MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: CHECKING IN WITH JEFF DION

You’ve had some exciting developments since we last spoke. Care to share?

Yes. A wild summer! The company I worked for when you last interviewed me is in the business of helping startups raise capital from everyday investors. Well, given the financial slide we've been in, Wefunder had to cut 35% of the team; mostly all the remote folks.

But it was a blessing in disguise as I immediately started my own investment strategy business -- CCQB (yourccqb.com). Not in competition with Wefunder, but as a compliment to their offering.

What’s that transition been like?

Liberating and fast paced.

I had a personal reflection about 3 weeks into the project, before I had even signed my first founder:

The three times in my professional career that I have felt most in control of my future were when I was running my own business. I seem to have trouble working inside organizations. They always feel too constricting, yet too demanding, all at once. Having the freedom to press the pedal when I want to, and the brake when I want to, fits my 'extremes' personality well.

I'd be remiss to not thank you and James for making this unpredictable transition a lot less stressful this summer. Your unquestioned support in allowing me a place to work while I got my life sorted out was priceless. Literally...

What do you enjoy most about the new position?

Genuinely feeling as though I am making a positive impact for people. Running a business is often your whole life and many times founders have put a lot of their own money on the line. At the same time, raising money is something a founder only has to do a few times, at most, when scaling a company. The intersection of these two things means I am working with people who are often at one of the most vulnerable yet critical times in their personal and professional careers. It's been powerful to watch them have success this Fall, and get positive feedback on how I made a difference in their success.

Last time we spoke you expressed an interest in ultimately moving away from being bound to a screen and getting back outside. Care to manifest your future and share what that will look like when it comes?

Way to keep me honest and on track, Greg. I'll lean on my Greg Buddhist teachings and say that the future is right now. With this new business I make my own schedule and I also make enough money to afford to finally work a bit less. Now that my first batch of founders are raising, I am gladly taking on clients at a slower pace, so that I can spend less time at the computer and more time in the mountains and on the water.

But im not a Buddhist, yet, and so my near sited goal is to build a startup in the rowing space over the course of the next 18 months, and then transition my role to more of a traveling vice president of sales at boathouses across the country. Happily paying someone else to manage the spreadsheets, projections, and HR issues.

I'll also be honest in that I think this entire 21st century technology career thing is a massive rat race that has lead to creating solely for the purpose of creating. We already have everything we need, and it'd probably suit us well to turn around and then take five steps forward. But I'm still not enlightened on a safe path off the wheel for myself and my family. I'm sure you can help me here .

What are you currently working on / excited about?

My kids are getting to the age where we can do all kinds of fun outdoor stuff together. I'm pretty excited to take our oldest skiing for the first time this winter.

I'm also learning to bow hunt and harvest my own food this winter, which im pretty stoked about! This has preoccupied a lot of my current reading & audiobook time.

What’s on the horizon?

Who knows! Hopefully the aforementioned rowing startup -- ScullPass.

And finally -- if you could take only one book with you to a desert island, which would it be?

Beyond The Horizon, by Colin Angus. My whole adult life I've only read/watched true stories, since I personally look to them for inspiration. Colin's story is one of my favorites. Through massive mental and physical highs and lows he becomes the first person to circumnavigate the globe using only human power.

Great dessert island book because after a week or so of napping, reading, and eating coconuts, I'd be looking for creative ideas and will power to get the heck off that island!

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Jeff Dion | LinkedIN