Grow your investment boutique 📈 Founder / CEO @ Havener ⭐ $30B AUM for boutiques w/ The Billion Dollar Blueprint™ 💲 Story-led sales & marketing for founders, fund mgrs, and teams 🎤 Speaker ▪ Podcast Host

Hi, I’m Stacy - a blue-collar girl from the Berkshires who turned a way with words and love of numbers into a business that has raised billions for boutique asset managers.
 
I’ve raised $8B+ for new/undiscovered funds that led to $30B+ in follow-on AUM.

Being a female founder in the male-dominated investment industry at the age of 30 required a huge leap of faith in connecting two tribes: talented boutique asset managers and early adopter investors.

The leap of faith was spot on. 

10+ years later, Havener Capital Partners leads the industry in helping investment boutiques grow. We help clients in three ways: (1) Embedded as part of your sales and marketing team (2) Consulting on sales and marketing efforts with you (3) Coaching you and your team in our membership community

Whether it’s consulting and masterminds, expanding sales and marketing capabilities, or connecting to our network of RIAs and family offices, clients benefit from an expert team and a time-tested framework that has raised billions for boutiques.

If I can be of assistance, please reach out at stacy@havenercapital.com

A little more about me: 

I’m obsessed with all things old school – hip-hop music, classic cars, craft cocktails and vintage furniture. My best lessons in life were learned on the soccer field where I went from picking flowers at the age of 9, to playing on all-boy teams, to becoming an Academic All-American in college. 

Most days you will find me at our office in the city-by-the sea, Newport, RI, sitting next to my reggae-loving husband (who is also my business partner), with a Dunkin Donuts coffee in my hand, and our rescue pitbull at my feet. In addition to building a business together, Erik and I are raising a daughter which is by far my favorite adventure. 

At the heart of it all, there is one thing I believe in – underdogs. Doesn’t matter who we are or what industry we are in, we all start from the bottom; we have all been underdogs. This rebel spirit fuels me every day.

Stacy Havener

I closed more deals when I stopped trying. 


Don't get me wrong, I worked my tail off to help clients raise money. 

But I had to unlearn a deeply ingrained thing for many of us. 

Let's back up. 

People do business with people they
know
like
and trust

That part we all know.

But there is a danger here 👇

The "liking" principle (from Robert Cialdini)
isn’t about being liked by everyone.

That’s where it goes sideways.

Because when “liking” turns into people-pleasing, a few things happen:

We soften our edges

We dilute our point of view

We spew data and stats like a firehouse 

We aim for approval instead of alignment

And ironically…

That makes us less influential.

Real liking comes from clarity.
From conviction
From standing for something
(and not for everything)

It's from the heart, not the head.
(which is where stories shine)

In our work, we see this all the time:

The most trusted leaders aren’t universally liked

They’re distinctly remembered

They repel a little

And resonate a lot

(gah I love that ❤️ putting it on a post it on my laptop)

That’s how trust is built.
That’s how influence compounds.

🎥 In this video, I unpack how to use the liking principle
without losing your backbone.

Because the goal isn’t to be liked by everyone.
It’s to be unforgettable to the right ones.

📌 "This is me" - can that be a vibe for us this year?

Work travel looks glam, but it's a grind. I coped in 1 way v non glam way. 

(There are lessons I am revisiting in 2026 here.)

When I traveled my face off for work, I cooked my face off too. 😂

-- Before trips, to ground myself.

-- After trips, to come back into my body.

Here’s the tell my family learned to watch for:

The higher my stress, the more serious the cooking.

(sooo I was a pressure cooker. eye roll, drum beat 🤣)

If a whole chicken was roasting at 7am, a big trip was coming and I was dreading it.

When I got off the road, I set the cooking utensils down. 
The recipe books went back on the shelf. 
The stove cooled off.

Dusting it all off this year.

I grew up in an Italian family.

Food was never just food.

It's connection and belonging.

Garlic and onions sautéing in olive oil isn’t just a smell to me.

It’s a memory track of my life.

For the last few years cooking became practical.

Weeknight dinners.
Holiday cook fests only.

Until yesterday.

As we welcomed a long weekend and falling snow, I made one of my Italian grandfather’s recipes.

My favorite dish as a kid: Pasta Fagioli. 

I spent 45 minutes in silence chopping the battuto.

Just rhythm.
Texture.
Smell.

One bite of the pasta fagioli and I was back in my grandparents’ house.

Every comforting memory came back.

(It felt like the magical realism of the book/movie Like Water for Chocolate one taste, all the feelings.) 

Here’s the lesson I am carrying into the year ahead:

We live in our heads all week.

Strategy
Pressure
Problem-solving

*Thinking* our way through everything.

But there are five other senses available to us.

Touch
Smell
Taste
Sound
Sight

When we tap into them, we access parts of our creativity that thinking alone can’t reach.

Sometimes the reset we need isn’t another insight.

It’s a knife
A cutting board
And garlic hitting warm olive oil

It's getting out of our heads so when we come back into them, we are rejuvenated and fresh. 

