offBrendan Carr, Soon To Be FCC Chair, Says Commission Will Back Local TV Stations “Even If That's In Conflict” With Broadcast NetworksNew FCC boss could unleash biggest local TV shakeup in decadesSook owns just under 6% of Nexstar stock, with Vanguard and Blackrock clocking in at a combined 21.8% - meaning about 28% of votes are guaranteed to go with managementMeaning this was all a pretense to consolidate broadcaster ownership - and Sook is one of the winners of the consolidationNow Carr has a reason he can vote for Nexstar purchase, Iger gets out of more ABCASSHOLE ACTION ITEMIt's basically too late to vote against Nexstar's board - their meeting was in June 2025, the merger will be approved by thenYou could maybe buy shares and vote against the mergerAlternatively, buy Yelp (Tony Wells), Denny's (Bernadette Aulestia), and Urban One (Geoffrey Armstrong) to vote out board elsewhereDavid Deniston SmithCEO of Sinclair, owner of 20% of ABC affiliates - the most currently, but post merger would be secondNepo baby Smith, who, with the rest of his brothers and family, own 82% of voting power, are Trump and GOP toadiesAnother mediocre conservative blowhard CEO who spent the last two decades kissing the ass of every republican he can findHe was one of Turning Point USAs biggest donors through his foundation, and issued the following statement: they would “not lift the suspension of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network's commitment to professionalism and accountability,” calling on Kimmel to make a direct apology to the Kirk family, and for the network to make a “meaningful donation” to them and Turning Point USA.In the 00s, Sinclair let a paid Bush administration propagandist deliver reporting on their local news stationsIn Trump 1.0, Sinclair forced local news broadcasters to read off a script about how mainstream media was fake newsIn the 90s, Smith was caught getting a blowjob from a prostituteASSHOLE ACTION ITEMSinclair's board is dual class dictatorship, but you CAN vote out Ben Carson on the DR Horton and Covenant Logistics boards - yes, that Ben CarsonHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Elon Musk Fires 500 Staff at xAI, Puts College Kid in Charge of Training GrokMM: If You Don't Know Who the Underperforming Director Is, It Might Be You!Are the CEO, chair or committee leads soliciting my input off-cycle?Does the CEO and select members of the executive team think of me as a trusted advisor and am I able to constructively coach behind the scenes?If the answers to all of these questions are “No,” it could be a sign that you are not performing to the level expected by your company's management.YOU DON'T REPORT TO MANAGEMENTWho Won the Week?DR: I guess they just win every week: Trumpy and creepy billionaires profiting over an app used primarily by 18-34 year olds (70%): Oracle's Larry Elison, Andreessen Horowitz's Marc Andreessen.MM: Gillette, the razor company: Pete Hegseth goes to war against military beards, stresses ‘grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos'PredictionsDR: FCC Chair Brendan Carr cancels himself when he digs up reports when he cast himself as a First Amendment purist, denouncing efforts by Democrats and Republicans to lean on TV providers and social media platforms as “censorship” and a “chilling transgression of free speech.”ure on media a ‘chilling transgression of free speech.'”MM: I wrote this on Bluesky two days ago: “The next step for Brendan Carr and the FCC is to repeal Section 230 - after which they can sue social media companies for any anti-conservative posts. Then the silencing is complete until dissent is done via snail mail.” Today, I was right: Charlie Kirk assassination reignites debate over Section 230 protections for social media companies. We're in an era of algorithmic autocracy - Microsoft changed LinkedIn's algorithm earlier this year and there
The San Jose Sharks have opened training camp! Sharks legend Dan Boyle, insider Sheng Peng, prospects guru Keegan McNally, and beer league champ Zubair Jeewanjee react to Rookie Faceoff and GM Mike Grier's training camp availability. We discuss Will Smith staying at wing, Grier's reaction to Marc-Edouard Vlasic's unhappiness with his buyout and Ryane Clowe's departure to the New York Rangers, and Dan shares how he avoided involvement in the infamous Jeremy Roenick “Scare Tactics” prank. We also debate who should be the San Jose Sharks' next captain, Barclay Goodrow or Tyler Toffoli. Sponsored by Bring Hockey Back. Custom jerseys, hockey gear & tees for every fan. Use promo code: SANJOSEHOCKEYNOW for 15% off. ⸻
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode is with one of the executives who has helped to build one of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.We sat down in Permira's London office with Co-CEO Dipan Patel to discuss the firm's evolution and how the business has grown to over €80B in AUM.Dipan brings a deep background in private equity investing to bear as he and his Co-CEO Brian Ruder now lead the firm through its next phase of growth.Dipan joined Permira from Gores Group and is Co-Managing Partner and Co-CEO of the firm. He serves on Permira Holdings Limited Board and Permira's Investment Committee and Executive Committee. He's focused on technology and services investing, working on deals such as Renaissance Learning, Informatica, Axiom, AllTrails, Ancestry, LegalZoom, and more.Dipan and I had a thought-provoking conversation about what it takes to build and run a scaled alternative asset manager and how to differentiate a firm and a culture. We discussed:The founding story of Permira and the evolution of the firm since spinning out of Schroder Ventures in 1996.How the firm's beginnings have shaped the culture that has been built and how that culture has permeated how they make investment decisions, work with companies, founders, and LPs.How would an LP underwrite Permira's culture?How the firm's European heritage helps as an investor.The opportunity set in Europe.The investment culture at Permira and how its structure and set up helps investment processes and decision-making.Why software buyouts have become a larger part of the buyout investing landscape.How AI is impacting software investing and how AI is impacting services businesses.Why the firm has expanded into credit.The thought process behind launching a wealth solutions business, Permira Wealth, and how it reflects the culture of the firm.Thanks Dipan for coming on the show to share the evolution of Permira and your expertise and wisdom in private markets.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus01:55 Welcome Back to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:03 Introduction to Permira and our guest, Dipan Patel03:47 Discussion on Distributions and Market Conditions04:19 Selling A-Grade Businesses in Current Market05:03 Flight to Quality in Times of Stress06:07 Reflecting on Career and Lessons Learned06:29 Early Career Experiences at Arthur Andersen and Lehman Brothers07:29 Impact of Early Career on Leadership Style09:04 Challenges in Today's Investment Environment10:15 Underwriting in Unpredictable Times10:45 Locating Good Companies for Investment14:31 Importance of Market Leadership14:59 Partnering with Founders and Executive Teams16:22 Permira's Co-Leadership Model19:49 Investment Decision Process at Permira21:02 Underwriting Character in Executives22:54 Permira's Organizational Character and Culture23:29 Understanding Organizational Culture23:54 Thriving in Chaos: The Concept of Anti-Fragility24:51 Capital Flows in Private Markets25:26 Developing Investment Theses25:54 Strategic Exit Channels26:24 Supply Creates Its Own Demand27:24 The Necessity of Access to Private Markets28:10 Managing Stress Moments in Private Markets28:50 Navigating Industry Evolutions29:20 Focusing on Core Strengths30:09 Balancing Growth and Differentiation31:21 Investing in Growth and Buyout Businesses32:26 Synergies Between Growth and Mature Businesses33:38 Risk Spectrum in Investments34:27 Understanding Runway and Market Position35:42 Disruption vs. Destruction in AI36:49 Investing in Platform Shifts37:58 Control and Duration in Private Equity39:08 The Role of AI in Incumbent Success40:25 Cultural Adaptability to AI42:21 Specialism vs. Generalism in Investing43:56 Professional Services and AI45:27 Future Investment Ideas46:34 Mission Critical Investing47:28 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
