Larry Waldinger Email & Phone Number

BFB Consulting specializes in empowering aspiring business owners to launch and grow their ventures. Our greatest strength is in assisting small-scale startups, but enterprise operations may also be interested in what we have to offer. Larry Waldinger stumbled into his first entrepreneurship at the age of 18, when he entered the taxi business as a driver. As a mentor Larry has come a long way since then.Pro Bono Work is a fundamental part of our mission at BFB Consulting. If you represent a nonprofit making a significant impact, or if you have a compelling reason for us to support your commercial or for-profit business, please reach out. We are passionate about communication and look forward to hearing from you for any reason.Compelling Business Statistics (As of June 17, 2024):To illustrate our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology, consider the response I received from an Artificial Intelligence entity when asked for compelling business statistics to educate and attract prospective business owners: “1. Small Business Growth: Small businesses create two-thirds of new jobs and contribute 43.5% of the United States’ GDP, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. 2. Startup Success Rates: About 50% of new businesses survive five or more years, with around one-third making it to ten years or more, underscoring the importance of proper planning and support. …”AI is transforming the business landscape, much like the steam engine did. As Andrew Ng aptly said, “AI is like electricity.” Just as the internet revolutionized business operations, AI is becoming an essential tool for business. Operating a business today without the internet is unthinkable, and the same will soon apply to AI. It’s time to move from outdated practices and tools such as the “dead wood model of data transfer and storage” aka paper, to modern, efficient business practices.For rates or questions reach out directly at:BFB Consulting650-772-9956LWaldinger@gmail.com

San Francisco, California, Us

Please understand that Larry is not an employee or General Partner at 7BC, he is an investor or LP. As such he doesn't receive a paycheck or W2, he has little to no hands-on involvement or serious responsibilities at the company. He cannot negotiate deals or sell any products at 7BC Venture Capital. He can and does enjoy sharing his knowledge and experience. LP’s at 7BC can be more involved, but Larry has elected not to be. That being said, things are getting more interesting at 7BC. This company is fairly new, but it has strong roots. Andrew Romans, the CEO and a General Partner was and is also the CEO and a GP at Rubicon.vc. Rubicon Fund I did well, and Rubicon Fund II is doing very well. 7BC is Andrew’s 3rd fund, it has closed, and the 4th fund is taking investments. Andrew had the foresight to negotiate pro rata equity rights and information rights while at Rubicon, and those rights are now in the possession of 7BC. Such rights can be a powerful asset in future investments.Besides his investments in 7BC and Rubicon Larry has made some introductions, participated in brainstorming, and has served as a sounding board for Andrew to practice his pitches. He does scout new portfolio companies to invest in, and he does talk to other possible potential investors. He likes to point out that he even attended a party once. He looks forward to meeting other GP’s, LP’s, VP’s, etc at 7BC. (I know that is a lot of acronyms, sorry. That’s General Partners, Limited Partners, Venture Partners, etc at 7 Borderless Continents.)Best Wishes!

I started my first entrepreneurship at the age of 18 when I bought a taxi. That was 3 months after high school. I put myself through college as a cabby. After graduating I soon had 2 franchises, 2 cars, and a lot of drivers filling all the shifts I didn’t do myself. I built a successful limousine company, eLimos from 1995 to 2004. By many measures it was a best in class operation serving many celebrity and billionaire clients. Before exiting (selling the company) in 2004 I started investing on the side. I dabbled in stocks and funds, and I also got into real estate.I have been very lucky in real estate. Two of my favorite deals virtually landed on my lap. During a casual conversation with a friend I learned he was working on a good deal. He needed a partner. I went from 0 to 60 in 5 days. I wasn’t looking for real estate at the time, but 5 days later we had an accepted offer. Another friend told me of a property in distress. His eccentric dysfunctional landlord was not paying property taxes. The property was about to foreclose. It was a bargain. I gave my friend a generous piece of the action and closed the deal. Besides being a good investment on the front end, I later subdivided the large property and sold off the pieces to realize an even greater gain.I also spent a couple years tech investing in Silicon Valley. I got into a VC fund called Rubicon Capital 2, I was the first investor at Sturfee, and I bought some shares in Trunity. I feel I have been lucky but I also prepared, worked hard, and invested conservatively. I have done property management, bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, maintenance, repairs, administration, cleaning toilets, etc. Strong cash reserves enabled me to move quickly when the right deals came along. I got through The Great Recession of 2008 because fortunately I got into real estate 4 years before the recession, and I didn’t leverage heavily. I am happy with the way things have worked out.I am looking forward to my next adventures.

