Note: For those just reading, Dave is in the Philippines visiting the Lingap Center.

The city [Toledo City] had its 52nd birthday today and while we were mentioned in the speech by the vice president of the Philippines, and met him, it was not the highlight of the day for me. The highlight was reflecting back on the determination this city shows for progress. I have been coming here since 2006 and in the six years I have been coming, they have showed tremendous progress. They have built many roads, extended electricity into the neighborhoods/townships, and built two (the first two) malls. They opened their first hotel and are making it so others want to invest in Toledo City. They got a new power plant built along with a new city hall. They announced today a plan to build 73 new classrooms to help with the overcrowding of the public schools. All of this progress in spite of the fact they had little resources to begin this process with. They don’t have much now and way more demands than there are resources. Governing is about picking and choosing while moving the city forward and making progress. I am seeing it here and it is inspiring to see. Congratulations Toledo City and well done! Continue to work for the people you serve and we will continue to be proud of you.

Note: David Richmond has been in the Philippines since December 31. His recent contemplations are below.

Father Geoff just finished a 90 minute retreat. It was fantastic – so practical and applicable. I think he should record every presentation and make them available to purchase for download!

How many times do we spend our time fretting over what happened or worried about will happen instead of living today? Do we celebrate the positive things that happen today? Do we celebrate the difficulties of today knowing that with them comes great learning opportunity? Father Geoff shared a thought from St. Francis de Sales: Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and everyday. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

I believe part of living a life of gratitude is celebrating our experiences in life and through that understanding the abundance in our daily life. It is there but we seldom celebrate it. Our culture moves us to the next thing, the next achievement, the next “goal” to worry about. Matt and I are preparing for an upcoming opportunity to plan and open our minds for our company. In this process I got information on the presenter…he wrote a book so I ordered the book to get to understand who will be presenting or at least one of his ideas, if not the complete man. His name is Lee Brower and he wrote a book called The Brower Quadrant. He uses an example of what I am speaking about. He asks high achieving people to name five positive things that have happened in their life in the last 90 days…and several have trouble, one forgot a new grandchild, another that they had made a major gift (of $150,000); it wasn’t that these life events weren’t important but rather they were so busy in the busyness of life that they could not stop to celebrate long enough to make it an experience they will take with them the rest of their lives. How many times are we guilty of this?

I am blessed. My life overflows with abundance. Could I use more time, money, etc….sure focusing only on what is absent or what I could use more of would be an insult to the resources that I do have and incredible life I get to live.

As you come to the [Lingap] center you get plugged back into the fact that we have overflowing abundance in our lives. We have it in flowing water that we can drink and use to bath. We have electricity to light our way and make it safer to illuminate our lives. Most of us have sewers and/or drain fields to remove things best not suited for our immediate presence once it has passed us by. And we don’t worry about keeping food safe due to a lack of refrigeration. These are all abundant blessings I get to enjoy everyday before I even leave for work.

Below are my five positive events in the past 90 days…so hard to narrow it to just five. Numbers 1 and 2 are professional; 3 is spiritual; 4 and 5 are personal.

1.  We came through the transition to Registered Investment Adviser and moved over $130 million dollars in less than 30 days – quite an accomplishment. Not without hiccups but those were manageable. All in all it was an achievement to celebrate.

2.  2011 was Richmond Brothers’ best year ever for assets under management, assets gathered and highest rating of client satisfaction. That is in spite of the four most difficult years in the market in a row since the 1930′s. What is most important to me is the relationships we are building for our clients. The achievements are simply the results of the relationships we are building. The Registered Investment Adviser move will simply let us leverage that even more in the next 12-24 months and the following three to five years clients should continue to see better performance (given the markets), better management of their assets, and that should in turn mean the best five years ever for Richmond Brothers. The order of priority though remains the same; take care of clients and then (and only then) they will take care of you.

3.  Clarity: I continue to become aware of what is important and what is important to disassociate with. Father Geoff summed it up today what are you attached to that is so important to you it is taking you away from what is truly important. In the end a more powerful business, the money, and the status cannot be take on the journey we will all take some day. So what are we sacrificing to make that the journey of this world or is it balanced with what will get us to the next? I am still on the journey but I am learning and growing. It is a struggle and it is messy but I am comfortable with my being uncomfortable. I think in this tension is where opportunity for growth lies. I am still finding my way in this world but I did a better job in the 4th quarter of 2012 living more days outside my comfort zone and that is a good thing.