During Hour 4 longtime NHLer and 5x Stanley Cup champion AGM with the Oilers Bruce MacGregor joined the show discussing his career and time in the Oilers' front office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's podcast was a conversation that was recorded live at Morningstar's Investment Conference in Chicago earlier this year.Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor took time out of his packed schedule at the event to sit down with me for a thought-provoking conversation that dove into the nuances of many of the trends that are shaping private markets today.Morningstar and Kunal have quite an interesting perch in the market. They occupy a critically important function in the market: helping investors understand the data, structures, and trends in public and private markets. They provide fund ratings, investment analysis, and market data to both individual and institutional investors.As public and private markets experience increasing convergence, Morningstar finds itself at the intersection of markets that are undergoing rapid evolutions across product structures, asset allocation frameworks, and weighty questions around conceptual frameworks of liquidity, risk, volatility, concentration that are on the minds of many. Amongst the wide range of topics Kunal and I covered, one stood out: Morningstar is fiercely on the side of the investor.If there's anyone who has a deep understanding of Morningstar's DNA, it's Kunal. Kunal started at Morningstar in 1997 as a data analyst, holding a variety of roles at the firm, including leadership positions in research and innovation. He served as director of mutual fund research and was part of the team that launched Morningstar Investment Services, Inc., before moving on to other roles including director of business strategy for international operations, and later, president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Services. During his tenure, he has also led Morningstar.com® and the firm's data business as well as its global products and client solutions group.Kunal and I had a fascinating and lively conversation. We covered a number of the most pressing topics in private markets today: the convergence of public and private, liquidity vs illiquidity, investor education, the importance of transparency, and the why, what, and how behind evergreen funds.Thanks Kunal for coming on the show to share your wisdom, expertise, and passion for public and private markets.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus01:18 Podcast Opening and Theme01:55 Welcome to the Morningstar Investment Conference02:29 Convergence of Public and Private Markets03:12 Challenges in Transitioning to Private Markets05:26 Morningstar's Evolution and Impact06:59 Morningstar's Role in Reducing Costs08:15 Evergreen Funds and Transparency08:48 Complexities in Private Market Structures09:36 Liquidity and Innovation in Private Markets12:27 Investor Education and Common Language14:34 Comparing Public and Private Market Investments16:28 Standardized Documentation and Regulation18:00 Educating Investors on Private Markets18:52 Morningstar's Style Box for Private Markets19:14 Data Availability and Analysis20:24 Evaluating Different Investment Structures21:09 Public-Private Partnerships and Transparency21:38 Philosophical Questions on Private Markets22:58 Behavioral Aspects of Illiquidity24:00 Evergreen Funds as Buy and Hold Vehicles24:15 Asset Allocation and Evergreen Structures25:16 Investor Behavior and Market Volatility25:25 Individual Investors vs. Advisors26:32 Stability of Retail Assets26:56 Retail Brokerage Apps and Crypto Trading27:15 Impact of Social Media on Young Investors27:29 Exposure to Private Markets28:01 Market Drawdowns and Young Investors28:27 Advisor-Led Models vs. Self-Directed Investing28:57 Investor Behavior Across Different Age Groups30:06 Morningstar's Role in Investor Validation30:50 Morningstar's Independent Voice32:01 Transparency in Private Markets32:24 PitchBook and Data Transparency33:02 Challenges in Private Market Data33:26 Tipping Point in Transparency34:54 Private Market Indices35:37 Challenges in Benchmarking Private Markets36:29 Lessons from Public Markets37:12 Evolution of Private Markets37:37 Future of Private Markets38:41 Fee Structures in Private Markets39:38 Operational Burden in Private Markets40:50 Pre-Trade Market Structure41:16 Access to Private Markets for All Investors43:06 Returns and Diversification in Private Markets44:51 Building Portfolios in a Lower Return Environment47:15 Brand vs. Performance in Alternative Assets49:18 Favorite Alternative InvestmentsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
On the Money Café this week, Alan Kohler and Stephen Mayne discuss the Murdoch family's succession plan, job cuts at the big banks, AGM season, Japan, AI, and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Once in a while, I take a turn on the other side of the microphone and share it on our feed when I've said something different from what I have in the past. I recently appeared on Michael Sidgmore's Alt Goes Mainstream podcast, which focuses on the intersection of private markets and wealth management. Michael was the first guest on our Private Wealth mini-series and asked me to share my lessons from that mini-series on AGM when it concluded. Our conversation covers David Swensen's lasting legacy, perspectives on private market interest from the wealth channel, parallels of private equity and the hedge fund industry, behavioral biases in manager selection, and the power of content in asset management. Please enjoy my turn on the other side of the microphone, with Michael Sidgmore on the AGM podcast. