Adam Torres and Kathleen Tepley discuss Los Angeles Consulting Group.
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Show Notes:
Listen to the April event coverage for the Los Angeles Consulting Group. In this episode, Adam Torres interviews Kathleen Tepley, Founder of Los Angeles Consulting Group, discuss upcoming events.
About Kathleen Tepley
Founder & CEO of Los Angeles Consulting Group (LACG), a global business development practice that primarily serves family offices, closely-held operating businesses, philanthropic foundations, and differentiated service providers in the private capital markets.
LACG hosts two different business development advisory practices, both managed by Kathleen.
LACG’s network enhancement practice proactively provides clients with strategic counsel and timely, curated introductions to relevant business partners within LACG’s ecosystem. Through LACG’s event production practice, Kathleen and her partners conceptualize and produce public and invitation-only private events for the global private capital community, designed to enhance awareness of the client’s brand (the Lido Family Office Investment Symposium based in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica since 2010 is an LACG supported production, for example).
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to my Instagram, ask Adam Torres and send me a dm. Let me know why you wanna come on the show. Again, ask Adam Torres on Instagram. And today my guest is Kathleen Epley.
We’ve been doing this monthly interview series and I’m. So excited, man. We got some breaking news today. I’m not gonna quite spoil it yet, but I’ll just give you a hint. Former president of Marvel Studios. Okay, that’s all I’m gonna say for the hint. But Kathleen, first off, welcome back to the show.
Thank you, Adam. It’s so good to be here. I such a believer in what we do, and that’s all because of you. So thank you. Love it. And for everyone that is maybe just tuning into one of these episodes for the first time. So Kathleen comes on once a month as co-host, and we get to get into what LA G’s doing and not just in Los Angeles, but really worldwide.
It really is a worldwide platform. Los Angeles consulting group.com. We go over their events, we go over what’s going on. honestly, just with Kathleen, keeping up with her is enough for me. So, so a whole lot there. And one thing I like to do is give our audience a kind of behind the scenes of what’s going on and as shows evolve, especially for those out there that are podcasters or wannabe podcasters I’ll take a.
Brief little segue into what we’re gonna get into a bit today. So when you have an idea on a podcast or in this particular platform, I like to think of it kind of like a, whiteboard. You’re putting up ideas. Some things stick, some don’t, and shows evolve over time. So when Kathleen and I. Began this monthly segment.
It used to be kind of just like a quick little quick hit we go through. It was very short episode. Maybe they’re like five or seven minutes, and we just went over upcoming events. Over time, myself and Kathleen, we built more of a relationship. I’ve been to plenty of la CG events. I’ve attended, I’ve benefited, I’ve networked.
It’s been a great time. And so as our relationship’s gotten like better and bigger we just have more to talk about Now, we maybe throw in some sprinkle in some personal things and some other things on the show. The chemistry increases and we grow and we do more things. And now I forgot who it was. So I’m just gonna attribute the idea to Kathleen.
I think at some point we were like, you know, you have all these amazing people in your network. Let’s bring them on and let’s bring them on and let’s. add a little, maybe a little interview segment to what we normally do. So today I’ll let Kathleen do the announcement. We’re gonna be switching up the format, possibly on our next interview.
Maybe the one after that, but we’ll get it booked one way or another. So, Kathleen, talk a little bit about this rockstar guest you have booked for us. Well, Adam, thank you so much for providing this platform and your amazing attendees that listen to this. I don’t know if they’re readership or but our community is incredible.
Merging our communities has been such an impact for us. What we are excited to do is to participate and add a speaker series to our monthly platform in sharing what’s going on out in the community. Our first speaker is Peter Cuo ex CEO of Marvel Studios, and I remember when Marvel went through this transition and Peter stepped in to help navigate the sale of Marvel.
I’m a big fan. I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan. I watched another one last night. Oh, I’m a fan. Come on. Oh, love it. But Peter is such a brilliant, dynamic individual and he’s a personal friend. I remember sitting at a dinner table having steak and he was, him and his son Colin were my dinner table support members, and we had such a blast in New York.
So thank you for providing that. Peter does his own podcast. Yeah, and I’m just really excited to hear a little bit about him, his experience, and just share with our audience who he is, and I’ll hear a little bit more about his accomplishments. So thank you. I’m so excited to co-partner with you on this and have him on our next podcast.
