Bart Davis’ Post

For years, I thought this platform was just for employers / employees in the corporate field and I don’t align to this as I have little to no corporate experience so I always held off from posting. Then this happened: 3 months before my 24th birthday I hit the milestone of selling my first business that I built from start to finish in 9 months. The incredible thing about this was that I sold the business with 30 full time employees and one CEO, and left with a six figure exit - all without corporate experience. I was not taught anything “corporate” in school and instead, I decided to do things “my way” and not listen to those who encouraged me to get a job, live a normal life etc…absolutely not. I don’t really believe in corporate structure, I don’t understand why companies do certain things, I don’t understand the time / hours spent slaving away to a company. It doesn’t make any sense to me, and this is why I structured my business differently. All of my business’ deals were based on handshake agreements, and I can tell you with total honesty that none of our staff quit, nor any of our key clients stopped working with us. I turned 24 a few days ago and after retiring for a few months, I have decided to use my knowledge, resources and experitise to go into business brokering, we are weeks away from jumping into private equity. I’m not exactly sure what my intention is for posting this, but I’d love to keep sharing my story with you all with the hope to inspire, change narratives and create business deals that benefit everyone. #entrepreneurship #networking #businessbroker #businessadvisor

Every time I have to fire an employee I think of a particular ex-girlfriend... I had known for weeks that it wasn't going to work out, but I just couldn't muster the courage to end things and hurt her. But one evening she told me about this other guy who had been coming on to her and she had rebuffed him. This guy sounded like a great match for her! Similar background, values, etc. and I realized that my selfishness of wanting to avoid feeling like a bad guy was actually holding her back from what may turn out to be a great opportunity! In the same way, me avoiding a difficult conversation with someone who is clearly in the wrong role is selfishly delaying their arrival at the business or position for which they are truly well-suited. It is our duty as employers to help people "fail fast," giving them honest feedback that they can use to iterate and find their perfect fit as quickly as possible. Delaying that because it makes me uncomfortable to be the bad guy is just selfish. #entrepreneurship #leadership #vc #pe #privateequity #venturecapital #boringbusinesses #hvac #homeservices #mergersandacquisitions

4 years ago we decided to start our own firm. We were excited and nervous all at the same time... But, we knew it was time. There's been a lot of trials, successes, and lessons learned. Big revenue months. Small revenue months. And some months... zero revenue. The game of business is unruly at times, but we love it! It forces you to grow, to learn, and to evolve. To be able to solve much bigger problems that you're accustomed to solving. And on a long enough time horizon... The only "successful" businesses who last longterm, Are the ones who truly add value to their customers! In our case, We get to add value to our customers (company clients) AND candidates. To date, we've partnered with 80+ terrific companies. And helped hundreds of amazing candidates land their dream job. The best is yet to come! Year 5 loading... #bearrecruiting #recruiting #business #entrepreneurship

Consultants, your top-floor windows are shattering. This is your moment. → Industry chaos → Layoffs everywhere → "Partner" path looks bleak But for the bold, disruption = opportunity. I was in the game for 15 years. I know it well. You’re a Human Swiss Army Knife 🔥 Incredible superpowers: → Strategic thinking → Complex problem-solving → Comms & emotional intelligence These are talents aspiring entrepreneurs dream of ❤️🔥 And you've got them in spades…but they’re hidden from the world. This is your window of opportunity. Bet on yourself — build something that lights you up. With severance or $$$ foundation, you've got runway. → Ditch conformity → Trust your genius → Chase that dream Entrepreneurship isn't for the timid, but as I learned, the rewards are mind-blowing: → Activating your true potential → Heart on fire, helping YOUR people → Building a life that makes your family proud Package your genius: 👉 into an online Transformational Business Design it for LEVERAGE. This unlocks: → Freedom
 → Income → Impact You have an unfair advantage 💪 Look up: consulting partners have no life anyway. Leverage your genius and build your own thing. You've spent years: → Honing your craft → Sharpening your mind → Solving immense problems Now, unleash that brilliance on your own stage. Don’t settle for being a cog in someone else's machine. The writing’s on the wall. You’ve felt it for years. → Seize this moment → Build a life you love → Choose self-direction As my man Maurice Philogene says: "Many can, most won’t." What’ll it be, partner? ↓ ↓ ↓ PS - My last W2 gig: Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Over 50% of my clients come from consulting. It's my specialty. DM me “genius” to learn Step 1 of graduating your 24/7 slide-making life ❤️🔥 #managementconsulting #entrepreneurship #careers #leadership #tech

