Add to Life's Excitement and Possibilities

“Pursue your dreams, be persistent and don’t give up.”
- Curt LaBelle

Add Your Own Unique Contribution to Life’s Excitement and Possibilities

I had the opportunity to participate in the 25th Annual Investors Choice Venture Capital Conference on Thursday. This annual event is the culmination of thousands of hours of work by entrepreneurs, investors and the professionals that work with them. The conference is a great event; but if you only attend the conference itself you would see a very small part of what amounts to an immense movement.


This year’s conference showcased twenty-six companies as they presented their business to investors from across the United States. The companies themselves came from locations from Hawaii to South Carolina. And, they were prepared by Mentors who donated their time and expertise to help these companies hone their “pitch.”


Each presenting company received ten minutes in which to make their presentation to the large crowd in attendance. That may seem like an easy task; but each entrepreneur realized that it was their shot at raising millions of dollars to help make their dreams come true so, they wanted to put everything they had into creating the best presentation possible.


I love the process created by Wayne Brown Institute to help these companies. My friend Brad Bertoch, President & CEO of the Institute calls it Cooperative “Venturing.” Cooperative Venturing combines experienced professionals such as attorneys, accountants, financial experts and marketers with entrepreneurs to provide them with access to capital, expertise and a strong network for little cost. It allows everyone involved to pursue their dreams within a concentrated time frame and specific, proven system to reach a successful outcome.


Every participating company had to apply to be accepted to participate and then, they worked as a member of a team to create and improve their presentation. If you were to walk into one of these “mentoring sessions” you would see thousands of dollars of billable time being donated to the entrepreneur! With such amazing “fire-power” in the room you can bet that it takes a great deal of persistence and work to create a winning presentation.


There are times in this process when the entrepreneurs feel as if their presentation just can’t be done in the ten minutes allotted! They present to their team; they get comments; they go back to work on their presentation and they finally get it close to perfection. It is a process that forces every participant to produce their very best outcome!


Why do people put themselves through such a rigorous process? On the surface it appears as if it’s all about making money. But in the nineteen years I’ve been participating it has become clear to me that it’s about much more than that!


I contribute because I love to be inspired by the creativity and drive demonstrated by the participating entrepreneurs. I always sit in awe of their intelligence, ability and determination. This was the case again this year as I had the chance to work with Kuru Footwear, Immunologix and NVH Technologies.


Bret Rasmussen, Founder and President of Kuru Footear, has had a dream of creating incredible shoes since he was ten years old! Today, he is living that dream by creating a new category of outdoor/urban wear that you have to wear to believe. Take a look for yourself at http://www.kurufootwear.com/.


Ryan Fiorini, President of Immunologix, has built a company that has created a new technology to create human antibodies for autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Now the treatment for health issues such as a snake bite will no longer have the potential to be more harmful than the venom itself! You can learn more at http://www.immunologixinc.com/.


Tod Schulthess, President & CEO of NVH Technologies, has built a company around new technology capable of delivering high tech solutions for critically unsolvable low frequency noise problems. I like to think of this company as creating “noise cancelling head phones” for locomotives! Their products allow operators to drive a train or hauler without feeling as if they have been run over at the end of the day. See more about what they have created at http://www.nvhtechnologies.com/.


Now you can see why I take part in the process of Cooperative Venturing. It fills my soul with new energy and vision. It gives me a chance to associate with amazing people. It shows me that almost nothing is impossible because these new companies are doing what was once thought of as impossible! I get to work with people who have, “never give up” firmly implanted into their being.Let me ask you a question. Are you doing something on a regular basis that reaffirms your desire to pursue your dreams, be persistent and to never give up? Have you found a group of people to connect with that brings out the best you have to offer the world? If not, take a few minutes to make a plan to do so. It will be well worth the effort! You deserve to be excited about life and all its possibilities. But, most importantly, you deserve to add to life’s excitement and possibilities as only you can!