Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

eremy Krout is the founder of EPD Solutions, Inc. EPD provides an integrated approach to environmental analysis, regulatory compliance, land use planning, entitlement, and development and construction management. Since 2013, EPD has spent over a decade assisting clients through the complex regulatory and interdisciplinary processes required to bring projects to fruition in the most thoughtful manner. EPD collaborates with both private and public sector clients to meet each project’s objectives while supporting the economic, environmental sustainability, and long-term goals of all stakeholders. The result is a comprehensive development strategy that delivers the best solutions for the environment, community, and economic value.

Jeremy has over 20 years of experience in urban, environmental and policy planning; project management; and real estate entitlement and development, in both the public and private sectors. Over this period, he has successfully managed many regionally significant and complex projects in these fields, which drew on his knowledge of federal, state and local government regulations, natural interpersonal and negotiation skills, public presentation strengths, detail-oriented approach to project design oversight, and team leadership abilities. His wide-ranging and multifaceted experience on infill residential, master planned communities, affordable housing, education, public and private redevelopment, transportation, mining, solar, recreation, hospitality and industrial projects has developed and honed his skills in entitlement strategy and implementation and environmental compliance. It is because of his successes and dedication that he has earned the conviction and reliance of project proponents and opponents, stakeholders and his clients.

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Leah Braddell is the CEO and Chief Data Officer of DataBiologics, a company at the forefront of healthcare innovation, specializing in real-world data analytics for regenerative medicine. With over 20 years of experience in biomedical engineering, sales, and healthcare technology, Leah has a unique blend of expertise in both the commercial and technical aspects of the healthcare industry. She has had success with multiple high-growth startups, driven by her deep domain knowledge and award-winning sales strategies.

Leah’s career spans across research, marketing, and analytics, making her a key figure in bridging the gap between cutting-edge medical technology and practical, real-world applications. Under her leadership, DataBiologics is transforming how clinicians and patients interact with and benefit from regenerative treatments, establishing a powerful platform that supports evidence-based decision-making in medicine.

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Nader Nemati is a dynamic business and technology leader experienced in providing companies with IT, Technology, Product Management, Cybersecurity and AI consulting services including advisory board services, and fractional or interim IT executive roles. Nader has a proven track record of helping companies align technology and IT infrastructure to business objectives to grow revenue, increase profitability, and expand into new markets and geographies. He has worked at Lockheed Martin, Leidos, and Honeywell in various executive IT positions, including Chief Information Officer, and is the founder of several successful startups, including On Demand Managers.

In today’s on-demand economy, businesses face constant challenges requiring immediate attention. On Demand Managers, founded by Nader Nemati, offers swift and efficient solutions by providing quick access to highly experienced managers and executives. Their seasoned professionals handle urgent and complex issues that exceed internal capabilities. Through the On Demand Management™ service, businesses gain direct access to skilled managers and executives for interim projects or retainer agreements, seamlessly integrating into their teams. Specializing in fractional CIO, CTO, and CISO services, these interim leaders navigate financial, operational, and technological challenges with agility.

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

With over 26 years of experience, Lou Rabon is a seasoned technology professional. Lou Rabon has dedicated 22 years to Cybersecurity and 9 years to International Privacy, honing expertise in Incident Response, Cloud Security, Privacy, and Regulatory Compliance. Having held leadership positions for Fortune 500 companies across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America, Lou brings a wealth of knowledge.

Currently serving as the CEO and Founder of Cyber Defense Group, a cybersecurity strategic advisory firm founded in 2016, Lou focuses on delivering exceptional Incident Response and Security Program Management consulting services. Based in Los Angeles, CDG serves clients globally, providing expert solutions.

Before joining CDG, Lou served as the Information Security Officer at Spokeo. In this role, he diligently analyzed threats across a widely dispersed “perimeter,” which included a hybrid cloud environment for the Alexa Top-500 ranked website. Before his time at Spokeo, Lou was a valuable member of the Information Security team at Sony Pictures Entertainment. There, he led various Information Security and Privacy projects for SPE, while also contributing to privacy and risk management initiatives for the global Sony Corporation.

Lou’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through as he’s established and managed consultancies in France, Australia, and both coasts of the United States. He frequently shares his expertise on panels and at industry conferences, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to advancing the cybersecurity landscape, and is passionate about safeguarding the digital future of our children.

