Entrepreneur, Explorer, Angel.
Sometimes all at Once.
08TH November 2020
Culture - Family Office - Geopolitical - Leadership - Timely
Hang on, Whitey. Whitey hang on.
Ok, that just happened. It’s like we’ve all been watching this intrepid surfer, up high on the board, whooping for the crowds, showing his tan on a remarkable ride… that lasted four years by last count. And that ride is now likely over, but the wave beneath is much bigger than the surfer himself. And this wave will be with us for awhile; it’s called White Extinction Anxiety. I grew up marginally upwardly middle class in Allegheny County, PA. Yes, that Allegheny County, where we seem to count a little slower… when it counts. We were white- my team mates from Little League Champs Robert’s Oil, my hunting camp family in Pennsyl-tucky (aka Clearfield, PA), my Brighton Township Bears Pop Warner football team, my family reunions of the OG Miles […]
19TH July 2019
Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Uncategorized
Incredulous #6; Mom fired for Kid’s Insta Antics
Influencers seem to be on the downslide, and this edge case got my attention. The kid was obnoxious. She shouldn’t be on Insta. I’m sorry her Mom got fired, but she’ll have more time for parenting… Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: A long time ago, someone saved up for their kids college… by investing in a no-lose asset class of the 90’s… we check in because, well, now maybe Beanie Babies Empire won’t pay for college If you like what you see, add your thoughts for an Incredulous episode here;
04TH June 2019
Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Uncategorized
Incredulous #5; White House no longer “that important”
Mr. President; We respectfully decline your kind invitation because… it’s just no longer *that* important we show up at the White House now that we have social media to reach our fanbase. So said LeBron and Steph last year, or something like that… Any bets for this time around? Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: Some snotty little kid made poor choices on social media… and got Mom Fired For her Instagram Antics Or, check out all the Incredulous episodes here… For Boomers, the party never ends! Jimmy Buffett opening a Retirement Home Erasing History at Washington & Lee. Is that really what we want to do? Sign of the Times; Giuliani Gets Booed at Yankee Stadium Duh! English Teacher Corrects White House Letter […]
24TH May 2019
Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Uncategorized
Incredulous #4; White House letter graded by Elementary Teacher: F-
Dear Mr. President; does sloppy spelling lead to sloppy leadership? Maybe. Maybe not. But I got a kick out of one teacher who, after receiving a response from Pennsylvania Avenue, took her red marker out and cut the letter to shreds. She was pretty funny about it. It doesn’t take that much to get it right. ( I hope this post is spell checked!) Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: Note; I’m not picking on the President today but here’s an example of Social Media being more powerful than a White House visit. Or, check out all the Incredulous episodes here… For Boomers, the party never ends! Jimmy Buffett opening a Retirement Home Erasing History at Washington & Lee. Is that really what we […]
16TH May 2019
Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Uncategorized
Incredulous #3; America’s Mayor Booed in his own Hometown
Rudy! Rudy! Mayor Giuliani was a hero of 9/11 for just being there, for the country, answering question, and getting things done. He was adored at Yankee stadium then. But lately, working for a new boss on assignments that seem, well, a little out of touch, Rudy got a very different welcome: the dreaded Bronx Cheer. What changed? Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: Where an elementary teacher corrects a White House letter. Basically, an F. Or, check em all out here. For Boomers, the party never ends! Jimmy Buffett opening a Retirement Home Erasing History at Washington & Lee. Is that really what we want to do? Sign of the Times; Giuliani Gets Booed at Yankee Stadium Duh! English Teacher Corrects White House […]
12TH May 2019
Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Uncategorized
Incredulous #2; On General Lee
Erasing History at Washington & Lee is about a West Point graduate, Lincoln’s first pick for the Union Army, and a soldier who refused to fire upon his neighbors. One of the great military leaders of our country, but he actually led the Confederate Army; General Robert E. Lee. Is erasing that history really what we want to do? Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: Sign of the Times; I will never forget Rudy, having walked all the way to City Hall on 9/11 to take questions and assure everyone that, while disaster had struck, he was on duty and ready to pull us back together. America’s Mayor. So how do times change such that he Gets Booed at Yankee Stadium? Have a look… […]
10TH May 2019
Angel Investor - Culture - Entrepreneur - Family Office - Leadership - Uncategorized
Introducing Incredulous… a little show about cultural shifts, discomfort and opportunity.
Over the past few months, I’ve worked with the best PR firm in the nation, Gregory FCA, to develop something we talk about at the dinner table each night. Incredulous is about culture, emerging trends, generational conflict… and some damn silly stuff we get upset about. Sometimes it’s an opportunity. Other times, it’s just something to laugh about. In this flight… For Boomers, the party never ends! Jimmy Buffett opening a Retirement Home Erasing History at Washington & Lee. Is that really what we want to do? Sign of the Times; Giuliani Gets Booed at Yankee Stadium Duh! English Teacher Corrects White House Letter Trumped; Social Media more powerful than White House visit. Teach your parents well. Mom Fired For Kid’s Instagram Antics FOMO built this. Beanie Babies Empire won’t […]
09TH May 2019
Angel Investor - Culture - Timely - Uncategorized
Incredulous #1; The Boomers next party
For Boomers, the party never ends! And why should it… we did Woodstock, Wall Street, Dot.Com, and the Wall came down! Can we keep it going forever? Well, Jimmy Buffett’s opening a Retirement Home… Hey! If you liked that, you may like the next one: Erasing History at Washington & Lee. Is wiping out a military hero and leadership icon what we want to do? And if you really like what we’re doing, add something that made you Incredulous. We’ll put it to good use on the show soon!
30TH April 2019
Angel Investor - Business Tricks - Family and Friends - Geopolitical - Good Story - Incubator - Legends and tales - Social - Timeless
The Black Tulip…springtime flowers, trends & bubbles. Yeah!
Tulip futures, anyone? It’s tulip season around here; The New York Times had a wonderful story today on Rembrandt and dutch tulips. They’re pretty, but I love them for more than their looks… A very special person to me loves tulips. I do too, and I also love them as a reminder of bubbles- financial ones. Tulips are the first great bubble in modern recorded history, as detailed in the wonderful book called Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. It’s an early study of crowd psychology by Scottish journalist Charles Mackay, first published in 1841. It’s still in print, and cited by financial wizards from Bernard Baruch to Michael Lewis. Tulips had quite a run in in the 17th century. As the flowers grew in popularity, professional growers paid […]
18TH April 2019
Angel Investor - Business Tricks - Family and Friends - Timeless - Uncategorized
Busy could, sometimes, just be BS
We’ve been talking an awful lot about work norms. Goldman Sachs no longer requires suits. IBM allows flex time. MasterCard permits video attendance at weekly touch base calls. This is all terribly progressive, and probably helps with attracting, retaining, and motivating A Players. But one thing remains a fallacy; the common safe place called “being busy”. Maybe it’s the old puritan work ethic. Maybe it’s from back in the days when people- most- billed by the hour. Those warriors who worked on weekends. Brought files along on vacations. Always had a conference call, or a reason to burn the midnight oil. How impressive. What a workhorse. Such a team player. An animal. We gave you a pass because you were full on, all day. Frantically moving from one thing to […]
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