Operating, Acquiring &
Compounding.
Real operating experience — not theory. These frameworks are built from actually running businesses, negotiating SBA loans, and making financial decisions under real constraints.
Café — Owner & Operator. Acquired via SBA loan. Managed full P&L, hiring, inventory, menu pricing, vendor relationships, and reinvestment decisions. Built a cash flow tracking system to manage labor percentage and contribution margin by product line.
Videography Business — Owner. Built a recurring-revenue client base. Handled pricing strategy, client acquisition, and production. Operated independently with a systems-first approach to scheduling and delivery.
Both businesses directly inform the frameworks below — these tools come from real constraints, not classroom assumptions.
What I Learned Owning Businesses
- Cash flow timing matters more than accounting profit
- Labor % is the most controllable lever in a service business
- SBA underwriting forces rigorous cash flow thinking
- Contribution margin by product line drives every menu decision
- Debt service coverage is the real constraint in any acquisition
- Weekly KPI tracking — ticket size, labor %, margin by product line, covers per shift.
- Menu mix analysis — contribution margin per item, pricing decisions, product line rationalization.
- Labor planning — staffing schedule linked to demand and revenue per labor hour.
- Seasonal demand — inventory and staffing plan adjusts for traffic seasonality.
- Reinvestment decisions — framework for when to reinvest in equipment, marketing, or headcount vs. extract cash.
Airbnb Investment Screening
Occupancy and ADR assumptions by season, DSCR, cash-on-cash return, downside scenarios, and a clear buy/no-buy threshold framework for Georgia market.
PlannedSmall Business Acquisition Model
Full cash-flow underwriting for Georgia-based acquisitions — SBA structuring, DSCR analysis, owner-operator vs. management comparison, and exit modeling.
Planned