Have you ever wanted to invest in companies before they go public? Companies like SpaceX for example? In this episode of the Money Seed Podcast, Gabe interviews Mike Ivancie, Chief Marketing Officer at Upmarket, about alternative investments and how Upmarket is democratizing access to these opportunities for accredited investors. They discuss the nature of alternative investments, the selection and due diligence process, the impact of AI on investment strategies, and the pros and cons of investing in private versus public markets. Mike also shares insights on popular investment products, unique strategies, and the fee structures associated with private market investing. https://www.upmarket.co/

Mike may be reached at mike@upmarket.co

Takeaways
- Alternative investments include hedge funds, private equity, and pre-IPO companies.
- Accredited investors have access to unregistered securities.
- Upmarket simplifies access to private investments by breaking down large shares into smaller pieces.
- The investment selection process involves identifying trends and evaluating opportunities.
- AI is a significant trend influencing investment strategies and market dynamics.
- Private market investing comes with unique risks and challenges, including liquidity issues.
- Investors need to consider fees, valuations, and market conditions when investing in private equity.
- SpaceX remains a popular investment choice among accredited investors.
- Unique investment strategies, such as life settlements, can provide diversification.
- Upmarket offers resources and tools to help investors navigate private market investments.

In this episode, we speak with Mike Andes, founder and CEO of Augusta Lawn Care, who shares his journey from aspiring surgeon to successful entrepreneur. Mike discusses the challenges and strategies involved in scaling a landscaping business to over 150 locations, the innovative pay-for-performance compensation model, and the importance of building complementary businesses.

Mike outlines realistic expectations for franchisees and emphasizes the value of recurring revenue over one-time projects. Mike shares insights from his books and his vision for the future, including the potential for robotics in the landscaping industry.

Mike has a big presence on YouTube via his channel https://www.youtube.com/@MikeAndes

Mike’s book Millennial Millionaire: The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Breaking Out of the Middle Class is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Millionaire-Entrepreneurs-Breaking-Middle/dp/0692743030

Takeaways
- Having a large vision helps attract talented individuals.
- The transition from working in the business to managing it is crucial.
- Franchising can provide a scalable model for growth.
- Pay for performance aligns employee incentives with business success.
- Recurring revenue is more sustainable than one-time projects.
- Building a community around your business fosters loyalty and growth.
- Investing in systems and procedures is essential for scalability.
- The right mindset and culture are key for franchisee success.

Bitcoin 2.0 is here! Crypto trailblazer and advocate John Gotts, a founding member of Digital Gold (DGD), joins the Money Seed Podcast to introduce DGD. John explains the concept of DGD as a new cryptocurrency that aims to address some of the challenges faced by Bitcoin, such as high transaction costs, speed, skewed distribution, and volatility. He discusses the unique features of DGD, including its “Proof of Participation” model, which encourages community involvement and fair distribution.

Most importantly, John and Gabe do a screenshare to do a live demo of how to acquire the DGD wallet, and how to send and receive coins.

The conversation also touches on the vision for DGD as a practical currency for everyday transactions, its goal to achieve parity with Bitcoin, and the potential for a strategic reserve of Bitcoin to back the value of DGD. In this conversation, John Gotts discusses the intrinsic value of Digital Gold (DGD) and its potential to revolutionize the cryptocurrency landscape. He explains how to acquire DGD, the future of digital transactions, and the global expansion of the project. The conversation also touches on the regulatory response in various countries, the potential for DGD to be traded on major exchanges, and the importance of self-custody in cryptocurrency. John emphasizes the need for community engagement and education to overcome barriers to adoption.

**WARNING: All crypto products are speculative. This is not financial advice. DGD is not (yet) traded on major crypto exchanges such as Coinbase**

To learn more visit https://digitalgoldx.com/?promo=MoneySeedGabe and download your wallet today!

Takeaways
- Digital Gold aims to be the money Satoshi envisioned.
- DGD is built on Bitcoin's code but uses “Proof of Participation”.
- Transaction fees in DGD are minimal compared to Bitcoin.
- DGD aims to facilitate everyday transactions easily.
- The goal is to reach parity with Bitcoin's market cap.
- Proof of participation encourages community involvement.
- DGD's transaction speed is significantly faster than Bitcoin.
- The system is designed for fair distribution of coins.
- A strategic reserve of Bitcoin could back DGD's value.
- DGD aims to provide inflation-adjusted savings for users. DGD has intrinsic value linked to Bitcoin and user transactions.
- Digital Gold aims to be as ubiquitous as Apple Pay in the future.
- The project is gaining traction in over 40 countries without major marketing efforts.
- DGD could replace USDC and USDT as a stable currency.
- Acquiring DGD is straightforward through digitalgoldx.com.
- Self-custody is crucial for security in cryptocurrency.
- Community engagement is key to spreading awareness and adoption.
- The project aims to reach 100 million users by 2026.
- Barriers to adoption include the unfamiliarity with self-custody wallets.
- John Gotts has extensive experience in the cryptocurrency space, advocating for DGD's potential.