As an investment class, Real Estate (RE) is considered to be safe, conservative, and a good hedge against inflation, thus I keep some in my personal portfolio. You have probably heard the old saying about real estate: “They’re not making any more of it.” That’s a truth which keeps the supply side limited, and the demand side growing.I challenge the notion that real estate (RE) investing is not risky. I was completely wiped once by a bad real estate investment. In 1991, I bought a condo. Two years later the market crashed, and I was broke. I hung on to the property, and about 10 years later the market recovered enough to break even. During the Great Recession LA properties came down 60% in 21 months, and Monterey prices dropped 74%. Those are crushing numbers.RE investing can also be unpleasant besides being a bad investment. I once had dog piss dripping from my ceiling, because my tenant’s Saint Bernard had urinated on the floor above. I had a SWAT team raid one of my rental units, because my tenant’s boyfriend had allegedly strangled a lady. I also had a tenant’s son get shot in a bad drug deal. I plucked shrapnel out of the door frame, had to patch several holes in walls, and spent over $4,000 replacing the AC system which had a large bullet hole in it (see photo).Pride of ownership is priceless, but it may still be worth trying to time the market and considering how long before your next move.RE cycles are a harsh reality that should be considered in any RE investment. They say you should not try to time the market, but if I had waited a couple more years before buying my first property in California it could have been an important life changing..I have also had some very good experiences in real estate deals, so things have averaged out for me. It would have been easy to let my negative experiences in RE cloud my judgement, but I still own RE. If you are considering investing in RE take your time, and do your homework, it should pay off.

New York, New York, Us

This is the most successful fund in the series managed by Andrew Romans, CEO and Founder.

Milpitas, California, Us

I met Anil Cheriyadat, the founder of Sturfee in 2015, and wrote a check in the beginning of 2016 to become the first investor. That made me an Angel. I became an Angel Investor.Sturfee could become a unicorn soon. In Silicon Valley a unicorn is a billion dollar company. It might become a unicorn more slowly, and I don’t know what kind of animal that would be. This company has a lot of potential, and that is what drew me in.Most importantly Anil and Harini, the Co-Founders are impressive. They have built an awesome software company. They are diligent, hard working, highly educated, and great people all around. Their resumes are through the roof in terms of technical achievements, and they are definitely on a steep learning curve in running a startup. One of the best times I have had with them was when we got together with some early investors and family for a nice dinner at the Rosewood in Menlo Park.I was impressed that when I agreed to invest in Sturfee Anil did not accept any money right away. It was some months later when he told me he was ready. That shows discipline, restraint, and an intense appreciation for investor dollars. Perhaps Anil is too conservative. My tech investing when I started was not very sophisticated. You could say I was practicing the “spray and pray” strategy of angel investing whereby you invest all over and hope something works out. I did not make many investments, and my process was a little more serious than random. Today I am a little more savvy, and it looks like some of my prayers may be answered.

SAG Member #: 1121 0986I am an experienced SAG actor in Los Angeles. I have been a principal in many commercials, a music video, and an industrial film. I have worked in my hometown of Saskatoon and in Los Angeles. I have done thousands of hours of background acting and some modeling too. I was a stand-in and body double for Michael Keaton recently on the soon to be released Spider-Man: Homecoming. I also did stand-in work for Kevin Costner in No Way Out in 1985. I worked for a few years in the 80’s. Since February, 2017 I have been working my way back into the industry.My first agent was Judith Fontaine of the Judith Fontaine Talent and Modeling Agency in the Los Angeles market. It was a great agency. Through them I was able to get my first work as an actor. I was Taft-Hartley’d for a regional commercial for a food product. That allowed me to become eligible to join SAG-AFTRA.I learned some skills and lessons from my work as an actor. My acting is improving, and when I do good work I can feel it. I still have a keen eye for new talent. It may seem naive and optimistic, but I believe that truly good artists will succeed in Hollywood if they persist. The work ethic in Hollywood is impressive and respectable. The phrase “20 year overnight success” is truly meaningful in entertainment. I also grew to enjoy the work.Acting in Hollywood is fun. The work itself is the most fun and interesting part. Learning about movie making magic is thrilling. I also see fabulous homes and other locations and a lot of beautiful people. Some of the funniest and most entertaining people I have ever worked with were on sets. It seems like every background actor I work with is constantly practicing their material for the day when they appear on the talk show circuit. I hear plenty of good yarns between shots. The fun nature of the work makes the long days a pleasure and keeps me feeling young.