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the evolution of infrastructure investing with the leading scaled specialist firm in infrastructure.We sat down in Stonepeak's Hudson Yards office with the firm's Co-President Luke Taylor to discuss the inner workings of the infrastructure investing world and unpack the story of how Stonepeak's rapid ascent has seen the firm climb to $76.3B in AUM in 14 short years.Luke brings a wealth of experience to the infrastructure investing world. He is Co-President of Stonepeak and a member of all of the firm's investment committees. He's been investing in infrastructure for over 20 years, joining Stonepeak from infrastructure investing pioneer Macquarie Capital.Luke and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion about infrastructure investing and why it's becoming an increasingly important part of the private capital ecosystem. We covered:How Luke went from growing up on a sheep farm to investing in infrastructure in New York.What Macquarie taught him about how to approach infrastructure investing.Why he took the entrepreneurial leap to build Stonepeak and join Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder Mike Dorrell from the firm's earliest days.Why infrastructure investing is more than toll roads, airports, and bridges.How there are elements of a private equity approach to investing in, building, and operating infrastructure assets.Where infrastructure fits in an investors' portfolio.Why individual investors should consider exposure to infrastructure assets.Has infrastructure proved itself through an inflation cycle?Why scale matters in infrastructure investing.How Stonepeak identified investing in data centers early on and well before the data center boom began.What type of demeanor and mindset makes for a successful infrastructure investor.Thanks Luke for coming on the show to share your expertise, wisdom, and passion for infrastructure investing.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message01:18 Podcast Opening and Theme01:55 Episode Overview: Infrastructure Investing02:04 Guest Introduction: Luke Taylor02:45 Luke Taylor's Background and Journey04:49 Early Days at Macquarie07:19 Transition to Stonepeak08:04 Building Stonepeak 10:13 Value Creation in Infrastructure11:59 Mindset of an Infrastructure Investor13:08 Balancing Long-Term and Agile Thinking15:42 Key Drivers of Value Creation16:10 Underwriting and Risk Management18:00 Operational Intensity and Asset Utilization21:51 Network Effects in Infrastructure23:19 Infrastructure as a Defensive Investment26:13 Portfolio Construction and Infrastructure26:39 Private Infrastructure and Yield Benefits27:29 Productizing Infrastructure Investments27:41 Equity, Credit, and Real Estate Strategies29:23 Thematic and Opportunistic Investing29:53 Data Centers and Early Investments30:06 Identifying Investment Opportunities30:14 Evolution of Data Centers30:58 Interconnection Hubs and Carrier Hotels31:32 AI Boom and Data Centers33:22 Investing in AI Through Infrastructure34:42 Underwriting AI Thematics35:04 Capital Needs in Data Centers35:32 Downside Protection in AI Investments36:49 Navigating Increased Capital in Infrastructure37:35 Durability of Cash Flow in Infrastructure38:40 Scaling Stonepeak's Infrastructure Investments39:18 Diversification in Infrastructure Investments41:47 Developing an Edge in Origination42:36 Structural Elements in Deal Sourcing42:57 Competition and Market Structure43:26 New Entrants in Infrastructure43:44 Building New Assets in Infrastructure43:54 Exits and Evergreen Funds46:27 Private Wealth and Infrastructure51:25 Challenges in Starting a Wealth Business51:51 Deal Flow and Product Construction53:50 Volatile Markets and Opportunities54:20 Interest Rate Risks in Infrastructure55:18 Favorite Infrastructure Opportunities57:01 Closing Thoughts and Full CircleEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
Story of the Week (DR):The Cracker Barrel BSCracker Barrel scraps new logo design, keeps 'Old Timer' after listening to customersRestaurant chain's stock price sank following removal of 'Uncle Herschel' from brandingUncle Herschel wasn't just a marketing creation, he was a real person. Born Herschel McCartney, he was the younger brother of Cracker Barrel founder Dan Evins' mother and served as an early goodwill ambassador for the brand. A salesman for Martha White Flour Company for over three decades, Herschel traveled through rural America, building relationships in small-town general stores — the very kinds of places that inspired Cracker Barrel's original design and ethos.When Cracker Barrel introduced its iconic logo in 1969, the old-timer sitting beside the barrel was long thought by fans to be based on Herschel himself, though the company later clarified that this wasn't the case.In 2004, the Justice Department (during the George W. Bush administration) sued the chain for discriminating against Black customers. In 2006, they settled a lawsuit involving three of their Illinois restaurants for “discriminatory practices, racially charged language, and inappropriate touching.”Cracker Barrel's inconvenient fact: all the customers who loved its old logo had stopped going to the restaurantFounder Dan EvinsHis tone was considerably harsher when it came to defending a January 1991 directive to all the company's restaurants to fire employees “whose sexual preferences fail to demonstrate normal heterosexual values.” Mr. Evins's explanation for the edict was that gay people made customers in rural areas uncomfortable. As many as 16 openly or suspected gay employees were promptly fired.“They actually put a policy like this in writing, which was, and still is, shocking,” David Smith, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.The New York City Employees Retirement System, which owned more than $6 million of Cracker Barrel shares, led other stock owners in using their votes and other legal means to organize resistance. In March 1991, Mr. Evins apologized and said the policy had been rescinded. But New York and its allies fought until 58 percent of the shareholders in 2002 persuaded Cracker Barrel's board to vote unanimously to explicitly forbid antigay discrimination in its equal employment policy.In July 2001, shareholders replaced Evins as CEO with Michael A. Woodhouse, who at the time was serving as the company's chief operating officer. Evins maintained his position as chairman of the board.Prior to founding the company, Dan worked for Consolidated Oil, a company founded by his grandfather.Cracker Barrel took down Pride page after rebrand fiascoCompany faced criticism over modernist redesign and support for LGBT causes before stock reboundThe website link for Cracker Barrel's Pride page, which used to boast that the company was "bringing the porch to Pride," now redirects to its "Culture and Belonging" page.Cracker Barrel previously sponsored the Nashville Pride Parade in 2024 and unveiled a line of rainbow-colored rocking chairs for Pride month. The company also has an LGBTQ employee resource group called the "LGBTQ+ Alliance," along with groups for veterans and other communities.Despite claims it's 'too woke,' Cracker Barrel actually has a fraught LGBTQ+ historyCracker Barrel received a score of zero on the inaugural index in 2002. The chain was criticized in the 1990s for discrimination against gay employees. In 1991, the company adopted a corporate policy stating that any worker who failed to demonstrate "normal heterosexual values" would be fired. Eleven employees were terminated under the rule, leading to boycotts and protests nationwide. Over time, Cracker Barrel's HRC score improved, reaching 80 in 2021 after the company took several public pro-LGBTQ stances.58 percent of the shareholders in 2002 persuaded Cracker Barrel's board to vote unanimously to explicitly forbid antigay discrimination in its equal employment policy.Proud Representation: Business Resource Groups: These voluntary, employee-led organizations are open to all employees and provide opportunities to network, develop leadership skills, and serve as cross-functional resources for our