Best Alex Rawls Podcasts (2025)

1
How to Build a Go-To-Market Strategy That Scales in Private Equity 32:06

Play Pause

3h ago32:06

32:06

Guest: Brian Gustason, Operating Partner at Craig Group Host: Alex Rawlings, Founder of Raw Selection 🔍 Episode Summary: In this episode, Brian Gustason shares practical insights on building scalable go-to-market (GTM) strategies for lower-middle-market, PE-backed companies. With over 25 years of operating and advisory experience, Brian explains ho…

1
Remembering Brian Wilson Pt. 1: "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album" 34:42

9h ago34:42

34:42

I started thinking about how to address Brian Wilson’s death on the podcast since we learned of his passing. “Little Saint Nick” and The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album are Christmas classics that needed to be addressed, but how or with who? The answer came when Oglio Records announced that it planned to reissue a 25th anniversary edition of Brian Wils…

1
How Storytelling Meets Strategy Niklas James’ Media-Driven Investment Approach 26:36

18h ago26:36

26:36

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast — Niklas James, Founder of Minds Capital Host: Alex Rawlings | Guest: Niklas James In this episode, Alex is joined by Niklas James, Founder of Minds Capital, an independent sponsor investment platform. They explore what sets successful sponsors apart, why industry specialization matters, and how media can supercharge i…

1
A Ping Pong Kung Fu Christmas with Shawn Lee 1:07:28

12h ago1:07:28

1:07:28

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee has a history of making recordings that hover uncertainly in time. Sounds from different eras and genres come together in his music to sound like lost, regional 45s. We talk about his influences--library music and hip-hop--as well as his two Christmas albums: A Very Ping Pong Christmas from Shawn Lee's P…

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Thanks A Lot, Dick Cheney | GOING DEEP with Jim Lobe 51:08

12h ago51:08

51:08

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex talk with Jim Lobe, contributing editor at Responsible Statecraft, about the life and legacy of Dick Cheney after his death this week at the age of 84. Together, they unpack Cheney's long and gruesome record, from working with Donald Rumsfeld to derail Kissinger's strategy of detente with the Sovi…

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The Real Due Diligence | What Makes or Breaks a Deal 17:51

11d ago17:51

17:51

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast — Episode with Cyril Aboujaoude, Co-Founder of TioPo Capital In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Cyril Aboujaoude, Co-Founder of TioPo Capital, a hands-on private equity firm investing in SMEs across the UK and France. Cyril shares the journey of launching TioPo, their operationally driven approach to investing…

1
How Private Equity Can Win With AI-Driven Hiring | Greg Nieuwenhuys 33:09

15d ago33:09

33:09

Guest: Greg Nieuwenhuys – PE Operator & Founder, Generative AI Strategy Host: Alex Rawlings – CEO, Raw Selection 🔍 Episode Summary: Greg Nieuwenhuys returns to share a practical, step-by-step AI Playbook for hiring. From writing job descriptions to automating follow-ups, Greg breaks down how PE firms and portfolio companies can integrate generative…

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Kristian Noel Pedersen 52:36

22d ago52:36

52:36

Toronto's Kristian Noel Pedersen has released 27 EPs or albums of Christmas music, 26 of which are on his Bandcamp page. What started as a goof became a project that stretched him as an artist. We hear music from all phases of his Christmas career including (in order): 1. "Home Alone Pt. 1" 2. "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" 3. "All I…

1
Is the Gaza Ceasefire Working with Lara Friedman 1:08:52

15d ago1:08:52

1:08:52

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by Lara Friedman — President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) — to examine the recent Gaza ceasefire deal. Together, they discuss what makes ceasefire deals work, America's sordid history as a "peacemaker" in the Middle East, why the current deal is u…

