S5E1: Renae Griffin, Partner & Head of Investor Relations, Awani Capital

Speaker A: Thank you for joining us for today's episode of Moments that Made Her. I'm Emily Mandel, executive director of PE win. Moments that Made her is a production of PE Win, the Private Equity Women Investor Network. We are a curated and purposeful network of senior women investment professionals across private markets, including leaders from institutional investors, asset managers, and private capital firms. Within PE win, members build trusted relationships, exchange candid insights, and gain a distinct edge, collectively advancing women's leadership and influence across the industry. To learn more, please visit pewin.org the host of Moments that Made her is Kelly Williams, founding chair of PE Win and founder of Customized Fund Investment Group, which she grew into a leading private markets firm, managing approximately 30 billion in assets before its sale in 2014. Kelly is the CEO of the Williams Legacy foundation and an active board director across corporate and nonprofit organizations. We hope you enjoy today's episode.

Speaker B: Welcome to the latest episode of Moments that Made Her. I'm Kelly Williams, the founding chair of the Private Equity Women Investor Network and the chief executive officer of the Williams Legacy foundation, and I'm excited to welcome you to season five of Moments that Made Her. And we're doing something a little different this time. We are going to have a bit of a focus on New Beginnings, and so I thought it was appropriate that to discuss New Beginnings, I choose one of the people I've been friends with the longest, Rene Griffin, who's having a very exciting new beginning with ONI Capital as a partner and head of investor relations. And I am just delighted. Anytime I get to be with Renee is a joy for me, but I'm delighted to have this block of time with her today. So, Renee, welcome to Moments that Made Her.

Speaker C: Thank you, Kelly. This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am so thrilled to be in conversation with you.

Speaker B: Good. It's going to be a fun one, I promise. We know each other very well, and we've known each other for a long time, but I want to start where I always start, which is at the beginning in our theme of New Beginnings, but at your beginning and was hoping you might tell us a little bit about how and where you grew up.

Speaker C: Well, Kelly, I like to tell people I am a true California girl. I was raised in Fresno, California, the Central Valley. Grew up in a, uh, sort of classic African American community where everyone knew everyone. You played outside till the street lights came on, and when they did, you said erased home because you knew dinner was on the table. And all our neighbors knew each other, so we really looked out for each other. Um, I have a huge family so many of us were within a one or two mile radius. So very ten tight knit community. I have an older brother and five half sisters. So a big extended family that really nurtured my upbringing. But what I would like to share is a little bit about my parents. I always thought my parents were typical, but when I look back on how they raised us, they were incredibly unique. And why I say that is because they were creative, they were um, entrepreneurial, they were forward thinking long before that was even a trend, right. Entrepreneurship. So my mom was a homemaker by choice, deeply spiritual, an incredible cook, expert seamstress. My dad worked for the city of Fresno and he went on to own the first black owned Shell gas station in the Central Valley. And I think he still holds that title. And here's another little small fact. My father was a model. He, he grew up in this fashion world, would be in local magazines. So I think that's where between my mom being a seamstress and my dad being in this world of fashion, that's sort of where I grew my style, my confidence and creativity and you know, exposed to a lot as young kids in that community.

Speaker B: Well that just explains so much because first of all, you are a wonderful, caring and nurturing person and that clearly comes from your parents and your community. You are an extraordinarily stylish person. And I had no idea that your dad was a model. But that is so cool. And do you know, like how did that happen for him? How did he become that?

