Personable

Joseph Mezrich, founder of Metafoura, former Managing Director and Head of Quantitative Equity Research at Nomura, former Managing Director and Head of US Quantitative and Derivatives Research at UBS, former Head of Quantitative Strategies at Morgan Stanley, former Deputy Head of Equity Portfolio Analytics at Salomon Brothers, and holder of a PhD in Mathematical Psychology and degrees from Michigan and MIT, joins Personable to reveal why AI can give you the answer but never the understanding, what four decades on Wall Street taught him about uncertainty, and why the models always break eventually and what you do when they do.

In this episode, Joe opens up about publishing one of the earliest applications of machine learning in finance in 1994 when nobody else was even thinking about it, what the culture of Salomon Brothers was really like from the inside, and why humility is still the most important tool any quantitative researcher can have.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in quantitative finance, machine learning, AI, Wall Street culture, building edge in markets, and what it really takes to spend four decades at the frontier of financial research.

He discusses:

◽️ Why AI can give you the answer but cannot give you the understanding and why that gap will define the next decade of finance

◽️ How he published one of the first machine learning papers in finance in 1994 and what he sees coming now

◽️ Why the models always break eventually and what you need to have in place for when they do

◽️ What the culture of Salomon Brothers was really like and why nothing on Wall Street has been quite like it since

◽️ Why uncertainty is the central feature of life and how quantitative thinking teaches you to navigate it

00:00 Introduction and Joseph Mezrich background

02:30 Why he left science for Wall Street and what he found when he got there

07:45 The culture of Salomon Brothers and what made it unlike anywhere else on Wall Street

14:20 How quant finance has evolved and where the crowd is not going right now

20:45 Why AI can give you the answer but not the understanding and what that means for finance

27:10 How to build models that survive black swan events and what the 2007 quant crisis taught him

34:50 How quantitative thinking changes the way you see uncertainty in every area of life

41:30 Government regulation AI safety and why the question nobody is answering is the most important one

47:55 Metafoura what he is building and why he started it after four decades on Wall Street

54:10 The wow factor legacy and one thing every listener should take away

Joseph Mezrich:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-mezrich-5248b76/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Alex Monahan, former quantitative trader at Susquehanna International Group, Stanford graduate, and founder of OddsJam, joins Personable to reveal how he walked away from one of the most prestigious quant firms in the world, turned a sports betting edge into the Bloomberg Terminal for sports betting, and sold it for $160M at just 28 years old.

In this episode, Alex opens up about what SIG taught him about markets and edge that nobody else was teaching, why sports betting is one of the only remaining markets where an individual can genuinely beat the house, and why risk is almost always overestimated in your head. From bootstrapping OddsJam from zero to why he now visits college campuses and helps the next generation of founders build what he built, this conversation is as honest and practically useful as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, quant trading, sports betting, building a personal brand, finding product market fit, and what it really takes to go from a corporate job to a nine figure exit before 30.

He discusses:

◽️ How he used everything he learned at SIG to turn a sports betting edge into a $160M company

◽️ Why sports betting is one of the only markets left where an individual can genuinely get a mathematical edge

◽️ How he bootstrapped OddsJam from zero to a $160M acquisition in just four years with no outside investment

◽️ Why risk is almost always overestimated in your brain and what that is costing you right now

◽️ Why building a personal brand before you launch your business is no longer optional it is the only edge that scales

00:00 Introduction and Alex Monahan background

02:30 Why he left SIG and what made him bet everything on OddsJam

07:45 The math behind sports betting and why most people lose for the wrong reasons

14:20 Building OddsJam from zero product market fit content and the first customers

20:45 Personal brand social media and why he wishes he had started posting in college

27:10 What makes the best founders and why risk is almost always overestimated

34:50 The $160M sale to Gambling.com what he learned and why he walked away

41:30 AI edge in quant and betting and how non technical people can still compete

47:55 What is next campus tours mentoring and why he cannot stop working

54:10 Legacy purpose and one thing every listener should do before this episode ends

Alex Monahan:

◽️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexmonahan

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Amonahan

◽️ OddsJam: https://oddsjam.com/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Emmet Savage, Chief Investor and Co-Founder of MyWallSt, joins Personable to reveal the common set of rules he discovered after the dot com crash wiped him out, how he went on to generate returns of 57,000% on Netflix and 250 fold on Tesla, and why the six golden rules shared by every great investor in history are embarrassingly simple and almost nobody follows them.

