The Unapologetic Capitalist

The key to productivity is to have a meaningful and optimal incentive system. Fear is unfortunately a powerful motivator so it might be tempting to try and change behavior through punitive measures for poor performance or bad behavior. But it is a short term play. You will lose talent. On the other hand, a positive […] The post The UC 060: Bribes or Threats? Which Gets Results? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Is the Founder of a company the best choice to be the CEO? When should you ask this question? Who do you ask? Join the discussion as Alison Gerlach, The Unapologetic Capitalist, and Todd Uterstaedt, host of From Founder to CEO, contemplate this essential leadership topic as to who is the best CEO to build […] The post The UC 059: Is the Founder the Best CEO for the Company? Guest Todd Uterstaedt appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Guest Paul Moore of Wellings Capital discusses making thoughtful real estate investments rather than speculating. Wellings Capital generates long term value by creating multi-generational wealth through multi-family, commercial real estate investing. Wellings Capital has a unique vision that aligns solid returns for its investors with a mission of greater altruistic giving. Join the discussion of […] The post The UC 058: Don't Speculate, Invest! with Guest Paul Moore of Wellings Capital appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Bias, whether unconscious or not, can unwittingly keep us from recognizing great opportunities. Your bias can destroy potentially significant long term value. It is VERY important to recognize and understand your biases so that you can overcome them and be a productive and value generating leader. Often times the greatest impediment to success is ourselves, […] The post The UC 057: Unconscious Bias: Can You Overcome Yours? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Like it or not, fear sells. However, leaders who resort to leading by fear are bad leaders. They fear the greatest fear of all: the truth. What do you fear? Can you rise above your fear to be a value generating leader? Unfortunately, Fear Sells Introduction of Show Topic: I've long since preached that it […] The post TheUC 056: Like it or Not, Fear Sells…Are You Buying? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

  Is there really ever a true ‘win-win' scenario? You hear it all the time, in business and even in life situations: ”Hey this is a win-win!” However, if you have to convince someone it is a ‘win-win,' then it probably isn't. And if one party's definition of a ‘win' is that someone else loses, […] The post TheUC 055: The Myth of the Win-Win Scenario appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Conflict arises in any venture. When that conflict escalates or becomes on-going between founders, partners, leaders and managers, it can destroy the value in even the most stalwart companies. In this episode, The UC discusses strategies and tactics to mitigate and manage conflict, retain value, and right the ship towards long term venture value. Brief […] The post TheUC 054: Keys to Managing Conflict appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

There is a ton of advice out there on starting a company. Some of the advice is sage, but much of it is inappropriately projective, often capricious, and even wayward. Starting and growing a company demands diligence, patience and most of all productivity. The Unapologetic Capitalist has an earnest discussion with Bill Aulet, Managing Director […] The post The UC 053: Disciplined Entrepreneurship with Bill Aulet appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Good leaders take responsibility and never place blame. Everyone is ready to take credit when things go well. Yet, it is all finger pointing at others when things go south. Blame is easy. Bad leaders blame someone or something else. But blame is unproductive and detrimental. Being a productive leader means taking responsibility. This discussion […] The post TheUC 052: Good Leaders Take Responsibility. Bad Leaders Place Blame appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Wherever you are is where you should be. If you try to be many places at once, you are truly present nowhere. Too many people are boasting that they are ‘so busy.' If you are consummately busy, you are either poor at time management, seriously undervaluing your time, or both. Some say how ‘busy' they […] The post TheUC 051: Why Are You So Busy? Be Better at Time Management appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

A successful business deal focuses on the long term value and not just closing the transaction. The deal is merely the ‘wedding' for the goal of a lifetime partnership or ‘marriage.'  Too many companies and funds consider closing the business deal to be the big ‘ta da.'  However, the transaction is just the starting point. […] The post TheUC 050: Thinking Beyond A Business Deal appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

The Unapologetic Capitalist revisits with Jordan Schindler, CEO of Textile Based Delivery and Nufabrx to check in on the growth and progress since previously profiling the venture. Jordan talks about the evolution of the company from its inaugural Nufabrx product into developing opportunities for licensing the proprietary technology of Textile Based Delivery. The discussion continues […] The post TheUC 049: Is Venture Capital Right for Your Company? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

