Hi, I’m Adam!
I’m an investor and analyst, and I help people find high-quality companies so solid, they never second-guess owning them.
I didn’t grow up on Wall Street. I grew up in Missouri. No Ivy League pedigree. No family connections. Just a deep curiosity, a head for research, and a drive to find businesses worth trusting with my own money.
I’ve spent the past 15 years working inside investment research firms, starting at a boutique tech shop, then later Mauldin Economics, where I first began working with Jared Dillian. When he launched his own firm, Jared Dillian Money, he brought me with him. These days, Jared calls me his “secret weapon.” I pitch names, track positions, organize research, and dig into the fundamentals that help shape the recommendations inside Street Freak and Jared Dillian’s Strategic Portfolio.
While I continue that work, I also write Heartland Investor to share that same level of durable research, focused on companies you understand, believe in, and don’t have to babysit. Jared still brings a technical lens to the names I’m looking at. There’s no better second set of eyes on a portfolio than his. It’s the same disciplined process we’ve refined together over the years, and now, I’m bringing it to you.
My goal is simple: To help you get positioned in great businesses with moats, margin, and safety, while they’re still cheap. Not stories. Not bubbles. Just solid tickers the market is overlooking today… but probably won’t for long. These are the kind of stocks that don't need a bubble to work, especially if the market falls out of love with the Mag 7.
Why people follow my work:
They want real companies with real cash flow, not hype, crypto, or meme stocks.
They prefer clear thinking over financial jargon and invest in companies they can explain over a cup of coffee.
They care more about downside protection than lottery-ticket upside.
They want a consistent way to think about investing risk, and value that they can apply on their own.
“I never invest in a company that
doesn’t have a moat. Not ‘rarely.’ Never.”
—Adam Crawford
I didn’t go to Wharton or a trading desk. I went to Missouri State. I studied business. And I started where anyone would: at the bottom, reading footnotes, earnings calls, and SEC filings until my eyes crossed.
I joined a boutique research shop in 2012, where I cut my teeth analyzing tech stocks. I wasn’t trying to find the flashiest tickers, I was just trying to understand the businesses. That’s where I realized I had a knack for fundamentals. Especially spotting companies whose financials didn’t yet reflect their full potential. I wrote about companies like Nvidia, MercadoLibre, and Align Technologies, all of which went on to become household names. The moats were clear. The margins were real. And the valuations still had room to run. But even then, I didn’t think of myself as a stock picker. I thought of myself as a filter.
I kept it simple, if the business was overly complicated, I passed. If there was too much risk, I moved on. If I couldn’t explain the company to a neighbor over coffee, it didn’t belong in a portfolio. The early years taught me how to find quality. But it wasn’t until I started working with Jared that I learned how to think about timing, not just what to buy, but when to buy it.
What first drew me in wasn’t his market calls, it was his writing. He was sharp, funny, honest. Not your typical Wall Street guy. Eventually, he needed an analyst and I got the chance to work with him directly.
Our process is simple but rigorous: I bring him stock ideas, fundamental cases backed by real research and real numbers. He pushes back, challenges the timing, and stress-tests the trade from a technical and macro angle. We don’t always agree. And that’s exactly why it works.
Some of Jared’s favorite picks—like Nintendo and MakeMyTrip—started as quiet writeups I sent over late at night. Sometimes he passes. Sometimes he laughs and says, “I want it all.” But every name that makes it into a portfolio has to pass through both of us. Two sets of eyes on everything. No exceptions. We’re both risk-conscious. We don’t chase hype. And we’re never in a rush.
I don’t have pets, but my brother’s cats have kind of won me over. Cats grow on everybody. (Just ask Jared.) Same goes for investing: the longer you’re in the game, the less you care about flash, and the more you care what’s built to last.
A lot of financial newsletters out there pitch what I’d call lottery tickets. Flashy stories. Big promises. But the companies have no moat, no durability, and some eventually blow up. Instead, I’m looking for businesses that can hold their ground, no matter what the market throws at them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past decade, it’s this: You don’t have to be the first. You don’t have to be flashy. You just have to be consistent, and patient. And that’s what I try to do at Heartland Investor, help you build the habits and thinking it takes to invest with clarity and stay invested when it matters most.
That’s all for now,
Adam Crawford