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

Will there be ONLY ONE California distro left standing?

If that’s true, my money’s on NABIS.

Nabis just acquired assets from Humble Cannabis Solutions.

Distribution. 
Commerce systems. 
Compliance. 
Logistics.

Others chase vibes, Nabis keeps chasing leverage.


>> What’s Happening?

Nabis just picked up assets from Humble Cannabis Solutions.

No hype. Just more control over the infrastructure that moves cannabis.

And now they OWN California…


>> Why This Matters

Infrastructure wins in markets where margins are thin.

And A/R drives the leverage of brands and suppliers.

Owning distribution, commerce, and compliance creates LEVERAGE.


>> What Am I Watching?

Can KSS last?

How many brands realize too late that they don’t control their own destiny?

Whats next for Vince Ning and Jun S. Lee? 

No vibes. No hyperbole. No fanfare.

Just own the damn channel…

The WHOLE DAMN THING.

I LOVE it when someone proves me WRONG… particularly when it’s someone with such a unique and positive character.

Case in point… my main hermano Los Arias and the Green Horizons, you guys have CRUSHED IT.


>> What’s Happening?

A few years back I heard something I thought was crazy

Someone was running around trying to raise big money for a greenhouse in the desert of CA.

A green house? How much $$$?? WTF???

Wrote him off as crazy.

Well, Green Horizons has built one of the best facilities I have walked, PERIOD.

Clean, tighter than a tick, good flower, and serious PASSION…

Impressive, MOST impressive.


>> Why Is This Important?

Sometimes I’m puzzled by the industry and things which I see and hear…

It’s one thing to raise this money. It’s another to know how to use it AND execute…

Cultivation is really easy to do wrong, and very hard to do right…everything about what Los and Green Horizons has built is RIGHT.

And I could not be happier for Los and his whole squad.

Sometimes you just have to BELIVE.


>> What Am I Watching?

Will anyone else have the STONES to build more cultivation in CA?

How soon will this crew stand up facility #2?

Will Green Horizons change the view of CA and the desert?

They sure changed this Joshua Tree’s path…

Abrazos, Jefe…

"You can't fight the desert. You have to ride with it." ~ Louis L'Amour.


Los is an INSPIRING DUDE who just back on LinkedIn, give him a follow and keep up to date with their progress 📈

Am I Trending???

Well you know what I say:

Once is luck, twice is an anomaly…

Three times? Then you’ve got a trend, my friend.

I was highly privileged to be featured alongside the savvy Mitchell Osak in this excellent Forbes piece by Javier Hasse on cannabis M&A in 2026.

Superb reporting, AS ALWAYS Javier.

Essential reading for everyone trying to make moves in the industry this year.

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gxNfAQ6W

Here’s an idea: why not just sell Hemp TCH Beverages till the last possible second

Eight brands including Cann, Drink DELTA, Wynk™, MAGIC CACTUS, Nectar, HOWDY and NOWADAYS are rolling out at Sprouts (WITH A BAN PENDING).

Yes. A national grocery store! Actual Hemp THC beverage! Next to groceries!


>> What’s Happening?

Sprouts just green lit the sale of THC drinks in stores.

First Target, NOW a mainstream grocer.

So while half the industry is still arguing about about regulation…

….Sprouts says: “Cool. We’ll take the money.”

>> Why Does This Matter?

This is something of a watershed moment for THC beverages.

Alcohol didn’t win because it was moral.

Nicotine didn’t win because it was healthy.

They won because they were available, familiar, and frictionless.

THC drinks just took a HUGE step in that direction.

>> What Am I Watching?

Which retailers will follow? (Because they WILL…)

Which of these eight brands win at grocery, and which dies trying?

How will regulators react now??


Fun fact: The market is moving faster than the rulebook.

Retail just signaled a big fat IDGAF for regulatory clarity.

You’re still debating whether THC beverages are “real”…

Congrats, you’re already two years behind.

No alternative text description for this image

Well...it happened: Wyld + Grön announced a definitive merger yesterday.

If you've been following me or listening to my BS, this is great news.

Why?

