Seth Yakatan

Raising & Selling 📈 $1B+ Raised 💰 22 Companies Sold 🤝

Are you struggling to communicate your vision to the capital gatekeepers?

Are you exploring selling your business but don’t know anything about:
✘ Due diligence
✘ Term sheets
✘ Earnouts

Friend, you're lucky you found me...

I'm Seth Yakatan.

I have 30-odd years experience as a corporate finance professional.

My specialties are:
💰 Raising money
🤝 Selling companies

And I’m f**king good at it.

I’ve raised over $1B and sold 22 businesses.

My career has mostly been supporting small-cap and major corporations seeking capital to grow, or
to find strategic acquirers.

Most of these companies are in: 
— biotech
— cannabis
— pharmaceuticals
— DTC consumer goods

I’ve been on boards, taken companies public, gone up against multinational corporations, raised from VC and PE funds.

All of it. 
Many times over.
Whatever your problem is, I’ve seen it before.

But let me level with you:

What I REALLY love is helping people to get to the finish line.

Talking to entrepreneurs excites me.

But in my experience, entrepreneurs are mostly s**t at raising capital and selling companies.

** They just don’t understand investors **

And that’s where I come in.

Together, we workshop: 
✔ Your pitch
✔ Your deck
✔ Your strategy 

And help you raise the capital to GROW and SELL your business.

If you need this help—and almost every business does—send me a DM.

Like, now.

Don't lose another potential investor or acquirer with the wrong pitch.

Seth ✌️

Co-Founder

Merchant Bank / Advisory / Family Office

Hate the three largest MSOs?? Well hate all you want, look at the numbers…

You’ll see that THEY ALL DELIVERED on Q4 2025 results.

Say what you want…the numbers DON’T LIE.


>> What Happened?

Trulieve delivers industry-leading adj. EBITDA margin of 35.8%. 
(Oh they also have $255.5M in cash!)

Green Thumb Industries (GTI) grows revenue and adj. EBITDA by 5% and 19%, respectively. 
(While reversing the gross margin slide and delivering GM of 52.7%.) 

Curaleaf grew revenue by 4.0% while beating adj. EBITDA estimates.
(All while lapping the FIELD with 65% y/o/y growth in Europe.)


>> Why Is It Important?

Kim has a war chest and is poised to dominate TX and PA.

Ben has cash, stock, and has grown margin DESPITE compression.

Boris is the world’s largest cannabis operator by market cap. PERIOD.


>> What Am I Watching?

Boris has made a jump into EU for growth, do Kim and Ben follow suit?

If 280e goes away, do Truelive and GTI see a big bump in price?

Which one of these three raises THE MOST equity the day after S3?


You know I have been critical of all three of these companies and CEOs.

Time for me to give a tip of the cap to all three for DELIVERING on RESULTS, period.

Say whatever you want about these MSOs…

The NUMBERS DON’T LIE.

Where will you find me this year ???

At an IgniteIt Cannabis thats where...


Taking some time to thank the whole squad there...
Elliot Lane
Patrick Lane
Jason Raznick

Appreciate ALL YOU DO...
CHI-TOWN IS COMING !!!!!

What is it that you "do" for work ???

Honestly I am not 100% sure what "I Do"

I am 
a therapist
a garbage man
a facilitator
But most of all

a truth teller...

Thanks to Rachel Wright, CPA, MST and VERDANT Strategies

Want a relationship ?

Start with a bank, I did...

Shout out to the whole team First Citizens Bank
And My ACE Diana A.

Need a place because you been thrown out of every other bank ?
Call her or DM me...

Thanks to the crew at Sweed for the video...

U.S. cannabis sales fell 3.1% in Jan. 2026 vs. Dec. 2025…

This was across 15 tracked markets.

The data shows us that demand didn’t collapse….

But momentum has softened.


>> What’s Happening?

January sales dropped 3.1% sequentially across 15 U.S. markets.

Yes, down from December, but UP 4.6% year-over-year.

So demand didn’t fall off a cliff.

Declines hit western markets and 8 Eastern markets

What we are seeing is a redistribution.


>> Why Is This Important?

This is what market maturity can look like.

We are now playing with price compression + market saturation.

Cannabis might be behaving like a real consumer category.

Real consumer categories don’t grow in straight lines.

