Ahead In The Count

On top of over 25 years of professional baseball experience, the BIP Wealth baseball division has established successful careers as financial advisors, helping newly drafted to recently retired players meet their financial goals.Take away something fresh, or find clarity on what was confusing before in the intersection of life on and off the field on Ahead in the Count, presented by BIP Wealth, with Nolan Alexander.

Ahead In The Count is a business podcast hosted by BIP Wealth, with 163 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

BIP Wealth hosts Ahead In The Count, a business show with 163 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #6

  Postseason Paydays: Playoff Rosters, Player Pool Shares, the Mr. October Effect, and What Could Be Next

  Oct 2, 202619 minS13

  Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. The MLB postseason is here, and on this episode of Ahead in the Count, host Nolan Alexander pulls back the curtain on the money side of October baseball. Joining him are two members of the BIP Wealth Baseball Division based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and fellow Stanford baseball alumni: former MLB catcher John Hester, CFP®, and Brendan Domaracki, who spent 17 years in MLB front offices with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. Together they break down how postseason rosters are set, how the MLB playoff player pool is funded and split, why clubhouses vote on playoff shares, and what the "championship season" clause in player contracts means for bonuses. They also discuss how a breakout October can turn into a bigger contract, and what back-to-back massive player pools could signal for the game's financial health heading into collective bargaining talks this offseason. What You'll Learn • The September 1 eligibility rule that determines who can make an MLB postseason roster • How teams reset their 26-man rosters between postseason series • Why specialists earn spots on playoff rosters • Where the postseason player pool comes from and how playoff shares are divided by round • How players vote on full and partial playoff shares inside the clubhouse • Why front offices stay out of the playoff share vote • Why most performance bonuses stop at Game 162, and which award bonuses still apply • How postseason heroics become leverage in free agency and contract talks • What record-level player pools could mean for the upcoming MLB CBA negotiations John Hester, CFP® is a former Stanford baseball player and Major League Baseball catcher who now advises professional players and their families in the BIP Wealth Baseball Division from the firm's Scottsdale, Arizona, office. Brendan Domaracki is a wealth consultant in the BIP Wealth Baseball Division. A Stanford baseball alumnus, he spent 17 years in MLB front offices with the Seattle Mariners (2016–2026) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2009–2016), working with players across every level of an organization before joining Hester in Scottsdale. Related Episode Inside the MLB Playoff Pool with Jeremy Hermida and John Hester : https://traffic.libsyn.com/bipwealth/editsplayoffpoolnew_atic_template_mixdown_01.mp3

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #5

  From the Diamondbacks, to the Mariners, and now BIP Wealth's Baseball Division. Meet Brendan Domaracki

  Sep 14, 202625 minS13

  Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. In This Episode Brendan's path from Tampa travel ball to Stanford baseball, and what a cross-country recruiting decision taught him about evaluating opportunities Earning Stanford's Most Inspirational Player award and a trip to the 2008 College World Series in Omaha Breaking into pro baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 and climbing into amateur scouting Life inside the MLB Draft war room with boards, logistics, and high-stakes decision-making The move to the Seattle Mariners and a decade as Director of Player Personnel under Jerry Dipoto How draft-day pressure and short decision windows mirror the financial decisions players and families face Lessons on communication, relationships, and simplifying complexity on the field and with client finances Why Brendan left the game for BIP Wealth's Baseball Division, and what "why now" means for players weighing big life and career decisions Balancing a front-office career with fatherhood, and how that shapes his approach to client families Guest Bio Brendan Domaracki joins BIP Wealth's Baseball Division as a Wealth Consultant after nearly 20 years in professional baseball. A Stanford University alum, he began his front-office career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 before spending the past decade with the Seattle Mariners, most recently as Director of Player Personnel. He works alongside longtime friend and fellow Stanford alumnus John Hester, CFP®, in BIP Wealth's Scottsdale, Arizona office. Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com. CONTACT For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com Visit: BIPWealth.com

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #4

  Trump Accounts Explained: What Every Parent Needs to Know

  Aug 28, 202616 minS13

  Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. What You'll Learn in This Episode What a Trump Account is and how children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028 qualify for a $1,000 government contribution How the account grows through tax-deferred compounding over the child's lifetime with potentially 60+ years of runway The conversion to a traditional IRA at age 18, and why the exact mechanics are still being finalized Early withdrawal rules and penalties , including the first-time homebuyer exception and why you'll still owe income tax even when the 10% penalty is waived Trump Account vs. 529 plan : how to decide which bucket fits your family's goals Tax treatment differences : why 529 withdrawals for education are completely tax-free, while Trump Account withdrawals are taxed as income Recent 529 plan expansions , including qualified use for K-12 private school, professional certifications, and the ability to roll over unused funds into a child's Roth IRA What's next , including recent guidance from the Treasury Secretary on allowing pre-tax employee/payroll contributions to Trump Accounts, similar to a 401(k) Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com . CONTACT For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com Visit: BIPWealth.com

