Michael Sharifi’s Post

As the year comes to a close, I’d like to share some reflections on what I’ve learned – Maybe even as inspiration for others. At the beginning of the year, my main focus was on initiating as many new conversations with potential business partners as possible. Quantity took priority over quality, leading to months where I initiated over 50 new interactions. With experience, growth and insight, it became clear that less qualified conversations often result in wasted resources and a lack of respect for both others’ time and my own. Here’s a concrete example: April: 52 initiated conversations with potential business partners – 16 qualified, and 2 deals. October: 28 initiated conversations with potential business partners – 20 qualified, 11 ongoing dialogues, and 5 deals. This has been a crucial lesson for me: prioritizing quality and relevant opportunities not only makes the process more efficient but also creates greater value for everyone involved. I hope your year has been filled with exciting learnings and progress as well – and I’m looking forward to what the coming year will bring! 💡

This year, I celebrated my 16-year anniversary with Gateway Group. Today, I published my first Forbes Business Development Council article covering the top lessons I've learned from those 16 years. At this point, I feel I can say that I’ve just about seen it all... Before deciding to play the Wall Street game of taking your company public, there are a few steps you can take to not only prepare to compete but also position yourself as a valuable player in an investor’s portfolio. 📈 Click the link below to read my list of key items I want every CEO and CFO to know before wading into public waters. https://lnkd.in/g4FiVbe5

Just as a great strategy tells you what to do, it also tells you what not to do. I was reminded of that again this week during our FY26 Strategic Planning Offsite and Q4 Company Kickoff. We're going through a lot of changes that naturally occur as companies like Elate hit new stages of growth. And after years of developing a figure-it-out mentality, it's hard to break the habit of saying 'yes' to just about everything. But as we scale, I know it's just as important that we're empowering our team to say 'no' to things that aren't a priority. 

This week I will celebrate my 15th year running this fintech business. Here are some key learnings: 1.     Team & Tenure There is no substitute for having a great team. A tenured team that has a track record of cycles of success (and a few misses) is rare and powerful. Much of my team has been with me since the beginning. We have grown dramatically. I stand on their shoulders. 2.     Partnerships As A Competency Take the law of large numbers approach to partnerships. Have the intention, procedures and tools to be a great partner. Not all will be game-changing successful but some will. You will learn from all of them. Most successful fintech companies rely on their partnership acumen. 3.     Scale Matters I have seen the power of scale up close. Just trust me on this one. 4.     Active Account Growth Is The Thing Account acquisition and retention are always harder than they first appear. There is real science behind it. Being good at it can unleash a flywheel of growth. Otherwise, you are treading water with an anchor in your hands. 5.     Product Management vs Product Development I appreciate our product development engineers. We have tremendous products that solve real problems for our customers. Product Managers are the pointy end of the spear that ensure you hit the mark and see the next one. These are just a few of the gems that I have learned. I still have much to learn…that’s the fun part. Thanks to all who have been on this journey with me.

Some lessons learned since starting SEQL more than four years ago with B Drayton and Jarmal Bevels Jr. 1. Having the biggest team doesn't mean a thing. We over-hired after our first institutional raise and ended up having to let go of some amazing people. Find PMF and then add fuel to the fire 2. Ambassadors are expensive. Spend your MKTG dollars wisely and put them toward programs that have proven results 3. If coached right, interns can be a lifesaver! At one point, we had more interns than FTE and they were amazing -- because we coached them 4. Hire a fractional CFO//Controller. It is well worth the $2/3k monthly expense 5. Have weekly founders meetings with a structured agenda and a time constraint... well worth the 45 minutes -- trust me. A time constraint is vital, however. At one point, we were having 3 to 4 hour founders meetings and it was all over the place 6. Rely on your board. We are fresh off an in-person board meeting and are more confident than ever (but trust me, the three of us still are worried 24/7) 7. If your co-founder gets married in Barcelona, go (photo from Jarmal Bevels Jr. wedding)

