Tariffs Impact Businesses Very Differently
Tariffs impact businesses very differently. In stark contrast to my nosediving public equity portfolio, here’s a somewhat positive real-
Operations
42 posts
Eisenhower 2x2 Matrix
The Eisenhower 2x2 Matrix: important vs. urgent. Operators typically have their hands full with urgent items in day-to-day
Don't Buy Seller's "Lifestyle" Argument
"The seller has treated it like a lifestyle business" is a sponsor's code for suggesting it&
Lex Word Cloud
Thousands of online reviews = Perfect input for a word cloud 🔥💙💚 🆒 Great piece of marketing collateral to both customers and employees.
Lame Duck Deal
definition: lame duck private equity deal (noun) A "Lame Duck PE Deal" refers to a private equity investment
Covenant Territory
Covenant territory is when your TTM P&L is hovering close to the covenant thresholds. Being in covenant territory
Org Chart w/ Rock Stars
Organization chart coloring. In board meetings I like to present a current view of the organization, and I use four
Negative NWC
Many searchers overlook the value of negative working capital. Everyone is hyper-aware of capex-intensity, but net working capital
5.8x MOIC
5.8x MOIC. In 2019 I invested in an all-equity 100% acquisition of a moderately-growing target. The entry
Yearly Headwinds
Recent history of operational headwinds: 2020: COVID 2021: Supply chain 2022: Inflation 2023: Labor shortage Still trying to figure out
8 Graduates from Tech Track
8 apprentices successfully graduated from the Tech Track program at Service Star Brands this week. We celebrated with a company-
UpSmith Podcast (May 2023)
Wyatt Smith is an authority on workforce productivity. We need people of his extraordinary caliber to solve one of America’
AI killing office jobs
For years we envisioned that AI robots would kill blue-collar jobs (assembly lines, warehouses, chauffering, cashiers). Instead, in 2024
HR in 4 parts
HR consists of 4 parts: Administration, Recruiting, Training, Retention. From left to right, tactical/reactive to strategic/proactive. Sadly, most
Apprentices at Service Star
Just wrapped up an inspiring session with our new apprentices at Service Star Brands! I met 10 incredible gentlemen selected
Training = Vertical integration
Training is actually vertical integration. One often hears about how companies use M&A to vertically integrate as a
People vs. Profitability
It took me a while to understand the link between people and profitability. I routinely ask our management team how
To the porn stars in my network
To the porn stars in my network: I recently met a tax strategist for adult movie actors. I'm