Ask Alcohol…


>> What Am I Watching?

Does this make already scarce capital become even more scarce?

Solvency wins in markets like this, watch the balance sheet…

This is where M&A waves begin (and have begun): in slowdowns.


January 2026 was not a bad month.

January 2026 was a signal, if you are able to read it.

The industry is shifting from land grab…to capital discipline.

And historically?

That’s when consolidation begins.

Watch the balance sheets — not the headlines.

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So you thought the labor unions were going to sit still? Well, the TEAMSTERS started being the TEAMSTERS.

Cresco Labs is going to template how unions are going to begin shaping the future of the sector.


>> What’s Happening?

Workers at a Cresco Labs’ store in have gone on strike!

The decided to unanimously walking out over wages, hours, and long-term stability.

And the employees ARE REPRESENTED by…..Teamsters Local 429.

Shocked? I’m not…


>> Why Is This Important?

Make no mistake, unions are still powerful.

Teamster-affiliated pension capital exceeds $100B.

1.3 million members…nah…1 in 10 workers is a Teamster.

Teamsters touch almost 20% of ALL CPG goods in the USA.


>> What Am I Watching?

The Brotherhood has be quietly showing up in the industry for 3+ years. Does this signal great action by the Union?

They have the power to make changes, force policy and provide capital. Does this put the National in a mood to make a move?

Teamsters move America. Will they organize in a way that shapes the future trajectory of the industry?


When organized labor starts demanding “middle-class careers” inside cannabis, we know we’re no longer in a “startup ecosystem.”

You are in an “industry.”

Make no mistake the Brotherhood has the power and $$$ to shape things.

Now we have to wait and see what they will do next.

The Booze guys keep telling me:

“Everything is OK” but…

THE DATA tells a completely different story.

What I’m reading is:

GEN Z ain’t DRINKING.


>> What’s Happening?

In 2025, Gen Z accounted for only 4 % of alcohol sales.

You read that right. FOUR PERCENT!

21% of the country only purchased 4% of the alcohol.

And they’re THE FUTURE.

This is WAYYYY smaller than any marketers and policymakers assumed.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Well…EVERY industry is betting on Gen Z driving massive consumption.

And that might be true for a lot of products, but absolutely not for alcohol.

So the question then becomes, if Gen Z ain’t showing up for alcohol, then WHERE ARE THEY?


>> What Am I Watching?

What is the actual spend by this demographic across alcohol AND c@nnabis?

What is driving the buying behavior of this group??

IS there a cross-category substitution occurring???


If Big Booze is telling me everything’s ok but the segment they NEED to drive growth is a ghost…

What does that mean for alcohol?

And what does it mean for the future of consumption in the US??

The times are a changin’!

Want the key to success ???

BE PROFITABLE (yes, it's that simple !)

Very few business that are PROFITABLE actually fail...

Crazy, I know...but I am Crazy...

Appreciate Rachel Wright, CPA, MST + The VERDANT Strategies crew

When in doubt about THC bevs, just copy whatever alcohol does…

Makes sense, right?

That’s what Missouri is doing…


>> What’s Happening?

Missouri lawmakers are evaluating new rules around hemp bevs.

Basically, treat it just like alcohol: 21+ age floor, excise taxes, structured compliance, and formal retail controls on where and how and when they can be sold.

Interesting…


>> Why Is This Important?

The free-for-all is over, McConnell saw to that.

Now regulators are making sure this is not a GREY AREA in their own state.

Public policy and public safety means real rules.

AND states are moving AHEAD of FEDERAL CLARITY…

Interesting indeed…


>> What Am I Watching?

Does the alcohol-style model becomes a template?

Potency, labeling, age restrictions, retail placement, and taxation?

IF federal shifts which products actually survive in this space?


This is early how “cannabis beverages” get folded into mainstream categories.

Novelty products, that’s one outcome.

Alcoholic beverages, that’s a market shift YOU need to watch…

Germany’s medical market is quickly GROWING UP!

Dont tell Kaiser Wilhelm.

For me, this is one of the most exciting markets globally. I’ll explain why.


>> What’s happening?

Germany is turbo-charging its domestic medical cannabis cultivation.

This is REAL production capacity coming online, inside Germany.

