The Investors First Podcast

Hosted by CFA Society Orlando

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100

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The award* winning Investors First Podcast is a service of CFA Society Orlando. Subject matter experts from our Society interview Founders, Chief Executive Officer's, Chief Investment Strategists, Fed Presidents and more to discuss timely and relevant topics in finance. Our mission is to educate investors and investment professionals in Florida, the Americas and beyond, with a focus on making you a more informed investor and/or advisor. *The CFA Institute awarded CFA Society Orlando the 2020 Impact and Innovation Award for the Investor's First Podcast. Previous guests include Patrick O'Shaugnessy, Liz Ann Sonders, Barry Ritholtz, Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic, Dr. David Kelly, Mark Yusko, Annie Duke, Morgan Housel, Peter Zeihan, and Meb Faber. CFA Society Orlando is a member of the CFA Institute's Network of over 150 societies globally. The majority of its members hold the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which is considered the most respected and recognized investment management credential in the world. Fewer than 1 in 5 candidates who begin the program end up successfully earning the CFA charter. Successful candidates take an average of four years to complete the program.

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June 4, 2026Episode 10552 min

The PE Guy, Unfiltered (Mostly)

In today's episode, we welcome the PE Guy, whose real name is Johnny Hilbrant Partridge. The PE Guy character was started in early 2025 after capitulating from years of ridiculous travel and lifestyle stories from folks in finance, but particularly, private equity. He is certainly making his rounds in the CFA community, and we quickly realized he would be a great guest on our podcast (due to his role in PE, Private Equity, as the PE Guy often says in his skits). We cover Johnny's start with the Ellen DeGeneres show, then his sudden fame as a Soul Cycle Instructor, and then becoming a content creator. We discuss why he picks on private professionals more than any other position in finance, how he strikes the balance between making the PE Guy unlikeable yet charismatic, and a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the PE Guy. We then dive into social media influencer platforms and how he manages each of them. We also talk about how financial firms should pay attention to unique content, instead of traditional advertising. Last, and certainly not least, the PE Guy makes a brief appearance in character, asking him where he summers, to his thoughts on the best golf courses in Florida, to where he stations his yacht in the Mediterranean, and much more. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA(CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com Show Notes: Due To My Role Podcast – Apple/Spotify Follow PE Guy: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook

May 14, 2026Episode 1041 hr 3 min

Mike Pyle, BlackRock – White House to Wall Street, An Allocator's Perspective

In today's episode, we welcome back Mike Pyle of BlackRock. Mike is a senior leader within BlackRock and a key member of the BlackRock Investment Institute (BII), where he helps shape the firm's global macro views and portfolio construction frameworks. Mike has a law degree from Yale and a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth. Mike brings a unique perspective to markets, having served in the Obama White House before joining BlackRock as their Global Chief Investment Strategist, followed by another stint at the White House with the Biden-Harris Administration and back to BlackRock in 2024. While in government, he worked closely on economic policy at the highest levels and completed much of the CFA Program during his first turn at the White House. In this conversation, we revisit Mike's journey, explore how BlackRock is thinking about today's evolving macro regime, and discuss the BlackRock Investment Institute before pivoting to portfolio construction in a world where stock-bond diversification is less reliable. We also dive into the growing role of hedge funds and alternatives as investors navigate higher volatility, geopolitical fragmentation, and structurally higher rates. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA(CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com Show Notes: BlackRock – BlackRock.com BlackRock Investment Institute - https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/insights/blackrock-investment-institute

April 2, 2026Episode 10338 min

Danny Jenkins, ThreatLocker – Zero Trust Cybersecurity

In today's episode, we have Danny Jenkins, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of ThreatLocker, a rapidly growing cybersecurity firm focused on Zero Trust endpoint protection. With over 20 years in cybersecurity and a background in ethical hacking, Danny is unique in that he dropped out of school when he was 15 years old and has an unconventional resume. Danny has built multiple security companies and is widely recognized for his hands-on, real-world approach to stopping ransomware and cyber threats before they happen. After witnessing firsthand how devastating cyberattacks can be, he became a leading advocate for the Zero Trust model—blocking everything by default and only allowing what's trusted. Today, ThreatLocker protects tens of thousands of organizations globally, and Danny is a frequent speaker, Forbes Technology Council member, and one of Orlando's most influential leaders. We are proud to feature a local thought leader today. Danny is right here in our backyard in Central Florida and is at the helm of one of the fastest growing cybersecurity firms in the world. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com Show Notes: threatlocker.com

