MAA Advisor at Calder Capital
Graduate of Hope College in Holland, MI
Pizza Enthusiast, Speed Demon
Motto: Never, never, never give up. It can be done.
Favorite Activity: Kicking back with his wife and family at their UP cottage
Karaoke Night Song: Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way”
What motivated you to become an M&A advisor?
I started my first business in 1990 and have bought and sold others over the years.
In 2014 I helped sell a family business and fell in love with the process of business brokerage. I thrive on keeping deals moving and overcoming all obstacles to obtain the best possible outcome for my clients. Helping my clients cash in on their life’s work or helping them move on to the next chapter in their lives is extremely rewarding.
How did you come to work at Calder Capital?
I was a broker with another local firm. I worked for a brokerage that was very old school, as is most of the business brokerage industry. I admired how innovative Calder was at leveraging technology. I contacted Max Friar [Managing Partner at Calder Capital] to see if I could bring my talents would be useful and a good fit for helping him grow. After meeting him and the entire Calder Team, I knew I found a home.
I feel incredibly blessed to be an advisor at such an exciting and growing and innovative company.
What kinds of businesses do you like to work with?
I enjoy a faster pace, so I am attracted to smaller firms that sell more quickly than larger firms. Smaller size deals also allow me to have many listings at once, which I enjoy and keep my days busy. I specialize in businesses that sell for less than $1,500,000. Most are franchise resales, restaurants, and main street type businesses.
What motivates you to work hard each day?
I find enjoyment in getting deals done. Commissions only make you happy for a little while. Working with buyers and helping them realize their dream of business ownership or successfully assisting sellers in reaping the rewards of their hard work is worthwhile. The bigger the challenges that come up, the better the sense of accomplishment is at the closing table.
Describe the wildest thing that’s ever happened to you at work/during a project.
I could write a book.
What career advice would you give to your younger self?
Learn from every setback. Failure is not final if you learn from it.
What is one thing that most people do not know about you?
I love Pizza. I could eat it for every meal. Seriously, EVERY meal.
To read about Doug’s most recent closing, click here.
To learn more about Calder’s sister company Small Business Deal Advisors, which specializes in smaller business transactions, click here.