In this episode of Stride 2 Freedom, we had a chance to talk to Reuben Ortega, a transaction attorney and advisor with Socius Law Group. What has always impressed me about Reuben is his calm and cool demeanor. He’s the attorney that would give you confidence that “everything is going to be okay”–and it usually is. With that orientation, Reuben has been guiding a number of tech start-ups through the hazy crazy of COVID-19 and I welcomed his sharing of experiences.
I certainly enjoyed our discussion, learning about Reuben’s thoughts in regard to landlord/tenant contracts. Reuben discussed how approaching the landlord for a rent deferral or another concession is delicate but doable. I also appreciated him sharing the perspective of what he is seeing from the investor community. He shared, “80% of investors want to do what is best for the company.” 80% isn’t too bad… although I’m glad to not have investment from that other 20%. What does that mean? It means they’re helping think through financing options, operating decisions, and providing some capital support if the business warrants it.
But it’s not all bad news. Reuben speaks about an e-commerce company that’s nailing it in the current climate and how he’s seeing a good uptick from cannabis companies. Listen to the podcast for his advice to seed-stage and Series A start-ups.
In this Freedom Speaker Series episode with Reuben Ortega, you will learn:
- How to think about the word “essential” in your business decisions
- Navigating contracts, especially tenant/landlord
- How to use this window to cross T’s and dot I’s in your back office for continued growth
- How innovation comes from these uncertain moments
