Update #2: From Naval to LandLogic

The Entrepreneurial Smorgasbord (← yes that is a word)

Welcome back, fellow corporate escapees and aspiring entrepreneurs! It's your favourite middle-aged startup newbie, Greg "Jack of All Trades, Master of None... Yet" Mills. Last time, we talked about breaking free from the corporate matrix. Now, let's dive into the chaotic buffet of entrepreneurial ideas I'm currently juggling. Spoiler alert: this plot is messy.

Just wait a minute…..

And The Winner Is... (Cue dramatic Oscar music)

Before we dive into the main course of entrepreneurial chaos, let's address the cliffhanger from last week's newsletter. Remember that enticing little P.P.S. at the bottom? The one that promised a chance to win a copy of Andrew Wilkinson's book if you professed your undying love for him via email? (Don't worry, I won't tell your significant other.)

Well, folks, we have a winner! After an intense selection process involving a highly sophisticated randomizer (aka my cat walking across my keyboard), the lucky recipient is... drum roll, please... "DB.Secondnaturedesign"!

Congratulations, mysterious DB! You've won a book and the envy of dozens of newsletter readers. I'll be sliding into your DMs ASAP

For everyone else, don't worry. There's always next time. And by next time, I mean keep reading to the bottom of these newsletters. Who knows what treats I might hide down there? Could be another giveaway, could be the secret to eternal youth, or it could just be more of my rambling.

Now, onto our regularly scheduled programming of entrepreneurial misadventures...

What's Cooking in Greg's Idea Kitchen?

Before we dive into my smorgasbord of entrepreneurial dreams (or delusions, jury's still out), let's talk strategy. I've been devouring Naval Ravikant's "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" (← Reply to this email with “Naval,” and I will email you a copy) - it's become my entrepreneurial Bible, my North Star in this sea of business chaos. His wisdom on leverage and passive income? It's the cheat code to the game of business. Naval preaches the gospel of using software, media, or capital to create wealth while you sleep.

Leverage is the entrepreneurial equivalent of a force multiplier in physics. It's about amplifying your efforts so that every hour you work creates exponentially more value.

Unlike running a typical small business where your income is directly tied to the hours you put in, leverage allows you to break free from the time-for-money trap. Imagine you're conducting an orchestra - in a small business, you're playing each instrument yourself.

With leverage, you're composing and conducting while an entire ensemble plays your symphony. It's the difference between personally baking pies and owning a bakery chain that serves pies across the country. Software, media, and capital are the modern alchemist's tools, turning your ideas into gold while you catch some Z's. This isn't just about working smarter; it's about creating a business that works for you, even when you're off exploring mountain trails or tinkering with your latest PC build.

Picture this: your bank account becomes a perpetual motion machine, churning out cash whether you're grinding or snoring.

So, armed with this wisdom (and a concerning amount of caffeine), I'm attempting to concoct a recipe for success that's one part technology, one part media, and three parts "please God, let this work." Over the next few weeks, we will dive deep into 4 or 5 startup ideas that intersect the Venn diagram of Naval’s philosophies and my interests. Let’s start with the easiest one this week.

Real Estate Development and Advisory:

The siren song of real estate keeps calling me back. But this time, we're not just talking advice – we're diving into full-on development (← maybe at a small scale). Calgary's real estate market is a perfect storm brewing: falling interest rates, a housing crisis screaming for solutions, government incentives practically raining from the sky, and a city-wide rezoning that's turned Calgary into a giant Monopoly board. It's residential development Christmas, and I'm ready to play Santa.

Unfair Advantage

Let's talk about my competitive edge, my entrepreneurial “in-training” superpower - decades of experience as a senior executive in real estate development. I'm not just another suit who can point at a map and say, "Let's build here." I'm the deal-maker who turns possibilities into realities, connecting key players and crafting strategies that give us a genuine edge. Risk and uncertainty? I speak their language fluently and can translate it into terms that resonate with investors and stakeholders alike. Need financing? I can arrange that quicker than you can say "non-recourse loan."

But here's the kicker - I'm not pretending to be a jack-of-all-trades. Project management these days? That's like asking me to program my VCR (kids, ask your parents). This is where LandLogic gets interesting. I'm building a team of experts who can handle the day-to-day while I focus on the big picture. Think of it as assembling the Avengers of real estate, but with less spandex and more spreadsheets. My role is to leverage my high-level expertise and connections, while empowering a talented team to execute on the ground. Together, we're not just going to navigate the real estate landscape; we're going to reshape it, bringing innovation and efficiency to an industry that sorely needs it. [please refer to legal disclaimer at the bottom]

LandLogic - The OG of Land Development Advisory

Now, let's talk turkey - or should I say, let's talk land stuff. Development advisory isn't just my bread and butter; it's my whole damn bakery. Enter LandLogic, my not-so-secret weapon in the world of real estate.

Shameless plug alert:

LandLogic.co (Yes, that's .co, not .com. Because in 2010, we were too busy being land development badasses to secure a proper domain. We're the "The Facebook" that dropped the "The" before it was cool.)

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Greg, what about that shiny LandLogic.ai?" that comes up first in your Google search. Hold onto your hard hats, folks, because I'm about to blow your mind. We've got proof from 2010 that we were the first LandLogic. (Well, my wife Kirsten does. Let's be real; she's the one who can actually find things in our filing cabinet. Without her, I'd still be hunting for my 2015 socks.)

LandLogic.ai? More LandLogic.come-lately. There was no AI in 2010, unless you count my ability to artificially look interested in budget meetings. Real Estate is my strength, my superpower, my... okay, I'll stop with the metaphors. Mama didn't raise no fool – I'm gonna milk this expertise cow until it moos for mercy.

The details of other entrepreneurial ventures (like this very newsletter) are coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Influencer Spotlight: The Entrepreneurial Yoda

This week's spotlight is on Gary Vaynerchuk, aka GaryVee, the entrepreneurial Jedi Master himself. His no-BS approach to entrepreneurship is exactly what my corporate-conditioned brain needs right now - it's like a wake-up slap from a New York Jets foam finger (←for Gary Vee noobs, his goal is to buy the New York Jets).

While I may not match his energy (unless I've had my fifth espresso of the day), his emphasis on hustle and providing value has me questioning everything from my "Mid-life Crisis Chic" aesthetic to my ideas for "Uber, but for cat psychics." So here's to you, GaryVee - thanks for the inspiration, the motivation, and for making me feel like a slacker every time I consider taking a day off.

Stay awesome and keep grinding,

Greg "Wannabe GaryVee" Mills

P.S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, share it with a friend. If you didn't, share it with your most annoying coworker. Spread the chaos! Forward the email…friend or annoying coworker presses this button below. …simple.

P.P.S. Thanks for reading to the bottom!