Screenshot 2023-08-15 at 7.15.07 PM

On Marriage (…and divorce)

by BlogUncategorized

Hey Contrarians,

A partnership can be really, really powerful.

Also REALLY hard.

It’s true for business relationships – and even truer for marriages.

They say every partnership should begin with the end in mind, but I’ve learned there’s a little more to it than that…

Today in 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ Financial dangers of the D-word

✔️ “Til death do us part” means something must die…

✔️ 12 rules I follow for a better marriage

FINANCIAL DANGERS OF THE D-WORD

Fun fact:

The average wedding in the US costs $30,000 per couple according to this 2022 study.

How about the cost of divorce? Median is $7k, average is $15k, and contested divorces with lots of issues run up closer to $100k+.

Children with divorced parents are twice as likely to drop out of high school.

Teenagers whose parents divorce are more likely to experience mental health issues.

Listen, though. I get it. I went through a divorce. I’m not shaming anyone, sometimes sh*t happens. BUT it’s a lot of cash and strain.

I started thinking about marriage and why I think not only is divorce worth avoiding generally but it’s also awful for your finances.

So let’s tackle some ideas to help you continue to say, “I do.”

“TIL DEATH DO US PART” MEANS SOMETHING MUST DIE…

Flashback: I’m married to a handsome man, with a beautiful house, country club, fancy cars, and friends who look like they’re on the Real Housewives. But tonight, I’m walking into the living room as the sun sets to break the heart of the man I promised forever.

He’s far from perfect, but I’m sure I was too. Besides, in this moment, all I feel is agony.

I speak softly, “It’s not working.” Deep breath. “I want a divorce, and… I’m moving out tonight.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I see all 6ft 210lbs of him crumple to the ground, sobbing. It is an awful thing to watch someone strong break. I have never felt greater guilt and shame than in that moment. With eyes so blurry I can barely see, I leave empty-handed out the front door of the “house” I just finished decorating into a home.

I spent the night sleepless and alone. When I told my mother, she also cried. Tears, that’s all I had to give.

I never shared all the hardness in that marriage, it was my burden to carry. But I also didn’t quite realize that moment would change my life forever. I left a man, a city, all my things and eventually a career I’d spent more than a decade building.

I had to lose everything – including the person I was – to become the person I wanted.

Some cliches are true, deals are easy to get into but damn hard to get out of.

Today: Things look a little different. I’m remarried to a man who is disgustingly perfect for me. Don’t tell him, but the best thing about my life is the partnership I have with my husband. It’s far from perfect, yet damn is it delicious for us.

I wrote a letter to myself of the rules I thought kept us in love and in marriage. It’s a reminder for me and maybe helpful for you.

12 RULES I FOLLOW FOR A BETTER MARRIAGE

Rule #1: Shared goals

Bruce Paltrow put it best. When asked how he and his wife stayed together so long, he famously said: “We never wanted to get divorced… at the same time.”

Rule #2: Never ever use the D-word

We have a list of off-the-table words:

  • Hate.
  • Divorce.
  • Leaving.

Those three. They’re just not an option. Because when you let them out just a little bit, they take over the place. We chose each other. That means (hopefully) till death do us part.

Rule #3: TEAM

Maybe you’ve heard about our regular check-in. It’s our daily practice to make sure we connect, get things off our chests, and remind each other why we chose one another. It’s a lifesaver to ensure your day doesn’t become constant nagging.

We (maybe like you) were incredibly busy, with tanks on E, and not enough time for each other. This takes just 10 minutes a night:

T – Touch. Hold hands, sit next to each other on the couch. Remind yourselves with touch you’re in this together. (Sidenote: When Chris and I are mad at each other we jokingly barely touch one fingertip like ET.)

E- Education. You each share one thing you learned that day that was interesting. A fact. A hard truth. Whatever. It’s a chance for novelty and endorphins by expanding our brains.

A – Appreciation. You each share one thing you appreciate about the other. Could be how beautiful your partner looks that day. If you’re ticked, it could be that they took out the trash. Only rules are points for creativity and you can’t keep using the same one.

M – Metrics. Here’s the tough part. Usually when you’re upset, you tell them in the moment. That gets naggy 321 times a day. With the check-in, you wait or write it down and bring it to this time. It means you don’t fight when elevated but you always get to explain your point.

Metrics was huge for us. We let cooler heads prevail, now we kind of treasure our check-in.

Rule #4: Us vs The World

Chris is especially good at siding with me. He jokes he likes to “choose sides.”

I had to learn this a bit more. But now whenever we do something for each other or need to choose a side we just say, “Same team.” It’s a reminder that it’s us against ‘em all.

Rule #5: Use safe words

Not that kind (my Dad reads this, you nasties).

Couples always compromise and go to the in-law’s event, or the company meeting, or the friend’s wedding. There’s a societal expectation that your significant other has to like and want to do everything you do.

Throw that away.

Once we gave each other permission to bail, we got a lot happier. We have a safe word, and when we’re really done with something we slip it into conversation (ahem, pufferfish), and it means we bail as a couple.

Remember, same team.

Rule #6: Get a pro

I like coaches.

I hate wasting time when I can steal someone else’s 10,000 hours. Chris is the same. So we’ve always had marriage therapists.

Men: you could really learn something here. Chris is a dude’s dude, but he’s all-in on therapy because it makes us stronger not weaker. Get a pro, steal their homework.

Rule #7: Two-Week Rule

We’ll never go two weeks without seeing each other. With our schedules, that can be tough. But it’s the rule.

That means we usually travel together, work together, workout together. He is my person, and we want to experience life together.

If you don’t, you’re like two petri dishes with different inputs. You grow differently. We want to grow together.

Rule #8: Love language

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. This woo-woo book is real.

Chris likes acts of service, I like physical touch. Read the book and try to not Do Unto Others As You Would Like, but instead do unto them as THEY would like. Small but big difference.

Rule #9: In the trenches

There’s a saying that people in the military say: “We’ve been in the trenches together.” Meaning you’ve been through difficulty together, and that trial strengthens bonds.

It’s the same with marriage, so at least once a year we do something really f-ing hard together. Build a business. Try to have a kid. Climb a mountain. Iron sharpens iron.

Rule #10: Keep it safe, keep it secret

You won’t find us saying things like “the ol’ ball and chain,” or “ugh, my husband did xyz.”

We keep it safe, we keep it secret. There will be problems, but talking to others about it does nothing but allow others into your marriage. No parents, no friends, we’re not into physical or mental polyamory thank you very much.

