Business owners learn by doing. My education began with my first company, a house painting business when I was in high school. I wasn’t old enough to drive so I found a partner with a driver’s license and we made 6X the minimum wage for two summers.

In college, I founded University Consultants to help small companies automate business processes with computers. This was my first experience working with business owners to solve real problems and I was hooked on consulting forever.

I started my first “real” company, The Kodiak Group, at 30. We provided business operations and eCommerce consulting services to Fortune 500 clients throughout North America. We doubled in size every year and were profitable every quarter. Five years later, we sold the company to a venture capital-backed, pre-IPO roll-up. We rode out the IPO during the Internet boom years. After the bubble burst, we bought our company back in a leveraged management buyout and then sold it again after the economy recovered.

A career in small business ownership and big business consulting has given me unique perspectives on launching, acquiring, growing, exiting and integrating businesses. I’ve advised hundreds of business owners and executives in large and small companies in a wide range of industries, from industrial products and B2B services to healthcare and consumer products.

I’ve learned how important it is for business leaders to have experienced, trusted advisors to provide ideas and validation, especially when big decisions have to be made. Venture 7 Advisors provides exactly that kind of support - practical advice to help business owners build and exit their companies with confidence. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.