📌 What dish takes you back to childhood?? (I will put my grandfathers Pasta Fagioli recipe below)

Happy weekend.
Stay storied. 

PS This is what chatgpt thinks I'd look like cooking in an Italian kitchen. Sign me up!

7 days, 20 foot ceilings, and big dreams.


Come inside the mansion we rented for our annual leadership meetings! 

The places, spaces, and settings matter in our stories. 

What would happen if you changed up where you are as you plan for where you are going...

A behind the scenes look at Havener's home base for strategic planning with a mansion walk and talk. 🏰

👉 Have you had this experience where place changed your perspective? Tell me more! 🍿

Here's to a new year, big dreams, and a bright future. Let's go!

I built my biz for the underdogs.

And if I’m honest… I still feel like one.

That identity runs deep.

I’ve always been wired to:

-- Fight for the overlooked

-- Bet on the underestimated

-- Stand for the people others ignore


I take pride in that.

My purpose is there.

But here’s the question I’ve been sitting with lately:

Can I stop being the underdog
and still stand for them?  

Can I serve challenger brands and founders while owning my achievements and success?

Can I acknowledge there's more I want to do and achieve without entirely discounting what I have accomplished?

---

Because at some point, there's a shift.

One day you realize:

-- People reference my work before I enter the room

-- The rooms I once fought to get into now invite me in

-- The voice I worked so hard to claim now carries weight

And still…

My nervous system hasn’t caught up.

---

I spent so many years scrapping.

Proving I belonged

Fighting to be taken seriously

Climbing toward success

That kind of fight is hard to turn off.

Even when my own personal fight has changed.

---

Here’s the tension I’m holding:

If I keep saying I am an underdog

If I stay in permanent resistance mode

If I never acknowledge my success


What message am I actually sending?

---

Maybe standing for the underdogs doesn’t mean staying one.

Maybe acknowledging progress doesn’t make me arrogant, it makes the path visible.

Maybe saying “this worked” gives the next generation of challengers something powerful:

Hope.
Positivity.
Proof.

---

So I’m learning a new posture.

Keep the heart of the challenger

Lose the need to bleed for legitimacy

Lead from consistent confidence instead of constant fight

(gah. that need to bleed for legitimacy is hiiiiiitting me 😭 )

---

I am not abandoning the underdogs.

I am showing them what’s possible.

And I’m learning that sometimes the bravest move isn’t to keep finding my fight 

It’s embracing my success to help the next generation fight theirs

---

If you’re a founder who grew up scrappy
and strugglednto let that scrappy go…

You’re not alone.

I’m right here too.

Scrappy and successful. Can they co-exist?

4 fact sheet changes that get more meetings

Fact sheets / tear sheets are doing too much… and somehow not enough.

They’re packed with data.
Light on words.
Heavy on brain.
Empty on heart.

And that’s the miss.

Typical fact sheets are a data dump in the smallest imaginable font.
Flip the script: It’s a highlight reel.

Its job with prospects is simple:

👉 Make them want a meeting.

Here are four fixes to move the needle:

---

1. Include real uniques + differentiators

Not the eye roll "everyone says that" kind

“Strong risk-adjusted returns”
“Experienced team”
“Disciplined process”

Let’s be honest, that’s table stakes. 
Fails the truism test.

The real differentiators tend to live in:

• Philosophy - how you think
• Process - how you execute
• Portfolio - how you build

Those are harder to copy.

And far more sustainable than performance soundbites.

---

2. Add a narrative summary

What’s the story?

• Why this strategy
• Why now
• And most importantly, why you

If allocators can’t understand the why in 90 seconds, they probs won't take a meeting.

Story creates intrigue and curiosity.
Data supports and makes it real

---

3. Be explicit about the role in the portfolio

This one gets mislabeled as “too retail.”

It’s not.

It’s useful.

Think of it as:

• Idea generation for analysts
• Context for non-investment stakeholders
• Clarity for busy humans

Don’t make people do the work.
They’re already overloaded.

That’s not retail.
That’s real life.

---

4. Show the people behind the product

Yes include fund mgrs on the fact sheet.
Now, add photos.

Names + faces + something human beyond alma maters.

People do business with people.
Still true. Always will be.

Pro-tip: If your photo makes you look like Severus Snape, time for a new one. Let's not scare the prospects. 😬

---

These small tweaks to a fact sheet don’t dumb anything down. 

Less data isn't a sign you aren't smart.
It's a sign you understand decision are more than numbers.

Fact sheets get a bad rap. 
But I think they have a starring role with a prospect.

They answer so what? Why should anyone care?

And when your fact sheet does that?

You don’t just get more meetings.
You get better ones.

📌 What's your 1 add for a fact sheet improvement list?

=
+ Fact sheets are part of a foundational franework at Havener, Investable Content™️ 

+ Bc collateral shouldn't just look pretty, it should play a role in your distribtiion

Every company is a media company. (imma keep saying it bc I want you to hearmenow) (and also flowers 💐)

Very few firms in finance embrace this idea that 'every company is a media company.'

Potomac is one. And they don't just kinda do the thang. They go all in.

