Over the past week, I’ve gotten lots of questions about @CapitalCamp, which took place this past week in Columbia, MO.
What is it? Why? Why there? Who?
Figured a thread might save some time and help attract the likeminded. Here’s the scoop:
In 2017 I was sitting in a hotel ballroom sipping on bad coffee surrounded by an army of blue blazers waiting to take down a rubber chicken lunch.
No one seemed happy, but hey, conferences aren’t supposed to be fun. It’s work, right?
I got back and called my friend @patrick_oshag about a crazy idea.
What if we put on an investing conference that was informative and enjoyable? What if we took people out of their element, got casual, and gave people the opportunity to form meaningful relationships?
He said:
Patrick and I met on Twitter and became great friends offline, over shared experiences and great meals. That’s how deep relationships form — randomly, then intentionally.
We wanted to create space for serendipity and connection, focused on relationship formation.
We settled on Columbia, MO not only because it’s my hometown, but also because it is flyover country, a lively college town, and relatively inexpensive, allowing us to charge normal conference fees but make the experience elevated.
Everything had to be top-notch.
We knew we needed full-time professional effort.
Thankfully, @Clayton_Dorge had been doing national events and had recently moved from Chicago to mid-Missouri.
He came on board in March of 2018 and we got to work, with @keliemorgan heavily contributing.
Next year was nutty. Kind of like operating a company, if you’ve never created 3 days for 200+ people, it’s hard to describe the challenges. Your backup plans must have backup plans.
As May 2019 approached, we weren’t sure if Capital Camp was going to be a blast or a flop.
I had nightmares that groups of angry people were yelling at me for bringing them to the middle of Missouri for a waste of their time...or worse.
We had challenges, like two tornadoes, one of which came close and ended an evening. I idiotically decided against name tags, so no one could recall who they talked to. Travel to Columbia was wrecked by terrible weather seemingly nation-wide.
But, despite that, it went well.
All was set for CC2020, but…ya know…the COVID. So we pushed the date. And pushed it again. And again. (Insert “push it real good” lyrics)
Finally, we went for it last week with everything possible outside or in large air column spaces and plenty of rapid tests available.
Eventually we ended up with 280 attendees and a 1200 person waitlist.
This year was about 40% returning campers. We love the deepening of relationships that continuity brings, but also want serendipity.
Stage time was only about 1/4 of the day, with the rest being filled by masterclasses on endurance running, butchering a halibut, how to win a bar fight, tactical shooting with special forces, and a special film screening with the director, as well as classes taught by attendees.
Evenings are for relaxing, eating well, and conversation.
The running joke is that @patrick_oshag runs an investing conference while I put on a food and wine festival.
We all have our strengths and as a fat kid, I choose to embrace mine. The Nashan brothers are our chefs.
The last night is particularly special, set on a beautiful farm north of Columbia.
It’s the best food, drink, music, and setting we can muster, punctuated by professional fireworks, hot air balloons, and even some nitro ice cream for dessert.
If you’re curious what attendees thought, here’s some of them in their own words:
Elderly are self-focused. Elders are other-focused. Elderly are concerned with what they get. Elders are concerned with what they can give. Elderly value comfort. Elders value relationships.
Life goal is to become an elder.
I've had the privilege of spending time with some elders over the past couple years.
Without exception they are non-anxious, humble and confident, curious, and impossible to offend. They'll challenge and encourage, often simultaneously, without a hint of condescension.
They're quick to talk about their failures and open about their struggles. They use resources to form and deepen friendships. They ask questions that provoke depth of thought. They are hesitant to give advice. They're always for you, especially when you're not for yourself.
Completed 2 weeks with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and figured I'd share the results/conclusions.
While nothing is surprising, here are 5 takeaways that have helped me change patterns of eating and exercise:
Hope something in here might help you.
Getting, applying, and using the CGM was shockingly easy and painless.
@Levels is great and made it easy. Their CGM was idiot-proof and comfortable. Not once did it interrupt any activity or sleep. Their UI was helpful to point out trends and analyze the data.
The CGM gamified eating and exercise in a way that helped me be more thoughtful about what I was eating and doing, and encouraged experimentation.
Being more aware helped me drop a couple pounds over the two weeks and be far more active. Since then, the momentum has continued.
18 months ago I asked a wise older man for the #1 piece of advice he would give his 30 year old self. He said:
"Read the Bible every day, then journal what you should know, who you should be, and what you should do based on what you read. It will change your life."
Judges 19-21; Luke 7:31-50 – Know: Wisdom is justified by all her children. The story of the sinful woman shows the two responses to Jesus that I can have. The Pharisees were considered the wisest and focused on right behavior, and yet their hearts were far from God. They could… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Ruth 1-4; Luke 8:1-25 – Know: To be free is to be fully known and fully loved, with nothing to fear and nothing to hide. That is life and life abundant! We are looking for an unfailing love that is independent of utility and accepting of our faults. It is a love that is steadfast… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
1. I am not the center of the universe 2. I do not know everything, nor nearly as much as I think I do. 3. There is dignity and purpose in knowing my trade. 4. The world needs me. 5. Pay is a reward for my efforts but not my main motivation. 6. Every person has unique gifts and talents.
For those who are checking Twitter this morning because they feel like they're not enough, they fear they don't matter, they know the world isn't how it should be, and that somehow by gaining an insight or getting noticed it will make things ok.
I see you, because I've been you.
I used to wake up most mornings haunted by inadequacy and fear, with sweaty palms and a racing heart, wondering how I was going to prove that I was something.
I felt the crushing weight of anxiety on my chest. It was fear, but of the unknown. It's a painful emptiness, a void.
We're kicking off a new series @PermanentEquity called Outside Insights, where we bring in a friend to talk about small business ownership and operations.
EP1: @ShaneAParrish chats about discipline, ritual, continuous learning, and investing mistakes.
For most, @ShaneAParrish needs no introduction. He runs @farnamstreet, is a top-notch investor, and is one of the best thinkers, curators, and synthesizers on mental models and frameworks.
He's also a long-time friend and someone I've watched closely now for close to a decade.
We've spent hundreds of hours together in a variety of settings and each time I come away thinking about the world differently.
Shane takes getting better seriously, with an almost Spock-like intensity. And yet he's kind, generous, and highly empathetic. Super rare combination.