Here’s something I wish I had internalized earlier: anything less than an “A Player” is a waste of everyone’s time. When you’re on a mission to create generational wealth for veteran families, you don’t have room for mediocrity. Early on, we let a few non-A Players linger too long. It cost us time—time we could’ve used to scale faster, acquire more businesses, and place our first veterans into ownership roles.

The good news? We corrected course. The latter half of the year became a period of recalibration and momentum. We locked into alignment, removed the bottlenecks, and got under contract with a few incredible businesses. Today, we’re under LOI (Letter of Intent), and I’m getting a masterclass in the art—and grind—of closing a deal. Spoiler alert: it’s not for the faint of heart.

Closing a deal is equal parts persistence, patience, and precision. It’s not cheap, it’s not simple, and it’s never guaranteed. But here’s the thing: it’s also incredibly rewarding. Every step we take gets us closer to placing our first veteran into a business, closer to our mission of creating veteran family business owners, and closer to turning dreams into reality for people who have served this country.

At PGC, we’re building something special. Our model is simple yet powerful: we acquire cash-flowing companies, place veterans or their family members in a full-time role, and give them five years to apprentice under seasoned operators. During this time, they learn everything—P&Ls, operations, leadership—while gaining access to masterminds, industry-specific groups, and self-improvement tools. At the end of their 60-month journey, they’re equipped to become owner-operators themselves.

It’s a path to generational wealth, empowerment, and unlimited potential. And it’s a privilege to wake up every day and do this work.

We also get to partner with amazing investors, thanks to the 1202 tax exemption, which allows for tax-free capital gains when they invest in qualifying businesses. It’s a win-win-win: investors grow their wealth, veteran families grow their legacies, and we get to fulfill our mission of doing good while doing well.

This year has taught me that leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about learning, pivoting, and showing up—every single day. I’ve learned to lean into the discomfort, to embrace the grind, and to trust the process, even when it feels slow.

Because here’s the thing: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.

Our team is hungry. We’re a group of veterans and veteran family members pooling our strengths, talents, and grit to create massive, positive impacts. The journey is just beginning, but every step forward reminds me why we’re doing this: to empower others, to leave a legacy, and to make dreams a reality.

Here’s to the lessons of Year One—and to the opportunities ahead in Year Two.