Planet MicroCap Podcast | MicroCap Investing Strategies

Creative Realities (NASDAQ: CREX): Deploying Digital Screens for Customers to Display Engaging Content

My guest on the show today is Rick Mills, CEO of Creative Realities, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREX). Creative Realities, Inc. provides digital signage-based omni-channel marketing and media solutions to enhance customer, shopper, guest, fan, or employee engagement within physical spaces and transactional environments. The company is focused on delivering these solutions across verticals best positioned for growth in the digital signage space- including Retail, Convenience, Entertainment & Theme Parks, Healthcare, QSR, Stadiums & Arenas, and Dealer Showroom ecosystems.

 

As you will hear in the interview today, which we recorded on December 12, 2023, their customers include: Best Buy, Macy's, Cowboys Stadium, Verizon stores and more. With these well-known brands as customers, I wanted to better understand the economics of Creative Realities' business, as well as:

• How the company evolved and grew out of COVID, that at certain retail locations saw little to no foot traffic
• What the competitive landscape looks like
• How the company plans on scaling the business with more well-known brands
• Rick's 3-5 year vision for the company

For more information about Creative Realities, please visit: https://cri.com/

This podcast was recorded and is being made available by SNN, Inc. (together with its affiliates and its and their employees, “SNN”) solely for informational purposes. SNN is not providing or undertaking to provide any financial, economic, legal, accounting, tax, or other advice in or by virtue of this podcast. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions provided in this podcast are general in nature, and such information, statements, comments, views, and opinions, and the viewing of/listening to this podcast are not intended to be and should not be construed as the provision of investment advice by SNN. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast do not constitute and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or other course of action.

The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast (including by guest speakers who are not officers, employees, or agents of SNN) are not necessarily those of SNN and may not be current. Reference to any specific third-party entity, product, service, materials, or content does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the SNN. SNN assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. The views expressed by guest speakers are their own and their appearance on this podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SNN does not make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information, statements, comments, views, or opinions contained in this podcast, which may include forward-looking statements where actual results may differ materially. SNN does not undertake any obligation whatsoever to provide any form of update, amendment, change, or correction to any of the information, statements, comments, views or opinions set forth in this podcast.

SNN EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

By accessing this podcast, the listener acknowledges that the entire contents and design of this podcast, are the property of SNN, or used by SNN with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial educational purposes. No other use, including without limitation, reproduction, retransmission, or editing of this podcast may be made without the prior written consent of SNN.

MicroCaps in 2023: Boring is Sexy Again with Paul Andreola (Small Cap Discoveries), Jason Hirschman (Hudson 215 Capital), Maj Soueidan (GeoInvesting)

My guests on the show today are fellow MicroCap legends: Paul Andreola, Founder and Editor of Small Cap Discoveries, Jason Hirschman from Hudson 215 Capital, and Maj Soueidan, Founder and Editor of GeoInvesting. In this conversation, consensus was that MicroCap stocks in 2023, boring is sexy again. We spent 90 minutes talking about why. And, to be honest, we could've gone another 3 hours. So much quality back and forth, that at one point, I just sat back and watched Paul, Jason and Maj talk. I loved this whole conversation, and I think you will too.

Paul Andreola

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulAndreola 

Website: https://smallcapdiscoveries.com/ 

Jason Hirschman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EightTrack180 

Maj Soueidan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/majgeoinvesting 

Website: https://geoinvesting.com/ 

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

Extreme Value Investing and the Generalist Biotech Strategy with Erik Conrad, Portfolio Manager at Peapod Lane Capital

My guest on the show today is Erik Conrad, Portfolio Manager at Peapod Lane Capital. I was introduced to Erik by Doug Porter from Acuitas Investments (thank you Doug!) and had the chance to meet him recently in New York. Erik is a self-described extreme value investor and while uncovering what that means to him, we started getting into his generalist strategy investing in Healthcare. We've been covering the bloodbath in Healthcare/Biotech here at the podcast, and so I wanted to learn more about how Erik is approaching looking at a sector that's been beaten down.

