Young Change Makers: How & Why Preston Buhrmaster of Venerated Capital Group Is Helping To Change Our World
I am using my platform to spread financial and investing advice with the goal of teaching readers how to become confident and consistent traders through our investment education services. Through my social media outlets, I am sharing relevant, interesting and useful content with our viewers that relates to the services we offer. This enables the average person scrolling down their feed to still benefit from the content we are distributing. The information posted on the various social media platforms I use is that it’s shared with them absolutely free and is easily accessible from their cell phone. Two ways in which I have been utilizing my platform to make a significant social impact through my social media presence has been by sharing informative blog posts and trading graphics regularly, featuring content aimed to appeal to and benefit the viewer. Anyone who comes across my posts will be able to utilize the content and learn a new skill, or even reference back to the resource at a later time. The ability to leave that lasting and strong impact on totally random people is phenomenal and I hope to always feel gain fulfillment in my work, while helping others along the way.
As a part of my series about leaders who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Preston Buhrmaster.
Preston Buhrmaster is the Founder and CEO of Venerated Capital Group, a private financial and investing advice company based in Syracuse, New York. The most popular products developed by Venerated Capital Group include the ‘Investors Institution’ Private Discord Server and ‘Investors Insight’ Weekly Market Report. With Investors Insight, Buhrmaster aims to revolutionize the way in which market data is transmuted and trade ideas are communicated between analysts and traders alike. Buhrmaster also boasts a reputation for providing the training and resources credited to the success of countless students that have joined the Investors Institution.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I ended up on this career path as I was working to build up a business via social media marketing when content that I produced for the brand caught viral in a span of just a few hours. I had been utilizing social media for business marketing purposes for nearly a decade though I had just now found some way too “make it work” on TikTok. I spent countless hours researching proper hashtags, content preferences and all else that enabled my success. That was the newest platform that I had begun using and it made me realize that I could learn to tailor content to other platforms just as easily. I knew all of those platforms all too well and hadn’t taken the time to reanalyze my strategies as I did when I took a fresh start on TikTok. Different platforms have different types of users and therefore different content preferences and realizing this enabled me to spread our company’s message at levels never seen before, benefiting our followers with educational and insightful content rather than clogging their feed with ads. Give a little to get a little, right? In doing this you become an authority figure and as a result, can further spread the message or idea you are aiming to get across. This is one of the many results of turning oneself into an authority figure within their industry.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
Possibly the most interesting thing that has happened to me since I began utilizing my social media presence was seeing my first TikTok video go viral, nearly overnight. My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with new notifications from the TikTok of interactions on my recent video and I soon saw the number of plays begin to climb exponentially and my fist video ever broke 50,000 plays and then it broke the 100,000 mark which was a huge accomplishment. Now, that video has surpassed 150,000 plays and gradually continues upward each day organically. I realized the power of spreading a message through social media as mine somehow made its way to the masses. This changed the way I looked at social media, pushing me to continue producing content beneficial to my audience, or even comical. On TikTok, my meme content is what viewers seemed to prefer whereas on LinkedIn the audience presumably prefers a more formal type oof content such as news or motivational quotes. This was a super cool experience and I learned so much from the sudden boost in exposure that resulted from my overnight success on TikTok. I have been now focusing on growing my other social media platforms to reach the ranks we achieved on TikTok, as it would only enable us to further spread helpful information through the brand.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the funniest mistakes that I made when I was first starting was creating the same content for every platform and using branding to differentiate between the platforms, dumb right? You have no brand identity if that is the way social media presence is being utilized. It’s unprofessional to say the least. I learned to cater to different content types to suit the varying platforms user preferences and use uniform branding to create a strong brand identity across platforms. This creates a brand identity for individuals or businesses across each platform and resultingly increases your authority as the uniformity displays professionalism and thought in designing your profiles. After all, your social media profiles are your company’s digital image, so it is very important to do well in creating a strong brand identity for yourself. Looking back at this mistake now, I laugh, as it caused me so much wasted time re-doing things that could have been easily done right the first time had I logically planned it out. Having faced that in order to learn this highly valuable lesson in branding helped to embed the idea of brand image and uniformity into my marketing and branding efforts.