HOT TAKE: In my experience, the more specific your search thesis, the easier everything gets—deal flow, investor interest, even seller trust. Being industry-agnostic sounds flexible, but it often just makes you forgettable.

I fully agree with the other posts that you should clearly define your focus areas. A searcher who is unable to articulate their competence profile and the corresponding industries will have a low probability of success. Regarding your priorities, you should clearly explain your decision to prioritize location over industry. This explanation should go beyond "due to family reasons," as that may give the impression that you're not fully committed to the company and its investor returns (e.g., unwilling to relocate). In my experience, sellers (even more than investors) place high value on industry know-how, and your initial conversation is essentially a job interview. Researching multiple industries will consume a significant amount of time. I believe your pitch can only succeed if you already have a strong network of sellers and investors who trust you. If not, you shouldn't just consider rethinking your pitch — you should reconsider your entire decision. If you choose not to follow that advice, you might consider communicating a phased geographic approach (e.g., "I will start in San Francisco due to my existing network there and later expand across the US"). This approach adds immediate value to your search and, realistically, reflects what you'll likely do anyway if you don't find targets in your initial area. And if you do find something there, no one will question why you didn’t expand your geographic focus.