Speaker C: I think it was just innate. Um, we were pretty popular in our community. Him being a business owner, very giving, very um, generous to the neighborhood. We grew up, I grew up in the 60s and 70s so there was this, you know, race and fight for equality and justice. And he was sort of that centerpiece as well. He had a big afro, he looked like James Brown. It was when the song I'm Black and I'm Proud was out. So we were sort of a beacon for the community around what success and middle class black America could look like. And so we did a lot of interesting things to support the community. I will never forget this, Kelly. He brought me home when I was 8 years old. A poster, a um, wanted poster of Angela Davis. And if you don't know folks listening, she was a real advocate for justice and equal rights and equality during a period where women in particular were not always in the forefront. So that poster is in my bedroom today and it's symbolic of what activating looks like, what it means to really stand firmly on what you believe, And a push, as I've tried to do throughout my career in financial services. So we're a solid upbringing around identity, around consciousness, on the disparity and challenges of women and people of color.

Speaker B: Wow. Incredible. That also is a hallmark of being a California girl, because certainly California was a hotbed of that. But how extraordinary to have grown up with that and be that kind of leaders in your community. And so no surprise that you've become a leader in our community in fighting for justice and rights for people in the private equity world. So how did that lead you to your first job? What was your first working experience?

Speaker C: Well, you know, taking us back to the 70s as well. It was a time where there were a lot of youth oriented programs being developed for kids that were considered disadvantaged. You know, my family hit a tough spot. My father ended up losing the gas station. My mom had to go back to school and therefore work. And I wanted to contribute to our household and maintain my bill independence. So I took on, um, one of those jobs. And I was only 12 years old, but that first job was actually washing desks, those metal flip top desks that you see in those elementary schools. It was during summer break and my mom and I had a recent laugh about it because she reminded me that I came home one day from that job and I said, mom, I don't mind working hard, but I will never do this kind of work again. And I truly meant it, Kelly. And right then and there, I decided that I only wanted to work in corporate America. I didn't want to do anything manual. I didn't work in retail hospitality, none of it. I wanted to, to really understand the corporate world. So I basically went from cleaning desk to becoming a partner at a private equity firm.

Speaker B: Yeah, well, I think those of us who have experiences, you know, everyone here knows my first job was working at Dairy Queen. You know, I link that, as does our friend Kate Mitchell. Having experiences like that to customer service and kind of being wired for customer service, but also having those types of jobs, it does say, cure you of the idea that you really want to spend your career working in retail. Like you want a job, a corporate job that provides you a certain level of, of, uh, well being. But I can definitely see where washing the desks of elementary school kids would not be anyone's first choice.

Speaker C: And I was one of them at 12. But, you know, I, I worked actually every year since I was 12. I've never not worked a year of my life. I don't know if that gives me bragging Rights or cause to go to thera.

Speaker B: I know, yeah, me, I think at 12, I was probably due babysitting. But my first, like, real job was when I was 14, because that was when you could get your work papers. And that's how I ended up in my stylish brown polyester uniform at Dairy Queen.

Speaker C: Um, and we had a Dairy Queen in Fresno, by the way, so very familiar.

Speaker B: Could have been an option. So how did, um, how did those early years lead you to a career in private equity? You know, where did you end up going to school? And you said you knew you wanted to be in the corporate world, but that's a broad. That's a broad category.

Speaker C: That's right. And I would say, you know, I didn't, of course, early on, um, think specifically about private equity. I didn't even know what private equity meant then. But I did know at an early age, as early as middle school, that I wanted to work in finance, particularly and in investments, because I was really fascinated about how money worked. And more importantly, how could I make that money work for me and my family and how could I develop a skill set that would place me in a very reputable corporate investment management firm? So I was very intentional as early as junior high school and building what I thought skills that would get me into the door. So I start taking administrative assistance courses at 13, typing. And some of this I hate even mentioning because it tells my age, but 10 key, remember those? And even shorthand, which I wasn't very good at. But what I was excellent at was typing and organizing. And those skills got me into my, uh, first corporate job at Bankers Trust Company where I worked for three years. And then it opened the door to Capital Guardian Trust Company, which I worked at for nine years and really got into the investment world. So from Cap Guardian to Progress Investment Management Company, eventually to my own firm and then GCM Grosvenor of course, and wanna. So the. Each step has really built onto each one. And during that course while I was at Progress, Mark Skazenov, he was also a mentor of mine. He saw a lot of talent in me. And I hadn't completed my degree as a single mom coming into college initially and then taking a break to raise a son and then coming back into college and getting my degree at the age of 40. So none of my pathway to becoming a partner, to being at a wani or doing some of the things that I've done throughout my career have been traditional. I've really taken a round and about sort of road to get here But I don't regret it. They've all been lessons that have really baked into me and helped me become that professional and woman than I am today.

