Todd Sullivan: “A Good Investor Needs Business Management Experience,” Says ValuePlays.net Founder

Todd Sullivan is a Massachusetts-based value investor.  Having managed multiple businesses in the past, he leverages his valuable lessons learned to gain an edge in investing.  Now a full-time investor, he shares his wealth of knowledge with thousands of readers through his blog, Value Plays.  Furthermore, his commentary has been seen in the online versions of the Wall St. Journal, New York Times, CNN Money, Business Week, Crain’s NY and others. He has also appeared on Fox Business News & Fox News and is a RealMoney.com contributor.

Now several years into his blogging journey, he has joined the leagues of StockTwits Premium service.  In addition, he is a Seeking Alpha Certified contributor with over a thousand published articles.  Regardless of the platform, it is certain that his insights have helped hundreds of investors in the financial community throughout the years.

Today, he shares his background on how he got to where he is today as well as some of the other prominent players he respects in the investment community.

“Todd, you are now providing insights to thousands of followers as a StockTwits Premium member.  How did you get here?  Can you give us more on your background?”

I have been investing and running businesses for decades. My first business was a swimming pool installation company in Syracuse NY that paid for my college education. I am not sure someone can be a good investor unless they have actually run a business.  There are things you learn in the process that no school will ever teach you.

I have been managing family money for a while now, and three years ago I was in a position to start writing and investing full time.  So I just started writing since and the blog seemed to finds its way.  I try to be careful not to try to write for an audience, page views or anything like that. Just writing my thoughts about the subject of investing that I enjoy the most has taken me from a small blogger platform to where I am now. No reason to mess with it now I guess.

“What was your field of study in school?”

I studied Economics and Management Science

“What about investing that interests you the most?”

Finding an investment few other are interested in.  It is like solving a big puzzle.

“I often see praises from others about your solid stock picks.  I don’t doubt that these picks derive from good research and effort.  Now, what are some of the resources you find invaluable to your analysis and ideas?”

Valueline, SEC, Corporate websites, and reading just about anything.

Some of my best ideas have come from just looking around me.  For example, I am an E-trade customer and noticed the improvements they were making in their services.  This caused me to look into the stock. Similarly, Natick Mall in MA is a GGP property, and I watched that mall grow. So I have been watching the stock for a while, and I bought the stocks this March.

“You are very involved in the StockTwits community.  Now, who are some of the fellow StockTwits community members you follow and respect?”

@aiki14, @wsmco, @upsidetrader, @zippertheory, @dasan, @fundmyfund, @gregormacdonald @howardlindzon just to name a few. They are a combination of fundamental, traders, and macro investors. I like to know what the varied groups are thinking. For those who are interested in more names, just check out those people I follow on Twitter.

“Can you tell us more about ValuePlays.net?  Why did you start it?  What can we expect as a premium subscriber?”

I stared the blog three years ago as a simple way to write down my daily investing thoughts. From there it took on a life of its own. In September, we switched to the paid .net model. At ValuePlays.net, subscribers get access to buys/sells as they are made, the analysis of current trades, and other potential picks we may be following. Eventually, we release the picks to the general public, but in almost all cases after significant gains have already been made.

“Lastly, what are the key aspects of investing that make you a better investor?”

I eliminate as much “noise” and “expert opinion” as possible. However, if I do happen to watch financial TV, it is Bloomberg. In value investing, I have found a style of investing that fits my temperament perfectly. I have tried others in the past and my results were modest. I suggest other investors only use a style that fits who they are. People who are chartists or day traders simply cannot be value investors; it is a totally different mindset. The converse of course is also true.

Thanks for sharing your insights and your history Todd.  From swimming pool installation to full-time investing, absorb his know-how on how he got there and gain his edge by leveraging ValuePlays.net.