Here's what hit me on my visit to their office:

1.  A bada$$ recording studio might feel like a luxury, but I'd argue at some point in the future, it might not be a luxury as much as a necessity.

2.  The trick with "every company is a media company" has less to do with the logo on the wall and more to do with the people who bring that logo to life. 

3.  I might invite myself back to "my" studio in "their" office v v soon. 🤣

Wouldn't it be cool if Billion $ Backstory became "in studio" podcast on the Potomac platform?

(Whaa? Who said that? me looking left looking right 😉)

If you want to catch the whole podcast - go to the platform that starts with You and ends with Tube. And I'll pop a shortcut in here asap.
https://lnkd.in/e_2VwDGe

Flowers and hugs and high fives across the miles to some of my all time faves
Manish Khatta and Christopher Norton and Charlotte Jarvis 

Thank you for being awesome 💐

If you don't know, now you know.
If you don't follow them, you should.

I believe in the power of LinkedIn. And the power of personal brand for finance peeps. If you do too, you need to meet this gal. 

If you are a client of Havener, or you work here, or you're a London friend who attended our LinkedIn for Fin breakfast event last year, then you already know Anna Robinson and you also know... she is a force 

Few fun facts to go with this flowers post (plus a give for you): 

--Anna and I met 25 years ago on the soccer field in San Diego. We've been bests ever since. ⚽

-- Before Anna joined Havener, she was a project manager at a software engineering firm, and a lead stylist at StitchFix. She also has a psych degree. So she can crush a to-do list while analyzing you and your wardrobe simul. (Trust me when I say this is an invaluable combination. 🤣)

-- Anna built my personal brand from scratch. She was a better me than me. Especially because she was brave when I couldn't be. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else. I am forever grateful. 

And now the give for you:

-- Anna and one of my other faves Mary Mack hosted a webinar in December on LinkedIn for Fund Managers that had over 250 attendees. 

-- It's now available on demand for you for no exchange of dollar bills. 

(We live our core value of GoGiver at Havener)

So if you are like me and have a differentiated point of view, and you believe LinkedIn is powerful, and you're intimidated even a little bit - grab this masterclass. 

https://lnkd.in/eg4MQeys

Put your trust in Anna. 

She won't let you down... on the soccer field, on social platforms, or in life. 

Flowers and so much love to you Anna
🙌💐♥️

👉 Who wants more of this? 

2026 is your year. Step out of the shadows my friends and lean in to LinkedIn

1 mistake I have made in sales & marketing (and how we can learn from it)

This mistake happens to asset management and wealth management clients too. 

It sneaks up on you. It happens slowly over time. (kind of like a big snowstorm 😂)

The mistake?

*Crafting messaging around what your client needs and skipping what they want.*

Our prospects are at Point A and they want to get to Point B. We know what they need and often that's what we "sell."

Let's take wealth managers:

Their prospects aren't jazzed to get a financial plan. No one wants more documents. (even if that's what they need)

They are jazzed for the financial freedom that plan will create. 
Or the second home they can buy
Or the business they can finally start
(insert the end goal that they want)

---

Talking about what a client needs isn't as hard-hitting or as heartfelt as if we talk about what they want, where they want to go.

Breaking it down for asset managers (and myself) at a crazy cold beach
❄️🎥🌊

👉 Here for your tips on staying aligned with the end game in our client's journey.

You can pitch performance and some people will buy it. (Let's unpack it tho...) 


Lots of ways to fundraise. 

If you've got great performance you might want to pitch it. Hard.

-- Redo materials! Put performance right up top front and center and lots of charts that show it too. 

-- Talk about how poorly your peers are doing to really shine a light on how you are crushing it.

-- Say your core values are to be number 1. (eek) 

Some investors (maybe lots) will buy that performance pomp and circumstance. 

You will cue up Mike Posner Top of the World. 

And then...

Something v normal will happen.

Your performance will slip 

Because you got too big too fast and can't move the portfolio

Or because the market did what the market does and wiled out on you

For whatever reason, you had a normal pull back 

And the investors who bought your out-performance?

Now they redeem your underperformance

The other investors in the fund will see that investors are redeeming, so they will hit the sell button too

And the virtuous performance upswing you raised into will whipsaw into a vicious redemption spiral

(if you've seen that movie before you know it's fun times 🙄(

So... yes, there are lots of ways to fundraise

Pitching performance is one of them

It can work

But it's worth pausing to reflect on what you will get and who you will get in that process

Hot dot chasers buy performance
They redeem it too

Classic tale of be careful what you wish for

My POV: pitch forever vs fleeting

Will be breaking it down this week. 

We can be proud of our results and still focus on the sustainable things that got us there. 

Might take longer but might be worth it in the long run.

1 big change to our target market of asset managers and wealth managers - might inspire you to refine yours.

We just wrapped our 2-day annual planning session.

In a crazy awesome Newport mansion
Because environment shapes thinking and we wanted to dream bigger.

But instead of going bigger with our target market...

We went smaller.

We went clearer.

Check it:

---

In defining target market, most of us will start with demographics.