teams.AMPT (Advancing Modern Professionals for Tomorrow) aims to connect and empower modern professionals by promoting a community of inclusive, ambitious, and diverse members that unify through the Cracker Barrel to equip our community and leaders for the future. This BRG provides networking, development, and community outreach opportunities that supplement the professional and personal lives of its members.The mission of Be Bold is to cultivate and develop Black Leaders within the Cracker Barrel organization utilizing allyship, mentorship, and education to create a path to continued excellence as well as a vibrant and diverse community.B-Well: Cracker Barrel's Wellness BRG partners with the Benefits Department to improve the employee experience by sponsoring health and wellness activities that nurture employees' physical, emotional, financial, and intellectual well-being. Balance in these areas reduces distractions and allows employees to improve their focus and productivity.HOLA's mission is to promote Hispanic and Latino culture through hiring, developing, and retaining talent within Cracker Barrel. To create a culture of inclusivity and awareness through community outreach.LGBTQ+ Alliance: Supporting Home Office and Field employees to bring their whole selves to work while strengthening Cracker Barrel's relationship to the LGBTQ+ community.NeuroVerse Collective is focused on advocacy and education around Neurodiversity.Our Veteran's BRG, SERVE, is dedicated to advocating for leadership and development opportunities for its members. We foster an environment of networking and volunteerism while focusing on recruitment, retention, and advancement of Veterans at this company.Women's Connect: Our mission & goal is to inspire the women of Cracker Barrel by empowering, educating and engaging to achieve the strategic initiatives of Cracker Barrel.The anti-DEI purge continues: MMFed emphasizes its commitment to 'independence' as Lisa Cook pledges to sue over Trump's 'illegal' firingWhite House fires CDC director [Susan Monarez] who says RFK Jr. is ‘weaponizing public health'White House names RFK Jr deputy Jim O'Neill as replacement CDC directorUnlike Monarez, O'Neill, a former investment executive, does not have a medical or scientific background. He served as a speechwriter for the health department during the George W Bush administration, and went on to work for the tech investor and conservative mega-donor Peter Thiel.Trump Fires Member of Board That Approves Railroad MergersRobert E. Primus received an email from the White House terminating his position, but he said he would continue his duties.The Oligarchy Rules!: Trump makes the government Intel's largest investorIntel has entered into an agreement with the U.S. government, specifically the Department of Commerce, for an $8.9 billion investment in the company. This investment is in the form of the government purchasing Intel common stock.The U.S. government will gain a nearly 10% stake in Intel.This funding is part of the CHIPS and Science Act and the Secure Enclave program, aimed at boosting the domestic semiconductor industry.The government's ownership will be passive, with no board representation or governance rights.Each Warrant represents the right to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $20.00 per share.On August 18, 2025, Intel Corporation entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with SoftBank Group Corp. pursuant to which SoftBank agreed to purchase 86,956,522 shares of the Company's common stock for an aggregate purchase price in cash of $2.0 billion, representing a price per share of $23.00 per share.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Korea passes boardroom reform, curbing chaebol power MM DRMM: Red Lobster Is Betting on Black Diners With Its Brand ComebackMM: Bluesky now platform of choice for science communityAssholiest of the Week (MM):Shareholder democracyFrom Mike Levin, host of Shareholder Primacy and writer of the Activist Investor newsletter: Followers here should recall ten current and former TSLA directors agreed to repay about $735 million in comp they received from 2017-2020 as part of a settlement of a derivative lawsuit, Detroit v. Tesla.February 25, 2025 - TSLA receives $735 million in cash and returned options from ten director defendants, five of which currently serve on the TSLA BoD, without specifying how much each defendant paidMarch 31 - We filed our opening brief, acknowledging that receipt of the damages and noting the five director defendants currently on the TSLA BoD had not filed SEC Form 4 showing a change in options holdings to reflect returned optionsApril 29 or 30 - TSLA BoD authorizes cancellation of options to reflect the settlementMay 1 - The five defendants currently on the TSLA BoD file Form 4 showing return of options as part of the settlement.It is impossible for Tesla to have received Settlement Options from Current Director Defendants by February 25, 2025 and for Current Director Defendants to have conveyed them to Tesla on May 1, 2025. Either Tesla misrepresented receipt of the Settlement Amount in a sworn affidavit or Current Director Defendants failed to timely file Form 4 with the SEC.From Kevin Barnes of K-Bar Holdings LLC, shareholder proponent at Eagle Materials:Files shareholder proposal to de-classify the board by amending the charter via Special Meeting in the June 23, 2025 proxy statementAt the AGM held August 4, 2025, Barnes wins the advisory vote… by a LOT - 92% in favor (92%!!!) - made more impressive given that 37.3% of shares are held by Fidelity, Vanguard, BlackRock, and JPM, not exactly communistsKevin emailed me Tuesday to say Eagle “has yet to notice a Special Meeting to formalize [the amendments]”On August 16th, 19 days after Samsara (where Marc Andreessen and Sue Wagner spend their time) held its AGM, the company added Gary Steele (whose company Shield AI is private and funded in large part by Andreessen Horowitz) to the boardQorvo, after John Cheveddan's shareholder proposal asking for the right of investors to call special meetings failed with 44% in favor and approved pay with just 59% in favor, ONE DAY after the annual meeting the board “approved” giant golden parachutes for the executivesMeritocracyRobert Primus: Trump Fires Member of Board That Approves Railroad Mergers“Robert Primus did not align with the president's America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House.” He added, “The administration intends to nominate new, more qualified members to the Surface Transportation Board in short order.”Primus is a black man who went to Harvard and Hamton and has more than 20 year experience in politics - he was given the position originally by TrumpLisa Cook: Trump says he's removing Fed governor Lisa Cook, citing his administration's allegations of mortgage fraudLetitia Jones: Justice Dept. Abruptly Escalates Pressure Campaign on a Trump AdversaryMuriel Bowser, Karen Bass: Cities led by Black women are the first targets of Trump's political power grabKnow your surrendering boards DRCracker Barrel CEO Under Pressure To Resign After Logo U-TurnCarl Berquist (2019), Chair, ex Arthur AndersenJody Bilney (2022), ex HumanaSteve Bramlage (2025), Casey's GeneralGilbert Davila (2020), diversity marketing CEO (PoC!)John Garratt (2023), ex Dollar GeneralMichael Goodwin (2024), tech at PetSmart (PoC!)Cheryl Henry (2024), ex Ruth'sJulie Felss