4.  Health and fitness: I gained clarity that if you don’t take care of yourself you cannot serve others. As many of you know I have struggled with weight and fitness. I made a great beginning of 2011 but fell off the wagon yet again. However, I did not view this as a failure. Instead I have come to understand that I cannot win this battle without first surrendering. It is not a matter of trying harder, doing better, it is a matter of a paradigm shift mentally. It is not about perfection but progress. Am I making progress? It is about preparation not the result. I have heard this for the past 10+ years but I did not hear it and it never made it to my heart or soul. I connected the dots of this during a spiritual act (Confession for you Catholics); life is not about perfection but progress. While we want the relentless pursuit of perfection what we should focus on is not its attainment but the progress along the way.

5.  Engaging: I have been married to the most beautiful bride for the past 14 years and dated her for 21. She is a rock of support and dedication. Through the rut of daily life, kids, sports, practices, boards, a business, trips to the other side of the planet to serve those less fortunate, she is there, holding me up, standing beside me and when necessary holding me up. I need to feed this relationship, treat her like I did 21 years ago. My heart still races when it is time to see her but do I tell her? How do I show it?  We are fortunate we live life passionately, we do tell each other every single day we love each other, but, BUT, do I go that extra mile, leave a note on her car, put rose petals on the bed, or simply send her a card or do laundry to lighten her burden. The answer is yes, but not enough, and I felt the love of our relationship stir in the past 90 days. A desire to do more and show her a love we felt and still feel over two decades later. Some things get better with time and we celebrated this in the 4th quarter of 2011 and I will find a way to ensure this stays in my top five. (NOTE:  she has already commented via email about the cards she has received since I have been gone, what a surprise they were and how meaningful they were to her).

What are your top five? Feel free to email and let me know (dave@richmondbrothers.com).

I don’t know why I get to lead a life so blessed. To be able to be exposed to so many varied things in this world but I know God has a plan. I won’t spend today worrying about it or even try to figure it out. I will simply prepare today to take life in, savor it, celebrate the good and the bad experiences, and look each day for the abundance that I know overflows. I hope you will do the same. God Bless and Peace.

Onward.

Note: 12 year old Taylor, David Richmond’s daughter, traveled to the Philippines with him. Her feelings and reflections are below.

12/31/2011

The last day of 2011….

This was a good day!! It was full of emotions. Emotions like love, happiness, anxiety, sleepiness, and fun! At 7:45 after a long day of traveling yesterday half way across the world we met in the lobby in Manila. We had breakfast with Mauro and Bing.  They are friends of ours from Manila. They know Tito John and Mauro sits on the Filipino Board for the Lingap Center. They are so nice. Who knew I would have a friend the age of my grandparents half a world away???! Breakfast was good, our last American type breakfast for a week! We took a cab to the airport and then we were off to the airport!  We had a nice flight to Cebu and then an agonizingly long drive to the Center. We arrived at the Lingap Center around 5 p.m. The kids sang wonderful greeting songs for about half-an-hour. They performed dances, presentations and an individual song.  After this we went to our rooms to take our luggage and put it away. I am not a family with room 5 girls. The girls in room 3 were sad/mad as I have stayed there the previous two years; off to dinner we went where I gave all my food (except the rice) to my roommates. Room 5 is made up of Elvira, Aileen, Jade, and several others. They were surprised that I don’t eat much (little do they know….) but were grateful for the extra food. We went into room 5 but the boys wanted pictures. I shared my iPod and phone and they played my games. They really had fun with them; then a houseparent said it was time to celebrate New Year’s Eve and to go outside. It was the noisiest New Year’s Eve I’ve ever heard, little trumpets blowing louder than thunder!!! We talked until quarter to 9 and then we all fell asleep.

Taylor

P.S. It was really hard to sleep because there were fire crackers (1/4 sticks my dad said) going off all night and people yelling and screaming along with lots of loud music and singing. It was a wonderful day!!!

