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Ryan Sullivan, PE - Financial & Business Planner, Bozeman, MT (2026)

06/10/2026

A recent prospect meeting started in a way I won’t soon forget.

They came from a referral from one of my clients.

And early in the conversation, they told me my client had said:

“Working with Ryan has been life changing.”

Life changing.

Wow.

That was always the goal but it feels different when you know your clients feel that way too.

Not just better spreadsheets.
Not just cleaner numbers.
Not just another financial plan that gets filed away and forgotten.

The real work is helping firm owners create more control.

✅ More clarity around their business
✅ More confidence in their decisions
✅ More wealth outside the firm
✅ More options for what comes next

I left engineering because I believed I could make a bigger impact helping architects and engineers build better businesses and better lives.

And honestly, I still feel like this work is just getting started.

There are so many firm owners who are incredibly talented at the work, but are carrying too much pressure alone.

Sometimes the right support changes more than the numbers.

It changes what's possible.

Because a better business should not just make you busier.

It should unlock your freedom.

Disclosure: This statement reflects one client’s experience and may not be representative of all clients. No compensation was provided for this statement.

06/09/2026

RFPs are killing your firm.

Because somewhere along the way, you accepted a terrible deal:

Do a bunch of unpaid work upfront…
Compete against multiple other firms…
Give away your ideas…
Race to the bottom on fees…

And then *𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚* the client chooses you.

That’s not a business development strategy.

That’s unpaid consulting with a lottery ticket attached.

And then firm owners wonder why they aren't making any money.

Look at where your time actually goes.

How many hours are spent chasing work you don’t win?

How many unpaid meetings, proposals, narratives, scopes, fee estimates, design ideas, interviews, and follow-ups happen before a dollar ever hits the bank?

That time has a cost.

Even if it doesn’t show up clearly on your P&L.

It shows up in:
❌ Lower profit
❌ Burned-out staff
❌ Rushed project delivery
❌ Reactive hiring
❌ Owners working nights and weekends
❌ A firm that always feels busy but never feels ahead

The problem isn’t that you need more opportunities.

The problem is that too many of your opportunities are low-quality opportunities.

The better path is not “respond to more RFPs.”

It’s to become the firm that doesn’t have to.

✅ Find clients who already value your expertise
✅ Build relationships before the project is formally released
✅ Develop a specialty where you are the obvious choice
✅ Pursue work where you can actually excel
✅ Charge for the value of your thinking, not just the hours it takes to produce drawings

The most profitable firms are not usually the ones chasing everything.

They’re the ones willing to be selective.

Because profitability does not come from being busy.

It comes from being wanted.

So here’s the uncomfortable question:
How much unpaid work is your firm doing in the name of “opportunity”?

And what would happen if you stopped chasing projects that never respected your value in the first place?

06/08/2026

Two weeks ago I went off roading in Moab, Utah.

One of the first things we did was drive up a hill that had to be close to 60°.

Looking at it from the bottom, it looked almost vertical.

My first thought was: "There is no way we can drive up that"

But then the guide vehicle went first.

Same type of vehicle.
Same hill.
Same terrain.

No problem.

Once I saw it was possible, I figured what did I have to lose.

So I followed.

And we made it up.

That experience felt a lot like the work I do with my clients.

I don't remove the hill.
I don't make the terrain flat.

But I help them see the route.
I show them it's possible.

And then I help guide them through it.

More profit.
More wealth.
More options.

Most people don't need someone to tell them to "just send it".

They need someone who understands the terrain, can point out the line, and helps them build the confidence to take the next step.

Because sometimes the thing that looks impossible from the bottom... just needs the right guide.

Note: Video is from a different spot, I didn't get a video of that first hill.

06/04/2026

Two years ago I was designing HVAC and plumbing systems.

Today, AIA is publishing my thoughts on helping architecture firms build more resilient businesses.

My career started in engineering, working with architects, engineers, and contractors every day.

Over the years, I noticed a pattern.

Some firms seemed to thrive regardless of what the economy was doing.

Others were constantly riding a roller coaster.

When work was plentiful, they hired quickly.

When projects slowed down, layoffs and cash flow concerns followed.

