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This article is part of the America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops series. Read more stories
For many independent entrepreneurs, especially in industries dominated by conglomerates, private equity, or mega-groups, it can feel like the game is already over.
I used to believe that too.
But over the past 20 years, I’ve built and exited multiple technology companies, scaled family-owned businesses across multiple regions and completed more than $700 million in cumulative transactions — all without losing control of our companies or culture and without relying on outside investors.
Today, I operate through a self-funded family office model that gives me something big investors can never buy: speed, conviction and the ability to make generational decisions instead of quarterly ones.
What I’ve learned is simple: independent entrepreneurs aren’t losing — they’re playing the wrong game. Over the years, I’ve developed a system to fight back by thinking differently, and the same principles apply to almost any business. Here’s my playbook:
1. Run every company like a startup, not a legacy business
Most independent businesses slow down as they grow — too much tradition, too much “this is how we’ve always done it.” I reversed that pattern. Every business I run, whether tech, retail, or service-based, operates with:
Daily standups
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