can we talk publisher sue hodgson talks with jeff mallett, cofounder of yahoo! executive, director & active investor in various ventures worldwide I believe everything happens for a reason and that life is unmistakably connected all the time. Last year at the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, we had a quick introduction and your few words left me wanting more. Here we are today, chatting once again. You are a local success story. Not only a devoted husband of 30 years and father of two beautiful children, you have become an incredibly successful and inspirational entrepreneur. How are you able to stay so grounded in life and remain true to yourself, your family and your core values? I believe life is a connection of moments, some big, some small and some in-between and if you are aware of and seize them they begin to form the roadmap to achieve your goals.
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I believe entrepreneurs have a real talent for making that happen; in order to move along that path, staying grounded and true to yourself and your core values and beliefs is key. I feel like I have been able to stay grounded by having a long-term view on life as a journey – there will be highs and lows but true leaders never get pulled too far in either direction. One way to help make that happen is to be very self aware of strengths and weaknesses, listen and learn from others, and don’t be afraid to show empathy to others; it lets folks know you care. Your appetite for sports stems from an early age all the way through your adult life. You have ownership in teams such as the San Francisco Giants and Vancouver Whitecaps, you were an original investor in the Women’s Professional Soccer League, Derby County Football Club and you are an advisor to Steve Nash Enterprises and Foundation. Since you bought into the Giants in 2002 they have won the World Series three times – with no previous wins since 1954! How have you been able to turn your passion into viable business ventures, and how do you know which investments are the right choices? I have always been a competitive person on and off the field. I believe you should always be ready to test yourself against the best – most importantly, you learn how to be a good teammate and win and lose graciously. As it pertains to business, I am very disciplined on the macro objectives with any business investments and I do my homework upfront. For me, the five key