Rule #11: Temperature gauge

One therapist taught us something really cool. She called it our temperature gauge.

You know how when you start feeling triggered, you can feel it in your body? Your chest tightens, or you grind your jaw, or wrinkle your nose, or start to feel hot, or want to escape? All signs you’re getting elevated.

We’ve been learning how to notice them and then say simply, “Hey, I feel myself getting a little amped, can I calm down and we can circle back?” You take the blame, then your partner gets a willing audience on the back end.

Last rule: Who the f*ck knows.

We’re just doing our best. We’ve been together for 6 years, and known each other for 23 years. But I look at my grandparents and think, that’s the blink of an eye.

Let’s all check back in when we’re 80 and see how we’re doing then. Fingers crossed, eh? 🙂

Try it. A marriage done well is a superpower.

(Also – you could just do it for the insurance benefits? Or as our friends like to joke, I just married Chris for his veteran benefits.)

We don’t have to, we get to.

– Codie

⚔️ Would you rather pay $20k in legal fees, or settle things Medieval-style?

💵 Know how much cash on-hand your biz has? Berkshire’s got over $147B​

🏚️ 4 out of 5 Americans believe it’s a bad time to buy a house. Agree?

🍏 Some serious innovation happening at Apple. Not that it matters​

☠️ “Worst things to hear from a CEO,” brought to us by WeWork

Ready to become part of the Contrarian crew?

There are 2 ways to join:

✔️ Enroll in our Small Business Acquisitions Course. It’s like an MBA – but actually useful and can be completed within 1 month! Learn how to build freedom and income through “boring business” acquisitions.

✔️ Apply for the Unconventional Acquisitions Mastermind. Buy your first (or next) business with our expert guidance, support, and accountability. Check out the incredible results you can achieve here.

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Interested in advertising with Contrarian Thinking?

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Disclaimer – This is the “Be an adult” section. Everything mentioned above isn’t advice, just a recount of what I did. That said: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The opinions stated here are not intended to recommend any investment or provide tax advice. Neither are they an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any current or future investment vehicle managed or sponsored by Codie Ventures, LLC or its affiliates. All material presented in this newsletter is not to be regarded as investment advice, but for general informational purposes only. Day trading and investing do involve risk, so caution must always be utilized. We cannot guarantee profits or freedom from loss. You assume the entire cost and risk. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. We recommend consulting with a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and/or financial advisor. If you choose to invest with or without seeking advice from such an advisor or entity, then any consequences resulting from your investments are your sole responsibility. By reading/sharing this newsletter or consuming our content on our other channels, you are indicating your consent and agreement to our disclaimer.

Screenshot 2023-08-15 at 7.18.07 PM

Money Magnets: 13 Habits for Making $$ by Doing Less

by with No Comment BlogUncategorized

Hey Contrarians,

People obsess about stocks vs Airbnb vs ecommerce.

The truth is, you can make millions doing just about anything. We know a guy who became a billionaire selling chicken byproduct. Yuck.

What you can’t do? Become a millionaire when the life you live doesn’t lend itself to wealth.

Sometimes making money isn’t about the tactic: it’s about the habit.

Let’s look at some small decisions that compound to big results.

Today in 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ Contrarian framework: The $1,000/hr Test

✔️ 13 habits so you can DO LESS

✔️ You don’t want to be rich

CONTRARIAN FRAMEWORK: THE $1,000/HR TEST

When building, NOT all tasks are created equal.

Some are $10 tasks. Gnats buzzing in your ear. Low-ROI functions that consume time without adding much value. Think: replying to emails, updating tasks in Notion, bookkeeping.

Then there are $100 tasks. Dogs staying loyally at your side. You’ll see returns, but these things aren’t supercharging the biz. Think: sales & marketing, customer relations, design.

Finally, the golden $1,000 tasks. The white whales we hunt. This is the work with immense potential to build a brand people want in their lives. Think: product creation, partnerships, high-level decisions.

Sort all the tasks you do into these three buckets: $10, $100, and $1,000.

Now, we Marie Kondo this sh*t.

Keep what brings you joy, then delegate (or discard) the rest.

What brings me joy? Well, usually the stuff that makes millions of dollars.

So I embrace high-ROI tasks with passion. I hire thoughtfully. And then I dump $10 and $100 work off my plate.

Do this, and you’ll unlock wins you only dreamed of when you started.

It’s one thing to remove items from your plate. It’s another to completely change how you set up your plate. You won’t see the growth you want ’til you instill the right habits…

13 HABITS SO YOU CAN DO LESS

1. DO THE THING YOU WANT TO DO LEAST FIRST.

Maybe you know you have to have a hard conversation with an employee.

Or you need to do a financial review deep in the spreadsheets.

Or you’re due for a tough workout.

And you’d rather sit in the middle row on a Spirit flight than do any of it.

Don’t just do it. Do it first.

Get this out of the way, and you’ll have a clearer path for the rest of the day. Struggle early, and the rest of the day feels like dessert.

2. CHECK FINANCES DAILY.

Numbers tell a story.

Whether it’s your bank account balance or your net worth, take a snapshot to track your progress. (Or see where to cut costs).

3. STOP 60-MINUTE MEETINGS. 45 MINUTES OR LESS.

Picture this: You’re the CEO, and you’re gathering your team for a meeting. Instead of dragging it out for an hour (cue blinking faces on mute), keep it snappy at 45 minutes or less.

You’ll be amazed at how much more productive and engaged everyone becomes when they know there’s a deadline for discussion.

And the best incentive for your team to get stuff done? Give them time back to actually do the thing.

4. CHANGE ONE MEETING A WEEK TO A WALKING CALL.

I’ll just say this. You get sh*t done, get some exercise, and get to watch how excited the other members become. There are loads of studies recording how beneficial walking meetings can be.

Or the ultimate cheat – take a meeting in the sauna. This is boujee as hell, but I try to hold at least 1x call a day in the sauna (no video, I’m not a complete psycho).

It helps me detox, and then I don’t have to stare at another Zoom screen. Neither do they.

5. NO MEETUPS ON SCHOOL NIGHTS.

I treat myself like a schoolchild. I try not to have “activities” on school nights.

If I do, I mandate not more than 1x a week.

“Codie, do you want to see a movie and get dinner Wednesday?”

Nope, I’m in build mode right now.

You’re not boring. You’re building. And freeing up time to spend with people that matter.

6. ALWAYS THE STAIRS, NEVER THE ELEVATOR.

Both literally and figuratively.