For more information about Peapod Lane Capital, please visit: https://peapodlane.com/

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

Thermal Energy (TSX-V: TMG) (OTCQB: TMGEF): Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction Solutions to Large Multinationals

My guest on the show today is William Crossland, President & CEO of Thermal Energy International, Inc. (TSX-V: TMG) (OTCQB: TMGEF). Thermal Energy International Inc. provides energy efficiency and emissions reduction solutions to Fortune 500 and other large multinational companies. The company's value proposition is to help save their customers money by reducing their fuel use and cutting their carbon emissions. Thermal Energy's proprietary and proven solutions can recover up to 80% of energy lost in typical boiler plant and steam system operations while delivering a high return on investment with a short, compelling payback, according to the company's website.

As William jokes in the interview, Thermal Energy is a 20-year overnight success story. When he joined the company and took over as CEO in 2009, William's focus was turning a profit, where, just before the pandemic, was able to accomplish that, 30% compounded annual growth rate and $25 million in revenues.

While the pandemic was difficult for all of us, the company had to fight through a challenging environment, which we discuss in the interview, but has since started reporting, in the last few months, more projects and orders coming in. For example, since recording the interview, Thermal Energy announced a, "$3.7 Million Heat Recovery Order from One of Europe’s Largest Food and Drink Producers" on December 7, 2023. We also discuss:

• How Thermal Energy works with their multinational client base
• Their full suite of solutions, and;
• William's 3-5 year vision for the company

For more information about Thermal Energy, please visit: https://www.thermalenergy.com/

This podcast was recorded and is being made available by SNN, Inc. (together with its affiliates and its and their employees, “SNN”) solely for informational purposes. SNN is not providing or undertaking to provide any financial, economic, legal, accounting, tax, or other advice in or by virtue of this podcast. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions provided in this podcast are general in nature, and such information, statements, comments, views, and opinions, and the viewing of/listening to this podcast are not intended to be and should not be construed as the provision of investment advice by SNN. The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast do not constitute and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or other course of action.

The information, statements, comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast (including by guest speakers who are not officers, employees, or agents of SNN) are not necessarily those of SNN and may not be current. Reference to any specific third-party entity, product, service, materials, or content does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the SNN. SNN assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. The views expressed by guest speakers are their own and their appearance on this podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SNN does not make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information, statements, comments, views, or opinions contained in this podcast, which may include forward-looking statements where actual results may differ materially. SNN does not undertake any obligation whatsoever to provide any form of update, amendment, change, or correction to any of the information, statements, comments, views or opinions set forth in this podcast.

SNN EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

By accessing this podcast, the listener acknowledges that the entire contents and design of this podcast, are the property of SNN, or used by SNN with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this podcast may save and use information contained in the podcast only for personal or other non-commercial educational purposes. No other use, including without limitation, reproduction, retransmission, or editing of this podcast may be made without the prior written consent of SNN.

Recent Canadian MicroCap Buyouts: What’s Going on Here with Mathieu Martin, Portfolio Manager at Rivemont Investments and Editor of the Stocks & Stones Newsletter

My guest on the show today is Mathieu Martin, Portfolio Manager at Rivemont Investments and Editor of the Stocks & Stones Newsletter. Recently, Canadian MicroCap buyouts have been gaining focus - as Mathieu points out in our conversation, there's been 10 non-resource Canadian MicroCap transactions in 2023. While that may not seem that much, the frequency they've been happening of late has us MicroCap warriors taking note. I invited on my friend and colleague, Mathieu Martin, to chat with me about what is going on here and whether we think M&A will continue to move at this fast rate with the fear that sentiment is or may change for the better.

