🤝 How to make magic happen as a biz buyer

Biz Buyers,

After 2 decades as a magician, Alex Ramon knew how to sell, build a brand, and capture an audience.

But he wanted ownership and needed the right path to get there with his unique skill set.

So he joined the Contrarian Community, built a deal framework, and spent 18 months focused on acquiring the right business for him.

Now, with 13 employees and new revenue streams, he’s scaling a business beyond entertainment and turning a major expense into a cash-generating asset.

How he did it — and what you can steal from his playbook — right here. 👇

Before we dive in…

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✅ Overlooked levers that can drive business growth

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

How This Magician Used Acquisition to Turn an Expense into an Asset

For over 25 years, Alex Ramon has built a career as a magician. With a residency in Lake Tahoe performing five nights a week, he’s spent his life mastering entertainment. But over time, while his craft generated income, he began to realize something was missing: cash flow independence. “I had some investments — real estate, stocks, mutual funds, even crypto. But while all of those can build my net worth. They don’t necessarily put cash in my pocket,” Ramon explains.

That’s when he discovered Codie Sanchez and our Contrarian Community, where the idea of buying a small business as a strategy first clicked. Unlike other asset classes, Alex figured, business ownership could help fund his lifestyle while continuing to build long-term wealth.

“So I joined the community, and I was surrounded by like-minded people. Everyone had their own approach — some were looking to be owner-operators, others like me wanted to be owner-investors,” he says. “Being part of the Contrarian Community gave me the tools, the education, and the lessons to create my deal box and acquire a business.”

The Search for the Right Business

At first, Ramon wasn’t sure what type of business to buy. He had no experience in the service industries that often dominate small business acquisitions. Then, Codie gave him a simple but game-changing piece of advice: “Look at your bank statements. See what you’re spending the most money on, and maybe acquire something in that space to reduce your costs.”

For Ramon, that answer was clear. After his shows, he sold branded merchandise — shirts, hats, beanies, tote bags — souvenirs for his audience. Every year, he spent a significant amount of money stocking up on inventory.

That led him to Innovative Imprints, a custom branding and merchandise company just 35 minutes from his home in Lake Tahoe. The business checked all the boxes. “The owner had been running it for 23 years, was in his 70s, and was ready to retire. The employees had been there for over a decade. It was a perfect fit,” he recalls.

But getting the deal done wasn’t easy. “It took 18 months to close. At one point, the seller signed a purchase agreement with another buyer, and I lost the deal,” he says. “Then a few months later, I get a call from the broker saying, ‘Hey, do you want to put in another offer?’ I didn’t even know it was back on the table.” Despite the setbacks, Ramon stayed patient, finalized the acquisition, and became the new owner of Innovative Imprints in 2023.

Scaling and Expanding the Business

Today, Innovative Imprints offers a wide range of custom branding solutions, including:

• Screen printing & embroidery for team sports, corporate clients, and small businesses
• Branded promotional products like water bottles, golf balls, and pens
• Merchandise fulfillment & e-commerce solutions for brands and influencers

The business employs 13 full-time W2 employees and four independent contractors, including a general manager who was the company’s first-ever hire and has been with the business for over 20 years.

As an entertainer, Ramon brings a unique angle to the business. He’s leveraging his connections in the industry to expand into merch drops with influencers and touring artists — something the business never pursued before.

“We’re reaching out to influencers with hundreds of thousands, even millions of followers, to handle merch drops and fulfillment,” he explains. “That’s something the company didn’t do before I bought it.” The business has also grown within the Contrarian Community itself.

“We do all of Codie’s merch now — the BizScout hats, Contrarian Thinking conference gear, Main Street Millionaire bandanas, book swag packs, and more,” he says. “It’s pretty cool to not only learn from the community but to have them support the business I bought because of them.”

Looking Ahead to 2025

While Ramon is optimistic about the future, he’s approaching 2025 with caution. “Holistically, I think 2025 is going to be a challenging year,” he says. “I have optimism, but I’m also a pragmatist. I think we’re going to start seeing the results of the past couple of years economically, and I want to be prepared for that.” That means tightening cash management, holding off on big upgrades, and ensuring financial efficiency before making major capital investments.

“There’s a machine we want to buy — it would be great for the business. But I’m going to be more conservative before making that purchase,” he explains. “These machines are expensive, well into the five figures. Before we do that, I want to make sure the company is healthy and can sustain any drops in business.” At the same time, growth opportunities are emerging.

“Right before this call, I found out we qualify to join a purchasing conglomerate — something we couldn’t access before because we weren’t big enough,” he says. “That’s going to lower our cost of goods and give us access to bigger suppliers like Adidas and Nike.” The focus on merch drops and influencer partnerships is another major growth area.

“I’m using my entertainment industry network to connect with people who have a huge following,” he says. “We handle all the fulfillment, so they don’t have to worry about shipping or inventory. That’s something we’re really excited about.” Despite the uncertainty in the economy, Ramon is playing the long game.

“There will be challenges, no doubt. But business comes in waves. Sometimes you ride a high wave to the shore, sometimes you paddle out and wait. The key is making sure you’re positioned to catch the next wave when it comes.”

How This Veteran Is Building Ownership in Small-Town America

Two people set out to buy a business…

One tries to go it alone. The other has a room full of people breaking down their deals, guiding them through hurdles, sharing what works, and cheering them on.

Which would you want to be?

Learn more about Anna, a business owner who leveraged the Contrarian Community to help go from searching to owning purposefully.

Contrarian Thinking’s 2025 Annual Letter

From scaling our community and media efforts, to launching new investments and building infrastructure for the future of Main Street, 2024 was a year of full send.

Now, we’re doubling down. See what we built, what we learned, and what’s next for Contrarian Thinking.

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