The Art of Quality

Finding Quality in the Field with Nadim Abi Abdallah

In this episode of The Art of Quality in Attention, William sits down with his friend and former colleague Nadim Abi Abdallah to explore the practice of fieldwork as a core component of the investment research process. The conversation focuses on how Nadim approaches fieldwork and what quality looks like in the fieldwork process - drawing on years spent in direct conversations with operators, building a ground-level understanding of businesses, developing deeper understanding of companies through firsthand insight. They discuss what it means to conduct fieldwork in an effective, responsible, and professional way, and why this method remains underutilized despite its potential. The episode offers a practical look into the mindset, discipline, and curiosity required to do this work well, and aims to provide valuable tools for investors seeking to deepen their investment research process.

Quality on the Far Side of Language with Chris Mayer

Chris Mayer returns for his second appearance on The Art of Quality and Attention. Chris is the co-founder and portfolio manager of Woodlock House Family Capital, a Maryland-based hedge fund, and the author of several influential books on investing, including 100 Baggers and his most recent work, The Unspeakable Level. In this conversation, we explore the ideas at the heart of The Unspeakable Level - a book that explores questions that are often difficult to articulate, yet fundamental to how we understand the world. Chris invites to adopt a deeper humility about what can truly be known. In particular, he challenges the common tendency - especially in business and investing - to mistake familiarity for understanding: believing that because we can name something, read about it, and analyze it through numbers or language, we therefore grasp it. The result is a conversation about perception and attention - one that offers practical ways to see more clearly and avoid the conceptual traps that often mislead even experienced decision-makers.

Quality in Ways of Knowing with Nicolas Michaelsen

In this episode of The Art of Quality and Attention, William welcomes Nicolas Michaelsen. Nico is a Danish entrepreneur who, after years of building companies, turned his attention toward his own spiritual practice and the cultivation of wisdom within the business world. He writes the Substack Ecologies of Wisdom. Over the past year, Nico has been a thoughtful voice on the subject of bringing one’s inner and outer worlds into alignment, speaking with openness and vulnerability about his own ongoing quest. In this conversation, William and Nico explore that journey in depth — discussing the practice itself, its mechanics and pitfalls, and the question of how we come to know what we know. They reflect on different ways of thinking about knowledge and truth, asking questions such as: How do we know what is true? How do we recognize what we are meant to do? And how do we serve with integrity? These are some of the themes they enjoy riffing on throughout the episode.

Quality at the Edge with Tom Morgan

In the first conversation with Tom Morgan a year ago, the focus was on the personal journey that led him to build The Leading Edge - a home for curious leaders navigating transition, meaning, and personal evolution. In this second episode, Willy and Tom move beyond origin stories and into lived practice. Their conversation explores what it means to cross thresholds - psychological, relational, and spiritual - when there is no clear map. They discuss how love often becomes the most reliable compass when certainty falls away; and why the quality of attention may be one of the most powerful yet overlooked forces shaping relationships and inner life. Willy and Tom also touch on subtler dimensions of experience: experience of syntropy - the pull toward coherence and connection. Throughout, they return to the importance of community.

Quality in Leadership with Patrick Boland

In this episode of The Art of Quality and Attention, William sits down with Patrick Boland. Patrick is a psychotherapist, leadership consultant, executive coach, and the author of The Contemplative Leader. He founded his consulting firm, Conexus, in 2013, and since then has worked with senior teams and leaders in global organizations ranging from Google, Unilever, Accenture, and Salesforce, to name just a few. Patrick was introduced to the show by fellow Art of Quality host Paul Higgins. Over the last couple of years, William has had the pleasure of getting to know Patrick and has been struck by the quality of his presence and the depth of his capacity to listen. William’s own experience of Patrick’s book, The Contemplative Leader, has been that of an excellent guide to shaping relationships and systems in ways that use one’s power and influence for the benefit of those around us. As Patrick himself would put it: The quality of presence we embody in our interactions fundamentally affects everything we do. The conversation that follows is a practical investigation into the qualities inherent in effective leadership, drawn from the lived experience of a seasoned leadership coach.