Now Kathleen does not know. She knew that question was coming. She doesn’t know this. Next question’s coming. So for you, Kathleen, and, for everybody listening, one of the interesting things about this, in my opinion, so , we’ve had over 30,000 people apply to be on the show in the last year. So that being said, you know, very blessed, very grateful to be able to, you bring people on and to do a lot of interviews so That’s a great thing. But what’s interesting about this one is Kathleen, is, for me at least, is Kathleen is the one curating the guest for her monthly appearance. So that being said, tell me a little bit about your vision. Obviously, we know who the first one is, and I’m not holding you to this because visions do change and you know, all that good stuff.
But tell me about some of the vision or what you intend on, or what you see for some of the guests that you’re going to be curating. What I think is part of our responsibility as Spokespeople, facilitators, implementers, whatever you wanna call us. Adam, it’s important for us to have impact and what I’ve experienced and is how I’ve created my ecosystem is the magic of the community.
What I feel is important for those keynote speakers that I’d love to have on our series is people that have created impact. Those that have taken on a challenge or have been really. Impactful in some type of initiative that should be listened to. Maybe we’ll ask his words of wisdom. I don’t know if you remember from our last show, we had some pearls.
We had some pearls, yeah. That we talked about. And I love that. I love that. we can come up with some of these guidelines, these recommendations, these pearls of wisdom, Peter has that. Mm-hmm. And that’s what I’m hoping we’ll have is some of these very impactful speakers that will make a difference in the 15, 20 minutes that you have with us.
Mm-hmm. And we’ve got some dynamic speakers, so I’m looking forward to. Introducing Peter on the next one. And stay tuned for 2025 for the speaker series on this monthly podcast. And we appreciate you, Adam, for all you do and impact you have on Game on. No, this is fun. I’m excited And this is gonna continue to grow and get bigger ’cause that’s what happens when you collaborate with other people.
Was, you know, great things happen, so I’m pumped. Let’s transition a bit here, Kathleen. So getting into, you know, I always like to do a, kind of a recap. So LACG. Maybe start with a little bit about the organization. We’ve been blessed to have a whole lot of new listeners monthly , and since our last episode.
So go through that first a bit and tell us a little bit more about the organization. I love it. Sometimes it’s hard to speak about yourself, but I’m proud of what we’ve created. LAC G’s been around for about 30 years. Again, branding has changed over the years. And it’s not just Los Angeles. It is a global business advisory firm that provides outsource business development support to our family offices investors, private equity.
Real estate and professional service arena. We focus on curating special high level. Community events across the globe as a tactic to bring mm-hmm. People together. Now, again, we’re not an event company, but we do provide strategy for a lot of these family offices and investors and doing so, we get access to several different high level events.
We curate different events. We create, produce different events, and then we partner with people like you for podcasts. We believe that it takes a village. Mm-hmm. To to be able to help your own business acumen, your own community of growth, your relationships, your clients, and the magic of the Los Angeles Consulting Group community has been so incredible.
All the way over to Singapore in 2025. In September. France. In September. London, in June. And we just are excited to share it with you, Adam. Yeah. And. The Mission matters community. And I think that’s a great transition. Let’s get into some of the events you have coming up. So first off, for everybody listening, especially if you’re driving in your car, super simple, Los Angeles consulting group.com.
We’re gonna mention some dates, we’re gonna mention some events, and I know some of you’re gonna be like, Ooh, ah, I gotta check that out. I gotta look at this. Recommend going and signing up for the newsletter. I’ve been signed up for it for a long, long time and you, and you don’t get any junk. No spam, nothing like that.
All you’re gonna get is really high level events, and if it comes out in that newsletter you’re not gonna have any misses. So feel free to go and sign up for that Los Angeles consulting group.com. But let’s get into, let’s into some of what you have coming up over the next month and then or so, and you know, I need to, we definitely have to get into the, the original mixer that’s gonna be happening in spring.
So, first thing first I see a private investor presentation. So the magic of the community is many times family offices and investors and some private smaller time investors are looking for opportunities but wanted in a safe, vetted environment. What we do is we provide educational webinars with upcoming investor opportunities.
