Andrew Pace

Today feels a little different. 

For the first time, I’m not the one asking the questions, which if you’ve been listening for a while, you’ve probably been waiting for that. About a year ago, we decided to start a podcast. To be clear, not because the industry needed another one, there’s a bunch of them out there and plenty of smart people already doing good work in this space. We’re just trying to carve out our own little corner of the conversation. 

One that felt less polished, not rushed, a bit more conversational that happens when the mics are off. The idea was simple. We wanted to create a place where people who actually do the work in equipment finance. and asset-based lending can talk openly about what they’re seeing and what they’re questioning and what they’re still trying to figure out. You know, no grand thesis, no declarations, just honest conversations and some willingness to sit in that gray area. 

12 months and I think 20, almost two dozen or so conversations later, I’ll admit it’s turned into a little more than I expected. We’ve had lenders, lessors, advisors, and leaders show up with a level of candor you can’t fake. We’ve all learned a lot, surprised more than a few times, and yes, probably wandered off course along the way. 

So for our one-year anniversary, we thought we would change it up a little bit. I’m going to step out from being the mic as the facilitator. And I’m going to put myself in the guest seat. So I’ll be answering the questions this time and sharing why this podcast exists, what it’s produced and where I think it’s headed. So thanks for being here and hanging with us through our first year. So let’s get into it. 

Q: What motivated ACS to launch a podcast at this point in the company’s history?

What’s motivated us to launch the podcast really came from what we were seeing every day. You know, at that point, we had a front row seat across a lot of lenders and lessors. Different asset classes, different risk appetites, different strategies. But we kept seeing the same challenges show up. Portfolio stress, asset visibility issues, some misalignment with teams, and decisions taking longer than they should. 

So what stuck with me was not that these problems existed. It was that everyone assumed they were dealing with them alone. So there was no shared place to say this. is common, this is hard, and here’s how people are actually navigating it. So this podcast became a way to surface those shared experiences. 

Q: What about your personal stake in this podcast, and what were you hoping to get out of it?

Personally, I wanted to learn out loud. I already asked a lot of questions as part of my role to begin with, but this created a discipline around it, and it forced me to slow down, listen more carefully. And let the conversations go where they needed to instead of me trying to steer them too quickly.

I never wanted this to be about positioning myself as the expert. If I was generally learning something in these conversations, my hope was that the audience would also be learning alongside me. 

Q: Why did you choose a conversation-based format instead of panels or presentations?

I think early on, we made some clear choices. We didn’t want panels. We didn’t want slide shows or PowerPoint presentations. We wanted it to sound more like a conversation instead of a, you know, performance. So guest selection mattered just as much. I mean, we really wanted people who had actually lived through the decisions that we’re talking about. People with contacts, responsibilities, scars, you know, to me that experience matters.

Q: Why focus on practitioners instead of just executives or theorists?

Just going back, like panels tend to drive consensus. Lectures tend to reinforce authority.

To me, conversations, I believe, creates discovery. And the best insights almost never show up in a polished opening statement. They show up in the follow-up questions, in the pause, or when somebody says, let me think about that for a second. To me, that’s what we wanted to capture. 

Q: Looking back, what did it feel like to press record on that very first episode?

It was uncomfortable. There were certainly several moments of wondering if this was going to work or be painfully awkward. But after a few minutes in, it felt natural. Conversation that should have been happening already, just with a microphone in the room and some lights and fancy cameras. And even early on, I think I was wearing headphones, which I’m not wearing now. So it was uncomfortable, but I’m glad we took that leap of faith and we decided to do it because it’s been great.

Q: Were there any guests or moments that really stood out, and why?

It wasn’t about their title or the size of their organization. They stood out because they were open, willing to talk about the uncertainty, talk about what broke down, not just what’s been working in the organization. So that honestly sets the tone for everything else. I remember a conversation where a guest talked candidly about tension between growth and discipline and how chasing volume outpaced some of their internal controls. And hearing someone say, we got this wrong publicly, it’s really powerful and vulnerable. 

And I had another guest who completely reframed early intervention for me. It was not about better dashboards or more sophisticated tools. It was more about earlier conversations, better questions, staying human longer. 

And, you know, I really felt proud about us. I’ve had a guest that shared an episode that we had with the president of a bank with their whole team and used it as, you know, training and coaching. And I, you know, that really, you know, that was awesome. And, you know, it meant that we were, you know, making a difference and an impact in what we were doing. So I was really proud of that. 

Q: What themes rose to the top across your conversations this past year?

Reoccurring themes across conversations, I would say across almost every episode, a lot of the same themes kept resurfacing. I touched on it a little earlier. Risk versus growth. Acting early versus waiting too long. Gap between policy on paper and what actually happens in the field. Technology came up a lot. And usually not as a magic solution, but as something that exposed cultural gaps or misaligned incentives.

Q: Was there a moment that surprised you or changed how you think about the industry?

And there are several similar moments like this. And I think what surprised me most was how often senior leaders, executives were willing to admit that there’s uncertainty and how often people would say they didn’t have it all figured out. And it really changed how I looked at leadership.

Confidence and humility can coexist. 

Q: What feedback from clients, peers, or listeners has been most meaningful to you?

So the feedback that’s been the most meaningful for me is that we’ve had a few episodes that sparked some internal discussion or changed how somebody approached a challenge. To me, that just tells me that the podcast, it’s creating movement and it’s not just noise. 

Q: Which topics or episodes generated the most engagement or conversation?

For me, the episodes that lean into the gray areas, ones that avoided clean conclusions consistently, I feel generated the most conversations afterward. I had a few people come up at a conference and we talk about an episode and to me, it’s getting into the gray areas that really sparks a lot of conversations.

