During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all learned what life would be like with fewer obligations. Business meetings, church services, kids’ activities and other events all got put on hold and we all found ourselves with a lot more free time. Personally, I went from averaging 10-15 in-person meetings per week to […]
View PostMy Quarterly Update: Q2 2020

Looking back at my most recent quarterly update, it’s amazing to see how much the world has changed in such a short period of time. A little over a month ago, we were attending church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, our children were in school and we had a full travel schedule planned for […]
View PostPreserving Cash is the Key to Your Business Surviving the COVID-19 Recession

We find ourselves in unprecedented times. Many small businesses have had to close their doors and furlough employees with no idea when they might be able to re-open. Unemployment claims have hit an all-time high and some are predicting that COVID-19 related job losses could reach 47 million. The United States economy is undoubtedly in […]
View PostSioux Falls 2030: Four Hopes for the Startup Ecosystem

These thoughts are my own and are not necessarily those of the Startup Sioux Falls, the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship or any other organization I may be involved with. With the launch of the new Zeal + Startup Sioux Falls website, the merger between the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship and Startup Sioux Falls is now […]
View PostHow Younger Donors are Changing the Face of Charitable Giving in Sioux Falls.

A while back, I was invited to participate in a focus group of business leaders for the Sioux Falls Brand project which is a collaboration of the City, the Chamber, and the Development Foundation to develop a consistent brand and logo to use when promoting the city. The consultants asked our group several questions about […]
View PostHow to be an Effective Non-Profit Board Member

There are more than 500 non-profits that have 501c3 status in the Sioux Falls metro. The IRS requires each 501c3 to have a governing board of at least three members to maintain their tax-exempt status. Some non-profit boards exist in name only and others are high-profile, high-effort volunteer roles that require a significant commitment but […]
View PostMoving is Better Than Shaking: What I’ve Learned about Personal Branding from Kevin Tupy

(Watch this Video on YouTube) A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend a Christmas party that entrepreneur Kevin Tupy held for his real estate and business development firm, Cresten Capital Holdings. It was held at the new Tavern 180 restaurant and the food was top-notch (try the Chicken Parmesan, you won’t regret […]
View PostMy Quarterly Update: Q4 2019

It’s Christmas Eve as I publish this. MarketBeat’s work has largely wrapped up for the year. Our startup community events are on pause until mid-January. The never-ending buzz of social media has slowed to a crawl and my email inbox is surprisingly empty. Our kids are eagerly awaiting their Christmas presents and Micah is excited […]
View PostWhy “Skip the Latte” is Terrible Financial Advice

(Watch this Video on YouTube) Financial author David Bach is famous for teaching a concept called “The Latte Factor,” which is the idea that recurring small purchases like coffee, cigarettes and ordering pizza add up to a ridiculous amount of money over the course of a lifetime. For example, if you were to buy a […]
View PostHow MarketBeat is Preparing for the Next Recession and How You Can Prepare Your Business Too

(Watch this Video on YouTube) 2008 was a very bad year for many industries. The financial media space, which MarketBeat operates in, was perhaps the worst hit. Investors took money out of the stock market in droves as the S&P 500 lost 50% of its value during the 18-month bear market that lasted between October […]
View Post