RESULT: fewer imports, fewer bottlenecks, cheaper AND more reliable supply.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Germany is no longer an “emerging cannabis market”.

Europe’s biggest nation is now building serious infrastructure.

That’s how markets become durable.

More importantly, that is when capital gets comfortable.


>> What Am I Watching?

When does domestic cultivation finally stabilize price and availability?

Which operators can ACTUALLY GROW? (’cause folks that AIN’T EASY…)

How quick does the MSO/LP story line move from “EU optionality” to “Germany”.


Germany is the biggest and most important medical cannabis market in Europe.

In fact, it’s the most important anywhere outside of North America.

And EVERYONE is watching it…

So…the AG of Ohio just sued 9 MSOs…

What??

Yep…9 MSOs.


>> What’s Happening?

The AG of Ohio just filed an anti-trust lawsuit against 9 MSOs for being a cartel.

Suit alleges they moved to (i) reduce product choice, (ii) exclude local operators
& (iii) keep prices artificially high.

Wait isn’t this the MSO 101 playbook? Or am I missing something?


>> Why Is This Important?

This moves to the core of operating cannabis retail.

Reciprocal supply agreements
Shared information
Shelf-space quotas

The suit says: “An industry-wide scheme designed to push small Ohio businesses out of the market.”

Wow…thats not good PERIOD.


>> What Am I Watching?

Not really sure how this plays out but it sure does not “feel” good…

Does M&A move from efficiency to exclusion? (Also not good)

Does this start to show up in EVERY state??


If this gets steam it could be a game changer.

Adjusting my models and grabbing popcorn.

So did you REALLY think the ban was about hemp??

No no no.

It was about ALCOHOL.

And now the numbers are in:


>> Whats Happening?

Alcohol is done watching hemp from the sidelines.

In Q4 2025 a bunch of companies files highlight lobbying disclosures tied to intoxicating hemp:

Moët Hennessy
Bacardi
Diageo
Brown-Forman
The HEINEKEN Company
Sazerac Company

Hmm….read the tea leaves and follow the money.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Lobbying is balance-sheet-based muscle memory for alcohol.

They have been doing it since 1950 and they are GOOD at it.

Make no mistake, the alcohol industry is acknowledging something BIG:

THAT intoxicating hemp is already part of the adult-use landscape.


>> What I Am I Watching?

Which alcohol players move from lobbying to minority investments?

Or does alcohol flex harder to push hemp off the shelves?

Can cannabis incumbents realize they were out gunned (and outspent)?


Not sure how this plays out but I am going to crack 10mg bev and grab the popcorn!

undefined undefined

Moët Hennessy

Bacardi

Diageo

Brown-Forman

The HEINEKEN Company

Sazerac Company

Little more love from the MJ BIZ scene...
Shout for Rectitude Partners LLC
and my man Nicholas Bowers

thanks to the squad at 

Fat Nugs Magazine
Puff Creative

for a great night....4 Grams...COMING!!!!!

Rectitude Partners LLC

Rectitude Partners - Global Cannabis Packaging & Vape Tech Experts

Fat Nugs Magazine

Puff Creative

Is this the FIRST MAJOR ON PREMISE shot fired for THC beverages??

WELCOME to the 2026 Stadium EXPERIENCE!

THC Drinks are coming soon to an ARENA NEAR YOU!


>> What’s Happening?

Chicago’s United Center just announced its serving hemp-derived THC drinks.

Concerts/Sporting events/Big shared moments.

In case you didn’t know, that’s alcohol’s home turf….

THC is showing up more and more, without asking ANYONE for permission.


>> Why Is This Important?

Booze vs. THC is not the point.

The point is THC is now competing for share of occasions.

Normalization comes from repetition in trusted environments.


>> What Am I Watching?

The first league, venue group, or national operator that treats THC beverages in the same way ?

Who puts up the first THC Beverage advert in a stadium? (Remember USC/ Cookies?)

What major sports/food/airport group jump in next ?


5 beers or 5 2MG THC Beverages??

Same night, VERY different morning

Hang 10 and hit the dispo??

Adult use cannabis may be coming to the Aloha State…


>> What’s Happening?

Hawaii lawmakers filed legislation that would put rec cannabis to voters in November 2026.

If passed by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, Hawaii voters would be asked whether to amend the state constitution to legalize adult-use cannabis.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Ballot initiatives are cool but they are NOT a guarantee.