SAG Member #: 1121 0986In November of 2018 I took a 2-day, 1 weekend course in stunt driving, performance driving, and precision driving with Scotty Richards of Scotty’s Stunt and Tactical Driving Course, LLC. It was a great education with plenty of one on one schooling and time behind the wheel. I would recommend the class to anybody who loves driving and anyone who wants to work in the industry. Since then I have worked on shows like 9-1-1 and others. With my dual citizenship I can work in both Canada and the USA.

Satellite Beach, Florida, Us

Property management first became part of my life in 1981, when I bought my first house, in Saskatoon. It was a 2 BR 1 Ba bungalow with a 1 BR suite in the basement. At that point I got my first taste of property management and resident management. The house required some finishing. I lived in the basement for approximately 4 years before moving to Los Angeles. I briefly continued to manage the Canadian property remotely from California, which was also a good learning experience.Lesson #1: I should have kept the property and hired a property management company to manage it for me. Family was a great help in managing the property for me when I left town, but a discomfort came with relying on family. I sold it before long. Had I taken a more professional approach I may still own the property today. At the time I was too inexperienced to be aware of the concept of property management as a service. I also had a strong “do it yourself” mindset and general mistrust of others. These thought patterns were a product of the culture of the prairies and of a family bias. Thus, I was inhibited from growth and greater professionalism.There was a gap in my property management career until I started buying property in 2004. Now, I manage a commercial property, 2 residential lots, and a 2 bedroom bungalow in City Park. The peak door count I managed was 7 residential units in Texas and California. In my property management career I have managed acquisitions, dispositions both deemed and realized, commercial lease renewal, residential leasing, commercial and residential financing, loan modification, Human Resources, vendors, partnership contracts and negotiations, estate management, a tax audit, and a subdivision.I now have a wide range of high stakes, deep learning experiences in property management. I want to learn more. Next? Maybe RE development. I also want to prepare myself for the disruption to the industry that Artificial Intelligence will bring. The future will be fun!

Greenwich, Ct, Us

During my time as a substitute teacher, I stumbled upon a teaching tool that transformed my classroom experience – pointer sticks. These seemingly ordinary 15-inch colorful plastic tubes, adorned with puffy white-gloved plastic hands pointing with an index finger, became my teaching magic wands. What began as a playful experiment turned into a powerful teaching strategy that fostered an environment of engagement and fun.The moment I animatedly pointed and gestured with these "Hand Pointers," I could see the magic they brought to my teaching. Students were captivated. Laughter and giggles became commonplace as I incorporated these playful tools into my teaching repertoire.When students asked me why I used these pointer sticks, my response was simple yet profound: "Because it's fun!" However, it went beyond that; my students could sense the joy and enthusiasm I brought into the classroom, and it translated into an atmosphere of happiness, good behavior, and productivity.One of the most common questions I receive when I mention that I am a substitute teacher is, "What do you teach?" My standard response is, "As a substitute, I can cover any subject." Two fundamental responsibilities define my role: taking attendance and ensuring the safety of all students. I take pride in my ability to successfully fulfill both duties. Over the years, I have had the privilege of covering a wide range of subjects, from Robotics and Calculus to Glass Blowing, Kindergarten Special Education, Mandarin, Spanish, Chemistry, Business Law, Physical Education, Automotive Mechanics, Band, and more.In October of 2016, I embarked on a new teaching adventure when I relocated from Palo Alto to Monterey and joined the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. This move brought fresh experiences and perspectives, enriching my teaching journey. However, on New Year's Eve of 2016, I returned to Los Angeles, where I continue to teach and make a positive impact on students' lives.

