What if launching your company at the brink of the 2008 financial crisis turned out to be the smartest move you ever made?

That’s exactly what happened to Greg Friedman, CEO of Peachtree Group, who joins Michael Parise on The Truth About Wealth to share how timing, adaptability, and a deep understanding of risk helped shape his firm’s rise to a national powerhouse.

Greg explains how Peachtree Group invests across private credit, commercial real estate, and even film financing—always with an eye for “mispriced risk.” In this episode, he shares how they’ve made over 600 credit investments with a sub-3% foreclosure rate and how they’re navigating today’s volatile interest rate environment.

What you’ll learn by listening:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

Connect with Greg Friedman:

About Our Guest: 

Greg has more than 23 years’ hospitality experience with an emphasis on deal structure and financing. He has successfully led Peachtree in more than $8 billion in hotel acquisitions, investments, and development since co-founding the company.

He formerly was senior vice president of business development for Specialty Finance Group, LLC, a direct lender providing hotel first mortgage and FF&E financing, where he originated more than $2 billion of hotel debt. Previously, Greg was vice president of business development for GMAC Commercial Mortgage – Asset-Backed Lending Division. During his six-year tenure, he originated, closed, and funded more than 300 hospitality FF&E financing transactions with an aggregate capital structure exceeding $10 billion.

Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Copper Beech has coined something they like to call a “family investment club”. It’s a new way to manage generational wealth.

How can you implement it in your family?

John and Michael Parise are exploring how these can be a unique way to unite family members across generations, enhancing financial education and responsibilities while managing family wealth creatively and inclusively.

John and Michael discuss:

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Vincent Tassone of Causeway Securities, one of the world’s largest independent structured note distributors, joins John and Michael Parise to demystify structured notes and their expanding role in today’s investment portfolios. 

Listen as he breaks down what structured notes are; hybrid financial instruments combining a bond with a derivatives package, and explains how they offer customizable risk-return profiles tailored to an investor’s specific goals.

Often considered complex or “exotic,” structured notes can actually be powerful tools when used appropriately. Vincent walks through the four primary types; principal protected, income, growth, and dual directional, and shares how each can be aligned with an investor’s need for safety, income, or growth.

Key discussion points include:

Connect with Vince Tassone:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

Vincent Tassone of Causeway Securities, one of the world’s largest independent structured note distributors, joins John and Michael Parise to demystify structured notes and their expanding role in today’s investment portfolios. 

Listen as he breaks down what structured notes are; hybrid financial instruments combining a bond with a derivatives package, and explains how they offer customizable risk-return profiles tailored to an investor’s specific goals.

Often considered complex or “exotic,” structured notes can actually be powerful tools when used appropriately. Vincent walks through the four primary types; principal protected, income, growth, and dual directional, and shares how each can be aligned with an investor’s need for safety, income, or growth.

Key discussion points include:

Connect with Vince Tassone:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

What happens when a business suddenly loses a key player or faces a supply chain disruption? 

That’s where Madison Insurance Group’s unique strategies come into play, offering peace of mind and financial protection for unforeseen business challenges.

Join John and Michael Parise as they chat with Mark Sims and Aaron Quinn from Madison Insurance Group to discuss how their partnership, spanning over 15 years, has provided invaluable enterprise risk coverage solutions. 

You’ll learn how Madison’s innovative approach allows business owners to participate in underwriting profits and navigate recent IRS regulations with confidence.

Other key conversations in this release include:

Connect with Madison Insurance Group:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

About Our Guests: 

Mark Sims is Vice President of Business Development for Captive Alternatives, LLC. He has more than 25 years of experience in risk management and insurance consulting, and focuses on the use of Private Insurance Companies for insuring the catastrophic business risks and employee benefits programs of medical groups, business owners in many sectors, and other high net worth groups throughout the United States. Mark is a charismatic and popular professional speaker on the use of Private Insurance Companies for risk management, asset protection, wealthy preservation and exit strategies. He is a member of the Captive Insurance Companies Association and the Self Insurance Institute of America. Mark has extensive working experience with tax attorneys, estate planning firms and other trusted advisors to high net worth business owners and families, and frequently provides customized webinars to advisor groups who want to learn about Private Insurance Companies and the Puerto Rico solution.

What does it mean to treat all family members fairly in terms of wealth distribution? 

John and Michael Parise dive into the complexities of estate equalization within family businesses. In this episode, they unravel a recent case study highlighting the challenges faced when generational wealth intersects with family dynamics.

Listeners are in for a detailed exploration of best practices for ensuring fair treatment, asset protection strategies, and the nuances of managing family businesses across different generations. Discover pragmatic insights on structuring estate plans that both honor family values and preempt potential conflicts.

Other key discussions include:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

How can you create a legacy that spans generations?

