One of the enduring myths in professional life is that credibility comes from getting everything right the first time. In reality, credibility is often built in the moment after something goes wrong. Mistakes are inevitable. Systems fail. People misunderstand instructions. Details get missed. Anyone who has worked long enough—and honestly enough—knows this. What separates professionals from amateurs … Continue reading A Mistake Handled Well Builds More Trust Than Perfection Ever Will
business valuation
The Most Professional Interaction I Had This Week Wasn’t in a Boardroom
Earlier this week, I had what turned out to be the most professional interaction I’ve had in quite some time—and it didn’t happen in an office, a conference room, or at an industry event. It happened at a donut shop. I placed an order, picked it up, and later realized it wasn’t what I had … Continue reading The Most Professional Interaction I Had This Week Wasn’t in a Boardroom
Standards Are Invisible Until They’re Gone
Strong professional standards often go unnoticed. When expectations are clear, behavior is consistent, and interactions are respectful, everything feels smooth—almost unremarkable. Until something slips. A comment that shouldn’t have been made.An obligation treated casually.A response that deflects instead of resolves. Suddenly, the absence of standards becomes obvious. This is because standards don’t announce themselves. They … Continue reading Standards Are Invisible Until They’re Gone
Experience Teaches What Training Cannot
There are things no training program can teach. Judgment.Restraint.Timing.Knowing when not to speak. These are learned over time—often through mistakes, consequences, and uncomfortable self-reflection. Experience has a way of clarifying what actually matters. This isn’t about age or tenure. It’s about exposure. About having seen how small decisions ripple outward. About understanding that words, tone, and conduct … Continue reading Experience Teaches What Training Cannot
When “Hardworking” Becomes a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card
“Hardworking” is one of the most frequently used—and most misused—compliments in professional life. Effort matters. Commitment matters. Output matters. But effort does not excuse conduct, and productivity does not negate responsibility. Somewhere along the way, “hardworking” has become a kind of shield. A way to explain away behavior that would otherwise be addressed. The logic … Continue reading When “Hardworking” Becomes a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card
Professionalism Is Not a Vibe
Over the last few weeks, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about professionalism—what it actually is, and what it isn’t. In many circles today, professionalism seems to be treated as a kind of aesthetic. How relaxed the culture feels. How casual the dress code is. How modern the language sounds. Whether someone appears confident, busy, or “high … Continue reading Professionalism Is Not a Vibe
Professionalism Still Matters (Even When People Pretend It Doesn’t)
Professionalism is easy to talk about and harder to practice—especially when pressure, ego, and ambition enter the room. Over time, I’ve noticed that many of the biggest breakdowns in trust, efficiency, and working relationships don’t come from a lack of intelligence or effort, but from small, repeated lapses in conduct that people excuse as style, … Continue reading Professionalism Still Matters (Even When People Pretend It Doesn’t)
Value Doesn’t Disappear Overnight
Over the past weeks, I’ve written a number of posts about leadership, risk management, due diligence, integration, and goodwill. Individually, these topics are often discussed in isolation. In practice, they are tightly connected. Leadership behavior determines how risk is identified or ignored.Risk discipline determines how diligence is performed.Diligence determines whether assumptions about people, continuity, and … Continue reading Value Doesn’t Disappear Overnight
It All Made Sense…On Paper
In SBA business acquisitions, I see the same issue surface again and again: deals that make sense on paper but unravel after closing. In many cases, the valuation wasn’t “wrong.” The assumptions embedded within it — particularly around people, continuity, and leadership — simply weren’t tested or protected. SBA valuations require more than financial normalization. … Continue reading It All Made Sense…On Paper
Value Erosion Is Rarely the Math
After working on thousands of SBA-related business valuations, certain patterns become hard to ignore. When post-close issues arise, the problem is rarely the math. It’s usually leadership behavior, untested assumptions, or overlooked human capital risk that eventually surfaces as value erosion. My recent posts have sought to connect those dots — leadership, risk, diligence, integration, … Continue reading Value Erosion Is Rarely the Math
Highland Global Business Valuations 