In the wealth management industry, we often talk about "work ethic" in terms of hours logged or assets under management. But for Adam Katz—Partner and Head of the Founder & Entrepreneur Practice at Corient—work ethic isn't a measurement of time. It’s a measurement of care.
“If you care, your work ethic will be amazing,” Adam tells Ethic CEO Doug Scott in the premiere episode of our new series, Work Ethic. “If it feels like a job that you're clocking in and out of, it won't.”.
Adam’s journey to leading the founder practice at a $200B+ AUM firm didn't start with a finance degree; it started with a psychology major, a penchant for mathematical poetry, and a New York State arm wrestling championship.
Inside the Episode:
In a wide-ranging conversation, Doug and Adam dive into the "blank slate" life and what it truly takes to serve the world’s most ambitious founders. Key takeaways include:
Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or navigating the future of wealth, Adam’s perspective offers a rare, honest look at the human psychology behind high-stakes leadership.
- The Math of Leverage: How the same principles of angles and leverage that made Adam an arm-wrestling champion apply to navigating his work in wealth management.
- Critical Thinking vs. Regurgitation: Why true expertise is about returning to first principles to solve new, disparate problems—not just memorizing a script.
- The "Lily Pad" Philosophy: Why founders must maintain a "80% patient, 20% impatient" meter to achieve parabolic, long-term growth.
- Jumping Off the Ladder: The story of how Adam left the security of a major institution to build his own RIA, and how that lived experience allows him to sit on the same side of the table as his clients today.