a game changing c.f.o-the importance of having a great mentor in your organization
- c.f.o as game-changer
as c.e.o i deliberate, i engage in strategic thinking, and I develop the best strategy that should be implemented on behalf of my team, my clients, my family, and my community. most often, strategically, we are right on the money, backed by powerful tactical flanking executed by the team.
i don’t always know how to handle everyone-i don’t always get interpersonal relationships right: i am burdened by the entirety of the enterprise-which is no excuse-i refuse excuses from others and will not accept one from myself.
but, i can become so engaged in the day’s affairs and so wrapped up in my own ego, that i can’t see the forest from the trees-and the trees are my team. trees need water and the chance to grow.
i became insensibly unable to deal with a member of the team because i could not, through my limited prism of life and business experience comprehend the true nature of that person’s character or abilities-and i gave up. my c.f.o did not. she saw what i did not: a biz developer, a hustler, a beehive worker-a passionate, unique individual whose life experiences, bound together into a quilt of embedded memory make her a valuable player to my clients, my team, and to me.
my c.f.0, eve, worked with her and what i can see-early days-is an early spring of personal growth and business mojo. always listen in business, always look for the tipping point, which is to be found at the edges, not at the centre, at those moments when you should listen, and are not. effective=active=acting intelligently. that’s what i am beginning to see in this person that the c.f .o is mentoring, and i am proud and grateful.
we may have a business development powerhouse on our hands in this young acolyte.
e-raod cycle, update 2
E-ROAD Update 2
the forbes legacy ventures team will be test driving the E-Road this sunday at, 2pm.
almost zero carbon emissions
seems perfect for downtown….we will keep you posted…
korean airlines: downtown’s biggest booster-exemplifies korean business practice: the mentality of a warrior
Korean Air
Korean airlines: a developer? yup. the only player spending a billion plus to build downtown los angeles’ newest, biggest, tallest, most state of the art skyscraper.
go figure: investing through the recession.
a better farmer’s market for downtown los angeles update 2(first posted in southparkla.com)
happily, a key and important stake-holder in our south park community has conditionally embraced the idea of a weekly farmer’s market for the community.
further, he has brought to the table some very forward-thinking, well thought out ideas, reorienting our own conceptions-essentially, significantly improving on them.
based on our chat, (this gentleman was very patient with us and gave wide berth to the overly energized c.e.o), we will continue to move forward with our plans to develop a weekly, organic, widely-ranged farmers market.
the stake-holder opened up for us the extent of the potential market-from FIDM north, to the California Hospital Med Center to the south, LA Live (Ritz-Marriott) to the west, and a vitalized, vibrant ‘edgy’ mix of lofts to the east.
the community thanks him-I certainly do.
we will keep you posted on this potential game changer: more community activity, more connectivity: bringing ‘neighborhood’ to steel towers and lifting quality of life.
a workable model: moving beyond credit scores: the next model-innovation scores
it is important that entrepreneurship at it’s most grass-roots level flourish.
banks are barely lending to small companies-even ones that have been established for awhile and have good credit.
a group of micro-angle investors needs to develop a new model to pump-prime young, bright entrepreneurs in downtown los angeles based on four components:
1. efficacy of product or service: supremely simple, ingenuous, and highly marketable through a blend of marketing tactics: on line and on the ground-backed by powerful viral-seo-email marketing.
2. willingness of start-up entrepreneur to accept sound advice and follow workable plans, and systems.
3. non-monetized collateral: trust/commendations, and personal references.
4. understanding that % of ownership and/or % of gross will be retained for working shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
many young entrepreneurs don’t have enough of a credit history or/and for a variety of plausible reasons (the economy) have poor credit.
lets move beyond credit scores to innovation scores and develop a hybrid model of boot-strap financing in downtown l.a for businesses and start-ups with great ideas, good products, and a proven track record of treating people with decency and respect.
for more info on this please visit: http://www.revanchist group.com or/and LABWRBLOG.wordpress.com
thoughts? ideas? are you one of those entreprenuers or a potential micro-angel investor ($500-$1000) please email: info@southparkbusinessincubator.biz
evolve
evolve
this recession is not like prior recessions. chaos: globalization and technology=turbulence. do not count on uninterrupted periods of prosperity-become a wave rider. values: this recession, no matter when it ends, will modify people’s….
