I Hope I Mattered
Patrick Flood reflects on Special Forces selection, the brother he lost before they could finish an argument, and the quiet question so many veterans carry after the uniform comes off: did it matter?
The Coming Ownership Transfer, Part III: When Credit Tightens, Seller Financing Becomes the Bridge
As credit tightens on otherwise healthy Main Street businesses, Patrick Flood and veteran business broker Michael Shea explain why seller financing — one of the oldest tools in business acquisition — is becoming essential again, and how to structure it right.
The Certified Succession Gap: When the Business Transfers but the Market Doesn’t
Part II of Patrick Flood’s ownership transfer series: why a certified government contractor’s earnings may be worth far less to the wrong buyer — and the “Transferability Ratio” owners can use to protect enterprise value years before a sale.
What SBA’s New Equity Rules Mean for Veteran Buyers
SBA’s newest rule change doesn’t touch how much equity veteran buyers need — it changes where that money can come from. Patrick Flood and SBA lender Jared Johnson break down what SOP 50 10 8 means for Veteran acquisition financing.
The Coming Ownership Transfer: Reading the Market Before It Moves
Part I of Patrick Flood’s three-part series on America’s coming ownership transition — how buyers can read where succession pressure is forming before a business ever hits the market, and what the data reveals about the widening gap between buyer and seller expectations.
Why the Operators Went Underground
Patrick Flood explains why he calls this series “Notes from the Operator Underground” — and makes the case that America’s coming ownership transition is less a business event than a test of whether citizens keep a real stake in their communities.
Love After Service: What Veterans Carry Home
A 2007 moment in Afghanistan taught Patrick Flood something about fear, love, and loss that still shapes how he understands veterans, entrepreneurship, and why we struggle hardest with the endings that mattered most.
The Hidden Supply Crisis in Small Business Succession
Thousands of small businesses are listed for sale — but Patrick Flood explains why fewer than 20% may actually be ready to close, and what owners can do to change that before they run out of time.
Veteran Access to Capital: The Milken Opportunity
At the Milken Institute’s 2026 Global Conference, Patrick Flood joined a panel exploring why veterans still struggle to access capital despite abundant financing options — and why the real gap is architecture, not money.
ETA
Own Main Street: My Roadmap for Veteran Entrepreneurs
The message is simple and powerful. When veterans own and operate Main Street companies, communities grow from within. I believe