Listen to This Podcast Episode Here
by Patrick O’Shaughnessy

My guest this week is Joe McLean, the founder of Intersect
Capital, which provides financial advisory services to a variety of clients,
including a number of NBA players and other professional athletes.
What I loved about this conversation was the weaving of
sport, coaching, and finance into a cohesive whole. There’s so much to take
from this discussion—from the importance of service and low self-orientation,
to the impact of strict standards for who you work with, to common mistakes we
all tend to make with money.
Please enjoy my conversation with Joe McLean.
Show Notes
1:18 – (First Question) – His backstory and the combination
of athleticism and finance
2:43 – His time in Ireland
3:29 – Moving away from basketball and into finance
6:08 – What the Intersect business is today and his early
lessons
7:55 – Most important coach/mentor
8:59 – Where the name Intersect came from
10:22 – Setting high standards early on
12:35 – Biggest mistakes he saw in his early clients
14:04 – Developing his value proposition to clients
14:24 – Michael Kitces Podcast Episode
16:57 – Process when he’s working with a client signing a
new athletic contract
19:53 – The concept of a Pro’s Pro and Top
50 Reasons Professional Athletes Remain Wealthy
22:40 – Managing clients’ interest in creating businesses
off their brand
24:20 – The role media plays in athletes’ long-term
strategies
25:40 – Getting early clients into compliance with his
strategy
28:24 – Daily maintenance role he plays with clients
32:24 – What has impressed him most from his young clients
33:36 – What makes for a great coach
34:50 – The meaning of “all in” to Joe
35:54 – His assessment of the financial services industry
today
37:32 – Where his value in service came from
39:05 – Longer term vision for his business
40:33 – Unique ways he finds himself helping his clients
43:49 – Watching his client’s mentor the next generation
45:10 – Historical players and teams he personally admires
46:22 – Athletes and venture capital investing
47:38 – Who makes up his trust network
49:09 – What he’s most excited about for the future of the
business
49:46 – Kindest thing anyone has done for Joe
50:24 – Biggest impact a coach had on his life