Work Ethic

Today, we're going in depth with Noelle Laing. Noelle is the Chief Investment Officer of Builders Vision, the investment and philanthropy platform founded by Lukas Walton that accelerates solutions across energy, oceans, food, and agriculture. Noelle oversees all of Builders Vision's portfolios across both philanthropic and market-rate investment teams. 

In this episode you'll learn:

• How a CIO builds a portfolio across market-rate, catalytic, and philanthropic capital
• Why Noelle approaches every investment as a skeptic - even as a glass-half-full optimist
• What catalyzing markets means and how Builders Vision invests where others haven't yet
• Why mission investing is, in her words, just investing, and the returns myth she keeps debunking
• What she looks for when hiring investors

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:16 - From Small-Town Roots to Investment Management

06:20 - Finding Purpose Through Investing

09:22 - What Makes a Great Investor?

11:35 - Why you Should Hire for Curiosity

13:09 - Building a Collaborative Investment Team

17:37 - Investing to Transform Entire Systems

20:00 - How Catalytic Capital Builds New Markets

21:21 - How Impact Investing Has Evolved

23:23 - Impact Investing, Returns and the Myth of Sacrifice

25:07 - The Next Generation of Investors

26:26 - Finding Opportunity in Difficult Markets

28:30 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

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Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter https://www.ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Noelle and Builders Vision (​​https://www.buildersvision.com/who-we-are/noelle-laing/)

Connect with Noelle on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelle-laing-cfa-5b92621/)

Today, we're going in depth with David Wolf. David is the CEO of BSW Wealth Partners, a $2 billion multifamily office and wealth advisory firm based in Colorado. BSW is now part of Sequoia Financial Group, a $35 billion wealth management firm with over 30 offices nationwide.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why small, consistent wins can compound into extraordinary long-term results in investing, business, and your career
• How to decide whether to build, buy, or partner as a firm grows
• Why wealth managers should think beyond portfolio returns and focus on a client’s return on life.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:51 - Lessons from Japan, Iowa Roots, and Mountaineering

05:16 - Learning Entrepreneurship Through Venture Capital

07:22 - “I Love Your Company. I Don’t Like Your Margins.”

09:42 - From Tech Entrepreneur to Wealth Management

12:22 - Be Interested, Not Interesting

15:13 - What Is Wealth Actually For?

17:04 - Building a Culture Around Shared Values

19:32 - The Problems Wealth Can’t Solve

21:23 - From $125M to $2.5B: The Power of Compounding

24:39 - Build, Buy, or Partner?

26:02 - “Return on Life”: The Future of Wealth Management

29:25 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter https://www.ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about David and Sequoia Financial Group (https://www.sequoia-financial.com/team/david-wolf/​​)

Connect with David on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcwolf1/)

Today, we're going in depth with Mitch Kapor. Mitch was the founder and CEO of Lotus Development Corporation, a company that shaped the personal computing revolution, including with Lotus 1-2-3. Mitch was named to Forbes' 2026 list as one of America's 250 greatest innovators. Along with his wife, Freada, he has spent decades investing in the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs with Kapor Capital.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What hypergrowth taught Mitch Kapor about leadership
• How to approach the next technology revolution and why leaders need to get hands-on with AI to truly understand its opportunities and risks
• Why the best founders aren’t necessarily the ones with the best resumes
• Why early stage investing is ultimately a bet on people, not plans
• Why Mitch is back coding at 75-years-old

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:48 - From Stand-Up Comedy to Tech Pioneer

05:13 - The Apple II That Changed Everything

07:49 - Seeing the Future of Personal Computing

09:43 - Building Lotus Into a Hypergrowth Company

12:34 - Taking Lotus Public at 32

14:29 - The Leadership Mistakes That Shaped Him

16:45 - Jumping Ship

17:16 - Building a Company Culture That Lasts

19:00 - From Entrepreneur to Investor

21:49 - Investing With Your Values

25:56 - What Mitch Kapor Looks for in Founders

28:46 - At Seed Stage, You’re Betting on People

30:12 - AI and the Next Technology Revolution

31:48 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter https://www.ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Mitch and Kapor Capital, and the Kapor Center (https://www.kaporcapital.com/who-we-are/)

Connect with Mitch on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchkapor/)

Disclosure: No compensation is exchanged in either direction for a guest's appearance. Kapor Capital is an investor in Ethic.

