Athlete CEO

Athlete CEO #029: The Athletic Co-Founder, Alex Mather, On Disrupting The Sports Media World

In this episode of the Athlete CEO Podcast, Erik sits down with Alex Mather, the co-founder of The Athletic. Valued at roughly $500 million The Athletic has disrupted the sports media world. They dive into the vision, strategy and tactics that led to the quick rise of dominance for the Athletic in a saturated market that seemed impenetrable. Alex offers advice and lessons learned from the founding of The Athletic covering topics like: The characteristics he learned growing up that helped...

AWM Insights #16: Should COVID-19 Change Our Investment Decisions?

With a spike in Coronavirus cases around the country, we continue to see multiple industries getting shaken including airlines, cruise ships, and travel destinations. Alternatively, we see the top tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon) combined currently represent more than 20% of the S&P 500, which makes sense with more people than ever relying on technology to work and stay connected. As we continue to allocate investments, many are wondering if we should try to ma...

AWM Insights #15: Should I Try to Day Trade?

The market has continued to bring surprises. In the last couple months we've seen one of the quickest recessions to one of the quickest recoveries then suddenly last week we saw a -6% down day in the market.  In tandem with this market volatility, we've also seen many big name companies declare bankruptcy followed by their stock prices skyrocketing. In their wake have been more voices who have adopted a day trading approach claiming now is the time to buy these companies pretty much across ...

Athlete CEO 028: Curt Steinhorst - Can I Have Your Attention

We have all experienced moments of being in the zone. A state of deep focus and peak performance. Unfortunately, those seem to be difficult to string together. Instead, we find ourselves more distracted and exhausted than ever before. It’s time to take back your attention and focus on what matters most. In this episode of the Athlete CEO podcast, Erik has a conversation with Curt Steinhorst, bestselling author, Forbes columnist and leading expert in cultivating focus and minimizing distra...

AWM Insights #14: The Upside of Ownership

On last week's episode, we started our conversation on the idea of ownership by defining risk and discussing some of the rewards that come along with the different types of risk you can take. Ultimately, this can be described as the upside of ownership. This week, we'll continue with part two where we'll explore the fundamentals of ownership and cover topics and questions like:  What exactly are the fundamentals of ownership? How do we define ownership when it comes to investing? What do...

AWM Insights #13: How to Get the Highest Returns

What should we be doing with our money right now? Over the last few weeks, we've covered topics that we've been asked about from our clients on real estate, private markets, and more. We've also been asked if now is a good time to consider cryptocurrency.  However, these might be the wrong questions, at least in starting the conversation. Instead, we should start with our overall money goals - what do you want your money to do for you? The answer to this question helps us to determine an a...

AWM Insights: How to Get the Highest Returns

What should we be doing with our money right now? Over the last few weeks, we've covered topics that we've been asked about from our clients on real estate, private markets, and more. We've also been asked if now is a good time to consider cryptocurrency.  However, these might be the wrong questions, at least in starting the conversation. Instead, we should start with our overall money goals - what do you want your money to do for you? The answer to this question helps us to deter...

AWM Insights: Characteristics of a Long-Term Investor

We've said that trying to predict markets is a dangerous game to play, so now that the country begins to open up - how do we answer the frequently asked question of what the market will do over the coming months? We typically start our response by revisiting why our clients are invested in the public markets in the first place. The answer should not be to try to make a significant return within the short-term - 12 or 18 months - but is most often the goal of generating wealth over t...

AWM Insights #12: Characteristics of a Long-Term Investor

We've said that trying to predict markets is a dangerous game to play, so now that the country begins to open up - how do we answer the frequently asked question of what the market will do over the coming months? We typically start our response by revisiting why our clients are invested in the public markets in the first place. The answer should not be to try to make a significant return within the short-term - 12 or 18 months - but is most often the goal of generating wealth over the long-t...

Athlete CEO 027: Randy Newsom - Betting on Yourself

Welcome to season 2 of the Athlete CEO podcast!  In this episode, we hear from Randy Newsom of X10 Capital who discusses the idea of betting on yourself in your sports career. Prior to X10, Randy was an associate in the Sports Litigation practice of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Before pursuing law, Randy had a 7-year career in the Red Sox, Indians, and Pirates organizations.  We're thrilled to have Randy join us to kick off season 2 of the Athlete CEO podcast, and share some advice on navig...

