Lower Middle Market Buyouts and the Art of Investor Communications with Sequoya Borgman & Marit Harm

Lower Middle Market Buyouts and the Art of Investor Communications with Sequoya Borgman & Marit Harm

Sequoya Borgman, Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital and a CPA with two decades in public accounting, joins host Joshua Wilson alongside Marit Harm, Vice President of Firm Operations & Marketing, who leads the firm's investor relations. They trace Borgman Capital's evolution from a first deal backed by 28 investors to a 500-strong network of family offices, institutions, and high-net-worth individuals — built deal by deal through the independent sponsor model, Reg D offerings, and investor communications built on one principle: over-communicate. What We Cover * Leaving a Big Four partnership for lower middle market buyouts — and surviving a first deal that fell apart under LOI * Why Borgman Capital skipped the traditional fund and went deal by deal as an independent sponsor * How an investment banker's quip became PassTheHat.com, the firm's investor platform * Segmenting communications for retail, IRA, family office, and institutional investors * The buy box: family and founder businesses with long-term, legacy-preserving holds * The seller value proposition versus ESOPs and flip-oriented buyers * The annual investor summit at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee * Crisis communications: turning quarterly updates into weekly emails during COVID * Why referrals grow an investor network organically Connect with Sequoya Borgman  Website: borgmancapital.com  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sequoya-borgman-8a6057a Connect with Marit Harm  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/maritharm Recommended Resources  Acquired (podcast)  All-In Podcast  PassTheHat.com About the show  The Investor Relations Podcast is produced by One Iron Network. Learn more at oneironnetwork.com. Follow The Investor Relations Podcast  Website: theinvestorrelationspodcast.com  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-investor-relations-podcast  YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInvestorRelationsPodcast Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/ [https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/]

Optimizing for the Investor: Why This VC Became an RIA with Martin Garcia

Most VCs never touch the RIA path. Martin Garcia walked BITKRAFT straight into it — because he decided you cannot properly serve investors at the convergence of gaming and crypto without the flexibility to hold both equity and token warrants. That single structural choice reframes what investor relations actually means: optimizing the fund itself around the people whose capital you steward. In this episode, Martin Garcia — General Partner, Operating Partner, and CFO at BITKRAFT Ventures — joins host Joshua Wilson to unpack investor relations from both sides of the table. A former LP turned operating partner, Martin brings a fiduciary-first lens shaped by stints at Sozo Ventures, Accuracy, and PwC, plus an MBA from Chicago Booth. The conversation covers global sourcing arbitrage, radical LP transparency, non-dilutive user-acquisition financing, and why fund structure is itself an investor relations strategy for the public and private capital allocators who make up today's evolving shareholder base. What We Cover: * Why sitting on both sides of the table sharpens the LP relationship * The fiduciary mindset: treating LP capital as if it were your own * How a global remit creates sourcing arbitrage a domestic-only fund cannot match * The real cost of becoming an RIA — and why BITKRAFT did it anyway * Equity vs. token warrants: structuring to optimize for the investor * Radical transparency with LPs, including the write-downs and failed pivots * Non-dilutive user-acquisition financing and quantitative underwriting * Venture vs. private credit: two investor conversations, one fiduciary standard * Why India and Africa sit at the center of the global digital-entertainment thesis * Interest vs. fit: the mindset that separates venture operators from enterprise builders Connect with Martin Garcia:  LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/martin-garcia-0a01004  Company BITKRAFT.vc About the show:  The Investor Relations Podcast is produced by One Iron Network. Learn more at oneironnetwork.com. Follow The Investor Relations Podcast:  Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com  LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/the-investor-relations-podcast  YouTube youtube.com/@TheInvestorRelationsPodcast Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/ [https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/]

Allocators and Warfighters: From the Cap Table to the Battlefield with Kevin Pavnica

A young lieutenant in Afghanistan once sat next to a 40-foot shipping container packed with robots nobody asked for — a warning about what happens when defense technology outruns the warfighter's actual needs. Kevin Pavnica now uses that lesson to help capital allocators avoid funding the next container of unused tech. Kevin Pavnica, partner at Blackrock Strategy and a U.S. Army veteran of the elite Asymmetric Warfare Group who still serves as a Major in the Indiana Army National Guard, joins host Joshua Wilson to translate the defense world for family offices and institutional investors. Kevin unpacks "modeling the middle" — the bureaucratic valley of death where promising technology dies — and explains why a contract that signals political movement can generate zero revenue. It's a practitioner's guide to traction quality, product-market fit, and mission alignment when the buyer is the Pentagon. What We Cover:  ⚔️ Asymmetric warfare and strategic overmatch, translated for business  🎯 "Modeling the middle" — mapping risk through the bureaucracy  💀 The valley of death and why great tech never reaches the field  📄 Contract stickiness vs. real revenue when evaluating traction  🏭 Manufacturing readiness and contract pathway as diligence signals  🤝 Why mission alignment beats investor-oriented product design  🔒 Clearances, security, and the "Deliver Uncompromised" paradigm  📚 Where to look: DoDI 5000 series, service signals, and Normal Accidents Connect with Kevin Pavnica:  Website blackrockstrategy.com [https://www.blackrockstrategy.com/] LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kevin-pavnica [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-pavnica/] Special thanks to Jesse Pimental and team for the strategy and capability building prior to the creation and publication of this episode  Connect with Jesse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-pimental-a4b43a45/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-pimental-a4b43a45/] About the show:  The Investor Relations Podcast is produced by One Iron Network. Learn more at oneironnetwork.com. Follow The Investor Relations Podcast:  Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com  LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/the-investor-relations-podcast  YouTube youtube.com/@TheInvestorRelationsPodcast Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/ [https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/]

