In this episode, I talk with Jamie Cusack, CEO of Keystone Access Partners, Shore Capital's entrance and access control platform built on Dillard Companies and The Ritchie Group, with operations across Memphis, Tupelo, the Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana. Jamie came to the CEO seat in an unusual way: he watched the Shore model work from the inside as a board member of another Shore company before betting his own career on it. He walks through what a growth-based partnership actually looks like for a founder, including the conscious leadership training his teams had never had access to before, and the open conversation every owner needs to have about what role they want next. Jamie also explains why so many owners are more ready to sell than they think, even if the business still runs on pen and paper. And he is direct about what Keystone looks for in a partner: a good business isn't enough, because the people have to be good too.

Key Takeaways:

• Decide what you actually want before the offer conversation, because the right partnership builds a role around your answer, whether that is running the day-to-day, leading M&A, or stepping back
• Recognize that pen and paper is not a readiness problem, because the systems, data, and technology gaps that make owners hesitate are exactly what a platform partner is built to close
• Choose partners for capability and character, not just geography, because a business that treats its customers poorly is a non-starter no matter how good the numbers look
• Learn from the operators you bring on instead of standardizing them, because a process that works in the field is a best practice to spread, not a variance to fix

Listen to our podcasts at:

https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts

You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster., highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique.

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Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog

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Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/

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This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.