Tag Archives: Differentiation

Just Do It: Shoe Dog Shares Deep Stories of Business

Attending the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting this past weekend reminded me of Buffett’s book recommendation of “Shoe Dog” by Nike’s Phil Knight a couple of years ago. “Phil is a very wise, intelligent, and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller,” said Buffett. That… Continue reading

Network of Experts to Support Greybull Companies

“There are always more smart people outside your company than inside your company.” We are utilizing this idea in our strategy to assist our portfolio companies in Greybull Stewardship.  Network of Experts As we think about the future of Greybull, we have been thinking about… Continue reading

Evergreen Investment Capital Gains More Traction

This idea should be obvious:  Most companies will not do their best work if forced to grow artificially fast (think growth hormones).  If you aim everything toward fattening up for an exit time; if you force-feed unnatural energy like corn or capital, binge on antibiotics, and then… Continue reading

The Mirage and False Hope of an “Exit Strategy”

At best, an exit strategy becomes overrated and a waste of breath.  At worst, an exit strategy becomes a destructive mirage of certainty and false hope.  I realize that it is conventional wisdom for every entrepreneur to specify their exit strategy.  I have even heard… Continue reading

Three More Lessons from Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway

Two recent items helped me draw lessons for how I want to manage my investment firm, Greybull Stewardship.  The first is Warren Buffet’s memo that he sent last month to the managers of the 80 businesses of Berkshire, and the other is in the book,… Continue reading

Resilient Companies Balance Continuity with Shock Absorption

Time can be an overlooked element in business.  Time can be an enemy, and time can be a friend.  Understanding the impact of time on your business separates the best business minds from the rest.  Time affects the pace of change for components of your business, your… Continue reading

Wonderful Competitive Advantage Through A Unique Distribution Channel

Sustainable competitive advantage — a goal which will be always sought and ever elusive in business.  It is difficult to define. Yet, we often know it when we see it. People attempt to draw-up lists in an effort to understand and remember the types of… Continue reading

Owners’ Words Best When Reflect Both Noble Purpose & Bottom-Line

This revealing story was told by speaker Lisa McLeod at the recent Murphy Conference for their impressive network of business brokers across the country.  McLeod gave a very nice talk based on her book Selling with Noble Purpose. McLeod was facing a conundrum in her… Continue reading

Business Improvements in Marketing As Well As Factory

W. Edwards Deming went from the USA to Japan after World War II and his ideas about continuous business improvements came back to the USA from Japan as a business management tool — kaizen: daily small improvements building a better process over time. See Deming. … Continue reading

Managing Business, Managing Time, and the Case for Doing Nothing

Balance is an elusive concept — and so relevant to so many business situations.  I have enjoyed adding to our series on Balance — last year, we identified more than 20 things a business owner must balance.  Should we focus inside or outside?  Should we… Continue reading