• AUM
• Titles
• Firm size
• Geography

The challenge is we can get stuck in a big sea of "everyone is our market."

Demographics can be quicksand.

Predictable
Generic 
Crowded

---

The real leverage in target market lives in psychographics.

That’s where alignment happens.

We already knew our ideal clients:

• Share our core values
• Believe in the power of story
• Want a more human way to grow

What we hadn’t explicitly named?

---

Personal brand.

Not just believing in story,
but believing they are part of it.

We have it in our differentiators as a firm but we didn't have it in our target market. 

So we refined. 

Our ideal client has a founder or C-suite leader committed to

•  Building a personal brand
•  Showing up on LinkedIn
•  Being seen

A  person who is jazzed to become a thought leader in their unique area of expertise

---

That small shift will change everything

• Who we say yes to
• How the work lands
• The results we can create

Because story doesn’t work in the shadows.

---

Big dreams don’t require broader markets.

They require braver ones.
 
And braver can mean smaller focus. 

📌 Have you found what a client believes (or doesn't) matters in your target market (maybe more than we realize)?

=
+ If you want help on LinkedIn in 2026, I got some things cooking. DM me and I will add you (or your team) 👀 to our wait list 🙌

5 filters to set goals for an amazing year of growth. 
 
We use these with clients in annual business strategy sessions. 

And we use them on ourselves. 

---

1️⃣ Did we reverse engineer from long-term vision to short-term goals?

- Start with the 10-year vision

- Pull it into 3 years

- Then 1 year

- Then the next 90 days

Humans can focus and execute well for shorter sprints (quarter by quarter).

Design our goals such that if we hit quarterly goals, we will be on track to hit annual, if we hit annual, we will be on track to hit 3 yr and so on.

Set the long term vision
Work back to the year
Then play the next 90 days like they are high stakes. (cuz they are)

---

2️⃣ Are we driving forward with metrics we can actually control? 

Goals that depend on other people? Rough.

Instead, ask: 
what’s the step right before the result we want? 
The one we can ensure we hit. 

We can’t control outcomes.
We can control inputs.

That’s where progress lives.

---

3️⃣ Are we measuring backwards to protect confidence and juice momentum?

We’re excellent at this pattern:

Hit the goal

Move the goalpost

Feel behind again

When the reality is we just accomplished something meaningful... but we missed it.

Measuring backwards is a pause.

It reminds us:

- how far we’ve come

- what’s already working

- why we’re capable of the next level


For my quant friends, confidence compounds too. 😘

---

4️⃣ Are we trying to do less better? (bc less is more)

1–3 big things

Not 5–7 “important” things

(forget 10 omg 10 is an anxiety spiral)


We’d rather:

do 3 things exceptionally well

than 5 things halfway decent


Focus isn’t restrictive.
It’s freeing.

We said no to some really cool business opportunities for 2026 bc we want to focus on our core programs. 

It's the same reason we are pausing on our annual summit too. 

Tough choices but necessary. 

(I am learning and still a work in progress on this one.)

---

5️⃣ Does it light us up?

Seriously - a fun filter 😉

Is the goal interesting?
Is it meaningful?
Is it fun? 

This one matters more than we admit.

If it doesn’t make us:

energized

enthusiastic

eager to start the day


Why are we doing it?

Sustainable growth requires emotional fuel.
Or we will just be "who cares-ing" the year away.

(I speak from experience on this. Real talk.)

---

These 5 filters help our clients and us architect a banger of a year in 2026:

Clear goals
→ fewer priorities
→ controllable metrics
→ visible progress
→ positive energy

📌 Which one hits for you, any to add?

Happy New Year, Friends. Game on!

The most valuable lessons of my life didn’t come from boardrooms. They came from Sunday dinners at my grandmother’s table, working alongside my mother, and learning firsthand the value of deep relationships over transactions.

As a first-generation college graduate from a humble, loud, Italian Catholic family, I grew up watching my parents struggle financially, writing notes to bill collectors asking them to delay cashing checks. My parents didn’t know much about money, but they taught me something far more valuable: that trust is earned, loyalty is everything, and the best investments you make are in people. I didn’t start my career in finance. I began in public service, working in crime prevention and mentoring at-risk youth. That experience taught me that true impact isn't measured in dollars, it's measured in the lives you touch and the futures you influence.

In 2002, I joined Edward Jones as a financial advisor, quickly recognizing that the financial industry was overly transactional and short-term focused. Over nearly 15 years, I led advisor training programs, managed regional growth, and recruited more than 100 advisors, ultimately becoming a recognized leader within the firm. But I knew the industry needed a different approach, one built on relationships, not transactions.

In 2016, I founded Freedom Street Partners to embody this vision. Starting from nothing, we grew rapidly by putting people first, prioritizing trust and mentorship over quick wins. Over a few short years, Freedom Street expanded to more than 40 advisors across seven states, managing over $3.5 billion in client assets. 

Our approach captured the attention of Steward Partners, a leading national independent partnership specializing in wealth management, succession planning, and advisory transitions. In a strategic nine-figure merger, Freedom Street joined forces with Steward Partners to amplify our impact even further. Today, as Executive Vice President & Head of Legacy at Steward Partners, my role is clear: to guide financial advisors and business leaders through the complexities of mergers, acquisitions, and succession planning. 