Speaker B: So talk a little bit about Progress, because I'm not sure how many of our listeners know about Progress. And certainly Mark's, uh, you know, was an extraordinary person. I know you've talked about him as your mentor for many years, but maybe give people a little sense of what progress is about and how unique it is.

Speaker C: So Progress was formed in 1990, and this was during a time that a lot of pension plans and other institutional investors were looking at inclusionary practices. Some of these were mandated through affirmative action or other initiatives within their state. And so Progress and Mark saw an opportunity to present some of the top diverse talent in the industry, particularly within public equity and fixed income. They had a small private equity and hedge fund folks focus, but that manager of manager platform that was established in the 90s was the first of its kind to really begin to introduce the institutional marketplace to that talent. And so Progress was responsible for helping a lot of minority firms at the time. That's what we called them. We didn't call them emerging, but minority firms at the time get footing, get exposure. But while I was there, just me personally, I saw the challenge that these firms had to really get the attention of investors and their consultants. So, you know, I was just really committed to making sure that in my role where I became a, uh, director of marketing, that I helped expose Progress and get exposed to this space in a way where I could be most impactful. And that ended up leading to me launching RG Associates, which we can talk about later. But it all wrapped together because it was around finding a solution in this industry to make sure more women, more people of color were getting exposure and access to capital.

Speaker B: And we're definitely going to dive in on RG and the consortium because there's just again, another very unique step in the platform. Going to take a quick break and hear a little bit about the incredible people who sponsor Moments that made Her. And we'll be right back with Rene Griffin.

Speaker A: We'd like to thank pewind's founding partner, KPMG and our gold partners, Asia Alternatives, Dukas Lynden Public Relations, Kane Anderson, Mubadala Capital, Prosec Partners, Kirkland and Ellis Proskour, Silver Lake, Thoma Bravo and tpg. Your support helps advance women across private markets. And now back to our episode.

Speaker B: Welcome back to Moments that Made her. It's our first podcast of our fifth season and I, uh, can't think of a better way to start this season and our theme of new Beginnings than with my dear friend Renee Griffin. We have had so many extraordinary experiences together, including hanging by the pool at the Biltmore in Coral Gables. That's a story for another time, but I wanted to take this next segment and talk a bit about defining moments or turning points that stand out in your career. And that kind of led you to becoming a senior person and in your case, a business owner in the private equity industry.

Speaker C: Well, um, perfect segue to talking about RG Associates, a consultancy that I launched in 2001. And Kelly, about this probably more than anyone. But at the time I was leaving Progress, uh, with the full support of Markazonoff, the team there. Many of my constituents had said, go for it. We really could use a focused entity to help expose more corporations, nonprofits, institutions to the quality of business partners that they could create through women and minority business partnerships. Did that for about three years. Helped launch the AIM Conference. I worked with naa. I worked with naic. A bit later, I was helping TOWECO launch the gala and some of their initiatives before launching Consortium. And so in 2004 is when I said, I really want to put something into the marketplace that's a major solution for our industry. And that's when I met you, Kelly. I actually met you in 2004. It's been 20 years. And I think, of course, you were heading. Co. Heading cfig and you were one of the early supporters of Consortium and a long standing supporter up to, you know, the time we basically transitioned, sold it to Grosvenor. So I want to thank you for all your support. But that time was a time of learning and building and really stepping out on faith because there hadn't been anything created in the industry like Consortium. And a lot of people were, you know, they're trying to figure out, what the hell are you doing, Renee, is this a good idea? You're leaving a very prominent firm. Great opportunity. But, you know, it sort of tugged on me from my upbringing. Like my Angela Davis voice was on one shoulder. My parents, entrepreneurial side of our family was on the other shoulder, saying, step out and do something that you think will be and could potentially be transformative for the industry. So that caused me to launch Consortium and grow that platform over the years, really doing my best to attract real institutional investors that were interested in meeting the quality of talent that was continuously growing in this emerging diverse manager space.