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 ➿𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? You’ve clinched the deal—congrats! But let's be clear, that’s just the beginning. A common trap for many is ignoring what comes after the deal is sealed, a mistake that can throw your new acquisition into chaos and hurt your bottom line. 👉 Here’s the truth: the thrill of the deal is just a part of the journey. The real work kicks in after the ink dries. ✔ Here’s what you need to do: Resist the impulse to make immediate changes. The first 60-100 days should be about observation and stabilization. This period of strategic patience is key for a smooth transition and setting a solid foundation for the future. The exception would be if you buy distressed companies where you should have already developed a plan of attack prior to completing the purchase. Follow this strategic approach to start strong: ☘ Initial Assessment: Dive deep into the business’s current operations, financial health, and team dynamics. Understand where things stand. ☘ Clear Communication: Make it clear to the team that this phase is about evaluation, not revolution. This reduces pushback and builds trust. ☘ Observe and Document: Engage fully with different areas of the business. Record everything from processes to team interactions to customer feedback. ☘ Engage with Stakeholders: Build relationships with key players inside the company. Their insights are invaluable for pinpointing strengths and areas that need tweaking. Taking these steps not only smooths out the transition but also primes your business for long-term success. Have you navigated the tricky waters of post-acquisition? What strategies worked for you? Share your stories below! 🔽 ➖➖➖ For 30 years, I’ve built and run companies and coached hundreds of SMBs, along with consulting to Tony Robbins, Neil Patel, Tim Sykes and others. As a Marine Corps veteran and former Reserve Police Officer, common sense is my North Star. Business owners want NO BS marketing plans that deliver. Cashflow investors want NO BS distributions. If you're a business owner and want NO BS marketing and operations plans that grow your company OR If you're an accredited investor looking for NO BS cashflow OR If you're a marketing agency owner who loves sales and hates fulfillment. ***** 👉 Type “NO BS” and let's connect. #innovation #entrepreneurship #strategy #sales #investing #personaldevelopment

Co-creating a new business or joining an existing #partnership: what are the keys to a solid #foundation? 1. Alignment of #values and #vision  Ensure that your values, business philosophy and long-term goals are aligned with those of your future partners. In a small partnership, shared vision and trust are critical to success. Misalignment of direction or priorities can lead to conflict, so it's important to build a solid foundation of mutual understanding before joining forces. 2. Clear agreement on #roles and #responsibilities Clearly define your role, responsibilities and decision-making authority within the partnership. Having clear boundaries will help to avoid overlap, confusion and tension, while still allowing for agility and flexibility. 3. Financial #transparency and profit sharing Understand the financial structure of the partnership, including profit sharing, liabilities and how the partnership will deal with losses or additional investment. Make sure the terms of your buy-in, compensation and equity stake are clearly set out in the partnership agreement to avoid misunderstandings down the line. 4. Courage to have difficult #conversations It's important to understand how decisions are made collectively and how conflicts or disagreements are resolved. It may sound counter-intuitive, but having the courage to discuss how to end the partnership if necessary will contribute to greater psychological safety and therefore to the solidity of your partnership. These factors ensure a smooth integration and set the stage for long-term success. #entrepreneurship #executivecoaching

One of the biggest challenges I faced in the ~6 months before I left my W-2 job was that I felt like I was trying to excel at too many things at once. I did the “nights and weekends” thing for years, holding down a demanding W-2 job while slowly scaling my real estate business. Don’t get me wrong; this is the most sensible way to get a business off the ground. Start it as a side hustle, develop proof of concept, and only go all-in when your level of conviction exceeds the benefits of staying where you are. That said, once my business started to demand more of my time, I felt like I was underperforming in both my day job and the business I was seeking to scale. I realized that if I wanted to be a top-performing employee, it was going to require a level of commitment that would force me to abandon further growth in my business. Likewise, if I wanted to prioritize continued growth for my business, it would come at the cost of excelling in my W-2 role. What I’ve come to realize is that when you are engaged in multiple ventures that require significant time and resources (i.e holding a W-2 job and building a business), it’s nearly impossible to become exceptional in all of them at the same time. While greatness in multiple areas is certainly possible, it typically comes after mastering one thing first before moving on to the next. You see this all the time with successful serial entrepreneurs who build a great business, stick an operator in place to put out 90% of the fires, and then move on to the next venture. I never quite figured out how to stick an operator in my place in my old W-2 job, so it became clear where my focus needed to lie.

