Brett Hickey shares how the discipline he gained as a national-level speed skater fuels his success leading Star Mountain Capital. He explains the firm’s flexible capital model that provides loans, minority stakes, or majority buyouts for companies with 20 to 200 million dollars in annual revenue. Data-driven planning, strict risk management, and broad employee ownership underpin Star Mountain’s strategy. Brett details the sectors they favor (business services, healthcare, education, and niche logistics) and why they avoid highly cyclical or vice-related industries.

He closes with practical steps owners should take years before seeking private-equity money.

What You’ll Discover Today

• How athletic grit translates into private-equity resilience
• The three capital structures Star Mountain offers and when each fits
• Why lower-middle-market firms can out-perform bigger deals
• Key filters the firm uses to pick industries and reject others
• The role of data, technology, and alignment in protecting investor capital
• Actionable advice for founders on de-risking and succession planning

Key Topics Discussed

• Building a flexible capital solution for growth, recapitalization, or buyouts
• Aligning incentives by giving every employee equity participation
• Creating a dynamic business plan that balances short-, mid-, and long-term goals
• Importance of diversified revenue, long-term contracts, and low customer concentration
• Systematic sourcing: local deal teams in more than 20 U.S. cities and centralized underwriting
• Using acquisitions to turn fragmented sectors into higher-valued platforms
• Risk categories you can control versus those you cannot (commodity prices, etc.)
• Preparing for private equity: robust systems, clear succession, and documented processes

Call to Action

Ready to position your company for transformative growth? Call us at (305) 692-5531 to discuss how the Inside BS team can help you craft a compelling plan and connect with the right capital partners.