Contrarian Thinking

We couldn't agree more about Shannan. Great events are built by people who stay calm, solve problems, and genuinely care about the people in the room, and that's exactly who she is. We'll make sure she gets the recognition she deserves. Thanks for being there and for taking the time to share this.

Erika, what a great milestone. Going from planning for life after the Navy to closing on a business is no small feat. We are glad the frameworks helped you move faster and make smarter decisions with confidence. Wishing you both a successful first year of ownership and many more to come.

Thank you so much, Prashant, for taking the time to share your experience. It's been a pleasure having you as part of the Contrarian community over the past several months. Your willingness to learn, engage, and support others embodies exactly what makes this community special. We're especially glad to hear that the combination of educational resources, deal flow, and access to experienced operators and acquisition entrepreneurs has helped you on your journey. One of our core goals is to create an environment where members can learn from real-world experiences and help each other make better decisions as they pursue business ownership. Thank you again for your kind words and recommendation. We're excited to continue supporting you as you work toward acquiring and growing a great business. Regards, Rylan Harvey Head of Academy

Appreciate this, Nancy. Growth is built in the high level mindset shifts and the unglamorous details, and it sounds like you got both in Austin. We are big believers that the little things, like who picks up the phone, tell you everything about how a business runs. Glad you made the trip and walked away with a ton of value.

Thanks for being there, Ericka. We built Growth Accelerator for people who want real conversations and real strategies, not surface level advice. Glad the workshop hit the mark for you. Excited to keep building alongside you.

Appreciate this, Roxanne. We built these workshops to go beyond inspiration and give people real strategies they can actually use, so hearing this from you means a lot. Glad you and your husband found value in both the business tactics and the bigger picture of how to build something that lasts. Glad to have you learning alongside us.

Thank you for this, Uyen. Business growth happens when good ideas meet execution, and we are glad the workshop gave you both. Our goal is always to bring real operators into the room sharing what actually works. Excited to see where you take it from here.

Thank you, Erika. Hearing that Boardroom feels like a real return on investment is what it is all about. We care deeply about building something useful for owners who want more than theory and are ready to take action. Grateful to have sharp operators like you in the room with us.

Thank you so much, Kim. We really appreciate your kind words and are grateful to be part of your business acquisition journey. Building a community of driven, supportive, and like-minded people is exactly what we strive for, and it means a lot to hear the impact it’s had on your experience. We’re excited to keep pushing that forward and supporting your continued success. Rylan Harvey Head of Academy

Melinda, Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful words. It means a great deal to our entire team to hear that The Contrarian Academy has exceeded your expectations and supported both your business journey and personal growth. We’re deeply committed to building a community rooted in integrity, high-level execution, and real-world results, so hearing that you’ve experienced that firsthand is truly rewarding. Your engagement, dedication, and willingness to grow alongside the community are exactly what make this environment so special. We’re grateful to have you as part of the Academy and are excited to continue supporting your success every step of the way. Thank you again for your trust and support! Rylan Harvey Head of Academy

Adam, This means a lot. Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. One of the best parts of building Contrarian has been watching experienced operators and entrepreneurs discover that they’re not navigating this next chapter alone. Codie and the broader community work hard to make ETA feel less opaque and more actionable, so hearing that the education, camaraderie, and practical guidance made a real impact on your journey is incredibly rewarding. We’re grateful to have you in the community and excited to see what you build in this next chapter. Thanks again for trusting us to be part of the process. It has been a pleasure working on your deals with you so far. Rylan Harvey Head of Academy

Jesus, This means a lot. Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. What you described is exactly what we aim to build at Contrarian Thinking: practical, pressure-tested frameworks for people who are serious about acquisition entrepreneurship as an actual craft. Hearing that the material has helped shape your approach to LOIs, seller notes, financing strategy, and platform sequencing is incredibly rewarding for our team. We especially appreciate your point about discipline and honesty in the content. We believe the best operators want clear thinking, real math, and strategies that hold up in the real world — not hype. It’s great to hear those principles have been useful as you build in healthcare and cash-flow businesses. You’re doing the hard work the right way, and we’re excited to continue supporting your journey from Deal Zero to larger platform plays. Appreciate you being part of the community. Rylan Harvey Head of Academy

Gunakar, this means a lot, especially coming from someone with real operating experience and healthy skepticism going in. One thing we try to be very transparent about is that buying a business is hard. There’s no shortcut around the learning curve, the uncertainty, or the work required to become a capable operator. But when you’re surrounded by experienced coaches, active dealmakers, and a community willing to share openly, the path becomes a lot less lonely and a lot more actionable. Really appreciate you highlighting the accountability, coaching access, and operator-first culture. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to continuously improve the experience, so hearing that the updates and support structure are making an impact means a ton to the team. Excited to keep supporting you on the journey, and appreciate you being such a thoughtful part of the community. Rylan Harvey Head of Academy, Director of Strategy & Growth

essica, really appreciate you sharing this. One of the biggest risks in franchising is getting caught up in the sales process before fully understanding the business fundamentals. I’m glad we were able to help you slow things down, dig into the details, and evaluate the opportunity more objectively. At CT, the goal is never to tell people what to do — it’s to help members ask better questions, spot potential red flags, and make informed decisions with real data and community insight. Thanks again for trusting the community, and I’m happy you potentially avoided an expensive mistake. Rylan Harvey Head of Academy, Director of Strategy & Growth

Courtney, this is incredibly powerful to read. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. What you described is exactly why we built Contrarian Thinking the way we did. Business acquisition can feel intimidating at first, and breaking through that “this isn’t for me” barrier is often the hardest step. Seeing you move from overwhelmed to confident and actually taking action is everything. We’re especially glad you’re making full use of the community, advisors, and office hours. That 24/7 access to real operators and peers is what turns knowledge into momentum and momentum into real outcomes. Appreciate you being part of this and contributing back to the community as well. Excited to see what you do next 🚀 Rylan Harvey Head of Academy, Director of Strategy & Growth

Really appreciate the kind words, Dan. The best feedback is hearing something clicked at exactly the right moment in someone’s business journey. Glad the email gave some direction when it mattered. We will keep bringing the straight talk and useful ideas that actually move the needle.

Love hearing this Keri-Lynne. Big results rarely come from doing more, they come from doing the right things better. Add in a room full of founders who are actually in the game and it changes everything. Keep building on that momentum.

Appreciate this, Zach. Anyone can talk about deals, but actually running a business is where things get real and you showed up for that. The fact that you are earning more while gaining flexibility tells us you are executing, not just learning. We will keep bringing the playbook if you keep making moves.