1
Inside Alpine Investors: How Mark Strauch Scales Leadership to Drive 1,000+ Deals 40:45

17d ago40:45

40:45

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast – Mark Strauch, Founding Partner & President, Alpine Investors ⏱️ Key Takeaways & Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro Alex welcomes Mark Strauch to discuss Alpine’s unique leadership-driven approach in private equity. 01:00 – From CEO to PE Leader Mark shares his journey from operator to co-founding Alpine, now with $20B+ AUM. 0…

1
Steve Lukather's "Santamental" (an encore presentation) 43:05

1M ago43:05

43:05

I've been out of town this week, and when I thought of an episode from the archives to revisit, this one from 2021 with guitar hero Steve Lukather came immediately to mind. It's useful to remember that this was the second year of COVID--not full lockdown, but a lot of precautions and a lot of staying home. I gather Lukather is or has been a social …

1
How Amias Gerety Wins in Venture When Others Chase Hype 32:23

1M ago32:23

32:23

In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Amias Gerety, Partner at QED Investors, a leading fintech-focused VC firm managing nearly $1B in assets. Amias shares insights on venture capital strategy, staying disciplined during market hype, sourcing deals, and how lessons from his time at the U.S. Treasury shape his investment decisions today. ⏱ Epis…

1
Doing All-Christmas Radio Right with Kevin Robinson 42:31

1M ago42:31

42:31

Since streamed playlists and all-Christmas radio are the way most people hear Christmas music, they're fascinations of mine. This week I'm back on the radio beat with long-time radio guy Kevin Robinson. I wanted to talk to Kevin when I saw a post he wrote for the industry site Barrett Media on best practices for the all-Christmas format shift. Sinc…

1
Why Outsourcing Fund Admin Is the Smartest Move PE Leaders Can Make in 2025 With Michael Von Bevern 20:25

1M ago20:25

20:25

By Alex Rawlings

1
Washington’s Pro-War Consensus 34:09

1M ago34:09

34:09

By Courtney Rawlings & Alex Jordan

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Sloan 45:44

1M ago45:44

45:44

Chris Murphy of the Canadian indie rock band Sloan describes them as "a cult band," but they're a cult band with legs. They started in 1991 and recently released their 14th album, Based on the Best Seller. This week Murphy talks about how a band with kids and members in their 50s works, and what democracy looks like in a band. Murphy talks about th…

1
Inside the LP Mindset & Mastering Co-Investments | Joe Basrawy, Partners Capital 26:29

1M ago26:29

26:29

By Alex Rawlings

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Christmas at K-Mart with Mark Davis 45:38

2M ago45:38

45:38

Mark Davis has turned the in-store music cassettes he pocketed while working at a K-Mart in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s into “Attention K-Mart Shoppers,” a digitized collection of that background music at the Internet Archive (archive.org, not archive.com as I announced on the show). Others have since contributed parts of the K-Mart and Kresge’s l…

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A Tale of Two Americas with Greg Grandin 51:02

2M ago51:02

51:02

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by Greg Grandin — Professor of History at Yale University and author of America, América: A New History of the New World — to discuss the USA's relationship with the other America: Latin America. Together, they explore the missed opportunities for true fraternity b…

1
Operating Partners Are the Future of Private Equity | Jeremiah Wanzell on Consumer Brand Growth 20:56

1M ago20:56

20:56

By Alex Rawlings

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Solo Piano for Christmas with Nick Bhalla 45:07

2M ago45:07

45:07

Last year, Minneapolis-based jazz pianist Nick Bhalla released Saint Nick, a lovely album of solo jazz piano treatments of Christmas classics. His approach is interest in his laser-like focus on harmony, at the expense of the improvisation that dominates much of his musical practice. Rather than explore the melodic possibilities the best loved Chri…

1
How Top Talent & Consumer Trends Drive $1.3B Growth With William Quartner 22:20

2M ago22:20

22:20

By Alex Rawlings

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America's Empire of Bases 37:47