This was not brought forth by the electorate but by elected officials…

Not sure this get traction or mahalo…


>> What Am I Watching?

Do MSOs even bother modeling Hawaii as a near-term market?

Is capital ready to fund something in one of the worlds largest tourist economies?

Do voters notice they’re being asked to decide a policy?


Feel like another version of Pele’s curse.

Cannabis style…I will just grab a shaved ice.

Guess who’s messin’ with Texas?? Cann, that’s who.

Cann is fixin’ to dominate the Lone Star State.

Here’s what’s going down:


>> What’s Happening?

Cann secured Texas distribution with Spec’s.

Spec’s, for those that don’t know, is THE LARGEST beverage retailer in Texas.

Full SKU set in one of the biggest alc retail channels in the USA.


>> Why Is This Important?

This is not a test, a dispensary, one franchisee gone rogue, or a limited run.

THC drinks are moving via mainstream beverage infrastructure.

Spec’s has 200+ doors statewide.

Say what you want, I AM seeing a distribution shift...


>> What Am I Watching?

What other brands can howdy on down to distribution?

What other retailers jump on board now that we have Target, Circle K and Spec’s?

Is there movement on the regulatory side in Texas? (Remember a few months ago they tried to BAN HEMP??)


Want to make sure we give a big congrats to the Cann Team!

Jake B. and Nick Fasano 👏 👏

Feels like Danny Stepper and the LA Libations team left their fingerprints all over here, cause this ain’t my first rodeo…

Want to LEARN MORE? Get your spurs to The Beverage Forum April 2026.

Cann

Changing the way people socialize!

Deep understanding of all things cannabis. From brand development, company structure, state expansion and financial complexities. I help organizations grow from the Black to the white

CEO & Co-Founder at L.A. Libations & Globestepper Productions

LA Libations

The Beverage Forum

When you fail 3 times, why not try for a 4th??

That’s what PA is doing right now as the state makes its FOURTH attempt at a move to Adult Use.

Sure, why not??


>> What’s Happening?

My guy Shapiro gave his fourth budget address.

Increasing overall spending by 6% without broad-based tax hikes.

Oh and he put adult-use BACK on the table…AGAIN.


>> Why Does This Matter?

PA is surrounded by NJ/NY/MD/OH, all of which are pumping REC.

The budget conversation shows how much $ PA is leaving on the table staying medical.

How ELSE can you spend more and NOT tax the general public?


>> What Am I Watching?

This is now #4. Can it REALLY HAPPEN this time?

What will be the policy tradeoffs if this happens? Who loses?

Is THIS a state surrounded by AU finally admitting leakage is a tax policy?


Adult-use didn’t magically reappear…

It reappeared because PA needs the $$$.

Politics and budgets are not based on morality…

Bet your butt they are based on COLD HARD CASH.

And AU seems like a magical cash machine.

Has someone actually cracked the code to S3?

Well, maybe…

Kazmira Pharmacy just announced the first licensed 503A compounding pharmacy in the U.S. dedicated to prescription-only, THC-free CBD.


>> What’s happening?

I’m no lawyer but under the current S3 regs this could be a category.

Take CBD off the wellness aisle and into clinical practice.

Legal, all 50-states with reimbursement?

Hmmmm…


>> Why Does This Matter?

Well, if they crack the distribution matrix problem this could be a thing.

Both anticipating tighter CBD/THC rules and making compliant medicine ahead of the compliance wave.

Seems like a product doctors can prescribe without standing in a dispensary…


>> What Am I Watching?

Do physicians now have a reason to get involved?

Do payers/HSA/FSA systems begin to reimburse and treat this like specialty pharma?

Do others adopt this model?


I know that cannabinoids BEHAVE like medicine…

But once payors get ready for this category to stop being treated like lifestyle products.

Think your business is HARD?

Try this:

1. Every state (and city) has a different set of rules

2. The Government taxes you at an exorbitant rate 

3.  Capital flow is weighted to larger and later-stage operators

4. There is very little capital to begin with...

Now tell me you product is not Federally legal...WELCOME TO C@NNABIS!!!!

Appreciate the love from Alex D. and the squad from The High Index for the spot!

