Justin Burris

🚨 For the past two years I've been pretty quiet about things going on with Majority Search, the investment firm I co-founded with @justineburris. It would be a mistake to think that the lack of updates indicates a lack of activity. Today I wanted to share some big news and also provide a little more insight into what we've been building. The big news is that we're rebranding as Portrait Capital. We're really excited about the new messaging and look, which you can find here: portraitcap.com. On the site, you can find more information about our approach, our team, and our investments. If you're an aspiring entrepreneurial leader of a small business, I'd also encourage you to join our talent network. It doesn't have a lot of structure yet, but we've already placed one top executive at a portfolio company from this community and this is where we turn first when needs arise. Majority Search drew on elements from my experience as an investor in search funds and Justin's experiences as an investor and advisor to large family and founder-led firms gained during his time at BDT Capital Partners (now BDT & MSD since they've combined with Michael Dell's family office). As with most new ventures, some of our ideas have proven successful, while others will end their journeys as worthwhile experiments on the road to better outcomes. Our new brand reflects an increased focus on the parts of our strategy that resonated most strongly in the marketplace: our focus on very long-term partnership, putting people at the center of our thinking, and our unmatched ability to perfectly tailor transitions according to the needs and wants of sellers. We aim to be the partner we'd want if the roles were reversed. And, with a broader focus on meeting the needs of sellers, we're not exclusively constrained to situations where new leadership is required, though we remain very comfortable with facilitating leadership transitions as well. The pace of our investments has also been healthy. We've partnered with four companies over the past 13 months and have a full pipeline of opportunities we are pursuing. Our portfolio is diverse and spans recycling, agriculture, home services, and Switchboard, the automation & AI agency I posted about a while back. We expect the portfolio size to double - or more - over the coming year and we'll be deploying a lot more capital. Our team of two has also doubled with @bruceeskesen having joined last year as our first Associate and, more recently, @mikebotkin_ joining as our newest Partner and President of Portfolio Operations. Mike has already made huge contributions in supporting our partner companies and he’s every bit as awesome as you’d expect if you’ve been following his story and thinking on this platform. If you'd like to learn more — whether you are a prospective investor, someone who would like to share potential acquisition opportunities with us, or as a future business leader/CEO who wants to join our talent network — please reach out using the emails on our website or send me a DM here.

YOU'RE DOING WHAT?!... That's the reaction I've gotten from some people after telling them that I'm planning to launch a podcast. And now I'm telling you. I've always been drawn to learn about people's journeys in life. And, as I've gotten older, I've really come to appreciate how a small number of pivotal moments have a disproportionate impact on each of our lives. While we're living them, we often don't realize the impact they'll have. But, looking back, we're all able to see the times and experiences that most shaped us. And that's the focus of my podcast, Transitions, which will be launching soon. I'm hosting a show where I sit down with some of today's business leaders to uncover the stories behind their success. What shaped them? What kept them going? How did they overcome adversity? Where do they come from? Has success brought them the happiness they thought it would? In recording the first episodes, it has been amazing to go deep with people and learn about the crucible experiences that changed their lives and shaped them into the humans they are. There are common themes that emerge around resilience and self-belief. There's also struggle - with economic hardship, relationships, personal loss, and more. In short, these are stories to which we can all relate. Most of what we know about successful people is the veneer of their position and status. In Transitions, you'll get a first-person behind-the-scenes narrative of the guest's life and an opportunity to learn from them, to find hope and inspiration from their stories, and to find common ground and community. I hope the show helps to break down barriers and stereotypes and, over time, becomes an encyclopedia of collected stories about life's most impactful moments that can serve as a reference tool for anyone facing their own challenges or struggles, or just looking for inspiration. On a personal level, this project has already been a difficult and wonderful experience for me. I've been able to build and deepen relationships, be humbled by working to develop a new skill in interviewing, and have had the great fortune to have received mentorship from people that I respect deeply (@fortworthchris, @johnnypodcasts, @BarrettABrooks, @FoundersPodcast, all of my guests, and many others). When I announce the release of the first episodes, it would mean a great deal to me if you'd give me some help. Specifically: - Please listen and share the episodes with friends and colleagues if you like them - Send me feedback. I want this to work and have a lot to learn, so knowing what is going well and where I can improve will accelerate my -- and the show's -- progress - Suggest guests that you think more people should know and who have compelling stories to share. My DM's are open. I'm incredibly excited to share this project with you all and think you're going to love hearing from the first few guests I have lined up! More to come very, very soon...