And GPN is one of my favorites, David Marshall of gPN Gameplay Network is offering a webinar on April 9th at 11:00 AM Pacific time, and he’ll talk a little bit about what he’s been doing at GPN Gameplay Network. We’re excited to share him. We’re excited to talk about where the gaming industry has gone and.
Where you can have access to gambling in this initiative. And it’s so exciting ’cause he’s been doing it for years and is an expert in this field. So please log on to los Angeles consulting group.com. Mm-hmm. Apply to join, and we’d love to see you on April 9th at 11 o’clock to learn more about GPN.
Yeah. And I believe you’ve worked with them in the past, right? , I feel like I know the name. Yeah. We have, yeah, we have for quite a long time. Mm-hmm. Whenever you’re having an initiative like that, there’s a lot of licenses and a lot of politics. Yeah. And they’ve been, so good about continuing to grow this event and we wanna share it with the community, make sure people have an opportunity to get to meet David and learn more about it.
And then next, at least in order on my list, you have the 19th Annual Family Office Investment Symposium. Like, tell me more. I. I love this MFO. I have for 17 years produced this event. It’s with Lido Consulting. They create this annual family office and they used to call it a real estate investment symposium.
It’s now an investor mm-hmm. Symposium. We get about 450 people that attend wow. 30% family offices. I get speakers and sponsors, and I’m a coup supporter now. Mm-hmm. So after 17 years, I now get to attend. It’s usually in Century City or Beverly Hills. Now we’ve got it at a new location in Century City.
Beautiful hotel. We’ll share if you apply and, and join. Sometimes we can get complimentary tickets. Sometimes we get discounted tickets, but I will be there. And the benefit of attending an event that I coup support is if I know you, I will make sure you connect with the right people. Mm-hmm. Sometimes we’ll get a private dinner like we do with this event where one of the sponsors.
Or speakers will host a private closed dinner. And it gives me great pleasure to offer this to the community. A discounted ticket to attend. It is a three day event starting on April 29th to May 1st. We’ve had speakers like Magic Johnson, Jay Leno, president Carter. You name it. We’ve had high level speakers at this event and it is such a high level investment opportunity.
So come learn, listen to these educational speakers and meet, you know, many of the 450 guests and that’s in Century City on Tuesday, June 29th through May 1st either apply to join or send me an email, which is also on the website. Happy to share if this is the right event for you. Yeah. And have you been to Century City lately?
I was there the other day and there’s another skyscraper going up and we got a, I think a transit going. The trains going through there, like, have you seen the construction over there? It’s beautiful. I mean, I love the city. I know the stars. Yeah. Avenue the stars. I’ve seen that. And we used to have a building right off a avenue of the stars bumped up against the mall.
Mm-hmm. And the, that is one of my favorite areas. 1900 building. I had it, that’s where my office was at. And then before that, I worked for another company, but my office was across the street. So when I, left that company, I started my own firm, which I no longer manage money or anything like that, so but when I did, I literally moved across the street right next to the mall.
Wow. That was my lunchtime and relaxing, and I love Century City. Well, I love Century City. It’s a different feel, right? Butted up against Beverly Hills, but totally different feel. What’s exciting about this event though for Lido, is we are gonna produce in support of Eisner Amper, an accounting firm outta San Francisco, LA office, or San Diego office.
We do several curated family office and investor events each year. This one is for their San Diego team. Mm-hmm. And we’ll have a private mm-hmm. Dinner of about 20 family offices and investors on Tuesday the 29th. Please apply to attend. Mm-hmm. And would love if you are a family office or an investor, this is the right type of event for you.
So happy to share it with our community. Happy to support you and introduce you around the table. So Kathleen, I got a random, embarrassing slash funny Century City story, I gotta tell you. It’s ridiculous. Okay. So when I first started in podcasting and just in general social media, I was so scared that I didn’t even use my name.
Like, because I was scared, like ’cause I’m not, right, I’m ’cause I’m not, I was camera shy like you turn on a camera. I was gonna say do anything else like that. You introvert not Oh yeah, for sure. For sure. I’m only like, who you see now after over 6,000 interviews, like that’s all training and that’s all.
