The Mack Podcast

Lower middle market private equity remains a key area of focus for family offices, but navigating it requires discipline and clarity of strategy.In this episode, Brian Adams is joined by Dan Tirpack, Sutton Fannon, and Roger Vincent to discuss how they define the space, source opportunities, and approach investing across funds, co-investments, and direct deals.They share perspectives on independent sponsors, valuation discipline, leverage, and what it takes to be a value-added partner in an increasingly competitive market.To learn more about Mack International, please visit www.mackinternational.comThis episode is sponsored by High Road Hiring.High Road Hiring is a boutique recruitment consultancy serving high-net-worth households, family offices, and founder-led enterprises. They provide executive and personal search, estate staffing, and strategic hiring advisory, delivering rigorously vetted talent aligned with your culture and long-term vision. Learn more at highroadhiring.com

Despite the growth of family offices and increased access to alternative investments, many families still struggle to approach portfolio construction with an institutional mindset. In this episode, Martin Gross shares insights from decades in the alternatives space, highlighting where family offices often fall short—and what separates disciplined investors from the rest.The conversation explores the gap between perceived and actual expertise, particularly when wealth creators transition from operating businesses to managing financial assets. Martin discusses common missteps, including under-allocating to hedge funds during strong markets, pursuing direct deals without sufficient experience, and failing to build structured investment processes.To learn more about Mack International, please visit www.mackinternational.comThis episode is sponsored by High Road Hiring.High Road Hiring is a boutique recruitment consultancy serving high-net-worth households, family offices, and founder-led enterprises. They provide executive and personal search, estate staffing, and strategic hiring advisory, delivering rigorously vetted talent aligned with your culture and long-term vision. Learn more at highroadhiring.com

Sherwood Egbert, next-generation leader of a third-generation family firm focused on Southern California industrial holdings. Tripp Alexander, Alabama industrial broker with deep local market experience. Adam Cohen, 25+ year commercial real estate advisor specializing in middle-market industrials. They discuss family-office investment mindset, market opportunities in the Southeast, tactical vs long-term holds, tenant mix, development vs acquisition, and disciplined capital and debt approaches.

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked systems and people that keep family offices operating smoothly behind the scenes. From talent architecture and governance to communication protocols and cultural alignment, the conversation highlights how this “invisible infrastructure” serves as the connective tissue supporting both day-to-day operations and long-term continuity. Sophia Ziegler shares insights on hiring for integration over function, emphasizing emotional intelligence, discretion, and alignment with family values as critical drivers of success. The discussion also covers the risks of reactive hiring, the importance of clearly defined roles and expectations, and how thoughtful team design can prevent long-term dysfunction.To learn more about Mack International, please visit www.mackinternational.comThis episode is sponsored by In Three Generations.In Three Generations provides education and coaching for individuals and families with significant financial means, helping both leading and rising generations navigate wealth with confidence, clarity, and intention.Learn more at inthreegenerations.com

Rob Della Bovee, owner of a top Virtuoso agency serving UHNW clients; Shelby Donley, former Virtuoso leader building UHNW advisor services; Ben Vaschetti, co-founder of Maison Benjamin for family-office lifestyle management; Kristen Oliveri, CEO of Wealth Reimagined for rising generations of wealth. They discuss trust and seamless execution, contingency planning and 24/7 problem solving, multigenerational tailoring, authenticity versus curation, sustainability and AI’s role.

Justin Papadakis, USL deputy CEO focused on stadium-anchored real estate and long-term soccer growth. Bobby Henebry, CIO of Elway Capital, specializes in bespoke sports and real estate deals for a single-family office. Kyle Auffray, ex-NFL player and sports investor, builds fan-centric investment vehicles. They discuss where value is created today: real estate, media rights, fan engagement, platforms, and how to access and size positions across the sports landscape.

Jerry Graunke, family-office operator focused on services businesses; Tim Ladin, family-office investment professional with value-investing roots; Adam Freda, MD at 50 South Capital specializing in secondaries. They discuss the rise of secondaries into a core allocation. They cover liquidity-driven selling, GP-led continuation funds, diligence speed and alignment, and where families choose funds versus direct deals.

Celine Fitzgerald, a third-generation family member turned coach and philanthropic leader, and Kristen Heaney, founder of In Three Generations, who coaches families on multi-generational wealth. They discuss how current stewards can create transparency, define roles, and educate rising family members. Short practical steps, storytelling, and community are highlighted to prepare smooth leadership transitions.

Andrew Hutcheson, SVP at Wedbush advising family offices on sports and tech-enabled plays. Joe Roos, CIO at Zitten Family Office expanding allocations into the sports ecosystem. Tom Conaghan, veteran sports transactional lawyer at McDermott. They discuss why institutional capital flooded sports, minority stakes and new liquidity models, valuation and diligence quirks for teams, and tech-driven fan engagement and adjacencies like arenas and media.

Daniel Krutoy, a technology and cybersecurity leader with 25+ years focused on family offices and financial services. He discusses how hybrid work shifts attacks to individuals and endpoints. He explains the importance of layered defenses like identity protection, EDR, and MFA. He warns about phishing, vendor compromises, privacy and reputation risks, and the emerging threats from AI-driven attacks.