CEO @ The High Index | Connecting people, data, and opportunity

The High Index

Everything's BIGGER in TEXAS? Well, Texas Original just bet the ranch.


>> What's Happening?

Texas Original just opened the largest medical cannabis facility in Texas.

They’re expanding cultivation and processing capacity to meet rising patient demand.

No change in law…no ballot initiative.

Just cash, concrete, steel, and CONFIDENCE.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Well son, you don't go build the largest facility inside one of the most restrictive medical programs in the country…

THIS is what early movers look like in medical states.

And might signal that regulators are comfortable enough to let serious operators scale.


>> What Am I Watching?

Does demand absorb this build?

Does the program allow for success?

Who’s the next operator is to break ground?


Texas ain't first.

It won't be loud.

But when it moves, it will move at TEXAS SCALE.


Cowboy UP y'all.

Ryan Rouse

Growth advisor to consumer businesses with a focus on every line of the P&L | Previously, Co-Founder at Factor Meals (acquired), CEO at Highkey

Growth-minded CPG leader with deep experience across finance, brand building, and operational leadership.

After more than a decade in finance—culminating in an eight-year tenure at Merrill Lynch—I co-founded Factor_, a ready-to-eat meal delivery company that went on to be acquired by HelloFresh for $277M in 2020.

I joined HighKey Snacks as Chief Marketing Officer and later CEO, guiding the low-sugar snack brand through rapid expansion and an acquisition in 2024.

I'm currently the President of MALK Organics, a fast-growing, near nine-figure brand redefining the plant-based milk category with its commitment to clean, organic ingredients and uncompromising quality.

And I write a newsletter about what it really takes to grow—your company, your mindset, your tolerance for chaos:
​
​• The unfiltered truth about building a brand
• Why “strategy” isn’t always strategic
• What to do when everything feels on fire
• Mindset shifts that keep you sane(ish)​
• Founder mistakes, market moves, and lessons I’m still learning​
​
​Part playbook, part perspective shift.
For anyone trying to grow something—and keep their head on straight.

Sign up using the link here (or below my profile pic above): https://ryanrouse.me/

Vice President | Partner

Data driven investors in early stage consumer brands. 

MALK made the Bain 2026 US Insurgent Brands list 👀 

What I love about this list is it's numbers based (i.e., not a popularity contest.)

• Greater than $35MM in revenue
• Grown at least 10x faster than their category average over the last 5 years
• Maintained positive growth over the past 2 years

A couple other stats that stand out. 

- While the overall market grew less than 2% in 2025, the insurgents captured 36% of market growth.

- Insurgents grew volumes by approximately 55% year over year in a market where overall volumes were largely flat, demonstrating that their growth reflects real consumer demand, not just price inflation.

- Insurgent brands continue to be at the forefront of where consumer demand is accelerating with 44% of the brands featuring natural or organic claims. 

I'm proud of what we're building at MALK. 

And honored to sit alongside the other amazing Brands on this list. 

Let's get after it once again in 2026!

Never been on a Forbes list // President @ MALK Organics // Follow for posts about the highs and lows of building consumer brands from 13+ years in the trenches actually doing it

We’re debuting our new Cleaner Creamers at Expo West.

Organic, dairy-free, and made without gums, oils, or natural flavors. 

One thing we all need at Expo is coffee (duh), so come have a cold brew on us at our Cleaner Creamer Coffee Bar outside of Hall E (S21). 

Or explore the full MALK lineup (and more) at our main booth N322.

Lastly, we're also hosting a happy hour on Thursday 3/5, from 4-5PM — where MALKtinis will also make their debut :)

See you there!

(Full details in the link in the comments)

I turn 47 today.

Five years ago, I wrote a post on my 42nd birthday about entering my prime.

Looking back, I was right. But I underestimated what was coming.

Because every year since then, I've finished even stronger than I started.

Not older. Stronger.

Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.

Patience made me stronger mentally.

I stopped needing everything to happen right now. The urgency that used to consume me is more controlled. The more I let things unfold, the quieter my mind gets. Clearer. 

Acceptance made me stronger emotionally.

I stopped fighting what I can't control. The setbacks, disappointments, and other people's opinions that used to stunt me... I learned to let them pass through instead of take up residence.

Balance made me stronger physically.