Speaker B: Yeah, what you built continues to be seminal in this industry, and I call it Using your powers for good. Right. It's uh, all the things you learned through your corporate career and then stepping out, as you said, as an entrepreneur on your own. I think because of that you have this really unique insight into, into the investments that are getting made in the space because you've been an entrepreneur. You know what it's like to ask people for money, to set up a brand, to keep things together with bailing wire and, and, and paperclips and keep it, keep everything rolling wrong. And then obviously you're the consummate client relations specialist and you did so much for people over the years without charging a dime for it. You were the person matching capital with opportunity for so long. And how do you think about those years when you reflect back on starting your own business?

Speaker C: I am still, believe it or not, after 20 years of, you know, we had our 20 year anniversary in 2023 and that was a big highlight of my career. But I still don't have my arms and I'm speaking very honestly and humbly, I don't have my arms around the impact. It's only when people come to me and tell me, Renee, do you understand that after attending, uh, your conference for one or two years, I built most of my LP relationships from coming to that conference and that helped me raise this amount of money or do you know, you know, from LP that we grew our pipeline. We're now hosting our own emergency manager conferences because of the education we got in the LP only workshops that you hosted. It's really through the stories, Kelly, that I think about the impact. I don't just without that context, really have a perspective of that level of, I guess the broadness of what consortium and the work I did created. But I just feel really honored to have done that. And that's how I met Daphne Dufresne, by the way, 20 years ago, my very first consortium. Daphne Dufresne, the founder of wani, who I'm partnered with, she was in the trenches with me, helping me with those one on one meetings, figure those things out with an uh, Excel spreadsheet before we had any technology. And so many relationships that have come out of it that have helped support me in my personal and professional growth, like my relationship with you. I think about that impact. I can speak to that all day. Just the network and those people that continue to be my uh, backbone as I do something new and inventive as what we're doing with Ahwahnee. So, you know, it's still hard to wrap my mind around But I'm just grateful for the exposure, for the impact that it's had and this continued journey that that consortium has created for not just me, but for all of us and our industry.

Speaker B: Yeah, I agree with you. I think when people come up to me or I get emails from people and who say, I heard you speak at Consortium or something else, and I don't even remember, but they say, oh, it stuck with me and I did this and that. It's such a blessing. I find it to be such a blessing. And in many ways, Consortium is kind of. I often refer to it as being biblical. Right. It's this, begat this, begat this because somebody came to the consortium, met you, you made an introduction, you didn't think anything of it, you just put them together and it kind of took off in a direction. But it's a very special skill that you have and a very special vision you have as an entrepreneur. And it impacted lots of people, continues to. Including yourself. So I want to talk now. We're up to my new beginnings, um, theme. As you know, I had the great good fortune to interview Daphne last year about Ahani. And so now I want to hear about you and your new beginning and how you're thinking about this being a founder.