Driving has been a thread running throughout my life both professionally and recreationally. I have driven motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, and a unicycle. I’ve driven professionally as a taxi driver, chauffeur, Google camera car driver for Street View, Google driverless car driver, bus driver, and now as a stunt driver. I once drove quite literally as a getaway driver, in an armed robbery, at knife point, when I was a taxi driver. I survived with only minor injuries a roll over in a 1952 International Pick Up Truck. Stunt driving is the most recent of all my driving gigs, and it is arguably the most fun and exciting. Stunt driving may be one of the safest driving careers I have had, ha ha ha.I have taken three very fun and very different professional driving courses. At the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Florida I was awarded a certificate for clocking the fastest lap time in the class even though a mechanical failure interrupted my allotted 10 laps. My speed was 125.30 miles per hour (mph). At SimRaceway Performance Driving Center in the Bay Area my training was very specialized. Finally, Scotty Richards trained me for work in Hollywood, and you can ask him about my grades. I now work on demand for Scotty when he needs me in film and television productions, and I eager to work at the direction of others as well.Some of the best training I ever did was driving on ice and snow for six months of the year where I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. One of the beauties of driving on ice is that it seems to slow time. I know that is not possible, but time does seem to slow down when you’re drifting so to speak on ice. It’s like watching your self in slow motion. That distortion allows you to analyze your moves at a more leisurely pace.I have traveled many roads and many miles to get where I am now, and it seems like without planning it many of my experiences in life have led me to be a stunt driver, precision driver, and performance driver.

Monterey, Ca, Us

I was happily substitute teaching until December, 2016. At that point I moved back to Los Angeles.

I can run a fine beach home for a nice client. My background building a best-in-class LA limousine service and as a hands on resident landlord prepared me to enter the field. I did some work in an awesome home in Palo Alto.Managing someone's house and home requires personal skills and technical skills. Of course people are what make this all so very interesting. The turbulence of many different people flowing together makes for tricky waters to navigate. When those waters smooth out is when the voyage is best for the client. Technical issues can literally be a stinging issue. Managing an active wasp nest for example on a residential property proved to be a stinging lesson for me. We chose a minimally aggressive approach of adapting to the wasps, as opposed to killing them all, and the decision came back to bite me more than once. A realistic analysis of risk is constantly required. Risks can be dramatically overblown or they can be invisibly buried beneath the ground. Personal safety and security are balanced by personal freedom and convenience. The entire organization must harmonize to keep home safe.Privacy is an important aspect of security. Managing privacy is about more than just avoiding awkward moments. Protecting a client’s privacy can be critical.Clear communication is a valuable commodity. The simplest direction can be misinterpreted. “Meet me at the side door" for example, may not be enough information. Knowing which side, floor, wing, building, or property and when might help. That is a simple example. If you ask a staff member an open ended question like: “How do you feel about working here?” that takes you to other realms. Communication must be clear.Building trust is important. Like a fine house, once trust is built, it should be well maintained.Success for a majordomo can measure from simply not being noticed to being life saving.Can consult or work remotely.

I started the company with 1 car and one part time employee out of my home in Culver City, CA. Revenue peaked at $1.4 Million/yr. 70% of revenue was from business in LA. Most of the balance was generated in New York using our affiliate network. The remainder of the activity was in between LA & NY and in some international markets.By many measures the company was a “Best in Class” operation. Our dollars/trip ratio was much higher than average. We had the highest ratio of luxury import sedans in the industry. We were using S Class Mercedes and 7 Series BMW’s. Many celebrities and billionaires were clients. One favorite client was Clay Lacy Aviation. We had close ties with other private jet charter services and many FBO’s (Fixed Base of Operations). During 9 years of operation I acquired a “practical MBA”. Many other small business owners I have spoken to also compare their experience to earning an MBA. As the owner I did everything from cleaning toilets to managing M&A’s. I acquired 3 other companies in 9 years. It was important for growth. I learned to pivot the business at critical points to maximize opportunities. In a quickly growing business cash flow awareness is vital. Covering today’s expenses with yesterdays receivables is a crunch. Another surprise was the new employee learning curve. I had an expectation with each new employee that I would have a tremendous amount of time immediately freed up. In fact, I had less time, because then I had to train new employees too. I wrote and used the slogan: “Get Carried Away!” and copyrighted eLimos. The whole experience was great. I learned a lot, had fun, met some good people, and built up something I could feel proud of. The final M&A activity was to sell the company that I had built up. Another pleasant discovery I made was that a “Best in Class” operation can demand a higher sale price than an average company. While conducting the sale of eLimos I began a transition into Real Estate and other investments.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

