Newsletter
The Think Like an Owner newsletter is a compilation of my thoughts on investing in and operating small companies, published every other week. In the newsletter, I also share interesting and relevant resources I recently came across.
Filter By Tag:
2021 Annual Letter
What a year it’s been. My wife, Michelle, was accepted into Creighton University’s physical therapy doctorate program and in June 2021 we moved with our corgi, Cici, from Portland, Oregon to Omaha, Nebraska. Neither of us had ever been to Omaha before, but we have enjoyed the new city immensely and are feeling settled now. No, we have not seen Warren Buffett, but we are three blocks from his building
TLAO Newsletter #45: Elon Musk’s Process Improvement Philosophy
The one resource I saw over the past two weeks I can’t get out of my head is this video of Elon Musk describing his systems improvement process. It’s short, only two and a half minutes in length, but incredibly insightful. When I think of process improvement, my first thoughts are automation, simplification, and just going faster. That’s the basis of process improvement and we should always start there, right?
TLAO Newsletter #44: Craig Fuller, Eads Bridge, and FatFIRE
I haven’t written anything since May but Lauren Rothlisberger inspired me to start writing again. Let’s see how this goes! As for excuses on why I’ve fallen off, I have none. I tell myself my work on other exciting projects has taken time away from writing, but I know that’s a weak alibi. Far busier folks manage to write on a consistent basis. My wife and I also moved in
The Hidden Cost of Entrepreneurship
I met my former boss, Nick Fisher, in high school. He was running an entrepreneurship program for high school students called Young Entrepreneurs Business Week. Students in the first year program would spend a week on a college campus and work in teams to run a mock business for a week and present their findings on the last day. I had gone through the program the previous summer and this
Don’t Search, Podcast
It’s becoming harder to stand out as a searcher using traditional means of communication like email and phone calls.
You Earn the Right to Simplify
In a conversation with a friend recently, we talked about how professionals deep in their careers are able to take in a wide range of information and find the piece that matters most. They can simplify everything down to only the most important elements. Short 1-2 sentence emails, a quick yes or no, and brief phone calls. All in an effort to simplify complex problems and manage their busy schedule.
Issue #39: The Power of Paper
Earlier this week my wife and I took our corgi puppy, Cici, to the vet for her second round of vaccines and the vet did something that caught my attention. When we parked and someone came to check us in from our car, they handed us a pamphlet with a plan of care package offer for the first 16 weeks of her life. It included vaccinations, shots, nail trimming, flea
Issue #38: Puppy Constraints
Two weeks ago my wife and I got a corgi. Cici’s adorable, but she’s put some tight constraints on my time.
Issue #37: What is your Operating Handbook?
My wife and I have been adjusting to life with a new corgi puppy this week and thus my writing time has been much more limited. But I wanted to ask one question of you. What resources, articles, books, podcasts, newsletters do you go to for great information and content on running a small business? I’m looking not only to make the podcast better, but conducting general research on what
Issue #36: Where to Start?
When folks ask what I want to be doing one day, I tell them I want to build a portfolio of small, private companies. But I’ve come to realize that statement doesn’t actually say anything.
Subscribe
Letters
Each year I write an annual letter to readers and listeners to reflect on the evolution of the podcast and my personal growth.
2020 Annual Letter: It’s Business Time
While 2020 was turbulent to say the least, it was the best year of my life. I married my lovely wife in late August, adopted a corgi, and began working on the Think Like an Owner podcast full-time.
2019 Annual Letter: Gaining Traction
Before getting to the podcast, 2019 was a tremendous year personally. I flew to DC for a FinTwit gathering hosted by Jamie Catherwood, graduated college with a new job, and got engaged.
2018 Annual Letter to Readers and Listeners
As a fun goal for myself, I’ve decided to start writing annual (and possibly quarterly) letters for the Think Like an Owner project to reflect on the growth of the podcast, discussion around the micro private equity market, and my personal learning.
