Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.
Today’s podcast is with an elite performer on and off the field who has gone from protecting quarterbacks to protecting families’ wealth.
We sit down with former NFL and USC star Winston Justice, whose entrepreneurial spirit that was stoked while he was still playing in the NFL has led to a successful and impactful career in wealth management.
He was recently named CEO at SageSpring Private Wealth, a $7B independent wealth management firm, as they look to grow organically and inorganically and expand their offerings in private markets for their clients.
A former NFL offensive lineman, Winston played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos from 2006 to 2015. He also co-founded an early stage investment vehicle, MJC Capital, and Elixr, a gourmet café and coffee roastery, while he was playing. He also won 2010 Walter Payton Philadelphia Man of the Year Award for his community service.
He transitioned into financial services and wealth management post-career, starting at Wells Fargo Securities, where he specialized in institutional and family office advisory. He then was a portfolio manager at PIA’s Alternative Investment Group, and then an investment Manager at AllianceBernstein.
Winston and I had a fascinating conversation. We discussed:
* The parallels between sports and finance.
* How Winston navigated the transition from professional athlete to a finance professional.
* What stoked his entrepreneurial spirit.
* Why wealth management is so critical to people’s lives.
* Why culture fit is so important when integrating advisors into wealth management platforms through acquisition.
* How private markets can add to an advisor’s practice.
Thanks Winston for coming on the show to share your story, wisdom, and expertise.
Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Clip #1: Fear and purpose: how and why I prepared for life after the NFL.
Clip #2: People will talk about anything … but when it comes to their finances, they are very guarded.
Clip #3: What’s the wealth channel’s perspective on working with alternative asset managers?
A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Juniper Square
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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.
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Show Notes
00:00 Introduction to Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast
00:04 Our Sponsor, Juniper Square: Revolutionizing Fund Management
00:30 Empowering GPS with Juniper Square
00:38 Juniper Square's AI Innovation
00:55 Visit Juniper Square
01:37 Welcome to the Podcast
01:41 Introducing Winston Justice
03:29 Winston's Background and Education
03:52 Starting in Business and Finance
04:24 Transition from NFL to Finance
04:57 Early Career in Financial Services
06:54 The Importance of Wealth Management
07:44 Planning for the Future
07:58 Private Markets and Retirement Solutions
08:13 Building SageSpring
08:32 The Sacredness of Finances
09:28 Managing Assets and Relationships
12:13 Mentoring Advisors at SageSpring
12:51 Client-Focused Advisors
13:56 Balancing Growth and Client Service
18:55 The Role of a True Fiduciary
20:30 Educating Clients on Fiduciary Duty
20:46 Trust in Financial Services
33:02 The Future of Wealth Management
36:13 Winston's Favorite Private Market Investments
38:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
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