🌟 Monday Morning Team Sync at Growth Accountants 🌟 At Growth Accountants, staying connected and aligned is crucial for delivering the best service to our clients. Every Monday morning, our team gathers for a Teams call to ensure we're all up to date and have a clear plan for the week ahead. As the Client Success Manager, I truly value these sessions as they set the tone for our productivity and collaboration. It's a fantastic way to kick off the week, share updates, and support each other in achieving our goals. Here's a snapshot from our latest call, showcasing the faces behind the dedication and hard work. 😊👩💻👨💻 #TeamWork #ClientSuccess #GrowthAccountants #WeeklySync #BusinessPlanning #AccountantsUnited #TeamGrowth

It's a "Roots and Wings" year. I've prioritized my media and entertainment IP development company (aka the wings) that I'm self-funding with a bit of continued consulting (aka the roots). And I've been exploring how to position my advisory to leverage past successes while aligning with my forward focus on the biz of show. Advising companies in these sectors seems obvious. I hesitated till now. Though I’ve been in and out of media and entertainment throughout my career, I expected on re-entry to find a re-learning curve. Instead, I find that what I know from founding 10 for- and not-for-profit ventures, and working with hundreds of companies through all stages of growth many times, is as relevant to media and entertainment as to any of the more than 75 industries in which I've worked. Too. I accept that I don’t know everything, but I know how to find out anything. The congruency of my roots and wings feels like the best of both worlds, just what I needed to do my best work now and going forward.

🎉 Thrilled to Share a New Achievement! 🎉 I’m excited to announce that I have completed the Time Management course at Bancomext. This course has helped me enhance my ability to organize, prioritize, and manage my time effectively in both personal and professional settings. Key skills I gained include: ✨ Prioritization: Ensuring the most important tasks are addressed first, optimizing my workflow. ✨ Time Planning: Creating detailed schedules that allow me to manage time efficiently and reduce stress. ✨ Task Delegation: Delegating tasks effectively to focus on high-priority responsibilities. ✨ Procrastination Management: Overcoming procrastination and maintaining focus to complete tasks on time. ✨ Goal Setting & Monitoring: Setting clear, achievable goals and tracking progress to ensure success. I’m looking forward to applying these time management skills to increase productivity and efficiency in my work!

Strategizing days at LAB Finance 🚀 For the first year, our primary focus at LAB Finance has been securing and delivering on client projects to secure a foundation to further build the Company from. Last month, we finally took a step back to prioritize our own development, dedicating two days away from client work to refine our strategy, sharpen our focus for the next six months, and align on our roles and responsibilities. Here is what we achieved during our strategy days; ✅ 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: We defined roles and responsibilities among the partners based on what energizes each of us, ensuring everyone is working what they do best. ✅ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: We identified key areas for internal development, including a new bonus model, a structured approach for feedback and coaching, and plans for social events to strengthen our team culture. ✅ 𝐒𝐢𝐱-𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩: We made a clear and actionable strategy and roadmap for the next six months, for us to be aligned on what we want to achieve. We'll be sharing more details and updates soon.

Strategic Anchor Points - What’s Coming Up Next? So, I’ve talked before about one of our cool team traditions—the time capsule. Last year, we recorded one for 2024, laying out all the big stuff we expected to tackle this year, including key milestones. It was kind of intense to put down thoughts that would be locked away, unchanged, until the whole team revisits them a year later. We poured everything—honest thoughts and big challenges we expected to face—into that capsule. For us, it’s more than just a time capsule; it’s a challenge. We have to solve problems, pass tests, and when we review it all with the team at year’s end, we get to celebrate every win! Now that we’re halfway through the year, looking back really hits home how fast time zips by. It shows how important it is to nail down those priorities and really focus when you're planning—those anchor points. It can be tough to see if we’re making real progress if our goals are too broad or if we don’t break them down into smaller, manageable steps. We tend to forget that big achievements are just a bunch of small wins piled up. Setting clear goals and stages (kind of like a to-do list) and ticking each off as you go—and tweaking things along the way if needed—is crucial. The first half of the year was packed—ups, downs, sleepless nights, and some hefty challenges. I bet when we crack open that time capsule at the end of the year, I’ll have some interesting bits to share from it.