Speaker C: Wow. It is a full circle moment. And I've had to think about this a lot lately because people have asked me numerous of times, why did you leave Grosvenor and go to partner with Daphne and join Ahwahani? And everything about it, Kelly felt right, because one, I had talked about the journey where I started, but going from progress as lpgp. Right. Because we're a manager of managers to my own firm, RG Associates, where I did some of the work we just talked about and the impact, et cetera. And then going to Grosvenor where I got to really get entrenched more in private equity based on the platform that you had built. So that felt good. Like that legacy I got to be a part of and learn more about the emergency manager experience directly as well as have a LP facing, um, responsibility. So when you bring all of those pieces together and then an opportunity to now be an actual GP and bring all of that 35 plus years of experience to bear, bringing the best practices of what it takes to build an institutional quality emerging manager firm from a GP lens and an LP lens, I just felt like this was a perfect opportunity to see what I could do from this point in my career and what better way and what better person to do it with than Daphne. Again, someone I've known 20 years and then my partners, Nigel Howard and OT Smith and others who are joining, I don't even know how to describe it because every day I wake up, I just feel grateful for having this opportunity because I feel like I can really make a difference now. Like we can set an example of what a woman owned, black female owned firm looks like. How you build it, how you grow it, how you create opportunities. And it's based on the skills that have been acquired by our team members, is based on the track record. It's not based on the fact that we are people of color. We're just good at what we do. So being able to stand on that solid and go out and put all these relationships that I've built over time to work for something I believe in, stand firm on and diligence, Trust me, I did my due diligence like a smart professional should. But this feels, it feels great. And I wondered as well if I would be able to make some of those calls. When you go on to what they call the dark side, which I call it the light, you wonder, will people still respond the way that they've responded to you before? And what I would say is that it's been, I, uh, can't even describe the people that said, renee, just call us, talk to us, tell us what you're doing. We want to hear the story. And that has been really exceptionally warming and appreciative to have people be so receptive.

Speaker B: Well, it's, for me, it's so exciting on so many levels. Like you. I've known Daphne for so long and I've known her through every, pretty much every chapter of her career. And we've been talking about this for so long and she did extraordinary things at every firm she joined. She was such a huge contributor in some cases, like the best contributor. And we were always like, girl, you need to be, you need your own thing. This is so, I was so delighted to hear. And then when I heard you, you were doing it with her, I just like, ah, uh, you know, I think what it is, it is a very special thing in life when you get to do something you love with people you love and respect. Like you only have one life and you spend enough time with people you don't really wanna be around, that when you get to do something with people you truly want to be around and you get to do that thing you're really good at, it is like a pinch me moment. I get why you wake up and say, wow, because it is really special. And it's a choice I wish more people had the opportunity to make or took the opportunity. But it's something you and Daphne earned over time. And you earned all that credibility and all that goodwill you just described by doing the right thing by people.

Speaker C: Yeah. And Kelly, listen, I want what you've built at PE Win a platform for senior women, for us to do great things together with Ahwahnee. We want to do great things that create a pathway for other women of color, women in general, to say, hey, we're sitting in these big firms. We have investment skills. You know, we want to look at building our own firms one day. How can we spin out? How can we build what Awani or 1315 and some of these other firms have done? We want to be a part of that example. That's really important to me. It's really important to Daphne and our team to be a catalyst for others that, you know, look like us or that just want this type of opportunity, to step boldly into it and know that it's possible.

Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. I couldn't have been happier when I heard about it. I was like, oh, my God. This is. This is all of the things in the universe coming together at just the right moment. And we've referenced throughout the fact, obviously, it's unavoidable that you and I are both women. You're obviously a woman of color throughout your career. There have been times when you were particularly made to feel aware that you were a member of one of these groups. And how did you. How did that manifest and how did you deal with it?

Speaker C: I consider myself that double minority. Right. Because I'm a woman, and I'm a woman of color in a male dominated industry, particularly white male dominated industry. But again, I'm grateful for organizations that have supported women like PE1 and even a group that A, uh, network that I brought together for women of color in investments, because we understand that we too, there's this sort of invisibility that's out there that often goes unaddressed. So that's just where I stand today. But what I would say is I'll give you a real time example of where I feel being a woman, and particularly a woman of color, is somewhat challenging. It's really been through some of the experiences with Ahwahnee, believe it or not, because we're considered a woman owned firm and a minority owned firm, we can be somewhat categorized.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker C: And before really having that thorough evaluation of our track record, our expertise, we've been investing in PE and business services over 20 years. Our track record is one of the best in the industry. We want to just be known and seen for our capabilities, you know, not just the fact that we're women and we're people of color. And so it's just making sure that we are seeing through that competitive lens and not just the, uh, diversity lens. And that's where I feel some of the challenge remains in our industry. Although I appreciate all the opportunities, programs, the initiatives that have been launched, because we know that there's disparity still for people of color and women. But at the end of the day, we don't want to be categorized for anything other than our skills and our abilities to invest and make money for our investors.

Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I often talk about the fact that I think one of the early missteps that happened in the industry was that when the ESG terminology started to be applied to portfolio management, a lot of people categorized investing with under capitalized managers, which is how I define it. Thought it was the S. And whether you define S as social or you, uh, define S as sustainable. But there was this implication that you were trying to achieve a social good by allocating money. And that's not what it was at all. It was the G. It was governance. It was about who had power and who was making decision. It never was a social aim. Nobody wanted to be given money and compromise on returns to achieve a social good. It was about governance and saying, look, these are very experienced people who have great track records. We should give them a chance to make the decisions now. And so that's part of the narrative that I agree with you, I hope is changing. I think it should be changing. There's enough, I think there's enough evidence with all of the female owned firms that have performed incredibly well and are now widely oversubscribed and people stand in line to get into it. Shouldn't even be a question of what your gender or what your ethnicity or race is. It's just about how good you are, what you do.

Speaker C: That's right, Kelly, you hit it on the head. And I'll never forget a conversation I had during consortium, because when that ESG nomenclature came out and they made that as social, we sent out like a red flag, wait, let's have an emergency session here. Because of that fear of the whole effort that had been really, I thought we were advancing. I worried about it getting folded in and therefore villainize potentially if there were objections to environmental issues or other issues that came up. And just as we've seen that's exactly what's happened. So I think we have an opportunity now to really change the narrative. We know that investing in really high quality first time, second time funds is an opportunity. Not, it's not about mediocrity. It's really about taking advantage of the best talent in the industry. So I think we're going to make some advances there for sure. Yeah, it's already started.

Speaker B: I agree, I agree. I think we're in the, in the new chapter. A lot of it's about nomenclature, but a lot of it, I think Jay Saubrey always says it the best. It's just about what do the numbers say? When he talks about the TRS portfolio, the reality is he keeps investing because the emerging manager portion of the portfolio, which my firm put together, outperforms the rest of the portfolio. So why would you not do that? It seems pretty obvious. So is there. What would you point out as a particular high point or creative point in your career that just warms your heart when you think about it?

Speaker C: Don't think I'm making this up, okay? But honestly, Kelly, a high point of my career is this interview with you.

Speaker B: Oh, wow.

Speaker C: No, seriously. And I say that because we met, as I mentioned, over 20 years ago. And when I met you, you know, I was in awe of you, Kelly. Your brilliance, your command of the industry, your knowledge of investing, you know, the impact. Whenever I raised your name, it's like, Kelly Williams. Oh my God, you're friends with Kelly Williams. And I just saw really how you were moving this industry forward. Right. In a way that has been so beneficial to all of us. And I say to be sitting here having this moment set made her podcast interview with you is something I never imagined. But I am super happy that we are now here together and able to do this.

Speaker B: Me too. I couldn't agree more. You know, and obviously, look, you were part of the founding group of PE Win as well, and that's. I mean, we've done so much together over the years, but that's a really special thing that we've done together. And that group has supported both of us throughout our careers and over the last 20 plus years. And now it's going on to its next level and in many ways it's also having a new beginning. But yeah, I mean it. To me, seeing your friends thrive is just like such a joy. It's such a joy to. Like I said, you and Daphne are two of my dearest friends in this industry and not only to see you doing something, but to do it together. That's nirvana for somebody like me. That's exactly what we hope happens in this world.

