Leading with a passion for the business: A conversation with Michael Natate

"From Investment Writing to C-Suite", a conversation with Kristen Capuano

• Kristen’s early experience growing up in Rhode Island as the daughter of a small business owner & entrepreneur
• Getting introduced to marketing and product management by a college advisor
• Marketing as more than just creative ideas and design
• Why the choice to work in the industry and starting out as an investment writer
• The value of building active listening skills
• Resist complaining and be part of the solution
• Focus on making the client’s experience better
• Joining a established but growing firm in Van Eck during early days of the ETF business
• Seizing the chance to help establish and build the European business for Van Eck
• Building leadership experience within the Product Management function
• Taking on the challenge of the Chief Marketing Officer role
• The unique blend of product management and marketing at Van Eck
• Working closely with a very involved CEO
• The evolution of marketing in investment management as a key component for success
• Learning to trust your team members and deferring to them when they know more

In this episode I interview Dr. Eric Downing who is a top consultant on leadership and development of top performing cultures through his company Proven Paradigm Consulting. Previously Eric had a lengthy and distinguished career in sales leadership within Investment Management.

Episode 12: The art and science of Leadership, a conversation with Dr. Eric Downing.
In this episode we discuss:
• Joining the Army right out of high school and developing a passion for flying
• Life and leadership lessons from the military experience
• Finding his way into financial services through a financial advisor position
• Discovering managed accounts and growing his advisory business
• Learning valuable lessons about how to care for clients on an individual level
• Importance of empathy and emotional intelligence for salespeople
• How supervision, management, coaching and leadership are interrelated but different
• Leading people based on how they prefer to be interacted with
• How the role of the wholesaler has evolved over the years
• Understanding your team’s motivations in order to be a better leader
• Deciding to pursue a Doctorate in Leadership at age 53
• How to build an elite performance culture
• The importance of trust as a component of elite team cultures
• How assessments can be useful tools to identify potential growth areas
• Eric’s passion for flying and work to support veterans

Episode Contributor information:

Dr. Eric Downing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-downing/
https://provenparadigm.com/
John Keavey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/
https://careerconnections.us/

Episode 11: A Career in Full: John McCombe on taking career risks, leadership, mentorship and giving back
• Early family life influence: delving into John’s early life and how that played a pivotal role in shaping his career
• Entry into financial services: John's journey into the financial services sector, including his early experiences at Merrill
Lynch
• Navigating corporate terrain: how to successfully navigate within a large firm to identify and pursue a career path
• Career decision making: The art of assessing career moves and taking calculated risks
• “Finding one’s lane”: Insights into finding and thriving within your chosen career path
• Transition to entrepreneurial opportunities: The challenges and rewards of leaving a comfortable position at a large firm to
join a small entrepreneurial venture
• Talent assessment and hiring: Best practices for hiring key talent in an organization
• Interview preparation: Tips and advice on how to be prepared for an interview
• Importance of “coachability”: Discussing the significance of being open to coaching and learning from others
• Seeking and offering feedback: The value of actively seeking and providing constructive feedback in personal and
professional growth
• Self-awareness: Understanding the importance and knowing where you stand at your organization
• Sales personality: exploring the traits of great salespeople
• Managing and motivating sales teams: Strategies for effectively managing and motivating sales teams to achieve their best
performance
• Learn-Earn-Return: John's perspective on giving back to education and philanthropy through the "Learn-Earn-Return"
approach

Episode contributor bios:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mccombe-2685b619/

Episode 10: Effective Leadership and the Power of Personal Branding: A Conversation with Brett Wright

In this episode we discuss the following topics:

• Brett's early family and community influences and the lasting impressions it left
• Playing football at Penn State and taught him about the importance of grit and teamwork
• Breaking into financial services as a financial advisor
• Discovering investment management as a great fit
• The evolution of investment wholesaling from the 90's to the present
• The drive to take move from individual sales to leadership
• Leadership as a journey, not an endpoint
• Importance of carefully crafting your own personal brand
• Effective and non-effective leadership styles
• Adjusting to big leaps in one's career and the support and personal growth required
• How to deal positively with a time of unemployment
• What's coming next in investment and wealth management
• Giving back to the industry

Episode contributer bios:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettdwright/

Episode 9:

The Genesis of AWD: Discover how the idea for forming the Association for Wholesaling Diversity (AWD) came into being.

Community for Black Wholesalers: Explore the significance of a supportive community for Black wholesalers and why it's essential.