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #3

  What to Do When Your First Signing Bonus Check Hits Your Bank Account

  Aug 18, 202616 minS13

  Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. The 2026 MLB Draft class is officially getting paid. In this episode of Ahead in the Count , host Nolan Alexander sits down with former professional ballplayers and BIP Wealth advisors John Hester and Jeremy Hermida to break down exactly what happens when that first signing bonus payment lands in a rookie's bank account — and what smart, disciplined planning looks like in the weeks and months that follow. From signing bonus tax withholding rates to agent fees, off-season training expenses, and the classic "first phone call" about buying a new truck, this conversation is a practical playbook for first-year pro baseball players navigating the biggest financial moment of their young careers. Signing bonus tax withholding explained : why teams withhold 22% on amounts under $1 million and 37% on amounts over $1 million — and why that's not the same as what a player actually owes The gap between withholding and actual tax liability , which can run six figures depending on the player's total signing bonus Agent fees : the other major deduction that comes out almost immediately after a signing bonus payment Budgeting for the first pro off-season , including training facility costs, travel, and the difference between players living at home versus supporting themselves independently How high school draftees and college draftees approach their first bonus differently , including the impact of NIL earnings for college players The "first phone call" conversation — why buying a truck or car is often the first big financial decision a new pro makes, and how advisors help players make that decision responsibly Planning around the second bonus installment and the extended timeline to full tax resolution, which can stretch into the following year's April filing deadline Building long-term financial maturity so a signing bonus becomes a foundation for the future rather than a short-term windfall Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com . CONTACT For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com Visit: BIPWealth.com

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  The CBA Countdown: What an MLB Salary Cap and Shrinking Draft Mean for Ball Players

  Aug 3, 202617 minS13

  Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth. The current collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association expires December 1, and the posturing has already spilled into public view. On this timely episode of Ahead in the Count , presented by BIP Wealth, host Nolan Alexander sits down with former college and professional players John Hester and Chase Murray to separate real negotiating positions from opening-offer theater. The conversation starts with the ownership proposal that would reshape amateur baseball: cutting the draft from 20 rounds to 12, eliminating high school players from the draft entirely, and establishing a minimum draft age around 20 to 21 years old. The union's response has been blunt — by its estimate, the changes would strip roughly $1 billion in amateur compensation over five years . Chase points out he never would have been drafted under the proposed structure. John notes the strange internal tension it creates: scouting directors and GMs want their hands on elite talent earlier , not later, and generational players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Ken Griffey Jr. reached the majors as teenagers. From there, the discussion turns to the biggest sticking point in the CBA: a proposed salary cap , paired with a salary floor. Nine of the 30 clubs currently sit above the proposed cap for 2026, while twelve sit below the proposed floor — narrowing what teams can spend and what they must spend. Players have publicly held the line, and the two sides remain, in Chase's framing, in "two completely different universes." But John makes the contrarian case: if a cap is genuinely what ownership wants, the union has leverage to trade for it in earlier free agency, earlier arbitration, and a structure that could bring back baseball's vanished middle class of contracts. The episode closes on what to actually expect between now and Opening Day. John's read: expect a lockout when the agreement expires December 1, expect the real work to happen after the World Series, and expect it to get ugly before it gets resolved — but with attendance up, broadcast numbers strong, and rule changes like the pitch clock and ABS system landing well with fans, neither side has an incentive to wreck a product that's working. For ball players and their families, the takeaway is a financial one: bonus pools, service time, arbitration timelines, and free agency eligibility are all on the table, and every one of them changes the shape of a career's earnings. What We Cover Why the CBA expiration on December 1 is the date that matters MLB's proposal to cut the draft from 20 rounds to 12 Eliminating high school players from the draft and setting a minimum draft age The MLBPA's estimate: $1 billion in lost amateur compensation over five years Why bonus pool reduction is the quiet headline in the draft proposal What a draft age floor would do to college baseball rosters and the talent logjam at top programs Whether college development has actually caught up to pro development The maturity and leadership case for college baseball — and why scouts still value intangibles The proposed salary cap and salary floor : 9 teams above, 12 below Why players have historically defended baseball as the only major sport without a cap What the union could realistically win in exchange: earlier free agency, earlier arbitration Rebuilding baseball's middle class of contracts Lockout expectations, spring training risk, and whether regular season games get missed Why both sides have real financial incentive to settle Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com . CONTACT For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com Visit: BIPWealth.com

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Ahead In The Count. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.