Conference Time and the Interns

So I have been to a few conferences recently, and it has taken a lot of time and energy....

We finally sponsored our first booth at the West Coast Franchise Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Doug Purdy of Central Pacific Bank, and a "Friend Of DCV" joined us, and we brought along our posse of interns to give them a chance to experience another side of the business world. Doug was a great addition and it was nice to finally meet him. While it was a rare treat as he lives in Kauai, we are all hoping to see more of him soon.

Russell Byrd, Cisco Franco, and Josh Yeager have been working with us for about a month now. All three are college freshmen, and have brought a very bright enthusiasm to our world. So we decided to let them out of the cage and mingle with real people. Not only did they behave, they were exemplary. Clearly they were enjoying themselves, and even drummed up a little business for us as well.

On Saturday night we all went to a reception at the Hotel Figueroa, a venerable old queen of the noir era (and apparently haunted as well!). The worn tile and bright flowers of the bougainvillea highlighted the outdoor patio's elegance and charm. Not happy with our minions' posting in a corner, we assigned them the duty of bringing us back a business card, and a story.

In my opinion, that turned a corner for them. We didn't see them again for an hour, and they all performed magnificently! I was personally very proud of them. Since then, they have graduated from licking envelopes to assignments that require them to meet people that can help them solve problems.

After that show, I was immediately on a plane to Las Vegas for the Restaurant Finance Conference. I sat in as many panels as I could find time for, and learned so much. We are in a truly dynamic world of opportunity right now. And I met amazing people myself. I too was forced to meet new people that can help me solve problems.

It was my first time in "Vegas" since 1978, so you can imagine my shock. It took me twenty minutes just to walk past Caesar's Palace! I managed to leave town without having dropped even a nickel into the slots. I would like to tell you more, but you already know I can't....

Welcome!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the Direct Connect Ventures blog where we will be exploring the subtle nuances of business financing in today's environment, and make it as entertaining and informative as possible. Now, we always find it fun because we are spreadsheet nerds looking for new ways to understand and present a project to lenders. But our goal is to help you understand how our world is organized.

We have titled our blog the "Water Cooler" because that is where the most interesting conversations occur. Most of the day finds us strapped into our cockpits, maneuvering through the skies above looking for target-rich environments (banks with money for our clients). We hang out between sorties at the water cooler, talking about our successes and challenges, as we promote and defend our clients.

As you can probably tell already, we are an office of men, so you will be getting a lot of sports and military metaphors. We have a healthy mix across the political spectrum, and we check our differences at the door. We are all Americans and our goal is always the same: all of us want our lives and those of our fellow citizens to improve. At DCV, we believe that our nation's most important asset is its spirit, and in order to reach our goals, we need to rebuild the entrepreneurial class, one business at a time.

Expect to enjoy our blog. We love what we do, and feel strongly about it. We are bright, happy, and modest people that want to share our world. We welcome all comments, suggestions, and questions, and we are genuinely looking forward to sharing with you.

In Flight