March 5, 2026Episode 1021 hr 9 min

Brent Sullivan, Tax Alpha Insider – Tribology of Tax Alpha

We are excited to welcome a friend of the show, Brent Sullivan of The Tax Alpha Insider. We discuss all things Tax Alpha as the investment puzzle is different when it comes to taxable investors. I have been fortunate to have known Brent since the very beginnings of his Tax Alpha Insider Newsletter, a highly successful, focused publication in the wealth management space. I often say that he could become the Michael Kitces of Tax Alpha. Brent is also behind the first Tax Alpha Conference, Basis Northwest, in Seattle on May 28th and 29th, which I will be attending. Brent has an interesting career background, both corporate and entrepreneurial. As mentioned before, he is the Founder of The Tax Alpha Insider, as well as the Basis Northwest Conference. He was also a Software Engineer at Parametric, who is the godfather of direct indexing. Before that, he worked in Investment Banking and Asset Management. Brent holds a Masters of Engineering from Cornell University (Financial Engineering/Statistics), as well as a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of California, Riverside. In this episode, we discuss all things Tax Alpha, as this is our first interview with Brent. We talk about the reasons he decided to launch this, why Tax Alpha is important now, and how this is one of the best times in history to be a taxable investor with all of the tools available. We discuss everything from householding/asset location, to direct indexing, to tax-aware long-short, buffer ETF's, 351 exchanges, advisor launched ETF's, assets that shouldn't be used for taxable investors, collars/variable prepaid forward contracts, heartbeat trades/ETF share classes, box loans, tax alpha as a volatility buffer, trader funds, etc. We also discuss the impact of AI on advisors and taxable investing, as well as taking the other side, why not just pay the taxes and keep things simple. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com Learn more: https://www.taxalphainsider.com/ https://www.basisconf.com/

February 6, 2026Episode 10158 min

Joe Davis, Vanguard – An Economist Crossing the T

We are excited to welcome Joe Davis for this episode, currently Vanguard's Global Chief Economist and Global Head of the Investment Strategy Group. Many of you likely know various iterations of the Vanguard story, but most of the professionals I know do not know how big a research team they have. Joe has a big influence on the company because he is also chairs the firm's Strategic Asset Allocation Committee. Ok, that was exhausting listing all of his titles, he is a busy person. Before that, he was still busy; he earned his M.A. and Ph.D at Duke University and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of U Penn. Joe is a frequent keynote speaker and currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Portfolio Management and the Journal of Fixed Income. In this episode, we are all over the place (which is normal), ranging from Vanguard's 50+ year history as a disruptor, to how many CFA charter holders are at Vanguard now (hint: a lot), their vast and under the radar research group, new CEO Salim Ramji, patents that Vanguard created in ETF space, the breakdown of active vs. passive funds in their lineup (which surprises many) and Joe's new book on AI. This was a great segue into the markets, with the impact of AI, Fed independence being potentially disrupted, a new multi-polar world, expected returns, potential market scenarios, and more. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com

January 8, 2026Episode 10049 min

Rick Rieder, BlackRock – Rieder, Riting & Rithmetic

To kick off year 7 of the Investors First Podcast, we interviewed Rick Rieder of BlackRock, currently Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, Head of the Fundamental Fixed Income business, and Head of the Global Allocation Investment Team. After earning a BBA in Finance from Emory University and later an MBA from The Wharton School. He started his career as an Analyst at SunTrust, briefly joining E.F. Hutton's training program, and then spending nearly two decades at Lehman Brothers trading before joining BlackRock. In this episode, we start where his interest in finance began with analyzing sports outcomes and probabilities—sometimes betting lunch money to test his thinking. We cover everything in this episode, from Rick's start as a credit analyst at SunTrust, to a lengthy stay at Lehman Brothers, and then joining BlackRock post GFC. We discussed the team/resources he manages, his investment approach with a heavy emphasis on risk management, and the ability of his strategy to go anywhere to find yield. We discussed gambling vs. investing, the impact of new technologies, AI, and opportunity abroad in fixed income markets, along with much more. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon, CFA (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com Learn more: https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/insights/blackrock-investment-institute/publications/outlook

December 4, 2025Episode 991 hr 1 min

Kevin Shea, CFA, BNY Mellon – AI: Investment Implications & Lessons from Late 90's