values: community, sociability, and safety will be at the top of the consumer’s mind. think like the potential customer-brand and market into their hopes ( a better community, more social interaction, and a safe environment. hint: it’s all about local, local, local and using all the tools of the Internet to go global, IE. low fixed costs with local operations, vast monetization possibilities if your online e-commerce presence is powerful and brilliantly marketed (yes-seo, viral, email mkt works-period-get used to it).
products: there is little wiggle room left for poorly made products. mkt research firm Neilsen has found that through good and bad times consumers are willing to buy innovative products. make sure you explain to your customer how your product solves their problem-whatever the product-whatever the problem.
cost cutting: action negotiation-ask for whatever you want from your suppliers and vendors and landlords-this is the window to trim overhead and enlightened suppliers, vendors, and landlords will meet you half-way. right now, and for the next three years, you are in the driver’s seat-customer retention and tenant retention is paramount to these folks. lower your overhead. forbes legacy ventures llc is working with one client to move in the direction of drilling to profit points by being transparent with suppliers and vendors: want a customer? bend over backwards.
new mkts: create your own game-changing niche (that’s what hope business center is doing with the south park development group)-a new virtual office paradigm that includes direct email marketing services, web site services, e commerce services with virtual offices at very, very competitive prices=high value= paradigm shift, new niche, ownership of a market that hitherto had not been created. For more info email: inquires@flvllc.com or nvanparys@hopebuscenter.com
a little is a lot: when times were good, businesses got lazy-now is the time to experiment with your business model and really develop your ecommerce model-don’t rush. look at your entire business model-leave pride aside: is it working?
status quo=bad: be hyper-flexible-form alliances, develop into new networks, shed business units that are clear disasters-move on.
he hated customer: they are, like all critics, your greatest ally because they force you to innovate to make them customers you can love.
“an innovation to be effective has to be simple and focused.”- peter drucker
an association to compliment the chambers: the los angeles business war room, hq in downtown south park l.a at south park development group HQ’s
posted by: martin cavanaugh porter, c.e.o forbes legacy ventures llc and co-managing partner of the south park development group (1100 south hope street, suite 103, l.a ca USA t. 001 213 550 460, f. 001 213 817 708. email: mcporter@flvllc.com
co posted by: brett h tomich, c.d.o of forbes, and co-managing partner of the south park development group email: btomich@flvllc.com
There are a few young lights in Los Angeles: Josh Gray-Emmer, Nick Van Parys, Brett H Tomich, Cyrus Sigari, Ben Marcus, Mark Rojas, Matt Wilson, Jaspar Weir, Bryce Maddock, Mike Bayer, Jason Peterson, Casey Wasserman, Michael Van Parys, Tyler Joel Wilson, Joseph Pitruzzelli, Daniel Negari,Ari Mir, Ophir Tanz, Robby Berthume, Samuel Moon, James Requa, Ali Salomi, Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian, Daniel Miller, and the list goes on…who are bright, young, under 35, and have proven track records of branding, building, developing, and selling businesses.
We want to work closely with the mutlitide of business chambers, especially the Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles, led by Jorge C. Corralejo. Why? Because I know Jorge: He has been in the business of connectivity, bringing business groups (of all stripes-you could take Latino out of the tremendous organization of which he is Chairman and the name would still apply). He is transparent, he is deeply connected, he is un-corruptable, and I have seen him personally change a companies’ paradigm. When I was C.O.O of US Metro Group, Jorge opened doors that, prior to him were slammed shut. Jorge meets with Bernake (Fed Reserve Chief), he meets with our U.S Treasury Sec, and in L.A, there isn’t an important person he does not know. His board, his founding members are an enviable list of firepower-financers, legal firms, and organizations that can make things happen.
It is our profound hope that Jorge join with The Los Angeles Business War Room to make change happen. It is our intent thatthe LABWR act as an organizing force (business-community) to integrate a libertarian view toward business with a powerful social-justice ethos. Jorge knows how to make that happen-he knows the power of uniting businesses with the needs of communities into a powerful force for change-less red tape, greater social justice-shoulder-to-shoulder.
The economic cycle has changed, the men in suits have not. Institutions are crumbling-it’s about time-and it’s up to the next wave to find new innovations, drive progress, and share resources (informational and financial) together.