The Psychology of Capital Allocation: How Investors Really Decide — Ashby Monk & Logan Yonavjak

What if the biggest edge in capital allocation isn't information — it's understanding how the people deploying $140 trillion actually think under pressure? In this episode, Stanford's Ashby Monk admits he was skeptical of behavioral assessment tools — until one read his eight-page profile and left him feeling "seen." Ashby Monk, who leads a Stanford research center focused on long-term investor decision-making, and Logan Yonavjak, Co-Founder and CEO of Readiness Engine, join Joshua Wilson to unpack the psychology behind how allocators, founders, and investment teams make high-stakes decisions. They explore how AI is reshaping talent in an industry built on apprenticeship, why emotional resilience and "developmental patterns" predict performance, and how the gap between knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom is becoming the defining edge in modern investing. What We Cover: - Why the investment industry still runs on apprenticeship — and what that misses - How AI turns knowledge into intelligence, and why wisdom still wins - The $140 trillion sitting inside asset owners, and how it gets deployed - Measuring emotional resilience through language and sentence structure - The "harmony bias" that stalls early-stage founders - Why investors fund the person, not just the deal - Matching complementary profiles: CEO/CTO, relational vs. cognitive complexity - Bias, gut instinct, and the science hiding inside "trusting your gut" - Building a "second brain" to lead as your best self, not your tired self - What Ashby's own assessment revealed about layered leadership Connect with Ashby Monk: Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/guests/ashby-monk Connect with Logan Yonavjak: Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/guests/logan-yonavjak About the show: The Investor Relations Podcast is produced by One Iron Network. Learn more at oneironnetwork.com. Follow The Investor Relations Podcast: Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/the-investor-relations-podcast YouTube youtube.com/@TheInvestorRelationsPodcast Recommended Readings and Resources: The Don't Get Fired Podcast by Stanford Long-Term Investing - co-hosted by Ashby Monk and Daniel Adamson, featuring chief investment officers on innovation Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dont-get-fired-podcast-by-stanford-long-term-investing/id1691603766 Stanford https://longterminvesting.stanford.edu/dont-get-fired-podcast The Technologized Investor Podcast - co-hosted by Ashby Monk and Dane Rook, on how investors use technology to improve outcomes Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-technologized-investor-podcast/id1833123638 Stanford https://longterminvesting.stanford.edu/technologized-investor The Technologized Investor (book) by Ashby Monk and Dane Rook - 2021 Axiom Business Book Award Silver Medal The Intuitive Investor: A Radical Guide for Manifesting Wealth by Jason Apollo Voss, CFA - on right-brain thinking and intuition in investment decision-making  Billions (TV series) - referenced by host Joshua Wilson for its portrayal of performance psychology in a hedge fund setting (mature audiences) Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/ [https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/]

What VCs and PE Firms Get Wrong When Pitching RIAs with Gary Preisser

"What if I gave you a piece of my portfolio to manage?" Early in his career, Gary Preisser tried to answer that. Now he knows the only right response is a question: What is the money for, and when will you need it? EPISODE SUMMARY Gary Preisser, Managing Partner and co-founder of Stonebriar Wealth Advisors, joins Joshua Wilson for a sharp conversation on how registered investment advisors actually evaluate private equity, private credit, and venture capital for high-net-worth families. Drawing on 23+ years across accounting, tax planning, and wealth management, Gary explains why purpose and timing — not growth alone — determine whether an investment fits, how capital raisers can engage RIAs without triggering resistance, and why "functional wealth" beats accumulation. A practical listen for IR professionals, fund managers, and capital markets advisors targeting the RIA channel. What We Cover: 🎯 Why assets are tools, not trophies — and what "functional wealth" really means 🎯 The question every RIA asks before allocating: what is the money for? 🎯 How RIAs weigh private equity, private credit, and VC for client portfolios 🎯 The Cash Flow Clock framework for timing, liquidity, and volatility 🎯 Why a great investment at the wrong time is no longer a great investment 🎯 Tax alpha and asset location — the net-vs-gross mistake most portfolios make 🎯 How fund managers should approach RIAs the right way (and what kills the deal) 🎯 Why exclusivity and clear value-add open the RIA channel 🎯 The partnership mindset that turns one allocation into a long-term relationship 🎯 Inside the fractional family office model Connect with Gary Preisser: Website https://www.stonebriarwealthadvisors.com [https://www.stonebriarwealthadvisors.com] LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/garypreisser [https://www.linkedin.com/in/garypreisser] About the show: The Investor Relations Podcast is produced by One Iron Network. Learn more at oneironnetwork.com. Follow The Investor Relations Podcast: Website theinvestorrelationspodcast.com LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/the-investor-relations-podcast YouTube youtube.com/@TheInvestorRelationsPodcast Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/ [https://www.theinvestorrelationspodcast.com/contact/]