My work isn't just about finance; it's about helping people design a high-performance life grounded in clarity, purpose, and lasting impact. That’s why I launched The High Performance LIFE Podcast—to share insights that empower leaders to align financial success with meaningful relationships and legacy. If you're a financial advisor, business owner, or leader thinking strategically about your next chapter, let's connect.

Scott Danner

Goldman Sachs’ CFO confirmed that last year became one of the biggest M&A years in history. We saw 63 megadeals over $10B, a 40% jump in PE activity, and a resurgence in IPOs as companies felt confident enough to go public again. 

That kind of momentum tells you everything you need to know about the environment we’re stepping into this year. Financing is opening up. Confidence is rising. Capital is moving. And 2026 is set to accelerate all of it. 

Here’s where my mind goes: Cycles like this expose the difference between businesses built with intention and businesses held together by effort alone. The leaders who invested in people, systems, and clarity are entering this moment with options. The ones who kept pushing things off are starting to feel the pressure. 

I’ve lived through enough transitions to know that when a window this big opens, you don’t assume it will stay open. The firms that are ready will shape their future. The firms that aren’t will end up reacting to it. 

If last year was the reset, this year is the run. This is the moment where disciplined preparation turns into real opportunity, and the leaders who move with intention will separate themselves from everyone who waited. 

So ask yourself honestly: is your business truly positioned to take advantage of this wave, or are you still getting ready to move? 

#MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessGrowth #SuccessionPlanning

Impact Leader positioning financial advisors and business owners for relationship-driven transitions—so their legacy outlives their career | EVP, Steward Partners | Podcast Host

This holiday season was filled with many great memories with friends and family.  
But as the first few days of the new year arrive and life finally slows down, there’s this brief window where everything feels a little quieter. A little lighter. And I actually have the space to reflect before things pick back up again. 

When I look back, I’ve realized the moments that shaped me the most last year weren’t the biggest wins or the biggest challenges. They were the smaller, quieter moments that reminded me of who I want to be and how I want to show up for the people I love and lead. 

The conversations that stayed with me. 
The relationships that kept me grounded. 
The reminders that alignment matters more than ambition. 

So, as I settle into 2026, I want to stay connected to the relationships that matter most. I want more of the moments where I’m fully present, not just physically there. And I’m choosing to let go of the distractions that steal time from the people who matter, so I can make room for what truly deserves my energy. 

The older I get, the more I appreciate this slow start. The breathing room. The chance to ask myself the real questions before the pace of the year takes over again. 

What’s grounding you as you step into this new year? 

#HappyNewYear #Family #HighPerformance

The advisory gap isn’t just an industry issue anymore. Clients feel it. Teams feel it. And in 2026, leaders can’t afford to treat succession planning as something they will handle later. 

McKinsey estimates we could be short nearly 100,000 advisors by 2034. But the number alone doesn’t explain what is really happening. The challenge is the imbalance. Experienced advisors are stepping out faster than next-gen advisors are stepping in, and the next-gen we do have often is not getting the mentorship or exposure they need to lead with confidence. 

I have worked with so many younger advisors who are hungry, capable, and ready to grow. But too often, they are left without the guidance that turns potential into leadership. Meanwhile, seasoned advisors on the team carry decades of trust, history, and emotional equity that rarely gets passed down with intention. 

And here is the truth most people miss. When an advisor steps away, it is not just their book that disappears. It is their judgment. Their instincts. All the conversations and moments that never make it into a CRM. You cannot transfer that overnight, and you cannot expect the next generation to learn it by accident. 

So, as we settle into the new year, ask yourself: Who is preparing to step out? Who is truly prepared to step up? And are you giving your next-gen leaders the mentorship and responsibility they need to carry your culture and client relationships forward? 
 
#SuccessionPlanning #NextGenAdvisors #Legacy

Most coaching conversations start with a business problem, but almost always end up being about life. People often come in with a challenge that is not actually the real one.  
 
Someone will say, “I’m having trouble with lead generation,” but I’ve learned to start at the end. What are you working toward? How close are you to that picture? Where is your energy going? And could you even handle more leads right now? 

Once we walk through their goals, the real issue usually reveals itself. They don’t need a new technique. They need alignment. We have to define the life they want before we build the strategy to support it. 

This is why Life Wealth Optimization has always been the foundation of my work. Life comes first. When someone asks me to help manage their money, I need to understand their life before anything else. Money only matters when it is connected to purpose. What are they building? What does their ideal life look like? 

Coaching from that perspective changes everything. It stops being transactional. It becomes a relationship built on clarity, growth, and real transformation. When someone strengthens their marriage, steps into their next chapter, or finally creates the life they imagined, they stay connected because the work mattered. 

The best coaches I have ever had did that for me, and their impact has lasted. 

What area of your life needs clarity before any real progress can happen in your business? 