1/1/2012

The first day of the New Year…what a great way to spend it! I had a long and fun day today. I ate breakfast (rice).  Room 5 was still confused why I did not eat. Half an hour later Gene Marie, Jacqueline and I washed clothes (by hand) and then we ate lunch. After lunch we had a Christmas party for the street kids and Lingap Wards. Someone had donated presents (one stuffed bear – I think Queen’s bible school-made, and a used toy or action figure were their presents). American kids just don’t get how lucky they are.  Presents were an after thought of this party. There was food, dancing (lots of dancing) and really loud music. They played games and just spent time together. For the street kids many said it was their first present for Christmas ever! When they handed the presents out most of the kids waited until everyone had one (about a 20 minute process) and then they all opened together. The party lasted about 5 hours and they did presents for only about 5 minutes. The rest of time was spent just hanging out together. The street kids are really nice kids and extremely grateful for the food and gifts.

After the gifts they did karaoke and they got me up on stage to sing. My heart sank but I really liked it. Afterward I was so tired…from the heat, humidity, and all the fun we had.  I stayed awake until 8:40 and then I passed out! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

1/2/2012

We went on home visits today. They are an emotional time. My dad says it is good to see where the kids lived and where they came from but it is also difficult to see the circumstances they had to endure. We don’t know how lucky we are in the USA. Most of my friends have never had the experience I am getting to see the world like this, unfiltered and as it is. So my friends don’t have a clue what it is like. We hear about the poor and poverty but I have seen it. My dad and Mr. Drake say this is only one face of poverty as some is much worse and others not as bad. To me this is so different from what we are used to in the USA. Things we take for granted like a bathroom, running water, a house that doesn’t flood, and the ability to refrigerate food. I have never worried about these things and yet here it is normal not to have any of it. There are no nets here…if you get sick and are poor (can’t afford care) you die. It is that simple. It is so different from what we have and yet I think we don’t get that. I am grateful to come and see. They sung a song today…that Fr. Geoff taught them…Open my eye’s Lord so I can see, Open my ears lord so I can hear your voice, open my heart lord…I am so grateful that I get to come here and see and feel; even though it is hard.

I don’t want to tell you they are sad…it is bad things they have to live with but they are not sad…they are happy even though they don’t have anything. They are willing to share what they have. They invite us into their “home” and want us to come in. They want their picture taken…They are such warm people. We saw poverty today that my books talk about. There are people and faces behind that word…but they are still people. In many ways they are more advanced than we are…they don’t have games, TV, and other things to take their time so they talk, play games with each other, and build friendships. I love the Lingap Center and I love coming here.

1/3/2012

I was starving for pancakes but I got rice. We watched movies, slept, did our nails (the adults from the USA went to the store to get supplies), we played bingo and they yelled and screamed! It was quite fun. We ate lunch and took a nap…I slept all the way until dinner!

1/4/2012

At breakfast I was so nervous but it turned out to be an awesome day….why was I nervous…I went to school with the kids! I went to TNVS (Toledo National Vocational School) in the morning and I went to St. John’s around 1:15 for the afternoon. The teachers were very nice. I really liked it. I was bored out of my mind though because it was mostly all review. Between the two schools I came back to the center to eat. I stopped into my dad’s room and Father Geoff saved me with some almonds and my dad gave me a protein shake. I was so hungry. I can begin (just begin) to get an idea of what it would feel like to not eat. Here it is my choice because I am picky and don’t like the food but many here can’t afford food or cook it outside and if it rains they cannot cook so they simply don’t eat. It is very sad.

Good news is the Carpentero twins who were a week from death last year on my trip in January are healthy and one is even a bit chubby as an 18 month old should be. Last year I could not bear to look at them as she lay dying in her despicable surroundings, feces and garbage all over and a child alone, without a parent, dying of starvation and today they are healthy and normal. It is a miracle. If the Lingap Center did not exist those two would have died…they were literally saved.

