Personable

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Lia Forcina, Partner and Portfolio Manager at LGR Capital, joins Personable to unpack what is really driving global markets in 2025 and beyond, from geopolitics and government spending to gold, energy, and shifting capital flows.

In this episode, Lia explains why markets began the year pricing a Goldilocks scenario, how geopolitical tensions are quietly reshaping risk premiums, and why governments, not markets, now dictate where capital moves. She shares her views on gold, inflation risk, Europe versus the US, and how investors should cut through noise by following policy, not headlines.

This is an essential listen for anyone trying to understand macro markets in an era of political shock, fragmented alliances, and policy-driven investing.

She discusses:
◽️ Why markets priced Goldilocks and what changed
◽️ How geopolitics and energy are reshaping risk premiums
◽️ Why gold continues to surge
◽️ Governments as the real drivers of capital allocation
◽️ How investors should position for 2025–2026

00:00 Why markets entered the year pricing Goldilocks
03:40 Geopolitics, Venezuela, Iran, and global power shifts
11:50 Gold, energy security, and inflation signals
17:30 Europe, Germany, and defense as a structural trade
23:40 Capital flows, Treasuries, and reserve currency risks
30:10 Banks, deregulation, and financial innovation
37:00 What markets are not pricing yet
43:30 Retail investors, prediction markets, and risk-taking
50:20 Private credit, illiquidity, and systemic risks
56:30 AI, hiring, and the future of hedge funds
1:03:00 The key questions investors should be asking in 2026
1:08:30 Final takeaways: follow the money, ignore the noise

Lia Forcina
◽️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lia-forcina-17352459 

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
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Keith Gill, Chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner, joins Personable for a candid discussion on how March Madness is decided and what happens when those decisions ignite national controversy.

In this episode, Keith addresses the backlash surrounding UNC’s inclusion in the tournament and explains how the committee manages conflicts of interest, contingency votes, and public scrutiny. He offers rare insight into why bubble decisions are so polarising, why algorithms cannot replace human judgment, and how leadership changes when decisions affect institutions, careers, and lives.

The conversation also explores the broader forces reshaping college sports, including NIL, conference realignment, expansion, AI, and the growing tension between professionalism and education.

This is an essential listen for anyone interested in governance, leadership, and high-stakes decision making under pressure.

He discusses:
◽️ How March Madness selection decisions are made
◽️ The UNC controversy and its wider implications
◽️ Managing conflicts of interest and maintaining integrity
◽️ Why bubble teams drive outrage every year
◽️ Data vs judgment in selection decisions
◽️ NIL and the economics of college athletics
◽️ Expansion, access, and structural trade-offs
◽️ Leadership under extreme scrutiny

00:00 Why Selection Sunday creates pressure unlike any other day
02:30 The UNC selection decision and the reaction that followed
07:10 How conflicts of interest are handled inside the committee
12:40 Bubble teams, contingency votes, and why outrage is inevitable
18:30 Why a computer still cannot pick March Madness
24:50 NIL and how the economics of college sports are changing
33:10 Expansion debates and whether 68 teams is the right number
41:30 Conference realignment and the Sun Belt’s strategic approach
49:20 Where AI adds value and where human judgment still matters
56:40 Leadership, accountability, and staying grounded under scrutiny