1. This represents a hallmark transaction for the industry and can foster a new era of M&A in the future

2. The combined company fully illustrates the importance of PLATFORMS driven by BRANDS

3. This represents the first national platform (and in ANT other industry this would be the basis of a Private Equity roll up deal/strategy)

4. It illustrates that there are companies (i) of scale, (ii) generating revenue and profit, (iii) that can find exits, (iv) that are Founder-led and (v) that can be stronger and grow together !!!

5. With this announcement and some form of Federal change on the horizon, 2026 could be our best year YET.

Congrats to all my friends at both companies on an AMAZING deal...

Aaron Morris and Christine Apple you should both be proud… and thank you both for showing the world what IS POSSIBLE!!!!

And if you know Draper Bender, then you know how and why this got done. Period.

Here is to the future for us all.

P.S. This video was recorded July 17, 2025 with Michael Krefman and Michael Peterson on From the Weeds to the Clouds

Even a broken clock is right twice a day....

Germany is officially importing TONS of lettuce.

The EU’s biggest single c@nnabis market is sprinting toward 600 metric tons of annual imports.


>> What's Happening?

Germany's medical cannabis imports have climbed quarter over quarter.

From 41 metric tons in early 2025 to 57 t in Q3 2025, crushing records.

German regulators even raised the annual import ceiling once the original quota was exhausted.

Prescription access is expanding and telemedicine is growing…the trajectory now looks like hundreds of tons annually…

>> Why Is This Important?

Germany is now Europe's largest regulated medical cannabis market and its explosive import growth is a global signal.

Deutschland’s policy reforms have created predictable patient access and a huge upstream opportunity for exporters and supply chain players.

At 600 tons of annual imports, that is global supply chain scale and a new benchmark for what "big cannabis" might look like outside North America.


>> What Am I Watching?

Can anyone in Europe actually grow weed at scale, or will the country remain dependent on imports long term?

How pricing, pharmacy networks, and telemedicine evolve and can a patient market can coexist with both social clubs + adult use.

Which countries and companies position themselves as primary exporters into Europe's hottest cannabis corridor?


Bottom line:

Europe's medical cannabis boom isn't theoretical anymore…

It is measurable, explosive, and reshaping global supply chains.

If you haven't been tracking Germany's trajectory closely, you're late.

Glad you all gave up because some of us just GOT STARTED.

Looks like 2026 is off to a terrible start…


>> What’s Happening?

Nothing at all, just go back to sleep

Cannabist’s VA footprint goes for $130M.

Wyld/Gron pops off.

Illicit does a landmark ESOP.

Sunderstorm grabs Lime.

Nabis grabs Humble.

Key takes Bellrock.

Canopy puts $150M on the balance sheet

But its only January, go back to sleep….


>> Why Does This Matter?

The strong are getting STRONGER.

Notice any similarities in any of these deals? (read any of my posts??)

I have profiled most of these companies as “working”.

And the others have big balance sheets.

THE CONSOLODATION will not be televised.


>> What Am I Watching?

Who and what is NEXT?

SUPER-BRAND V2 is coming. Count on it…

Can someone take control of California?

What am I missing??

First of 12 innings down.

The pitcher has not even warmed up and

Already its a Perfect GAME ….

In case you missed it 

Wyld and Grön was announced earlier this week...

Have to give props again to both teams on the absolute magnitude of this deal for the industry....I am still amazed by this one....

And do not forget why....and what else is possible and for who...

Jeeter - a DreamFields Brand
Timeless
Nova Farms
Standard Wellness
C3 Industries

Thank you Aaron Morris + Christine Apple for showing the WORLD what this industry CAN DO !!!!

Here is to the future for us all...
and never sleep on Draper Bender (might just be the best in the business) 

P.S. This video was recorded July 17, 2025 with the amazing squad of Michael Krefman and Michael Peterson on From the Weeds to the Clouds
(MORE PROGNOSTICATIONS FORTHCOMING.... )

I am never giving up on California...EVER...

Keep an eye on my friends at Embarc
Keeping it REAL FOR EVERYONE....

CA is still #1 and will be #1 for a while.

We ain't going nowhere...