In this episode, Emmet opens up about watching Dell grow 1,600 fold and dedicating his life to finding the next one, why the dot com crash was the best thing that ever happened to him, and how a phone call from Australia in 1963 started a lifelong obsession with stock investing that changed everything. From why inertia is the biggest enemy of every investor to where the returns of the next decade actually lie, this conversation is as honest and practically useful as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in stock investing, building long term wealth, understanding the stock market, avoiding common mistakes, and what it really takes to generate life changing returns over time.

He discusses:

◽️ The six golden rules shared by every consistently successful investor and why most people break all of them

◽️ How the dot com crash wiped him out and sent him on a mission to read every investing book ever written

◽️ Why he has held Netflix for 25 years and is up 57,000% and still has no plans to sell

◽️ The biggest mistakes young investors make and the simple mindset shift that changes everything

◽️ Where the returns of the next 10 years actually lie and what AI means for the future of investing

00:00 Introduction and Emmet Savage background

02:30 A phone call from Australia in 1963 and how a family missed a life changing investment

07:45 The dot com crash, Dell growing 1600 fold and the obsession that followed

14:20 The six golden rules every great investor shares and how to apply them today

20:45 Index funds versus picking stocks and how to know which is right for you

27:10 Buy what you believe in and why young people have an edge Wall Street does not

34:50 AI, the Blue Ocean Strategy and how MyWallSt found a method returning 19.8% per year

41:30 The Magnificent Seven, SpaceX and where the next decade of returns actually lies

47:55 Why winners will win and the biggest mistake investors make is selling them too early

54:10 Legacy, music and one thing every listener should do before this episode ends

Emmet Savage:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmet-savage-7438203/

◽️ MyWallSt: https://mywallst.com/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

John Fareed, Global Chairman of Horwath HTL, former professional magician, former Marine, and author of From Invisible to Icon, joins Personable to reveal how he went from growing up on food stamps in a small town in Georgia to advising some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet, why being interested will always beat being interesting, and what three completely different careers taught him about preparation, recovery and building relationships that last.

In this episode, John opens up about performing magic on stage to thousands of people, what the Marines taught him about discipline and commitment, and why your personal brand already exists whether you manage it or not. From working with billionaires to recovering from a dead bird on stage, this conversation is as honest and wide ranging as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in personal branding, building relationships at the highest level, hospitality and leisure consulting, and what it really takes to reinvent yourself again and again across an entire career.

He discusses:

◽️ Why being interested in others will always outperform trying to be the most interesting person in the room

◽️ How he went from food stamps in rural Georgia to advising billionaires across the globe

◽️ Why your personal brand already exists and what happens when you do not manage it yourself

◽️ What the Marines and professional magic taught him about preparation, recovery and reading the room

◽️ Why being open to everything around you is the single greatest competitive advantage you can have

00:00 Introduction and John Fareed background

02:30 Growing up in rural Georgia, the dream of magic and how it all began

07:45 What magic teaches you about preparation, connection and leaving them wanting more

14:20 Reading the room, recovering from mistakes and why entertainment beats perfection

20:45 The Marines, his grandfather and why he made one of the biggest commitments of his life

27:10 Graduate jobs, big dreams and how to take the first step toward what you actually want

34:50 Horwath HTL, billionaire clients and how to build trust at the highest level

41:30 Economic uncertainty, the hotel industry and how to advise clients when everything is on fire

47:55 From Invisible to Icon, personal branding and why everyone already has one

54:10 Legacy, openness and one thing every listener should take away

John Fareed:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfareed/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Dave Kitson, former Premier League striker with over 400 professional appearances, anonymous author behind The Secret Footballer, the groundbreaking Guardian column and bestselling books that exposed the realities of elite football, twice named Reading Player of the Year, 5.5 million pound club record signing for Stoke City, and now motivational speaker and manager of Maidenhead United Women, joins Personable to reveal how he went from playing pub football at 18 to the Premier League, what he really saw from inside the dressing room, and why culture is the only thing that truly separates great teams from average ones.

