Clarity in the Climb

I'm not going to lie, I’ve had doubts recently. Not about leaving my corporate career (sorry to my peeps who are still there), but about the path I’m pursuing through business acquisition. As I mentioned in my “One Month Into My Journey" post, I took a slow start intentionally. Or so I told myself. But was I being strategic... or was I avoiding something? Strategic I told myself - you planned for this and gave yourself plenty of time. It's been less than two months, give yourself grace!

Nonetheless, in a coaching call recently, my coach asked, “What question do you want me to ask you next time we meet?” I paused and answered, “Ask me how many businesses I’ve reached out to.” She followed up with, “What do you want your answer to be?” I said, “Three.” I chose this question because it addresses something I wasn't focusing on and it would hold me accountable, one reason I hired this coach.

Within days, I reached out to six. These were listed for sale, so low-hanging fruit some might say. The real challenge is sourcing businesses not actively on the market, something I actually want to do more of. But even with the low barrier, what followed was more demotivating than energizing. I spent several days reviewing business financials and identifying potential growth levers, it was my core focus. One business was operating at about 25% resource utilization based on their financials... massive upside. And yet, I felt nothing but angst.

Why wasn’t I excited?

For two days, I stewed on that question, thankful for home projects that let me think while staying productive. Was this whole thing not meant for me? Or had I just not found the right business?

That’s when I remembered something I had told my coach: “I want to do something that feels more purposeful.” But I couldn’t articulate what that meant. Around the same time, I was sketching values for my other coach and playing with the idea of training a ChatGPT custom GPT - feeding it my strengths, resume, and writings to help me be more efficient in my day-to-day work.

Through that, something surfaced: a refined a set of personal values to guide this journey:

1. Legacy Through Leadership
   I am building a life that models freedom, courage, and contribution—for my son and for others watching.
2. Alignment Over Achievement
   I prioritize values, integrity, and life design over titles or career ladders. Success means saying yes to the right things—not just more things.
3. Clarity Before Motion
   I slow down to understand systems, spot the right problem, and move with intention. I remind myself: I can walk. Slowness is not stagnation—it’s a choice to be mindful, present, and focused.
4. Educating & Uplifting Others
   I thrive when I’m helping others grow. Teaching, coaching, and mentoring are not side tasks—they’re central to how I lead and contribute.
5. Continuous Learning
   I am a lifelong learner. Growth happens through curiosity, experimentation, reflection, and iteration.
6. Exploration & Experimentation
   I believe clarity comes from trying. I value variety, risk-taking, and momentum over perfect plans.

Once I held these values up against the businesses I had been evaluating, the misalignment became clear. When I first began the ETA journey, my go-to answer to “What kind of business are you looking to buy?” was: “I don’t know, but it won’t be a restaurant, general retail store, or auto repair shop. If it makes money, I’m interested.”

Many of the businesses I’d been reviewing were exactly what ETA influencers call “boring businesses.” And while the businesses I was reviewing are solid opportunities, I realized: boring isn’t what I’m after.

Not because I need excitement for its own sake, but because these businesses, at least the ones I had been reviewing, didn’t align with the values I had outlined. They were small, had limited team scope, and didn’t offer the kind of leadership leverage or potential I’m truly seeking.

So… what does that mean for my partners in Consortium Business Group, where my acquisition part of the journey is mostly concentrated?

Thankfully, the timing was perfect. My partners and I had already been considering a pivot: shifting our focus from acquisition-first to consulting-first, with acquisition taking a more passive role. This shift is a story for another day (insert cliffhanger #1), but was aligned with other consulting work I was already doing for a small business.

My partners and I had an honest, energizing conversation. And just as I was beginning to feel unsure about the whole ETA direction, while enthused about our potential re-direction...a business came across our radar that checked the boxes, for us as a partnership and me as an individual. It’s very early in the process, but for the first time, I felt that feeling that my values were aligned with the business at hand (insert cliffhanger #2).