Just training for the next 12 rounds....

Welcome to Las Vegas !!!!
Wait...did I see you there ?
Well if I did, maybe you made the edit...

Seibo Shen
Elliot Lane + IgniteIt Cannabis
Diana A. + First Citizens Bank
Salvatore (Sal) LaTorre
Aisha Alves + the squad from FlowerHire
My main man Frank Colombo,  CFA + Viridian Capital Advisors
The ever popular Jesse Parenti, TRA 
Marty Higgins
and the ever magnanimous Lisa Williams + Hello Again

Want to thank my good friends from Sweed for all the help !

When does a celebrity brand officially hit the skids?

When it turns into a $50M lawsuit.

Iron Mike Tyson and The Nature Boy Ric Flair just turned their brand in weed biz into federal lawsuit.

And the allegations are wild.


>> What’s Happening?

Tyson and Flair filed a 76-page RICO-heavy lawsuit against their former cannabis partners at Carma Holdings.

Accusations include all the good stuff: wire fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, extortion and securities fraud. 

And further accused management of siphoning off cash and company funds for private jets, yachts, home renovations, mortgages and lavish perks.

NY Post has the scoop if you want to read the details...

Tyson & Flair are seeking more than $50 million in damages.


>> Why This Matters?

RICO is typically reserved for organized fraud and systemic corruption not partner disputes.

Defendants are pushing back hard, calling the suit “fiction dressed up as a lawsuit.” 

Celebrity + cultural icons + weed business + alleged internal theft = BAD LOOK

As an industry we do NOT need further headline drama.


>> What Am I Watching?

Does this show anything about governance, IP control, and fiduciary accountability?

Or does it just becomes another in a long list of “bad-celebrity brand” tabloid footnotes?

Can RICO stick here?

Which is the next celebrity cannabis brand to go ass over tea kettle? 

Bottom line:

Celebrity cannabis brand launches make headlines.

Celebrity cannabis boardroom lawsuits makes worse headlines.

Can we just NOT do any more celebrity brands, PLEASE??

You think its easy to get a deal done?

Think again...

Getting any deal done is HARD:
— Senior Debt
— Equity
— M&A
— Partnerships

It's like walking a drunk person home in the snow.

You might slip and fall a few times before you get there..

You have to realize it is going to fall out of bed once or twice.

And you have to have people around you who know how to get it done....
AND CLOSE.

Appreciate my friends Louis Magazzu and  Rachel Wright, CPA, MST for the discussion and the crew from IgniteIt Cannabis for the platform....

Nothing makes me happier than seeing good people succeed.

Especially those who pulled me up with them on the path.

So it gives me GREAT pleasure to give a huge congratulations to my friend  Austin DeAngelis on his most recent feat with furl.


>> What’s Happening?

A few years back I got pulled into Eaze, one of the better experiences of my life.

Were it not for the software sales veteran boom-mic trio of Nick Fasano, Austin DeAngelis and Owen Ruh…

I would have been left out on Venice Boardwalk.

But they took me in as one of their own and I am eternally grateful for that.

Especially when you have to pivot to make moves in c@annabis.


>> Why is This Important?

Sometimes you hear people leave the industry and hope they land feet first…

Then you check it…

One of the guys who pulled me along at Eaze

Drops a presser about a $10M seed round for his new AI start up deal furl.

With gold plated investors Ten Eleven Ventures, Rapid7 CEO Corey Thomas and Open Opportunity Fund, furl seems like a BANGER.


>> What Am I Watching?

What do I know about AI? Well frankly nothing…

But I do now how hard it is to pivot industries.

I also know how hard it is to RASIE CAPITAL.

SO when you pivot and knock the ball out of the park….

I can only admire the achievement and offer my most sincere congratulations.

Austin, I’m betting on you and furl thats for sure.

And thank you for all the help you have given me.

‘Seth, how did you make it into Forbes AGAIN?’

Well dummy I worked my butt off and I picked the right partner. That’s how…

Last week, Forbes published a piece on cannabis M&A that I was quoted in — alongside Mitchell Osak, who is the most credible and consistently right analyst in Canadian cannabis consulting, full stop.

