Morning,
Why you’re getting this: I write Curated bi-weekly to stay connected with the amazing people I’ve met over the past few years.
Here’s our agreement: if you find Curated valuable, please pass it along to someone who might enjoy it too.
And if there’s anything I can do to make this more valuable for you, please let me know.
Let’s get into it 👇
ParkSMB
📅 Subscribe to my events calendar here
Private Roundtable Dinner (Co-hosted by ParkSMB x Relay) | SOLD OUT
Arizona Business Mixer/Happy Hour (Hosted by ParkSMB) | APPLY HERE
Founder Coffee Club (Hosted by ParkSMB) | May 9th | APPLY HERE
Virtual Education Series: The Serious Business of Happiness for SMB's, Pt. 1 | May 13 | APPLY HERE
ETA Mixer (Hosted by ParkSMB x SIG Partners x Live Oak Bank) | May 28 | APPLY HERE
I'm looking for event volunteers to help with setup and guest/member check-in. Email me if you're interested!
For real-time updates and to stay in touch:
Twitter/X: @shawnwallard
Linkedin: Shawn Allard
Instagram: @shawnallard
Novel Ice Cream
Updates since my last post:
New Locations:
Uptown Phoenix: moving forward ASAP.
Old Town Scottsdale: on pause for now.
Content Creation:
Steady at 2–3 posts per week, plus daily stories
Bringing on a part-time content creator
Supplier Negotiations:
Locked in some cost reductions over the past 2 weeks
Testing new ice cream pan sizes to cut costs and boost weekly production
Board of Advisors:
Finalizing agreement drafts for my top 3 advisor candidates
What's Coming:
A new collaboration with a local Phoenix chef
2 brand new pint-only flavors dropping soon — subscribe to Novel’s newsletter to be the first to know
Local partnerships with big brands
Restructuring/refinancing our SBA debt and opening lines of credit
New Project
Some people think about buying a business for months — or years.
They browse listings.
Watch webinars.
Collect templates.
Wait for the “perfect deal.”
But at some point, if you’re serious, you have to cross the line.
You have to decide: Am I going to do this, or not?
To make that leap easier, my good friend Anebi and I are launching something we wish we had when we started: Don’t Build, Buy…
An accelerated cohort for serious operators ready to buy their first business in 2025.
This is not a course.
It’s a live, operator-led sprint designed to help you go from curious to closed.
Here’s what you get:
→ Weekly live workshops (buy box, analysis, offers, close)
→ Group or 1:1 deal reviews
→ Capital partner intros (SBA, private lenders, investors)
→ Templates for LOIs, deal recaps, APAs, diligence, and more
→ Bonus: access to our private deal room + post-cohort support
We built this for the folks who are done lurking and ready to make moves.
The cohort kicks off soon, and we’re only accepting 10 applications (this isn’t fake scarcity).
If this is your year to buy a business, apply to get for the cohort.
Podcast
This will change the way you think about money
Music
Playlists built with love:
Stuff For You
🏠 Buy, rent, and/or lease property in Arizona. Email me; I have my license and I’m actively taking on private clients.
Check out this listing for sale (seller is very motivated)
💰 Buy, sell, and/or invest in a business. Email me; Let’s find you some deals.
🤝 To keep track of your deals and connections. Use my Master Acquisition Sheet.
🥘 I’m building a rec list for Arizona Restaurants and products I enjoy.
📦 Get smarter about DTC by subscribing to Nik’s newsletter.
Supporters of ParkSMB and Curated:
Chad Bellin (Disca): Developing software for small and medium-sized businesses that need expert-level technical expertise.
Daniel Cheetham (Captains Club): Placing COOs, CEOs, and Presidents in all size businesses.
Domenick Rocchio (Happy Hopper) – Happy Hopper is the largest database of food and drink deals, helping bars and restaurants increase traffic and revenue.
Have an amazing week,
Shawn