Joined the CT community in February. Started looking into a HVAC franchise. While asking some questions regarding franchising, Rylan informed me the company had multiple lawsuits, and showed how the franchise was unproven.
It is using a territory it converted and relaying that information to sell more territories. If it were not for the CT community and the knowledge it possesses, I could have slipped into a few hundred grand mistake!
Big thanks to CT and Rylan!

Working on your business never stops and these guys lay the foundation to build your business as high as you want to take it. They helped me clear though the noise and focus on the things that matter to grow your business.

Mind blowing....simple changes to pack a huge impact punch to my bottom line. To be surrounded by 100 other founders across different industries and approaches was incredibly powerful. Every moment of the three days was a learning opportunity. HIGHLY recommend!

Adrian really took the time to help me out and gave me a ton of valuable insight and clarity. I walked away with a much better understanding and real direction. Definitely appreciate the support.

Codie has been doing wonders for business advice. Savvy, on point and very tuned in. She doesn’t take you to glamorous, she takes you to no nonsense business ideas. The glamour will follow later. I really related to an email on the “ceiling”. I find this so timely in my business and give such needed direction. Well done!

Extremely informative. There are tons of resources including webinar style materials, worksheets, sample/template documents, and loads of question and answer sessions for individual attention. The community is large and there is such a range of experience and expertise that there is always someone with a specific answer or direction on what to look into next. It is certainly an investment but it was well worth the money. You MUST put in the time, effort, and repetitions to be successful but that is true in all things. I closed on my first acquisition last week, I am extremely type A, and a hard worker and have a "I can figure it out" attitude with most things, but buying a businesses has hundreds if not thousands of considerations, so I do not know that I would have ever felt I knew "enough" to get myself to move forward without the community. I plan on purchasing at least 1 more business and will continue to be an active participant in the community.

This team truly has your back. They've got industry experts, people who've purchased businesses in the industries we're looking for and are willing to jump on a call within a few hours to help you get unstuck. Highly recommend.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Contrarian Thinking 3-day workshop along 100 entrepreneurs and business operators/owners in Austin and the experience was action packed. "Money loves speed" and the entire team/speakers were very practical + dedicated to ensuring attendees walked out of the workshop with an actionable plan (vs concepts) and tangible "do this now" steps (vs. inspiration).

It was refreshing to be around a room of like-minded, growth-minded individuals from a variety of business genres; and, in the age of AI, Zoom fatigue and doom scrolling, you cannot beat human connection IRL (in real life).

Codie, of course, is awesome and inspiring--and the team she has built around her at CT is a reflection of her energy and character.

Adrian with the customer experience side of everything was particularly amazing -- he took the time to genuinely understand my business (functional medicine + gut health brand) and think even bigger!

This is like having a board of advisors full of experts in various fields. You learn just as much from the others members as you do from the mentors. If you're in a place to dedicate a few hours a week to working ON your business instead of IN your business, this is the place for you.

The conference was absolutely incredible. I truly can’t stop talking about it to anyone who will listen. This room was built for entrepreneurs at their core, and I felt that the entire time I was there. I walked away with an abundance of knowledge, clarity, and direction that I know will help catapult my businesses forward. I’m especially excited to join the Boardroom and continue learning from Codie’s team as I step into this next phase of my entrepreneurial journey. Being surrounded by such driven, like minded people was inspiring, many of which are now friends. I’m already looking forward to being back in the room again.

What really makes BizScout by Contrarian Thinking stand out for me is the outreach process, the staff engagement, and the leadership behind it.

From the beginning, the outreach felt intentional and professional. No pressure, no generic scripts just real conversations. The team is responsive, organized, and genuinely supportive. You can tell they care about relationships, not just numbers.

And a big part of what makes it special is Bobby’s leadership. The clarity, direction, and standard he sets trickle down to the entire team. There’s accountability, vision, and a strong sense of purpose. That kind of leadership creates trust, and you feel it in every interaction.

BizScout isn’t just a product. It’s a well-led community backed by a team that actually shows up. That’s rare and that’s why it stands out.

Contrarian first taught me how to buy a business; then they taught me how to run a business. I've learned an insane amount in a short period of time, and I'm making more money and have more flexibility than I've ever had before. Thank you, Codie, and your awesome Contrarian team!

Had an absolute blast at the workshop in March. Got to meet a lot of different leaders from all walks of life & Codies team blessed us all with immense knowledge. Being able to be in a room with other leaders who have similar problems and/or solutions is one of the most unique ways to connect and I absolutely found that here.