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

John Anderson is the Founder and Principal of Integrated Solutions Group, a Washington State-based Advisory Services firm. ISG is focused on providing Project Management, Quality Assurance, Organizational Change Management, and Technical Advisory Services to its clients with a focus on managing transformational change often brought on by the implementation of new technology.

John has 38 years of experience as an Information Management consultant with an emphasis on the management of large software design, development, and implementation projects. He has been a consultant and trainer to many Fortune 100 companies as well as federal, state, and local government agencies.

John has managed the implementation of several large-scale business transformation initiatives, including ProviderOne, the State of Washington Medicaid Enterprise Information System, and HealthPlanFinder, the Washington States Health Insurance Marketplace. John also served as Interim Executive Director of Technology for the One Washington Program, which is transforming the state’s aging financial, human resource, payroll, procurement, and budgeting systems.

John has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Utah with minors in Business and Computer Science. John holds his Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute and has done post-graduate studies in Business and Information Management.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Vinil Ramchandran is the founder of Dream Business Brokers. He is a Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Professional, Certified Business Broker, and Certified Business Intermediary. Vinil brings over 20 years of business experience to help entrepreneurs sell their business for maximum value. He is known as a results-oriented M&A Advisor and prides himself on providing exceptional service to his clients.

Dream Business Brokers is a full-service business brokerage and M&A advisory firm based in Newport Beach. They work with lower middle market businesses in a variety of sectors with a focus on manufacturing, distribution, and service-oriented companies. They assist clients with business sales, acquisitions, and exit planning.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Yuko Tsuchida, CPA, MBA is a Certified Public Accountant with over 10 years of tax consulting experience advising multinational corporations on value-added tax strategies. Her career started with KPMG’s Japanese tax practice where she provided audit, tax and advisory services to Japanese companies operating in the United States. After KPMG, she co-founded Think, LLP, a strategic tax advisory firm specializing in income tax planning, R&D credits, investment, employee and training tax credits and incentive services. Throughout her career, she has helped clients claim over $100 million in incentives and credits.

Ms. Tsuchida founded Hito, LLC in October 2017 after seeing how many companies fail to achieve their projected growth because they lack the time and resources to implement tax planning strategies that align with their long-term business objectives.

Hito is the Japanese term for ‘people’ and Ms. Tsuchida believes people drive business growth. Hito provides value-added tax consulting services focused on tax incentives and credits. Hito accelerates the growth of businesses and promotes change through tax benefits. This helps businesses unlock savings by minimizing taxes and freeing up capital for reinvestment into the business and its employees.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Ville Houttu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Privv. Originally from Finland, Ville relocated to the United States with his wife and two children in 2016. He’s a serial entrepreneur and a renowned TEDx speaker whose leadership has earned recognition in esteemed publications, such as TechCrunch, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and Adam Grant’s TED Podcast. Additionally, he has been honored as a finalist for the 2023 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award and is a three-time member of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America. In 2018, he was also named the Entrepreneur of the Year in Irvine, California.

Privv is the only project management tool designed specifically for higher education and K-12 facilities. It combines industry-specific knowledge with advanced tools to ensure capital projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards. Privv empowers educational institutions to focus on their core mission of providing world-class education while streamlining the management of complex construction projects.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Trevor Hanks has been part of the industry since day one… He was the first kid in his neighborhood to pack coolers, deliver props and suck gas fumes on the transportation curb being born into a hospitality family. After college in Boulder and extensive work around the world in the incentive travel business, Trevor returned to the family-owned company TMM (The Meeting Manager) to assist in managing and leading the family business in the late 90s into the new millennium and the next generation of the hospitality industry.

After taking over the company’s full-time operation and ownership, Trevor decided to create a new brand called 360 Destination Group in 2012. 360DG is now a premier DMC (Destination Management Company) with 17 locations throughout the US, covering 23 destinations and over 165 full-time employees.

360DG aims to create a feeling of “Personalized, Progressive and Passionate” in the day-to-day attitude/culture of the employee, customers and company atmosphere. 360DG is a planner’s quarterback from the moment the first flight arrives until the last lift-off home and from the first virtual rehearsal until the last attendee has left the hotel, their team is locked in on the details that ideally will have their clients raving about the experience for years.

Trevor is active in several hospitality organizations and served on the committee that developed the Destination Management Certified Professional program. A father to 5 daughters and an avid waterman Trevor was transplanted from Southern California, where he lived for most of his life, to now residing in Boca Raton, Florida.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Markus Tarin is the President & CEO of MoviTHERM – Advanced Thermography Solutions. Mr. Tarin has studied Radio and Television Engineering as well as Embedded System Design in Germany, where he graduated in 1996. He has extensive experience with visible and non-visible imaging, especially in the Near Infrared (NIR), Shortwave Infrared (SWIR), Midwave Infrared (MWIR) and Long Wave Infrared (LWIR).