Today, we're going in depth with Jim Dunn. Jim is the CEO and co-founder of Verger Capital, an OCIO focused on serving endowments and foundations.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why endowments require a different investment mindset.
• Why overcoming failure can be one of the most valuable qualifications in a candidate.
• The benefits of building a high-touch business and how trust compounds over time.
• How your personal history shapes your professional purpose.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:00 - What Sports Taught Him About Leadership

02:24 - Growing Up Working Class With No Roadmap

03:39 - The Moment He Stopped Coasting

05:35 - Finding His Way Into Institutional Investing

07:35 - The Endowment Mindset: Investing for the Next 40 Years

09:23 - Why He Looks For People Who Have Failed

11:26 - Creating a Culture Where People Can Take Risks

13:04 - Investing with a Mission, Not Just a Portfolio

16:13 - The Early Mistakes of Building a Business

21:02 - A CEO’s Job: Clear the Decks for Your Team

22:02 - Choosing Alpha over AUM

23:00 - The Future of Non-profit Investing

26:04 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Jim and Verger (​​https://vergercapital.com/team/jim-dunn/)

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-dunn-9070731/)

The information presented should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security. The information does not constitute an offer to sell any product or service offered by Verger Capital.  Information presented in this episode is not intended to be an endorsement of Verger Capital or its investment management services.

Today, we're going in depth with Ian Fuller. Ian is the co-founder and CEO of Westfuller, an independent wealth management firm that manages and advises on over $3 billion for institutions and families that are seeking to align their capital with their mission. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to build a mission-aligned wealth management firm.
• The secret to great partnerships.
• How to attract and retain exceptional talent when you don’t yet have an established brand.
• What it really takes to build a company from zero, including the years of uncertainty that comes before an “overnight success.”

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:05 - From Art History to Finance

03:42 - Why Ian Walked Away from Goldman Sachs

06:44 - From Merrill Lynch to Founding Westfuller

09:47 - The First Iteration Blew Up

11:49 - How Do You Hire Great Talent Without a Big Brand?

14:26 - Can a Company Actually Live Its Values?

16:47 - The Evolution of Impact Investing

19:08 - Investing for Families vs. Institutions

23:08 - Why Most Partnerships Fail

24:43 - The Secret to a Great Partnership

26:20 - Finding an Underserved Market

32:55 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter https://www.ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Ian and Westfuller (​​https://westfulleradvisors.com/team/)

Connect with Ian on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-s-fuller/)

Today, we're going in depth with Morgan Simon. Morgan has over two decades of experience in investing to achieve values-alignment and systemic change. She is a founding partner of Candide Group, an impact investing advisory firm that serves families, foundations, and other institutions.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How investing can be used as a tool for systemic change.
• How to build teams around shared values and diverse perspectives.
• A powerful interview technique for discovering how candidates actually think and solve problems.
• Why the future of impact investing may be shaped by a new generation’s definition of wealth and legacy.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:18 - Lessons from 60 Countries and a Rockstar Dad

05:17 - Why Morgan Chose Finance to Drive Social Change

06:39 - The 19-Year-Old Who Took On Lockheed Martin

07:48 - Finding Gaps and Becoming an Entrepreneur

09:29 - How to Build a Community Around Shared Values

11:26 - The Interview Question that Reveals How People Think

13:34 - What Do Your Employees Need to Thrive?

16:06 - Can You Build a 100% Impact Portfolio?

19:26 - Why Impact Investing and Philanthropy Aren’t Enough

22:57 - The Evolution of Impact Investing

26:34 - How the Next Generation is Redefining Wealth

27:48 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter https://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Morgan and Candide Group (​​https://www.candidegroup.com/team/morgansimon)

Connect with Morgan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-simon/)

Today, we're going in depth with Michael Outlaw. Michael serves as the president of Rockefeller Global Family Office, guiding one of the industry's most iconic names into the future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why trust is becoming the most valuable currency in wealth management, and why clients increasingly want one voice they can rely on
• How to recruit and build elite teams
• How technology and AI will change the advisor/client relationship

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:27 - The Brutal Lesson Golf Taught Him

03:54 - What Golf Teaches You About Resilience

06:50 - From Law School to Wealth Management

10:24 - The Client He Won By Mowing His Lawn

14:01 - How to Recruit and Build and Elite Team

19:05 - How Great Leaders Inspire People

21:30 - Why Clients Want One Trusted Voice

25:32 - How a Company Like Rockefeller Scales

28:50 - How AI Will Change Wealth Management

31:18 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Michael and Rockefeller Global Family Office (​​https://www.rockco.com/bios/michael-outlaw/)

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-w-outlaw-b13666120/)

Today, we're going in depth with John Dowd. John is the chairman and former CEO of Fiduciary Trust International, a global wealth management firm with over $113 billion in assets under management and administration.

