One Year, One Book, and a Whole Lot of Private Capital: The Holistic Edge Is Finally Published

About a year ago, I had what I can only describe as a dangerous thought:

“I should write a book.”

Not a cute little ebook. Not a short guide. Not a “here’s a PDF, good luck” checklist.

A real book.

The kind of book that pulls together everything I’ve learned from two decades in technology, business advisory, and working with founders and professional advisors who are navigating growth, risk, capital, and big decisions that don’t come with a user manual.

That book became The Holistic Edge.

And after a year of writing, editing, restructuring, second-guessing, rewriting entire sections, and asking myself “who do I think I am?” about 400 times…

It’s officially published on Amazon.

And I honestly couldn’t be happier.

The Long Road From Idea to Ink

Writing a business book is a weird experience.

You start off thinking you’re going to share some helpful frameworks.

Then somewhere along the way you realize you’re basically building an entire operating system for how founders and trusted professionals should think about private capital, growth stages, investor expectations, and enterprise value creation.

And you don’t want it to be fluff.

You want it to be useful.

You want someone to read it and immediately start seeing their business differently — not just “learning,” but making better decisions.

That’s what I set out to do.

Yes, It’s Self-Published… and That’s Fitting

Now, I’ll be honest: this book is self-published.

But let’s be real…

It’s a business nonfiction book about private capital.

If that doesn’t scream bootstrapped, founder-led, no-permission-needed execution, I don’t know what does.

Waiting for a publisher to “approve” a book about founders taking control of their financial destiny would’ve been the most ironic ending imaginable.

So I did what founders do.

I shipped it.

I Couldn’t Have Done It Without the Right Help

I also need to say this clearly: this book would not be what it is without my editor and dear friend, Peter Williams.

Peter is a former Managing Editor of The Charleston Mercury, a talented freelance writer in his own right, and one of those rare people who can take a messy, sprawling draft and somehow turn it into something sharp, structured, and readable — without losing the author’s voice.

More importantly, he was a steady presence throughout the entire process: thoughtful, honest, meticulous, and relentless in the best way.

I’m deeply grateful for his time, his patience, and his talent. This book is better because of him. No question.

Yes, I Used AI — and No, It Didn’t Write My Book

As I mention in the preface, I leveraged AI during the writing process — but not in the way people assume.

I used it for tertiary support: steelman/strawman exercises, pressure-testing ideas, and occasionally helping with formatting when I needed to move faster and stay focused on the actual writing.

But I want to be crystal clear:

The words are mine. The voice is mine. The content is mine. The frameworks are mine.

AI didn’t build The Holistic Edge. It helped me sharpen it.

There’s a difference.

The Easter Eggs (Because of Course There Are Easter Eggs)

If you’ve seen the cover, you’ve probably noticed the puzzle pieces.

That wasn’t just a design choice — it’s intentional.

The way the pieces are arranged subtly forms the Greek letter alpha: α.

In private equity parlance, alpha is what everyone is chasing: returns above expectations. Outperformance. The edge.

So yes… the cover is literally a hidden nod to the entire point of the book.

Also: the book has 18 chapters.

And the paperback is priced at $18.

That one’s for the people who pay attention.

IYKYK.

Why I Wrote The Holistic Edge

This book exists because too many founders make capital decisions too late, with too little clarity, and with advisors who aren’t always equipped to guide them through what’s actually happening behind the scenes.

And too many CPAs, attorneys, and financial professionals are being pulled into conversations about venture capital, private equity, growth equity, recapitalizations, and exit planning… without a clear framework to reference.

The Holistic Edge is meant to close that gap.

It’s a practical guide to understanding the capital ecosystem and building a business that can actually withstand scrutiny — whether that scrutiny comes from investors, buyers, lenders, or reality itself.

It’s Published. It’s Real. And I’m Proud of It.

I’m proud because I didn’t write it to impress people.

I wrote it because I genuinely believe it will help founders and professionals avoid mistakes that cost years — or cost everything.

And now it’s out in the world.

Which is both exciting… and slightly terrifying.

If You’ve Followed My Work, This Book Is For You

If you’re a founder, an advisor, or someone building something real and trying to do it intelligently — I think you’ll get a lot out of it.

And if you’ve been watching me talk about capital, enterprise value, execution, and strategy for the past year…

This is the full playbook.

The Holistic EdgeA Private Capital Guide for Founders and Their Professional Advisors is available on Amazon and select local bookstores near you.