Tarin was the lead architect on many product development projects for defense, research, medical and industrial applications. Through his company, he has commercialized many of these developments for remote monitoring, automated thermal imaging and non-destructive testing.

Topics discussed in this episode:

About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.

About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Jim: Hello everybody and welcome to Blueprint CFO presents, our bi-weekly podcast featuring future-focused entrepreneurs. Today’s guest is Markus Tarin, president and CEO of MoviTHERM. Hello Markus.

Markus: Hey Jim, thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.

Jim: It’s going to be exciting to have Markus on. He’s got a very interesting company and we’ll learn all about it in a few minutes. But first, our sponsor of our program is Blueprint CFO. We are a fractional CFO and outsourced accounting firm. We work with our clients to help them grow their business and make more money by bringing them timely and accurate financial data that they can use to make better business decisions. Our website is www.blueprintcfo.com. Thank you very much. So Markus, let’s get into our interview. Number one question is, tell us a little bit about MoviTHERM. What does MoviTHERM do?

Markus: MoviTHERM, the name itself comes from motion vision thermography. We are a thermal imaging company. We have a hybrid business model. We are a distributor, selling thermal imaging cameras for the do-it-yourselfers, strictly business to business. We have product solutions developed for quality inspection, plastic welding, package inspection. We have a line of non-destructive test systems for aerospace, doing defect detection in carbon composites. We also have a cloud-based IoT solution for early fire detection and condition monitoring. We also act as a systems integrator, helping customers with bigger projects.

Jim: Before I met Markus, I didn’t know what thermography was. It’s using infrared cameras to do heat detection. Would that be a fair way of describing it, Markus?

Markus: Yes, there are two categories. One is the surveillance world, which uses it for night vision. We are on the other end of the spectrum. We have calibrated temperature cameras, so we can measure pixel by pixel what its temperature is.

Jim: One of the applications I’ve seen is an industrial laundry using your systems for remote monitoring to ensure no fires break out.

Markus: Yes, we have several industrial laundry facilities using our IoT-based cloud early fire detection. They have issues with spontaneous combustions due to dirty laundry coming in with oils and solvents. We can monitor the development of that exothermic reaction and give an early warning.

Jim: One of the latest innovations is an all-in-one unit that has everything in it, the camera, the server, and the internet connection.

Markus: Yes, we call it a Gateway. It’s the gateway between the cameras and other sensors to our cloud-based solution, which runs on an Amazon web-based server. We can even do this either through the customer’s infrastructure or via cell phone.

Jim: What makes MoviTHERM special in its industry?

Markus: We have a model called “simplify the complex”. We’re constantly innovating. Our IoT cloud-based solution was a testament to that. We wanted to simplify things for our customers.

Jim: How did you get into this business?

Markus: I started as a single-man consultant, doing automation work. I always had a knack for image processing. FLIR, one of the largest thermal camera manufacturers, reached out to us to automate their software for thermal imaging. That’s how we started in the machine vision world with thermal imaging.

Jim: Was that 25 years ago?

Markus: Yes.

Jim: How did you come to the U.S?

Markus: My dad was installing textile machines around the world. He needed help automating a machine in LA. I came to help him, and after a year, the owner of the company hired me on. I became the plant engineer for a few years till 1999, and then I went on my own.

Jim: That’s cool. So you started, it was just you, and now the company’s grown to, I can’t remember, like 30 or 40 employees?

Markus: No, not quite, 15 currently.

Jim: Okay, 15. As you’re growing, have there been rough spots? Times when things weren’t going well and you needed to reinvent yourself or go in a different direction?

Markus: Absolutely. My roughest spot was in the very beginning. I had started this company coming from that textile background. I had made a lot of connections with European textile manufacturers. My first idea for this company was sales and service for European textile machine manufacturers, like my dad did, in the US on the West Coast. I had signed up six or seven of those, and it started out pretty nice. Then the textile market crashed. Everyone started to diversify their product lines, creating cross-competition. Suddenly, the phone calls came in from these folks I was representing, saying, “If you keep representing this company, you can no longer represent us because we have competition here.” I ended up with one or two, and that’s not enough business for me. I can’t sustain this. At one point, I was down to $200 in my name. I didn’t have enough money to pay the rent or a ticket back. I was too proud to call my dad and ask for help. But the next morning, a customer called in distress, asking for help with his machine. I told him he had to pay me that day, and he agreed.

