My success and failures in 2018

In the first quarter of every year I post an annual update for my friends and business network. In it I include my stories of success and failure from the past year.

Here is the 2018 update. :-)

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

- We added tens of thousands of new people, organizations and relationships to Lifograph – The Wiki of People – https://www.lifograph.com. Much more to come this year. We also launched one of our most exciting features - messaging and group chat – which enables you to communicate directly with the people in your Lifograph network.

- We received more pre-seed money from a very supportive angel investor. We are SO grateful to have people like him support our mission of building world’s largest relationship map and people matching platform.

- Lifograph and I have been interviewed and mentioned in many news articles and TV shows, including TheNextWeb, Entrepreneur, Crunchbase, 150 Sec, Sociable, Profit.ro, PBS, etc.

- We’ve been media sponsors for great organizations and events, including Startup Grind, Publicize, Microsoft’s Decoded Show, Developer Week, Venture West Summit, etc.

- Lifograph was also media sponsor of a TransAm Series race car. The Series was broadcasted on CBS Sports and Greenlight TV. The Lifograph-sponsored car placed 3rd in the TA2 Series and earned the driver – Ethan Wilson - the Rookie of the Year title. I was very lucky to be able to go to the TransAm race at the legendary Daytona Speedway and attend the TransAm Awards Gala.

- Our Lifograph logo and graphic scheme ended up on a Ferrari racecar in an iRacing simulator game. Kindda kewl… :-)

- I was a guest speaker at many events, including Repatriot Summit, World Woman Summit, Women in Technology International Summit, AR/VR Pitchfest, Five Star Bank Tank, Venture Summit West, etc. I was also speaker and moderator at over 50 Lifograph events in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, sharing the stage with elite investors, founders, authors and executives. https://www.lifograph.com/events

- Every month I organized a free Women Coworking Day for female entrepreneurs and technologists. I’m very passionate about supporting women in tech and this event has been proven to be a great way for women to network and support each other.

- I joined the Wharton Alumni Angels, an awesome group of over 100 angel investors and VCs focused on early stage companies. You don’t have to be Wharton alumni to apply for funding, so if you have a startup with traction, please apply.

- I started advising several great companies and founders including:

o Smart Gurlz, a startup featured on Shark Tank that is using robotics to teach girls how to code

o Le Bread Xpress, an on-demand mobile bakery and pizza oven

o Zyona, an artificial intelligence based music company

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS

- Received the Excellence Award at the Repatriot/Newsweek Gala celebrating Top 100 Romanians in the World. Quite an honor…

- Served my first term in the Board of Directors of the Ferrari Club of America, Pacific Region, where I organized a few events, including the Kentucky Derby Fundraiser for the Sonoma Fire Department to help the wildfire victims. I have also been reelected for a second term in the Board.

- Got my Performance Driving Diploma in the Ferrari California at Sonoma Raceway. High speed and high adrenaline rush, for sure.

- We sold our house in the Bay Area and moved to Loomis, a picturesque equestrian town by Granite Bay. Best decision ever. What I like the most about our new area? No traffic and great neighbors. What I’d like more in our new area? More diversity and ethnic restaurants.

- Attended the Grand Opening of Accelerate U, a promising startup accelerator in Roseville. I’ve discovered a buzzing tech scene and entrepreneurial spirit in the Capital Region, which is quite exciting.

- Supported various charities including Northstar Ski Team Foundation, Cancer Carepoint, Los Gatos Music and Arts Foundation, Bronte Foundation, Allegiant Giving, Phil Dev Foundation, and others. I love helping people, so I enjoy giving back whenever I can.

- Took my picture in the White House Oval Office replica at the Clinton Presidential Center, then attended a special reception at the Governors’ Mansion in Little Rock, Arkansas, the same place where Bill and Hillary Clinton lived for 12 years. Beautiful place and quite a unique experience…

- Recorded my first Artificial Intelligence (AI) song based on the Zyona technology. It’s mind-blowing what AI can do these days…

- Went to Canada for the first time. After a sightseeing tour of Vancouver and a ski trip to Whistler I’ve got only one word: “freezing”.

- Took the Thanksgiving week off and toured the Hawaiian Islands, including Oahu (Honolulu), Maui, Hilo, Kauai and Kona. I’m always in awe of natural beauty…

- Last year I was able to meet for the first time and snatch a few pictures with many celebrities and influencers, including:

o Jane Seymour, actress and entrepreneur;

o Jonathan and Drew Scott, best known for their Property Brothers TV Show;

o Tim Koogle, the first CEO and President of Yahoo;

o Dave Mendlen, General Manager of Microsoft and former speech writer to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer;

o Sheila Marcelo, founder of Care.com;

o Camelia Sucu, one of the most successful Romanian businesswomen;

o George Foreman Jr., successful entrepreneur and the son of George Foreman, the famous boxer;

o Simona Halep, the Romanian tennis player ranked twice as No. 1 in the world;

o Asa Hutchison, Governor of Arkansas;

o Justin Marks, Nascar driver;

o Mark Haney, radio show host at iHeart Radio;

o Sharon Lechter, co-author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” with Robert Kiyosaki;

o Aaron Neville, famous musician with 4 platinum albums;

o Fred Penney, radio show host on SRN Radio;

o Anu Jain, cofounder of The Billion Fund for Women

… and so many more, I can’t even list them all…

I’m always inspired by interesting people and am always grateful for being able to listen to their stories.

BUSINESS FAILURES

It took us longer than expected to roll out some new features into our Lifograph platform. But this year we are more focused and expect to connect hundreds of thousands of dots between people and companies. https://www.lifograph.com

PERSONAL FAILURES

Last year I intended to become a pescatarian (no meat, just fish). I failed.

I started using reading glasses. After years of burning my eyes on the computer, I finally capitulated to the inevitable.

Almost a year ago I had to be taken to the emergency room. The startup lifestyle eventually took a toll. Doctors could not find anything wrong with me. However, excessive stress and lack of sleep made my body collapse. I’m totally fine, but this was a wakeup call for me and it should be a warning sign for all other startup founders out there who push their limits a little too far.

PLANS FOR 2019

Businesswise, I have two goals for this year: raise money for Lifograph and focus on user growth.

On the personal side, I plan to finish the book I’ve been working on. I also want to become a better golfer. I joined the Granite Bay Country Club and plan to take up golf lessons to brush up on my rusty skills. Anybody up for golf this year?

Thank you for reading this update and for being part of my network and circle of friends. ?