One of the most impactful things I've done in the past 10 years is join a business forum.
Every month, I sit in a room and pour my heart out about my business and life problems to a group of 5 other entrepreneurs.
It's the same group every time and it's 100% confidential...
I have multiple groups and do one most weeks for the past 10 years.
I've been in groups with people who run popsicle businesses, puzzle companies, woodworking shops, tech companies—you name it.
Entrepreneurs have oddly universal problems and I've learned something from everyone
We've helped one another navigate:
- Failed business partnerships
- Bankruptcies
- Divorces
- Fraud
- Health scares
- Lawsuits
- Exits
- Toxic employees
- Mental health issues
- Deaths in the family
- Issues with kids
You name it, we've dealt with it and learned as a group...
Many of my forum mates have become my closest friends. So much so that the executors of my will are forum mates.
It's incredible what happens when you get in a room, navigate common problems, and build trust over a decade...
Forum is like group therapy for entrepreneurs under the guise of #networking.
In reality, we all made better decisions and felt less alone as a result.
So this oil prospector dies and goes to heaven. At the gate, St. Peter reads the account of his life and tells him that he's qualified for heaven, but there was a problem
"See that crowd over there? They're all oil prospectors who've arrived before you".... 👇
"And the way things work here, you can't get in until after them. So I'm afraid this looks like a long wait for you."
"Not a problem," replies the man. "I know how to get rid of that crowd..."
So he turns towards them and shouts, "Hey, did you hear? Oil has been discovered in hell!"
And sure enough, as soon as they heard him, every single one of them ran off towards hell....
3/ "Founders claim that one of the podcast’s main goals was to extract financial data from founders that Latka then packaged and sold to investors and other interested parties."...
For 15 years, we have owned @metalab, one of the world's top product design agencies - metalab.com
As our work became well known, we got a lot of attention...
And we started getting mobbed by potential buyers.
Usually private equity and big tech companies...
We didn't necessarily want to sell.
Maybe just take some chips off the table.
We loved the business, but the numbers they shared were exciting.
Then, over and over, we would realize that the buyer would ruin our culture, piss off our employees, and probably wreck our brand...
For years, we watched as many of our best competitors and friends sold their agencies in talent acquisitions to big tech companies or large conglomerates like WPP, Omnicom, and Publicis.