Ace Select’s Post

Every PE-hosted offsite is a test. Stop thinking PE-hosted offsites are your chance to get hammered for free. Every single one is a test, and they’re inspecting. Smart people treat it as an opportunity to show value, not a chance to kick back. Your investors are watching every move. They’re evaluating whether you understand their financial goals and whether you're aligned with the company's future. If you think it’s just a getaway, you’re missing the point. Offsites are where careers are made or broken. Treat it like a test, or get ready to fail it.

After nearly seven years to the day, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the Savant/ACTIVE group, with this week being my final hurrah. The recent merger between ACTIVE and Savant has been an exciting chapter of the business's ever-growing story, and I could not be prouder of how the team and business have reacted. A big thank you to the ACTIVE team members who made me feel welcomed and valued. On reflection of my time here, I have learned, grown, and been challenged in more ways than I could have ever imagined, which is exactly what I hoped for when signing on with the business! I can confidently say there are many business challenges that we have faced, and given the experience I have now, I may have handled those differently, but I am proud to say there are very few instances of people issues I think I would change. Empathy, morality, and supporting good humans appear to have been a winning approach for our team. I have always been a firm believer in employing smart people to do smart work, creating an environment to empower them for growth, and supporting them to be the best they can be on any given day. In this role, I have been privileged to have experienced both sides of this. I would like to think my greatest achievement at work is that my efforts in this space will make a lasting impact on the culture and people of the business, (which I quietly think is a free hit to myself, given the rockstar calibre of the ever-growing team we have in place). Not a bad effort from someone who learned 99% of their management skills from Michael Scott on The Office. Between multiple locations, varying ownership structures, rounds of funding, policy reform, wholesale market collapses, emerging tech, and much more, it truly has been one fun ride and one that I would do ten times over! A special thank you to Darren Lines and Dan Porter for their endless support, fun, and friendship over the years. As for what is next, it is time for a quick personal break to become the ultimate Olympics armchair expert before seeking out the next long-term challenge. If anyone in my network has anything they think might be interesting, even if it is a bit left field, please reach out (once the Olympics are over)!

Associates Week Day 4 wrap up - We are common people doing uncommon things Today I participated in the most bizarre business meeting of my career. We (Canadian team) had a 2.5 hours meeting with our C-level team, part of it dedicated to a Q&A session. I was expecting shop talk. Oh boy, I was wrong. The meeting was about personal histories. They shared theirs, a bunch of us shared ours. A reminder of what we all are - people trying to do their best, succeeding sometimes, failing sometimes, needing encouragement when we feel afraid, feeling the pressure of multiple demands and the excitement of helping other people grow; we are in paths that are not the result of a well defined plan, but are forged as we go and life happens. #shareholders2024 #shareholdersCA2024

Can we (finally) have real confidence in the market again? Friday debrief: 1 JV biz onboarded a great new hire. Another planning to sign on a new office and press go with another hire soon. Another planning some top events with a biz partner coming back from the other side of the world. And another close to boarding their best ever year in recruitment but this time for themselves (from a fully standing start and restrictive covenants not long gone) + finally about to close a painstakingly long property deal (I hope) Hats off to all those battling through as it's not easy but the rewards will come. It's no secret this year has been a rollercoaster of a graft for most of us in small business. But it helps when you're surrounded by a bunch who hold each other's focus on the right things: Biz dev + marketing (consistent/smart—driving real offline convos) Delivery + fulfillment (doing what you said + a bit more) Cash (a biz exists to earn it not borrow it) Personal wellbeing + performance (physical + mental) Key relationships (loved ones first) Fun, having a laugh + not forgetting to live life—none of it's that important (yer gonna die) Grateful for plenty of f2f time this week. That's me done as I take a day off to recharge (and finish wrapping presents) for my (now not so little) lad's 8th birthday. We go again Monday. 👊

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿🤯🎄🎅 I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It feels like December has come round even quicker than usual this year. The last few months have been incredibly busy for Marsden's US associate team, and it does not seem to be slowing down. December can always be a little bit slower with the holidays around the corner, but we have had conversations with multiples clients in the last few weeks still keen to get associates onboarded for 2025. A typical recruiting process in BigLaw takes anywhere between 4-6 weeks, so now is the time to start one if you are looking for a new home in 2025. See a round up of roles we are working on below: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - v20 firm - Class of 2022+⁣ 𝗠&𝗔/𝗣𝗘 - v10 firm - Class of 2021+⁣ 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗠&𝗔- v10 firm - Class of 2017-2022 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - v20 firm - Class of 2022+⁣ If you are interested in discussing the logistics behind a lateral move this time of year, please feel free to reach out to george.webster@marsdengroup.com, or a member of the team below: David Nicol, Gillian Morgan, Sophia Arkley, Bridget White, Matt Moody