#HighPerformanceLife #Leadership

Growing up, when pressure showed up in my life, my response was almost automatic. Work harder. Push more. Outlast it. That mindset helped me get results, but it also hid a gap I didn’t recognize at the time. 

What I hadn’t learned yet was how to build real mental toughness on the inside. The ability to steady yourself, learn from failure, and respond with clarity instead of force. Developing that internal edge took years, even decades. 

What I see now with my kids and other young athletes and leaders is different. They’re being taught earlier how to understand what’s happening internally. How to process setbacks, manage emotion, and stay grounded when things don’t go their way. That doesn’t make them softer. It makes them more durable. 

That kind of mental toughness carries into everything. It creates resilience that lasts, not just intensity that burns out. That’s a gift I wish more of us had learned earlier on. 

I’m curious, how did you build your own mental toughness? Leave your thoughts below. 
 
#HighPerformance #Leadership #PersonalGrowth

I had a conversation recently that’s stayed with me. Someone was sharing their situation and said, almost defensively, “I’m just a behind-the-scenes person. I’m not meant to be out in front.” I told them what I honestly believe.  
 
“That’s not something you’re meant to be. That’s a choice.”

They paused and said, “Why can’t you just let me be? Why can’t you just feel sorry for me?” 

That question stopped me, because it gets to the heart of mentorship. I believe deeply in empathy. I feel it. I believe it. I want to help. But I believe in empathy WITH ACTION.  
 
Feeling sorry for someone is easy. Everyone will do that. It’s reactive, and sometimes it’s necessary. But left there, it quietly keeps people exactly where they are. 

Mentorship is different. It requires attentiveness. You have to really see someone and notice the frequency they’re operating on to recognize pain when it shows up. And when you do, I’ve found it often comes from gratitude in your own life. Gratitude for where you are, what you’ve been given, and how you’re living. That awareness lets you care without lowering the bar. 

Empathy with action says, “I see you, and I feel this with you.” 
But it also says, “I believe in you enough to offer a hand up.” 

The mentors who shaped me didn’t rescue me. They challenged me. They believed in me before I fully believed in myself. 

If you’re in a position of leadership or influence, where are you choosing comfort, and where are you choosing to lift? 

#Mentorship #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence

I’ve seen plenty of succession plans that look fine on paper, but when you really look at them, the successor is someone the owner wouldn’t confidently refer their own family or business to. That’s not a paperwork problem. That’s a people problem. 

It’s not that there aren’t great choices out there. It’s that there often aren’t great choices inside your current network or system. When that happens, most leaders either stall or settle. Neither leads to a good outcome. 

Succession works best when it starts early and happens intentionally. That means networking before you feel pressure. It means getting clear on who the up and comers are and actually spending time with them, not just naming someone because it feels convenient. The best transitions I’ve seen were built years in advance through relationships, trust, and shared values. 

If you’re early in your career, become someone others want to build with. If you’ve been in the business for decades, don’t wait and hope the right person appears. Go find them. Invest in them. Shape the future instead of reacting to it. 

That’s how you move from uncertainty to real options. And in my experience, that’s how leaders take control of their next chapter. 

How intentional are you being about the relationships that could define your succession? 
 
#SuccessionPlanning #Leadership #Legacy

Early in my career, I made a decision that didn’t make sense on paper. I hired a coach at a time when I could barely afford groceries, let alone professional guidance. I was spending a third of everything I earned on someone who could help me grow into who I knew I could become. 
 
Looking back, it was one of the best moves I ever made. Within a couple of years, my income grew fivefold. But the real shift wasn’t financial. It was identity. Someone saw more in me than I was capable of seeing in myself, and that belief changed how I showed up. 
 
Even today, I have friends who have no idea how much potential they’re sitting on. I talk to entrepreneurs who have built tens or even hundreds of millions, and I see the same qualities in people I’ve known for decades.  
 
They’re operating on the same playing field. They’re talented enough. Sharp enough. Capable enough. They’re just the last ones to realize it. 
 
Sometimes the only thing standing between where you are and where you’re meant to be is someone who helps you raise your own ceiling. 
 
If you’re honest with yourself, where do you think you’ve been underestimating what you’re capable of? 
 
#HighPerformance #GrowthMindset #Leadership

One of the biggest misconceptions I see around selling a business is the belief that the sale is the finish line. The moment everything settles. The point where life finally opens up. And financially, that can be true. But emotionally, many are caught off guard. 

Not because they miss the work. 
But because they miss the weight.
 
The responsibility. The sense that people needed them. 
The daily proof that they mattered. 

For some, the loss runs even deeper. I’ve heard more than a few leaders describe it as feeling like losing a child. That business carried their name, their decisions, their protection. They nurtured it, fought for it, and watched it grow. When it’s suddenly gone, the absence isn’t abstract. It’s personal. 

That’s where the real struggle begins. 

If your impact has lived almost entirely inside your role, your title, or your company, the sale doesn’t just transfer ownership. It removes the primary place where your identity has been exercised for years, sometimes decades. 

M&A is excellent at creating liquidity, but it’s not designed to create purpose. 
That has to be built long before the exit. 