In this episode, Dave opens up about why he scored 22 goals for Reading and said he should have stopped right there, what the Secret Footballer column taught him about the realities of elite sport that nobody talks about publicly, and why the average manager lasting 14 months is destroying the culture of English football from the inside out.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in football, elite sport, leadership, building culture, management, mental health in sport, and what it really takes to get the best out of people when the pressure is on.

He discusses:

◽️ How he went from a pub team at 18 to a 5.5 million pound Premier League transfer and what it really cost him

◽️ Why over 90 percent of academy players never make it and what nobody tells them before they drop out

◽️ Why the best culture cannot be written down and how you always know it when you see it

◽️ How Brentford are consistently beating clubs with ten times their budget and why most clubs will never understand how

◽️ Why effort always beats talent when the culture gets it right and what that looks like in practice

00:00 Introduction and Dave Kitson background

02:30 From pub football to the Premier League and why the level hit him like a slap in the face

07:45 Reading versus Stoke why culture made all the difference and what he lost when he left

14:20 Why the average manager lasts 14 months and what that does to every player around them

20:45 Brentford Brighton and the moneyball approach that is quietly changing English football

27:10 How to build a culture that wins when you have nothing and why most clubs get it completely wrong

34:50 The Secret Footballer what he saw from inside the dressing room and why he finally revealed himself

41:30 Mental health in elite sport the harsh realities and what clubs are still getting badly wrong

47:55 Maidenhead United Women building culture without wages and why not one player has left

54:10 Mentors leadership and one thing every listener should take away

Dave Kitson:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-kitson-54ab75202/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Lauren Barnwell, content creator with over 500,000 followers across platforms, filmmaker, former junior and senior class president, state championship volleyball player, and one of the fastest sprinters in her school's history, joins Personable to reveal why most people never reach their potential, how she built a massive audience from a small town where nobody believed in her, and why the only real answer to why you are not where you want to be is that you simply do not want it bad enough.

In this episode, Lauren opens up about posting three times a day for four months before anyone cared, how she made a full length film from scratch with nothing but an idea and a camera, and why vision boards are not about wishful thinking but about training your brain to become the person you want to be. From rolling out her own red carpet to building a community that follows her everywhere she goes, this conversation is as honest and energising as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in social media, content creation, self belief, building something from nothing, and what it really takes to back yourself when nobody else will.

She discusses:

◽️ Why most people never reach their potential and the one honest answer nobody wants to hear

◽️ How she grew from 3000 followers with people laughing at her to over 500000 across platforms

◽️ Why vision boards are not wishful thinking and how she uses them to rewire her brain every year

◽️ How she made a full length film from scratch with no budget, no experience and no permission

◽️ Why fake it till you make it is not about lying but about becoming who you were always meant to be

00:00 Introduction and Lauren Barnwell background

02:30 Growing up in a small town and why she was always ready to leave

07:45 Moving around, building identity and developing values without roots

14:20 Social media, authenticity and posting when nobody was watching

20:45 Vision boards, manifestation and training your brain to become who you want to be

27:10 The alter ego, fake it till you make it and why it was never really fake

34:50 Making a film from nothing and why she stopped waiting for permission

41:30 Content creation, discipline and why motivation is the wrong thing to look for

47:55 What is next, acting, producing and the big project she cannot talk about yet

54:10 Legacy, influence and one thing every listener should take away

Lauren Barnwell:

◽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenbarnwell

◽️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenbarnwelll/

◽️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurenbarnwell

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Rachel Carrell, Founder and CEO of Koru Kids, Rhodes Scholar, DPhil from Oxford, former McKinsey consultant, and mother of three, joins Personable to reveal how having a baby exposed a broken childcare system, why she raised £600k before hiring a single engineer, and what it really takes to build a business that keeps five million hours of children safe.