Greetings Community! I am thrilled to share that I've closed on my first deal - a fine dining restaurant in Northern California/ I've been working on, with, and in this deal since September and have learned so much along the way! What started as a typical sale process has evolved into a creative partnership deal with the owner over three years, with a final buyout in 2030. It still hasn't sunk in yet that I achieved my goal of purchasing a business in less than a year, but I DID IT!!!. Thanks to you all for being a part of this journey. much gratitude and appreciation!

It has been 6 weeks since we purchased our business. We are still in the process of learning and trying to update basic function of the business. Definitely in the thick of it. Wish us luck guys!

Closed on a deal today! Looking forward to the next chapter and grateful to this community for all the guidance along the way.

We CLOSED today and finished our first day of training! It's a mobile notary signing agency working with title, escrow, and law offices across the country. Primarily for real estate loans, but also Power of Attorney, Trusts, Deeds, etc.

We didn't use bank financing so we were able to close 5 weeks after signing the LOI.

I have signed a Franchise Agreement and will be starting up a Starz Franchise in union county NJ. I don't think I would have found this and felt confident enough to go after it without the help of the community!

We did it! - Business acquisition #1?
This type of business actually wasn't in our deal box originally... mostly because we didn't even know businesses like this existed. But once we looked closer, it checked a lot of boxes.After about a year since we had our first talk with the seller, my husband and I finally acquired our first business — a mobile swim school in LA.

Hey ya'll, we closed on our 3rd business acquisition 2 weeks ago. Working through the transition now. Alex and I are hosting an AMA on YouTube live tomorrow if anyone is interested.

My wife and I closed on our first business on
October 1st.
A successful machine shop that was established in 1979.

Closed on our business - pressure washing, carpet cleaning, tile/grout cleaning, dryer vent, and air duct cleaning.
It's been about 3 weeks of ownership and the learning curve is real, but the wins are stacking up.

Signed the franchise agreement for a new Varsity Zone HVAC franchise on March 24th!!!!!!
I officially own the first 2 territories in Michigan.
Big thank you to this community and especially the Friday Franchise group which has been tremendously helpful over these past 6 months that l've been on this journey.

Feels pretty surreal typing this... also talked to Codie about the impact this week.
Closed on my deal early Feb $2.25M+.
Not that long ago I was in corporate, building for someone else, thinking "there's got to be another way." I didn't have a roadmap - just knew I was burned out.
The Academy gave me that path. Real people, real playbooks, no fluff.

Officially the owner of a moving company!
Deal closed on 2/1/24.
I partnered with my best friend to get her out of the W2 world. Betsy's Moving is a boutique moving company specializing in helping seniors transition into assisted living.

Huge win for the week, I closed my first deal!!!
After 4 months of work, DD, negotiations, and working with attorneys we did it. My wife and I bought a Chiropractic office and kept the previous owner on as an operator, so we won't have to work in the office daily.
We're so excited for the next part of our journey. It's going to take a lot of work and we know there's more challenges coming. But after all the DD and negotiations we feel confident that buying this clinic will help us reach our career and personal goal faster than we thought possible.
Let keep building Main Street over Wall Street.

Just closed on my first deal. Tomorrow is Day
1. Let's get this mf bread.
Joined CT in March, Signed LOI June 4th, and closed December 10th.

Well..... we just closed on our first acquisition. I'm currently numb + WTF but also looking forward to this next stage in our lives. We are so so very grateful to this community and all the coaches.We started this journey in August 2024, looked at about 200 deals, put out 5 LOls and this last one stuck.All I can say is keep going, it IS possible.

Closed on our first business this week! Signed on Wednesday for a services based bus. Got our first job today!

Closed on my first business this past Friday, 2/20! It's a Senior Move Management company located east of the twin cities.
Excited for what's ahead!

Just ... my first business. I started in April and just closed on the 10th!

I JUST CLOSED!!!! ?
I FINALLY closed on my hydroseeding business. The deal that took forever and ever and I've finally made it. I'll share more soon when I'm not crosseyed from PA back and forths for 3 days down to the last minute...

...but just wanted to shout it out that I'm finally an owner!!!!!!!! I've been waiting on this moment for 3+ years. WOOHOO!!!!

We finally closed on our first business on
March 17th!
After about 2 years of learning, searching, and evaluating businesses and 10 months in the Contrarian community we finally found the right deal and closed on a nearly 60 year old local appliance store with the real estate.
It was a pretty surreal scenario, it was the right seller for us, we were the right buyers for the seller and the timelines matched up.
Now we're off to grow an appliance store!