Kevin Shea is a Director/Senior Equity Strategist at BNY Mellon, where he focuses on individual security analysis, market structure, and emerging technologies—most notably artificial intelligence. Raised in a blue-collar household in Boston, Kevin learned the value of investing early and carried that discipline through Penn State University and into his professional life. He earned the CFA charter while beginning his career at Merrill Lynch Investment Management, eventually joining BNY Mellon's Equity Advisory Group, a team dedicated to helping wealth clients navigate complex equity markets and fast-moving innovation cycles. In this episode, Kevin joins Steve Curley and co-host Dan Fasciano to break down the state of AI, technology leadership, and the increasing concentration within U.S. equity markets. He explains why today's mega-cap technology firms continue to dominate—highlighting advantages in data scale, free-cash-flow margins, and unparalleled AI investment. The discussion explores whether we are in an "AI bubble," how current valuations compare to the late-1990s dot-com era, and the unprecedented capital-expenditure supercycle underway as companies race to build data-center infrastructure. Kevin also offers a global lens—comparing U.S. and Chinese capabilities, semiconductor constraints, and the geopolitical factors shaping the AI race. The conversation then pivots to how AI is transforming the investment-research process itself. Kevin walks through the tools BNY Mellon and industry analysts increasingly rely on—from ChatGPT and internal models like "Eliza" to AlphaSense, Sentieo, and Claude—and how these systems enable teams to process far more information than ever before. He also discusses how AI-driven productivity may help address demographic and inflation challenges over the long run. The episode closes with a memorable perspective on work ethic, drawing parallels between success in investing and Kobe Bryant's "Mamba mentality," emphasizing that excellence is built on consistent, behind-the-scenes effort. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal at 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Dan Fasciano, CFA (Principal at GW&K Investment Management) Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com

November 6, 2025Episode 9850 min

Perth Tolle, Life & Liberty Indexes: Perth Tolle's EM Freedom Factor

In this episode of the Investors First Podcast, we sit down with Perth Tolle, founder of the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets Index (FRDM), now over $1.6B in assets. We explore her vision for how personal and economic freedom can shape global investment outcomes. Perth shares her journey from growing up in Beijing to moving to the U.S. at age nine, her early career as a Fidelity advisor, and how those experiences ultimately inspired her differentiated approach to emerging-markets investing. We discuss how she constructs and maintains the FRDM Index, the impact of excluding authoritarian regimes like China and Russia, the wide dispersion across EM index methodologies, and why her strategy has delivered top-tier long-term performance. Perth also walks us through fee decisions, her unique "team of one" operating model, her chance encounter with Rob Arnott and his future support of the Freedom 100 EM ETF, and what it's like partnering with Alpha Architect. This conversation offers a fresh perspective for advisors and investors seeking a freedom-focused approach to global markets. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust) Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com More info at: https://freedometfs.com

October 2, 2025Episode 9748 min

Marty Bicknell, Mariner – A Private Wealth Shipwright in Kansas

Marty Bicknell is the CEO and founder of Mariner, a nationally recognized wealth advisory firm providing comprehensive financial solutions to individuals, families, and institutions. Under his leadership since founding the firm in 2006, Mariner has grown from a small startup into one of the largest registered investment advisory (RIA) firms in the United States, with over $500 billion in assets under advisement. With a strong emphasis on client-first service, innovation, and culture, Marty has cultivated a business model that prioritizes holistic financial planning, investment management, and long-term relationship-building. Mariner has been ranked as a top 5 RIA by Barron's from 2016-2024. Beyond his role as CEO, Marty is an advocate for the financial advisory profession and frequently shares insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the future of wealth management. Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Chris Cannon (CIO/Principal, FirsTrust) Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com

August 7, 2025Episode 9656 min

Matt Orosz, Trinity Family Builders – Current State of Housing & Homebuilders

Today's guest is Matt Orosz. Matt Orosz is Co-President of Trinity Family Builders, launched in March 2024 by the Orosz brothers in Central Florida. He oversees marketing, sales, land acquisition & operations. Before starting Trinity Family Builders, he co-founded Royal Oak Homes (2011) and Hanover Family Builders (2017), both high-growth companies that were sold—Royal Oak in 2014 and Hanover in 2022 (to Land & Sea Homes, a publicly traded entity). He holds a bachelor's degree from Villanova and an MBA from Rollins College. In today's episode, we discussed: · Matt's curiosity, passion for homebuilding, & background in the industrial side of CRE · Public vs. private homebuilders · First-time buyers, market shifts, price points, affordability & rate buydowns (a gimmick?) · Market forecast, build-to-rent trend & regulatory headwinds · How the brothers run their family office (their investment allocation) · Orosz family history, giving back & the success of Cristo Rey Orlando High School · Advice for young professionals [CEP + 3] Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Co-Managing Principal at 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Jeff Goll, CFA(Managing Director & Head of Capital Markets at Hillpointe). Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com