Episode 36: Investing in Startups with Travis Hawkes

In this episode I interview Travis Hawkes. Travis is a successful entrepreneur, fundraiser, business strategist, and problem solver. As a “deal junkie,” he is always on the lookout to find win/win partnerships and create value and excellence for all involved. He has worked in private equity, start ups, real estate development, retail operations, and political strategy. An innovative entrepreneur, he successfully created new retail concepts that performed at the top of their peer group, leading to national awards and recognition and an expansion of locations across the country. Travis co-founded and helps lead Capital Eleven, Capital Auto Loan, and FlipRide. He previously co-founded Riverwood Strategies, a national firm providing clients a high level of public affairs, strategic communications, business development, and political strategy. Travis has worked for multiple political campaigns as a fundraiser and strategist including those running for Congress, Governor, Senate, and President of the United States. Travis earned his BBA in Business Management at the Boise State University College of Business and Economics and is a passionate Broncos fan. He also is never more than two feet from his iPhone and loves street tacos. Travis was born and raised in Idaho and lives in Meridian with his wife and three children. In this episode we discuss: Businesses he did as a kid [4:07] Working with his father on a business [6:40] Involvement in political fundraising and how this helped expand his network [10:08] What spurred him to be involved in private equity [14:51] Qualities they look for when investing in startups [17:21] Importance of accepting failure [21:40] Industries that Capital Eleven invests in [23:22] Private equity funding for real estate [26:19] Their process of getting investors [27:30] Best ways to reach out regarding investments [28:54] Quotable Quotes We invest in people. Do I believe in that person? And if I do, then that’s a big part of it even more so than the idea or the project. You can’t be afraid of failure. People want to hang on so badly to an idea or a business because they don’t want to admit, whether it’s to themselves or to other people, that it failed. Links to sources and tools Follow Travis Hawkes on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-b-hawkes-76a8a13/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbhawkes Visit https://capitaleleven.com/ if you're interested in investing in startups or need investors for your business Liked this episode? Here’s another one you might like: Black Swan Event Impacts on Business Financing Options & Financing Options During a Cash Crunch with Gerri Detweiler: https://bit.ly/2QJODNq Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook -www.facebook.com/passthesecretsauce- to get updates on new episodes. If you haven’t already, please follow and leave a review for our podcast, we’ll really appreciate it. And as always, don’t forget to pass the secret sauce. Support our podcast If you’re a fan of the show, there are three simple things you can do to support our work: If you’re a fan of the show, there are three simple things you can do to support our work: Rate and review the podcast on iTunes or wherever you subscribe. Tell a family member, friend, or colleague about the show. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ5eItxsGWyGKC91zd1pzbA and follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pass-the…et-sauce-podcast