Finding a Strategic Partner

In a speech last week to a group of budding entrepreneurs, I mentioned that it’s wrong to think of entrepreneurs as lone wolves. “Lone wolves are losers. Lone wolves die alone in the cold and the dark. Successful wolves run in packs.”

My column in this week’s Financial Post illustrates this theme. It tells of Vancouver entrepreneur Traci Costa, whose children’s wear company Peekaboo Beans needed an injection of growth capital and mentorship. She found both in Darrel Kopke, former general manager of athletic apparel giant Lululemon.

The story explains how she wooed and won Kopke as a silent partner – and how other entrepreneurs can find similar strategic investors.

One secret is finding someone who already loves your brand. "I feel so blessed with Darrel," says Traci. "Our philosophies and core values are so similar. He felt my passion for the brand: I didn't have to explain it."

Read the full story here.