Welcome to our Member Spotlight Series, where we proudly showcase the individuals and businesses making a diffrence in our Strive community and beyond. Today we have the pleasure of highlighting Seth Turner, Founder and CEO of Synanthem Capital, a boutique investment firm operating out of our Strive North Dallas location. Join us to learn more about how and why Seth started his business, what he’s learned along the way, and what he finds most rewarding about his work!
Tell us a little about Synanthem Capital.We’re a boutique investment firm with two partners. We shop for stocks the way you’d shop for a house: find a great one, wait for a good price, and don’t overpay.
What led you to start Synanthem Capital?
I spent my career in finance leadership, most recently as a CFO, looking at businesses from the inside. Now I invest in them from the outside. I kept coming back to something Warren Buffett said: it’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price. I wanted to build a firm around that discipline.
What sets your business apart from your competitors?
We’re patient. Most of the time the right move is to do nothing, and we’re comfortable with that. When the price is right, we act.
What is something you wish you’d known when you were just starting your business?
How much paperwork it takes to manage money properly. Picking stocks is the fun part. The rest is audits, lawyers and spreadsheets.
What is one unexpected way your business has changed so far in your journey?
Waiting turned out to be productive. We found ways to earn income on our cash while we wait for the right opportunity.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
When a company we studied for months does exactly what we thought it would. It’s like a contractor watching a building go up to plan.
What is something you have learned about yourself or the industry since starting your business?
Temperament beats brains. Anyone can do the math. Very few people can sit still when everyone else is panicking or partying.
How has being a part of the Strive North Dallas community affected you and your business?
We just moved in, and it already beats working from the kitchen table. Good coffee, good people, and nobody asking me to walk the dog mid-meeting.
If you could have a conversation over coffee with yourself from 5 years ago, what would you say?
Start sooner. Write everything down. And stop checking the stock market every five minutes.
If you had a friend in town, where would you take them?
Al Biernat’s. Great steak, better service, and the kind of place where a long lunch turns into a good conversation. Anyone want to join?
PS – Seth highly enjoys hiking trails and mountains during his time off. If you get the chance to chat with him, make sure you ask him about his trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro!
We would like to thank Seth for his willingness to participate in our Member Spotlight series and to share his journey with us. If you are interested in spotlighting your business with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your community manager; we are eager to help elevate your business in any way we can!
