Spanish Proverb

People have a huge impact on your life. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” says American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn.

You should think about the people you are associating with the same way you think about what you eat and how you’re exercising. Here are a few examples on just how poignant this one reality can be.

The “PayPal Mafia” is a group of former PayPal employees and founders who have since founded and developed additional successful technology companies such as Tesla, Inc., LinkedIn, Palantir Technologies, SpaceX, Affirm, Slide, Kiva, YouTube, Yelp, and Yammer. Most of these so-called members attended Stanford University or University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at some point in their studies.

Why do we denigrate a smoothly run southern Mediterranean conglomerate with tight hierarchical...

Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and The Joys of Compounding

This portrait below of a noble woman, dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day, and seated at the foreground of a mountainous landscape, is an instance of Leonardo’s sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The Mona Lisa ‘s enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame. Guys love it when girls play hard to get.

Also, of legendary fame, albeit in a much less sensual manner, are Warren Buffett’s annual letters to his partners within the financial industry. This letter is anxiously anticipated by his loyal Omahans. I refer to one going back to 1964.

Buffett loquaciously espouses:

“ Since the whole subject of compounding has such a crass ring to it, I will attempt to introduce a little class into this discussion by turning to the art world. Francis I of France paid 4,000 ecus in 1540 for Leonardo da...

Not since that fateful historic crossing of the Delaware River have so many suits left Trenton for Dover.

That heroic image of General George Washington crossing the half frozen Delaware River on Christmas during the Revolutionary War was etched in our minds in childhood. For me it was the Muppets version that left an indelible image on my moist, youthful intellect. With 5,400 troops, Big George ( Martha ‘s nickname) hoped to surprise the Hessian mercenary forces celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey. Unsteady from the prior evening’s revelries, Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the Germans’ defenses, and by porridge time the town was surrounded. While the strategic advantages of this skirmish were not substantial, the positive psychological affects were astronomical, as the Patriots had recently suffered the loss of New York City and other strategic points in the region.

 

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Where Is This Renewed Interest In Outer Space Coming From?

Our fascination is no longer limited to interesting scientific endeavors relying on the radio transmissions of go-kart sized satellites. Every corporate bigwig is bringing his toy rocket to the Board Room sandbox. Elon Musk’s Space X has established the commercial viability of its Falcon 9 Rocket, the first orbital class rocket capable or reflight. Jeff Bezos has undertaken some lofty goals with his Blue Origin. He believes “that in order to preserve Earth, our home, for our grandchildren’s grandchildren, we must go to space to tap its unlimited resources and energy. Like the Industrial Revolution gave way to trade, economic abundance, new communities and high-speed transportation — our road to space opens to the door to the infinite and yet unimaginable future generations might enjoy”. Overnight moon rocks, anyone? Do not forget the O.G. of modern space spin...

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan [EIDL] from the Small Business Administration. The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue due to coronavirus.

As in all governmental relief programs, the key to approval is the accuracy and punctuality of documentation.

While you may not submit your firm’s documentation automatically, you must keep careful records of how you spend EIDL proceeds in the event of an SBA or other governmental agency future review. Just as there have been audits and inspections of past disasters, there will be scrutiny of some of these loans as well. It would be wise to note all relevant expenditures as “EIDL” in your accounting program and keep an actual hardcopy file with...

Avoiding Business Road Rash

By Luigi Rosabianca of Shield Advisory Group

There is no lack of sporting analogies and Team references to business strategy and success. No “i” in Team; Vince Lombardi quotes in board rooms; sports legend as spokesperson; bla bla bla. Yawn.

One sport is not often seen in ‘Team’ terms. Especially on this side of the Pond. Cycling. I cannot imagine another physical endeavor as physically and emotionally taxing of the human body as a cycling grand tour (Tour de France, Il Giro, la Vuelta)- besides starting one’s own business.

This is where my witty analogy starts to take shape so pay close attention.

There are 8 riders in a cycling Team. Various teams in a road race tend to ride in one tight clump called a peloton so everyone gets the benefit of drafting, except for the guy in the lead, of course. He (or she, as the female tours are gaining popularity) is said to be pulling the pack. The puller...