Keith Gill:
◽️ Website: https://sunbeltsports.org/staff-directory/keith-gill/43

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Support the show

Send us a text
Stephen Shih joins Personable for a wide ranging conversation on consulting, academia, AI, leadership development, ethics, and preparing the next generation of executives for an increasingly complex world.
Stephen is the Associate Dean at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a former Bain partner, and former Executive Vice President of Learning and Development. He has lived and worked across Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, advising senior executives, building leadership pipelines, and now shaping one of Asia’s leading MBA programs.
He discusses:
 ◽️ What consultants really do and why perspective matters more than jargon
 ◽️ Leaving Bain for academia and returning twice
 ◽️ AI, automation, and the future of junior consulting roles
 ◽️ Why future professionals must think like executives earlier in their careers
 ◽️ The skills that matter most in an AI driven world
00:00 Stephen’s background and transition from Bain to academia
 02:15 Consulting across Asia and leadership development
 04:30 What consultants actually do
 07:05 Perspective, judgment, and choosing the right mountain to climb
 09:15 AI, consulting, and junior talent pipelines
 12:15 Preparing for jobs that do not yet exist
 13:30 Skills, mindsets, and executive thinking in the AI era
 17:50 MBA education and developing future leaders
 19:55 Differentiating HKUST and building a global class
 23:30 Ethics, values, and responsible leadership
 26:55 Making ethical decisions when no one is watching
 28:25 Hong Kong, China, and a multipolar world
 31:15 Listening, communication, and asking better questions
 34:25 Admissions, individuality, and holistic evaluation
 38:40 Discipline, values, and professional standards
 41:10 Rankings, numbers, and misleading metrics
 43:25 Traits of the most successful students
 45:05 Networks, trust, and long term relationships
 48:10 One key takeaway for listeners
Stephen Shih:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenshih/
Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/
Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111
Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate
Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 
This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Support the show

Send us a text
Ismail Radwan returns to Personable for a wide ranging conversation on global economics, jobs, AI, geopolitics, and the future of growth.

Ismail is a Lead Economist at the World Bank focusing on the GCC and the broader MENAP region. He previously served as Senior Director for Economics and Investment Strategy at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and spent over two decades at the World Bank.

In this episode, Ismail explains why jobs are the single most powerful tool for eradicating poverty, how AI is likely to reshape work without replacing entire economies, and why entrepreneurship matters more than individual projects. He also shares candid views on market cycles, speculative bubbles, youth unemployment, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and how countries balance values, development, and geopolitics.

This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in economics, policy, investing, global development, and how decisions made today will shape the next generation.

He discusses:
◽️ Why jobs are the foundation of prosperity and social stability
◽️ How the World Bank gathers data in fragile and conflict affected countries
◽️ AI, productivity, and why this cycle feels similar to past bubbles
◽️ What Saudi Arabia and the GCC are getting right with diversification
◽️ Entrepreneurship as the true driver of long term economic value
◽️ Youth unemployment, education gaps, and private sector readiness
◽️ Why markets detach from reality and how individuals should prepare
◽️ The role of values, communication, and dialogue in development

00:00 Introduction and Ismail’s background
01:40 Returning to the World Bank and MENAP focus
04:30 Why jobs matter more than any single policy
07:00 Data challenges in fragile states
11:00 AI, automation, and the future of work
18:50 Market cycles, bubbles, and historical parallels
26:00 Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s transformation
31:00 Security, governance, and social stability
36:00 Entrepreneurship and economic ecosystems
42:30 GCC investment priorities and diversification
49:00 Youth unemployment and education reform
53:40 Personal finance, markets, and risk management
59:30 One key takeaway for listeners

Ismail Radwan:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ismail-radwan2021/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Support the show

Send us a text
Anthony Cheung shares an honest account of his journey from a state school to working with some of the world’s largest hedge funds, and why his mission today is focused on access, education, and demystifying finance.

Anthony is Chief Content and Culture Officer at AmplifyME and former Head of Markets Analysis at Newsquawk. In this conversation, he reflects on social mobility, imposter syndrome, resilience, and how skills from elite sport translate directly into success in trading and high pressure careers.

This episode is a practical guide for students and early professionals who want to break into finance, build real credibility, and focus on what actually matters beyond prestige and perception.

He explains:
◽️ How a working class upbringing shaped his mindset and ambition
◽️ Why access to opportunity matters more than raw talent
◽️ Lessons from elite youth basketball that apply to trading and life
◽️ The real skills banks look for beyond grades and technical knowledge
◽️ How AmplifyME helps level the playing field for students globally

00:00 Introduction and Anthony’s background
01:34 From state school to Wall Street
05:57 Why giving back became his mission
10:59 Sport, discipline, and transferable skills
17:35 The founding story of Amplify.me
25:14 Becoming a public voice in finance
33:17 How students should prepare for finance careers
38:32 Would he do it all again
39:16 The questions people should ask more often
40:10 One lesson to take away

Anthony Cheung: 
◽️ Website: https://amplifyme.com/bio-anthony-cheung
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycheung10/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Support the show