I Closed.
It finally happened. After a long stretch of almost-deals, broken deals, resets, and more valting than I ever expected, I can officially say... I closed on Davis Audio Visual, a nearly 80 year old Utah-based AV services company.

Just sold my business to my co-founder.
After a long and intense discussion, we finally reached an agreement for him to buy me out at a price we felt both comfortable with.
Let's go!

I finally shared my business acquisition on
LinkedIn — so it's official!

My partner and I officially closed escrow on a spa today!
It's been a long journey—nearly two years-but I made it happen. Finding the right business takes patience, persistence, and showing up every single day. Keep pushing forward-it's always worth it in the end.
The purchase price was $375K, and it appraised at $425K-I'm so grateful for all the knowledge and support from this community.

Hello everyone. I haven't been here in a while. I just wanted to give an update on the deal. We are closing by God's grace in 2 weeks. It's been a rollercoaster with SBA. Asking for same documents multiple times, lots of back and forth. But finally we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
1 am excited, nervous, all kinds of emotions, not even sure which one it is. We are working very closely with the seller and the broker for a smooth transition.
It's been a ride and I am beyond grateful for this community. I don't think I would have had the courage to do this.

Finally feeling official to celebrate this upcoming closing when the purchase agreement is fully signed
It's been ~200 days since I first met the sellers, and ~320 days since I joined this community.
I can now vouch for this community that it helped me buy a business and make the dream came true

I just closed another business and we received the assets on Sunday, and we're making almost $1K profit a day!
The business is pretty solid, I found it off market from my network and we got a crazy good deal on it, we bought it for less than 1X multiple.
I learned a lot being in this community, and I'm paying back what | learned to others, even I found a few partners where we did deals together that's all from the community and I'm so grateful to be here

In a totally surreal moment, I closed my first business today!
My journey with the community started at the start of June 2023 and I wanted to close on a business by end of the year — 31 days late but accomplished the goal nevertheless!

I bought a laundromat! Thank you to everyone in this group that supported and encouraged me. I could not have done it without Contrarian Thinking. I even have a laundromat cat now :)

Hi fellow Contrarians! I've been a little slow in reporting that we closed on our accounting fırm deal on March 20 - finally! And it turns out that being dropped into a tax firm in the thick of tax season has been quite an experience.

Finally bought a machine shop! Closed on
2-10-26!

Just closed on a painting business last week!
Excited to get moving this coming week.

I finally closed!
I just closed on a mobile locksmith business that operates throughout Southern California.

From LOI to closing took just almost five months in escrow, starting at the beginning of November, and the deal almost fell apart more than once. It was a crash course in what "deals die multiple times before they close" really means.

We officially closed our first acquisition today.
A U.S. Lawns commercial landscaping franchise in North Dallas.

It took months of sourcing, negotiating, structuring equity and debt, legal back-and-forth, and a lot of uncomfortable conversations.
This is our first step toward building a roll-up platform in a fragmented industry.

Now the real work starts: operations, discipline, culture, and execution.

Nearly nine months after submitting our LOI, Farnauz and I have officially closed on Digital
Evidence Ventures — a digital forensics consulting firm serving law firms, corporations, and government agencies.

Truly couldn't have gotten here without this community.

This deal would have died multiple times without a group of people who stayed committed and kept pushing toward close.

Update — we closed on the Woodshop deal on
July 30th!!!!

Excited to say our offer was just accepted on our first deal!
We have been CT members since June and without this community — we would not be here. We are thrilled about what's next!
Keep the training and knowledge transfer going coaches!

Exciting news! After scaling my pack-and-ship stores, I've officially moved into the tax space.
My business partners and I just closed our first tax firm acquisition yesterday:
‍
The Deal: $700K gross revenue.
The Terms: $NA purchase price (SLK down, $NA seller-financed at 0% over 3 years) with 5 years of free tax strategies.
‍
The seller is transitioning to semi-retirement, and I'm thrilled to start scaling this new arm of the portfolio.

Update on my deal - we got the formal bank commitment letter and are starting to draft the APA!
Closing is set for April 20th!

Closing on my first deal tomorrow!
I will officially be a main street SMB owner of a dog training business in Northern California.
Thanks to Codie, coaches, and this community for getting me trained and prepared. I joined in June 2025 and am closing on my first acquisition 10 months later.

