How a cold call shaped the Australian finance industry

Calling a billionaire from a phone booth is not how many people find a business partner. And yet, it is exactly the kind of initiative that sets Sheridan Lee apart from her peers.

Pumping quarters into a phone booth outside New York City’s Central Station in the late nineties, Lee cold-called billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. It was a pitch he could not resist.

Walking away with Bridgewater as one of her first clients, Lee founded Shed Enterprises. The wealth management and advisory business pioneered third-party financial marketing in Australia. In doing so, it brought some of the biggest funds to our shores.

There really couldn’t be a better guest for the season finale of Capital Conversations.

The financial podcast, with a twist

Speaking with Australia’s leading minds in financial sales and marketing, Capital Conversations is a financial podcast brought to you by Capital Outcomes. It forgoes market predictions in favour of something more revealing. Instead, it explores the sales strategies, leadership philosophies and hard-won lessons of those who have built Australia’s leading asset and wealth management businesses.

Sitting down with industry stalwart and podcast host Steve Robertson, the first season has uncovered a range of unique insights from diverse and compelling guests.

Scarcity Partners founder Adrian Whittingham opened the series with a masterclass in persistence. Magellan’s Mark Burgess reframed sales leadership entirely. He argued that knowing when to say ‘no’ to a client builds more trust than any ‘yes’ ever could.

Franklin Templeton’s Australia head Felicity Walsh had a reminder for listeners. An appetite for risk can carry you further than a traditional finance pedigree. Spire Capital’s Dale Holmes revealed his sales philosophy of productive discomfort.

A lesson in initiative

In this latest and final episode of season one, Robertson probes Lee on the secrets behind her unique sales instincts.

“Sheridan is one of those rare guests who has actually lived every chapter of the industry she talks about,” says Robertson. “She didn’t just observe the evolution of Australian funds management; she helped shape it. That’s what makes her such a compelling voice on this podcast.”

“The phone booth story alone is worth the price of admission. It perfectly captures everything Sheridan stands for: doing your research, backing yourself, and finding the one angle that gets you in the door.”

What strikes Robertson most is Lee’s honesty about the things she would do differently. From celebrating the wins and having a plan, to slowing down and savouring the journey, these are lessons every person in sales needs to hear, regardless of where they are in their career.

A great way to end the season

Rounding off the first season, Lee’s drive and insights sit alongside the best of what Capital Conversations has had to offer.

“What this season has reinforced for me is that the best capital raisers aren’t just good salespeople, they’re genuinely curious, deeply researched, and completely invested in the success of the people they work with. Lee is the embodiment of that,” says Robertson.

All episodes of Capital Conversations season one are now streaming on the Capital Outcomes website, Spotify and Apple podcasting platforms.

With season two launching later this year, there’s never been a better time to subscribe and stay connected to the leading minds in capital raising and funds management.