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Every career path is challenging for someone at the start, though once you begin to try, many times you will realize starting was the hardest part. If you are passionate about what you do and wake up each day with the mindset that you can make the world a better place, you are already halfway to accomplishing whatever it is you desire. If you are daunted by the prospect of failure, don’t be. Personally, I fear missing opportunities and as a result often face minor setbacks. Though they are only setbacks because I reevaluate and give it another go after each failure. The key is to never give up after a failure, no matter the size, as that very experience just prepared you for what’s next. The only way to fail is if you give up, so go out there and do whatever it takes to grasp the life you desire. Once you make that choice, don’t ever look back, you will only regret what’s in that direction. If you are serious about making it in any career, especially a more challenging one, it is imminent to just buckle down and make it happen, because any other effort will be counterintuitive to your end goal.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
I am using my platform to spread financial and investing advice with the goal of teaching readers how to become confident and consistent traders through our investment education services. Through my social media outlets, I am sharing relevant, interesting and useful content with our viewers that relates to the services we offer. This enables the average person scrolling down their feed to still benefit from the content we are distributing. The information posted on the various social media platforms I use is that it’s shared with them absolutely free and is easily accessible from their cell phone. Two ways in which I have been utilizing my platform to make a significant social impact through my social media presence has been by sharing informative blog posts and trading graphics regularly, featuring content aimed to appeal to and benefit the viewer. Anyone who comes across my posts will be able to utilize the content and learn a new skill, or even reference back to the resource at a later time. The ability to leave that lasting and strong impact on totally random people is phenomenal and I hope to always feel gain fulfillment in my work, while helping others along the way.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
One individual in particular who was impacted by this cause is a close friend and fellow entrepreneur, Michael Melvin, though not in the ways one may assume. Michael is best known for his talents as a DJ and nationally ranked wine reviewer and therefore has a knack for elevating brands over social media. When Michael began to push me to create quality content on a daily basis, I soon came to enjoy the challenge as exposure began to grow at a near exponential level. As I began to see success from the increased effort spent growing my social media profiles, it only made sense for me to provide him with the same motivation back. Not long after our friendly push to better each other began, Michael had expanded his reach of content creation to encompass nearly everything from podcasts to wine reviews, showing impressive dedication to his crafts. A few months back, neither of us could have expected the results that have come from our constant efforts, though we are both enjoying the ride and learning all we can along the way. Something that began as a way to challenge ourselves originally has manifested into a platform that enables us to leave a lasting positive impact.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
I’d say the tipping point that made me decide to focus on my social media presence was the simple fact that Michael helped me to realize that the image that I create around my personal brand is as important, if not more important, than that of your company. As the person in charge of a company, or any other organization, even decisions that are made in the most personal aspects of life are reflected upon the company itself. This is important to note for anyone aiming to become an authority figure in their industry, as I was struggling to scale Venerated Capital Group until Michael helped me to a tipping point that resulted in my decision to bring forth positive change and brand awareness through developing my authority and personal brand. This tipping point was a pivotal moment for the company, as it resulted in my marketing strategy nearly flipping backward. Since I began to publish content under my personal brand, I have been able to grow a strong following behind my content and as a result, attention is flowing toward Venerated Capital Group. If you provide a lasting benefit for those who follow your work, the result often ends in a loyal fanbase to follow. Had I not experienced this realization and began to focus on my personal brand, I can confidently say that I would be in a much different place right now. Developing a personal brand has aided massively in raising awareness for Venerated Capital Group and aiding the company in spreading its message.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
