SageSpring Private Wealth's Winston Justice - from protecting star quarterbacks to protecting families' wealth

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast. Today’s podcast is with an elite performer on and off the field who has gone from protecting quarterbacks to protecting families’ wealth. We sit down with former NFL and USC star Winston Justice, whose entrepreneurial spirit that was stoked while he was still playing in the NFL has led to a successful and impactful career in wealth management.  He was recently named CEO at SageSpring Private Wealth, a $7B independent wealth management firm, as they look to grow organically and inorganically and expand their offerings in private markets for their clients. A former NFL offensive lineman, Winston played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos from 2006 to 2015. He also co-founded an early stage investment vehicle, MJC Capital, and Elixr, a gourmet café and coffee roastery, while he was playing. He also won 2010 Walter Payton Philadelphia Man of the Year Award for his community service. He transitioned into financial services and wealth management post-career, starting at Wells Fargo Securities, where he specialized in institutional and family office advisory. He then was a portfolio manager at PIA’s Alternative Investment Group, and then an investment Manager at AllianceBernstein. Winston and I had a fascinating conversation. We discussed:The parallels between sports and finance.How Winston navigated the transition from professional athlete to a finance professional.What stoked his entrepreneurial spirit.Why wealth management is so critical to people’s lives. Why culture fit is so important when integrating advisors into wealth management platforms through acquisition.How private markets can add to an advisor’s practice. Thanks Winston for coming on the show to share your story, wisdom, and expertise. A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Juniper Square When was the last time things were easy for GPs? Fundraising remains challenging, providing liquidity to investors is even harder—and broadly speaking, most GPs are underwater operationally. It’s not about to get easier, either. Especially for managers vying for capital from the wealth channel. Sure, there’s increased demand from HNW and UNHW investors to gain private markets exposure…but managing their expectations for the investing experience is a whole different ballgame. Reams of paper and a new KYC process every single time they subscribe to a fund? Brutal. But what if committing capital to private equity, venture, and real estate funds was digital and seamless for investors — and scalable to manage for GPs? Meet Juniper Square, the fund operations partner to over 2,000 private markets GPs worldwide. Juniper Square gives GPs the connected software, data, and fund administration services needed for modern private markets. No matter how ambitious your next raise is, how many investors you manage, and how complex your investment vehicles are, Juniper Square empowers GPs to raise capital faster, reduce operational risk, and deliver a world-class investor experience. And with JunieAI, Juniper Square's enterprise-grade AI built for private markets, GPs can truly and finally unlock the power of AI to work smarter, move faster, and focus on relationships and returns. Scale your business, not your operational burdens and costs. Visit junipersquare.com/agm today to learn more. Show Notes 00:04 Our Sponsor, Juniper Square: Revolutionizing Fund Management 00:30 Empowering GPS with Juniper Square 00:38 Juniper Square's AI Innovation 00:51 Scaling Your Business with Juniper Square 01:37 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast 01:40 Introducing Winston Justice 03:35 Winston's Background and Early Life 03:49 College Years and Initial Business Ventures 03:59 Realization and Transition to Finance 04:10 Starting a VC Fund and Coffee Shops 04:31 Transitioning from NFL to Finance 05:04 Winston's Career at Wells Fargo and Beyond 05:17 Immersing in Wealth Management 07:01 The Sacredness of Financial Management 07:50 Importance of Wealth Management 08:04 Private Markets in Wealth Management 08:19 Early Lessons in Wealth Management 09:10 Transferring Values and Knowledge 09:32 Managing Assets Beyond Numbers 10:19 Combining Finance and Mission 12:11 Mentoring Advisors at SageSpring 12:43 Skill Sets for SageSpring Advisors 12:51 Client Focus and Community Leadership 14:01 Balancing Client Delivery and Business Growth 14:56 Impact of Growing AUM 16:10 Testing Advisors' Commitment 16:55 Business Constructs in Wealth Management 17:43 Division of Labor in Wealth Management 18:52 SageSpring's Unique Approach 19:53 Client Understanding of Fiduciary Role 20:41 Trust in Financial Services 21:17 Sophistication in Choosing Investment Partners 21:57 Role of Relationship in Financial Services 22:30 Evaluating Investment Opportunities 23:44 Partnership with Dynasty Financial 24:43 Customizing Investment Solutions 26:44 Educating Wealth Managers on Private Markets 27:00 Benefits of Alternatives in Portfolios 30:48 Effective Storytelling in Investments 32:13 Future of Wealth Management Industry 33:08 Client and Advisor Service in Wealth Management 34:55 Favorite Private Markets Investment 37:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.