Opt for the harder route, embrace challenges, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. You’ll learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of. Maybe corny, but it’s still sage advice.

7. NEVER WRITE TO-DOS IN STONE.

When’s the last time you heard a successful person say, “Ah, I did everything on my to-do list today”?

If they say that, they’re successful and a liar.

Here’s the secret: you’ll be 10x more productive if you reorder daily.

Instead of creating a rigid list, prioritize your daily tasks based on urgency and impact. Be adaptable, and you’ll dance through your tasks like me after mezcal.

It’s not about blind productivity. It’s about getting one step closer to your goals every day.

8. NO SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL, OR TEXT WHEN YOU WAKE UP.

I’ve learned this is one of the hardest codes to crack. But again, this is about building habits.

Start by choosing 2-3 days during the week when you won’t do this.

Here’s what to do instead. Use that time and:

  • Read a book
  • Review your goals
  • Write what you’d tell 18-year-old you
  • Reflect on lessons that could be a good tweet (or Xeet – whatever the hell is going on over there)

I guarantee any of these are a better start to your day than opening the floodgates of Slack, catching up on Twitter’s latest shenanigans, or seeing if anyone’s still on Threads.

Set the day’s tone.

9. ADD A ‘HOW VS. WON’T’ CHECK-IN.

We often tell ourselves, “that WON’T work.” Instead ask, “How could that work?”

Where are you saying “won’t” to yourself? I won’t reach $100k this year. Buying a business won’t work. A side hustle won’t be worth it.

Let’s practice some reckless optimism. How could it happen?

Embrace creativity and explore solutions that might seem crazy at first. You never know; the most unconventional idea could be a winner.

10. DECENTRALIZE MANAGEMENT.

Do not hire a dog and then try to bark for it.

Be relentless in hiring and relaxed in oversight.

We review short & sweet scorecards every Friday. Low scores, we know what to improve on. High scores, we evolve from what’s working.

11. DO NOT BE THE ARROW, BE THE ARCHER.

The most important people to hire are your COO, CSO or Chief of Staff.

Instead of a command-down structure, create a Team of Teams.

No need to reinvent the wheel every time. Focus on being the visionary who assembles a team who are better at the things than you.

Repeat this phrase: “I tell you the goal, and you pick the path.”

When you put the right person in the right role, your job becomes a whole lot easier.

12. DON’T DROWN IN DATA.

K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid). More stats means more noise.

What are the 20% that drive the 80%? Pick the 3-5 stats that tell you whether your business is growing or decaying. Can’t read a scorecard in 60 seconds? It’s too complex.

Simple list of metrics sent daily in my content team’s Slack? Yes.

Whatever this madness is? Absolutely not.

13. BE THE DUMBEST ONE IN YOUR FRIEND GROUP, THEN MOVE ON WHEN YOU’RE NOT.

I get a lot of push back on this one. The Twitter and Instagram echo chambers claim this is horrible human behavior. Here’s my take:

As they say, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”

By being the dumbest, you’re soaking up knowledge and using it as stepping stones. It’s like a game of intellectual leapfrog. You can still be friends and grateful for their wisdom.

Think of these more like “allies” than friends.

Friends will look at the 5,000th picture of your baby without pulling their hair out. Friends are down for cocktail parties and nights on the town. Friends will ask why you work so much. Friends say, “why don’t you just slow down?”

Allies, though. Allies tell you to keep f-ing going. They’re the wet blanket when you need it. They don’t accept anything but your best. Shared goals, shared vision.

New levels call for new allies.

YOU DON’T WANT TO BE RICH

You want to be free.

Too many entrepreneurs live in cognitive dissonance. They want a glamorous life, untouchable health, and fat bank account, but their lifestyle doesn’t match. They’re chained to their business like a job, drowning in stress.

Lord knows I still fall short, pull all-nighters, work in my business not on it, ask how when I should be asking who, and make my life harder than it needs to be. But I’m recovering. Because freedom is the point.

It’s freedom we all want.

Money can buy it, but freedom, paradoxically, also requires structure. Routine. Habits.

So make space to DO LESS.

We don’t have to, we get to.

– Codie

🌎 All the world’s billionaires = ~$11.8T. Guess how many individuals that is?

🎤 Paycheck (Taylor’s Version): Bonuses for all Eras Tour workers total $55M+

💸 Speaking of artists’ $$$… Money grows on royalties. Just ask Dolly.

🌮 Taco Bell lawsuit in the works. Reddit provides evidence: Exhibit A. Exhibit B.

🍺 Buzzkill: Anheuser-Busch axes 2% of staff, sales volume dropped 23.6% YoY

Ready to become a Contrarian?

There are 2 ways to get in the Crew:

✔️  Small Business Acquisitions Course:  A step-by-step framework on how to build freedom and passive income through SMB acquisitions. It’s like a mini-MBA, but one you’ll actually use (and at 1/100th of the cost!)

✔️  Work closely with us in the Unconventional Acquisitions Mastermind to buy your first, or next, business if you have a minimum of $50k to invest!

Did someone forward you this email?

Tell them we appreciate them. Then, get your own free subscription.

Interested in advertising with Contrarian Thinking?

Get in touch with our team. We’re currently booking into Q2.

Disclaimer – This is the “Be an adult” section. Everything mentioned above isn’t advice, just a recount of what I did. That said: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The opinions stated here are not intended to recommend any investment or provide tax advice. Neither are they an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any current or future investment vehicle managed or sponsored by Codie Ventures, LLC or its affiliates. All material presented in this newsletter is not to be regarded as investment advice, but for general informational purposes only. Day trading and investing do involve risk, so caution must always be utilized. We cannot guarantee profits or freedom from loss. You assume the entire cost and risk. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. We recommend consulting with a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and/or financial advisor. If you choose to invest with or without seeking advice from such an advisor or entity, then any consequences resulting from your investments are your sole responsibility. By reading/sharing this newsletter or consuming our content on our other channels, you are indicating your consent and agreement to our disclaimer.

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10 Businesses I’d Start If I Got Laid Off

by with No Comment BlogLIFESTYLE

Hey Contrarians,

Most people think having a job is safer than starting a company.

They’re wrong.

Today’s story is courtesy of companies who don’t really care about you – and your burning desire to start creating your own freedom.

Today in 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ Contrarian framework: Comfort vs Safety

✔️ How he went from $0 to $300k in 2 years

✔️ 10 biz’s I’d start tomorrow if I were laid off

✔️ How I’d scale to 6 figures in 90 days

✔️ Why I love home service businesses

CONTRARIAN FRAMEWORK: COMFORT VS SAFETY

Who remembers the top headlines from last year? I’ll jog your memory.