Have you ever wondered how to lead a traditional organization through disruption without losing its humanity or its principles? This episode is for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How John strategically modernized a 100-year-old firm
• How to lead people through change
• How AI is already changing the client relationship
• Where wealth management is headed next

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:45 - John Dowd’s Secret Life as a Guitar Player

03:40 - Why Being a New Kid Can Make You a Better Leader

04:58 - What Churchill Taught Him About Leading People Through Change

07:15 - Why People Don’t Always Make Rational Decisions

09:43 - From Law to Wealth Management

12:38 - How to Get People to Embrace Change

16:06 - The Leadership Philosophy: Be Steady When Things Break

17:34 - The Time John Dowd Fired a Client

19:26 - What is the Purpose of Family Wealth?

21:31 - Why Great Leaders Avoid the “Superman Effect”

23:55 - Where Wealth Management is Headed Next

25:06 - How AI is Already Changing the Client Relationship

26:26 - Why Gen Z Thinks Google Can Manage Their Wealth

27:24 - “It’s Not Your Data. It’s Their Data.”

28:15 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about John and Fiduciary Trust International (​​https://www.fiduciarytrust.com/meet-our-team/our-profile/john-m-dowd)

Connect with John on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-m-dowd-a2409935/)

As Season 1 of Work Ethic wraps, we’re closing with a special bonus episode built around one question we asked guests throughout the season: What advice would they give to people aspiring to build successful careers like theirs? These are the leaders shaping the future of wealth so there's no one better to answer that question.

In this mini-episode you’ll hear from:

• Yie-Hsin Hung - President and CEO at State Street Investment Management
• Jonathan Foster - President and CEO at Angeles Wealth Management
• Greg Brown - Co-CEO at Caprock
• Steve Tenney - Founder at Grandview & Co
• Cameron Dawson - CIO at NewEdge Wealth 
• Matthew Weatherley-White - Partner at Sorensen Impact Advisory
• Michel Del Buono - CIO at a16z Perennial

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:16 - Educate Yourself and Embrace New Opportunities (Yie-Hsin Hung)

02:25 - Success Starts with Integrity (Jon Foster)

03:07 - Find Your Niche and Play the Long Game (Greg Brown)

04:43 - Learn from Everyone, Inside and Outside Your Industry (Steve Tenney)

05:56 - Read More than Everyone Else (Cameron Dawson)

06:33 - Challenge Conventional Wisdom (Matthew Weatherley-White)

08:01 - Stop Trying to Plan Every Step (Michel Del Buono)

09:14 - Season One Wrap-Up

—

We’ll be back in the Fall, when we’ll return with an exciting new lineup of world-class guests exploring the future of wealth.

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Today, we're going in depth with Tripp Friedler, co-founder and managing partner of Free Gulliver, a multifamily office based in New Orleans. He's also the author of two books. His latest, The Tunnel, is about losing his son Henry to Mental Illness.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to find resilience after profound loss
• How optimism can be entrepreneurial trait
• How to incorporate counseling and human psychology in wealth management
• How Tripp views curiosity as a philosophy of life

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:20 - Time Magazine and an Accidental Music Career

02:42 - Growing up in New Orleans and Leaving the Family Path

03:50 - From Peddling Life Insurance to Founding Free Gulliver

06:35 - The Biggest Investment You Can Make is In You

07:50 - If You Have no Fear and Anxiety, It's Not a Big Enough Jump

09:35 - Hiring Builders and Playing to Strengths

13:25 - How AI Can Transform Wealth Management

18:30 - Scaling a Business with Optimism

21:15 - How Studying Counseling Changed the Way He Works with Clients

23:55 - The Importance of Understanding Your “Location” in Life

26:00 - How Losing Two Children Taught Resilience

30:32 - Why Resilience is the Number One Secret to Success

32:55 - Work Ethic Rapid Fire Questions

—

Just a heads up: this podcast is for information purposes only. Read more about Work Ethic and subscribe to our newsletter http://ethic.com/work

Connect with Ethic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethic)

Find out more about Tripp and Free Gulliver (​​https://freegulliver.com/who-we-are/tripp-friedler/)

Purchase Tripp’s latest book, The Tunnel (https://www.trippfriedler.com/)

Connect with Tripp on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tripp-friedler-61768616/)