Q: What did the process teach you about listening as a skill, not just a courtesy?

So what the production process taught me is that listening is a skill. Letting silence work, not rushing to fill that space. Early on, I had a tendency to try to fill that empty space with some noise. So giving people room to land their point, that has changed how I show up with not only our guests, clients, and even with my colleagues. 

Q: How has the podcast changed how you think about ACS’s place in the industry?

The podcast changed ACS’s role in the industry, is I think it reinforced that we’re not just a service provider. You know, we sit at an intersection. You know, we help connect dots. Our value is helping people articulate things that they already know, but they, you know, they haven’t aligned yet. 

Q: What has been the biggest challenge as a host—balancing structure without losing authenticity?

The challenge with being the host, I think, you know, hosting a podcast is a balance. Enough structure to keep things moving, but enough flexibility to let authenticity show up. Too much control, to me, kills the moment. I think early on, it made sense to have conversations with people I already knew well. The familiarity took some pressure off and makes for a more natural discussion. As I’ve gotten more comfortable, I’ve been looking to expand my guest list to include people I don’t know personally, but I genuinely admire and follow them in the industry. 

Q: Looking back, what do you wish you had known before episode one?

Before we did episode one, if I could go back, I would tell myself to relax. I know this is a cliche that’s used a lot, especially in sports here locally in Buffalo. Trust the process. The conversation will find its way if I just let it. And I think that’s a lesson that..that’s something I wish I’d known before we started.

Q: How has the podcast influenced conversations with clients or prospects? 

I think the podcast has influenced conversations with clients and prospects. It changed the tone of those conversations. They feel more open, more curious, more grounded in shared experiences instead of positioning. We’re looked at as more of a thought leader now than ever before. So I think those are just some of the ways that,you know, this podcast has influenced the conversations that we have with our clients. 

Q: What has preparing for these conversations taught you about the diversity of the industry?

Preparing for guests just reinforced just how diverse this industry really is. So many different asset classes, fields like different world and different philosophies can all be right in the right context. So I think that’s, you know… of the things that have taught me about this industry and how we can prepare for the episodes. 

Q: What topics or themes are on your radar for the coming year?

Looking ahead, some topics and themes for year two. I want to spend more time on emerging asset risks, changing portfolio dynamics and lending models that are evolving under pressure. Obviously, AI and technology is top of everybody’s mind.

So I think those are some of the things that we want to focus on in year two. 

Q: What types of guests do you want to bring in that haven’t been featured yet?

Some of the type of guests we want to bring to the table in year two, I think more risk leaders, operators, next generation professionals that are stepping into leadership roles and shaping what comes next.

There’s a lot of emerging next generation professionals that are coming into systems that they didn’t help develop or build. And they’re going to be the ones that are going to lead the charge to help develop and transition into newer systems and face and help solve problems that nobody knew existed. So those are the people I’d love to bring to the table in year two. 

Technology is what drives efficiency, but it also shifts accountability. and figuring out who owns what as systems change is, you know, conversations that we need to keep having. 

Q: The off-topic debates have become part of the show—where did that come from?

The fun debate tradition that we have kind of started, I think, with, I believe, with Kip Amstutz from 360. We decided to have some fun at the end, and we debated whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas movie, and I took the position that it is, and he took the other position.

Dan Krajewski from Mazo, we debated blue cheese versus ranch on wings, although we’re both from Buffalo, so naturally, you know, we, you know, it’s blue cheese or nothing.

Ron Elwood and I debated about whether or not who would win a race, a Gamecock or a Tiger.

So, yeah, we had these fun debates at the end. They’re not work-related. It’s fun. It’s completely unnecessary. But to me, what makes me laugh is that future guests are now asking what we’re going to debate before we even do this prep call. So to me, that just tells me it’s become part of the culture of the show. And those moments matter because they remind everyone that behind every title is a real person. 

Q: Are you considering any changes to the format going forward?

We’re considering evolving the format a little bit. Maybe shorter series or perhaps even longer conversations if that topic deserves the space. We’re even exploring live podcast recordings or episodes at future conferences. We’d love to, you know, similarly like at the Super Bowl with Radio Row and just have people walk by our booth and come on in, let’s sit down, let’s have a conversation. And if they’re open to it, let’s record it, you know, and let’s generate some buzz. 

Q: How would you define the podcast’s broader mission moving forward?

As far as the podcast’s broader mission, I think it’s going to stay the same. You know, we’re going to continue to build bridges across the industry that, you know, don’t talk to each other nearly enough. So I think that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on. And, you know, as always, we’re always going to look for ways to improve, enhance, you know, the listeners, you know, the audience’s experience with the podcast and we’re always looking for feedback too. 

Q: What message do you want to leave with your audience? 

So, you know, a direct message to our audience and listeners, you know, things feel complex.

It’s normal. That’s, you know, that is reality. The industry is complicated by nature and pretending otherwise usually just creates more risk. Uncertainty isn’t weakness. And some of the best leaders we’ve spoken with are willing to say they didn’t have it all figured out yet. 

And to me, better questions matter. I don’t need all the answers. We just got to have the right questions. 

And finally, if you have ideas, guests, topics you’re wrestling with, places where you think we should take this podcast next, reach out. A lot of what’s made this show work has come from our listeners who’ve raised their hand and shared an idea. 

This was never meant to be one way. It works because it feels shared.

Thank you all for listening, engaging, and trusting us with your time.

Year one was about the foundation. Year two is about building on it. And we’re just getting started. So thank you.