Thanks for stopping by.
After nearly four decades working in finance, investment banking and business consulting, I didn’t expect home services to capture my attention. Then I looked at the economics.
What I found was real demand, strong unit economics, fragmented markets and an extraordinary opportunity to create scalable, transferable businesses.
For most of my career, I looked at businesses through the lens of capital, margins, cash flow, growth, management, risk and enterprise value. When I began looking closely at gutters, roofing and exterior home services, I started seeing those same principles from a very different perspective.
This time, I wasn’t looking at them from Wall Street.
I was looking at them from Main Street.
Home services are built around something remarkably straightforward: people have real problems that need to be solved. Homes need to be maintained. Gutters need to work. Roofs need to be replaced. Exteriors need to be repaired and improved. And homeowners need contractors they can trust to show up, communicate clearly and do what they promised.
But the opportunity goes well beyond simply performing the work.
A good home-service company can become a great business when you put the right systems around it.
Marketing can become measurable. Sales can become repeatable. Field operations can become standardized. Customer relationships can produce recurring revenue and referrals. Technology can replace paperwork and guesswork. Managers can be developed. Territories can be expanded. And eventually, a business that once depended almost entirely on its owner can become an organization capable of operating, growing and creating value beyond that owner.
That is the part that captured my attention.
Today, Cognitive Business Consulting is where I bring those worlds together.
It combines what I learned in finance and investment banking with what I have learned actually operating, selling, marketing and building within the home-services industry.
I am not interested in consulting from the sidelines.
I believe in getting close to the business: understanding how the phone gets answered, how the estimate gets sold, how the crew gets dispatched, how the customer is treated, how the numbers work and where the owner wants to go next.
Sometimes that means improving an independent home-service company. Sometimes it means developing systems that can support multiple territories. Sometimes it means helping turn an operating business into a franchiseable concept. And sometimes it simply means sitting across the table from an owner and helping make the next important decision.
The objective is the same:
Build a better business today—and a more valuable business tomorrow.
After nearly four decades in business, I still believe the fundamentals matter. Good people. Clear expectations. Disciplined numbers. Repeatable systems. Accountability. And the willingness to keep improving.
The setting may have changed over the years, but the principles really haven’t.
Wall Street taught me to look for value.
Main Street taught me where value can be created.
Founder, Cognitive Business Consulting
We’re developing franchise systems in the home services space and are looking for driven individuals who want to build something bigger.
For qualified entrepreneurs, CBC offers the opportunity to be part of a growing franchise platform in the home-services space.
Incubator
“Working with Mike and Cognitive Business Consulting has been a tremendous resource for us. As we develop early-stage apps and work to bring them from concept through launch on the App Store and Google Play, Mike has helped us think beyond just the product and focus on building the business around it.
From financing and growth opportunities to strategy and making the right connections, Mike brings a perspective that comes from years of real-world business experience. What I appreciate most is that he’s approachable, practical and genuinely invested in helping us succeed. He’s the kind of person you can call with an idea or a challenge and know you’re going to have a productive conversation.
Mike doesn’t just give advice—he looks for ways to help move the business forward. I’m glad to have him and CBC in our corner.”
Entrepreneur
“Mike has been someone I’ve been able to turn to at some pretty important moments in business.
He helped me navigate the sale of one company and later worked with me as I raised capital to build another. Those are very different challenges, but in both situations Mike brought the same combination of financial experience, business judgment and practical thinking to the table.
What I appreciate about Mike is that he takes the time to understand what you’re actually trying to accomplish. He’s not there to complicate things or impress you with terminology. He helps you think through the opportunity, understand the numbers, anticipate the obstacles and figure out how to move forward.
Just as importantly, Mike understands entrepreneurs. He knows that building a business rarely follows a straight line and that sometimes you need more than an advisor—you need someone you trust who will pick up the phone, challenge your thinking and help you find a way forward.
Having worked with Mike through both an exit and a capital raise, I’ve seen the value of having that kind of experience in your corner.”
Founder & CEO
Gutter Brothers Exteriors
“Mike has a unique ability to walk into a business, understand what makes it work, and immediately start seeing opportunities to make it better.
At Gutter Brothers, he has become much more than a consultant. Mike has worked alongside us on operations, sales, marketing, financial strategy and growth, and he isn’t afraid to get into the weeds and help solve the everyday problems that come with running a growing company.
What I value most about Mike is the perspective he brings. He can look at the numbers and think strategically about where the business is going, but he also understands that businesses are ultimately built by people. He challenges ideas, asks the questions that need to be asked and usually has another idea about where we can go next.
Over the years, I built Gutter Brothers from a truck and a set of tools into a business I’m incredibly proud of. Mike has helped me look at what we built differently—not just as a successful contracting company, but as a platform with the potential to become something much bigger.
More importantly, I trust him. Mike genuinely cares about the business, the people in it and where we’re headed.
I’m excited about what we’re building together.”
