Vodka, Sailboats, Investments... OH MY

Sam welcomes entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based investment firm M13, Courtney Reum. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Business School, Courtney is no stranger to the world of business. After helping take Under Armour and Vitamin Water public nearly 12 years ago, he started his own ventures with his brother, Carter.

INTRODUCING COURTNEY REUM:

Sam welcomes entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based investment firm M13, Courtney Reum. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Business School, Courtney is no stranger to the world of business. After helping take Under Armour and Vitamin Water public nearly 12 years ago, he started his own ventures with his brother, Carter. Together, they founded the disruptive brand development and venture capital firm, M13. In this episode, Sam and Courtney discuss what it takes to become an entrepreneur, the importance of preparation, and the inspiration behind Courtney’s book, Shortcut Your Startup.

THIS EPISODE FEATURES INSIGHTS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PREPARATION, & DEFINING SUCCESS:

Courtney shares his background as an investment banker, his entrepreneurial origin story, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people

Courtney reveals what it takes to become an entrepreneur, how he was able to win in the ultra-competitive alcohol industry, and the decision to sell VeeV Spirits
Courtney talks about M13, the investment and brand development firm he started with his brother, Carter
Courtney provides best practices for preparing for the future and shares his thoughts on multi-tasking
Courtney breaks down velocity, scalability, and the importance of goal-setting and redefining success

WHAT DID COURTNEY SAY?

“I think I’ve always had an appetite for risk.”

“I love people who know what they know and know what they don’t know.”

“To me, it’s not about the idea. It’s about how you lay out the ‘so what’ of the idea.”

“I love planning ahead because chance favors the prepared.”

“It’s probably just as simple as velocity. People use words like ‘speed’ and it’s a fine word. But we really like the word ‘velocity,’ because velocity means speed with direction.”

“The biggest thing that I see people miss on is that if you want to build something big, you need the right idea, at the right time, in the right context. For it to really succeed, you need all three of those.”

“The best thing you can do when you have a bunch of ideas is experiment.”

“I now value my time in such a way that I say no to a lot more.”