Masino, CEOGisel Ruiz (2020), ex Sam's Club (PoC!)Daryl Wade (2021), ex Union Square Hospitality (PoC!)Cracker Barrel board member under fire for DEI backgroundTrump makes the government Intel's largest investorFrank Yeary (2009), Chair, PE/VC tech guyJim Goetz (2019), SequoiaAndrea Goldsmith (2021), dean at PrincetonAlyssa Henry (2020), ex CEO of BlockEric Meurice (2024), ex ASML HoldingsBarbara Novick (2022), ex Blackrock founderSteve Sanghi (2024), Microchip TechnologyGreg Smith (2017), ex BoeingStacy Smith (2024), ex KioxiaDion Weisler (2020), ex HPHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Pork Industry Leader David Newman Selected as National Pork Board's Next CEOMM: Jeff Bezos Said He Would Have 'Felt Icky' Had He Taken Any More Shares Of Amazon: 'I Just Didn't Feel Good...'MM: Sam Altman says colleagues are glad he's a dad now, because they think raising a child will help him make ‘better decisions for humanity'Who Won the Week?DR: Hopeful Susan Collins slayer and oyster farmer Graham Platner: “I did four infantry tours in the Marine Corps and the army. I'm not afraid to name an enemy, and the enemy is the oligarchy. It's the billionaires who pay for it, the politicians who sell us out.”MM: Journalists who listen to Business Pants: Cracker Barrel's inconvenient fact: all the customers who loved its old logo had stopped going to the restaurant - where Dee Ann Durbin of the AP literally took my rant about foot traffic and stock movements part for partPredictionsDR: The following lines will be deleted from Cracker Barrel's next proxy statement:[The Public Responsibility Committee ] “Reviews the Company's progress in its diversity and inclusion initiatives and compliance with the Company's responsibilities as an equal opportunity employer”“ In addition, our nominees — including five (5) women and three (3) individuals who are racially or ethnically diverse — embody the diversity that we believe is critical to the effective functioning of any public company board today, particularly in a consumer-facing industry such as ours.”“Board Diversity Matrix”Or at least the following term from that matrix: “Non-Binary”“Gilbert R. Dávila, age 61, first became one of our directors in July 2020. Since 2010, Mr. Dávila has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of DMI Consulting — a leading multicultural marketing, diversity & inclusion, and strategy firm in the United States.”Cracker Barrel board member under fire for DEI background after restaurant ditches traditional logo MM: Ramon Laguarta, the CEO of Pepsi, quietly scraps a plan for their brand Quaker Oats to remove the picture of the old white quaker guy from the cartons of oats and instead asks the marketing team to make the quaker guy even older and whiter and possible they should consider adding a shotgun in his hands with “boobs rule” written on the side of it
Ørsted's US troubles deepen with a massive rights issue and political headwinds, while the Danish giant also exits Scotland's Salamander floating wind project. We cover the looming collapse of Maryland's 2.2GW offshore scheme and Mitsubishi's retreat from Japan offshore wind, alongside Germany's pivot from Chinese turbines to Siemens. In storage, GreenGo unveils financing plans for its 250MW MACSE pipeline, BayWa r.e. and Opdenergy secure landmark UK consents, and Gore Street faces pressure ahead of a crucial AGM.Interested in tickets for our Milan event or the awards show? Email conferences@inspiratia.com or buy them directly on our website.Reach out to us at: podcasts@inspiratia.comFind all of our latest news and analysis by subscribing to inspiratiaListen to all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other providers. Music credit: NDA/Show You instrumental/Tribe of Noise©2025 inspiratia. All rights reserved.This content is protected by copyright. Please respect the author's rights and do not copy or reproduce it without permission.
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into how operations and streamlining technology processes can be turned into a strategic advantage.We sat down with Arcesium's MD and Head of Client and Partner Development David Nable to discuss how technology is impacting how funds manage their processes, operations, and data.David was an early employee at Arcesium, helping the firm scale and working with many of the industry's largest asset managers across the lifecycle of an investment. David joined Arcesium after a career in fund services and fund administration that spanned senior roles at Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, and BNP Paribas Securities Services.David and I had a fascinating conversation. We discussed:How David's background in prime brokerage and fund admin helped him approach the technology problems for asset managers.How asset managers should approach where and how technology can be a strategic advantage.What does it mean to be a tech-forward asset manager?How does the growth of evergreen funds impact how firms manage their data and serve investors?What still needs to be built next to continue to improve private markets market infrastructure.Thanks David for coming on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your expertise and wisdom on private markets technology and post-investment processes.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus Fund Solutions01:52 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:04 Guest Introduction: David Nable03:46 David's Career Beginnings04:15 Parallels Between Running and Finance05:19 Observing Industry Trends06:45 Evolution of Private Markets08:45 Impact of Technology on Investment09:40 Challenges in Scaling Investments11:20 Data-Driven Investment Strategies12:50 Technological Advancements in Finance13:52 Importance of Foundational Data17:31 Data Silos and Harmonization18:14 Case Study: Investor Relations21:25 Data-First Approach Benefits21:51 Timing for System Architecture23:21 Inflection Points for Managers23:37 Logical Breakpoints in Strategy23:44 New Strategies and Geographies23:47 Adapting to New Asset Classes23:50 Distribution Channels and Partnerships23:56 Preparing for Future Growth24:00 Publicly Traded Private Markets24:14 Tackling Technological Challenges24:24 Philosophies on Illiquidity24:25 Conclusion and Future Outlook24:29 Investing in Scalable Distribution Channels25:12 Architecting Technology Systems for Business Growth25:44 Understanding Data in Different Business Models27:10 Strategic Role of Technology in Investment Firms29:35 The Paradox of Data in Decision Making30:49 Competitive Advantage Through Faster Information31:45 Impact of AI and Technology on Firm Sizes32:31 Challenges for Mid-Sized Firms33:13 Technology as an Enabler for Niche Specialists34:03 Advice for Mid-Sized Firms on Technology Implementation35:10 Focus on Big Technology Investments35:29 Point Solutions vs. Platforms in Private Markets38:52 Cost of Technology Solutions39:06 Integration Challenges with Multiple Systems40:59 Arcesium's Technology Platforms43:18 Simplifying Complex Investments46:13 Future of Software Innovation in Private Markets46:39 AI as a Game Changer in Private Markets47:34 Efficiency Gains Through AI48:05 Actionable Advice on Using AI48:15 Caution Against Vibe Coding48:58 Importance of Proper Technologists49:23 Timing of Technology Implementation49:29 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
TikTok Shops it's on fire right now.