LMU, where I studied, was one of the best Education schools in the country. They required time spent passively observing other teachers. I witnessed some great teaching. It inspired me. The best teachers seem to have a natural ability bordering on magical, I had to work at it. I continued studying other teachers after graduating. I quickly adopted the use of incentives as a result. I developed elaborate reward systems spending hundreds to thousands of out of pocket dollars each year on my classes. Many teachers spend their own money on their students.The rewards I used got creative and later, even ostentatious. I developed a system of paying students to correct stacks of papers for me. It did something incredible for the students I recruited that went beyond the few dollars they earned. I conducted lotteries that also served as probability lessons. I used to take small groups of students on hikes to the Hollywood sign. For many it was a rare opportunity to experience nature. Late in my career I did a limousine company startup. Then I would donate limo trips to the beach. A beautiful limousine rolling onto campus, up to the door of a bungalow classroom, of an inner city school is sensational. I continued that program after I left teaching.I used traditional techniques too. I organized and prepared. I created colorful, imaginative transparencies for the overhead projector. I made 5,000 executive decisions per day per one famous study of education at the time. I stayed very alert to achieve what was described in the study of Education as a state of “with-it-ness”. I even survived teaching through the Rodney King riots.The extreme contrast between my experiences with weekday clients in South Central and my weekend clients in Beverly Hills was stunning and left a deep impression on me. I felt then and I feel strongly to this day that the gap between the rich and the poor can be narrowed by leveraging technology to offer good quality inexpensive education to all.

After completing my Bachelors degree in Psychology I was drawn back into the taxi business. I was compelled by the success I had tasted as a taxi operator. Shortly I bought 2 taxis and 2 franchises. I was very much a “hands-on” operator, but soon I had a staff as well. With about a dozen full and part time drivers I discovered the power of leveraging help from other people. I broke new ground in the industry by borrowing to purchase a taxi franchise. The non-tangible asset had previously been off limits for financing in the industry. The business grew and prospered.The taxi industry in Saskatoon was quite seasonal, but I adapted. Demand peaked in Winter, and slowed in Summer. This was my first exposure to the problem of revenue cycles. I learned to go with the flow. In Winter I worked long shifts for many uninterrupted days. In Summer I would take restful vacations.First, I had to find someone I could trust. The franchisor had a full time manager in place. We worked up a side deal that was acceptable to all. He would manage my 2 cars while I was away. It was a privilege to discover good talent. The experience also made me appreciate business creativity. In business deals “thinking outside the box” is limited only to what the parties will agree on. The thrill of returning from a vacation to a literal stack of cash was strong reinforcement.More reinforcement came when I chose to drive away from the taxi industry. I started longing to return to Southern California. I also had a dream of becoming an actor, so off I went to Hollywood. While liquidating my assets I discovered that the franchises I bought had nicely appreciated in value. My 2 unit residential property had not done quite as well, but it provided a home and a machine for paying off debt. The transition process, again demonstrated to me the power of asset appreciation, leverage, and capitalism and for the first time made me see the value of portfolio diversification.

Straight out of High School I started to drive a taxi. The rubber hit the road days after graduation. I worked hard, learned a lot, and earned a lot. Taxi driving was good for me.What I did not expect from taxi driving was to learn so much about life and myself. I discovered I liked working with people. Many times I would drive from a quiet, street corner in the suburbs to the downtown core to be surrounded by people. The streetlife I witnessed entertained me, but it also taught me about human nature and erased the green from behind my ears.I also began to acquire business experience and education in the school of hard knocks. Without a formal business education I was able to figure out basic principles of accounting and business administration. I hustled, put in long hours, and got results. Within about 3 months I bought a taxi, leased a franchise, and became an entrepreneur for the first time at the age of 18. I liked the entrepreneurial nature of the taxi business. I was able to work more than 40 hours per week or 8 hours a shift if I wanted to. When I drove for others I leased by the day for a flat rate. After covering my lease I would continue to push hard for the rest of the shift in order to maximize my net. This “get it while you can” attitude and an attraction to more open ended opportunities continued throughout my career.By December, 1978 I took off for California to pursue my dream of professional bodybuilding. The money I had saved allowed me to focus on my training without distraction.Taxi driving turned out to be much more than just a job. It also allowed me to put myself through college. While in college I was able to purchase my first piece of real estate, a 2 unit property near the campus.Many times I repeated this pattern of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Also established at this time was a strict regimen of sacrifice and discipline. Both the work and the athletic training shaped me for the rest of my life.

Bachelor'S Degree, Psychology, Math

California Teachers Credential, Math, Secondary School Level, Education

Office Administration, Office Administration

Psychology