I never planned to own part of a company. That was not the dream. Not even close.
And I need you to really hear this part: Jay did not want to hire me.
That sentence still makes me smile. Not because it hurt (cause obviously I’m still here and he was overruled by his team), but because of what it became. It is the starting line of a story neither of us could have predicted. One built slowly, quietly, and with more trust than either of us realized we were capable of at the time.
A Book and an Honest Conversation
At some point along the way, Jay and I both read Traction by Gino Wickman.
It put language to something we were already living. The idea that businesses need two very different kinds of leaders. One to imagine what could be. One to make sure it actually works.
That book did not give us answers. It gave us permission. Permission to talk honestly about our strengths. About our gaps. About the fact that we were better together than we were apart, even if it did not look traditional on paper.
Those conversations changed everything.
The Growth No One Sees
Here is the path no one brags about.
Executive assistant > Director of Operations > Building a three-year COO plan > Executing it faster than expected > Becoming a partner
It was not glamorous. It was earned.
Each step required more trust than the last. More honesty. More willingness to say, I do not have this figured out yet.
As I have said before, “Partnership is built in the moments where you choose honesty over comfort.”
Jay brought vision. I brought structure. But what really mattered was that we kept choosing the work, even when it was uncomfortable.
The Day He Asked Me to Buy In
This is the part people always pause on.
Jay did not give me equity. He asked me to buy it.
At the time, that decision felt heavy and emotional. It forced me to slow down and really ask myself if I believed in this company and this partnership enough to put my own money on the line.
Looking back, it was one of the most respectful things he could have done.
Buying equity does something to you. It shifts how you think. How you lead.
How do you protect what you are building?
You stop asking what is expected of you and start asking what the business actually needs.
Respecting the Foundation Already Built
There is something else I need to say.
Jay built StringCan long before I ever showed up. He carried the risk. He lost sleep. He figured things out alone.
By asking me to buy equity, he honored that work. And that respect set the tone for everything that followed.
We did not start our partnership out of obligation. We started it of our own choice.
That distinction matters more than people realize.
What Ownership Actually Means
I see this myth everywhere.
Equity does not create ownership. Ownership creates the conditions where equity makes sense.
If someone does not think like an owner before they have shares, the paperwork will not change that. Mindset comes first. Equity follows.
That clarity has protected our partnership for seven years.
What Seven Years Have Taught Me
Trust is fragile. Treat it like it matters.
Communication is not optional. It is the foundation.
Know your real strengths, especially the ones that show up when things are hard.
The best partnerships are not equal in every task. They are equal in commitment.
And if you are lucky enough to build something with someone, make sure you both earned your seat at the table.
Seven years ago, I bought equity in a company led by a man who did not want to hire me.
It changed how I lead.
It changed how I think.
It changed my life.
Best investment I ever made.
Ready to Build a Real Partnership?
At StringCan, we believe strong businesses are built through trust, clarity, and shared ownership of outcomes. If you are looking for a partner who shows up like an owner, we would love to talk about what we can build together.