🌟 Exciting Update from the Entrepreneurial Front! 🌟 In the past few weeks, I've embarked on a new venture within the dynamic world of Marketplace buying and selling. This journey has not only been lucrative but also deeply fulfilling, leveraging my knack for finding the right spots and connecting with the right people. My approach? Simple: Treat every interaction with the utmost respect, honesty, and fairness. I've never asked for ratings, yet the positive responses have been overwhelming. 18 ratings- 5 star average. 🙂I'm thrilled to share that in just these last few weeks, my earnings have surpassed my previous salary—proof that passion and hard work truly pay off. Here's to embracing new opportunities, respecting the journey, and spreading good vibes as I continue this venture alongside my other business endeavors. Cheers to future successes and the endless possibilities ahead! #EntrepreneurLife #Marketplace #BusinessVenture #SuccessStory

Yet another great discussion with the men in group #T307 – The Men Book Breakfast. We had good reflections on Chapter 5 of the book “The Startup of you.” Pursuing Breakout opportunities: George Clooney was on the grind in Hollywood for 12 years, doing small roles, before he got the big break in the medical drama, ER. Andrew Mason was running a lurk luster website called the Point until he pivoted to a new plan. His fast action and superb execution accelerated the growth trajectory of the company, eventually transforming the Point into Groupon. Mind On Fire: Be #curious. Curiosity disposition and mind-set must be on like electricity to power all the other opportunity seeking behaviors. Keeping your eyes open and your mind curious, you can do things that dramatically increase your opportunity flow such as tap networks of people, court selective randomness and see opportunity amid hardships just like entrepreneurs do. In finding and generating career opportunities, court #randomness and #serendipity. Successful careers and companies rarely follow a master plan set out and cast on stone from inception. Rather, they go through many adaptations and iterations. Never really arriving at a fixed destination. It’s an endless journey. The key is to raise the likelihood that you stumble upon something valuable. Connect to Human #networks: Groups and associations. Opportunities and resources are firmly attached to individuals. For example, if you are seeking and evaluating an opportunity, you are simply seeking and evaluating people. If you are trying to marshal resources to go after an opportunity, you are simply trying to enlist the support and involvement of other people. This is how people like Benjamin Franklin and Paul Harris (the founder of rotary) became successful in their endeavors. Other things to consider as you pursue breakout opportunities are to be #resourceful, #resilient, and doing the #hustle.

As we've entered into the era of 'efficient growth' a lot of businesses are thinking that partnerships are the holy grail. Sometimes they can be absolutely transformative, but the majority of partnerships I’ve seen often don’t move the dial. Why? Because of some combination of the following: 1️⃣ There’s no deep pain point that’s been solved by the combination of the two products and businesses together. 2️⃣ Secondary selling is damn hard, especially in the early days of a business. A partner will never understand your product in the same level of detail as your team does, nor will they have the same passion for it. 3️⃣ Most importantly, they are often under resourced and not managed properly. No QBRs, no metrics and check ins, just celebrated up front then forgot about. So, for most (not all!) businesses how could partnerships be done better? 🔘 It goes without saying, inverse the points above. 🔘 Nail your direct sales channel first! In my experience, partnerships are much more fruitful for businesses on the £3m-£10m ARR journey than those on the £0-£3m horizon. 🔘 Do less and do them well. Even those with a successful partnerships strategy get 80% of the revenue from <10% of the partnerships. With that in mind, double down on quality over quantity. _____________________________________ 💭 Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. 🔔 Like my content and want to see more? Follow or connect: Kiran Mehta. ♻ Found this post useful and think your network will too? Please hit that repost button. #vc #venturecapital #founders #founderstories #raisingequity