AWD Membership Landscape: Gain insights into the membership structure and composition of AWD.

Addressing Racism in Wholesaling: Marlōn discusses some of the the experiences of racism he’s encountered in the field of wholesaling.

Excellence as a Necessity: Understand why Black wholesalers often need to excel exceptionally to succeed in the industry.

Career Advancement and Skill Enhancement: Learn about the key objectives of AWD in terms of advancing careers and improving skills.

Wholesaler Development Program: Explore AWD's initiative to bring young college graduates into the wholesaling profession.

Support from Investment Firms: Delve into ways in which investment firms can actively support AWD's endeavors.

Episode Contributor Bios:

Marlōn Hall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlonehall/ ; https://www.diversityinwholesaling.com/

John Keavey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

Episode 8: Always focused on the outcome:  A conversation with Marlōn Hall. In this episode we discuss:
 

• Marlōn’s early life experience growing up on Chicago’s South Side
• A move out West seeking a new life and environment
• Early career paths including carpentry and as a business owner
• Turning a racist experience into a drive to complete a college degree
• Studying psychology and early sales related experiences
• Getting started in finance within banking and finding his first professional mentor
• Finding wholesaling as a path to a new career
• How to find a mentor and how to be a good mentee
• Learning the craft of wholesaling
• Discovering the power of public speaking

Episode Contributor Bios:

Marlōn Hall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlonehall/ ; https://www.diversityinwholesaling.com/

John Keavey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

Episode 7: Leading with a passion for the business: A conversation with Michael Natate

In this episode we discuss the following topics:

• Michael's early family influences teaching him the importance of financial awareness
• What experiences in golf taught him about the importance of drive and competitiveness
• Why athletes often make great salespeople
• Breaking into investment management and the importance of finding mentors
• Going from peer to manager and how to navigate that
• Dealing with a period of unemployment
• Importance of choosing to work with great leaders
• Gauging passion for the business among sales candidates
• Making a big leap from sales desk manager to Head of Distribution
• Understanding "the house you live in"
• The importance of professional patience with those that work for you
• The ETF industry and what Michael sees coming in the future

Episode contributer bios:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-michael-natale-jr-mba-5142b6a/

Episode 6: Effective Internal Wholesaler leadership: A conversation with Mark Totten & Ryan Cullen

In this episode we discuss the following topics:

• Ryan and Mark’s paths to their current roles as sales desk leaders and why they do what they do
• Recruiting for internal wholesalers
• What they look for in candidates looking to join their teams
• How they evaluate candidates throughout the interview process
• Importance of post interview follow up
• Common failures of candidates that don’t get the job
• How to effectively onboard and train new hires to their teams
• Ongoing coaching to develop top performers
• How an internal can make an impact early in their tenure
• Critical functions that internals fulfill in modern wholesaling
• Differences in channel/advisor type that may impact your sales approach
• How to effectively sell alternatives vs. conventional products
• What can an internal do to cultivate a strong relationship with their external
• What the best do well….what to emulate

Episode contributer bios:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeavey/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-w-totten-6719685/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-cullen-29610b7/

Wayne and I discuss the following topics:

• Growing up in Brooklyn, attending college and learning an early financial lesson through tragedy
• Finding financial success but lacking fulfillment in trading
• Making a big pivot in becoming a NYC school teacher
• How being a teacher helped him build valuable skills while making an impact on his students
• Embracing the entrepreneurial aspects of financial advisory work and early entrepreneurial work in his college years
• How his background as a teacher was an asset as an advisor
• Early lessons learned as a wholesaler
• Taking a consultative approach in sales
• How selling to RIAs is different than broker dealer advisors
• The challenges and advantages of the wholesaler lifestyle
• Advice for those considering a career in wholesaling
• Diversity challenges in the financial services industry
• Giving back

www.diversityinwholesaling.com

www.ewanfoundation.org

Sibil and I discuss the following topics:

• Early influences and growing up as a 1st generation American
• Sibil's college experiences, learning from mistakes and finding her calling in Finance
• How a chance interaction orchestrated by her father leads to her first job in the industry
• Finding her footing in the industry and acquiring the CFA Charter & CAIA designation
• Struggling with and emerging from a period of unemployment
• Getting comfortable with raising one's profile in the industry
• Becoming a podcast host
• Taking opportunities to give back and to help make the industry more welcoming for people of diverse backrgounds