Sage Succession Approach

What is Sage Succession? "Sage" is the final phase of training in the two year Special Forces Qualification Course before earning the Green Beret. At Sage, candidates are inserted behind enemy lines in a fictional country and embed with and work alongside a Guerrilla Army Commander and their militia. Success at Sage and in real world Special Forces missions requires integrity, trust, humility, and grit. These values are my foundation and will guide me in the succession plan for your business. 

My Business Criteria

Values

INTEGRITY : "Make us choose the hard right instead of the easier wrong, and never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won." We learn this excerpt from the Cadet Prayer day one at West Point. Integrity is the core value that I live by personally and professionally.      

DISCIPLINE: Running a successful business is hard work. I am prepared to do the work necessary to build upon the foundation you have built over several years. 

SERVANT LEADERSHIP: To lead is to serve.  In the military, leaders eat last. In business, leaders serve their customers, employees, and their communities. I will honor the relationships with the people who have helped you build your business. ​

​Focus

My vision is to operate your business for the long term. I am not a Private Equity firm looking to add a company to my portfolio or to cut costs and sell the business quickly to maximize short term returns to my investors. 

Running your company and growing what you have built will be my mission. I hope that my goal to lead a business and your desire to create a succession plan will result in a trusting and mutually beneficial transaction.
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​The Sage Succession Advantage

	Sage Succession	Private Equity	Competitor
Commitment & Goals	Run one company for the long term (10, 20+ years)	One company within a large portfolio with a short-term (~5 year) focus	Absorb your company into a larger entity
Who you'll work with & terms	Me - a motivated entrepreneur and Veteran with flexible terms and direct communication	A large team of investors and lawyers with complex and strict terms	Very strict terms, compensation often tied to performance
Your Employees Future	Integral part of succession plan and long term growth	At risk	At risk
Ownership Transition	Flexible and mutually agreed upon	Often requires 2-3 year commitment with financial contingencies	Varies
Value Creation	Based on long-term sustainable growth	Financially engineered, decisions optimized for short-term returns to investors	Through consolidation and cost-cutting

• Focus -Run one company for the long term (10, 20+ years). NOT a "buy and flip" strategy. 
• Who you work with - Me - a motivated entrepreneur and Veteran with flexible terms and direct communication. NOT a firm with an Army of investors and lawyers.  
• Your employees future - ​​Integral part of succession plan and long term growth. NOT part of a cost cutting strategy.
• Ownership Transition - ​Flexible and mutually agreed upon. NOT a long-term commitment with financial contingencies. 
• ​Value Creation - Based on long-term sustainable growth. NOT through financial engineering and short-term returns.