2M ago37:47

37:47

Does having 750 military base sites all around the world make America safer—or does it just make war more convenient? In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan reveal the costs and consequences of America's massive worldwide military footprint and examine how it enables Washington's disastrous quest to maintain globa…

1
Inside the Psychology of Elite Founders (What 9-Figure Exits All Share) with Greg Moran 34:13

2M ago34:13

34:13

By Alex Rawlings

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The "All I Want for Christmas is You" Lawsuit 24:09

2M ago24:09

24:09

The headlines tell a version of the story: “MARIAH CAREY SUED AGAIN OVER ‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU’ — BY THE SAME GUY,” according to Billboard. “Mariah Carey is SUED AGAIN over All I Want For Christmas Is You... as two writers claim her 1994 classic is a ripoff of their song of the same name” according to The Daily Mail. “Mariah Carey Sued B…

1
Marketing That Delivers: Direct Response Tactics for Private Equity with John Dwyer 29:17

2M ago29:17

29:17

By Alex Rawlings

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Dub Reggae for Holidays with Black Market Dub 1:13:13

3M ago1:13:13

1:13:13

This week's guests are Black Market and Wise Owl (or Nate Bridges and Brandon Niznik) of the Los Angeles-based duo Black Market Dub. On their Bandcamp page, they introduce themselves with a series of questions: "What would happen if The Beach Boys had The Wailers as their backing band instead of The Wrecking Crew? What if David Bowie spent the summ…

1
How Brett Hickey Built a $Billion Firm From Nothing | Leadership & PE Lessons Every CEO Must Hear 43:16

2M ago43:16

43:16

Episode Summary: In this insightful episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brett Hickey, the CEO and founder of Star Mountain Capital. Brett shares his unique journey from humble beginnings in Northwestern Canada to leading a multi-billion-dollar asset management firm in the U.S. With deep reflections on leadership, value-based investing, building col…

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How Think Tanks Sell War with Ben Freeman & Nick Cleveland-Stout 1:07:06

3M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by the Quincy Institute's Ben Freeman & Nick Cleveland-Stout to discuss how America's top think tanks profoundly shape our country's approach to the world — and the golden opportunity these institutions represent for arms companies and foreign governments trying to…

1
The Birth of All-Christmas Radio with Jerry Ryan 36:35

3M ago36:35

36:35

These days, we take the all-Christmas radio format for granted. Every year, countless adult contemporary--AC--stations temporarily change their format and go wall to wall with Christmas music somewhere between Halloween and Black Friday. Jerry Ryan gets the credit for pioneering the switch when he was vice president and general manager of KESZ-FM i…

1
Private Equity’s GTM Wake-Up Call: Talent, Segmentation & the $500M Mistake 36:56

3M ago36:56

36:56

By Alex Rawlings

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Blind Boys of Alabama on Christmas Music (Remixed) 51:44

3M ago51:44

51:44

I think of this episode of Twelve Songs as a remix, a second pass at the same material with very different results. In 2003, The Blind Boys of Alabama recorded Go Tell it on the Mountain, an album of gospel and gospel-inflected Christmas music that Omnivore Recordings reissued in 2016. Last season, I talked to the Blind Boys' guitarist and musical …

1
How AI and Product Strategy Are Reshaping Value Creation 26:43

3M ago26:43

26:43

By Alex Rawlings

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Gaza: Headlines vs. Reality 29:00

3M ago29:00

29:00

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan discuss how the headlines about Gaza in most mainstream U.S. media outlets have consistently obfuscated the reality of Israel's genocidal campaign, and downplayed America's role in enabling and defending Israeli war crimes. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the…

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"Cumbia Navideñas" with É Arenas 1:01:39

3M ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Eduardo Arenas surprised me in the first moments of this week's interview when he revealed that Chicano Batman had played its last gig for now and might be done. He played bass in the band since its start in 2008, and he reflects not on his band specifically but how musicians grow apart. As É Arenas, he has recorded at least one Christmas song a ye…