First, the Roe v Wade fallout. Then, Elon came along trolling the entire internet with his $44B joke. That Johnny Depp, Amber Heard fiasco happened somewhere in there, too.

Oh… And let’s not forget the layoffs.

2022 felt like the year of the layoffs, based on the media around it. But no one seems to be talking about it anymore.

Despite this, layoffs increased by 5x this year.

We’ve been looking at some huge layoff numbers in 2023:

  • Amazon: 16,000 roles
  • Alphabet: 12,000 roles
  • Microsoft: 10,158 roles
  • Meta: 10,000 roles
  • Lyft: 1,200 roles

The cold, hard truth is this: As long as you have a job, there’s always a chance of getting fired.

Working a job is the comfortable choice. But it’s certainly not the safe one.

If you were fired from your job today, what would you do?

Tough question when you’re not ready. Today, let’s check in with someone who found themselves in a similar spot 6 years ago…

HOW HE WENT FROM $0 TO $300K IN 2 YEARS

Meet Bobby Walker.

In 2017, Bobby was your average Joe. A happy family. Steady paycheck from his security job of 10 years. Settling into a new town.

Life was great… Until the rug was pulled out from under him.

One day, he got a heads up from his friends higher on the corporate food chain that he was being fired.

This post was Bobby’s response to the news:

Bobby needed an income. Fast. And not start-a-SaaS-and-exit-in-12-months fast. I’m talking I-need-grocery-money-tomorrow fast.

He turned to one of the most cashflowing industries of the century – home services. Specifically, window cleaning.

The day after the news about his job, Bobby bought $100 worth of cleaning supplies and launched his window cleaning business.

Day 1? He made $101.

Week 2? He landed a $1,700 gig with his son.

By the end of year 2, Bobby posted again on the Reddit thread. The update? He hit $348,275 in annual revenue.

This got me thinking…

If I were a Bobby, fired from my white-collar job and low on savings, what businesses would I start inside of a week to get some cash flowing into my pocket?

10 BUSINESSES I’D START TOMORROW IF I WERE LAID OFF TODAY

#1 HOUSE CLEANING

​Startup Cost: $134​

Profit Margins: A deep clean costs $200 – $400 on average, at 80% margins.

Pros: High chance of recurring revenue. Most customers will sign up for monthly, biweekly, or even weekly cleans.

Cons: A full-house deep clean takes 8+ hours to complete… And there are only so many hours in a day. You’ll need more than one cleaner to scale past $10k a month.

#2 POOL CARE

​Startup Cost: $181​

Profit Margins: On average, a one-man show can charge $229 per job with 80% as profit.

Pros: Pool owners like the “having a pool” part, not the “learning pool chemistry and cleaning regularly” part. Pools require routine upkeep, so expect a lot of repeat business.

Cons: That said, <8% of American homes have a pool. Not everyone will be your customer, and the few who do may live far from you.

#3 MOBILE DETAILING

​Startup Cost: $220​

Profit Margins: A detailing job costs $100 on average with >80% of that being profit.

Pros: It’s the dream job for people who love being on the move.

Cons: You’ll be going up against car wash chains that have all the bells and whistles.

#4 POWER WASHING

​Startup Cost: $187​

Profit Margins: On average, most biz owners charge $130 – $220 to wash a driveway, or $60 an hour at 80% margins.

Pros: Easy chance for a pivot into commercial properties – residential homes aren’t the only things that need to be washed down.

Cons: Don’t expect the phone to ring as much come winter. (But when the sleigh bells start ringing, you could try…)

#5 SNOW REMOVAL

​Startup Cost: $262​

Profit Margins: You could charge $125 for a parking lot, profits sitting around 80%.

Pros: High recurring revenue.

Cons: Highly seasonal.

#6 HOLIDAY LIGHTING

​Startup Cost: $276​

Profit Margins: Most Christmas light installers charge $425 on average per job with 70+% of that as profit.

Pros: Between the clips, extension cords, and fasteners, this biz has little overhead.

Cons: Holiday lighting season is only two months long.

#7 WINDOW CLEANING

​Startup Cost: $280​

Profit Margins: $50-$75/hr at 90% margins.

Pros: There’s more demand for window cleaners than supply. Not to mention, most customers tend to become regulars (if you do a decent job).

Cons: Not the right biz if you hate heights.

#8 CARPET CLEANING

​Startup Cost: $376​

Profit Margins: On average, most cleaners charge $178 per carpet at 60% margins.

Pros: 48% of all floors in the USA are carpets. If that’s not the definition of plenty of fish in the sea, I don’t know what is.

Cons: Expect to deal with a ton of dust and pollen. This may not the biz to get into if you have asthma or other respiratory problems.

#9 ROOF GUTTER CLEANING

​Startup Cost: $381​

Profit Margins: On average? $150 per gig at 90% margins.

Pros: High demand + recurring revenue.

Cons: A surprisingly dirty job, with lots of climbing involved.

#10 LAWNCARE

​Startup Cost: $628​

Profit Margins: Mowing lawns costs $124 on average at 55+% margins.

Pros: Easy chance to offer add-ons and upsells like tree trimming, weed control, fertilizing, etc.

Cons: Highly competitive.

HOW I’D SCALE TO 6-FIGS IN 90 DAYS

Cool, so you buy a lawn mower, pool net, and a ladder, then the customers come running? Gee, I bet you’ll be a millionaire by Christmas.

Now, remember these are businesses. So let’s throw a little business savvy into the mix. Here’s what I’d do in the first 90 days:

Tactic #1: Lace up your running shoes

Sometimes, the classics work.

First, pick the right neighborhood. You’re on the right track if you’re seeing white picket fences, cul-de-sacs, and 40-year-olds walking labradoodles. If it looks like it could be a Zillow ad, then you’ve hit the jackpot.

Next, break out your Nikes and go for a run. Except you won’t just be doing cardio… You’ll be leaving flyers on doorsteps and lawns.

Let’s say you hit 500 homes. The 80/20 Rule says maybe 100 of the homeowners will read your flyer. And 20 might become customers.

Bobby had a similar strategy where he’d drive through nice neighborhoods, roll down his windows, and throw flyers held together with paper clips onto lawns.

One of those $0.14 “clip flyers” landed him an $8,000 job. You don’t find that kind of ROI anywhere else.

