The Strategic Power of Investor Relations | Mostly Classics

[Original air date: May 8, 2025]When it comes to investor relations, an organization’s communication strategy should be a key instrument to support its business strategy. While this may seem obvious, so often we get this wrong. In this episode, CJ hosts a masterclass on investor relations with Samuel Levenson of the Arbor Advisory Group and Jon Neitzell of Andruil Partners, focusing on the strategic role of IR in driving company valuation. They cover what “audience opportunity” really means and what to do when you’ve attracted the wrong investors. They talk about metrics, KPIs, and OKRs, plus why management credibility and conveying conviction can make or break your IR strategy. They also discuss what has changed in the IR profession over time and what hasn’t (but probably should) before suggesting changes you can make to drive impact immediately.—LINKS:Samuel Levenson on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samlevenson/Jon Neitzell on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-neitzell/Arbor Advisory Group: www.arboradvisorygroup.com/Anduril Partners: https://www.andurilpartners.ai/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Investor Relations as a Strategic Weapon: A Masterclasshttps://youtu.be/ac9xmURhAqE—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:02:22 Welcome to Sam and Jon00:03:12 Linking Business Strategy and Communication00:05:01 Proactive vs. Reactive Investor Relations00:06:39 Tailoring the Message by Investor Type00:08:05 Audience Opportunity and Ideal Shareholders00:11:05 When the Investor Base No Longer Fits00:12:21 Shifting Investors as Industries Change00:13:16 Optionality Comes From Patient Shareholders00:14:40 Conveying Conviction Through Credibility00:17:03 Why Investor Days Build Trust00:18:02 Metrics Versus Storytelling in IR00:19:10 Choosing Metrics the Market Actually Rewards00:22:30 Valuation Disconnects and Investor Confusion00:23:17 Finding Metrics That Truly Drive Value00:25:33 Avoiding Bad Capital Allocation Decisions00:26:20 Disclose Versus Guide: Confidence Intervals00:27:35 Knowing What You Don’t Know00:29:33 Science Versus Art in Storytelling00:33:11 When Algorithms Become Your Audience00:33:56 Passive Investing Now Dominates Markets00:35:16 Linking OKRs to Value-Driving KPIs00:36:42 Closing the Strategy-Metrics Feedback Loop00:38:07 When Investors Sense Operational Confidence00:39:47 Why IR Becomes Strategy Consulting00:41:28 Why IR Teams Stay Undersized00:43:23 Sam’s Accidental Entry Into Investor Relations00:44:34 Mentorship Over Formal IR Training00:46:18 How Markets Outpaced IR Practices00:47:01 Investor Days Go Virtual00:49:34 Designing a High-Quality Earnings Call00:50:41 Investor Days as High-ROI Investments00:51:45 IR Websites as Investor Onramps00:53:42 World-Class Investor Day Examples00:54:20 Using AI to Prepare Investor Communications00:56:19 Building a Proactive IR 2.0 Strategy00:58:33 Why IR Requires Full Executive Buy-In01:00:51 Data Transfers Conviction to Investors01:03:31 Closing Reflections on Trust and Valuation#RunTheNumbersPodcast #InvestorRelations #CapitalMarkets #ValuationStrategy #CFOInsights This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com