Speaker C: Yes. And what I would say would be another moment is when consortium celebrated its 20 year anniversary, it was like sending a baby off to college or kicking the baby out of the nest. A little birdie out of the nest saying, fly, baby, fly. And it just, it was a very proud moment. Someone had said to me during that event, because I was like, oh, I can't wait till this over. They pinched me, Kelly. And they were like, look, do you understand what you've done here? You better take your flowers, you better walk that red carpet. You better acknowledge what you built and enjoy it. Don't worry. Rush this moment. And in that moment, I said, absolutely, Ruffian.

Speaker B: Absolutely.

Speaker C: I ended up having the best. That was one of the best days of my life. Honestly, career wise. Yes.

Speaker B: I love hearing that. Yeah. I think too many of us women are always so humble and we don't want to take the spotlight, but I'm so glad that somebody did that, because one of the things I tell people is tell women. I tell women this. It's important for you to let other people see you win. And women often want to mask that. And we mask it by giving credit to the team. And of course, you have to give it credit to the team. Nobody does anything on their own. But, uh, we often dissipate our power and we don't claim it. And the reason it's important is because women don't need to be taught to be leaders. We are natural born leaders. We come out of the womb leading.

Speaker C: Right?

Speaker B: We lead our families, we lead our children, we just lead. And we have this whole industry that's grown up to convince women they don't know how to lead. Clearly, women know how. The issue women have is developing followership and getting people to follow us. Um, and that's why it's so important for people like you, who did something so special and made something so successful that impacted so many people's lives, to let people see you take your flowers, to take those accolades, to claim those. Because first of all, it gives people the confidence to follow you because you know what you're doing. But also it gives other women the confidence to say, hey, I can win too. Like, she did this, right? This is attributable to her. And I just think it's so important. So I'm so glad that person pinched you.

Speaker C: And it was hard, too, Trust me.

Speaker B: Well, so obviously we've talked about successes. Is there anything that stands out that was A particular challenge for you, where it ended up being a teachable moment for you.

Speaker C: Wow. Uh, it's fun. All right. So in 2001, when I was at Progress, before I launched RNG and Associates, I had broken my ankle and I was out of commission for a couple months. Also struggling a bit. Marx had sold the firm. Kazanov had sold Progress. It was a changing of the guards. And was thinking, all right, Renee, what is it that you can really do differently with your life where you can bring your creative juices that you've had all your life as a child and marry it with your investment background that you developed over time and the experiences from Progress? So I ended up going to this three day personal development workshop and with a broken ankle, so I had my pillows. I, you know, had to sit on the floor, my foot propped up in a chair so my ankle wouldn't swell and throb. And I just remember sitting in there for three days, learning how. And this was what the main theme was, creating the life I wanted and believing that I could do it. So one of the exercises in that workshop was to write the letter that you would want your grandkids to write about you. And so I had to think, okay, that's legacy. That's impact on family. So I wrote all this stuff, and then in there, it was about having and, um, building something that would create change. And so I had already started thinking about this Archie and Associates idea, but I was scared. I was nervous. I was like, people are going to think you're crazy, but you can do this. And so in that workshop, I said to myself, all right, Renee, you're going to give yourself three months to decide if you want to launch this business. So I said, I'm going to decide to decide. But within, I would say, a month, I had said, I'm going to launch this company. And so that workshop was definitely a teaching moment. It was the art of manifestation. Really seeing it, believing it, and watching it come to life, whatever it was, whether it was on a personal level, professional level, any physical goals. You know, that saying about we are really the directors of our own movie, that we write the script, we write how it opens and how it ends. And I wanted to write that next chapter, the next movie of what my life would be. And that's when I decided to launch Archie and Associates. And I did that within three months of that workshop. And so I say that to say, you know, that was somewhat of a challenging time. And getting that business going was not easy because 911 happened the same exact year I launched August 1st and then 911 happened September. So yeah, it was terrifying. But it's those tools that I developed and have nurtured around manifestation and believing in myself and challenging myself and getting rid of the chatter in my head and replacing that with all the things that are true. Because there's chatter, that's usually not the truth and then there's the truth, but applying all this stuff, and that's really what gets me through anything I'm dealing with mentally, physically, spiritually today.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's great. I think that's a great. That's a great format for people to think about their life because it's so often you feel. People feel adrift and if, uh, you really think about it as being the director of your life and manifesting what it is you think you want and you need. And sometimes it manifests both ways. Things manifest that you don't need and you don't want in your life anymore. And so change comes and then you have to accept that you've been thinking about that and you want that change. But then the new things come and it make. I'm a big believer of leaving room for the new amazing thing that's going to come, which clearly has come for you with Awani, with your partners.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Well, so now I want to move to one of our favorite parts of the interview, which is our lightning round. So I'm just going to move through a series of questions and give me the first thing that kind of comes to mind. And the first one is what is a great book or podcast or show that you've read or listened to recently that you want to share?