I stopped treating my body like it was separate from everything else. Sleep matters. Recovery matters. I'm in better shape at 47 than I was at 37 because I finally stopped grinding myself into the ground.

Focus made me stronger universally. 

I stopped giving F's to things that don't fill me up. Relationships, opportunities, envy of other's people's highlight reels on social media. 

I'm still a work in progress, but recognize and acknowledge that if I'm going to grow, those are the areas that need to be more developed. So I work on them. 

At 22, I thought 47 was ancient.

At 47, I know the truth.

I'm not declining. I'm compounding.

Every hard conversation. Every failure I sat with instead of ran from. Every time I chose the long game over the quick win.

It all stacks.

So if the 22-year-old version of me showed up today, I'd tell him the same thing I said five years ago:

You have no shot against this version of me.

But now I'd add one thing:

You won't have a shot against the 60-year-old version either.

We’re hiring a Director of Finance.

You’ll report directly to and work closely with our CFO Jay Stone. 

MALK is growing fast with a smaller team which means you’ll have meaningful ownership and impact.

It also means we need a builder. 

Someone comfortable operating in the fast-moving, messy world of high-growth CPG.

You’ll partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Category Insights, and Demand Planning to help us understand what’s driving growth and how we invest to scale the business.

We have a culture we protect furiously. 

A group of humans who are all different, but who have common traits. 

Self motivated, open minded, intellectually curious, and cool. 

Last thing I’ll say is this.

This place is special. And will be one of the most fun and rewarding work experiences of your life if you’re the right fit. 

I don’t just believe that. I know it. 

If you’re interested, or know someone great, email hr@malkorganics.com. 

Or text me if you know me.

I've never met a happy person in a hurry.

Last week I looked down and realized I'd eaten an entire lunch without tasting a single bite.

Fork in one hand. Slack in the other. Eyes on the next call starting in 4 minutes.

I couldn't tell you what I ate. I was already somewhere else.

And I thought: what am I actually racing toward?

Look, I get it. Speed wins. 

I've built my entire career on moving fast. I preach it constantly.

But there's a difference between moving with urgency and living in a constant state of hurry.

Urgency is a choice. Hurry is a disease.

Urgency says "this matters, let's go."
Hurry says "this moment isn't good enough. I need to be somewhere else."

Every time you're rushing, you're basically telling yourself: I don't want to be here. I want to be there.

"There" is always some future moment. When the deal closes. When the launch is done. When you're "further along."

You know what you'll find when I got there?

Another "there."

Happiness isn't waiting for you at the finish line.

It's not in the next milestone or the cleared inbox or the lunch you inhaled at your desk.

It's here. Right now. 

Even if "here" isn't where you thought you'd be.

If you can't get your arms around that, happiness will always elude you.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Stop trying to be Steve Jobs.

He's the exception, not the rule.

An entire generation of founders watched the turtleneck tantrums and thought that was the playbook for great leadership. 

It's not.

I've watched brilliant people flame out because nobody wanted to work with them.

Being easy to work with is a competitive advantage.

Nice people make more friends.
Nice people create more loyalty from colleagues.
Friends and loyal colleagues expand your network.
Your network brings more opportunity.

The math is simple.

Be decent.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

The relationships will matter more than you think.

More than the wins. More than the exits.

Between Expo and a few trips to Austin, I've been reconnecting with people I've worked closely with over the years.

Different brands. Different outcomes. Different chapters.

But one thing was universally true across all of it.

Real connection got built.

Not the surface-level kind. 

The kind rooted in trust, respect, and genuine love for each other.

I'm grateful to have crossed paths with so many great humans along the way.

And proud as hell to watch them go out and do amazing things.

But the part that hits hardest is this.

They still want to sit down for a coffee and a big hug.

That's the real scorecard.

Not the revenue. Not the valuation. Not the press release.

The people who still show up for you when the chapter's closed.

The chapter ends. The relationships don't.

Build accordingly.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

There’s nothing like putting your skills to the test.

I say it to the team all the time. 

No doubt they’re sick of hearing it. 

But getting the chance to put your hard work to the test is a privilege. 

Full stop. 

I’ve worked really hard on my jiu jitsu since picking it up 3.5 years ago. 

And love to compete in tournaments because what better way to test skills than that?

This is me getting a choke submission in the gold medal match at the Austin Open last week. 

