Outside of his ridiculous athletic ability, I admired three things about Kobe Bryant: his business acumen, his penchant for creating (one of his ten keys to success was learning storytelling), and his obsessive attention to detail — like Steve Jobs. Kobe was a lifelong student …
Egos and Execution
If you only watch Netflix or follow the mainstream media, you’d think startups are romantic, sexy, and regularly mint billionaires. Sure, startups and new ventures can be exciting, but in many cases, they’re a grind and can be very stressful. The entrepreneurs who know this …
The Pursuit of Certainty is Hell
Like a drug addict searching for more of his narcotic of choice, the pursuit of certainty is my vice and the source of nearly every anxious moment I have… As an entrepreneur and someone who routinely takes on sizeable risks, I crave certainty. And I …
Turning a Basement Into a Rental Unit
The latest real estate renovation for investment purposes we completed was a basement suite. More specifically, it was the basement suite for a half-duplex (built in the 1960s) in the inner city. The premise behind the reno was to turn a single unit investment property …
What is Your Wealth Model?
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a conflicted man, and a brutal general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He was a ruthless tactician and a racist. Federalist William Tecumseh Sherman (another infamous general from the Civil War) famously dubbed him ‘that Devil Forrest.’ …
Finding the Silver Lining Amidst Chaos
Anxiety seeped through their voices. I heard devastating stories while speaking with many fellow entrepreneurs this past week. Some are left in precarious positions requiring a big dip into their personal savings to keep their employees paid and business afloat… Although a cash call to …
Invest in the Efficiency-Obsessed Entrepreneur
The market is shifting from aggressive growth-focused companies (scale before profit) to ones who actually generate profit… right from the commencement of commercialization. The renewed focus on the bottom line, I think, was brought about by WeWork’s failed IPO. Or perhaps that was the straw …
What I Learned After Reading Bitcoin Billionaires
After reading “Ugly Americans” (a personal top 50 book), and “Rigged” many years ago, I became a fan of author Ben Mezrich. He has a penchant for writing fascinating entrepreneurial stories, typically based on real-life events. So when Bitcoin Billionaires was released over the summer, …
Get Ready to Pay When a Tenant Leaves
This year has served as a good reminder. 2019 has been one of high tenant turnover, and managing rental properties has been time-consuming. Almost every rental property we manage has had a transition from one tenant to the next, which reminded me of just how …
The Buyer Shouldn’t Address The Elephant in the Room – That’s Your Job
A friend of mine and fellow entrepreneur is a ‘sensei of the sales process.’ The guy is a natural closer. He does it in such a casual yet skillful manner that when describing how he closes tough deals, you get the urge to pull out …