Tactic #2: Strategic partnerships

Do you know the only person more desperate than a recently-fired W2 employee? Real estate agents looking to close a sale.

Open houses need to be picture-perfect… It’s a smart move to look for “For Sale” signs or search online for local realtors in your area.

With the right pitch, you could find yourself a steady stream of homes on the RE market that need maintenance.

Tactic #3: Look out for new faces

“For Sale” aren’t the only signs I’d look out for. I’d also keep my eyes peeled for “Sold.”

New homeowners are also a goldmine when it comes to home service.

Think about it. If you just plopped a few hundred thousand into a house, you’d be willing to spend a few hundred dollars a month to keep it in tip-top shape, right?

My strategy would be to use direct mail marketing tools like PostPilot to send postcards to new homeowners, welcoming them to the neighborhood while throwing in discounts.

Keep this up for a few weeks, then when something needs to be cleaned (and it will), you’ll be top of mind. Everyone loves a familiar face in a strange town.

WHY I LOVE HOME SERVICE BIZ’S

Reason #1: No license needed

Turns out squeegees and pressure washers don’t require a license. (Or degree, or MBA, or 7-stage interview process.)

You can literally wake up one morning, decide to jump on any of these hustles, and have a fully operational biz before noon.

Reason #2: Customers are all around

How many homes do you see with clogged gutters? Greasy windows? Overgrown lawns?

It’s always more than you can count.

These industries are evergreen. Demand never goes away.

With the rise of WFH, people are spending more time than ever at home. (And have less desire than ever to do housework-from-home).

Reason #3: Startup cost + competition

The average data scientist makes $10,233 a month. But that’s after splurging at least $53k and four years on an undergrad degree.

On the flip side, you can start a house cleaning biz for less than $134 and hit $10k MRR with just 25 monthly clients.

Maybe just me, but one of those options seems a lot cheaper and quicker than the other.

Now, you’re probably asking…

“If it’s so easy to start a home service biz, won’t that mean there’s a lot of competition?”

Well, yes… And no. Of course, you won’t be the only business in town. But the others? Most are outdated and run by boomers who set up shop in the 80s and still put “the” in front of Facebook. This is the quality of competition you’ll be up against.

It’s simple, not easy.

Secure, not comfortable.

But at least there’s no such thing as a layoff in the owner’s circle.

I want your work to mean something.

– Codie

📜 Control the terms of your contracts whenever you can. …Wait, not like that.​

💳 Before you click, guess how many $’s of unused giftcards Americans own?

😺 The best biz combines your passions. Yes, even if it’s cars, cats, & La Croix.

⚽ FIFA promised world cup players $30k bonuses. But then said, “Well, kinda.”

🪫 America may have an EV battery boom to rival foreign companies

Ready to become a Contrarian?

There are 2 ways to get in the Crew:

✔️  Small Business Acquisitions Course:  A step-by-step framework on how to build freedom and passive income through SMB acquisitions. It’s like a mini-MBA, but one you’ll actually use (and at 1/100th of the cost!)

✔️  Work closely with us in the Unconventional Acquisitions Mastermind to buy your first, or next, business if you have a minimum of $50k to invest!

Did someone forward you this email?

Tell them we appreciate them. Then, get your own free subscription.

Interested in advertising with Contrarian Thinking?

Get in touch with our team. We’re currently booking into Q2.

Disclaimer – This is the “Be an adult” section. Everything mentioned above isn’t advice, just a recount of what I did. That said: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The opinions stated here are not intended to recommend any investment or provide tax advice. Neither are they an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any current or future investment vehicle managed or sponsored by Codie Ventures, LLC or its affiliates. All material presented in this newsletter is not to be regarded as investment advice, but for general informational purposes only. Day trading and investing do involve risk, so caution must always be utilized. We cannot guarantee profits or freedom from loss. You assume the entire cost and risk. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. We recommend consulting with a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and/or financial advisor. If you choose to invest with or without seeking advice from such an advisor or entity, then any consequences resulting from your investments are your sole responsibility. By reading/sharing this newsletter or consuming our content on our other channels, you are indicating your consent and agreement to our disclaimer.

Screenshot 2023-08-15 at 7.19.54 PM

From Garage Hobby to Billion-Dollar Brand

by with No Comment BlogLIFESTYLE

Hey Contrarians,

I know, I know… Maybe the “scrappy young founders that started it all in a garage” story is a little played out.

My story today follows this script.

But trust me, this one REALLY works.

Like, “became a $2B brand in a little over a decade” works.

Let’s dive in.

Today in 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ Contrarian framework: What are you going to do about it?

✔️ The story of BrewDog

✔️ Weird ways to grow a billion-dollar brand

✔️ 5 lessons from two 9-figure beer fanatics

CONTRARIAN FRAMEWORK: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Ah, complaining. It’s one of our favorite pastimes as humans.

The idea of openly b*tching about anything and everything with no plan for a solution? Some people live for that stuff. I don’t.

Getting things off your chest feels great. But at the end of every complaint comes the moment of truth. That split-second when you hear this question at the back of your head…

What are you going to do about it?

Most people never answer this question, which is why their complaints never amount to anything more than pointless griping. Let’s take salaries, for example.

​87% of Americans believe they deserve a raise, but only 37% actually ask for one. A bit counterintuitive, eh?

So the next time you’re getting things off your chest, listen for that voice—and answer it.

Life’s more fun as a doer than a talker. Believe me, I’ve met both.

I met one of my new favorite doers earlier this year. He asked me to fly to London to invest combined millions into five British companies where startup cash is tight and government regulations are heavy.

Today, I’d like to tell you his story…

THE STORY OF BREWDOG

BrewDog. A craft beer company that started out in a rundown shed.

It began in 2007 when two Scottish pals, James and Martin, decided they’d had enough of the tasteless legacy beer brands dominating the UK market.

But instead of just talking about the problem, guess what they did?

They rolled up their sleeves and went to work.

They took out a loan, bought some brewing vessels, and began brewing by hand. Whatever few bottles they squeezed out of their makeshift assembly line were sold out of the back of their van at local markets.

Not much, but it was a start.

Fast forward 16 years, and BrewDog is a force to reckon with in the global craft beer scene. How does a biz go from a couple of 24-year-olds making alcohol in their mum’s garage to a $1.95B company?

Well, lock your doors and draw your curtains… You’re about to get their secrets.

WEIRD WAYS TO GROW A BILLION-DOLLAR BRAND

STEP #1: MAKE ADS THAT PISS PEOPLE OFF

We’ve become too okay with safe.

