How to Create a Monopoly in an Esoteric Niche: SteelCloud CEO Brian Hajost (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: In 2014, you had five people in SteelCloud? Brian Hajost: Yes, I came back in 2009 to sell off two of our three divisions. It was a rescue mission. The market for the third product line had gone away in 2012. We had to do a complete reboot of the company in 2014. 

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How to Create a Monopoly in an Esoteric Niche: SteelCloud CEO Brian Hajost (Part 1)

If you haven’t already, please study our free Bootstrapping course and the Investor Introductions page. Everyone talks about BIG markets. Learn how to build a monopoly in a small market and, as a consequence, a strong defensible business. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the beginning of your journey. Where were you born and raised? What kind of background did

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Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 6)

Sramana Mitra: Has your sports league business come to a complete standstill?  Kristi Herold: Yes, it’s gone, but it will come back.  Sramana Mitra: Yes, it will come back, but you will just have to survive this period. 

Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: It also depends on what you are trying to accomplish because cash acquisitions are easy to rationalize on your balance sheet. If it’s an equity acquisition joint venture with another player, then that is not so easy to value. That is why I was probing that issue. Let’s go back to what happened

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Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: What was your revenue in 2016 when you decided to switch gears? Kristi Herold: We were doing $6.5 million in revenue.  Sramana Mitra: That is substantial for a word-of-mouth business. 

Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: Give me the highlights of your strategy in growing this thing to that level. How long did it take you to achieve $1 million in revenue?  Kristi Herold: It took me 8 years to get to $1 million in revenue.  Sramana Mitra: In 1996, you started the business and then in 2004, you

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Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 2)

Kristi Herold: I called everyone in my address book. I would also say, “If you know anyone that you think might be interested, will you send me their contact info?” I had friends faxing me their address books and then I would go through their address books and call everyone and tell them my idea.

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Surviving Covid with a Bootstrapped Venture: Kristi Herold, CEO of JAM (Part 1)

If you haven’t already, please study our free Bootstrapping course and the Investor Introductions page. Kristi built a thriving bootstrapped business over twenty years until Covid hit. Read how she is surviving Covid. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the beginning of your journey. Where are you from? Where were you born and raised? What kind of background did you

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