No hype. No BS. No capital-markets vocabulary tests. This article didn’t come out of thin air.

It was grounded in a long-form piece Mitchell and I debated, pressure-tested, and refined because the loudest narrative in cannabis right now (“M&A is dead”) is… well just lazy.


>> What’s Happening?

M&A narratives dominate headlines, but how?

Behind the curtain, consolidation IS happening.

Private deals, restructurings, recaps, and strategic repositioning is where the action is.


>> Why Does This Matter?

Public markets for the next big cannabis deal? Maybe…

The next wave of exits, value and consolidation will emerge through private channels.

M&A didn’t disappear. It just stopped showing up in places that make for easy screenshots.

Public markets are frozen and private markets are doing the real work.

And anyone still waiting for a headline-grabbing “tsunami” deal from a busted MSO balance sheet is watching the wrong screen.


>> What Am I Watching Next?

How private capital structures continue to adapt to cannabis realities?

Does MORE off-market consolidation accelerate?

Does federal clarity finally unlock the value trapped in state-legal operators?

If you care about where real deal flow lives, this Forbes piece will be a reference point for 2026.

If you’re an operator, investor, or board member still anchoring strategy to press releases instead of private deal flow… good luck.


Two final points:

The Forbes piece is worth your time

Mitchell’s perspective is worth following

And if you want the WHOLE 18 pages behind the article download it here:

https://lnkd.in/eBxsGE7H

Read it. Argue with it. But don’t ignore it.

It's not what they say when you are IN the room
It's ALL ABOUT what they say when you are NOT IN the room...

What happens when two rival founders stop competing and start collaborating? 

Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein find out from Draper Bender, President of Grön, as he shares the unlikely beginning of his friendship with Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld  the man he once viewed as a bold, untouchable industry persona. 

Remember this was a Founder-led deal, there were no bankers. It was a direct, operator-to-operator discussion and transaction. No financial engineering. Just aligned businesses with similar DNA: bootstrapped, profitable, and deeply operational to their cores...

I was not even close to this one. 
Love you Draper and Christine Apple
And Aaron Morris count on me sending more pictures of boxes....
XO

Props to AnnaRae Grabstein + Ben Larson for the LOVE
And get on High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast
On Apple Podcast (apple.co/40e8I2T )
Spotify (spoti.fi/4iUKphY )
and YouTube (https://lnkd.in/g5CMxNAM)

Here's the latest speculation on Schedule 3…


A few weeks ago a Senator proposed a measure that would direct the AG of the USA to create a commission charged with making recommendations on a c@nnabis regulatory system….


That MODELS for what is currently in place for ALCOHOL….YUP.

>> What's Happening?

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the PREPARE Act.


This directs the U.S. Attorney General to establish a Federal Regulation of Cannabis Commission.

This will draft a regulatory framework for post-prohibition cannabis.


Safety standards, labeling, crop and trade practices, banking & revenue systems, and social equity impact.

The bill would effectively give the AG Trump's a formal job to coordinate federal cannabis policy and set rules before full legalization.

>> Why is this Important?

A commission BEFORE legalization is scary.

That's not helping us….that's pre-ordained federal architecture by committee, which seems to create MORE problems.

The industry deserves clarity on issues like taxation, banking, and ADA/FTC guidance.


Not MORE mechanisms based on bureaucracy.


>> What Am I Watching?

Does this commission actually draft binding regulatory standards or just recommendations that Congress can ignore?

Which stakeholders get a seat at the table?

Does this become the new pretext to delay real federal legalization until the next election cycle?

Commissions are easy press releases. Regulation is hard law.

Don't confuse politicking with legalization.

Contact your elected officials today…PLEASE.

Why was I so hyped on Beverage ???

I am a history major
I studied how Alcohol was rolled out over the last 80 years

Why ?

Normalized adoption and distribution...
And they MAKE MONEY
(and its the only thing that we have as an example)

and you know what...they make $$$$$

Thanks to Alex DeFazio and the The High Index for the spot

Everything early stage is HARD...
Next to impossible actually

I don't have a solution for early..