We say safe things, so we’re not held accountable. We keep safe jobs, so we never have to take risks. We do safe marketing, so we make the shareholders happy.

Safe is great sometimes. The problem is – it morphs into monotonous. Vanilla. Conforming.

These days, ads are so guilty of this. Marketing practices are interpreted as hard rules. Regulatory bodies have countless hoops you have to jump through. Suits behind the scenes call the shots. Twitter mobs wait in the wings to crucify your brand for being “offensive.”

But James and Martin said F-that to the rulebooks, the hoops, the suits, and the mobs.

They knew they were in a cutthroat industry. The only way to stand out was to do campaigns no other beer company would.

So that’s exactly what BrewDog did:

From jabs at Putin to sneaking my favorite four-letter word on billboards, BrewDog’s ads deviate from the norm.

In fact, James made sure these ads pissed people off. Because let’s face it, controversy is a $$$ printer.

STEP #2: STAND THE F*CK OUT

Most brands talk a big game about being innovative, but so few actually break the rules.

James said no to any PR that would make a legacy beer brand comfortable.

Here’s what I mean…

Would Heineken’s CEO project a pic of their blurred-out junk onto the House of Parliament?

Would Budweiser rain taxidermied cats stuffed with beer from the sky?

Would RedBull drive a branded tank through the streets of London?

Ok, maybe Red Bull would do that last one. But the fact is, they haven’t yet.

Guess who has?

Many biz owners fall into the trap of, “If you build it, they will come.”

They fine-tune their product, set up shop, and then go stand in the corner of an overcrowded market, thinking the $ will roll right in.

But business doesn’t work that way.

Having a good product isn’t enough to reach success. Sometimes, you have to make some noise, break some rules, stop conforming. After all, there’s more than one way to skin a cat (…too soon?).

STEP #3: RUN A TIGHT SHIP

It’s easy to forget that running a beer company involves more than just brewing beer.

From packaging to advertising, there are a dozen other processes that go into selling a can besides producing the beer itself.

When you’re a small biz operating out of a garage, there’s no harm in outsourcing some of these processes. But once you become a global brand, you’ve got to bring it all in-house.

With 5 breweries across 4 countries, BrewDog has its manufacturing process down to a T… It’s a lot harder for contractors to screw up your brand if you control everything.

But here’s the best part.

For most brands, this influence ends when the product hits the shelf. But with BrewDog, it continues into when and how you drink.

James and Martin wanted their beer to be consumed in only the best atmosphere, so they opened the first BrewDog bar in 2010.

This allowed them to curate the setting in which their beer is drunk, giving them as much control as possible over customer experience.

BrewDog now owns 117 bars in 10 countries.

5 LESSONS FROM TWO 9-FIGURE BEER FANATICS

LESSON #1: SCRAPE OFF THE BARNACLES

When talking with James, I learned he was a crab fisherman for 7 years in the dangerous waters outside of Scotland.

He saw a friend lose an arm. He had to cut a propeller free underwater with no wetsuit, knife held in his teeth. He saw waves the size of buildings pummel his ship as a captain.

He’s seen some sh*t.

There’s some magic in that.

When you can die at work I suppose it makes you realize most of life ain’t that damn hard.

He asked me, “Did you know that boats have to be taken out of the water entirely at least once a year and have all the barnacles chiseled off? If they don’t, the boat will have too much drag and can’t perform.”

Cool? Noted, James.

He chuckled. “Well, most companies are like boats. Barnacle-encrusted, never-cleaned behemoths lugging extra weight. They bolt on more and more people, processes, tasks, to-do’s until they’re drowning in hairy, useless things weighing them down.”

He’s right. So once a year at his company, BrewDog, they analyze everything.

Does it still serve us? Or is it a little crustacean along for a ride?

Hard things, lead to easy…

LESSON #2: REMOVE THE STONES

I asked James the best piece of advice he was ever given.

“It came from Scotland’s first billionaire, Sir Tom Hunter,” he said.

“One day, I was struggling to figure out if I should keep an underperforming manager for another couple months until I could fill his role. Sir Hunter looked at me and said,

“’If you were running a marathon, James, would you wait ’til the 22nd mile to take out a stone in your shoe?’”

Oof. Of course not.

So now, at BrewDog, they say, “You can’t go fast with stones in your shoes.” When you feel them, get rid of them.

It’s the advice that makes too much damn sense that we often ignore, but shouldn’t.

LESSON #3: DON’T SKIMP ON PRODUCT

Millions of people associate beer with “cheap stuff.” It’s the 24-pack at the house party, a tailgating staple, and the broke college student drink of choice.

But you should know that BrewDog makes some of the most expensive beer in the world.

For something as un-fancy as beer, wouldn’t it make sense to produce something so cheap everyone can afford it? Including the broke college kids?

More customers = more cha-ching …Right?

Well, not for James and Martin in craft beer.

You see, one bottle of BrewDog requires 2x more malted barley and 40x more hops than your run-of-the-mill beer. That doesn’t come cheap – and guess who doesn’t like that?

But instead of skimping on production and slashing prices, BrewDog’s founders refuse to bow to pressure. Want to know why?

Because they know that no matter the industry, it’s not the cheap customers you want… It’s those that know and appreciate your value.

LESSON #4: USE OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

In 2009, the BrewDog founders needed more capital to scale. So they did the first thing any of us would.

They applied for a bank loan. Guess what? They got rejected.

But instead of licking boots hoping to convince a bunch of suits that they were onto something, they turned to the people who already believed in their brand…

For the first time in 2009, James launched the Equity for Punks crowdfunding campaign. The idea was to turn BrewDog lovers into investors—or “fanvestors” as he calls them.

This was genius for two reasons:

  1. BrewDog lovers get paid for their loyalty. If you had bought 1 share of BrewDog equity at £95 back in 2013, you’d be up £37,107 today. That’s enough beer money for half a lifetime.
    ​
  2. James raises capital with less resistance than he would elsewhere. Who, besides diehard fans, would fork over £1M in 24 hours? Certainly not any VC I know.

It’s like I always say… Deals become less risky when you do them with other people’s money.

James understands this. That’s why he crowdfunds every year… Even as a $1.95B brand in 2023.

You may not have an army of beer fans throwing money at you but believe me…there’s no shortage of ways to use other people’s $$$ to fund your deals.

Lesson #5: Be weird

BrewDog knew it had a great product. But being good alone isn’t enough to excel in a $117B industry like craft beer.