In this powerful episode of Limitless, we sit down with Danhai Hall, one of only six individual investment advisors in Jamaica, as he reveals the painful mistakes that cost him significant losses and the breakthrough strategies that eventually changed his life.From losing 25% on his very first stock pick to discovering the stock split strategies that generated massive returns, Danhai's journey reads like a financial thriller. This isn't your typical investment advice - it's a raw, honest look at what really happens when you're building wealth in the Jamaican stock market.Danhai shares incredible stories about companies like JCON, SVL, MJE, and Select MD, revealing the research methods and timing strategies that separate successful investors from the crowd. He breaks down why most financial advisors give cookie-cutter advice, the hidden risks of portfolio management nobody talks about, and real strategies for timing IPOs and market opportunities.Whether you're just starting your investment journey or looking to level up your portfolio management skills, this episode delivers actionable insights you won't find anywhere else.Remember: The hosts may own shares in any companies discussed on this podcast. This content is for educational purposes only and not financial advice. For personalized investment guidance, book a consultation with Danhai through the link below.Connect & Learn More:
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into what the future of fund administration could look like with a tech-forward approach and the application of AI.We sat down with Juniper Square CEO and Co-Founder Alex Robinson to discuss how and why they've built a digital first fund administrator for private markets, starting with real estate and since expanding into other asset classes.Fresh off of a $130M Series D fundraise led by Ribbit Capital, Juniper Square has expanded globally, into fund administration through its acquisition of Forstone, and has launched JunieAI to bring AI to fund administration.Alex and I had a fascinating conversation. We discussed:Why Alex started Juniper Square and how his two entrepreneurial endeavors has informed how he's built the firm.The problem Alex set out to solve by building Juniper Square.After dealing with FedEx's to make investments, how he set out to build an investor experience that was digital.How AI will impact fund admin.Why every GP should have an AI agent according to Alex.Why Juniper Square decided to move from a technology firm to add fund administration capabilities in house.Does AI benefit larger firms or smaller firms more?Thanks Alex for coming on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your expertise and wisdom on fund administration and AI.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Juniper SquareWhen was the last time things were easy for GPs?Fundraising remains challenging, providing liquidity to investors is even harder—and broadly speaking, most GPs are underwater operationally.It's not about to get easier, either. Especially for managers vying for capital from the wealth channel. Sure, there's increased demand from HNW and UNHW investors to gain private markets exposure…but managing their expectations for the investing experience is a whole different ballgame.Reams of paper and a new KYC process every single time they subscribe to a fund? Brutal.But what if committing capital to private equity, venture, and real estate funds was digital and seamless for investors — and scalable to manage for GPs?Meet Juniper Square, the fund operations partner to over 2,000 private markets GPs worldwide.Juniper Square gives GPs the connected software, data, and fund administration services needed for modern private markets. No matter how ambitious your next raise is, how many investors you manage, and how complex your investment vehicles are, Juniper Square empowers GPs to raise capital faster, reduce operational risk, and deliver a world-class investor experience.And with JunieAI, Juniper Square's enterprise-grade AI built for private markets, GPs can truly and finally unlock the power of AI to work smarter, move faster, and focus on relationships and returns.Scale your business, not your operational burdens and costs. Visit junipersquare.com/agm today to learn more.Show Notes00:03 Juniper Square: Revolutionizing Fund Management01:38 Welcoming Alex to the Podcast01:59 Alex's Journey to Founding Juniper Square02:10 Juniper Square's Mission and Services02:38 The Early Days and Challenges03:41 The Digital Transformation of Private Markets04:15 Focusing on the GP Experience04:30 Balancing GP and LP Needs04:54 The Naivete Advantage05:12 Overcoming Industry Challenges06:58 Real Estate: The Starting Point08:41 The Evolution of Juniper Square09:38 Technology Adoption in Private Markets17:21 The Importance of Customer Feedback18:09 The Vision for Market Efficiency20:10 Expanding Across Asset Classes21:09 The Role of Personal Relationships22:49 Becoming a Full-Stack Service Provider24:31 The Complexity of Fund Administration28:55 The Future with AI29:21 Challenges of Implementing AI30:31 The High Cost of Mistakes31:18 AI's Impact on Employee Productivity31:52 Challenges of Adopting AI in the Workplace32:20 Launching JunieAI32:59 Understanding AI Models33:44 Customizing AI for Reporting34:44 Mastering Data for AI35:13 AI in Software Development35:59 Leveraging AI at Juniper Square36:19 Ensuring Accuracy and Context in AI Models37:30 AI's Limitations in Financial Insights37:52 Future Improvements in AI Models38:36 Feeding AI the Right Context39:11 Connecting AI to Tools and Workflows40:19 Automating Fund Administration43:39 AI's Role in Competitive Advantage44:24 AI's Impact on Different Asset Classes46:16 Best Practices for GPS Using AI47:02 AI's Benefits for Large vs. Small Firms48:58 Integrating AI Across Business Functions51:39 Balancing AI with Human Relationships54:33 Future Vision for Private Markets55:02 AI Agents in GP Work56:07 Transforming GP-LP Matchmaking01:00:50 Investment Opportunities in AI and Real Estate Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
