Epsilon Theory Podcast

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Mat Cashman to explore the path from classical saxophone to options trading, market making, education, and career reinvention. The conversation covers music, perfectionism, teaching, the CBOE trading floor, risk, failure, identity, and what it means to keep learning after life forces you to change direction.

This episode explores the career, mindset, and investing philosophy of Marc Rubinstein, tracing his journey from equity research in the 1990s through the Global Financial Crisis and into his current thinking on markets, optionality, and decision-making. Through personal stories and market insights, the conversation examines how experience, temperament, and historical awareness shape long-term success in investing and life.

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with Gary Mishuris to explore his journey from the Soviet Union to becoming a successful investor and founder. The conversation blends investing philosophy with deeply personal stories about resilience, integrity, and the long-term mindset required to succeed in both markets and life.

In this episode of The Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with bestselling author, humorist, and essayist Michael Perry to explore the life experiences that shaped his writing and worldview. Perry shares stories from growing up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, the lessons he learned from sports and hard work, and the powerful influence of his parents’ humility and charity. The conversation moves through his unlikely path from farm kid to nurse to full-time writer, including the mentors, moments, and unexpected decisions that helped shape his career. Along the way, Perry reflects on independence, purpose, faith, and the role storytelling plays in understanding both investing and life.

Roger Mitchell joins The Intentional Investor to share the improbable journey from a working class upbringing in Scotland to the upper tiers of global finance, music, media, and sport. Along the way, he reflects on the formative lessons that shaped him, from navigating rough public schools and working late nights in a family fish and chip shop to flying across Europe for high stakes meetings and interviewing some of the most powerful figures in sport and business. This is a conversation about usefulness versus indispensability, about how narrative and presentation shape power, and about why leaving home is often the moment everything changes.

Ted Merz, media and product leader who built news and product initiatives at Bloomberg and now advises leaders via Principles Media. He discusses career reinvention after corporate life, the power of immersion over optimization, building community versus transactional networking, and why showing up and storytelling still matter in a digital world.

Ritavan, an author and former quantitative trader, shares his journey shaped by loss and self-directed learning. He discusses his unique one-name family tradition and the impactful legacies of his grandfather and mother. Ritavan reflects on quirky childhood experiences that fueled his curiosity and ambition, detailing how early adversity and mentorship paved the way for his academic and professional achievements. He also explores the role of technology in value creation, emphasizing that mere tools won't guarantee progress without deeper purpose and integrity.

Tony Greer, a macro trader and founder of TG Macro, dives into his journey from a tight-knit Italian family on Long Island to trading at major banks. He shares a pivotal lesson learned from a disastrous gold trade that reshaped his understanding of risk management. Greer discusses the psychological toll of significant trading losses at a young age and how family bonds helped him through tough times. His candid reflections on resilience, sports, and lifelong friendships provide a unique lens on decision-making in both life and the markets.

In this year-end reflection, Matt Zeigler and Ben Hunt explore defining moments that shape our careers and identities. Guests share personal stories of reinvention, from switching careers to managing trauma. Themes of mentorship and the challenges of fundraising emerge, alongside discussions on authenticity and the risks of following societal norms. The episode highlights the importance of intellectual capital and the power of community, emphasizing that the most valuable lessons often come from unexpected twists in life.

Greg Larkin joins The Intentional Investor to explore the wild arc of his life: from feral 1980s–90s New York City, to punk rock basements, to microfinance in Scotland, to predicting the subprime crisis, to becoming a leading voice on innovation, courage, and community-building. This episode blends personal history with market insight, crisis leadership, creativity, and what it means to build a meaningful life and career.