Appliance Repair deal closed today! Wow 2 businesses in 60 days what am I doing?
Original contact: $NA purchase price zero down, zero interest for 48 mos.
Revised Deal: $NA down (seller had a 30k labor board settlement show up during escrow, down payment resolved it) zero interest for 36mos.
Day 1: Started working thru the checklist and learned how to book a service call.
CEO to glorified "receptionist"... no job too small

We closed on our first acquisition of a dry cleaning/laundry/housekeeping valet store
today after 6 months of working on this deal!!!
We have a long to-do list and excited to get started with training next week. There's been many ups and downs (we even walked away at one point but we eventually kicked back up conversations and renegotiated to what makes sense for us with the seller).
Having a good rapport and understanding what the seller really wants to do (retire asap, him not wanting to go through due diligence with another buyer) definitely helped us making certain choices along the way.

In terms of product value, it delivers. The content is straightforward, actionable, and focused on real-world application. It’s not filled with fluff or motivational filler. You get clear frameworks around evaluating opportunities, thinking independently, and focusing on cash-flowing, overlooked businesses. That alone makes it worth the price.
What I appreciated most is that it feels aligned with the service and brand Codie promotes, practical, numbers-driven, and realistic. It doesn’t oversell or promise overnight success. Instead, it emphasizes patience, discipline, and smart decision-making. That honesty adds a lot of credibility.
Value for money-wise, I’d say it’s strong, especially if you’re serious about business or investing. Even one or two mindset shifts from this can easily outweigh the cost.
Overall, it feels like you’re paying for perspective and clarity, not hype. And in today’s crowded business space, that’s refreshing.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality and breadth of the resources available to community members. You are not just getting insights and support from one person selling a course. There is a whole team of experts helping you do the thing. All aspects of sourcing, buying and running a business.

If it wasn't for Codie and the CT group, I wouldn't be under contract for my first business. I have gained so much knowledge from this group - it is amazing. The live meetings have helped a ton to let us know we are not alone. Joining this group was one of the best things we ever did. Highly recommend it!

The support and guidance we’ve received have been truly invaluable. The information shared is abundant, and the speakers are incredibly resourceful. Being surrounded by like‑minded individuals in a consistent, growth‑focused environment has been transformative. Every member of the team is exceptional. We’ve achieved all of our goals, in large part because of this community. We can't thank Carter and Alex for all of the help and guidance you have provided!

Great experience as a business owner looking to grow my business, tackle the issues normally encountered in upward trajectory. Not theoretical junk from a book--actionable, tactical guidance from people who have been there, done that and at top of game! Required consultants for anyone serious about business ownership

I've been in the SMB Boardroom for six months now. I get a lot out of the calls and coaching and councils. Coach Carter is fabulous and gives actionable advice. It's helping me retool my business. When I need help applying the general advice to my business, the team has been generous with their time and support.

Words that in my view describe this academy/community are dynamic, engaging, inspiring, welcoming and highly collaborative. Whatever I have learnt with CT, I couldn't have done it without the help of this community and advisors. I can't recommend it enough if you are willing to put in the effort and want to own a business.

From creative direction to high-level strategy, from big-picture thinking to the fine-tuned details, they are operating on a level that blends cutting edge CRM systems, AI innovation, and what most people overlook… the money. The metrics. The real business backbone.

This is an excellent community. I’ve joined others and immediately regretted it. Not so with this one. It’s obvious they know their stuff and you can learn a lot about acquisitions. Coming from a PhD in chem, this was way, way more valuable than my friends that went to get an MBA. For the price, it’s a steal where you can learn a boatload. Also, the in person events are amazing networking opportunities where I’ve met extremely high profile people (former CXOs from multibillion $ PE firms) in addition to other extremely business savvy operators and entrepreneurs.

We joined the boardroom at Contrarian this year and have already seen a return on our investment. The community and the advisors are top notch and make you feel like your business is a priority. They are honest and actually help in real time! We would recommend this to any small business looking to grow.

As a first-time small business owner without a local mentor, the Contrarian SMB Boardroom has been an invaluable resource. Carter has an ability to get to the root of an issue quickly while remaining thoughtful and empathetic. The advice is practical, direct, and genuinely useful.

My membership in Contrarian Thinking/Contrarian Academy was instrumental in my success in buying a business. The support I received throughout the process and the contacts I made with other members were invaluable. I have been part of three different coaching organizations, and this one is the standout. Since I had two different coaching experiences to compare it to (in different spaces - short term rental and self-storage acquisition), I knew what to look for this time and knew what was different the minute I entered. So well organized. So many opportunities for learning. So many ways to get one on one help without begging for it. Honestly, there was more help available than I even had time to access. The other thing that really stands out here is the way Contrarian seeks out honest feedback and then makes a concerted effort to address it, which has resulted in constant improvement on an already great product. I'm looking forward to jumping into the next step now - Growth Boardroom for business owners. I have no doubt I will experience the same level of support there.