A founding partner’s take on how to get the most out of a career in private equity

What excites me most about turnaround situations? Everything. I love seeing the life cycle of the deal and with turnarounds or special situations, that starts with stabilizing the asset or the deal. It's all fun.

What sparked my initial interest in private equity was actually a brilliant fate of luck. I was in consulting for a very brief period of time, and didn't feel the sense of ownership that private equity had. And so when I saw the analyst job open for private equity, I jumped on it.

When I first started, I felt the need to lead by having the perfect plan or having all of the answers for the deal or the asset. I definitely felt as being a person that was very shy and very introverted, and now it's very much evolved to understanding what's going to motivate people.

What I found to be a big strength is when you can bring more perspective into the room.
When my six founding partners, we left our prior firm to start Paceline. We were a first time fund, definitely not a first time team, but we were able to raise that first fund entirely during Covid.

The doubt I would tell my younger self to dismiss is perfectionism. Instead of worrying
about being right or being perfect, I was focused on the asset, the investment, and doing good.
I would tell myself about taking risks is do it. We are often very hard driving individuals in this industry, and we don't take enough time to stop and celebrate the wins.

Taking time to celebrate will keep the team motivated, especially during challenging times.
There will be highs, there will be lows, and having that tenacity keeps you in the game ultimately and ultimately preserves you from burnout.