Search Fund & Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Coaching, Events, and Resources

Building a successful self-funded search requires much more than identifying businesses to buy. It involves developing a disciplined acquisition strategy, sourcing proprietary opportunities, evaluating businesses, communicating with brokers and sellers, structuring offers, and preparing for investor and lender conversations. My background in investment banking, private equity investing, financial modeling, and due diligence provides a practical framework for evaluating acquisition opportunities and making disciplined investment decisions. I work with aspiring searchers, MBA students, and acquisition entrepreneurs who want guidance on topics such as: • Developing an acquisition thesis • Deal sourcing and broker outreach • Reviewing CIMs and evaluating opportunities • Financial modeling and valuation • LOIs and acquisition structuring • Investor outreach and capital preparation • Commercial and financial diligence • Management meeting preparation • Independent sponsor best practices Rather than relying solely on theory, I coach from the perspective of someone who executed a self-funded search today. We'll work through real acquisition opportunities, discuss practical decision-making, and build the skills needed to navigate each stage of the acquisition process with confidence.

Transitioned from traditional finance (IB / PE / HF) to a lower middle market independent sponsor focused on B2B services buy-and-build strategy. Successfully raised pool of capital from HNWIs, Family Offices, etc. and have closed on / am operating multiple businesses/ Knowledgeable on sourcing, capital raising, LMM debt financing, diligence process and watchouts, LMM / SMB CEO role, building executive layer to run business, etc.

I bring real, lived experience across the full ETA lifecycle. Through my HBS background and long-standing ties to the original search fund community (Rick and Royce, IYKYK), I operate inside a deep network of searchers, operators, and investors active in the space. I’ve personally run a self-funded search and now serve as CEO of a portfolio company, leading real operations and real P&Ls. My coaching is practical, direct, and grounded in what actually works when you’re sourcing, conducting diligence, buying, and scaling a business

I've lived every stage of the ETA journey myself: raising capital, sourcing and diligencing more than a hundred businesses, closing acquisitions, and then running the companies for the long haul. I run Decada Group, a self-funded holding company that has acquired five businesses and started three, all held permanently. The coaching draws on that seat time and on years inside the ETA community, including a Utah searcher network several hundred strong. I've watched searches produce great owner-CEOs, and I've watched them break people who bought the wrong company. I coach to help you land in the first group: honest pressure-testing before you buy, and a steady thinking partner once you own it.

I started my first company at age twenty-three. I now have five companies I know a MILLION ways not to do things. Check our my kingdom at queenofwraps.com

Extensive background in M&A through numerous personal & corporate acquisitions. In the past two years, I have completed acquisitions of two email newsletters. 1 wildly successful that fully funds my lifestyle today, requiring ~1 hour / month of my time. 1 total failure that I have learned 10x more from. I acquired the first one while I leading M&A at a Bain Capital backed software firm, Rocket Software. I completed numerous acquisitions ranging from <$1m founder-owned & operated tuck-ins to a >$2b carveout from OpenText (NASDAQ: OTEX)...and everything in between. I quit in July 2025 after being sick of getting grinded to an absolute pulp. I would have never had the confidence to do so without the business I had acquired in the background. Since then, I have helped numerous friends and colleagues in their own personal ETA journeys as I truly believe ETA is the best path to freedom for high-income white collar professionals. I write a lot about this and everything else in the space at buyingfreedom.beehiiv.com! Excited to meet you and work together!

I help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate the Search Fund and Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition journey with the perspective of an active investor and acquisition entrepreneur. I work with searchers on defining an investment thesis, identifying attractive businesses, developing a sourcing strategy, evaluating opportunities, building financial models, conducting diligence, preparing investor materials, raising capital, structuring transactions, and thinking through post-close value creation. Whether you are pursuing a traditional search fund, self-funded search, or independent sponsor path, my focus is helping you develop the judgment and execution discipline required to move from “I want to buy a business” to a credible acquisition strategy. I’m the Founder and Managing Partner of Zeus Global, where I source, underwrite, diligence, structure, finance, and pursue acquisitions of software and technology-enabled businesses. My experience includes evaluating founder-owned companies, managing end-to-end M&A processes, raising capital from institutional and family-office investors, negotiating transaction structures, and developing post-close value-creation plans. Previously, I held investing roles at LeapFrog Investments, the Africa Finance Corporation, and a $5B family office. I earned my MBA from Stanford GSB. I am particularly well suited to first-time searchers, career switchers, and non-traditional candidates who need to build conviction around what to buy, articulate a differentiated investment thesis, and establish credibility with sellers and capital partners.

Welcome to my profile! With over two decades of experience in the restaurant and franchise industry, I bring a wealth of knowledge to aspiring search fund entrepreneurs. As the CEO of CRU, one of the largest franchised nightlife chain in the US, and former President of Sunrise Restaurants (a division of WKS Restaurant Group), I have honed my skills in operational excellence and financial performance across multi-unit businesses. My background as a Vice President at GE Capital, where I originated loans for 30 different franchised restaurant brands, equips me with a unique perspective on financing and scaling businesses. Having coached 18 individuals, I am passionate about helping you navigate the complexities of search funds and achieve your entrepreneurial goals. Let's connect and strategize your path to success!

I'm a failed searcher. I did a self-funded search for 18 months and had a deal fall apart on the 1-yard line a week before my first kid was born. But I am not here to tell you NOT to do this. I just want you to go in eyes wide open. And I want you to succeed where I did not.