In January of 2018 after being bought by a new private equity firm, I crafted a five-year plan for the business. It was the greatest plan I had ever made. Enter Chris, my new private equity handler, the smartest guy I had ever met, two years younger than me but a genius. He was brutally honest, transparent, and believed in me and the company. We were drowning in debt, but Chris let me grow the business to claw our way out of the hole. 2018 turned out to be our best year ever. We received an offer to buy the company. It wouldn’t cover our debt, but considering we were worth zero just 11 months prior, it was a significant improvement. But as we approached diligence, something felt off. Always trust your gut.