C@nnabis
Biotech
SaSS
AI
Retail
CPG/Beverage

All hard...

We just have 2 arms tied behind our backs on top of it all...

Grateful for the spot on From the Weeds to the Clouds
Michael Krefman + Michael Peterson

The Yellowhammer State might just GO GREEN!

Alabama’s Medical cannabis program might finally be real.

It only took four years….

>> What’s Happening?

Alabama regulators awarded dispensary licenses in a medical cannabis program that’s been legal since 2021 (yes really!).

IF this moves as planned, patients could FINALLY see actual dispensaries in 2026.

Legal on paper is becoming legal in practice…ROLL TIDE.

>> Why Does This Matter?

Because legislation without EXECUTION is theater.

Licenses without TIMELINES don’t help patients.

Delays don’t just stall access they burn capital AND credibility.

Alabama “legalized” medical cannabis years ago.

Patients got nothing….until now….we hope!


>> What Am I Watching?

Do lawsuits finally stop and licenses stick?

How fast will product actually reach shelves?

If regulators prioritize access over process?

Medical cannabis doesn’t work if it never shows up.

Let’s see if Alabama finally delivers in the Heart of Dixie!

New York has been on quite the journey since it passed adult use.

It’s gone from total rollout chaos to $2.5B in legal c@nnabis sales.

And A LOT more people are smoking it legally.

So… let’s talk about what that actually means (and what it doesn’t).


>> What Is Happening?

Empires adult-use market has now exceeded $2.5B in total sales since launch.

Licensed dispensaries doubled year-over-year to 556 statewide, with 200+ in the 5 boroughs.

Tax revenue from legal sales has now topped $360M for state and local governments.

On paper, that looks like success. Headlines love it.


>> Why Does This Matter?

New York’s market FINALLY is scaling, but I’m not throwing a parade, just yet…

Years of rollout chaos, lawsuits, enforcement whiplash, and illicit sales have given me PTSD.

It’s not a shock that revenue has arrived now that the legal doors have actually opened.

$2.5B SOUNDS huge till you think about years of demand being (and still being) served by bodegas, vans, and Telegram menus.

Being honest: gross sales ≠ healthy operators.

Margins, taxes, and compliance costs are tough and NYC ain’t even seen price compression…and capital starvation still eats most licensees alive.


>> What Am I Watching?

How many of those 500+ stores are still standing in 24 months?

Do taxes and enforcement finally get aligned enough to actually shrink the illicit market?

Who survives at retail when this STOPS being a land-grab and STARTS being the knife fight over price, rent, and cash flow.


New York didn’t prove cannabis “works.”

Cannabis demand was never the question.

The real test is whether this market can graduate from revenue headlines to durable, profitable businesses.

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. 

The best people I've hired never complained about the workload.

Or the pressure.

They thrived on it.

They're burning out from the culture.

High performers can handle a lot. They're wired for it. They manage their time, stay focused, and actually like the work.

They don't leave because they're tired.

They leave because they're drained.

There's a difference.

Tired comes from hard work.

Drained comes from bad leadership, unclear priorities, and politics.

One recharges with rest.

The other doesn't go away until the environment changes.

If your top talent is checking out, don't assume they can't handle the work.

Ask yourself if they can handle the culture.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

We just launched a line of coconut-based creamers and they absolutely slap.

(Shout out to my kids who would cringe hard at that.)

No gums, no oils, no natural flavors. 

Just real, recognizable ingredients and a texture so creamy it'll make your coffee blush. 
​
🥥 Available in 3 flavors: Vanilla, Sweet Cream, and Unsweetened (for the purists)​
🥥 USDA Organic, non-GMO, glyphosate residue-free​
🥥 Clean label, full flavor: proof you don’t need additives to taste good ​
​
Hitting refrigerated shelves across the US as we speak. 

You should try them. For real.

Promoted two people today.

It's the best part of leadership.

Not the title changes. Not the org chart updates.

The part where you give great people room to run.

You watch them take ownership. Make decisions you wouldn't have made. Push ideas further than you could have alone.

And when you realize they didn't need you to tell them what to do.