1
Why Founders Are Saying No to Buyouts — Hidden River’s Game-Changing Capital Strategy 18:40

3M ago18:40

18:40

By Alex Rawlings

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Donna Summer for Disco and Christmas 49:43

4M ago49:43

49:43

Donna Summer has been a fascination of mine because she was on the cutting edge of electronic dance music, but since "I Feel Love" and other forays into early electronic music were produced by the legendary Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it isn't clear what role she played in her sound. Last season I talked to songwriter Bruce Sudano about that…

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From Army Officer to PE CEO: 4 Mistakes Killing Portfolio Performance (Otis Spencer) 31:09

4M ago31:09

31:09

By Alex Rawlings

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A Culture of Empire | Always at War x American Prestige 44:46

4M ago44:46

44:46

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by American Prestige's Daniel Bessner to discuss how Americans have come to understand — and however begrudgingly, accept — the costs and consequences of our nation’s military empire. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney …

1
Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson on AI And Christmas 1:09:12

4M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

A new season of Twelve Songs begins with a conversation that is, frankly, more about AI—artificial intelligence—than it is Christmas music, but since we’re six months from the holiday, it seems like a good time for this conversation. Last year, I interviewed Steven Wilson of the British prog rock band Porcupine Tree about “December Skies,” a song h…

1
From Investor to Operator: Hard Truths from 35 Years in Private Equity with Matthew Kearney 32:41

4M ago32:41

32:41

By Alex Rawlings

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How your competitors are using AI in the Private Equity industry with Greg Nieuwenhuys 31:21

4M ago31:21

31:21

Guest: Greg Nieuwenhuys – Private Equity Advisor, Chairman & AI Expert Topic: Unlocking Generative AI for Private Equity & Portfolio Companies 🔹 Intro & Background (0:00 – 2:00) Greg shares his 20+ years in PE-backed consumer goods: Baver (Netherlands), Cotterdardoor (UK), Mammoth, Wattbike, and No-Door. Passion for AI began two years ago, driven b…

1
Iran Regime Change...Again? 27:35

4M ago27:35

27:35

Courtney and Alex discuss America's long and sordid history of pursuing regime change around the world in light of the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran, which triggered bipartisan calls from Washington for the Trump administration to try and topple the government in Tehran. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Court…

1
Investing in the hospitality industry with Nate Edgerly 29:49

4M ago29:49

29:49

By Alex Rawlings

1
Building a $2.3 billion-dollar business from the ground up with Jeff Zwiefel 49:04

5M ago49:04

49:04

By Alex Rawlings

1
How Terrorism Works with Elizabeth Beavers 59:21

4M ago59:21

59:21

Courtney and Alex speak with national security legal scholar Elizabeth Beavers about how the U.S. government defines terrorism and discuss whether America's terrorist designations and counterterrorism wars prolong conflict and advance political agendas, rather than make Americans safer. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy In…

1
The Eternal Causes of War | Always at War x NonZero 45:03

5M ago45:03

45:03

Courtney and Alex join Robert Wright's Nonzero podcast to discuss America's addiction to war in light of Trump's airstrikes on Iran. This episode is a special collaboration between Always at War and Nonzero. To access the full "Overtime" conversation, go to: https://www.nonzero.org/p/the-eternal-causes-of-war-robert ### Why is America seemingly alw…

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The professionalisation of Private Equity with Henry Ward 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

By Alex Rawlings

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The most important factor of business with David Feingold 20:40

5M ago20:40

20:40

By Alex Rawlings

1
Raising capital in 2025 with James Varela 29:38

5M ago29:38

29:38

Fundraising in 2025 isn’t business as usual. James Varela, Partner at Rede Partners and Head of MENA, joins us to break down what it really takes to raise capital from LPs—especially in the Middle East. We talk DPI pressure, LP targeting, co-investments, how to build credibility in emerging markets, and the biggest mistake GPs still make when pitch…