Like being in the trenches and growing. No, in the beginning I was so scared that I wouldn’t even use my own name. So I had a nickname. So I worked in Century City and I was the type of person that I was on the. Art council. I helped pick the art that was there. I was on the board for the Century City Chamber.
Like I just loved it. When I’m in a community, I’m in a community. I pour myself in. So I had a nickname around town. Whenever I’d walk into a room, people would call me Mr. Century City. True story like Rotary. Really, I was the. I was one of the founding members of the Century City Rotary club. Like all, everything, like I was very, when I’m in a community, I’m in a community, so they would literally call me Mr.
Century City. So it stuck as kind of like a joke slash nickname, and then it became like a real. Things. So then I started when I launched my first show, I just called myself Mr. Century City is kind of like a joke. ’cause I didn’t wanna say my name. I was deathly afraid that somebody would ever, oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh. And so, my gosh, if you’ve ever done a contract with us or anything else like that, that’s why like the original name of the company was Mr. Century City, LLC. How funny. And I, own the trademark to it. Like I literally trademarked it. It’s ridiculous. But. It’s your history. I love that we all evolve and that’s why, you know, I’m proud of you and what you’ve created here.
So thank you for letting us participate. Yeah, so it was, it was so funny though. Ugh. Memory. Memories. Memories there. Yes. Ridiculous. I know, I understand. Love it. Love it. Love it. So circling back to the events from our sidebar you also have a family office dinner coming up? Yes. So the family office dinner in Beverly Hills will be on Tuesday, April 29th.
We’ll get about 20 people in the room, some people that are joining the Lido Consulting family office. Mm-hmm. Investment symposium, but you don’t have to. So if you’re gonna be in the area on that Tuesday and you wanna apply to join. Yeah. The one thing that’s great about this dinner is a lot of times when you do these.
You know, we do these events. We’ll have a speaker series well, because most of the people will have been at a conference all day listening to speakers. This is more social, but we do go around the table and share a little bit about each one of us. So it’s a great way to get to know people in a, very mm-hmm social but professional environment.
And our dinners are just notorious great food, great people, and great conversations. This one is, has, another sponsor on it. Right? Am I right? This Eisner Amper, you’ve worked with them before quite a bit. that’s, yeah. So Mike, Michael Morris Michael Morris. Many people don’t know this. We met through Lido probably 15 years ago.
Mm-hmm. And we didn’t realize this, we both went to the same high school in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Lindbergh High School. so we, I love it because we can teach each other and when I’m tired, my, my slang comes out. We talk about Dairy Queen. The Dairy Queen in Minnesota is a big thing that you do in the summer is go get your basement Dairy Queen.
Oh, yeah. In Michigan, where I was from too, I, had one down the street for me. That was a nice little walk when it was warm out. Mm-hmm. Oh, love it. So we’ve got, I mean, I remember the popular kids sitting on the steps going to the library. Mike was there and he always let me go up there and never harass me.
So it’s funny how our worlds come together all the way out in Los Angeles, California. Yeah. Out. That’s ridiculous. I love that story. Oh my gosh. So love partnering with them. We love our, our partnership with Eisner er. So for all of you out there, if you don’t know them, you should know them. They’re consulting practice focused on accounting, and they are worldwide.
Mm. Offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, to name a few. Hmm. And then I think those are the primary events in April. Am I right on that one? And then we have to get in the, or is I missing something? I might, missing something I wanna offer up, even though it’s not May yet. Mm-hmm. I do wanna offer one.
And this is something that you are fully aware of. Mm-hmm. Especially if they wanna go, they need to start planning now. Mm-hmm. And you were at it the last time we had it. I couldn’t get out there. Yeah. Could you see that on the schedule? Oh, Jetson Capital, come on. Yes. One of my favorites in Miami. So, oh, you gotta love Miami and some Jetson and some supercars.
That’s gonna be insane. And they’re going to, I think they’re gonna announce a special car. They’re gonna have it covered, and you’re gonna see a car that nobody else has seen. So if you are interested mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And hopefully we’ll get Mission Matters back, but this is Miami, Florida on Saturday, May 3rd.
Mm-hmm. Through May. Fourth Jetson Capital. Please feel free to register to attend. We have special privileges at this event. Mm-hmm. Thank you Jordan Hutchinson. And we love, we love this event. So if you are either a high level family office or investor. This event’s for you. You have great people.