When impact extends beyond the business through mentorship, relationships, community, faith, and contribution, the transition changes. The next chapter doesn’t feel hollow. It feels intentional. 

The strongest exits I’ve seen weren’t defined by numbers. They were defined by clarity. By leaders who knew exactly who they were before the ink dried. 

So, is your impact tied to your career alone, or something beyond that? Let me know in the comments. 
 
#MergersAndAcquisitions #Legacy #Impact

Pressure has a way of speeding everything up. Thoughts get louder. Opinions multiply. What felt clear a week ago suddenly feels urgent, heavy, and crowded with noise. When the stakes are high, clarity is often the first thing to slip. 

I’ve seen this play out time and time again in leadership transitions, succession conversations, and major life decisions.  
 
The moments that shape the future of a business, a team, or a family rarely arrive neatly. They arrive when emotions are involved, expectations are high, and everyone seems to want an answer now. 

That’s why I come back to these three tools again and again: Pause. Circle. Reset.  
 
Not as tactics or a checklist, but as disciplines. They create just enough space to slow the moment down. They help separate signal from noise. They remind you that you don’t have to decide simply because others are uncomfortable with the wait. 

Protecting your clarity isn’t about avoiding pressure.  
It’s about learning how to move through it without losing perspective.  
 
When you do that, you’re not just protecting a decision. You’re protecting the people who depend on you, the culture you’ve built, and the legacy that follows long after the moment has passed. 

How do you find clarity when pressure is high? Let me know down below. 

#Leadership #Legacy #HighPerformance

When last did you get a valuation? Most business owners wait far too long, and by the time they finally look at the real number, it becomes a wake-up call instead of a planning tool. 

Here’s the thing: a valuation isn’t about getting ready to sell. It’s about understanding the business you’re running right now. It shows you what’s healthy, what’s slipping, and what needs your attention before it turns into a problem.  
 
After working with countless leaders over the years, I’ve seen how often the story they think they’re building looks very different from the one the valuation reveals. Everything comes down to four key drivers that shape the true value of your business:  

1. Owner dependency.  
If everything slows down when you step away, the value drops. Buyers and investors look for businesses that can stand on their own two feet. 

2. Documented processes.  
When your team relies on memory instead of systems, growth gets shaky. The more repeatable your operations are, the stronger your valuation becomes. 

3. Quality of revenue.  
Recurring, diversified income tells the market you’re stable. Revenue tied to a handful of clients or one-time wins raises questions about the future. 

4. Leadership and bench strength.  
A strong second tier is one of the biggest value boosters. When a business is built on one person, it’s vulnerable. When it’s built on a team, it’s durable. 

A valuation helps you see all of this clearly so you can grow with intention instead of guessing. 

So, is it time you get a valuation? What would it reveal? 

#Valuation #BusinessGrowth #MergersAndAcquisitions

Today, I'm excited to launch my new LinkedIn newsletter, Living Your Legacy! 🎉

I've wanted a place to go a little deeper than a typical post. A space to share what I'm seeing and hearing inside the wealth management industry as advisors and firm leaders navigate growth, succession, and the responsibility that comes with serving families over decades.

Living Your Legacy is a monthly, story-driven newsletter where I'll share what's showing up in real conversations. The good. The hard. And the lessons that actually matter when decisions stop being theoretical and start being personal.

The first issue looks at M&A through a different lens, not as a transaction, but as a human transition including:

🔹 Why M&A decisions are rarely just financial
🔹 The responsibility founders carry behind the scenes
🔹 What clients actually feel during transitions
🔹 Why many advisors want continuity, not an exit
🔹 How trust and culture shape successful outcomes

If you're in a season of growth, transition, or thinking about your next chapter, this newsletter is for you. If you like it, click suscribe to get it monthly!

Give it a read and let me know in the comments: does the idea of an "exit" feel like a relief or a loss to you?

#WealthManagement #SuccessionPlanning #AdvisorLeadership

For years, M&A has been framed as a financial event. Valuations. Multiples. Buyers. Sellers. That language dominates headlines and conference stages. 

Open article: Why M&A Is Quietly Reshaping the Wealth Management Industry for the Better by Scott Danner • 5 min read

Why M&A Is Quietly Reshaping the Wealth Management Industry for the Better

🎙️ New Podcast Episode 🎙️

Why is it so hard to say no, especially when something feels wrong?

This week, I sit down with Dr. Sunita Sah, a national bestselling author, Cornell professor, physician, and leading expert on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. 

Her work has shaped how we understand power, consent, and why so many good people stay silent when it matters most.

Dr. Sah’s journey, from practicing medicine in the UK to advising governments and studying organizational behavior, led her to a powerful realization: we’ve misunderstood what it really means to defy. 

Defiance isn’t rebellion. It isn’t aggression. It’s acting in alignment with your values, especially under pressure.

Dr. Sah reframes defiance as a skill, not a personality trait, one that can be learned, practiced, and used for good. 

Whether you’re leading a team, raising kids, or navigating complex relationships, this conversation will change how you think about your voice, your values, and your agency.

