Ryan Ray 🦏

Built it. Ran it. Now I help founders sell it. | Director of Partnerships @ Ad Astra Equity | M&A | 2x State Champion Football Coach

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

🚨#BREAKING: Deal is done!

Will be working directly with a long time client as the Director of Partnerships.

I've been working with Ad Astra since 2023. If you've seen me talk about some of the bigger deals in the M&A world on here, it's been with them.

Now, I'm pushing my attention to helping build out their partnerships.

We've already quietly signed a few, and more will be coming.

DMs are open if you have questions, and a bit about my role below.

Ad Astra serves founder-owned and middle market businesses with $5M–$200M in revenue across sell-side, buy-side, valuation, and value enhancement advisory.  

In this role, I build and manage the referral and advisor network that drives deal flow to the firm. I connect with CPAs, CFPs, attorneys, wealth advisors, and other trusted advisors whose clients are considering a business sale or acquisition.

I also develop relationships with PE groups and strategic buyers to support active transactions.  

Key focus areas:
- Build and grow a national referral partner network
- Source qualified deal flow through CPA, legal, and wealth advisor channels
- Develop PE group and strategic buyer relationships
- Connect business owners with M&A advisory services

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

🚨#BREAKING: The deal will be inked soon, but basic terms all worked out.

I'll be focusing more on M&A deals $10M + EV with a long time client Ad Astra Equity.

If you've seen me talk about closing deals in the past, odds are it was with them.

We're going to be putting out a ton of content about the M&A world.

If you are a CPA, CEPA, CFP, growth consultant or business owner who has bought and/or sold a business we'd love to have you one.

What about coaching?

Still will do that, but will dramatically reduce the number active clients to two at time.

More to come as the deal gets finalized, but I'm pumped to work more closely with them.

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

Not what ya know but who.

Spoke to a friend today.

Introduced me to a wealth management firm ranked in the Barron’s Top 100 Financial Advisors.

Would be a huge add to our referral network.

[Brad Smith @bradsmith]

@ryanraysr 1 of 16

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@bradsmith Pumped!

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

Since starting with Ad Astra,

I've spoken to 16 new referral partners.

Been a good week so far.

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@TheExitGuy411 Need to add you to the list!

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@AJToce Love to add you to that list!

[Travis Jamison @Travis_Jamison]

“Cash flow” is one of those things that sounds amazing until you dig into the specifics.

Total return + sufficient liquidity is generally the right game in investing.

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

The amount of buyers above the SBA range is wild.

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@SMBDistribution Love to connect!

[Eric Strand | The Water Heater Expert @ericstrand]

Best Electric Water Heater?

[Justin Molina, CPA @jmolinaCPA]

Q2 estimated tax is due June 15.

Most owners just repeat last quarter’s payment.

That might be fine for safe harbor.

But if your income changed, it’s not how you get an accurate number.

Here’s how to handle Q2:

1. Pull YTD net income through May
2. Annualize it
3. Apply your projected effective rate
4. Subtract Q1 payment
5. Pay the updated amount

A reactive CPA waits until April.

A good one does this every quarter.

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@Tyler_Caboodle daily posts about one being dead and the other going to the moon....follow @ryan_doser13 for more grounded input on what's going on in the AI world.

[Dallin Drescher @SellersCounsel]

I don’t think I conveyed what’s happening very well. Here’s an example:

I receive an APA with a 50% indemnification cap. I revise to 20% and send a redline to the client.

Client throws redline into AI. AI says cap is too high. Should be 20%. Client copies and pastes in an email to me asking why cap is so high.

I double check and sure enough the cap is 20%, AI just interpreted the redline wrong.

See how this causes massive inefficiencies over a full redline?

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@ChrisLaubAI

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@ChrisLaubAI true it's slower, but helps build relationships with people you want to target that dont follow you.

[Tom Dillon, CFA @profithuntercfo]

You set a budget in January, and it's June. But have you visited that budget again?

Most founders build a budget and then never look at it again.

But a budget without monthly tracking is just a wish list. Your monthly close should include:

- Budget vs. Actual for Revenue
- Budget vs. Actual for each major expense category
- Variance % (how far off are you?)

If you're 30% over budget on software and you don't catch it until Q4, that's $20K you can't get back.

But if you catch it in March? You can:

- Cancel unused tools
- Renegotiate contracts
- Pause non-essential spending

Monthly close is your early warning system.

Want to build a close process that actually tracks to your budget? Join my live session on the monthly close.

Register here: https://t.co/LbELE3gaeR

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@irentdumpsters Maybe @theaaron or @ryan_doser13 might can help

[Ryan Ray 🦏 @ryanraysr]

@sohaventures want to talk about what you've seen? tell the world the other side lol

[SMB Attorney @SMB_Attorney]

Speaking on a webinar with the Durable team on ETA in a few hours.

Registration here:

https://t.co/nGeqq2fFCy