In this episode, Rachel opens up about leaving a high flying career to solve a problem nobody else was tackling, how growing up in a small sheep farming town in New Zealand with zero London network did not stop her building one from scratch, and why being a mother made her a better founder and a better leader. From safety systems and AI innovation to balancing boardrooms with bedtimes, this conversation is as honest and practical as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, parenting, childcare, building a business from nothing, and what it means to solve a problem that actually matters.

She discusses:

◽️ Why she left McKinsey and raised £600k with just a PowerPoint and three paying customers

◽️ How Koru Kids delivered five million hours of childcare without a single serious incident

◽️ What corporate life never teaches you about sales, people management and building from scratch

◽️ How she is using AI at every level of Koru Kids including a personalised cookbook for nannies

◽️ Why being a mother of three made her a sharper founder and a more focused leader

00:00 Introduction and Rachel Carrell background

00:21 Why having a baby exposed a broken childcare system

02:20 Taking the leap into entrepreneurship

03:20 Raising £600k before hiring a single engineer

04:43 What McKinsey teaches you and what it absolutely does not

07:20 Focus, product quality and the 1% compound improvement rule

08:46 Entrepreneurship, resilience and the Elon Musk “eating glass” mindset

14:10 Learning, AI and surrounding yourself with smart people

15:48 How AI is transforming every level of Koru Kids

17:56 LinkedIn, distribution and building an audience online

22:03 Parenting, discipline and balancing kindness with accountability

25:45 Balancing motherhood with building a business

27:55 Building a safety system across five million hours of childcare

32:45 Trust, retention and why childcare changes people’s lives

35:22 AI agents, the future of work and what comes next

36:45 What AI cannot replace about human trust and childcare

38:09 One thing every listener should take away

Rachel Carrell:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachcarrell/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Luke Knight, co-founder and co-host of ETN, former private client executive at Rockpool Investments, former private client associate at Fisher Investments UK, and University of Nottingham graduate, joins Personable to discuss the rise of new media, entrepreneurship, and why narrative is everything in business.

In this episode, Luke explains why he left finance to build ETN full time at 23 years old, how he and his co-founder engineered virality around their launch, and the realities of building a company from scratch. He shares insights on raising investment, landing sponsors, creating momentum, and why consistency and relationships matter far more than most people realize.

Luke also discusses why he believes podcasts and creator-led media are changing the way people consume information, how speaking to elite founders and investors every week has changed the way he thinks, and why many of the world’s most successful people are more normal than they first appear.

He discusses:
◽️ Why he left finance to build ETN full time at 23
◽️ How ETN engineered virality and built momentum from day one
◽️ The psychology behind raising capital and landing sponsors
◽️ Why consistency, relationships, and narrative matter in business
◽️ Why podcasts and new media are changing entrepreneurship and investing

00:00 Introduction and Luke Knight background
02:30 Why Luke started ETN and the opportunity behind new media
06:10 Leaving finance to build ETN full time
09:00 Discipline, consistency, and handling social media pressure
13:00 Why ETN’s live show format works
17:20 Learning from elite founders and investors
18:15 Andreas Klinger and the importance of persistence
22:10 How Luke consumes information and filters signal from noise
27:00 Technology, entrepreneurship, and building companies from scratch
28:40 Raising ETN’s first investment round
32:30 Sponsors, media economics, and monetising ETN
34:45 Why successful people are more normal than most think
39:25 Chris Williamson, curiosity, and authentic conversations
41:45 Why podcasts and new media are becoming the future of information
44:30 The future of social media and creator-led businesses
49:30 Narrative, people, and what makes ideas worth backing
51:40 Quickfire questions: growth, legacy, dream guests, and what’s next
52:20 Final advice and one key takeaway from the episode

Luke Knight:

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/lukeknight

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-knight01/ETN:

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/etnshow?s=20

◽️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/ ⁨@etnshoww⁩ 

◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/eutncom/

◽️ Website: https://etnshow.co/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Ed Tiryakian, NIL insider, Duke University and Fuqua School of Business graduate, former Managing Director at Paine Webber and UBS, Chairman of Legends Sports Group, Managing Director at PE firm Argentum Group, and advisor to NBA and NFL athletes, joins Personable to reveal why NIL has become the biggest financial mess in the history of college sports, what the University of Utah's $500 million private equity deal means for every program in America, and why the system is so out of control that even the richest programs cannot afford it.