It is hard to raise money. Yet, building and growing a business often requires capital.  However, simply needing cash doesn't mean you are ready to ask for and incorporate investment into your venture. Being ready to raise money means knowing how much you need, what those dollars are being optimally used for, and how and […] The post TheUC 048: Are You Ready to Raise Money? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

No matter what stage you are in your career, you need to make decisions that create career opportunities. The same strategies and tactics that can be used to create growth and value in your venture can also be applied to increasing your career opportunities. In this episode, the Unapologetic Capitalist discusses making decisions that bring […] The post TheUC 047: Simple Strategies to Create Career Opportunities appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Companies of all stages struggle to increase revenue. This discussion lays out an easy, 5 tactic approach that leverages your company's current customer base and core business to increase revenue. Identify Impediments to change. What's keeping you from changing to a new unit of business or from achieving higher performance and increase revenue on the […] The post TheUC 046: 5 Tactics that Increase Revenue appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

The Unapologetic Capitalist relays 2 simple strategies to plant seeds for quick, low risk and profitable ways to generate revenue in your business. As industries, economies and marketplaces emerge and evolve, businesses can stagnate.  Margins get squeezed, the shine of innovation wears off, and economies of scale can turn to dis-economies.  In an attempt to […] The post TheUC 045: 2 Simple Strategies to Generate Revenue appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Megalomaniac CEO's overuse their social media so their addicted egos can get the continuous adulations they need from their many manufactured ‘fans.' Studies show the more time they spend on social media, the more they sink the value of the company they are supposed to lead. Others are so private or fearful of connecting with the […] The post TheUC 044: Is Your Social Media Helping or Hurting Your Business? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Can the media be an effective tool in building value in your company? How does media build your company's brand and personal reputation?  Can the media be used to proactively or even reactively manage your reputation?  Special Guest: Davidson Goldin founder of Goldin Solutions specializing in corporate communications, public affairs and crisis based in Manhattan […] The post TheUC 043: Is Media Your Friend or Foe with Special Guest Davidson Goldin of Goldin Solutions appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

You, your venture, and the social media world is a perplexing threesome.  Where does the CEO as an individual separate from the vision and value of the company on social media? How do you find the balance between the two-way dialogue between your company and your customers that social media provides? How do you balance […] The post TheUC 042: You, Your Company and Social Media – A Tricky Threesome appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Are you a good CEO? What kind of leader are you? Many CEOs sink the value of their company by getting distracted by their own media. A good leader and CEO will prioritize the needs of the venture over their personal wants. It is important to learn what outlets and assets to properly leverage to […] The post TheUC 041: What Kind of CEO Are You? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

A CEO's job is to build long term value in their company. Yet many CEOs fail. Having the right CEO to lead a company is critical to a venture's success. The wrong CEO can be disastrous. Learn to spot the red flags, and ask the right questions to understand who the best CEO is to […] The post TheUC 040: Who is the Best CEO for Your Venture? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

CEO John Kawola of Harvest Automation discusses the challenges of selling innovation to a traditional marketplace that is generally slow to adopt new technologies. John Kawola talks about the need to invest in building face-to-face relationships with the customer and utilizing ‘old school' sales techniques such as product education and trials to convert sales. Selling […] The post TheUC 039: Selling Innovation with CEO John Kawola of Harvest Automation appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Building Product and Brand Awareness with Cheryl Rosner, CEO Stayful.com Building brand awareness is key to venture success. Stayful CEO Cheryl Rosner discusses the challenges of building product and brand awareness amongst multiple customer groups.  The show includes an in-depth conversation exploring the evolution of creating brand awareness with early adopting customers who are integrally involved in […] The post The UC 038: Building Brand Awareness with Stayful CEO Cheryl Rosner appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

An excellent product launch is critical for venture success. Robert Frisch, CEO of Firelight Camps, discusses the key challenges of preparing for a product launch. Firelight is bringing ‘glamping' (a high end camping experience) to unique hotel properties and vineyards. The UC and Robert discuss the product launch of an innovative product in the traditional […] The post TheUC 037: Preparing for Product Launch with CEO Robert Frisch of Firelight Camps appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

