Hi all. I’m Ryan, and I’m introducing myself because I think my background could be useful to some people here. I founded a home services company and sold it to private equity, then lived through the post-acquisition integration. That means sitting on the other side of the table from buyers, going through diligence, and adjusting to working under a sponsor. I’ve also been involved in corporate development, so I’ve seen acquisitions from the buy side as well, and I understand what it takes to be successful in search. Before business, I trained in medicine (MD, PhD), and I’m a Navy veteran. Where I can help: Before close: sourcing strategy and building a deal pipeline, pressure-testing a deal, founder psychology and negotiation, and spotting operational risks that don’t show up in a QoE. Transition: the first 100 days, earning trust from the seller’s team, and what changes when the founder leaves. As a new CEO: decisions, investor and board relationships, hiring your first leadership team, and the isolation of the role. I’ve been working with a handful of searchers and founders and enjoy these conversations. Search can be a lonely grind. Outreach goes quiet, a founder relationship you spent months building cools off, or an LOI you were sure about falls through, and you start to wonder whether you’re doing something wrong. Usually you aren’t; there’s just a piece of the seller’s side you can’t see yet. I know because I was the founder getting your calls and emails, and I know what made me respond, what made me hesitate, and what finally got me to the table. If any of that sounds familiar, I’m always glad to talk it through. Just send me a DM.