Meet Financial Services Partner and Co-Leader James Stevens. James shares what makes Troutman Pepper's #financialservices team stand out, the best career advice he's received, and his favorite hangout spot. We’re spotlighting members of our #troutmanpepperTEAM to provide a glimpse into the people who make it all possible. Want to see someone you know featured? Tag them in the comments. #HispanicHeritageMonth

Today marks exactly 6 years since the start of Red Rock. On the 18th November 2018, I was sat at home completely oblivious to what the next 6 years would bring. I had a van, 2 customers, no systems, no processes, no HR, no H&S, no brand, no office, no experience, no employees, no help, no leadership or management skills, and almost no idea of what we were going to do or how we might achieve anything. Since then.…. We have moved office 3 times (soon to be 4) We have moved into brand new areas of business offering more services and products We have worked closely with a business coach, therapists, leaders, and other experts in finance, people development, change and innovation, and growth. We have gone through a re-brand We have changed CRM 4 times We have increased the size of the team to over 10 We have created relationships with new organisations, network groups, charities, and local authorities We have had many internal fights, fallouts, relationships fall apart, and other become much stronger We have added many more than the 2 original customers, lost some through bad decisions, and struggled to keep customer service levels where we need as growing pains became a very real thing Ignorance is bliss and 6 years ago I was clearly very ignorant. It has been the toughest 6 years of my life but also the most rewarding 6 years. To say there have been highs and lows would be an understatement akin to saying Tetley tea is not quite as good as Yorkshire tea. The next 6 years are slightly different. I know what we want to do and what we need to do to achieve it, but I also know how much work it is going to take and how much I need to grow at the same time. We have definitely fell into the trap of taking certain customers for granted and taking an eye off the ball, but I know that the work we are doing now and the people at Red Rock, both existing and incoming, will ensure those mistakes are Thanks to everyone on the team (especially those who have been on the rollercoaster for a few years now), and the customers, partners, and suppliers who have helped us keep going. Let’s see where we are in 6 more years!

The #ETA community should really take note of this story. Peter Cancro did a leveraged buyout of Mike’s Subs, a place he worked, as a teen. He led it almost 50 years growing it from one location to 2680 last year. They did $3.3 billion in sales and he sold the company to Blackstone for $8 billion. Here are my takeaways from this story: 1) ETA doesn’t discriminate on any basis except for a bias for action and good management. Your age, gender, race, orientation, religion, even education or whatever else you can think of cannot negate your outcome. 2) The EBITDA multiples must expand so much with a little EBITDA growth. $3.3 billion in revenue (not earnings but EBITDA) commands an $8 billion price tag. All this makes me want to do is grow what’s in my hand. 3) Building the secret sauce of a competitive advantage may take a long time of operating. Some people don’t live to be fifty- let alone leading a company for almost fifty years. But they’ve done some things right where others have made missteps and the market rewarded them for it.

To the L&D and Training professionals... "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" - Jim Rohn. Maybe not 'exactly' but the idea is based on a lot of truth. Networking and growing your circle of influence takes work. But the pay-offs are tremendous. So here's a simple way you can get started.

🎄 The countdown is ON! So here's the first of our feel-good legal stories from 2024, each with a lesson you can take into the New Year. Once upon a time, a team of lawyers at a luxury hotel brand found themselves overwhelmed. Not with festive cheer, but with an avalanche of commercial contracts 🥴. They didn't have the time or budget to make a full-time hire. But, with high stakes and a team whose capacity couldn't stretch any further (like Santa's belt after all those mince pies) - they needed a miracle. Okay, maybe not a miracle. Just a safe pair of hands who could step in to relieve the pressure for a few months. Meanwhile, a phenomenal lawyer with a sleigh load of skill and experience was looking to get back into work after a career break to care for family. Finding an interesting role with the right flexibility was proving tough. Luckily, she was on Obelisk’s nice list, and a member of our popular Returners Programme. A match was made, and what started as a three-month role, turned into a 10-month success story. 💡 So here's a tip for you as you go into 2025: When the pressure hits, consider career returners to bring extra capacity to your team. They're an untapped goldmine of talent. Think beyond traditional CV gaps and focus on skills and cultural fit. Professionals returning after a break often bring fresh perspectives and renewed commitment that can deliver outstanding results. -------- At Obelisk we match you with city-trained lawyers who integrate into your team. From fractional general council to interim and short-term roles - we've got you covered. If you have some capacity challenges on the horizon, we’d love to help.