Stoke Level = Off The Charts

Really proud of the work I’ve put in regardless of the outcome. 

But winning is pretty sweet.

I used to think good leaders had an opinion on everything.

Every deck. Every decision. Every damn detail.

If someone brought me something, I had to weigh in. That was my job, right?

Wrong.

I was exhausting my team and myself.

Not everything demands your judgment.

You're actually allowed to say "I trust your call on this."

You can sit in a meeting and just listen. You can let your direct report run with their idea without inserting yourself into every corner of it.

The best leaders I know? They're selective about where they spend their opinion capital.

They know the difference between:

• Things that need their input
• Things that need their approval
• Things that need neither

When you comment on everything, two things happen:

Your team stops thinking for themselves. And you become the bottleneck.

So now I ask myself: Does this actually need me? Or do I just want to feel important?

Most of the time, it's the latter.

Shutting up is a skill. And it might be the most underrated one in leadership.

—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

The best leaders don't announce themselves.

Sure, you can feel their presence.

But when they're with their team, there's no performance. 

No need to remind everyone they're the boss.

Their authority comes from how they listen. How they ask questions instead of giving orders. How they make space for others to shine.

The insecure ones do the opposite.

They interrupt. 
They dominate conversations. 
They make damn sure you know they're running the show.

But real leadership shows up in the room without saying a word. 

People lean in when they speak. 
Decisions get made faster. 
The team moves with confidence.

That's the tell.

If someone has to constantly remind you they're in charge, they probably aren't.

Self reflection is in short supply.

Most people are so damn sure they're right.

I get it. Confidence feels good. Certainty is comfortable.

But what I've learned in nearly 47 years on this planet is the most dangerous thing you can do is stop asking yourself one simple question:

Am I wrong?

Not once in a while. Regularly.

Pick something you're convinced of and argue against yourself. Make the best case you can for the opposite view.

You'll either strengthen your position or realize you need to change it.

Either way, you win.

The people who do this consistently? They make better decisions. They build stronger teams. They avoid costly mistakes.

The ones who don't? 

They get blindsided by their own blind spots.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Your best relationships aren't built in the good times.

They're forged in the shit storms.

When revenue's down. When you're making layoffs. When the product launch flops and everyone's pointing fingers.

That's when you find out who's really on your team.

I've watched partnerships crumble during growth phases that should've been celebrations. And I've seen teams get tighter during crises that should've torn them apart.

The difference?

How you communicate when it's hard. 

Whether you protect respect even when you disagree. If you can trust each other when the path forward isn't clear.

You can't go back to the early days when everything felt simple. When the stakes were lower and disagreements didn't matter as much.

And honestly? You shouldn't want to.

Because every hard conversation, every tense board meeting, every moment you chose trust over ego made you stronger.

The relationships that survive the pressure are the ones worth keeping.

Everything else is just networking.

Intelligence isn't why leaders fail.

They fail because they can't connect.

I watched a VP with all the talent in the world lose his team in 6 months. Not because the plan was wrong. Because no one wanted to follow him.

He couldn't read a room. Couldn't give feedback without destroying morale. Couldn't build trust.

The gap between good and great leadership isn't IQ. It's EQ.

You can be the smartest person in the building and still create a vibe people don't enjoy.

Because leadership isn't about being right. It's about bringing people along with you.

Your direct reports. 
Your counterparts. 
Your boss. 

The hard skills get you in the door. The soft skills determine how far you go.

If you're stuck at a certain level, ask yourself: Is it really your capabilities holding you back? Or is it how you make people feel?

Start there.

No one person can make or break a company. 

Not once the brand becomes the most important "person" in the room.

Can a complete leadership overhaul across the org do it? Yes.

But no single individual, up or down the org chart, has that power alone.

That's actually a good thing.

For employees, leaders, founders, all of it.

Because it means the brand has arrived. It's bigger than any one person. That's the whole point.

But here's the flip side.

One individual, anywhere in the organization, CAN impact the culture in a meaningful way.

And culture? That can destroy a company from the inside out.

The brand might be bulletproof from the outside. But rot starts internally, quietly, one bad actor at a time.

So protect the brand by building it. But protect the company by protecting the culture.

They're not the same thing.

Consuming content doesn't build confidence.

Doing does.

