Dr. Earl R. Smith II

I work with a lot of companies that are seeking funding. Most are middle-market size and have successfully raised earlier rounds. Their challenge is to come to terms with the evolving criteria that investors have. Early-stage investors fund mainly on emotion – they believe in the idea or the team.

I have used management, board and leadership assessment programs for many years. The newer ones are totally anonymous and web-based. I written two articles that summaries the approach

A major part of my coaching engagements is focused on helping clients turn the possible into the probable. It is hard and sometimes very frustrating work. But when we succeed – when the light finally go on – the ‘eureka’ moment can be life changing.

I have a great deal of sympathy for young entrepreneurs starting their first company; partially because I remember what it was like when I did exactly that but mostly because of the increasingly difficult and daunting challenges that start-ups face in the current economic climate.

I recently gave a talk to a group of entrepreneurs. Most of them were in one or the other stages of a fund-raising cycle. All of them were frustrated by a lack of progress. As the war stories started to come out, I realized that each of them suffered from the same malady; they could not see themselves through the eyes of the very people they were presenting to.

I do a lot of work with companies that have received funds from investors. One of the more shocking syndromes that I have seen is the negative impacts that some investors can have on their portfolio companies. This can take many forms.

I do a fair amount of work with teams preparing to present to sources of funding – mostly for follow-on rounds. Managing the initial meeting with a venture capitalist is an art that takes both skill and sensitivity.

A big step on the road to getting funded is to understand what investors avoid and why. Getting an answer to the question, “Who They Do Not Invest In” can give you a leg up by helping you avoid falling into one of their ‘do not go there’ categories.

How often have you watched someone do something that not only made no sense but was clearly doing their interests harm and ended up wondering ‘why are they doing that?’ How many people do you know who have self-sabotaging tendencies that they adopt because they see them as self-serving?

I’ve had a lot of responses to discussions I’ve started and wanted to give a holiday gift or sorts – something different. Every human life is a journey. That journey is more or less difficult depending on how well each of us understands the direction their life should go.