Sometimes Adam’s there, mm-hmm. Interviewing people and I will be their concierge introducing. So would love to see you on May 3rd through fourth. We’re only sharing it on our April podcast because it’s coming up quickly and you’ve got a Oh yeah. That’s true plan travel. That’s true, that’s true. It’s early May too.
You’re right. I didn’t even catch that. It’s third and fourth, so Yeah. By the time we get the may out anyway, you’re right. It’s on. That’s a big one and I highly recommend applying to attend that one. There’s definitely always heavy hitters in that room, and Jordan and his team, they put on an amazing, insane show, so you’re, you will not be disappointed if you’re accepted to attend that one.
Let’s get into the, one of my favorites, the original mixer. Bring 2025. Talk to me. I’m excited about this one ’cause we’re gonna do something different. The community has been asking me to do a speaker series or panel in conjunction with the original mixer. So for the last five original mixers, we’ve hosted a family office and investor reception from four to six at the same location.
The Lux on sunset. Well, this time we’re gonna do a private equity and venture capital panel. Mm-hmm. Mm. With a moderator and three panelists. And that is for those within the private equity and mm-hmm. Venture capital arena. So if you’re a family office or an investor, and this sounds like something you’d be interested in and or you’re a private equity or venture capital speaker.
Mm-hmm. Please reach out to us ’cause we are looking for two more panelists, one in private equity, one’s in venture capital, and we’re looking for the moderator. The moderator, we want to be a CIO of a family office. Mm-hmm. So please reach out to me. We are putting this on, and I’m really excited because it’s starting to come together.
And why we do this is because we have our two to three times a year original mixer that’s been around now for 18 years. Wow. Founded by Brian Rabinovitz at Cbis. Formerly of Markham Brian is the founder with in conjunction with Heath, Goldman Vicon, wealth, wealth, and Legacy Partners. Mm-hmm. We come together, we get 25 exhibit tables.
We have about 200 to 250 guests. Mm-hmm. You’re sipping sushi or you’re eating sushi sipping saki different wines are being served. It’s the most amazing networking event and. If you are an exhibitor, there’s still tables left. I promise you, you can have it at the grandfathered fee of $750 and you get the opt-in list of all the guests.
So please, if you’re interested, let us know. We wanna see you there. This is fun. We’ve got like I said, a special guest coming. This is our celebration. This is our, we’ve been around now for 15 years under Los Angeles Consulting Group’s banner, and we’re gonna celebrate. We’re gonna have a birthday party, so please come and join us.
I love it and I’m gonna be there. Of course, I’m really looking forward to that. So again, that’s Thursday, June 12th, 6:00 PM Lux Onset Boulevard Hotel. That’s Los Angeles, of course. And that also has its own website that you can check it out, the original mixer.com, or you can also see it on, of course, the Los Angeles consulting group.com website.
But you, but if you wanna see like a, a larger. In depth, kind of deep dive on it. The original mixer.com, so you can check that out there. Kathleen, this has been fun. This is I can’t believe we’re already in our April episode soon to be may. Love it. Oh, man, I tell you this, year, I don’t know where it went.
Q1 done. Before you know it, we’re gonna blink. Q two’s gonna be done, but for now last thing I’ll ask you. If people wanna follow up, they wanna learn more, they wanna reach out, how do they do it? Please either find us at www.losangelesconsultinggroup.com, or you can find me and connect with me on LinkedIn, Kathleen Epley or Los Angeles Consulting Group.
We look forward to seeing you in the community. We’re excited and please come experience with the magic of our global community is and we hope to see you at the next event. Adam. As always, I’m so excited to see you at the original mixer interviewing our guests, and next time with our new speaker, Peter Cuno CEO of Marvel Studios.
We’re excited. Amazing. Thank. Fantastic for everybody watching. Just so you know. We’ll definitely put the links in the show notes so you can just click on ’em and head right on over. And speaking to the audience, if this is your first time with Mission Matters and you haven’t done it yet, hit that subscribe or follow button.
This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re bringing you new content, new ideas, and hopefully new inspiration to help you along the way in your journey as well. So again, hit that subscribe or follow button. And Kathleen, thanks again for coming on the show. Thanks, Adam.
Let’s chat.