Lesson 91: Speed
About the Searcher
On Wednesday morning, I closed my eyes and bowed my head as my mom prayed over me on the phone. Her words of encouragement poured over me like a warm waterfall. It was 7 AM and the Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference was about to start.
One word comes to mind when I think about that day: Speed. Hundreds of people congregated at Navy Pier to meet each other and learn more about ETA. When my search partner, Samuel McDaniel, arrived we traveled back and forth around the conference speaking with investors about our partnership. He had scheduled meetings throughout the day, while I carried index cards and a pen to write notes on each piece of feedback.
This is my second Booth-Kellogg ETA conference, and it has been the fastest way to make progress in my pursuit of acquiring a small business. Together, Samuel and I gathered tactical next steps on each index card specific to our search journey. Some people say if you want to go fast, go alone. I disagree: Go fast together.
About Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
This journey is about learning enough to take the next step. I have felt compelled to learn everything all at once, but the reality is I have to quickly learn the next step. In the days following the conference, I have been trying to answer the question: how will we grow in the technical trade industry?
I read the 2025 Pipeline Report by the Aviation Technician Education Council and Oliver Wyman:
Again, I do not know everything about the technical training industry, but I learned a significant amount about the dynamics of a specific niche within the industry.
About the Bigger Picture
My vision is to leverage my influence as a Black business leader to pursue economic justice. The vision comes into focus when I research the dynamics of the aviation mechanic training industry. In fact, the research suggests that if you increase the number of DMEs then you remove a significant barrier to passing the exam that exists today: access to an examiner. This allows more mechanics to join the workforce with speed.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for these employees in 2024 was $38 / hour. Providing aviation mechanic exams addresses my vision to provide economic opportunities for gainful employment as quickly as possible. The quicker I process and act on learnings, the quicker we go faster together.
This is Lesson 91: Speed. Next week is Lesson 92: People.
