So there I was, champagne glass in hand, looking out at a sea of 500 friends and family members.
I had practiced my toast a million and one times and prayed that muscle memory would see me
through. Trying hard not to focus on over 1000 eyeballs looking back at me, I took a deep breath,
cleared my throat and leaned in. Words flowed, people smiled, laughter, tears, arms raised. Clink.
It was a transformative moment that will be forever cherished as we toasted my amazing daughter’s
engagement to her equally amazing fiancé. In that moment, my family went through a portal and
began anew. We transformed as a family as we collectively bid farewell to childhood and embraced
our children’s adulthood.
That exquisite moment got me thinking about the transformations we all go through as business
brokers. We transform ourselves as business brokers with every deal we negotiate. We transform
ourselves with every class we take, license pursued, certificate achieved. It is that inexpressible
motivation that organizes us to keep striving to come into our own professionally. Like spinning
concentric circles, we stand centered as brokers in an endless flow of transformation be it businesses,
clients and ourselves. Being transformation agents is truly our superpower.
The greatest transformation that I went through as a business broker was when I decided to
specialize. I started as a general broker with modest success. Eventually, however, the path for
specialization presented itself as I enjoyed success in several niches which include gas stations,
liquor/convenience stores, restaurants and SBA loans. Now, my practice is strictly focused on just
these niches and I orient all my marketing, business development and networking in these areas.
I’ve become the go-to-broker in California, particularly the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles
regions, for my niches based on my reputation and marketing reach.
A�er 16 years of business brokering, I have been blessed to have many repeat clients and fortunate to
see them grow businesses, portfolios and families. It’s an honor to be trusted by my client base and to
grow with them as we both learn from every transaction and help each other evolve and achieve.
This year I was honored again to receive the Chairman’s Circle Award and Deal Maker Award. As I
completed the paperwork to submit proof of my 2021 deals, I thought of each transformative