In this episode, we explore:
• Defiance is acting in accordance with your true values
• Compliance and consent are not the same thing
• A “true no” requires clarity, capacity, and freedom
• Speaking up improves trust, innovation, and well-being
• Learning when not to comply is essential to leadership

If you’ve ever walked away thinking, “I wish I’d said something,” this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now: https://loom.ly/qeZ91Bw

Tag someone who needs to hear this conversation 👇

🎙️ New Podcast Episode 🎙️

What if the most powerful tool for navigating chaos wasn’t hustle, control, or willpower... But a single, conscious breath?

This week, I sit down with Anthony Nigel Abbagnano Dunkley, founder of Alchemy of Breath and one of the world’s leading voices in conscious breathing and inner transformation.

Anthony’s journey is as profound as his work. After years of external success, and a life-altering illness that left him unable to move, he discovered that true resilience, surrender, and healing begin with the breath. 

That realization sparked a global movement, helping thousands reconnect with calm, clarity, and purpose through breathwork.

In this episode, we explore:
• Breath is the fastest path from chaos to clarity
• Surrender and willpower are partners, not opposites
• Fear loses power when met with curiosity instead of avoidance
• Acknowledgement builds resilience and self-trust
• Community accelerates healing and transformation
• Inner calm changes not just you—but everyone around you
• You are always one conscious breath away from a different life

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck in high performance mode, or searching for deeper meaning beneath success, this conversation will slow you down in the best possible way.

🎧 Listen now:

Open article: The High Performance Life by loom.ly

🎙️ New Podcast Episode 🎙️

Listen now on Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/HVAnZ1g
On Spotify: https://loom.ly/PhPd8Ws

What if the problem in your relationship isn’t a lack of love, but a lack of repair?

This week, I sit down with Baya Voce, relationship repair expert, TEDx speaker, and one of the clearest voices I’ve heard on modern love, loneliness, and connection.

Baya helps couples rebuild trust when communication has broken down and emotional distance has quietly crept in. Her work blends evidence-based therapy, Relational Life Therapy training under Terry Real, and real-world coaching that doesn’t sugarcoat what it actually takes to stay connected long-term.

In this conversation, we go straight at the issues most couples feel, but rarely know how to talk about.

In this episode, we explore:
- Why you can feel deeply lonely inside a committed relationship
- The difference between chemistry-driven love and values-driven love
- How small, unspoken moments create massive emotional distance over time
- Why phones have become the “third pillar” in modern relationships
- What real repair looks like after conflict
- How tension, when handled well, actually builds stronger love

Baya breaks down why healthy relationships aren’t about avoiding conflict, but about building the capacity to stay present inside it. 

If you’re married, partnered, dating, or trying to understand why connection feels harder than it should—this episode will change the way you see relationships.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/HVAnZ1g
For Spotify: https://loom.ly/PhPd8Ws

Tag someone who needs this conversation 👇

On my hardest days, I don’t try to fix everything. When the pressure feels heavy and my thoughts start turning inward, I’ve learned to go smaller, not toward breakthroughs or big wins, but toward small, intentional acts of impact that keep me grounded in something real. 

That might look like a smile to a stranger. Holding a door. Listening a little longer than I planned to. Choosing to stay present in moments where it would be easier to check out and move on.  
 
None of those things change the entire day, but they change me just enough to shift how I’m showing up in it. 

Those moments remind me that even when a day feels heavy or unclear, I’m not powerless. I may not be able to solve everything in front of me, but I can still contribute something good, and that simple shift pulls my focus out of what feels wrong and back into connection with the world around me. 

Over time, that practice builds muscle. The kind you don’t notice at first but feel when you need it most. The muscle of perspective, the muscle of connection, and the muscle of continuing to move forward without needing clarity to come first. 

Hard days don’t require a massive change or a bold decision. They just ask for a small, human way to make an impact. 

What small act helps ground you when a day feels heavy? 

#Impact #Perspective #Legacy

I’m honored to be joining Claire Alexander for The Billion Dollar Firm Masterclass on January 20th. Claire has a rare ability to see what many leaders feel but struggle to articulate, especially in rapid growth. 
 
I’ll be sharing lessons from my own journey scaling, acquiring, and ultimately exiting a firm. Not just what worked on paper, but what had to change in how I led, chose partners, and made decisions if I wanted both a meaningful valuation and a meaningful life.  
  
This is a leader to leader conversation.  
No more tactics or chasing numbers, we’re discussing how to actually build real leverage through your team, your partnerships, and your leadership, so the business actually supports the life you envision. 
 
We’ll be live on January 20th at 11:00am PST in a private, curated room with high-performing advisors and firm owners who are thinking seriously about what comes next. 
 
If this season resonates, you can learn more here: 
https://lnkd.in/eASG7mQU 

#FirmGrowth #LegacyLeadership #HighPerformance

Open article: Billion Dollar Firm Masterclass by thearchsanvil.com

taplio

The Battle

Stacy Havener

Scott Danner

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreStacy Havener's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreScott Danner's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Stacy Havener

Scott Danner

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Stacy Havener's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreScott Danner's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreStacy Havener's LinkedIn Performance