Things I Believe

M&A is a people problem disguised as a process problem

• The deal doesn't fail because of the spreadsheet. It fails because two teams couldn't get aligned.
• Most due diligence checklists miss the thing that actually kills the deal.
• The best dealmakers are translators — they turn anxiety into clarity.
• If your process requires a 45-minute training video, your process is broken.
• Trust closes deals. Technology just makes the process less painful.
• The company that communicates better during diligence wins the negotiation.

You can restart your career at any age

• I went from managing broker to entry-level BDR at 30. Best decision I ever made.
• Ego is the enemy of reinvention.
• The skills transfer even when the title doesn't.
• Nobody cares about your resume after the first conversation. They care if you can help them.
• Starting over is only scary until you realize how much faster you move the second time.

Speed wins deals

• The first person to follow up with a useful resource wins.
• Most deals die in the silence between emails.
• A fast "I don't know, but I'll find out" beats a slow perfect answer every time.
• Serial acquirers don't need convincing. They need someone who won't slow them down.
• Responsiveness is a form of respect.
• If you're waiting for the perfect moment to reach out, you already lost.

AI will separate the good salespeople from the great ones

• The reps who learn to build their own tools will run circles around the ones who don't.
• AI won't replace salespeople. Salespeople who use AI will replace those who don't.
• Automate the busywork. Spend the saved hours actually talking to people.
• The best use of AI in sales isn't writing emails. It's understanding your buyer faster.
• Build tools for your team before anyone asks you to.
• The compound effect of small automations is enormous.

Selling is teaching

• The best salespeople don't pitch. They educate.
• If the prospect learns something on every call, they'll keep taking your calls.
• Write things down and share them. It compounds.
• I learned this teaching kids to sail — you can't force someone to learn. You make them curious.
• Give away your best thinking for free. The right people will come back.

Real estate taught me everything about deals

• Every deal has a moment where it almost falls apart. Stay calm.
• Managing 20 agents taught me more about leadership than any book.
• Buyers are emotional even when they think they're being rational.
• The listing presentation and the sales demo are the same skill.
• A decade of transactions taught me that the process matters more than the product.
• Boston real estate is a knife fight. M&A software sales is civilized by comparison.

Do the work nobody asked you to do

• Build the tool your team didn't know they needed.
• Write the resource your prospect would bookmark.
• The promotion follows the work, not the other way around.
• BDR to AE in 7 months wasn't luck. It was showing up early and staying late.
• Volunteer for the thing nobody wants to own. That's where the leverage is.

Strong teams are built on trust, not process

• Process without trust is just bureaucracy.
• Say what you're going to do, then do it. Repeat forever.
• The best managers I've had gave me room to fail.
• Transparency is a competitive advantage most companies are too scared to use.
• Feedback is a gift, even when it stings.
• Great culture isn't perks. It's the feeling that your team has your back.