The second episode of the Outfoxed podcast by Hunter.io features Joel Simkins, founder of XST Capital and a seasoned investment banker with nearly 30 years in the gaming industry. His career spans hundreds of deals in Vegas and beyond, and today he’s helping fast-growing digital gaming and sports betting startups raise capital and scale.
Joel shares how he built a thriving firm from the ground up, using email, newsletters, and personal relationships to drive growth. His story is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs, sales leaders, and anyone building a pipeline in competitive industries.
This conversation reflects the Outfoxed ethos: creating opportunity through persistence, leaning on technology without losing the human touch, and proving that even in fast-moving markets, relationships are the real differentiator.
Podcast Episode Highlights:
- Why resilience and rejection go hand in hand in business
- How newsletters and referrals fuel B2B growth
- Why tight, authentic messaging outperforms AI-generated fluff
Be really tight with your delivery — Joel Simkins
About Joel Simkins:
Joel Simkins brings a reputation for trusted industry insights, market relationships, and a rare track record of success advising both sellside and buyside clients for more than 25 years.
Prior to his tenure at Houlihan Lokey, Joel was Head of Gaming & Leisure investment banking at Truist Securities, growing its business from a nascent state in 2016 to a top-seven platform during his tenure through March 2022. He was the only sector coverage banker with experience in sellside debt/equity research and buyside investment management and one of a few successful former analysts to convert. Earlier, Joel worked for Credit Suisse Securities, Macquarie Capital, and Deutsche Bank Securities.
Before his career pivot, Joel was an equity research analyst known for bold and correct stock picks, deep industry expertise, and substantial connectivity. He was named Best Up & Coming Analyst in the 2009 Institutional Investor Poll and subsequently ranked No. 6 overall in 2012. A highly recognized and respected voice in the industry, Mr. Simkins has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, Canadian Business Channel, and Fox Business and has been a featured speaker at industry conferences and on other media outlets.
Joel earned a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance, with highest honors, from Hofstra University, where he sits on the business school advisory board. He is an outdoors enthusiast and also sits on the advisory board of Protect Our Winters, a climate advocacy foundation. Joel is a 6 time marathon finisher, avid yoga practitioner and proud father of 2 children.
Learn more about Joel and XST Capital via:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-simkins/
- https://xstcapital.com/
- https://xstcapital.com/whats-nxst/?category=considerations
Credits:
Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