Jim: That was a godsend.

Markus: Yes, it was. Later on, I pivoted outside of the textile world. The whole market crashed, everything moved over to India and China. A lot of companies went out of business around that time, including the one I used to work for. So I pivoted, and this whole relationship with FLIR started. I was branching into this whole world and building my company up from the ground.

Jim: So you own your own business, and you’re the president and CEO, which means you’re in charge of everything. What’s the good part about owning your own business?

Markus: I think I’ve created my dream job. I was following my curiosity in technology. I’m a total technology geek, passionate about technology. I created my dream job. I could solve so many different problems and work with so many different companies. We were very technology-focused and industry-open. I got to see a lot of different manufacturing companies, learn how they work, and solve their problems.

Jim: That’s great. What’s the downside of owning your own business?

Markus: It comes with a lot of commitment. The clock never stops ticking. Whether you’re on vacation or on the weekend, you’re always thinking about the next thing, the next problem to solve. Everyone in the company looks to you as the leader to solve their problems. There’s a constant level of pressure. You’re responsible for everyone, their families, your customers, and your company. I always chuckle when I hear young people say they want to be their own boss. They think it’s going to be great, but they’re wrong. Your employees and customers are your bosses. If I compare myself to working for a company, when I go home at night, it’s my time. On the weekend, it’s my weekend. I don’t have to worry about work. But as an entrepreneur, you have to be on top of things all the time.

Jim: Right, it’s rewarding, but it’s a lot of pressure. You have to continually reinvent yourself, which is challenging.

Markus: Absolutely. We had to reinvent ourselves many times.

Jim: I’m going to throw you a curveball here. We’re looking at artificial intelligence and how it’s going to affect the accounting industry. Are you doing anything with AI at MoviTherm?

Markus: Absolutely. We’re part of the A3 Business Association, which is for advancing automation. Part of that is robotics, machine vision, motion control, and lately, AI. We’ve been using it. During the COVID times, we developed AI-based solutions. We use it for fire detection as well. It’s fascinating technology, but you have to understand its limitations.

Jim: Right, it’s a piece of the puzzle. During the last few years, we had COVID. How were you affected by it?

Markus: Talking about a curveball, when I saw the outbreak abroad and the travel restrictions, I saw a big wave coming towards us. I thought this is going to kill our industrial businesses. But we’re in the thermal imaging business. We knew from the SARS outbreak that thermal imaging cameras had been used for detecting fever on human skin. We pivoted rapidly, and that was our savior moment. Our business took off like a rocket ship.

Jim: That’s amazing. It shows the power of innovation and being nimble. This year, they’ve predicted a recession. Are you seeing any effects at MoviTherm?

Markus: We definitely saw a slowdown in Q1 and Q2. There are signs now that things seem to be turning around. We’re tracking with the PMI, the purchasing managers index, which has reached the bottom and is going back up.

Jim: Right, we have to keep moving or get passed up by the competition. What’s the normal work week look like for Marcus?

Markus: Balance is a spectrum. I’ve improved. I used to work a lot more. I manage to stay away from weekends. I’d say a 45-50 hour work week is common. I’m also working on hiring more middle-layer management to free up more of my time.

Jim: Right, you’re building an organization and empowering people. You’ve been working with us for a few months. What are the benefits of working with Blueprint?

Markus: I realized I need to take my finances more seriously. That’s why we’re happy to have you on board. We need to straighten out our accounting and match it up with our efforts. We need to trace our profitability properly and understand our actions by numbers. The financial side of the business is critical.

Jim: Right, we’re implementing project accounting. We’re tracking what people are doing with their time every day. We’re going to delve into those numbers. Any last tips for budding entrepreneurs?

Markus: Join a peer group, like Vistage or the Entrepreneur Organization. It’s invaluable to brainstorm with like-minded people and other entrepreneurs. Check for blind spots and approach problems the right way. Other people have fantastic ideas you can implement.

Jim: Right, it’s humbling. You have to reveal what you’re struggling with. But to get feedback, you have to get those issues out there. Thank you, Marcus, for being on our podcast. We’re Blueprint CFO. If there are any entrepreneurs out there watching the show, please let us know.

Markus: Thanks so much. It was great.