Entrepreneur. Investor.
Part-Time Author.
The entrepreneur’s journey is really, really hard work – but there is no other job like it in the world. My goal is to help other entrepreneurs be successful by sharing the non-obvious insights from my own journey.
About Mike
Mike Smerklo is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Next Coast Ventures, investing in a new generation of entrepreneurs building disruptive companies in big markets. Prior to this, Mike bought and scaled a small business into a publicly-traded company, ServiceSource, worth nearly a billion dollars in value. More than anything, though, he’s an entrepreneur driven by the desire to turn ideas into reality.
Recent Blogs
Should It Stay or Should It Go
I was driving my daughter home from school the other day when a rock classic came on the radio. I had used this Clash song to express my emotions to my girlfriend way back in 8th grade. It was a long time ago but my inability to express myself remains an issue to this date. But I digress…
As An Entrepreneur You Can Expect a Lot of Things
As an entrepreneur you can expect a lot of things that come with the journey –...
Five Lessons About Entrepreneurship That I Learned in 2020
2020 was a hell of a year on many accounts. Entrepreneurship was no different.
Recent Press
Why the Greatest Entrepreneurship Hurdle is in Your Mind
Episode #238: Mike Smerklo Hosted by Ryan Tansom On today’s show, Mike Smerklo, Managing Director of Next Coast Ventures, talks about his journey...
Investor Connect: Mike Smerklo reviews his new book, “Mr. Monkey and Me”
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Mike Smerklo, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Next Coast Ventures and author of “Mr. Monkey and Me”. “In Mr....
Diving into the Mindset of an Entrepreneur with Mike Smerklo, Do Your Crap Podcast
In this episode, Micah is joined by entrepreneur and author Mike Smerklo to talk about the mindset of an entrepreneur, reaching new levels of...
Testimonials
About Mr. Monkey and Me
What if the secret to being a successful entrepreneur had nothing to do with your business plan, resources, market size, or strategy? If your success or failure weren’t dependent on how much money you have, where you grew up or the level of education you received?
Here’s the truth: the difference between success and failure is right between your ears.
Do you have the mental toughness to survive the marathon ahead?
The Entrepreneurial Survival Test
Becoming an entrepreneur is a lot like running a marathon: it takes time, sacrifice, and hard work. You need the right training and, even more importantly, you need an incredibly high level of mental strength. As an aspiring entrepreneur, do you have the mental toughness to survive the marathon ahead – or could you use more training? Take the quiz to find out!
Contact Mike