CASEY'S GENERAL STORES, INC.At last year's annual meeting in August, shareholders were asked YES or NO on CEO Darren Robelez's pay plan. To help them make a decision on the pay practices they had information like the ratio of the annual total compensation of Casey's General Stores CEO to that of its median employee for the 2024 fiscal year, commonly known as the CEO Pay Ratio. Let's begin the quiz there:According to the company's SEC filing, at what point in the fiscal year 2024 did CEO Darren earn the compensation of his company's median employee?12:35:33 PM on January 1st, the first day of the work year, meaning his pay CEO pay ratio was 579:1Additionally, the CEO's target equity award was $6.7M. In the worst case scenario where every single peer company outperformed Casey's General Stores in terms of total shareholder return, how much equity could the CEO receive?$5,025,000, reflecting a TSR Modifier of -25%.Accordingly, based in part on the information you have just learned, what percentage of Casey's shareholders voted against his pay practices?2%Bonus question: According to the company's 2025 SEC filing, at what point in the fiscal year 2025 did CEO Darren earn the compensation of his company's median employee? Remember, it was 12:35:33 PM on January 1st, the first day of the work year.12:32:05 PM on January 1st, the first day of the work year: 3 minutes and 28 seconds earlier. AGM: 9/3/2025589:1 CEO pay ratio CEO Darren Robelez 98% YESPay committee: *Former BJ's Restaurants CEO Gregory Trojan, Oobli CEO Allison Wing2024 AGM99.1% YES average33% Influence CEO/Chair: 20% YES SHP independent board chair policy-13% gender influence gap: Darren M. Rebelez (33%) & Gregory A. Trojan (14%)CROWDSTRIKE HOLDINGS, INC.A recent Fortune article called Laying off workers because of AI is more of a fashionable excuse than a real business imperative cites CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz linking 5% job cuts to the cybersecurity company's need to double down on AI investments to “accelerate execution and efficiency.” Kurtz said: “AI flattens our hiring curve, and helps us innovate from idea to product faster.”First question, are CrowdStrike shareholders also given the privilege to “accelerate execution and efficiency”? How many total years does it take for a CrowdStrike investor to vote on all nine board members?3 years, classified board.This is important because clearly shareholders were not completely pleased this year: 34% said NO Pay Committee Chair Cary Davis while 38% said NO to Nomination Committee chair Laura Schumacher2% NO CEO KurtzConsidering the board influence of Founder/CEO/Director and third largest shareholder George Kurtz, investors would typically be best served with a board provides an effective counterbalance to his control. Of the board's eight independent directors, what percentage has served for at least a decade alongside Kurtz?Four directors, or half.Again, to counteract his control, investors should expect regular board refreshment. How many new directors have joined the board in the last 5 years?One, Johanna Flower, the only director who sits on zero board committees. She joined the board in January 2023Kurtz already owns $2.7B of Crowdstrike shares. What percentage of his annual pay consists of equity?90%, with a target equity award of $35M.Finally, CrowdStrike's infamous 2024 software update is commonly described as what?The largest outage in the history of information technology.In 2024, CrowdStrike released a software update that disrupted millions of Microsoft Windows systems around the worldA faulty update to its Falcon sensor platform led to the "Blue Screen of Death" on millions of machines, bringing critical operations to a standstill across numerous sectors.The immediate and most visible impact was the widespread and severe disruption to the global economy. The financial toll is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Key sectors affected include:Aviation: Major airlines like Delta, United, and American Airlines grounded thousands of flights, disrupting travel for millions and costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.Healthcare: Access to electronic health records was hindered, leading to the cancellation of surgeries and appointments. This disruption posed a direct risk to patient care and safety.Financial Services: Banks and financial institutions faced outages that affected everything from ATM services to online banking and stock trading. This not only resulted in financial losses but also eroded consumer confidence.Government and Emergency Services: The outage impacted various government agencies and even emergency services in some areas, highlighting a significant threat to public safety and national security.For Mr. Kurtz, the amount for fiscal 2025 also includes approximately (i) $104,279 for costs related to personal security for Mr. Kurtz and his family at his residences and (ii) $898,426 for costs related to personal usage of private aircraft.As part of our sales and marketing activities, we sponsor a CrowdStrike-branded professional racing car, which Mr. Kurtz drives in some races at no incremental cost to us and in lieu of us hiring a professional driver. As we do not pay any amounts to Mr. Kurtz under these arrangements, it is not reflected in the above table.No vote on payTARGET CORPORATIONTarget foot traffic is still suffering 6 months post-boycott. An industry veteran says the retailer's problems are bigger than curtailing DEITarget Boycott Leader Jamal Bryant Is Arriving on CEOs' Radar ScreensInside Target, Frustrated Employees and Search for New CEOThis article from the WSJ says:Many Target shoppers are frustrated with the retailer. Many Target employees are too.In early June, a companywide survey showed that roughly half of Target's employees didn't think the company was making the changes necessary to compete effectively. About 40% of the roughly 260,000 staffers who replied said they didn't have confidence in the company's future. The scores—which declined from a year ago—were even lower for those staffers at Target's headquarters in Minneapolis.The worker sentiment data reflects the challenges ahead for the company as it prepares to navigate a leadership change and turn around 10 quarters of flat or falling sales in an increasingly complex consumer environment.Based on what I just told you, TRUE or FALSE on this next headline from Fortune? Is this real or am I making it up? Target's CEO succession tilts toward an insider and company liferTrue. The leading contender appears to be: Michael Fiddelke is executive vice president and chief operating officer for Target and a member of its leadership team.Since joining Target in 2003 as an intern, Michael has held a variety of leadership positions across the organization, including finance, merchandising, human resources and operations. He most recently served as Target's chief financial officer. In addition to his Target responsibilities, Michael serves on the board of Shipt, Target's wholly-owned subsidiary.Compensation & Human Capital Management Committee: “Management development and succession planning. Senior management development, evaluation, and succession planning, including CEO succession planning.”Ms. Lozano (Chair)Mr. BakerMr. BarrettMr. KnaussMs. LeahyCORECIVIC, INC.