Most people blamed the economy.

But after working with firm owners for years, I've come to believe the real issue is often much closer to home.

The firms that struggle the most aren't necessarily the least talented.

They're often the ones that haven't built the systems needed to withstand uncertainty.

In my article for the AIA Practice Management Digest, I explore the common drivers behind the boom-bust cycle, including:
❌ Reactive pipeline management
❌ Thin profit margins
❌ Lack of cash flow forecasting
❌ Minimal operating reserves
❌ Hiring based on today's workload instead of tomorrow's pipeline

And more importantly, what firm owners can do about it.

A big thank you to AIA for the opportunity to contribute.

You can checkout the full article here:
https://communityhub.aia.org/blogs/eva-read-warden-aia1/2026/06/01/why-architecture-firms-stay-stuck-in-the-boom-bust

06/03/2026

A firm owner client had revenue bouncing between $10,000-40,000/month.

Some months felt great.

Other months she couldn't even pay herself.

That variability was causing significant stress.

Not just because of the money but because it makes everything harder:

⚠️ Hiring
⚠️ Paying herself
⚠️ Planning ahead
⚠️ Saving for taxes
⚠️ Investing personally
⚠️ Making confidence business decisions

When revenue is unpredictable, the entire business feels unstable.

And when the business feels unstable, the owner carries all of that stress.

So we focused on one big thing:

Creating more consistent predictable revenue.

Within 6-months she built over $75,000/month in recurring predictable revenue with additional project based revenue layered on top.

That changes everything.

From someone who was living off credit cards and racking up debt;

To someone that has tens of thousands of dollars a month of extra cash every month to do whatever she wants with.

Not to mention the stability of it.

🚨 Life changing 🚨

More firm owners think they just need more revenue.

Sometimes they do.

But often, what they really need is better revenue.

🔥 More predictable.
🔥 More repeatable.
🔥 More aligned with the business and life they are trying to build.

The goal isn't just to make more money.

It's to make the business feel less chaotic while building something that actually supports your freedom.

06/02/2026

I hear some version of this on a lot of prospect calls:
“You hit the nail on the head.”
“You just described my situation perfectly.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve been struggling with.”

That’s not an accident.

And it’s not because I’m psychic (although that would be cool).

It’s because I’ve had the same conversation with a lot of architecture and engineering firm owners.

The details are different.

But the pattern is the same.

⚠️ They’re making decent money, but not building enough personal wealth
⚠️ The business is growing, but it still depends heavily on them
⚠️ Cash flow is inconsistent
⚠️ They want more freedom, but don’t have a clear path to step back, scale, or eventually exit

After you hear the same problem enough times, you start to understand the person before they even finish explaining it.

That’s what creates trust.

And I think this is where a lot of A/E firms miss the mark with their own clients.

They say things like:
🤮 “We provide thoughtful design”
🤮 “We’re collaborative”
🤮 “We deliver high-quality work”

So does everyone else.

The real question is:
Do your clients feel like you understand them?

Do they say:
💡 “You get it”
💡 “That’s exactly what we need”
💡 “You understand what we’re trying to build”

Because if they don’t, you’re probably still talking too much about your services and not enough about their world.

Your best marketing does not come from sounding impressive.

It comes from making your ideal client feel understood.

That’s when you stop being one of many options.

And start becoming the only choice.

06/01/2026

The firm owners I worry about most are not the ones who are struggling.

They know they have problems.

The ones I worry about are the successful firm owners who assume everything will work itself out.

✅ Revenue is good
✅ Clients keep coming
✅ The team is solid
✅ The business is profitable
✅ Retirement accounts have grown

Everything looks fine.

But beneath the surface, there may be no real plan.

❌ No clear retirement strategy
❌ No business valuation
❌ No successor
❌ No transition timeline
❌ No answer to the question: “What happens when I want to slow down?”

This is the trap.

Success creates comfort.
Comfort creates delay.
Delay slowly removes options.

And by the time the owner is finally ready to step back, they may realize the business still depends too much on them.