Note: Dave Richmond continues his journey in the Philippines with more thoughts for today’s readers:

I am doubling up on my posts for today as the next several days will be increasingly busy. Our three day trilogy begins tomorrow with Charter Day, which is the city of Toledo’s birthday celebration. The Vice President of the Philippines is the keynote speaker so it should provide to be an interesting day. They are also dedicating a new hotel in town (it is also the only one in town). It looks quite nice even by our standards. The mayor and vice mayor are doing what they can to provide development and the money needed from that to help their citizens. They are good people in a land that very much needs those to help the people and not steal from them. They are doing well. We begin at 8 a.m. with mass. Saturday we have our Third Saturday Outreach Program. It is always held while we are here so the third Saturday comes a little early. We are expecting between 2,000 and 4,000 children. We are preparing 5-6,000 meals. It is truly a sight to be seen. I will try to post some pictures when I return. Sunday we go to mass with the children and then we are off to Manila to get a quick shower and return to the USA on Monday.

I thought today I would describe a bit of what it is like in a squatter village or shanty town. These areas take many forms from rural groups of 2-3 homes to shanty towns in a city that goes for blocks and have “roads” or paths that you wind back into. They can be very safe or incredibly dangerous. Most of the ones our kids come from that are rural are “homes” made of bamboo posts and wooden slats across the floor. It is simply a platform, no bathroom, no running water, and most of the time no electricity. That is not always the case but is the majority of the time. They cook via open flame much like camping; hence if it rains they don’t eat. Once darkness falls, the productivity ends as there is no electricity to light their homes or areas around the home.

Shanty towns are simple structures but not quite as well made and are an even poorer version of the rural homes. Many times, the further you go back the worse the conditions and the economic status of the occupants. You enter into the area via a path beside a store or chapel. Here is an example where many of our children come from: you enter on a street overlooking the ocean; it is a lovely view of the harbor and coal ships passing, unloading at the power plant and the ferry coming and going. Then you wind back into a different world. The paths are 2-3 feet wide and in some cases even narrower. There are open sewers along the side of the path. In the rainy season this path floods and you walk through sewage and in the dry season the open sewer doesn’t run without rain so the feces simply decays over time. The smell can be very foul. The temperature is 10-20 degrees hotter than what is already a tropical environment. There is little air movement. Smoke from cooking fires within each hut hangs in the air to add to an already trying environment. Garbage rots or is burned, adding to the toxic environment. When the area floods it is a wet, damp environment and in the dry season it is simply like living in a wet sauna. To say conditions here are tough would be a rather significant understatement.

I have done my best to describe it in a nutshell, but it is an environment that is hard to put into words unless you have seen it yourself. When we reach the homes of our children, those present invite us in, welcome us and are proud that we chose to visit them. Since this is an area we operate one of our street children’s education program, it takes all of 30 seconds for the kids to know we are in town and they take great pride in guiding us back into and out of the area. While I would not cross one of these children they know we help them and their families and so we are very well protected and looked out for. Everyone comes to say hello and it feels a little like the circus has come to town.

They are very hospitable people as is their culture. I love the people of the Philippines and they have returned that love. They smile despite difficult circumstances. Would they like a better life or an easier life, you bet they would, but they are happy with the life they have. It is all they have and they have a sense of contentment that I have come to respect. Those that find jobs are incredibly hard working. I have learned much from these people but gratitude is a virtue I have seen lived. They are incredibly grateful for a helping hand, not a handout but a hand, an opportunity to have a better life. But for the grace of God I could have been born in those circumstances and them in mine…

So many times we don’t like to get outside our comfort zone. To work with the poor is a challenge to us, because what do we know about the poor? In our culture of achievements and material goods we have created many myths of the poor. They must be poor because they are lazy or it is their own fault somehow or some way? Do we believe this to be true or use it to simply make our own guilt wash away…if it is their own fault then I don’t have to help or do anything or feel a call to change. I have found, while there are exceptions, the poor I have are real people with hopes and dreams for their children, grandchildren. To live good lives and do the right thing; looking in their eyes and working with them through this foundation I have found love, acceptance and appreciation.

Each trip I come on I ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes that I might see, open my ears that I might hear, and open my heart so I am changed forever. Every trip my prayer is answered. When you allow yourself to connect with another human being you are not the same. I was not good at serving the poor, writing a check is easy but rolling up my sleeves proved so much more difficult. I do not do the work, I help a foundation where the work is done and for a brief time I get to get my hands into the clay that is the work of this foundation but through it I am changed. I come home hoping to live my life a little less like a have and more like a have not. I struggle with the fact that 25,000 children a day die of preventable disease in this world every single day…and yet so many live so well, including me. I don’t know the answer but I pray it continues to bother me and that I have the courage to do something about it.  It is not enough to know about it; you must act!

