Come on Fish... Climb! You’ve probably heard the old saying: “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid.” We’ve seen this play out in business more times than we can count. Some founders are visionaries, market whisperers, dealmakers — but try to stick them in the daily grind of operations and it’s like asking a fish to tackle rock climbing. Not only is it exhausting, it’s misaligned with how they’re wired. Let's face it, when you are running a company you play a lot of different roles. And when you’re spending your days swimming upstream in a tree, no amount of good advice is going to save you. We used to be the consultants in the room — spotting inefficiencies, offering strategy, handing over neat playbooks. Some founders took the ball and ran. Others looked at us with tired eyes and said, “That’s great. Can you just do it?” Eventually, we listened. Helping founders build systems, prep for investment, and find leverage will always be meaningful work. But over time, it became clear: advice wasn’t enough. What many founders needed wasn’t another plan. They needed a partner who could operate — who could build the structure, bring in the people, and drive the execution. That was the shift. Now, we look for businesses with strong fundamentals and untapped potential — not perfect ones, just real ones. And we roll up our sleeves. We fix what’s broken. We scale what’s working. We implement what used to be sitting in a pretty slide deck. We’re not perfect. No acquirer is. But we’ve been in the weeds. We’ve seen what happens when a company runs on charisma and caffeine. And we know the difference between a business with potential, and a business with a plan to reach it. Our role has evolved, but the mission hasn’t: help founders create real freedom — whether that means scaling with support or stepping into their next chapter. P.S. If your inbox feels more like a war zone than a workspace, there’s probably a better way to run the business. No silver bullets, no magic wands — just a practical, repeatable path to building a company that doesn’t need you to carry it every day. Thanks for reading — and do well.

The Silent Killer - Founder Drag No, I'm not talking top fuel funny cars or size 13 high heels, I'm talking about where a capable, visionary founder (that’s you!) becomes the very reason the company can’t scale. Not because you’re not good at what you do, but because you’re trying to do too much of it, all the time. Symptoms of founder drag include: Projects that never quite get finished A team that waits for permission instead of taking initiative Revenue that flatlines despite everyone "working really hard" Getting unstuck often starts with rethinking your role: Delegate outcomes, not tasks: If you’re still the safety net, people won’t take ownership. Automate anything repetitive: If you say, "This will only take me five minutes," more than once a day, you’ve got automation opportunities. Rebuild the org chart: Structure the business for outcomes, not ego. Here’s the irony: the more you get out of the way, the faster things tend to move. It’s not about doing less. It’s about doing less of the wrong things. Unnerving as it may feel, this will benefit you and the company many ways. Thanks for reading and do well!

Building Durability You don’t need a castle to have a moat. But you do need something that keeps the competition from storming your gates. A lot of founders think a moat is about size. "We’re the biggest in our market!" Cool, but can someone else just copy what you’ve built? A real moat is about durability. It's about making replication inconvenient, expensive, or just not worth the effort. Why is This Important? This is more than keeping the competitors at Bay. If you were planning to sell down the road, this ticks off a couple of boxes. For starters, your buyer will have confidence in a solid market share that you own going forward This also benefits you as a seller because the buyer is more motivated to buy you them to compete with you. Here’s How to Spot One in the Wild Switching costs If it’s painful for customers to leave, that’s a moat. (Note: emotional attachment counts too!) Operational excellence If your internal systems are a well-oiled machine, competitors can’t just wing it and hope to catch up. Brand trust The kind that builds over time, not with a flashy ad campaign. Data, IP, or tech integrations Bonus points if it’s proprietary. Extra bonus if your competitors don’t even know how to start building it. You don’t need all of these. But having one or two strong pillars can go a long way in making your business resilient—and more valuable. Thanks for reading and do well!

Find the AutoPilot It sounds backwards, but the best way to increase your company’s value is to make yourself less necessary. No buyer wants to inherit a business where the founder is the engine, the GPS, and the seatbelt. That’s not an asset. That’s a liability wearing a Patagonia vest. If you're thinking about a future transition, the question isn’t "how do I sell this?" It’s "how do I make this company transferable?" Think of it this way, a buyer wants to know that it will maintain financial health once they take over your company. That means, as soon as you let go of the steering wheel, it's going to stay between the ditches. If Joe is running the company and it is the "Joe show", when Joe goes, so does the show. Ya know? Start here Build a leadership bench If no one else can run the show, the show ends when you leave. Codify your knowledge Tribal wisdom is cool until the tribe moves on. Brand-first, not founder-first If your customers call you instead of the company, that’s a red flag for any acquirer. Consistency > Heroics Buyers love predictability more than pizzazz. Even if you’re not looking to sell right now, the discipline of building for transferability will make your business stronger—and your life easier. Thanks for reading and do well!

Breaking the Cycle Most founders don’t burn out because they lack passion. They burn out because they’re the sun holding the whole solar system together. Every decision? Yours. Every fire? You’re the firefighter. Every growth idea? It’s collecting dust because your inbox is full of urgent-but-not-important chaos. This isn’t entrepreneurship. This is a very stressful job disguised as leadership. Here’s the truth: if you’re the bottleneck, your business can’t grow beyond your capacity. The real inflection point comes when you start building a company that doesn’t need you to survive (or worse, to function). Getting to freedom takes effort, but here’s the kicker: it’s more doable than most founders think. And it beats burnout every time. How do you get there? Documented processes SOPs aren’t glamorous, but neither is explaining the same thing to three different people in one week. Delegated ownership Not just handing off tasks, but handing off actual decision rights. That requires trust, clarity, and yes, a few mistakes. Metrics-based management Gut instincts are great—until they’re not. Data lets you sleep at night. Automation & tools Let tech do the boring stuff so humans can do the smart stuff... and fun stuff too! Thanks for reading and do well!