They needed you to get out of the way.

That's the job.

Find people who are better than you at what they do.
Give them space to prove it.
Then watch them show the world what they're capable of.

Jayme and Barrett - you earned it many times over. I'm just happy to be a part of your journey and grateful you are part of mine.

I couldn't do any of this without you. 

Thank you 💙

The fastest way to get promoted?

Make yourself replaceable.

Sounds backwards. It's not.

I've watched talented people get stuck in roles for years. Not because they weren't good. Because they were too good at one thing.

They hoarded knowledge. Built processes only they understood. Made themselves "essential."

And their boss couldn't promote them.

Because who would do their job?

Meanwhile, the people who got promoted were doing the opposite:

Documenting everything.
Training their backup.
Building systems that worked without them.

They made it easy to backfill their role.

Leaders don't promote bottlenecks. They promote people who can be moved.

The employee who says "only I know how to do this" thinks they're proving value.

They're actually proving they're stuck.

The employee who says "here's the playbook, anyone can run this now" just showed they're ready for bigger problems.

Your job isn't to be irreplaceable at your current level.

It's to make your current role so transferable that promoting you becomes obvious.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

Entrepreneurs should think in two time frames:

30 years
90 days

I read this in a book by the legendary Dan Sullivan over a decade ago and it hurt my brain.

Because the more common advice is to regularly map out 1/3/5 year plans.

But the older I get and the more time I spend in early stage companies, I've moved more and more towards his away of thinking.

Cast a long term vision.
Execute what's in front of you.

It can be as simple as that.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails. No BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Social media will have you believe if you haven't made millions by 30, you're late.

It's bullshit.

Warren Buffett made 99% of his wealth after 50.
Ray Kroc was 52 when he started McDonald's.
Vera Wang was 40 when she entered fashion.
The list goes on and on...

Know what those extra decades give you?

Pattern recognition. You've seen enough cycles to know which ones matter.

Scar tissue. You've failed enough to know it won't kill you.

The pressure to achieve young is manufactured. 

By people selling courses. By media celebrating outliers. By your own impatience.

You're not late. The game is longer than they tell you.

Good thing too. 

Because big moves develop over decades.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails. No BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Your mood is not private.

It's broadcasting to everyone around you.

Show up to a meeting stressed, and watch what happens.

People tense up. Conversations get shorter. Ideas stop flowing.

Show up calm, and the opposite happens.

People relax. They think clearer. They bring solutions instead of panic.

I used to think emotions were personal.

Something I could feel without affecting anyone else.

I was wrong.

Every time I showed up frustrated, my team got quieter.
Every time I showed up anxious, my team got nervous.
Every time I showed up scattered, my team got confused.

They weren't reading my words.

They were reading my energy.

And matching it.

As a leader, your emotional state isn't just yours.

It spreads.

Like a cold. Like a yawn. Like panic in a crowded room.

The question isn't whether your emotions are contagious.

They are.

The question is: which ones are you spreading?

Because your team is catching whatever you're carrying.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

I used to think being intense was the problem.

It's not.

Letting other people control that intensity is.

I'm wired hot. Always have been.

It's helped me build things, push through walls, and get results most people won't.

But I also let it burn bridges I didn't need to burn.

The shift came when I stopped waiting for someone else to tell me to dial it down.

I learned to own the dial myself.

Still intense. Still emotional.

But now I decide when to turn it up and when to pull it back (most of the time, not perfect).

It's been the difference between intensity being an advantage vs. a liability.

Self-awareness isn't about changing who you are.

It's about controlling how you show up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails - no BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

I've never been the smartest person at any company I've been at.

But I'm always the fastest.

At Merrill Lynch, I was 1 of 75,000 employees. Could've been the best analyst on the floor. Still replaceable.

At a startup? Different game.

My superpower wasn't an MBA or some fancy framework.

It was knowing how to find shit fast.

When my co-founder at Factor_ asked "How do other meal delivery companies handle returns?"

Everyone else: "Let me schedule some calls."

Me: Ordered from 3 competitors. Submitted returns. Pulled their policies. Built a framework. Done.

