Strategic Executive Mentorship

Strategic Executive Mentorship

We call this “The Lonely Entrepreneur” because we know that running a company can be the loneliest job in the world. You will often deal with unique challenges and face difficult decisions, that you haven’t faced before. Who can you turn to for guidance or as a sounding board? These decisions can be stressful and can have a direct impact on the success of your business. Accessing a seasoned “Sherpa” who has climbed a few mountains themselves, can provide objective, unbiased guidance and advice.

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Experience & Results

We bring years of direct experience in launching, operating, growing, buying, selling, restructuring, and rescuing businesses in a variety of fields. We have succeeded and failed. You can benefit from that first-hand experience while we provide informed guidance to owner-operators and executives in companies in a range of industries and locations.

Finances, Operations, Competitive Environment, etc. - and your goals and objectives. After that, we will agree on a frequency of meetings – typically one hour per week but can be more if/when/as needed. We set a regular, fixed meeting time, start each meeting with a review of progress since last meeting, review new information, discuss, debate and determine next steps. We review all the elements of your business and tie the discussion into your medium and long-term objectives.

There are no contracts. We continue for as long as you see value.

No topic is off limits. We have lived the roller-coaster ride that can come with being a business owner, and the stress that can come with it. We are also experienced in the personal side of entrepreneurship and how family life can be impacted by the business. We like to take a holistic approach so, if home life and the business are linked, why wouldn’t both be on the table for our meetings?

Either way, you guide the agenda and determine what gets discussed.

Implementing Strategic Plans

Developing and implementing strategic plans is challenging and missteps can be costly. By providing experience-based guidance to our clients we can help improve business performance and mitigate business risk by providing.

A sounding board for operational and strategic decisions;

Support for the development and implementation of strategic roadmaps;
Guidance through organizational changes, development of structure and repeatable processes;
Growth Expertise – organic, through acquisition, franchising & licensing;
Succession and Exit planning;
Problem-solving guidance for issues that arise.

Don’t Take Our Word For It

I am delighted to share the exceptional experience I encountered using the services of Catchfire for the sale of my business. From the outset, Catchfire’s professionalism, expertise, guidance and commitment to my M&A journey was truly commendable. Their insightful analysis of our business landscape and market trends allowed me to make informed decisions throughout the entire process of preparing and selling my business.

Rob

Former Business Owner

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Catchfire was brought in to help resolve partnership issues at our company when my partner and I couldn’t agree on a strategic direction for our company. We went through a process and determined that the best solution was for me to buy out my partner. Catchfire helped with deal structure, negotiations, and financial structure of the deal.

They have been providing management guidance in the 2.5 years since and have had a strong positive impact helping us build a sustainable, growing business. We continue to work with them.

Henry

Business Owner

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Gary Brownstone and I ended up working together through the process of restructuring our business. Our company had been in business for 19 years when I met Gary. We had struggled with ideas around managing our growth and HR challenges.

Gary has provided us amazing insight and ideas for many things. From helping to understand our cash, to finding the right time to hire someone, its been amazing to see how this help has allowed us to grow our business. Gary has a direct way of telling it as it is, which for me was needed and welcomed.

Working along side with Gary (which we continue to do) our business has grown from a 2 million a year business to a 5 million a year business in less than 2 years. Now of course that had to come with a lot of work from our end, but not for a second in my mind did we ever think we could grow this to what it is, without the help from the team at Catchfire.

Steve

Business Owner

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It was a pleasure to work with Catchfire through the sale of (my client’s business). Your professionalism, tenacity, and commitment from beginning to end were impressive and I look forward to working with you again.

J.D.

Lawyer

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From initial consultation, Derek demonstrated a profound understanding of our corporate issues, legal intricacies, and interpersonal dynamics inherent in our shareholder dispute. Derek's ability to objectively analyze the situation and propose strategic solutions was instrumental in facilitating productive discussions among stakeholders.

I would recommend Derek and Catchfire to any business facing shareholder disputes. Their expertise, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to achieving a fair resolution make them an invaluable partner in navigating the complexities of such challenges.

MW

Business Owner

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Catchfire was engaged by the seller for a company we acquired. Catchfire is unique in that its principals have been entrepreneurs and operators themselves. This experience combined with their deep Merger & Acquisition expertise made the deal possible despite a challenging macro-economic environment.

They were able to provide real insights that enabled us to get comfortable with the business’ underlying performance and find a transaction structure that worked for all parties. I felt they really had the seller and company’s best interest in mind. The transaction would not have happened without Catch-Fire’s expertise.

Bryan Chew

CEO, Onyx Fire Protection

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Working with Gary and the Catchfire team goes beyond just seeking the highest value – it's about what's truly right for the owner and their business. As a legacy-minded acquirer, this approach is invaluable to us. We deeply appreciate the thoughtful and dedicated service provided by the Catchfire team, which ensures outcomes that respect both the owners' and our vision and legacy.

Decisive Dividend

British Columbia

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We thought we were on a multi-year journey to grow our company and prepare it for sale when opportunity knocked and two interested acquirers from the US reached out to us. We were not at all prepared for the sales process, and fortunately Gary Brownstone and Catchfire were able to

respond immediately and help us navigate the negotiations, due diligence, and other elements of the sale from beginning to end. Catchfire was instrumental in helping us successfully navigate through a challenge we would have been unable to complete on our own.

Greg Johnston

Former Owner, Be a Part Of, Toronto ON

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Strategic Executive Mentorship