Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, the successful people I admired most were small business owners. The owner of a landscaping company. An industrial distributor. A plastic injection molder.

But the one I admired the most was my grandfather Pappy, who founded a healthcare company to serve people with developmental disabilities. He built ResCare on the values of hard work, integrity, and putting people first. These values define the ethos of Balance Capital.

Starting my career as a business lawyer, I advised entrepreneurs through some of their most pivotal moments – the sale of their businesses. I saw firsthand the work that went into creating businesses and grew a deep respect for the owners behind them. So much so that it motivated me to pursue an MBA at UCLA Anderson. 

 

But you don’t learn how to grow a business in a classroom. I learned it by rolling up my sleeves and working hands-on with founding teams. As Vice President at a California-based venture firm, I provided resources, playbooks, and systems to small companies that helped de-risk their business and drive new sales. But I also experienced the struggles of running a small business. The cash flow crunches, the stress of meeting payroll, the struggle to find good talent, the pain of losing a big customer.

When I later took over as VP of Sales for a fledging refrigerant manufacturer, I learned the importance of hiring the right talent and how much a great team could accomplish together. We grew sales from $1.2M to $11.2M in just two years. We then added 2,000+ HVAC distributor locations as customers for a software product we created, securing 30+% of the HVAC distribution market.

As I set out on the search for my first small business, I do so with a deep appreciation for the hard work that goes into building a successful company. My goal is to honor the legacy of entrepreneurs like my grandfather by ensuring that the business I acquire continues to thrive and grow.