Eric Lasalle

Eric LaSalle, Sr., was born and raised in South Los Angeles before moving to the San Fernando Valley with his wife Evelyn and their three children. After graduating from San Fernando High School and serving six years in the United States Navy, Eric attended Los Angeles City College where he majored in Criminal Justice and obtained an AA degree. He went on to receive a Bachelors of Science degree in Police Science from California State University, Northridge where he played basketball and became an All-American basketball player.

Writing books

Eric Lasalle has enjoyed a rewarding career as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and philanthropist. He recently released his third book The Entrepreneur's Guide to Success and is currently touring the country speaking to entrepreneurs about his new book.

 Lasalle’s new book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success: How to Start a Business and Build It from Scratch, was released in February 2016. In his third book, Lasalle has set out to show his readers how they can achieve what they want through smart business planning. He has also spoken at conferences and events around America.

 Lasalle’s most recent project is a children’s book titled The One in Charge of Dreams. This book follows two boys and a girl as they navigate their way through life from beginning to end. Children are able to learn valuable lessons about empathy, hard work, friendship, love and loss.

Launching podcasts

This new venture for Lasalle, called The Next Big Thing Podcast, will be launched at the end of January. He hopes to use it as a platform to talk with others about their business and share his knowledge with listeners. 

I wanted to launch something that would make an impact on people's lives, he said. I want to talk about how I got here and what my journey was like.

 I wanted to get into podcasts and wanted to talk about small businesses, Lasalle said. I was always curious if anyone would listen. Lasalle hopes that by talking with other entrepreneurs he can help others grow their business.

Becoming a successful investor

In 2013, Lasalle co-founded Morningstar, a research and investment management firm that provides independent investment advice to individuals and institutions. In 2016, he took over as CEO of the company after David Kabiller stepped down. 

Lasalle has also made a name for himself in the investing world as an expert on value stocks.  He's been featured in Forbes Magazine, CNBC, and Bloomberg TV; authored a book about value investing entitled Value Averaging: The Safe and Easy Strategy for Higher Investment Returns; and been profiled by Money Magazine. He was also selected by Barron's magazine as one of the top 100 influential financial advisors in America.

 In 2015, his daughter passed away. He took a year off from work to spend time with her, which led him to choose an investment strategy that was less risky than his usual high-growth approach. That yearlong break gave him a different perspective on business and life that he has carried into his new role as CEO at Morningstar.

Starting new projects

Eric Lasalle has a diverse and varied background, having served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, a professor at Columbia Business School, and CEO of The Advisory Board Company. He also served as Chairman of the Board for Teach For America's New York City region. Today he is currently the founder and CEO of The Social Impact Exchange (TSIX), which seeks to make social investment more accessible by building marketplaces for financial transactions.

 Prior to founding TSI, Lasalle was an assistant professor of management and organization at Columbia Business School. During his time in academia, he served as a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School and taught courses on strategy, technology marketing and social entrepreneurship.

 Prior to his tenure at Columbia, Lasalle was an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked for Lehman Brothers as a managing director. Prior to that he served in various roles at The Advisory Board Company (ABC) where he ultimately became President and Chief Executive Officer in 2005.

Attending events

It can be exhausting to go out for the evening, but events are a great way to network and make new connections. One of my favorite things to do is attend TED Talks because I get access to a lot of interesting information in one short session. Plus, it's an amazing experience that you'll never forget!

 Events are a great way to network, but I'd like to make a special note about conferences. Conferences provide an opportunity for you to learn from some of the top minds in your field and network with others who share your interests. Plus, attending conferences can help you get face-to-face meetings with influential people in your industry.

 If you have a friend who attends conferences or events with you, that can help make it more enjoyable. You'll be able to bounce ideas off of each other, share information, and support one another through your experience. Even if you don't know anyone at an event, there are many ways to make new connections and build friendships. Go up to people in conversation circles and introduce yourself!

Summary

Eric Lasalle was a contestant on the first season of MasterChef. He was eliminated in episode 8, but his cooking style and personality made him a fan favorite. Since the show aired, he has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show and Top Chef: Just Desserts. Recently, he's been seen as a guest judge on Chopped, Project Runway and Iron Chef America.