James knew he had to do weird sh*t to stand out. He had to live and breathe controversy.

In business, no one pays attention to the well-behaved kid who sits quietly in the corner and does as they are told.

Sometimes, it pays to throw out the rule book. To challenge the status quo. To be contrarian.

I want you to be one of the few who do not the many who talk.

– Codie

🧲 How to get strangers to want to buy your stuff: My good bud Alex Hormozi wrote another book! Don’t miss the launch here.

😓 Avg SMB bank loan rate in Q1 = 5-11% (meanwhile, avg profit = 7-20%)

🎫 When productivity-based incentives go terribly wrong… 26,000+ times​

😯 Breaking news: People are happier when they’re self-employed​

🛻 I think we need an official vote. Cybertruck. Really cool or really cringe?

Ready to become a Contrarian?

There are 2 ways to get in the Crew:

✔️  Small Business Acquisitions Course:  A step-by-step framework on how to build freedom and passive income through SMB acquisitions. It’s like a mini-MBA, but one you’ll actually use (and at 1/100th of the cost!)

✔️  Work closely with us in the Unconventional Acquisitions Mastermind to buy your first, or next, business if you have a minimum of $50k to invest!

Did someone forward you this email?

Tell them we appreciate them. Then, get your own free subscription.

Interested in advertising with Contrarian Thinking?

Get in touch with our team. We’re currently booking into Q2.

Disclaimer – This is the “Be an adult” section. Everything mentioned above isn’t advice, just a recount of what I did. That said: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The opinions stated here are not intended to recommend any investment or provide tax advice. Neither are they an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any current or future investment vehicle managed or sponsored by Codie Ventures, LLC or its affiliates. All material presented in this newsletter is not to be regarded as investment advice, but for general informational purposes only. Day trading and investing do involve risk, so caution must always be utilized. We cannot guarantee profits or freedom from loss. You assume the entire cost and risk. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. We recommend consulting with a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and/or financial advisor. If you choose to invest with or without seeking advice from such an advisor or entity, then any consequences resulting from your investments are your sole responsibility. By reading/sharing this newsletter or consuming our content on our other channels, you are indicating your consent and agreement to our disclaimer.

Screenshot 2023-08-15 at 7.24.02 PM

20 Ways To Absolutely F*ck Up Buying Your First Business

by with 2 Comments BlogLIFESTYLE

Hey Contrarians,

If you caught last week’s newsletter, then you learned something new about me…

I don’t want you to buy a business.

Not unless you understand what it is you’re getting into.

Not unless you appreciate the masochism of skin in the game.

Not unless you know what you’re doing.

I hear students who go through our education repeat the same sentiment: “I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.”

Today, I want to scratch the surface of what you might not know. And I’m gonna need more than just 10 commandments to do it…

Today in 10 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ Contrarian framework: The Fourth Path

✔️ The Golden Rule of biz buying

✔️ 20 commandments to not absolutely f*ck up buying a business

CONTRARIAN FRAMEWORK: THE FOURTH PATH

There are 3 traditional paths to making income:

  1. Working a job.
  2. Investing, usually stocks or real estate.
  3. Starting your own company.

There’s a fourth path that’s long been overlooked… And it’s about to explode:

Business acquisitions.

Buying a business is the secret Fourth Path to building wealth.

You don’t need to be an elite investor, PE firm, or even an existing business owner to do it. You just need to know what you’re getting into.

So, what does buying a biz even look like?

I have a couple rules you need to follow before you even THINK about your first deal.

THE GOLDEN RULE OF BIZ BUYING

I’m no Sunday School teacher, but I do know that the 10 commandments all get summed up in the golden rule.

There’s also a Golden Rule of Business Buying. It has two parts:

It’s such obvious advice, I hope I haven’t insulted you. Yet so many people make these blatant mistakes.

Here’s how to make sure you don’t…

I compiled a list of rules for your first deals that I like to live by.

(I’ll add to them, too. Email me back anything you think I missed. We are in this together.)

20 COMMANDMENTS TO NOT F*CK UP BUYING A BUSINESS

1. No unprofitable biz’s or turnarounds.

You are not a pro yet.

Once you are a pro, you can buy the ugly house on the block, fix it up, and flip it. For now, you wouldn’t even know how to stucco a kitchen.

So keep it easy for yourself. Buy a nice house in a nice neighborhood (that cashflows), and wait.

2. Don’t do an SBA loan on your first deal.

This is controversial, but for me at least, I would never do a non-recourse, personal-guaranteed loan on my first deals.

Unless you are very rich and can cover the cost of paying it back, have investors who can cover it for you, or have massive cashflow to cover it through salary, etc… I don’t recommend.

There is nothing worse than the weight of debt you cannot repay. As you get more sophisticated, you can do debt well. But in the beginning, be careful.

If you only have $100,000 in the bank but you want to buy a business for $2,000,000 with an SBA loan, that could wipe out every penny you have + your house with a personal guarantee. I wouldn’t do it. Ultimately up to you, but find ways to decrease and diversify risk.

3. Diversify your risk.

You don’t need to take down your whole first deal yourself. Get seller financing, raise from investors, use different types of loans. Do not mortgage your house to buy your first biz.

If you want to do a deal for $200,000 with a business that costs $200,000/year to run, think of it like your savings. I ensure I have enough cash for a 12-month emergency fund in case I make no money during that period. You might want to do the same.

4. Seller financing – do it.

This is harder to get, but it’s also common. Get the seller to take on some risk with you.

What is the likelihood they sell you a business that won’t make any money if you have to pay them back with the profits from that business? Less likely.

What about if you buy the business for “more money” in total valuation but you give them an option to just take the business back at any point if you don’t pay? Worst case, you are out time and the business, but you aren’t out tons of cash and saddled with debt.

5. Revenue and profit share partial deals.

If you’re inexperienced, your first deal maybe even doesn’t have you at the helm. It has you taking down a portion of a deal with sweat equity, special expertise, or something else you bring to the table.

Say you’re in marketing and you want to buy a marketing company. What if instead you:

• Partner with an owner of a business

• Tell them you want to use your skills to increase their revenue by 25%

• IF you do that, you want to be paid 15% of top-line revenue you brought in, plus 15% equity in the business and a right to 15% of the distributions they take annually.

6. Have an exit plan.

How long will it take you to sell this business if you need to? Start knowing who would buy you up early. Ideally, I’d know before buying so if I got in and hated the deal, I’d have someone to flip it to.

