161: Venture Capital vs. Private Equity: What’s Right for Your Business? w/ Chris Van Dusen - 8FE

This episode is part of the 8FE (8-figure entrepreneur) series, where we talk to entrepreneurs who have already passed the million-dollar mark. Are you ready to take your business to 8-figures and beyond?  In this episode of Beyond A Million, Brad sits down with Chris Van Dusen to explore the best strategies for funding your business, standing out in saturated markets, building mission-driven teams, and testing your way to exponential growth.  Chris, who is currently a Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, is a marketing and growth professional with extensive early-stage and capitalization experience. He has built multiple successful businesses, navigated highly regulated industries, and led a company to a $75 million exit. Whether you’re looking for ways to fund your existing business or expert insights to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is for you.  Tune in!   — Key Takeaways: 00:00:00 Intro  00:01:06 Scaling without external capital  00:03:30 Digital marketing, CRO, and SEO  00:07:11 Differentiation in saturated industries  00:21:47 Marketing techniques and testing culture  00:45:44 Regulatory challenges in the liquor business 00:51:12 California fires and government inefficiency  00:56:56 Incentives and motivation in business  01:04:46 Venture capital vs. private equity  01:22:17 Venture capital incentives and fund performance  01:32:22 Advice for entrepreneurs looking to raise money 01:40:50 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs  01:42:34 Best resources for entrepreneurs  01:46:25 Outro — Additional Resources: 🔹 Solyco Capital: https://www.solycocapital.com/  🔹 Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismvandusen/  🔹 Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismvandusen/  🔹 Chris on X: https://x.com/vandusen   ➡️ Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/ ➡️ Watch full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hbIUyUb68J3nhHSAGDrmUxX4vgXQ4b8 ➡️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Beyondamillion?sub_confirmation=1   Let's Connect: 🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradweimert 🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondamil 🔹Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradWeimert 🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089061999787 —  Beyond A Million is a business podcast that reveals the scaling secrets of 8, 9, and 10-figure entrepreneurs. Every week, we share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the best business growth strategies that work.  If you're an entrepreneur or business professional who's looking to level up & continue to scale far beyond the million-dollar mark, this podcast is for YOU! Tune in weekly for new interviews with Easy Pay Direct founder Brad Weimert and business expert guests who absolutely crush it in their area of expertise. Learn world-class marketing and sales tactics with elite-level business strategies in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and wealth building. Be sure to give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a new episode!