Speaker C: Well, I'm currently reading Daily the Daily Stoic, and I'm on day five. And so, you know, that book reminds me that I'm very much work in progress.

Speaker B: Great. Oh, that's a good one. What's your cell phone wallpaper?

Speaker C: Oh, geez. It's actually the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. It's a picture I took while I was in the Dominican Republic a few years ago. Oh, wow.

Speaker B: Love that. If you had a career other than private equity, what would it be?

Speaker C: When I was growing up, I would have said dancer, but today probably interior designer or maybe a yoki.

Speaker B: Yeah, I understand.

Speaker C: I do, uh, interior designer Yogi. Right.

Speaker B: You could do both.

Speaker C: That could be a new thing.

Speaker B: Well, it's like the women who are the people who are feng shui and interior designer experts. Yoga plays a big role in that. Right. It's all about manifesting and having the right interior spaces for your mental health.

Speaker C: That's right. That's right.

Speaker B: Uh, are you a dog or a cat person right now?

Speaker C: Neither.

Speaker B: I.

Speaker C: Like with all the travel I'm doing with the Wani and my partners, who has time for pets? Kelly, I just can barely keep my plants alive.

Speaker B: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

Speaker C: You know, my sage is like my mom, Ruthie Lee Clark. Ruthie would say, if you don't have peace, you don't have anything at all. Actually, she would say, if you don't have peace, you don't have nothing at all.

Speaker B: Ruthie Lee is absolutely right. I always wish people peace. I think it's the best thing you can wish for someone is peace, because everything else flows from that.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: And then finally, what's one thing we don't know about you yet? A, uh, hidden skill. A, uh, hidden desire.

Speaker C: This was one thing I wasn't prepared to answer. But I think people know a lot about me. But I don't think people know how spiritually centered I am and anchored in my faith and that I believe in magic.

Speaker B: Me, too. We share that. We share that girl magic.

Speaker C: That's right.

Speaker B: That's girl magic. Absolutely. Well, this has been a magical conversation, and, uh, delighted to share this time with you. And I think our listeners are going to be so excited to have heard your story and watch for this next fabulous chapter. So thank you. Renee Griffin, uh, partner, uh, founding partner and head of investor relations at Ahwahnee Capital, and my dear, dear friend.

Speaker C: Oh, Kelly, Bless you and thank you for this opportunity. It's, again, more than I could have ever imagined us getting to as friends and as women in our industry to be able to have this conversation. So thank you.

Speaker A: Thank you for joining us today. Please note that the content in this episode is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment, legal or professional advice. Views expressed, uh, are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of PE Win. This content is the property of PE Win and may not be reproduced or distributed without permission. For full terms and disclaimers, visit pewin.org podcast disclaimer. Thanks again for listening, and we hope you'll join us for future episodes soon.