"Rebound" article on Stocks & Stones Newsletter: https://stocksandstones.substack.com/p/rebound

For more information about Rivemont MicroCap Fund, please visit: https://rivemont.ca/en/rivemont-microcap-fund/the-rivemont-microcap-fund/

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

The Death of Small Cap Equities? with Chris Satterthwaite, Senior Analyst at Verdad Advisors

My guest on the show today is Chris Satterthwaite, Senior Analyst at Verdad Advisors. The team at Verdad put out a phenomenal weekly newsletter, and they recently published one titled, "The Death of Small Cap Equities?" We've been talking for a while here about all the various issues plaguing the Small/MicroCap space, and invited Chris to share the research the Verdad team have uncovered. 

For more information about Chris Satterthwaite and Verdad, please visit: https://verdadcap.com/

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

Flyover Stocks, Conviction, Letting Go and Minding the Gap with Todd Wenning, Founder and Editor of Flyover Stocks Newsletter

My guest on the show today is Todd Wenning, Founder and Editor of the Flyover Stocks Newsletter now available on Substack. Last time we had Todd on the podcast, we talked about his investing philosophy as depicted in his diagram outlining the overlapping synergies between management, moat and price. He has since launched his newsletter, “Flyover Stocks” on Substack, and wanted to have him on to learn more about it, as well as discuss some of his first posts on there.

 

For more information about Flyover Stocks, please visit: https://www.flyoverstocks.com/ 

You can Follow Todd Wenning on Twitter/X @ToddWenning: https://twitter.com/ToddWenning 

 

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

OTC and Capital Markets in 2023 with Cromwell Coulson, President and CEO of OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM)

My guest on the show today is Cromwell Coulson, President and CEO of OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM). As part of my trip to New York City, I had the opportunity to meet with Cromwell at OTC Markets' downtown offices, where we chatted for about 75 minutes. Our last interview on Planet MicroCap Podcast was in December 2019, safe to say a lot has happened in the last 4 years. We covered a lot of topics, including as many of your questions as possible: Micro/SmallCap capital markets, uplistings, de-listings, cross-listings, stock promotion, dark stocks and much more! We conclude by discussing the capital market trends we're likely to see in 2024 and the trends Cromwell would like to see in 2024.

For more information about OTC Markets Group, please visit: https://www.otcmarkets.com/

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

2023 Investing Trends, Investor Sentiment, The ”Magnificent Seven” and Looking Ahead to 2024 with Charles Payne, Host of ”Making Money with Charles Payne”

My guest on the show today is Charles Payne, Host of "Making Money with Charles Payne." While I was in New York last week, Charles was kind enough to take some time while prepping for his next show to answer a few of my questions and some that came in from social media. We covered more than I thought we would during our 20 minute conversation, including: starting to reflect on 2023, better understanding investor sentiment, what could happen to cause that to change, his thoughts on the Small/MicroCap bloodbath of the last couple years. We close out looking ahead to 2024 and if there are any new investing themes or trends on the horizon that folks should really focus on. Charles also just released his new book, "Unbreakable Prosperity", which is now available wherever books are sold.

For more information about Charles Payne and "Making Money with Charles Payne", please visit: https://www.wstreet.com/

You can Follow Charles Payne on Twitter/X @cvpayne: https://twitter.com/cvpayne

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft

Value Investing with an ESG Focus with Filip Erhardt, Founder and CEO of ESGFIRE

My guest on the show today is Filip Erhardt, Founder and CEO of ESGFIRE. I was introduced to Filip by Paul Andreola from Small Cap Discoveries (thank you, Paul) a few months ago, and we had a phenomenal conversation about his ESG strategy and his approach to investing in environmentally-friendly companies. In the Summer 2023 issue of the Planet MicroCap Review, Filip contributed an article titled, "ESG Investing 101," documenting his investing process, and invited him on the podcast to dive deeper into ESG, Cleantech, Agrotech and why ESG is still a megatrend that investors shouldn't ignore.

For more information about ESGFIRE, please visit: https://esgfire.com/en/

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Stream by AlphaSense, an expert interview transcript library that integrates AI-generated call summaries and NLP search technology so their clients can quickly pinpoint the most critical insights. Start your FREE trial on their website: https://streamrg.co/PMC

Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the SNN Network YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym

Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast

The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market.

You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft