Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy Alley III.
Hi Troy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was originally introduced to the investment industry, particularly the stock market when I was about 15 years old. After meeting my father’s financial advisor, I instantly became enamored with finance and curious about how the market moves. I began researching and trading various stocks in my personal account throughout high school. This passion influenced my decision to major in Finance at Southern Methodist University (SMU) during the fall of 2011. During my time in college, I completed multiple internships including one in New York City for BlackRock – the largest asset manager on Wall Street. Taking these collective experiences after graduation, I served on a non-profit board in South Dallas, assisting in improving the community through financial literacy and homeownership.
I come from a family of generational entrepreneurs, from my grandfather who was originally a sharecropper to then become the first African American in Arkansas with an Exxon Mobile service station. To my father and uncle, who started a construction and real estate company in 1979 to then grow it to become the largest of its kind in the Southern US. Their legacy and inspiration spurred the development of my firm – Third Generation Capital Management, an investment consulting and research company focused on building wealth for our clientele. The greatest thing about the work is the impact it has, merging my two passions of philanthropy and financial markets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with many minority entrepreneurs, you are faced with a multitude of daunting challenges, however, my family has instilled in me to see every challenge as another opportunity to change and improve. The investment industry in particular has traditionally not been one of much cultural diversity, so it was imperative to connect with strong mentors for guidance about routines they incorporated to succeed. The thing they impressed on me most was to never share the temperament of the stock market. Utilize a successful process in choosing investments and stick to your strategy, the stock market will always go up and down. This advice has helped me in variety of ways specifically with building and maintaining strong client relationships.
As you know, we’re big fans of Third Generation Capital Management. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Third Generation Capital Management is an investment consulting and research firm that specializes in wealth building through investments across financial markets. In an ever-changing financial market driven by complexity and ongoing volatility, we believe prime opportunities arise through the utilization of detailed investment research and fundamental analysis.
The thing that sets us apart is our commitment to providing our clients with the highest quality of investment strategies that align with our business principles. To serve our clients through the generation of substantial capital appreciation, financial education, and provide them with the opportunity to generate change through impact investing and philanthropy. We as an organization are above all built on the principle of putting our clients at the forefront of our business, developing and maintaining a strong relationship based on trust. As a result, we expect the same principles to be demonstrated in the various businesses we advise our clients to invest in.
I’m most proud of the work we do for our clients and their families, assisting them to build generational wealth through their investments. Many times, specifically in the minority community, we haven’t been exposed to financial strategy or long-term financial planning. It’s truly fulfilling to be able to see clients and their family’s financial growth and improvement through our assistance.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
In my business and over the course of my career, my views on risks and risk-taking have slightly shifted but one thing remains the same. I believe that in order to accomplish something, either large or small, you have to take a chance. It’s in the moments when you feel uncomfortable or challenged that truly define you. There was a point when I was at a career crossroad, debating if I wanted to transition back into corporate or launch my firm. Knowing the constant challenges of being an entrepreneur I was fearful of the idea that the firm would face roadblocks. My father (and greatest mentor) told me something that resonated – “people may remember your failures, but they will always respect your courage”. I took that wisdom and applied it across my business and personal life.
Contact Info:
- Email: talley@thirdgencapital.com
- Website: https://thirdgencapital.com/