CEO Jordan Schindler of Nüfabrx discusses bringing his venture to the next major milestone by balancing investment in sales and inventory management. The discussion hits the 3 key impediments towards achieving the critical milestones in a high growth venture and discusses solutions for building a venture of significant value. Nufabrx Overview: This venture has created a new […] The post TheUC 036: CEO Jordan Schindler Discusses Growing His Venture Nufabrx appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Michael O. “Coop” Cooper, one of the world's top business coaches, facilitators and trainers, is the founder of Innovators and Influencers. Coop and The Unapologetic Capitalist discuss how high growth ventures can best work to achieve their major milestones. Introduction of Show Topic: How High Growth Ventures Can Bridge the Chasm from Today to The […] The post TheUC 035: Michael “Coop” Cooper of Innovators and Influencers Discusses Milestones appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Attracting new customers and earning their loyalty is hard and getting harder. Customers are fickle and overly informed. In today's day and age of instant information overload, how can you effectively attract customers and earn loyalty? Technology and social media, have given discerning consumers a lot more to consider when they buy. This makes it […] The post TheUC 034: Attract Customers and Earn Loyalty appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Successfully building customer loyalty will add significant value to your venture. However, creating and cultivating customer loyalty has become more and more difficult in the digital age. Customers are finicky, and the options to use competitive or substitutive products keep growing. Good enough at the right price will win in today's marketplace. To be successful, […] The post TheUC 033: Successfully Build Customer Loyalty appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Everyone loves free stuff. But once you've given your product away for free, you've just valued it at zero. People clamor to get free stuff like it is the most valuable thing ever, but once they've gotten it for free, they will almost never pay for it, because what they really value is the feeling […] The post TheUC 032: Forget ‘Freemium' Aim for Stay and Pay appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

The age old mantra of “buying low and selling high” is the basis for making money on any transaction including an M&A deal. However, there is a difference in perspective if you are a day trader or a house flipper versus buying something to generate substantial long term value.  For instance, sensitivity to purchase price […] The post TheUC 031: Buying Smart – Mastering the Art of M&A appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Patience is a virtue. However, leaders and entrepreneurs tend to be inherently impatient. No matter what stage your company is in, you will always feel the pressure of time and results. Time and results are like a chicken and egg situation.  Time will afford you the chance for results, and results will afford you more […] The post TheUC 030: Driving Results with Productive Patience appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Getting deals done often comes down to business relationships. Sometimes you have to deal with relationships that have gone sour which puts any business in jeopardy. You will have to decide whether or not the value in that relationship is worth saving. There are MANY ways to cross a bridge, but burning that bridge is […] The post TheUC 029: Repairing Business Relationships appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

When getting business done, you will have to deal with bad managers. However, business still needs to get done. It is very difficult to be the one who has to point out that the Emperor is naked. So here's a bit of a conundrum: Are you going to believe in truth above harmony? Or would you […] The post TheUC 028: Getting Business Done with Bad Managers appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Whether you are working on deal, raising money, dealing with a partner, vendor or employee, at some point, the relationship might start to go south. Defeat may be looming, but that doesn't mean you can't still salvage victory. What happens when you are crossing a proverbial bridge and see that there might be a crack […] The post TheUC 027: Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Cultivating talent is critical to business success. While some things can be taught, other things are simply innate. In cultivating talent, understanding what is nature versus nurture is essential. In our quest for building long-term extraordinary value, it is really important that we invest in what we can learn or what we can teach. Know how to spot and […] The post TheUC 026: Cultivating Talent: Nature vs. Nurture appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Being your own boss sounds great when you are working in a large corporation or are in school, but it comes with unique and sometimes Herculean challenges. Being your own boss also means that it all comes down to you. You may feel like you ‘get' to make the final decisions, but you are the […] The post TheUC 025: Being Your Own Boss with Special Guest Gerald Lucas appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

An All Star team isn't necessarily the OPTIMAL team. Team chemistry matters and optimally allocating your resources to germinate good leaders and managers within your company is paramount for success. There is some logic (though often short-sighted) in plucking single players out of another environment and putting them with other “All Star” individuals of excellent […] The post TheUC 024: Chemistry Matters – When All Stars Fail appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

