Adam Sansiveri & Jaddan Comerford On Bernstein’s New Podcast Series & Other Projects

Bernstein Private Wealth Management is a money management firm with $554 billion in assets currently under management. A unit of AllianceBernstein L.P., Bernstein Private Wealth Management recently announced the launch of a new sports and entertainment-focused podcast series. The leader of this podcast series is one of the firm’s youngest directors, Adam Sansiveri. Sansiveri, the show’s first host, joined the firm back in 2011 with a heavy background in both sports and entertainment. He advises athletes, musicians, studio executives, restaurateurs, models and actors.

The first podcast episode included a chat with the CEO of Unified Music Group, Jaddan Comerford. I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with both Sansiveri and Comerford on behalf of The Hype Magazine. More on the podcast can be found at abvibe.buzzsprout.com. Sansiveri is on Twitter as @Sansiveri.

When did you first get into podcasts?

Adam Sansiveri: I’ve been listening to podcasts as long as Apple has been streaming them. In our busy lives, it’s great to be able to be able to be learning at any time and anywhere. I often start my day with a podcast while running and then while getting ready for the day.

Jaddan Comerford: Ive been on and off them for years but I got back into it in a big way about two years ago when my friend put me onto How I Built This by NPR. Amazing and got me hooked!

What is it that draws you into the podcast medium?

Adam Sansiveri: The medium allows you to multitask and not have to slow down the pace of your life to learn something new. I know that most of our listeners are like me and always going 100 MPH. It’s not that easy or safe to read a book while walking down the busy streets of New York City — though I’ve tried many times — or while driving down the PCH. Podcasts and books on tape are the next best thing, and a lot better way to stay alive longer. With Spotify and Apple, there is endless knowledge at our fingertips, which doesn’t have to wait for a quiet moment.

Jaddan Comerford: I like learning. And since I finished my business degree well over 10 years ago, I need to continue to find ways to learn. I love reading but usually the only time I get to do this is at night or on flights and usually I fall asleep.

How would you describe your podcast to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?

Adam Sansiveri: I’d say that its a podcast for intellectually-curious people who want to get an inside look into all corners of the Entertainment and sports world. We’re having conversations with some of the top minds, trend-setters and disrupters, so you never know what you’re going to learn.

Jaddan, was this the first time you had been a guest on a podcast?

Jaddan Comerford: No, I’ve done a few in Australia, but this is my first one in the U.S. and first one directly focussed on finance.

Are there any podcasts you regularly listen to?

Adam Sansiveri: TED Radio Hour, Primal Endurance Podcast, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Star Talk Radio, and Bernstein’s Sports and Entertainment Podcast, of course. I’m always looking for new content, and love learning something that I didn’t know.

Jaddan Comerford: How I Built This on NPR, Masters Of Scale with Reid Hoffman, Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell, and Supersoul with Oprah Winfrey.

What do you wish more people knew about Bernstein?

Adam Sansiveri: A lot! We don’t advertise, and never have. I wish more artists and business managers knew how utterly unique we are in the industry. No other money management firm has the singular business of investment research and management combined with an integrated and centralized platform at the global scale that we have. Literally nobody. That’s not an easy thing to educate people on. Because of this infrastructure and methodology, we provide a completely different value proposition to clients. Combine that with my group’s laser focus and experience in the entertainment industry, and it’s hard to compare.

Podcast aside, what is coming up for you career-wise?

Adam Sansiveri: I’m focused on growing our business in New York City and L.A., and working with advisors to make them more successful. In addition, I’ve developed a love for impact investing over the past few years, so I am honing those skills to get more directly involved in businesses and investments that can change the world around us. I’m lucky to have a global platform like Bernstein, which not only provides the resources but also shares the same missionary zeal to disrupt the status quo of the investment management industry and make the world a better place.

What is coming up for the UNIFIED Music Group?

Jaddan Comerford: We continue to grow in the U.S. As an Australia-based company, it was always a dream to have an office in the U.S. Our L.A. office now has six people in it and although that’s small, it’s still a big thing for a company from Australia.

When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?

Adam Sansiveri: I’m an avid runner and triathlete, so I spend a lot of time training. For anyone who has trained for an Ironman, they know music, podcasts and books on tape can be your best friends. I spend any free time I have on a couple areas of passion. These range from music — seeing concerts and Broadway shows — to philanthropic work I do with a couple organizations; I am currently Chairman of the Broadway Dreams Foundation. Also, I look to find all the best restaurants I can around the world.

Jaddan Comerford: Yoga and meditation take up a lot of my free time. And on top of that spending time with my wife, my family and my friends

What was the last concert you attended for fun?

Adam Sansiveri: Though most concerts I attend have an aspect of work to them, because I’m more often than not with clients or other music industry contacts, they are always more fun than work. The last concert I attended was the Coachella festival to see some of my favorite artists: Vance Joy, Tash Sultana, The Neighborhood, Chromeo, Kygo, and others.

Jaddan Comerford: I see a lot of concerts for my job. But I’m always on the lookout for when Rancid is in the same place as I am.

Finally, any last words for the kids?

Adam Sansiveri: Don’t do drugs… But seriously for those aspiring musicians or music lovers out there, know that you don’t have to always follow your passion to be inspired, happy and successful. Instead, you can take your passion with you and create a great life doing awesome things in that same industry. I was a singer, but decided the lifestyle and uncertainty of success wasn’t for me. I never thought I’d spend my days working closely with the best artists in the world and helping them to be more successful, but I took my passion and made that into something tangible.

Jaddan Comerford: Work hard, work smart, and have fun.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

Tags: Adam Sansiveri, Apple, Bernstein, Jaddan Comerford, NPR, Oprah Winfrey, Podcasts, UNIFIED Music Group

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."