Couple of hours, tops. 

Founders already know how to find answers. That's how they got this far.

They're not asking you because they're lazy. They're drowning.

The employee who says "I researched this, here are three options, I recommend X because Y" - and did it FAST - becomes indispensable.

The one who says "I don't know, what do you think?" becomes overhead.

At early stage companies, resourcefulness and urgency beat credentials every time.

No waiting. No deferring. No "I was waiting for you to give me the go ahead."

Run. It. Down. 

And do it quickly. 

Leaders will notice. 

Trust me.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

5 things founders get wrong about employee motivation:

(From someone who got all 5 wrong)

1. Expecting owner-level commitment from employee-level equity.

You own 40% of the company. They own 0.1%.
You'll make millions if it works. They'll make rent.

Stop acting surprised when they work less hours.

2. Thinking your sacrifice is their baseline.

I worked for no salary for three years. Maxed out credit cards. Emptied my 401k. 

That was my choice. Not theirs.

Your personal bet doesn't become their obligation.

3. Using guilt instead of respect.

I used to send passive-aggressive Slack messages when people left on time. "Must be nice to have work-life balance."

Real asshole moves.

Then one of my best employees quit.

In his exit interview, he said: "Ryan, you chose to mortgage your house for this company. I didn't."

He was right.

4. Believing more equity will change how people work.

I once gave someone more equity expecting it to change their output. It didn't.

That's because everyone has a "work MO." A default gear.

If they're a killer, they'll be a killer.
If they do the bare minimum, they'll do the bare minimum.

Equity won't flip that switch.

(It will help retain the killers, tho.)

5. Confusing presence with productivity.

The person cranking until 9pm isn't always your best performer.

Sometimes they're just slow. Or inefficient. Or avoiding something at home.

Judge output, not hours.


The fix isn't complicated.

Find people who give a shit about doing good work.
Pay them well.
Respect their time.

They won't work until 10pm unless it's truly necessary.

But when it is necessary, they'll be there.

Because you hired people who are wired for it. 

And earned their trust.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

I used to think hustle meant force.

Push harder. Work longer. Make it happen.

That mindset nearly broke me by the time I turned 37.

I was always pressing, always grinding, convinced that if I just worked hard enough, success would come faster.

But the thing I learned watching people who actually win long term is they don't force it.

They create the conditions for success, then let it unfold.

They work hard, but they're not desperate.

They're confident things will work out because they've done the work.

So I stopped trying to control every outcome and started trusting the process more.

I still show up every day. I still put in the work. I'm still wildly ambitious.

But I'm not white-knuckling my way through life anymore.

And since I stopped forcing everything, more opportunities started showing up.

Better opportunities. Clearer decisions. Less stress.

Turns out, there's a difference between working hard and working anxious.

One builds momentum.

The other burns you out.

I'm playing the long game now.

And it feels a hell of a lot better than the sprint I was running before.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

I used to think winning arguments made me smart.

It didn't.

It made me insufferable.

Healthy debate has respect and curiosity.

Ego-driven arguing has neither.

One sharpens you.

The other isolates you.

In healthy debate, you ask questions to understand.
In ego-driven arguing, you ask questions to trap.

In healthy debate, you say "I hadn't thought of that."
In ego-driven arguing, you say "Yeah, but..."

In healthy debate, you admit when you're wrong.
In ego-driven arguing, you double down.

In healthy debate, you want to learn something.
In ego-driven arguing, you want to be right.

Here are some things that helped me:

1. Pause before responding. Ask myself if I'm trying to understand or trying to win.

2. Repeat back what I heard. "So what you're saying is..." Forces me to actually listen.

3. Find one thing I agree with first. Even in disagreement, there's common ground.

4. Ask "What am I missing?" Instead of explaining why I'm right.

5. End conversations with "That gave me something to think about." And mean it.

The shift won't be immediate.

But people will start engaging with you differently.

Conversations get richer.

Ideas get better.

Relationships get stronger.

If you catch yourself needing to have the last word, you're probably arguing from ego.

If you walk away from a conversation thinking differently, you're probably debating with curiosity.