AWM Insights #11: Stock Market vs Economy

In recent weeks, we've seen a lot about how the stock market seems to be rallying, but the economy is doing poorly. As a result, we've received a lot of questions about how there can be a disconnect between those two entities. When the stock market is mentioned, many refer to the S&P 500, which only makes up only 44% of the U.S. economy. Whereas, when we discuss the actual economy, it encompasses all goods and services being produced.   In this week's episode, Brandon and Erik discuss: A d...

AWM Insights 11: Stock Market vs Economy

In recent weeks, we've seen a lot about how the stock market seems to be rallying, but the economy is doing poorly. As a result, we've received a lot of questions about how there can be a disconnect between those two entities. When the stock market is mentioned, many refer to the S&P 500, which only makes up only 44% of the U.S. economy. Whereas, when we discuss the actual economy, it encompasses all goods and services being produced.   In this week's episode, Brandon and Erik disc...

AWM Insights #10: Private Market Investing Like a Pro

Much of the initial emotion toward fluctuating markets has softened and our clients have begun asking great questions like "Should I invest in oil? Or real estate?" which we have been addressing the past few weeks in our Insights podcasts. This week, we wanted to focus our attention on some of the ways we do like to think about taking concentrated risks - specifically in the private markets. We've continually said that we believe in the public markets. However, for some of our clients who ha...

AWM Insights #9: Should I Stay In or Jump Out of the Markets During Uncertain Times?

While many states in the U.S. are beginning to relax social distancing practices, the future is still uncertain with some still wondering if there will continue to be drastic market fluctuations. This has sparked many to wonder whether they should stay in the markets at all in the face of potentially more downturns? Why not just return to the markets once they begin to normalize again? While market fluctuations can certainly be unsettling, trying to jump out of the markets before a potential...

AWM Insights #8: Should I Invest in Real Estate?

Real estate is a topic that a lot of people have interest in - often from being home owners themselves. There is wide exposure to the idea of investing through real estate in tv shows, books, webinars and more. One question we've been frequently asked by our clients is if this current time is providing a unique opportunity to invest in real estate in the midst of market uncertainty. The ultimate answer is it mostly depends on your situation - we are massive supporters of real estate, but onl...

AWM Insights #7: Should I Invest in Oil?

After another week of wild financial markets, we saw another historic first yesterday where the price of oil actually went negative. Does this mean you should run out to your local gas station and have them pay you to store gas? Well, no - but it does drive home an important point: You can't predict the future. At the end of the day, trying to outguess the public markets is a great sales pitch but in reality is just not in the best interest of clients. So should this new development in...

AWM Insights #6: What is Asset Location?

In a time where it can feel like a lot of things are out of our control, there are still some things you can do that add tremendous value to your portfolio. Last week, we discussed one of the methods - tax-loss harvesting - and we'll continue this week by looking at asset location. At its core, asset location is essentially a method of managing multiple accounts as one single portfolio. Research has shown with this practice that you can add .5% to .85% to your after-tax return, which over ...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 10: Advice from a 1st Round Parent

On this week’s episode, we’re honored to be joined by Todd Seigler, father of Anthony Seigler – first round draft pick with the New York Yankees. We get to hear from Todd on what the draft process was like from the perspective of family members and in working through these areas together as a family. As a parent going through the draft process, it can feel like everybody is painting a rosy picture about how perfect your son’s game is – it can be hard to sift through all the feedback using ...

AWM Insights #5: What is Tax-Loss Harvesting?

The last month has been a wild ride in the financial markets. At one point, we were down 34% and then all the sudden we have seen a quick rebound where - as of today (April 7) - the S&P is up 24.7% from its 52 week low that had been set on March 23rd.  As we mentioned last week, what can happen during these times of flux is that people can tend to rely on asking important questions to the wrong people about what to do with their money. We have seen issues where people have put their trust ...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 9: Adley Rutschman On Going Amateur to Pro

On this week’s episode, Erik and Travis talk with Adley Rutschman, catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Adley was selected by the Orioles as the first overall selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft with the highest signing bonus in baseball history. He joins us this week to discuss his time playing in college for Oregon State University, going into the MLB draft last year and making the transition from amateur to pro. Adley covers a wealth of topics in this episode including: How t...

