Together with fine artist Esther Loopstra, we explored First Thursday Seattle Art Walk together and started our exploration at METHOD Gallery to Lynn Hanson Gallery!

Meet my founder friend Marcelo Calbucci, who's about to release a must-read book—definitely worth following his work and connecting with him. This guy gets it. Marcelo's not only a serial entrepreneur, a true tech veteran who's seen it all, but he also understands the nuances and necessity of how sales & marketing works (woohoo!). How do I know? It took just a single thought-provoking question and a follow-up revealed his deep business acumen, spanning from startups to Fortune 500s. His honest and direct responses confirmed it all, and we shared a knowing nod and a professional chuckle. Game recognizes game.

Our quick exchange highlights how the depth and quality of questions reveal the character and expertise of individuals who are high performers and A+ talent. Never judge a book by its cover, because oh man.. merit & work experience never lies, it speaks volumes.

Fun fact: Marcelo’s favorite business history episode on the Acquired FM Podcast is about LVMH, while mine is about Costco.

Be sure to pre-order his book to tap into his invaluable insights. And when if you catch him on his book tour, do give him a nudge about his current startup in stealth mode so we can see his new company see the light of day, please and thank you! 🚀

This is what the top executives who operates the art industry in Seattle look like when they are all gathered together, from public to private sector, they are all superconnected by my friend, Jo Mikesell, Program Director at Shunpike since 2021. She is a non-profit expert and an art advisor to many.

Just a classic example of a boardroom full of mentors all playing nicely together—yes, even with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure in the same room!

How? Through the power of mentorship and supporting local builders in our neighborhood. Yes, we really can all work together, and with our collective intelligence, we can make some serious magic.

Big thanks to Andrew Beavers (the guy in Best Buy blue) for bringing us together to serve with a common interest in economic development and high performance in our area.