-17% gender influence gap:Robert J. Dennis 17%: retiringCEO Damon T. Hininger 17% (2009-)On February 15, 2024, in recognition of the substantial contributions made by our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hininger, to the Company, and to encourage retention of Mr. Hininger for a multi-year period, our Compensation Committee, determined to provide a Special One-Time Award to Mr. Hininger. This award consisted of 70,225 performance-based RSUs at a fair market value of $14.24 per share, the approximate equivalent of $1,000,000 at the time of award. The Compensation Committee believes this Special One-Time Award is designed to incentivize Mr. Hininger's performance and retain him for a multi-year period.On August 18, 2025, CoreCivic, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) announced that Damon T. Hininger, the Company's Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), will step down as CEO and resign from his position on the Company's Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective as of January 1, 2026 (the “Transition Date”). Patrick Swindle, who currently serves as the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of CEO of the Company, effective as of the Transition Date, and will continue serving as the President of the Company. Additionally, the Board will appoint Mr. Swindle to the Board to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Hininger's resignation as of the Transition Date.Chair Mark A. Emkes 17% (2014-)John R. Prann 13% (2000-)Thurgood Marshall 12% (2002-)Devin I Murphy 9%2025 AGM: 99% YES director average; 97% YES PAYShort-term pay: if NONE of four strategic goals achieved CEO still receives 80% of bonusLong-term: If Lowest quartile TSR results is only 20% reduction of long-term awards: “If the Company's absolute TSR for the performance period is less than zero, the rTSR modifier shall not exceed 1.0x for the performance period”WHO DO YOU BLAME FOR PAYING A MULTI YEAR “RETENTION BONUS” WHO QUITS AFTER ONE YEAR?Pay committee included Dennis*, Emkes (17%, 11 yrs), Prann (13%, 25 yrs)Donald Trump - after donating to Trump, his immigration orders have swelled the amount of work Hininger has to do and he burnt out with excitementThe zero female board leadership - there was no mom to say it was a bad ideaThe amount of the award - $1m in 2025?? The stock is up 45% thanks to our prison state, and even with the massive stock bump, the award is still worth less than $2m… it's an insult, not an awardThe prisoners who keep claiming the prisons are dangerous - there have been more than 120 reports and exposes in the last 10 years alone that found Corecivic were complicit in family separations, deaths, cancelled contracts due to conditions in the prisons, and other human rights violationsO'Reilly Automotive, Inc.Vote discount for wearing the uniform:First appearance in the proxy of the uniform shirts were actually ORANGE shirts in 2021, blue shirt introduced in 2024 proxySince 2021, directors who wear the uniform average 92.9% votes for, while directors not wearing shirts average 96.8% forWHO DO WE BLAME FOR THE UNIFORM DISCOUNT?Old timers - average start year for a uniform wearer is 1998, and for a non-exec 2006. Average start year for a non-uniform wearer is 2021.The color orange - the orange shirt wearers average 90.4% votes for, while blue got 92.6% forHaving a third of the board be executives - O'Reilly is a single class stock where the O'Reilly family owns less than 5% (all execs own less than 3% collectively), and yet somehow investors think there should be no less than 3 executive directors at any time - who are entirely responsible for wearing uniforms in proxy photosThe shirts themselves - we have TWO case studies of directors who switched from no shirt to shirt - Maria Sastre (2023 to 2024 forward) and Andrea Weiss (2023 to 2024 before she quit, probably in protest of being forced to wear a shirt). In BOTH cases, votes for dropped by an average of 2%Lead “Independent” Director Tom Hendrickson who has been on the board for 15 years, was CFO at a number of sports retail store companies, and lists “technology” as one his core skills (because all 70 year old retired CPAs advising auto parts companies for $347,836 in summary comp have tech experience) Bonus prediction: In 2025, ALL DIRECTORS have been forced to wear the shirt, but now they have a variety of O'Reilly shirts - which director will get the lowest votes now?Blue shirtPink shirtPlaid shirtGreen shirtCream shirtPALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC.Palantir CEO Alex Karp takes a shot at elite colleges and says the company offers 'a new credential independent of class'Palantir CEO says working at his $430 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff'WHICH ELITE IS TO BLAME FOR KARP'S HATE FOR ELITES:Board member and VC bro Alex Moore, who got his BA in Econ from StanfordBoard member and journalist Alexandra Schiff who get her BA in English from DukeBoard member and co founder Stephen Cohen who got his BS in CompSci from StanfordBoard member, troll, and insecure VC Peter Thiel who got his BA in Philosophy from Stanford and a JD from Stanford LawBoard member and consultant Lauren Stat who got a dual degree in Science and Math from StanfordBoard member and VC bro Eric Woersching who got a BS and Masters in Electrical Engineering from StanfordStanfordVISA INC.Mark Cuban calls for higher tax on companies buying back their own sharesVisa bought back $13.4bn from Oct 2024 to June 2025$4.0bn from Oct to Dec (Sep 30 close: 274.95)$4.8bn from Jan to March (Dec 31 close: 316.04)$4.6bn from April to June (March 31 close: 350.46)June 30 close: 355.05WHO'S TO BLAME:As of Dec proxy, CEO Ryan McInerney owns 822,155 shares worth $259,833,866 - if buyback boost the investor return, and McInerney made a cool $28m in part by boosting the stock.Board Chair John Lundgren, been on the board 7 years and took over as chair after Executive Chair Al Kelly stepped down (but Kelly left with 589,890 shares)Francisco Fernandez-Carbajal, the director with the most shares at 31,599 who's been on the board for 17 years and is on the Comp and Finance committees
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
I break down the essentials of building your personal brand on social media. Drawing from my experience and my father's success with NaturalSlim®, I highlight the three key P's. I'll walk you through actionable steps, real-life examples, and practical tips that can turn attention into revenue. -------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
I go over my groundbreaking marketing philosophy that's driven millions in sales for my company and clients. I go over powerful email and SMS (text message) marketing strategies that could elevate your business to 9-figures. Learn how to boost open rates, create irresistible content, and massively grow your social media presence. After this episode, you'll be able to start implementing these strategies right away.Have any marketing questions? Drop me a comment!-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf
In this episode of The Late Night Vision Show, Jason and Hans review the AGM ReachIR 50-640 LRF. This is AGM's flagship thermal monocular with a 640x512 sensor, 12-micron core, and a 1,000 meter LRF built in. The compact design, LRF, 18650 battery 3x base magnification and image quality make this handheld excellent for hunters who need long-range performance and precision ranging. We discuss image quality, ID ranges and how it stacks up against the competition including the ReachIR 35-640 LRF. Is this the right thermal monocular for your next hunt? Tune in and find out!