There are times to lead and times to manage. It is important to know the difference between leadership and management. Leaders and managers are distinctly different roles. Many companies err because they don't understand the difference between a leader and manager. Leaders fail when they manage instead of lead, and managers fail when they lead […] The post TheUC 023: The Different Roles of Leaders and Managers appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Building market share and engaging in your marketplace is pivotal for long term success in your business. One of the most effective and valuable ways to build market share is attending conferences and trade shows where your market share is captive and IN PERSON. Don't think you can hide behind your electronics just be active […] The post TheUC 022: Building Market Share Effectively appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Terminating a relationship of any kind really sucks. There's just no getting around that. However, so often we find ourselves in situation where we need to cut the fat in our organizations. Sometimes we need to get rid of a toxin. So whether you are cutting the fat or creating addition by subtraction, there are many times […] The post TheUC 021: Cutting the Fat, Making the Tough Decisions, and Adding Value to Your Venture appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Learn the three key venture capital investment fallacies and how to avoid them so that you can be successful in fund raising for your venture. Understand the venture capital investor perspective and priorities so you can get in front of the right investor at the right time with the right opportunity. So what do venture capital […] The post TheUC 020: Think Like a Venture Capital Investor appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Venture capital investing and entrepreneurship one of the riskiest business paths to take. The great irony is that most of the folks involved in venture capital investing are perversely risk adverse. When raising money from venture capital investors, it helps to know what the view is like from their side of the table and what […] The post TheUC 019: The View from the Venture Capital Investor's Chair appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Raising money takes time, but sometimes you need to see results NOW. But you still need to raise money the right way for the right reasons. Some companies have the luxury to wait out a rough market or a long funding road, but the ‘wait and see' folks aren't the innovators and aren't the long-term […] The post TheUC 018: Raising Money the Right Way for the Right Reasons appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Making money means taking risks. Venture capital is some of the riskiest dollars to invest, yet venture capitalists are some of the most risk averse people on the planet. Most of us fear losing our jobs or fear being wrong, and sadly too many find comfort in dangerous group think so that if they are […] The post TheUC 017: Take the Risks Worth Taking appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Making money depends on getting your product sold to the RIGHT customer at the RIGHT price at the RIGHT time. Business development means developing a pipeline of business so that you can ultimately sell to them. Many business development and sales people think they are good at their jobs, but the proof is found in […] The post TheUC 016: Sell to the RIGHT Customers at the RIGHT Price at the RIGHT Time appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

As a new leader, you might be tempted to come into your new position and make a big splash to establish your mark and prove your worth to everyone by making some sweeping new measure. However, that's a lot like going into another country and demanding everything be done the way of your native land. […] The post TheUC 015: New Leadership and Paying for the Sins of Previous Management appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Company culture drives more success and failure of a company than most CEO's are willing admit. It is important to have an understanding of your company and its culture to be an effective leader. Culture is cultivated not contrived so you can't simply forge a culture out of thin air, nor can you insert yourself into […] The post TheUC 014: Company Culture, Is it Strategy's Friend or Execution's Foe? appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

You can do everything right, and your business may still kick you in the ass. Marketplaces go down. Customers can screw you. Employees can leave you in the lurch.  There are a lot of injustices in the business world, and a lot of moving parts in the marketplace that you can't control.  When you are […] The post TheUC 013: Keeping it Together When it All Falls Apart appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Being smart is knowing what you don't know and being open minded enough to hire it and learn it. The second you don't think you have anything more to learn is the instant you become irrelevant to your venture. Whether you are a Partner, Managing Director, a Fortune 100 CEO, a Professor Emeritus or first […] The post TheUC 012: Getting Smarter & Staying Relevant to Add Value to Your Business appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

Every business needs to sell something, whether it is a service, a consumer good, or a technology. This episode focuses on making the right product for your marketplace and customer. In addition, we will discuss the importance of excellent management to mitigate operational risks. It is critical to building value in your venture to make […] The post TheUC 011: Making Products That Make Money appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.

It is one thing to get out in the market, and it is another feat altogether to STAY in the market place and grow and thrive.  Both early stage and mature companies often struggle with successful growth strategies that bring short term gains while ensuring long term value and viability. In this episode we discuss […] The post TheUC 010: Keys to Successfully Growing Your Venture appeared first on The Unapologetic Capitalist.