In this episode of Funds That Won, we sit down with Scott MacDonald to break down what actually makes investment firms scale—and why operations are often the deciding factor. Scott shares hard-earned lessons from building and advising funds, covering third-party administrator selection, early hires, operational alpha, tech stacks, and where AI is starting to matter (and where it doesn’t). This conversation is especially relevant for emerging and micro fund managers looking to build durable infrastructure without over-hiring, over-buying tech, or breaking under growth.

In this episode of Funds That Won, we sit down with Tony Davidow of Franklin Templeton to break down how private markets are moving beyond institutions and into the wealth channel. We unpack why the traditional 60/40 portfolio broke down, how evergreen and tender offer funds are changing access to private equity and private credit, and which asset classes have the strongest tailwinds today. Tony also shares insights from decades working with family offices, institutions, and advisors—and explains why private markets are still in the early innings for individual investors.

In this episode of Funds That Won, we sit down with John Bernard of Southview Timberland Investments to uncover how a fund manager turned entrepreneur built a timberland fund in one of the most overlooked asset classes. John shares his journey from Wall Street to launching Southview, the unique economics of timber investing, and how biological growth provides consistent returns regardless of market conditions. We explore land appreciation, harvesting strategies, and the challenges of scaling a fund in such a relationship-driven industry. John also opens up about fundraising lessons, managing risk, and what it really takes to grow a billion-dollar fund in a niche market.