About TLo Ventures
Tom Lotrecchiano and Joe Schmidt have been business colleagues for more than 17 years. They first worked together for other companies before becoming entrepreneurial partners early in their careers.
It didn’t take long for them to see the synergy of their collective talents. Together, their creativity, commitment, and dogged determination served them well as they charted new and unpredictable paths. They shared an eagerness to jump in, take risks, bear the consequences, and learn from their mistakes. They launched, built, sold, and closed businesses. They directed some of the largest e-commerce companies. In the end, they had an absolute blast doing it together.
“We continue to gain knowledge all along the way,” Tom explains. “We have learned to be hard-hitting, hell-bent, and tough when necessary. We also learned, though, that there are things far more important than a successful business. We came to care deeply about our customers and our staff, and we discovered that doing well for ourselves happens when we are doing good for others.”
Pictured: Joe Schmidt (left) & Tom Lotrecchiano
It worked. Their flagship company Canvas on Demand was selected as an Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and went on to appear on the prestigious INC 500 list of America’s fastest growing companies. Joe adds, “We never give up. When the pace is full-speed and the stress is mind-boggling, when we have to make critical decisions with no time to pause and plan, when we don’t know what step to take next, we just keep building the plane in the air.”
Tom and Joe find great joy in sharing their journey. They have delighted thousands during their public presentations with stories about their business adventures, which range from hilarious to heart-wrenching. They refer to their shrewd—and sometimes outrageously unconventional—wisdom as “EntreMANUREship”, which is also the title of their book.
Through their e-commerce boot camp, consulting, and investing, TLo Ventures opens their playbook to other e-commerce entrepreneurs. “We find it even more rewarding to help fellow entrepreneurs achieve success,” says Tom. They now offer their services from beautiful downtown Raleigh, North Carolina where they look forward to helping you next.