It’s up to us to act together to be the influencers and decision makers in Los Angeles.
To vitalize a better way of doing business that is rooted in the following paradigm: maximizing profits, monetizing every aspect of a business, while, at the same time, engaging in ‘pull up your sock’ assistance to other young businessmen and women with great ideas and limited resources.
Further, to leverage our elan, youth, vitality, and vigor, combined with our economic clout and tech-savvy to encourage a new politics that combines a passion for reducing red-tape and the enemies of start-up business with a passion for social justice and equitbility.
The founders of Forbes Legacy Ventures LLC and The Hope Business Center (in Downtown South Park Los Angeles): Martin Cavanaugh Porter III, Brett H Tomich, and Nick Van Parys (all under 35), are formulating the beginnings of a proposal: The Los Angeles Business War Room-an alternative to the recycled Chambers of Commerce, the endless, repetitive workshops, the closed doors, and the frustrating inability to actually connect, network, and advance.
Often times tipping points in a society arise out of a word-of-mouth (viral) consensus in society by young, affluent, progressive men and women. Our ability to be the button-pushers of these tipping points should be leveraged toward a better, brighter city led by younger, better businessmen and women who look like the city itself-from all races, creeds, colors, and points of departure.
We, the few, who take the tough, rewarding path of entrepreneurship can also take Los Angeles and build it into our vision.
“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” – Ayn Rand
Much more to come on this subject….
to chat about the Los Angeles Business War Room email us at: inquiries@flvllc.com
is downtown south park l.a ready for an organic farmer’s market?
a farmers market for the downtown los angeles south park community
full disclosure first posted on our corporate blog: http://revanchistgroup.blogspot.com/ (www.flvllc.com)
flv llc/south park development group is a micro-vc, biz dev company headquartered in south park los angeles.
almost all of it’s principal members also live in south park los angeles.
first state the obvious: we are intent on being a central player regarding the mix of businesses that land in south park through our v.c and through our growing efforts to promote south park.
ergo, we want to do everything we can to increase the value of south park in terms of our investments (be that directly in real estate or, as a vc-biz dev, in the companies’ we locate to south park-and to downtown in general) and the quality of life for the residents, stake holders, and current businesses in south park.
we are passionate about south park l.a -we are in the arena:
“….the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly….” – T.R
we are moving forward with preliminary studies of an organic farmer’s market for south park l.a. it is in first stages-we have strong contacts with current farmer’s mkts but we need to develop our analytics on this and come to some reasonable conclusions regarding feasibility.
we want feed back from the community and have started putting out feelers. brett and i will keep you posted and also provide you with the feed back we get: why stake holders were or were not interested and what their reasons were.
we will also share with you our #’s-our feasibility study.
thoughts? email us at: mcporter@flvllc.com
josh gray-emmer: building on success
posted by brett tomich & martin cavanaugh porter III- forbes legacy ventures llc & the south park development group (www.flvllc.com)
i (martin) have tracked Josh’s career from afar for awhile-he’s a marketing visionary (and a genuinely nice guy to boot).
as biz-dev guy and, to a degree, a brander, the model that josh gray-emmer came up with three years ago (see link below) at the end of post) was sheer mastery: low fixed costs, maximum monetizing, to a degree verifiable by all the publicity that resulted from his campaigns.
http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2004/09/06/news/news04.txt
josh gray-emmer has taken that experience and leveraged it at the HAAS Building/LoftSEVEN (links below), turning the property and its event’s rooftop into work of branding-marketing-business art-just phenomenal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haas_Building
basically, emmer has gone from software (marketing that is difficult, often to verify result-all though in his case, the models our company, forbes legacy ventures llc ran four years ago when studying his methodology showed you could argue verification through amount of free p.r that resulted from his model-which then resulted in overall increase in the business emmer was repping sale’s: we even put an approx (very approx) dollar figure to it-it was very high) to hardware (investing time, energy, and dollars in a bricks-and-mortar project).
more than that josh gray-emmer has made a stand in downtown los angeles-and we, at forbes legacy ventures llc – the south park development group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
how much do we appreciate josh gray-emmer’s stand in the middle of a downturn? enough to put into this post one of the author’s (martin) favorite quotes:
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”- Teddy Roosevelt
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