It's unofficial

Hey oh Happy Friday! Welcome to your small biz newsletter—the backyard BBQ of business selling. We bring the smoker, the sauce, and the sides... all you have to do is show up, crack a beer, and feast on tips, and insights hot off the grill.

This week hot off the grill:

1. From Torch Lake to term sheets

2. It's unofficial

1. From Torch Lake to term sheets

If you’ve found yourself sipping a beer on Torch Lake, yelling over your pontoon’s Bluetooth speaker, and not thinking about payroll for once — congrats, you’re halfway to retirement (even if you won’t admit it yet).

You’re not alone.

A surprising number of Metro Detroit business owners take their “working vacations” Up North a little more seriously each year. First it’s a week. Then two. Then you’re checking QuickBooks from the dock and telling your GM, “Just text me if anything blows up.”

Here’s the quiet truth:

That little voice saying “maybe I don’t want to do this forever” isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom. You’ve built something real. And whether you sell now, five years from now, or never, the best time to start thinking like an owner who has options is before someone else makes the decision for you (hello, knees, back, taxes...).

So if you’re in flip-flops more than steel-toes lately, maybe it’s time to explore what your business could be worth — off the market, quietly, on your own terms.

Because the best exits don’t start with a For Sale sign.

They start with a phone call — or a beer.

2. It's unofficial

The unofficial start of summer—Memorial weekend—when Silverados towing campers pack I-75 northbound like ants swarming the cookie crumbs my youngest dropped on the front porch.

Meredith and I kicked off our summer travel this last weekend.

We left our 3 kids and never ending negotiations and headed off to Shenandoah valley. We woke up when we wanted, hiked waterfalls, wandered through caves formed millions of years ago, and accidentally learned about Woodrow Wilson’s WWI-era legacy. Turns out, uninterrupted chats without having to wipe a butt are a rare marital luxury. Big thanks to my parents for holding down the fort—proof that it really does take a village.

Wishing you all the time you need over this Memorial weekend to connect with the ones you love the most.

Happy Friday ya’ll!

P.S. I’m not a broker. I just buy and invest in real, gritty businesses like yours. If you ever want to chat (no pressure, no suits), just hit reply.