Took me way too long to learn the difference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails - no BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.

This Picasso quote gets twisted constantly.

People think it's about tactics. 

But it actually means master the fundamentals so deeply that innovation becomes instinct.

In business, I see this constantly:

The CMO who never ran a P&L trying to "disrupt" pricing strategy.

The founder who skips unit economics to chase viral growth.

The exec who wants to "break the mold" before understanding why the mold exists.

The best leaders I know spent years in the trenches.

Learning why things work before reimagining how they could work better.

They got creative because they got good first.

Master the boring stuff first.

Then go be an artist.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails - no BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

All senior leaders need to be numbers people.

Doesn't matter if they're in marketing, ops, or product.

If they can't read a P&L, understand unit economics, or connect their decisions to revenue, they're not ready for the seat.

Not "build a financial model from scratch" numbers people.

Not "debate GAAP accounting" numbers people.

But you need to speak the language of business.

Because every decision either makes money or costs money.

And if you can't see that connection, you're flying blind.


—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

In consumer, your customers don't care how smart you are.

They care that their order arrives on time.

That you're in stock when they need you.

That your quality doesn't fluctuate batch to batch.

They're not buying your IQ score.

They're buying your ability to deliver on expectations - some general to the market and some specific to your product and promise.

That's all execution.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails - no BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Your VP of Sales just quit mid-quarter.

No notice.

Just a call at 8am and a pile of deals in limbo.

That's when your team learned who you really are.

Your values aren't what you say in the good times.

They're what you do when everything's on fire.

You can preach respect all day long.

But if you lose your mind on someone when something goes wrong?

That's the real culture.

The version of you that shows up under pressure is the version that gets
replicated across your entire organization.

Not the polished one.

Not the prepared one.

The stressed one.

The frustrated one.

That's the leader your people will become.

So before you blame your team for losing their composure, poor communication or lack of ownership, ask yourself this:

What did I show them when things got hard?

Because they were watching.

And they learned.

—

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

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

https://ryanrouse.me/

The most frequent question I get from entrepreneurs is "What advice would you give your former self?"

My answer: Pace myself.

They blow me off.

Not to my face, but I can tell.

I get it though.

I did the same thing when I was in their shoes.

Thought I was different.

That I could outwork the system.

That entrepreneurial fire made me feel invincible.

Until it didn't.

If you're putting in 80 hours a week consistently, it's not a matter of if you're gonna burn out, it's a matter of when.

Because you can't sustain that for the time required to play the long game. 

(Which is the only game in town.) 

Find your sustainable pace now before you're forced to. 

You're running a marathon, not a 100-yard dash.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails. No BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Hard work is table stakes, not a flex. 

Your competitors work hard. 

It's necessary, but not sufficient. 

You also need to think in ways others don't. 

Most people default to putting in more hours because thinking hurts. 

It's easier to stay busy than to sit with a problem until you crack it.

I wish success in business was just about working harder. That would be simple. 

But the world doesn't give a shit about your hours.

It rewards people who create the most value. 

Value comes from seeing what others miss. 

From connecting dots in ways that seem obvious after but weren't before.

From working hard *and* smart.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails. No BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it's free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

Your manager isn't thinking about you nearly as much as you think they are. 

I promise. 

And that's a good thing. 

Carry on.

Most people think they're either risk-takers or they're not.

But that's not really how it work.

Risk isn't something you have a fixed capacity for.

It's something you build tolerance to.

Like lifting weights.

You don't walk into a gym and deadlift 400 pounds because you "have it in you."

You start small. 

Then add weight over time. 

Each rep expands what you can handle next time.

Risk works the same way.

The person who quit their corporate job to start a company didn't wake up one day with superhuman courage.

They made a series of smaller bets first.

A side project. A conversation. A decision to stop playing it safe in one area of their life.

Each one stretched the muscle.

So if you think you're not a risk-taker, you're probably right.

But it's not because you can't be.

It's because you haven't trained that muscle yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, you might like my emails - no BS musings from 12+ years in the trenches building brands.

You might not, but it’s free so WGAF:

https://ryanrouse.me/

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