In this episode, Ed opens up about the Darian Mensah transfer saga and why Duke letting him walk was a missed watershed moment for the entire NIL space, how college athletes are now earning more than NFL draft picks, and why the academic side of the transfer portal is a dirty secret nobody wants to talk about. From billion dollar program valuations to the arms race that nobody can win, this conversation is as honest and as inside as it gets.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in college sports, NIL, private equity, sports business, and what the future of college athletics actually looks like.

He discusses: 

◽️ Why NIL has become the biggest financial arms race in the history of college sports 

◽️ The Darian Mensah story and why Duke should have held him to his contract 

◽️ How the University of Utah's $500 million PE deal will change college athletics forever 

◽️ Why college athletes are now earning more than NFL draft picks and what that means 

◽️ The dirty secret of NIL that nobody on any side of the fence wants to talk about

00:00 Introduction and Ed Tiryakian background

02:30 What is NIL and why it has become a complete mess

07:45 The Darian Mensah story and the legal precedent Duke missed

14:20 The transfer portal, six month free agency and the wild west of college sports

20:45 The picks and shovels of NIL and where the real money is being made

27:10 UNC's $14 million deficit and why even the richest programs are struggling

34:50 Texas football valued at $2.2 billion and what it means for everyone else

41:30 The University of Utah $500 million private equity deal and what comes next

47:55 Why college athletes are now earning more than NFL draft picks

54:10 The academic dirty secret nobody in college sports wants to talk about

1:00:30 Legacy, what is next and one thing every listener should take away

Ed Tiryakian:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-tiryakian-9850367/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Annanay Kapila, former HFT quant at Flow Traders and Tower Research Capital, Cambridge Mathematics graduate, and founder of QFEX, joins Personable to reveal why he walked away from one of the highest paying jobs in finance, what the trading world does not want you to know about how your money is being handled, and why tenacity will always beat talent in the long run.

In this episode, Annanay opens up about spotting a $100 billion gap between crypto and traditional exchanges, what Y Combinator taught him about building in public, and why the cultural difference between the UK and the US comes down to one single word. From dark pools and Citadel to the biggest wealth transfer in history, this conversation is as honest and technically sharp as it gets.This is an essential listen for anyone interested in finance, trading, entrepreneurship, building a startup from nothing, and what it really takes to compete in the most cutthroat industry in the world.He discusses:

◽️ Why the smartest graduates in the world are trapped in golden handcuffs and what to do about it

◽️ How he spotted a $100 billion technology gap between crypto and traditional exchanges and built QFEX to fix it

◽️ What Wall Street does not want you to know about dark pools and how your trades are really being handled

◽️ Why the UK and US approach entrepreneurship completely differently and which mindset actually wins

◽️ Why tenacity beats talent every single time and what that means for the next 10 years of your life

00:00 Introduction and Annanay Kapila background

02:30 Why he left HFT and what golden handcuffs really mean

07:45 How he spotted a $100 billion gap and built QFEX

14:20 Building in public, Y Combinator and why your idea is not that special

20:45 UK vs US entrepreneurship and why optimism changes everything

27:10 Trust, credibility and what Coinbase taught him about longevity

34:50 Dark pools, Citadel and the shocking truth about how your money is traded

41:30 Prediction markets, leverage trading and the biggest wealth transfer in history

47:55 Government intervention, personal freedom and where the line should be drawn

54:10 Tenacity, legacy and one thing every listener should take away

Annanay Kapila:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annanay-kapila/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith

◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_

◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:

◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast

◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast

◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips

◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:

◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.