Reaching unexpected results

As a kid growing up in poverty in Boston, I never dreamed I’d be blessed as much as I am today.

In the business world, I have directly led or consulted for dozens of companies, who have had multi-million dollar exits. Whether it is companies who have grown from $0 to $500K, $0 to $1M, $500K to $3M, $6M to $12M, $0M to $50M, $25M to $75M, the total value increase is now over $500M.   

As I was flying back with my sister from Los Angeles the previous weekend, whoever thought two kids from Lynn, Massachusetts (“Lynn, Lynn, the city of Sin, you never come out, the same way you came in”) would find themselves sitting in first class returning from a weekend to see my daughter play college soccer in LA. 

Growing up in a family of divorce, three different dads and four kids, with poverty, free and reduced lunch; it was a broken home for sure.

The good news is all four of us, the kids were able to break the cycle of poverty, and we were able to change the outcomes for our families and for our kids.

The Surprising Failure of Mastermind Groups

There are tons of amazing groups out there that provide business connections for business leaders where people meet on a monthly basis and they’ll connect in a mastermind event. There may be a facilitator who will help them to direct meetings in a more effective way; based on the program’s formula.

However, my great frustration is for the business owners who do not obtain their business purpose. The collective frustration for these groups is the lack of execution that often “mastermind” ideas never become reality. Too many ideas, stay as ideas, not outcomes.

It’s just potential; even worse potential with ideas that never get off the ground. Rarely do facilitators check in to see if anything was completed. The gift is the idea; not the outcome. As a result, business leaders just stop talking about it. Ashamed and embarrassed that they wasted other people’s ideas and time. What a shame.

So although we stay in these groups because of relationships, we rarely get the outcomes that we expected and we get frustrated because we ironically feel stuck because of the relationships that have been made.

This is also why I started 40 Strategy. I saw hundreds of Strategic Plans at Cascade Strategy, lying dormant, with little to any results. It was so frustrating to see a good plan go to waste. Therefore, I have been dedicated to helping business owners like you break the mold. To exceed beyond normal expectations.

I stand with business owners who fall into any one of three categories:

1. You are interested in creating more freedom in your life; to become more like a shareholder rather than an operator 

2. You have not sold your business yet; but are you are very interested to grow the value of their company before selling it

3. You have already partially sold your business to private equity, and you are trying to learn how to play this new game of business and get the “2nd bite of the apple” in a follow-on liquidity event

The first two categories are connected. The more you become like a shareholder; the more value your business will become before selling it. Our goal is to help business owners create figurative “oil wells” that keep producing cash while they are not “in” the business. When business owners move into category two, we maximize their profits. The combination of low risk and higher profits = highest potential business sale.

The third category is the PE game. Wonderful for some business owners. Very challenging for most. We work with PE and founding business owners, to reach the best outcomes.

Purpose Creates Clarity with Your Decisions

Your new found freedom of time and resources; creates choices for your next best path for your families but also to give towards great causes. They ultimately have the freedom to make a difference in other people’s lives, not to be trapped and enslaved by their business.

Yes, we encourage you as business owners to live for what you believe in. We are dedicated to helping you find your purpose, before and after the sale. One of the biggest obstacles for you as the business owner to sell your company is struggling with your new identity. Developing clarity, creates action. Whether you sell the business or not. It is very freeing to find your purpose.

I especially enjoy working business owners who are married and have children. I like working with these groups, not only are we similar in personal experiences, but also because there is so much more to juggle. There are priorities that are more important than your business. However, your business provides the resources to provide for your family, and employees.

As a married business owner in my 6th and 7th company, you rarely have the freedom to work endless hours just working on your occupation. You actually have to think of others in your business AND the challenges of keeping a strong relationship with your spouse and children. During all of this, I have coached 25 seasons of sports, and watched my kids play hundreds of youth, club, and collegiate sports throughout the country. You have to be very focused to be great at work; while being engaged with your family.

A strong sense of purpose is critical for you as a business owner; because you don’t want to waste time away from the ones you care for. Life is very short. 

Married to my high school sweetheart for nearly 30 years, and now with four adult children; it is amazing how fast time flies.

For those who have been following us over the years, you’ll see just subtle little changes and some big changes to what we do and how we do it and who we are working with. We’ll have a continued focus on leadership with business owners, designing the right goals to help their company succeed, and most importantly get to positive outcomes so they can fulfill their dreams, their mission, and their purpose.