As someone who is heavily focused on providing quality, relevant content to my viewers, there are numerous ways in which community, society and/or politicians could help accomplish that goal. Those three elements noted in the latter all play a crucial role, though often indirect, on my ability to solve the problem of transmitting relevant and accurate data. Starting with the politicians, some key topics that have been in the forefront of the news over the past year are political turmoil, regulations and varying beliefs in relation to the ongoing pandemic. Those topics, regardless of their relevancy, have clouded the news for an extended time and one would hope they become less news-relevant, enabling quality, relatable content such as mine to take its place. Society is largely playing a positive role in addressing the root of this problem as people are noted to now spend more time behind screens than in the past, leaving fan’s additional time to read your weekly update. Community is also playing an increasingly important role in addressing the root of the problem as Venerated Capital Group aims to create a community of fellow traders within itself. As we have become more physically distanced over the course of the pandemic, the sense of online community that can be seen as a result is posing to be greater than ever before.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
I have been utilizing various strategies to advance the cause of providing actionable and relevant financial information to our audience via social media platforms. Primarily, I have been focusing on SEO and organic targeting methods as they are both cost-effective and play a key role in site visibility across the internet. As a result of fulfilling Venerated Capital Group’s goal of providing quality, relevant content to its audience, the company’s social media profiles have displayed strong growth. This further enables the company to spread its message through social media as more growth results in content being more widespread. I have also been utilizing an array of social media platforms and tailoring my message to the likes of each respective platform. This has helped to spread content to an array of new audiences who could benefit from our services and boost authority in the process by building brand awareness. I have done this with both my personal brand and Venerated Capital Group’s in order to spread our message and advance the cause of providing actionable and relevant financial information to our audience. I recommend others to take similar steps to what I explained prior, as it is a proven system that has enabled my personal success. Building authority and furthering brand objectives through relevant content is a proven way use your social platform for social good and grow brand awareness.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Close Your Ears: Climbing to the ranks of a social media influencer, as with all other ideas that break the “norm” society expects us to achieve will result in some negativity and criticism from those who cannot see your vision. Often times the strongest criticism comes from those who have never even attempted to do close to what you aim to achieve. The same is equally as important in regard to praise received for accomplishments and praise by loyal fans. Over-embracing the praise and joy that comes with each success is as detrimental as embodying criticism in the wrong way as you set to accomplish anything in life.
- Always Seek Change: In order to remain relevant and continue to provide value to others, it is essential to constantly be seeking change. Comfort is the silent killer of success, as it is hard to not desire and even harder to resist when the alternative seems so daunting from the other side. Once you are able to gear yourself into a mindset that is constantly analyzing situations and events to find innovative solutions or means of handling them. This will make you much more versatile and even force you to being uncomfortable, knowing it will soon lead to a positive change with the proper effort.
- Keep On Failing: It is crucial to accept the outcome of failure with any new task or project you set out to accomplish. Failure is a stepping stone toward the outcome of success and true success is impossible to reach without facing failure on the road there. Some of the greatest inventions throughout time as well as the greatest personal lessons are results of a failure or culmination of failures. The difference that led to the end outcome we all know of now is that the individuals responsible for that success never gave up and simply wouldn’t take failure as an option, no matter how many times it graced their presence.
- Have No Expectations: It is often easy to become infatuated with unreal expectations for yourself by expecting to have the same path or same successes and failures of others. Learn to stay in your own lane and approach life without any expectations. If you do not expect anything then all positive that comes your way will only become that much sweeter. This will also enable you to continue pushing to innovate and influence others, as, without a particular expectation in mind for an outcome, it is hard to ever be satisfied with where you currently stand.