Peace.

Pre-IPO Investor Provides Update

January 4, 2012 – Greenwood Village, Colorado – Keating Capital, Inc. (Nasdaq:  KIPO) (the “Company”) announced that it will host a conference call on two different dates to provide a perspective and review of Keating Capital’s investment policy, objectives and strategy and to assess the fund’s achievements.  Stockholders, prospective stockholders, analysts and other interested parties must pre-register online at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call as set forth below.  Upon successful registration participants will receive information to access the call via telephone and Internet.  The telephone numbers to access the calls are also listed below:

• Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. EST
  Pre-register at https://cc.readytalk.com/r/k9lks5hg65y6
  Dial-in telephone number for call access in U.S. and Canada is (888) 224-3759

• Thursday, January 12, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST
  Pre-register at https://cc.readytalk.com/r/85uauws1ieok
  Dial-in telephone number for call access in U.S. and Canada is (800) 617-1412

An archived audio recording of the call together with the slide presentation to be used will be available within approximately three hours of completion of the call at http://ir.keatingcapital.com/events.cfm.  This archived audio recording and slide presentation will be available until the Company’s next quarterly conference call which has been tentatively scheduled for March 2012.

About Keating Capital, Inc.
Keating Capital (www.KeatingCapital.com) is a business development company that specializes in making pre-IPO investments in innovative, high growth private companies that are committed to and capable of becoming public. Keating Capital provides individual investors with the ability to participate in a unique fund that invests in a private company’s later stage, pre-IPO financing round — an opportunity that has historically been reserved for institutional investors.  Keating Capital shares are traded on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol KIPO.

To be added to Keating Capital’s email distribution list to receive quarterly newsletters and other announcements, go to www.KeatingCapital.com/contact.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect Keating Capital’s current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release, including the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” set forth in Keating Capital’s Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and subsequent filings with the SEC.  Please refer to Keating Capital’s SEC filings for a more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with its business, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties associated with investing in micro- and small-cap companies.  Except as required by the federal securities laws, Keating Capital undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  The reference to Keating Capital’s website has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Contact:
Margie L. Blackwell
Investor Relations Director
Keating Capital, Inc.
mb@keatinginvestments.com
(720) 889-0133

Note: Dave Richmond, a member of the Board of Directors for the Lingap Children’s Foundation, is currently in the Philippines for his yearly visit to the Lingap Center with founder, John Drake. Below are his thoughts and experiences thus far:

A belated Happy New year to our readers….it was delayed a bit longer than planned because it rained here….and with that comes very spotty internet service…welcome to the 3rd world. It was great to return to the Philippines and the [Lingap] center. I got to celebrate New Years’ Eve here for the first time…it was a loud and enthusiastic experience. They use quarter sticks as firecrackers and things that shoot into the air that are certainly not illegal! So you could say we brought in the new year with quite a BANG!!!!! The kids had a great time…someone had donated horns for them to blow…now close your eyes and imagine 85 kids running around a basketball court and inside an open air building blowing horns for all their little lungs were worth! It was quite an experience. We set off the fireworks…no one died or was injured and we welcomed in 2012. We did this at 9 p.m. since midnight would be a little late for our little ones. The kids went off to bed and the remaining staff and the visitors got a bottle of Michigan’s finest wine (some raspberry concoction) and toasted to each other, good friends, and to our families here and in the USA!

While we have many differences among us we are more the same than we are different. We all love our families, those close to us, and we are grateful for what we have been given. This is an amazing place;  every time I visit it is me that receives way more than I give. My wish for all of you this 2012 is that you reach outside your comfort zone to serve another person, that you can experience the love and fulfillment that comes with that precious gift. You will receive more than you ever give…and that I can guarantee!  May you live a life filled with gratitude and may your abundance overflow!

My next post I will continue to share my journey with you. I plan to try to describe a squatter village…for many of you who may never set foot in one…and the incredible experiences that come from visiting and working in them.

Until then….onward.

January 3, 2012

View PDF of Canaccord Genuity research here

PDF of Press Release