Investment miss something today, then have to apologize for a bad deal tomorrow. “We adhere to a number of key principles in order to maintain success in this industry. These principles are; to verify assets, to under promise, to keep transactions simple, to take little to no debt, to never do a deal because you ‘have to’ and to communicate effectively. “The biggest challenges given the universe we have chosen to work within has to do with dealing with over-burdensome, and often unreasonable, over-regulation. We have to deal most with this through greater transparency, creating massive paper trails that could lead even Hansel and Gretel back home, and making sure that every decision very clearly puts the investor first, and to not just say that for lip service. “We look at each client as a partner, and in many cases, look to make every client a partner. We prefer to originate our own product, to maintain control of investor dollars, and in those areas where we may not have a
daily expertise, we seek partners who do have such. We put our money, and reputation, where our mouth is. “We read everything and keep up with industry trade associations. We try to understand our competition and operate from a reality that ‘there is enough business out there to go around’, and will even recommend a competing product to an investor when and where it makes sense to do so. That in and of itself provides a nice quality of life balance. “Our reputational management is what we pride ourselves on. Reputation is the only thing you can’t buy, so it has to be protected, and the best way to protect it is to make sure you are always doing right by the client, doing right by your employees and doing right by your partners, before you ever consider yourself. It is easier to be selfless rather than selfish.” Asked about the changes and challenges he sees coming for the industry in the next 12 months, Trevor believes that one of the biggest changes will probably be seen in regulation.
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“We expect to see more constriction through more regulation, tighter credit markets impeding our ability to do more deals and shrinking ranks within the selling groups that specialize in the types of underwritings we put to market. “Some days are harder than others, but in general having the right work/life balance for myself and my staff helps to keep us motivated. Keeping the people around me invested in the vision of all the companies, giving them somewhere to grow and make more for themselves, goes a long way to creating an environment where people feel fulfilled, will give 110% every day, making the really tough choices fewer and far between. We are collectively motivated by the success of our investors, measured by hitting the investment goals we put out in the marketplace. “In the future, I would like to see us as the premier provider of alternative investments in a contracting environment, and create a brand so that when people hear the name they equate it to honor, integrity and reliability”.