- Embrace Each Success: It is super, super important to embrace each success along your journey, no matter how small or unimportant it seems at the time. These small victories will get you accustomed to the sweet, sweet taste of success that comes with accomplishing something you set out to achieve. Failures and setbacks are inevitable in anyone’s journey toward success and at those low moments, being able to grasp onto the feeling of success is one of the best ways to motivate yourself to keep pushing forward. Just as you welcome failures, welcome success with an even bigger grace and enjoy them. You know you deserve it.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I want to influence others to go out there and aim to accomplish their wildest dreams, in the most basic sense. I am working to continually innovate the technology used by Venerated Capital Group in order to further the objective of gaining access to the updates and analysis as the pro’s and making it available to our clients in real-time. This vision started as a means to obtain the best information available without having access to the reporting and analysis tools available to analysts at big banks. This is seemingly a massive feat, though I began the project knowing there was a large probability of failure and accepted that outcome from the start. Had I not entered this venture with such a mindset, I would likely have given up months ago due to false hope and a sense of defeat. There have been numerous failures that have occurred over the lifetime of my work with Venerated Capital Group yet they have all led to a subsequential success, as I won’t allow myself to take failure as an option. I urge others to see the true value within themselves and use that as motivation to become a better version of yourself each and every day. If you have the urge to make something happen, go do it. You will feel worse settling with the reality of not trying than you could from any failure you may face in an attempt make it reality. Instead of thinking about it, go do it, I know you have what it takes to make it happen!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The quote, “Anything that you let win grows. Don’t practice what you don’t want to become.”, by Jordan Peterson is one of my favorite “life lesson quote’s” and applies great to the stories shares earlier. The funny story about the branding nightmare is a good example of what this quote exemplifies. Anything that you let win grows and the same applies to the contrary of cutting your losses and readjusting as to not practice what you don’t want to become. In life you need to keep trying, time and time again until you find what works for you. This may come much faster to some than others, though the consistent effort of trying is what will eventually make it work. It is a great idea to put all of your eggs in one basket if that basket and allow it to grow so long as it is carefully selected and fully in your control. If those two elements are in place, you have created a situation for yourself that is destined for success, so long as you continue to let it win. Keep working towards the person you want to be and success will surely follow. There aren’t many more practical and applicable life lessons one can learn than this, as it can only benefit you in all areas of life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Though there are many remarkable individuals of whom I look up to and would love to have a meal with, I would definitely choose to spend the occasion with Elon Musk. He is my greatest role model and that is result of many factors of his mindset that I personally feel are responsible for his greatness. Having grown up in an extremely negative home, I was subconsciously taught to accept failures, accept settling for an average life and even worse, to give up on my dreams because they are too large for me to succeed in. I look up to Elon Musk because he stands for the complete opposite of that reality, which has enabled me to look at the world with a new, positive perspective. Elon Musk constantly radiates positivity and finds unique ways to motivate his team through his role as a leader and influencer. He too has also faced countless failures yet none of them have stopped his dreams and I don’t see that changing in the future. I would love to talk with him about his personal motivational factors and unique leadership style that has proven responsible for his company’s successes. Along with that, I think he would be a super awesome guy to have a conversation, as his views and perspectives are very unique and I could learn so much. Even just in the quick conversation we could have over a drink would be something that I would cherish the rest of my life, as being able to speak with and learn directly from one of my role models has always been a dream.
How can our readers further follow your work online ?
You can follow me on Instagram at @prestonbuhrmaster or Venerated Capital Group at @veneratedcapitalgroup. My Twitter handle is @pbuhrmaster and VCGs is @VCG_Trading. I am also active on LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest (@prestonbuhrmaster). Venerated Capital Group can also be found on LinkedIn and Facebook. I currently publish writing on my Medium, @prestonbuhrmaster and am in the process of launching a blog at www.VeneratedCapitalGroup.com to share strictly investment-centered pieces in the coming weeks.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
Also in 2020, Sylvan launched SEGI TV, a free OTT streaming network built on the pillars of equality, sustainability and community which is scheduled to reach 100 million U.S household televisions and 200 million mobile devices across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV and others.
As Executive Producer he currently has several projects in production including The Trials of Eroy Brown, a story about the prison system and how it operated in Texas, based on the best-selling book, as well as a documentary called The Making of Roll Bounce, about the 2005 coming of age film which starred rapper Bow Wow and portrays roller skating culture in 1970’s Chicago.
He sits on the Board of Directors of Uplay Canada, (United Public Leadership Academy for Youth), which prepares youth to be citizen leaders and provides opportunities for Canadian high school basketball players to advance to Division 1 schools as well as the NBA.
A former competitive go kart racer with Checkered Flag Racing Ltd, he also enjoys traveling to exotic locales. Sylvan resides in Vancouver and has two adult daughters.
Sylvan has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and has been seen on Fox Business News, CBS and NBC. Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Young Change Makers: How & Why Preston Buhrmaster of Venerated Capital Group Is Helping To Change… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.