Richard C. Wilson speaks with Sahil Nandwani of Calafia Group about reaching family offices and building investor relationships. They discuss deal screening, follow-up, in-person meetings, and ways to stand out through specialization and authenticity.
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About the guest
Sahil Nandwani. Sahil Nandwani is managing partner of the Calafia Group in Beverly Hills, where he oversees family office strategy, helps build its divisions, and sources transactions and deals. He has worked in real estate, with overseas investors, and in political campaigns and training.
Key takeaways
- Nandwani says family offices operate in an insular environment, so focus on relationships and opportunities that are genuinely distinctive.
- Prepare for investor questions by viewing a deal as someone encountering it for the first time; familiarity can cause presenters to overlook basic questions.
- Nandwani estimates that at least 50 to 60% of people fail to take an extra step in follow-up, listening, and responsiveness.
- Follow up with care: after an unanswered text, wait a few days before trying again, and avoid repeated messages that can irritate a potential investor.
- Zoom can help people connect, but Nandwani says in-person meetings build personal connections that can matter more than formal work conversations.
- When screening a deal, assess the reliability and expertise of the counterparty. Nandwani says a strong partner can help even when a deal goes sideways, while an unreliable partner can make a good deal difficult.
- A strong pitch explains the company's market position and relevant details upfront, such as where inventory and raw materials come from.
- Nandwani says AI may make specialization more valuable and expects businesses to customize tools to fit their needs.
- He encourages people to share the experiences that distinguish them, since personal interests and background can help create stronger connections.
- Nandwani says opportunities can emerge when others overlook underserved needs, and gives Breeze Airways' less-served nonstop routes as an example.
Best quotes
"you've got to think about it from the perspective of somebody who has never heard of this before because you may have a fantastic deal with a fantastic structure."
"But I mean, nothing nothing beats the kind of in-person meeting because I think also, you know, back back to my time in politics, you know, half the time is kind of spent quote unquote screwing around."
"So I look at for example your AI tools. There are very very few businesses that are even exploring with custom GPTs to that degree."
"I want to know all the things that differentiate you from everybody else in the room."
"negligence is the mother of opportunity."
"Everything needs to be actively managed. Everything needs to be properly curated because so much so many more people have money."
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