AWM Insights #4: Is This the Bottom?

The financial market upheaval that has accompanied the COVID-19 epidemic has been a teachable moment for investors. The S&P had been down 34% and investors wondered if it would ever stop falling. People were asking if they should take their money out of the markets - another form of trying to time it. Then, in 3 days, the market bounced back 17%, which was the biggest 3-day gain since 1931. As of March 31st, markets have reclaimed nearly 50% of the decline that happened.  So then, can we c...

AWM Insights #4: Is This the Bottom?

The financial market upheaval that has accompanied the COVID-19 epidemic has been a teachable moment for investors. The S&P had been down 34% and investors wondered if it would ever stop falling. People were asking if they should take their money out of the markets - another form of trying to time it. Then, in 3 days, the market bounced back 17%, which was the biggest 3-day gain since 1931. As of March 31st, markets have reclaimed nearly 50% of the decline that happened.  So then, can we c...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 8: Bobby Stroupe on Utilizing Downtime to Stay On Your Game

This week, Travis and Erik interview Bobby Stroupe, founder and president of Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC). Bobby and his team started APEC in 2005 and it has grown over the years to become one of the most trusted sources for athletic performance improvement including accolades from and work with Nike. Bobby and APEC have trained some of the best athletes in the world including NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes. There is a lot of uncertainty for athletes in al...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 7: How is Your Signing Bonus Taxed?

Are you familiar with how an MLB Draft signing bonus is paid out? It’s not about what you sign for, but about what you keep. Historically, teams have split the gross amount into two equal payments over two years. The most costly mistake? Believing this is non-negotiable. As a player, your ultimate goal is not the gross (before tax) MLB Draft signing bonus amount; rather, it is the net (after-tax) amount. How your signing bonus is structured will have the greatest impact on how m...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 7: How is Your Signing Bonus Taxed? (2020 Update)

Are you familiar with the changes to how an MLB Draft signing bonus is paid out? Historically, teams have split the gross amount into two equal payments over two years, but due to COVID-19 have recently made some important changes that you need to know. As a player, your ultimate goal is not the gross (before tax) MLB Draft signing bonus amount; rather, it is the net (after-tax) amount. In the past, how you structured your payments - whether they were uneven payments or not - was a huge opp...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep 6: Eric Chenowith on Do I Need Disability Insurance?

You probably didn’t think we would be talking about disability insurance, right? So, do you need coverage? The answer varies for every individual. We are joined this week by former NBA player and current owner of Leverage, a disability and life insurance firm. In this episode, we discuss questions like: As a high school draft prospect, is disability insurance really necessary? Is disability insurance even worth it for me? If I am currently enrolled at a university, what should I do? W...

AWM Insights #3: Staying the course during a downturn

In times of uncertainty, it's human nature to try and control things - specifically within investing. Some of the most frequently asked questions we've received from our clients are: "Should I be reacting right now to try and stop the bleeding?" or "What are ways to utilize this market downturn to turn a seemingly bad financial situation into a good one?" We've also consistently been asked "Is this downturn different then all previous ones?" Ben Carlson compiles some important stats in his...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 6: Eric Chenowith on Do I Need Disability Insurance?

You probably didn’t think we would be talking about disability insurance, right? So, do you need coverage? The answer varies for every individual. We are joined this week by former NBA player and current owner of Leverage, a disability and life insurance firm. In this episode, we discuss questions like: As a high school draft prospect, is disability insurance really necessary? Is disability insurance even worth it for me? If I am currently enrolled at a university, what should ...

AWM Insights #2: What Is Rebalancing?

Welcome back to another edition of AWM Insights. With all the recent public market volatility, we've been highlighting the importance of our long-term investment strategy. Since 1928, there have been 24 bear markets. A unique trait they have all shared is that every one in U.S. history has then led to new all-time highs. However, while it's important to stay patient and stick to the plan - we also don't want to just "do nothing" during this time.  In this week's episode, Erik and Brandon beg...

AWM Insights #1: Navigating Financial Markets in Global Crises

Welcome to our new bonus series: AWM Insights! In these mini episodes, we will hear from the AWM team on different topics and resources relevant to our community in 5-7 minute episodes.  For our first episode, there is an easy segue with the news of the Covid-19 virus and its impact on global markets. This has been a concern from a human level and a health level - however, our strategy remains the same as it relates to navigating the fluctuating markets. Listen in for more from two of our ...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 5: Tyler Beede on Navigating the Draft and Your Baseball Career

On this week’s episode of the MLB Draft Podcast by AWM Capital, we’re joined by Tyler Beede – pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. Tyler had the unique opportunity of being a 1st round draft pick two separate times. He turned down the first opportunity to pursue college at Vanderbilt and further hone his skills. He discusses playing at the collegiate level, on TEAM USA, and continuing on again to the MLB draft as a first round pick. Throughout the episode, Tyler walks us through his caree...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 4: Selecting the Right Financial Team

  Last time, we discussed how to find a sports agent who has the expertise and experience for your situation that can advocate for you in contract negotiations and representation.  This week, we continue the conversation to help you finish building out a trusted team that can help you navigate the biggest financial decision of your life by finding the right financial team for you. As an athlete, you would take the time to research and find the best medical professional to help you deal...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 1: The Draft Opportunity

  In this episode, we breakdown the incredible opportunity an amateur player has to become a professional baseball player. We detail what's the probability, the career trajectory, and pathway to navigate the MLB Draft process successfully. It's hard to encapsulate the excitement surrounding the upcoming MLB Draft. Years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication all point to this one day. Becoming a pro. It's a rare opportunity to realize a childhood dream, but equally as important, it's ...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 3: Selecting the Right Sports Agent

  How confident are you that you chose the right agent? In a $10 billion industry, it brings a host of characters that want a piece of your business. It can be difficult to know who are the people that have the expertise and the experience to help you. Too often, the only advice you receive is to do your due diligence. But that assumes you know what questions to ask, which is largely untrue. So what ends up happening is families are trying to do the best they can, but end up asking the...

MLB Draft Podcast Ep. 2: What's My Number?

  Should you sign a professional contract or head to campus? This is the decision every high school or college player with eligibility will make this upcoming June. This looming decision will have a dramatic impact on the trajectory of your baseball career and life. How prepared and confident are you that you would make the right decision? Many factors should be considered when deciding to sign a professional contract; however, for the majority of players, it’s a question of money. T...

MLB Draft Podcast - Episode 02

What's My Number? Should you sign a professional contract or head to campus? This is the decision every high school or college player with eligibility will make this upcoming June. This looming decision will have a dramatic impact on the trajectory of your baseball career and life. How prepared and confident are you that you would make the right decision? Many factors should be considered when deciding to sign a professional contract; however, for the majority of players, it’s a questi...

MLB Draft Podcast - Episode 01

The Draft Opportunity In this episode, we breakdown the incredible opportunity an amateur player has to become a professional baseball player. We detail what's the probability, the career trajectory, and pathway to navigate the MLB Draft process successfully. It's hard to encapsulate the excitement surrounding the upcoming MLB Draft. Years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication all point to this one day. Becoming a pro. It's a rare opportunity to realize a childhood dream, but equally ...

026: Season One Finale

Welcome Back to the Athlete CEO Podcast. I want to begin today's show by thanking each and everyone of you. The investment of your attention, feedback and willingness to spread the word means the world to us.  Today's show will mark the end of our official First Season of the Athlete CEO Podcast.  Over the past 25 episodes we had the privilege to hear from incredible people whom I personally have learned so much from and hope you have as well.  We will be taking a break for the holiday...

025: Win The Process, Win The Game with Jeff Larish

This week’s guest is a former D1 collegiate athlete, former MLB player of the Detroit Lions, and the owner of Dead Red Conditioning. After turning down the Cubs and Dodgers years prior, Jeff Larish signed in the 5th round to the Detroit Tigers in 2007. In 2011, his career came to a grinding halt after suffering an ankle injury on the field. Like most athletes can relate, Jeff saw his future in exclusively in baseball – so the shock of “what to do next” was a life-changing experience. A...

024: 3 Ways To Make Effective Decisions

How confident are you that every decision you are making is the best decision you could make? What is your confidence based on? Our human nature, unsurprisingly, has not always served us well in making decisions. We tend to be emotional, see the world with a specific lens, and are often challenged to make big stakes decisions in limited time regardless of what is happening in life at the the moment. While we may not be talking about pushing the “Red” Nuclear launch button we are talk...

023: The Controversy Behind “Peak Performance” With Josiah Igono

022: Why Does Money Matter

Today is a unique show in both structure and message. Instead of our typical interview format, I want to address a topic that I’m convinced more than ever will have the greatest impact on your life. Yet, it is rarely addressed with the urgency and intentionality that it deserves. As a private wealth advisor for professional athletes and founders I’m exposed to some of the most financially successful people in society.  For many of our clients, they have achieved what most people spend ...

021: The Dirty Side Of Finance & Investments with David Byrne

If you’re trying to expand and preserve your wealth, then you probably wondering: Who can I trust with my money? How can I make sure that fees don’t wipe my profits? What type of professional should I work with? How can I as close to guarantee a return on my investment? …and a lot more. What’s worse is the varying degrees of advice you’ll receive when you go out seeking those answers. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, David Bryne knows how to navigate the often “dark” space of finan...

020: Being a Pro On & Off The Field

You have heard it said before, “you are your greatest asset.” My question is what are you doing today to increase the value of your greatest asset? It’s time to start thinking like a business owner. The CEO of Athlete, Inc. I know, you have heard it before. Most likely from your agent or a marketing company trying to convince you to “monetize” yourself. Yes, making money can be an element of it but it’s far more important than just making money. The truth is, how successful you are...

019: From a buddy’s Garage to $60 million with Taylor Holiday

Taylor Holiday knows business. After avoiding law school (which he calls a stroke of luck) he lived the glorified garage to glory story. Power Balance grew to over 100 employees and a $60 million valuation. Today, as the managing partner of Common Thread Collective, Taylor’s team empowers eCommerce companies to reach new levels. On the show, Taylor talks about three of the hottest topics on professional athletes and business persons minds: Startups & venture capital Balancing life &...

018: Neil Jones On Flying Your Own Path In Life

Ever feel like this?.. You’re trying to find your purpose, but you keep jumping from shiney idea to shiney idea. So did today’s guest – until he found helicopters. Neil Jones had a tough upbringing that required a lot of work and challenges that shaped him into a modern day entrepreneur. In the chase of his passion and purpose, he went on to found Quantum Helicopters where he offers helicopter flight training. Regardless of the perceived obstacles and lack of resources, Neil create...

017: Inside The Most Powerful Sports Network - Athletes Touch

He used to pitch baseballs, now he’s pitching companies. Justin Blaine embodies what it means to be an Athlete CEO. Justin is the Managing Director of The Mentor Group, Inc. a full service, national investment banking, financial advisory, valuation, and appraisal firm. He’s the Founder of AthletesTouch, an organization of former college and professional athletes working together to grow and succeed in the business world. Members range from being fresh out of a sports career to others w...

016: From NFL To Venture Capital, Ryan Nece Shares His Wisdom

Today’s guest, Ryan Nece, played 7 years in the NFL and went on to win a Super Bowl in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following his NFL career, he went on to co-found Straight Cast – a mobile app that allowed athletes to create their own HD content. He then sold that company in 2014 to Fox Sports. These days Ryan is the Managing Director of Next Play Capital, a venture capital fund that sits at the intersection of tech and sports. He’s the epitome of what we think about here on th...

015: Ethical Capitalism, Freedom & Wealth with Jeff Piersall

Doing what’s right and making money are not mutually exclusive. Is this even possible in today’s world? Or is it a pipe dream? Jeff Piersall, is convinced it’s not only possible it’s inevitable. Jeff, a former award-winning collegiate basketball coach, is the CEO and founder of SpaceCoast Living & SCB Marketing. He's the co-founder of the TREP Summit, and Author of “Dogs Don’t Bark at Parked Cars” which has quickly become on the books I gift the most. His entrepreneurial pursuits hav...

014: From NFL to AWM With Chase Dominguez

Today we’re giving you a peak behind the curtain as we sit down with AWM CAP’s Associate Planner, Chase Dominguez. Pro athletes, you’re going to relate with Chase’s opportunity to play in the NFL (as a long snapper for the Saints) and how he’s translated his work ethic and discipline into his professional career. Professionals and entrepreneurs will love hearing about Chase’s outlook on his career path and journey. We’re proud to have him on board and we’re excited that he shared his w...