If you’re buying a laundromat, who could buy it from you later? What are the laundromat roll-ups? Who else owns one close (but not too close) to yours?

7. Downside scenario planning.

What if your worst year happens this year? Are you still profitable? If not, we pass. What if the sales fall by 50%? Still profitable? If not, we restructure the deal so we don’t lose our shirt.

8. Cash position plan.

Do you know most businesses don’t even know how much cash they have on hand and how long that cash would last if their sales stopped or slowed?

You will not be most people. You’ll know.

You’ll also ask yourself, “Self, do I have enough cash raised, in the business, with investors, or with myself for hard times?” What if you need more cash? You need a plan for how you are going to get it within a 60-day window. Have this and you’ll sleep well.

These are fake numbers, but you should have something like this: weekly revenue, monthly revenue, year-to-date all actuals vs projected. Then at the bottom, what your profit, expenses, margin, account balances, and runway are.


9. Don’t buy a job you’ll hate.

Most of my early deals were too small. Great for not making big mistakes, but not fun for having to run them. It’s a balance.

10. Don’t keep your deal private.

Shortcuts will kill you.

We have group members in our mastermind who did not share the final deal terms and analysis before they bought a business. WHY? Terrible idea.

What often happens: Deals move fast. You get caught up in it, you feel good about it, and it sucks to share your baby and have people call it ugly.

Do the opposite of what feels good. Find a wet blanket friend, have them review, and keep whittling down until even they get on board.

11. No opportunities to lose more than 20%.

I never do a deal that could wipe out more than 20% of my net worth.

These days, that number is more like 5% of my net worth. It just won’t matter. If I lose $100k or $1,000,000 on a deal, I am going to be fine. In the beginning, I would NOT have been fine.

Know your 20% or less number before looking at deals.

12. Careful with franchises.

Franchises play an important role in business-land, but they are usually harder to sell and come with more mandated costs. Be cautious.

13. Valuation of ALL big equipment.

One of the biggest deals I’ve seen go sideways was largely because of one thing. They were a transportation business, and they didn’t get an outside valuation of their most expensive asset: their trucks.

It is very normal pre-sale for people to “band-aid” equipment so that the repairs don’t come out of the P&L and costs. If you’re buying assets, inventory, real estate, etc., please get a valuation or two.

14. Partners: proceed with caution.

Imagine every partner you have will leave you high and dry. It’s certainly happened to me. I didn’t always have a lot of rules for partners, but now I do.

Here are the major two:

  • No partners get equity upfront without cash in the game. Never give away equity without a vesting schedule. They need to do the deal with you, put in the same amount of cash as you, AND they need to still vest so they can’t walk away leaving you stuck with the bag.
    ​
  • No 50/50 partner. Someone needs to be in control, and it’s probably you. Or whoever has the most skin in the game. You also need to make sure you have a partnership agreement, with clear deliverables on both sides and a pre-set exit provision if it doesn’t work out.

15. Keep your day job.

For your first deal, do me a favor. Keep your day job until you’re sure you really know what you’ve got on your hands. Or one spouse goes to run it while the other gets a paycheck.

Unless you have highly de-risked the business, had success before, have a cash stockpile, or have inside access to the deal, please allow some breathing room.

16. Deals take a year.

Ask anyone who has done one. It’ll take you 3-6 months to close, and then another 6-12 months until it’s motoring. Just like starting a new job, you are on a new venture. Don’t make the mistake of adding before you’re ready.

17. Mitigate “go to zero” risk.

Ask yourself the question, “Could this business go to zero?” Then model out how. Then create a plan for what you’d do to de-risk that.

If you buy a property management company with 30 clients and 20 of them are owned by one group, you could lose all 20 overnight. So what do you do? Decrease the asking price or hold cash in escrow for a year or two in case those 20 leave while you add more.

18. Bring in the expert.

You could build a house with just the internet and your ideas. Or you could find the help of a construction expert or consultant. Which would you choose?

Doing it yourself is cheaper up-front, but my bet is it’s more expensive, time-consuming, heartache-inducing, and full of mistakes long-term. Same with buying a business – get with experts in your industry before you purchase.

19. Financial reporting.

Businesses have to be monitored. You need P&Ls, cashflow statements, and the ability to see into the bank account, always.

I think of it like when you go to the hospital and get hooked up to an EKG, so even if you’re just there for a checkup they know your status. Every business should have this.

20. Don’t fall in love.

In dealmaking, my father told me, “Never fall in love with something that can’t love you back.”

This is the kiss of death. You’re too far into a deal, you really want to close it, the seller knows that, so right before you go to close… He adds more cash he needs. Or tells you the seller financing amount dropped.

Tiny papercuts can bleed you out. Hold the line. There are too many deals to fall in love with one.

So… Are you ready?

– Codie

🎮 When Microsoft buys Activision, Berkshire Hathaway will make $1BILLION​

🤝 Deal structuring: How to buy a $7M business with ~$50k

📈 What do you think triggered the most national debt in the last 120 years?

🥒 $400M: Pickleball players skew old, rich, & willing for elective procedures

🎨 Are you an artist if you use AI? Depends. Are you a chef if you use a microwave?

Ready to become a Contrarian?

There are 2 ways to get in the Crew:

✔️  Small Business Acquisitions Course:  A step-by-step framework on how to build freedom and passive income through SMB acquisitions. It’s like a mini-MBA, but one you’ll actually use (and at 1/100th of the cost!)

✔️  Work closely with us in the Unconventional Acquisitions Mastermind to buy your first, or next, business if you have a minimum of $50k to invest!

Did someone forward you this email?

Tell them we appreciate them. Then, get your own free subscription.

Interested in advertising with Contrarian Thinking?

Get in touch with our team. We’re currently booking into Q2.

Disclaimer – This is the “Be an adult” section. Everything mentioned above isn’t advice, just a recount of what I did. That said: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The opinions stated here are not intended to recommend any investment or provide tax advice. Neither are they an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any current or future investment vehicle managed or sponsored by Codie Ventures, LLC or its affiliates. All material presented in this newsletter is not to be regarded as investment advice, but for general informational purposes only. Day trading and investing do involve risk, so caution must always be utilized. We cannot guarantee profits or freedom from loss. You assume the entire cost and risk. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. We recommend consulting with a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, and/or financial advisor. If you choose to invest with or without seeking advice from such an advisor or entity, then any consequences resulting from your investments are your sole responsibility. By reading/sharing this newsletter or consuming our content on our other channels, you are indicating your consent and agreement to our disclaimer.