SBA Acquisition to $9m Cash Exit in 5 Years

I think that really depends on the units you're in. So like I was lucky enough to be in sort of alone and afraid units where I was given very large leeway without significant reporting structure. And I think that's true in certain communities in the military where you really, you are Put in situations where you're given task, purpose, standard and very little oversight.

And I think that probably is more helpful versus you have some military careers that are much more nestled in a big organization the entire time. I think less so. The teaching how to lead, it's more, it's teaching culturally how you should be a leader. And that's the servant leadership aspect that's saying, hey, whatever is the dirtiest, ugliest, most painful job, I should be out there doing that.

And I think veterans just have that gut instinct of like, if I don't know what to do, find the dirtiest, sweatiest job and go do that. And that's something where I think sometimes more financially focused searchers can say, if I don't know what to do, I should model more, I should just plan. And there's a great Eisenhower quote which is plans are worthless, but planning is essential.

I think sometimes people get too sucked into doing that when they have a decision they need to make. While military leaders are more likely, if I have a decision I need to make, commit to action of doing whatever those dirtiest thing to do is. And that's not always the most value creating, but is always the most sort of culture slash, you know, morale building.

And I think that helps in the protection on downside scenarios in these deals.

Interesting. So if you don't know what else to do, find a dirty, thankless job and go do that.

Yeah, because at least you're building credibility from your employee base. And that building credibility from the employee base is when you make another stupid decision, which I made money running the business, they give you a little bit more grace on that if they know that, you know, you're covered in grease and you're out there on the sweatiest day versus you were in the air conditioned office…

Well, one thing you said though, that, that I also want to tease out is about feeling the sense of authority. And then in fact there is legal, you do have legal power as the new owner of a business. And on the one hand there are cautionary tales of people who allow that to go to their head immediately and they come in and start barking orders and they just got there.

And of course anybody who listens to this, to this podcast, should know that that's not the right way to do it, even though apparently that happens. So surprise always surprises me. But I think for most people who listen, the, the, they're going to tend more toward the other end of that spectrum where they don't have enough confidence and they, and they come in.

Without kind of, you know, without recognizing that in fact they do have a considerable amount of power from day one that they might not have earned yet. And that maybe there's, maybe there, maybe.

It could be helpful to searchers to.