336 - From Tech Sales to Forklift Repair
Today's guest was vacationing in Hawaii when he received an ominous request from his office. They were asking him to "hop on a quick call." He knew what it meant; he'd been on the other side of those calls before. And just like that, a 10-year career at SAP came to an abrupt end for Shaugn Lindley, victim to the layoffs sweeping tech. Well, after some soul searching and reflection, Shaugn decides on buying a business for his next chapter. And today he owns forklift repair business R&R Lift: ‍Decades of history Great margins B2B essential service Combination of recurring and repair revenue More demand than he can handle And last but certainly not least, a glorious 1990s vintage website You can hear my enthusiasm for this business. Drool-worthy 90's websiteTwo key features of Shaugn's story to call out. First, how he initially lost the business to a competing buyer. Happily that deal died, and it came back to Shaugn. We discuss the importance of hanging around the hoop. Shaugn at R&R LiftSecond, how Shaugn leaned on an experienced business buyer (and former Acquiring Minds guest) for counsel & coaching through his search. Now, of course many searchers ask for help, but Shaugn formalized the engagement and volunteered to pay his coach for the time. The model worked well; we unpack it. Here is is Shaugn Lindley, owner of R&R Lift.