⚠️ The key employee does not want ownership
⚠️ The firm is harder to sell than expected
⚠️ The firm is not positioned for maximum valuation
⚠️ The investment strategy is disconnected from the business plan

The owner has built a successful firm… but not yet a freedom plan.

That is the difference.

A successful firm can create income.
A freedom plan creates options.

✅ Options to slow down
✅Options to sell
✅Options to transition internally
✅Options to keep working because you want to, not because everything falls apart without you

This is exactly why I created the No Limits Blueprint.

To help architecture and engineering firm owners connect their business, personal wealth, investments, taxes, systems, and succession plan into one clear path forward.

Because a successful firm is not the same thing as a freedom plan.

If you are 5 to 10 years from wanting to step back from your firm, comment below or message me “Freedom” and I’ll send you the Firm Owner 5-Pillars Assessment.

05/21/2026

Your thoughts, become your words,
Your words, become your actions,
Your actions, become your habits,
Your habits, become your character,
Your character, becomes your destiny.

I’ve always liked this quote because it highlights something most people miss:

Your life is not built through massive moments.
It’s built through repeated patterns.

The way you think.
The way you spend money.
The way you handle stress.
The way you show up every day.

That all compounds.

Eventually, it becomes your life.

Most people want a different outcome while repeating the same habits.

But freedom doesn’t happen accidentally.

Neither does financial success.
Neither does a great business.
Neither does a great marriage.
Neither does great health.

Those things are built slowly.

Repeatedly.

Intentionally.

That’s why systems matter so much.

Because eventually your systems become your reality.

05/20/2026

A lot of investors think the only way to outperform is by taking more risk.

I don’t believe that.

I believe the real key is managing risk better.

That’s been the philosophy behind my Dynamic Investing strategy:
✅ Participate aggressively when conditions are favorable
✅ Protect capital when conditions deteriorate
✅ Focus on long-term compounding, not just raw returns

April was another strong month delivering 8.5% growth to put us up ~17% on the year through the end of April (after fees).

In early April, as geopolitical fears and market uncertainty peaked, I gradually increased exposure to higher risk areas of the market as conditions improved and fear began fading.

More recently, after a strong run in certain sectors, I’ve started reducing exposure and raising cash again as risk and momentum became more extended.

That’s the entire point of a dynamic strategy.

Not predicting every move perfectly.
Not reacting emotionally.

But adapting as conditions change.

Because investing isn’t just about maximizing returns.

It’s about creating a strategy you can actually stick with through different market environments.

Less time digging out of deep holes.
Less reliance on “just wait it out.”

More focus on adapting to what the market is actually doing.

Most portfolios are static.

Mine isn’t.

Disclaimer: Performance figures mentioned are based on a representative client portfolio net of a 1% management fee and is shown for illustrative purposes only. Individual client results may vary. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. All investing carries risk.

05/19/2026

Most architecture and engineering firm owners I talk to aren't interested in “retiring.”

At least not in the traditional sense.

They are not dreaming about selling their business, disappearing forever, and spending the rest of their life doing nothing.

They still care about the work.
They still care about their clients.
They still care about the firm they built.

But they are starting to wonder:

"How long can I keep doing this at this pace?"

❓Could I slow down without the business falling apart?
❓Could I take more time off without my income dropping dramatically?
❓Could I stop being involved in every major decision?
❓Could I transition ownership someday?
❓Could I keep working because I want to, not because I have to?

That is not really a retirement question.

It is an optionality question.

For architecture and engineering firm owners, retirement is often too narrow of a goal.

The real goal is building enough wealth, profit, systems, leadership, and transition options that you have the freedom to choose
what comes next.

Maybe that means selling.
Maybe it means stepping back.
Maybe it means mentoring the next generation.
Maybe it means working three days a week.
Maybe it means taking summers off.
Maybe it means fully retiring.

Or maybe it simply means knowing you could, even if you choose not to.

I put together a short guide called: "Retirement Is the Wrong Goal"

It is a retirement guide for firm owners who do not really want to retire.

If you own an architecture or engineering firm and are starting to think about the next phase, comment “Options” and I’ll send it over.

Ryan Sullivan, PE - Financial & Business Planner

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

05/21/2026

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05/19/2026

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