I spent years thinking I needed one more book, one more course, one more framework before I was ready. Spoiler: I was never ready.

The confidence I have now didn't come from any of that.

It came from:

• Launching things that flopped
• Making calls I wasn't sure about
• Building Factor_ with no roadmap
• Getting it wrong, then getting it right

You can watch every YouTube video on swimming. But you don't learn to swim until you're in the water.

Same with business. Same with parenthood. Same with life.

The reps are the education. The failures are the curriculum. The wins are just proof you survived long enough to figure it out.

Stop waiting until you feel ready. You won't.

Start before you're confident. That's how confidence actually gets built.


—

I write emails. Unfiltered takes from 12+ years building brands.

It's free. Subscribe (or don't):

https://ryanrouse.me/

Most hiring decisions are made by asking "are they good?"

Wrong question.

The right question: "Are they incrementally better than anyone else we could get?"

Because you can build an entire leadership team of talented, credentialed, hardworking people and still have a team of expensive commodities.

They're all good. None of them are that much better than someone else you could go get. 

Example: Your VP of Ops is solid. Keeps things running. But if they left, you could replace them in 8 weeks and the business wouldn't skip a beat.

That's not a person problem. That's a unique value problem.

Same applies to agencies, advisors, fractional execs — anyone you're paying premium rates.

If their contribution is "generally helpful" instead of "uniquely effective," you're overpaying for adequacy.

"But isn't all value good?"

Sure. But good doesn't justify premium compensation or equity or a seat at the table.

Unique capability does.

So here's the filter:
→ What do they deliver that others can't?
→ How much better are they than the next best option?
→ What capability gap would their departure create?

If you can't answer those clearly, you're hiring for credentials, not impact.

And if you're the one being evaluated?

Same test applies to you.

Momentum is the most powerful force in business.

It's intoxicating. And finicky as hell.

When you have it, deals close faster. Hiring gets simpler. Problems suddenly have solutions.

That part is obvious. The part that isn't... 

Your team doesn't feel it the way you do.

They're in the weeds. Focused on tasks. They don't see the pattern you're seeing.

So when momentum's on your side, your job isn't just to ride it.

It's to make sure everyone else feels it too.

Point it out. Celebrate wins. Connect the dots between their work and the results. 

So you can get the most out of it when the winds are at your back. 

Because it can disappear as fast as it arrived.

My newsletter hit inboxes this morning.

Throwing it below in its entirety. 

I send 1-2 emails a week. 

Short, punchy takes from 13+ years building brands.

No fluff. No sponsors. 

Just the stuff I wish someone had told me earlier.

If you like what you see, link to subscribe is in my profile.

—

I had a manager once who was incredible when I first hired him.

Hungry. Coachable. Eager to grow.

But over time he changed. He got comfortable. He stopped pushing.

The problem wasn't him though. The problem was me.

I kept treating him like the guy I hired two years earlier. I wasn't seeing who he had actually become.

We all do this. We meet someone at a certain point in their life. Then we freeze them there in our heads.

But people change. They grow. Or they don't.

Your job as a leader is to actually SEE who someone is RIGHT NOW.

This works the other way too. Sometimes someone on your team has leveled up massively. 

And you're still treating them like a rookie.

That's how you lose your best people.

They outgrow the box you put them in. Then they leave to find someone who sees them clearly.

Look at your team this week with fresh eyes. Ask yourself who has grown that you haven't recognized yet. 

Ask yourself who you've been holding on to out of loyalty to a version of them that no longer exists.

It's a tough exercise. But it's worth it.

Same goes for your kids, your friends, and your partner by the way.

—

Your team isn't underperforming.

You're under-deciding.

I see this constantly. Smart, capable founders drowning in 80-hour weeks while their team sits around waiting for answers.

The bottleneck isn't their talent. It's your inability to make a call and move on.

Every decision you hold onto is a decision they can't execute on. 

Every "let me think about it" is another day of momentum lost.

You hired them to solve problems. But if you won't let them make mistakes, they'll never learn to make decisions.

The companies that scale aren't led by people who make perfect decisions. 

They're led by people who make fast ones, course-correct when needed, and trust their team to do the same.

If your calendar is full and your team's is empty, you're not leading. You're hoarding.

Let go of something today. Make the call. Empower the decision.

Your business will move faster than you think.

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