Telling someone they’re valued isn’t the same as showing interest in them. Leaders who dominate the conversation, talk about themselves, and never ask questions send a clear message—whether they intend to or not. Engagement is demonstrated, not declared. Interest is shown through listening.
Professionalism & Humility
You Can’t Retain People You Haven’t Taken Time to Understand
Retention starts with curiosity. If a leader can’t articulate what a key employee does, why they matter, and what they’ve built, retention efforts are already failing. People don’t stay where they feel invisible. Understanding precedes retention.
Apologies Without Preparation Don’t Repair Trust
Apologies matter.Preparation matters more. When leaders show up to difficult conversations without understanding the person, their role, or their value, the apology rings hollow. Trust isn’t repaired by saying the right words.It’s rebuilt by doing the work. Preparation is a form of respect.
Integration: Where Deals Are Won or Lost
Closing a transaction is an event. Leadership doesn’t end when a deal closes. In many ways, it begins there. Integration is a process. This series focuses on the leadership behaviors and preparation that determine whether integration stabilizes a business — or quietly unravels it.
Buying Equity Does Not Buy People
Buying equity does not buy people.People choose to stay. That distinction matters more than many acquirers realize. Employment is not an asset that transfers with ownership. It’s a voluntary relationship — renewed every day by trust, respect, and alignment. When an acquirer assumes key people will stay without asking, without listening, and without securing alignment, … Continue reading Buying Equity Does Not Buy People
Insight is Earned in the Work
Formulas calculate. Experience interprets. Data can tell you what happened. Experience teaches you why.In valuation, numbers whisper — but only experience hears the story behind them. Experience teaches when to trust the trend… and when to question the pattern.The most reliable assumption in any model? The one based on experience.Experience matters most — because insight … Continue reading Insight is Earned in the Work
Professional Judgment is Earned
Data is everywhere. Models are everywhere.But professional judgment? That’s earned.In business valuation, experience isn’t just an advantage — it’s the foundation. Every number tells a story, but only experience teaches you which stories to trust.You can’t automate instinct. You can’t shortcut judgment. And you can’t replace the context that comes from thousands of valuations, across … Continue reading Professional Judgment is Earned
You Can’t Fake Experience
You can copy a model. You can mimic a method. But you can’t fake experience.I’ve seen it all — markets rise and fall, fads come and go, formulas rebranded as innovation. The only thing that never loses value is judgment built over time.Anyone can quote theory. Few can interpret reality.Experience matters most — because it’s … Continue reading You Can’t Fake Experience
Experience Refines Analysis
Experience doesn’t replace analysis — it refines it.In business valuation, numbers alone don’t tell the story. They whisper clues, hint at risks, and reveal trends — but it takes judgment to hear what they’re really saying.Experience teaches you when a spike is a signal and when it’s just noise. It teaches you how to see … Continue reading Experience Refines Analysis
Perspective is Earned, Not Programmed
Experience isn’t just about what you know — it’s about what you’ve been through.Markets rise and fall. Trends come and go. Regulations shift, models evolve, and new tools promise to “reinvent” the field every few years.Through it all, one thing remains constant: the professionals who endure are the ones who adapt without losing their standards.Resilience … Continue reading Perspective is Earned, Not Programmed
Highland Global Business Valuations 