Join financial experts John and Michael Parise of Copper Beech Financial Group as they delve into the concept of leveraging assets to build and sustain generational wealth. This episode explores the strategic use of financial instruments like IRA accounts and life insurance to enhance family wealth and legacy planning. Discover how asset leverage can support tax-efficient growth and provide long-term benefits for your family’s financial future.

Key discussion points include:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

What’s the secret to leaving a lasting legacy through philanthropy? 

Join John and Michael Parise as they sit down with Marlene Olshan and Ann Figueredo from Momentem Consulting Group. Together, they explore how families can define and achieve meaningful philanthropic goals.

Marlene and Ann share their journeys and discuss Momentem’s mission to help both non-profits and high-net-worth individuals make purposeful impacts. From establishing a ‘Purpose Framework’ to unifying family values through philanthropic endeavors, the conversation is rich with insights for anyone tasked with managing family wealth.

Here’s what you’ll gain insight into:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

Connect with Momentem Consulting Group:

About Our Guests:

Ann Figueredo has over 35 years of experience as a strategy, marketing, new product development, and fundraising expert in the higher education, financial services, and pharmaceutical industries. She has held senior leadership positions to plan and execute successful comprehensive capital campaigns, launch new products and services domestically and internationally, and spearhead market research studies to open new market opportunities. 

Ann is a graduate of Haverford College (BA) and Columbia University (MBA). She has held senior leadership roles at Haverford College, Germantown Friends School, SEI Investments, Spectrem Group, Visa International, Bankers Trust, and Pfizer.

Marlene Olshan has over 35 years of experience in executive leadership with functional expertise in strategy, operations, and fund development. Marlene has led organizations in the human services, retail, and financial services sectors, with particular expertise in positioning organizations to scale.  

Marlene is a graduate of Temple University ( BA) and has received a Certificate in Public Policy Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School. She has held senior leadership positions at Vetri Community Partnership, Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA, The Department of Human Services for the City of Philadelphia,  Spectrem Group, GIII Apparel Group, and Macy Specialty Stores.

Are you aware of the tax savings opportunities you’re missing by not employing cost segregation in your real estate investments? 

Get ready to uncover the untapped potential of tax method changes that could revolutionize your approach to wealth management!

This week, Michael Parise and guest Vanessa Wallace Clunies from Tax Method Experts guide you through the complexities of cost segregation and tangible property regulations. 

Tune in and discover how these can not only save you taxes but also ensure regulatory compliance!

Key talking points include: 

Connect with Vanessa Wallace Clunies:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

About Our Guest: 

Vanessa Wallace Clunies is the CFO and COO of Tangible Property Tax Methods, LLC, a tax method change firm specializing in Tangible Property Regulation (TPR) compliance, method changes for large service providers, and cost segregation. She is an associate of the ASCSP and has over 9 years of experience in Tangible Property Regulations compliance and the preparation of thousands of IRS Form 3115 Change in Method of Accounting. 

Vanessa supervises all of the engineers of TPTM who perform the detailed work to support the entity’s cost segregation reports, in addition to providing the tax insights that are key in this real estate profession. 

Working closely with her father and the country’s expert on the TPRs, Eric P. Wallace, CPA, this dynamic duo has found to date over $300M in deductions for clients. She has analyzed over 1,000 depreciation schedules and has created corresponding tax deduction schedules with various permitted IRS automatic and non-automatic method change designated changes. 

Are you ready for the next energy revolution?

John and Michael Parise from Copper Beech Financial Group explore this critical topic with Mitch Kerr, Senior Portfolio Manager at Ategenos Capital.

John, Michael, and Mitch examine the forces shaping global energy markets, from record-breaking oil production to the innovative potential of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Mitch unpacks the complexities of LNG exports, the challenges renewables face in scaling, and how nuclear innovations are changing the energy landscape.

Tune in as they also discuss strategies for building future-ready portfolios, the role of cryptocurrencies and precious metals in uncertain markets, and the path forward for investors navigating a rapidly evolving global energy economy.

Key Talking Points:

Connect with Michael Kerr, CFA:

Connect with John and Michael Parise:

About Our Guest: 

Mitch Kerr is a Senior Portfolio Manager for Ategenos Capital. As part of the Private Wealth team, he partners with advisors to serve their high-net-worth and institutional clients. He is also a member of Ategenos Capital’s Investment Committee.

Before joining Ategenos Capital, Mitch was the associate head of the wealth advisory practice at Brinker Capital Investments. He and his team collaborated with financial advisors to design and implement customized investment solutions for high-net-worth individuals and institutions.

Mitch brings over 22 years of experience in the investment management industry, with previous roles in portfolio management and investment research at TD Wealth, Wells Fargo Private Bank, and Gardner Lewis Asset Management.

Mitch received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Japanese from the University of Notre Dame. He holds his FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses and is a CFA charter holder.