Yep—I bought a company the wrong way.

professional profile

June 22, 2025

by a professional from University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business in North Palm Beach, FL, USA

“Honey, I don't know how to say this. I think I’m going to lose my investment in the firm I bought, and we may be liable for a substantial part of the business’ debt.” I muttered those words to my soon-to-be wife. Yep—I bought a company the wrong way. It was privately-held and an 8-figure deal. And, this disaster should not have happened! My story is about how I went from a successful career advising other people on how to fix their messes to having to fix a mess that I created for myself. I gave up a very high-income stream for what I thought would be a better opportunity###-###-#### which, instead, cost me lots of money and time, with an exit that barely broke even. Not to mention my anger and humiliation. And shutting the door on my previous career. How could I have been so stupid? Business Buyer Fever. That’s a saying that I use, nowadays, with misguided buyers. Of course, I wish I knew about Buyer Fever before catching my near-fatal case of it. You see, I wanted this particular company so badly that I temporarily suspended my common sense. I nearly lost all the money it had taken me years to earn. And, what about my reputation? Why did I make this mistake? READ MORE https://partneroncall.com/my-oh-so-humiliating-business-acquisition-disaster-story/
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Reply by a professional
from University of Nebraska at Kearney in Boca Raton, FL, USA
Happens to the best...
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Reply by a professional
from University of Southern California in North Palm Beach, FL, USA
It gives us great stories, but sometimes they're like being awake nightmares. 😇
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