Chuck Yates, investor and former managing partner at Kanye Anderson Capital Advisors, is the host of the Chuck Yates Needs a Job podcast. He's a father, #EFT twitter fanatic, and easy conversationalist - his podcast bio goes something like this:
You've now found your dysfunctional life coach, the Investor Formerly known as Prominent Businessman Chuck Yates. What's not to learn from the self-proclaimed Galactic Viceroy, who was publicly canned from a prominent private equity firm, has had enough therapy to quote Brene Brown chapter and verse and spends most days embarrassing himself on Energy Finance Twitter as @Nimblephatty. Chuck's diverse and entertaining guests do agree on one thing - Chuck Yates Needs a Job.
Q: You have an impressive history in finance, how did you build your big reputation in this industry?
A: My place in the energy industry was really a case of “right place, right time”. I joined Kayne Anderson in March 2001 as we were raising Energy Fund 2 at what was really the beginning of rapid growth in the energy private equity business. I was very lucky to be an early entrant.
Q: Why did you start your so-called “non-podcast”, Chuck Yates Needs a Job?
A: After getting the boot from Kayne Anderson in May 2020, I started the Chuck Yates Needs a Job podcast really as an act of intellectual curiosity. Could I do this? Would anybody listen? The first eleven episodes have been all over the place in terms of content and style. I’ve done everything from talking to my best friend about both of us getting fired, to my priest about forgiveness, to a swing trader about trading for your own account and to a stand up comedian about writing for Saturday Night Live all while having serious energy discussions with energy finance twitter characters BRV, Shaleunikitty and Energy Cynic.
Greg Kane came on to explain his belief that EOG has been discovered but is hiding in the largest oil field in America - the episode known as Budagate. And who knows what the fake news cast about John WB Rich getting kicked off Twitter or Pizzagate (I sabotaged another’s date by anonymously delivering pizzas all night) were all about. That said the Christmas episode was cute and heartwarming... I thought.
Q: What’s your main goal with the podcast?
A: I’m still trying to figure out what the podcast's mission will be, but I know it needs to further discussions while abusing some laughter and showing a dose of vulnerability.
Q: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself over the past half a year being unemployed?
A: Biggest lesson post-getting the public boot from Kayne - I like the toys, I don’t need the toys.
Q: You recently invited our CEO and Founder, Katie Mehnert, onto your podcast, what did you guys talk about during this episode?
A: What didn’t Katie and I talk about? Haha. We talked ALLY, navigating the start up waters, raising daughters, energy transition, fiat currencies, Teslas and U2......
Q: You are a self-proclaimed Galactic Viceroy – what does this mean?
A: Galactic Viceroy was a split second joke when updating my LinkedIn account. You had to provide a title. Unemployed didn’t sound so good. Thus, Galactic Viceroy. I've actually signed an engagement letter with that as my title. Hahaha.
