Contrarian Thinking

Diane, what a great way to start your time with us. Sometimes the biggest unlock is not getting another answer, but seeing the blind spot that was keeping you from moving. Nick is incredible at helping people find that clarity and turn it into action. Excited to see where you take those next steps.

Tal, this is exactly the kind of support we want members to experience. Financing can quickly become one of the toughest parts of buying a business, and Jordan knows how to keep the process moving. Love hearing that he stayed ahead of the bank, advocated for you, and helped get your deal closer to the finish line. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Joseph, this is an incredibly thoughtful review and you captured exactly what we are working to build. Access to people who have actually bought, operated, scaled, and sold businesses changes the game when you are pursuing an acquisition yourself. We are especially glad the depth of the advisory team and resources has stood out to you. Thank you for recognizing the work behind bringing that entire ecosystem into one place.

Thanks for this, Adner. The fact that you never had to chase Jordan for answers says a lot about how he works and the standard we want to set. Getting the financing right is a huge part of making the deal happen. Glad Jordan helped make the process easy and earned your trust for the next one.

Tim, what a story. Turning a job loss into a decision to buy a business, hire yourself, and build something for Brayden is the kind of move we love to see. Jordan is relentless when it comes to helping members navigate the messy parts of getting a deal funded, and we are glad he has been in your corner. Now go get that auto shop across the finish line.

Appreciate this, Derrick. Getting the right financing can make or break a deal, so we love hearing that Jordan moved quickly and stayed on top of every step. Making the process simpler and connecting you with the right people is exactly what we want to deliver. Excited to see where you take it from here.

This is incredible, Meg. A 25% revenue increase and 12% cost reduction in seven months is what happens when great guidance meets an owner willing to execute. Love hearing how Alex has helped you stay focused and keep raising the bar. We are excited to see where you take the business from here.

Love hearing this, Lindsey. Having someone in your corner who can challenge your thinking, answer quickly, and help you see what you might be missing can make all the difference. Glad Jordan has been that person for you. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Appreciate this, Jazz. Finding the right financing can change the entire deal, and having someone who takes the time to understand your situation matters. We are glad Jordan brought the knowledge, responsiveness, and care to help you find the right fit.

Thank you, Ferry. The fact that the Academy helped you through the difficult parts of an actual deal means a lot to us. Rylan and the team care deeply about giving buyers useful feedback when the decisions and details really matter. We’re glad to be part of your journey and cannot wait to see you get across the finish line.

Cassi, thank you so much for taking the time to write this. It means a lot to hear how much the experience has impacted you, especially in ways that go beyond just learning how to buy a business. We’re really grateful you trusted CT enough to jump in, and even more grateful for the energy and curiosity you’ve brought with you. Huge shoutout to Nick, our instructors, mentors, and the community for helping make the experience what it is. And you’re only halfway through. We’re so excited to see where the rest of this journey takes you. Keep asking the big questions, keep taking action, and keep leaning into the opportunities in front of you. Thank you again for such a thoughtful review, Cassi. We’re really glad you’re here and will pass the feedback along to Nick too.

Muriel, You're entitled to feel the programs didn't produce the outcome you wanted, and I'm sorry it ended that way. But since this is a public review making specific claims, I want to add context. You describe being left to work substantially alone with essentially no support. That doesn't match the record. You joined the Academy in September 2025, attended 49 events, and made 23 posts, 85 replies, 71 reactions. You worked through valuation, EBITDA/SDE, SBA financing, LOIs, diligence, and deal structure, reaching an accepted LOI with a bank underwriting it before walking away after diligence surfaced risks you weren't comfortable with. That's not a failure of the process, it's what good diligence should do. You later decided buying a business wasn't the right direction and asked to move into Growth Boardroom yourself. We made that change and kept working with you. Your own refund correspondence acknowledged you'd used the community, studied the materials, and attended calls and coaching sessions. You say the Boardroom cadence was inadequate and advisors just repeated things back to you. The record shows five working sessions with your reassigned advisor between June 19 and July 29, covering 10+ prospect interviews and 5-6 second-stage calls. Your advisor reviewed the interviews, refined your ICP and positioning, went line-by-line through your webinar, reviewed your sales materials and offer structure, evaluated your pipeline, and advised against a commission arrangement that wasn't economically attractive, plus follow-up on founder dependency, pricing, lead generation, and outreach. That didn't guarantee a customer. As of the last session, you hadn't signed a client. You also say we took credit for your webinar and book. We've never claimed that, those were your accomplishments. But you did use the Academy community while developing and launching The Valuation Gap, promoting it to members from late May through July. The book covers valuation, financing, and structural risk, the same subjects you spent months learning in Academy deal reviews. You're entitled to write a book from what you learned. It's fair for readers to know it was developed and promoted while you were an active member of that community. On the idea we only responded because you asked for a refund: your first request came in June, after months of participation. Support escalated it beyond standard policy, and your advisor was reassigned. On May 28, before any refund request, you asked us to turn off auto-renewal. We did so immediately and you replied, "That's great, thank you very much." When you later requested a full refund for both memberships, we reviewed it against the membership terms and declined. Declining doesn't mean we ignored your concerns. I don't want to minimize your disappointment. You invested real money and expected a different result. Those are real facts. But there's a difference between "I didn't get the outcome I wanted" and "there was no support, no engagement, no work done." The record shows 49 events, extensive engagement, multiple deal reviews, an LOI at bank underwriting, a member-requested move to Boardroom, additional advisory support, and hands-on webinar help. We can always improve, and we should. But we won't accept a public characterization that leaves out that history. I wish you success with the business and the book. I mean that. But for anyone reading this review, the complete record matters. Codie Sanchez CEO, Contrarian Thinking LLC

Appreciate this, Tim. Going from learning how acquisitions work to owning a business with your wife is the kind of transformation we want to see more of. We’re glad the advisors, team, and community helped you get there. Becoming an owner is just the beginning.

Thanks for this, Matthew. A year spent learning how to think differently about business ownership is time well invested, and we are glad the Academy and Deal Coaches delivered for you. The real value is having knowledge you can carry into every deal and opportunity ahead. Keep putting it to work.

Cynthia, thank you for trusting us after years of following Codie from the sidelines. We love that just three weeks in, your focus has shifted from acquiring fast to acquiring well. That patience, paired with the right people and support around you, can change everything. We’re excited to be in your corner as you keep moving toward ownership.

Thank you, Lisa. We love that you called out both the education and the culture, because knowing how to evaluate a deal is only part of becoming a great business buyer. Nick brings the kind of practical perspective that can make a huge difference when the numbers and human dynamics collide. Glad to have you in the community and excited to see where you take this next.

Zac, thanks for this. Glad the group is delivering help you can actually use. Stay on it!

Darius, appreciate this. Good education shouldn't come with an unreasonable price tag, so glad that's showing up for you. Welcome aboard.

Gerard, thank you. Collaboration is the whole point. Nobody buys or builds a business alone, and glad the team is showing up that way for you!

Nicolas, that shift from building alone to having a team in your corner is a big one, and it's the reason all of this exists. Every business deserves the same level of attention no matter the size, so glad that's exactly what you're feeling from the ambassadors, Concierge, and your cohort. Welcome to the team.