My Journey to becoming a Business Advisor.

I never set out to be an advisor, I wanted to make a difference.

In the Beginning

Someone said it better – “it’s not about the role, it’s about the goal.”  It all started with my decision to pursue a business career.  Family and friends would occasionally ask me to assist them with their businesses in varying measures.  Oftentimes it was merely advice on what to do, other times it meant reading leases, contracts, or financials.  I enjoyed helping people with my growing knowledge and experience, yet I never considered it being a career.  My faith eventually intersected with my work, and this saw me basing my advice on Godly principles. I have not always represented this well with my blind ambition and task-centric leadership. Life has chiselled me down.

The Forging

Professionally speaking I am a work-in-progress by remarkable entrepreneurs challenging and inspiring me. My skills have been forged alongside dynamic teams I have had the honour of leading.

Having spent most of my professional life in wildly entrepreneurial environments, and a few years in corporate, my biggest takeaway. Entrepreneurial companies play to win, Corporates play not to lose.

That’s not about right or wrong, but it does differentiate the entrepreneurial mindset as risk-taker and change driver.  Driving that pace of change in a corporate is like teaching an elephant to dance..

I still enjoy relationships with many former Business Owners, Bosses and colleagues who accepted me as I was. They also cared enough not to leave me how they found me.

Front Row Seat

On this journey I watched the ascent of a Group of businesses become remarkably successful and ultimately acquired by a Private Equity Group. Here I observed how even great entrepreneurs are often not exit-ready. The confronting truth that all business owners will exit their businesses someday, voluntarily or involuntarily. I also had front-row seats to the risk Business Owners face when selling a business with an earn-out deal structure. A deal attractive on paper yet more often than not, placing all the risk on the entrepreneurs. Left to roll the dice, and achieve difficult targets while giving up control of their business. A perfect storm. Long story short legal battles ensued between the entrepreneurs and the institutional acquirer. I was the ham in the sandwich between some really amazing people who fiercely defended their respective positions.

The Convergence.

I never set out to be an advisor.  Over the span of my career, I was increasingly asked to give colleagues, friends and family business advice which I enjoyed doing as it made a difference. My brilliant wife challenged me one day to monetise this, and so in November 2020 I registered and launched WS Business Advisory. Although our Group had no issues with people moonlighting, it was rather taxing on me given the demands of my day job. The need was clear, entrepreneurs were willing to pay me to assist them in their businesses, and I loved this. I wanted to bring credibility to paying clients, so I was certified through the Institute of Advisors.

Quality of Life

I was overwhelmed by the immediate support and growth of my business, most importantly I had agency again. I was doing what I always set out to do, make a difference. Entrepreneurs who once dreaded facing their businesses were now feeling focussed and free to lead their organisations again. Instead of their organisations leading them. The vision for my business came to life – fulfilling Business Owners’ dreams of personal freedom.

This is my professional story thus far. I never set out to be an advisor, I wanted to make a difference. My standard of living has decreased but my quality of life rocketed. The fun part is that the best is yet to come!