Rick Norris, CFA
Entrepreneur. Investor.
Business Builder.
350+
$100M+
300+
M&A Transactions
E-commerce
Since 1997
This site is where I share the ideas, questions and lessons I wish I had understood earlier about business, money, decision-making and how we spend our time.
How I Learned to See Value
I started thinking about value long before I knew anything about finance.
As a teenager, I built a business buying and selling baseball cards. I spent hours watching games, studying statistics and looking for players I believed were undervalued.
That lesson stayed with me: do the work, form your own view and be willing to act when you see something differently.
At Arthur Andersen, I learned to look inside businesses through their financial statements, controls and operations. At BNY Mellon, I worked on more than 300 M&A and strategic financing transactions and directly with executives at major companies.
Later, managing more than $100 million taught me to think differently about risk, return, capital allocation and opportunity cost.
Over time, I learned that the same business can look very different depending on where you are sitting.
Building Something of My Own
In 1997, I founded Hampton Nautical, when e-commerce was still in its infancy and manufacturing directly overseas meant figuring out much of the process ourselves.
For nearly three decades, there was always another problem I had never solved before.
Factories in China and India. Product development. Inventory. Shipping and logistics. Technology. Digital marketing. Hiring. Building systems that could support a growing global company.
350
4
Factories
8,000
Products
1,000+
Hampton eventually grew into a 350-person manufacturer, wholesaler and e-commerce business serving more than 1,000 wholesale and dropship accounts.
What I Think Differently About Today
For a long time, I equated growth with success.
More revenue. More employees. More products. More opportunities.
Eventually, I realized that growth and value are not the same thing.
During my final two years running Hampton day to day, I deliberately redesigned the business to become leaner, more efficient and less dependent on me.
77%
88%
93%
lower advertising spend
Profitability remained essentially unchanged.
Today, Hampton operates without my day-to-day involvement.
That changed the way I think about success. A stronger business is not necessarily the biggest one. It has better economics, stronger people and systems, less unnecessary complexity and more choices for the owner.
I also started asking a bigger question:
What is all of this supposed to give you?
There will always be another customer, another opportunity and another dollar to chase.
At some point, the business should start giving something back to the owner.
The Questions I Keep Coming Back To
The right question can change how you see something you’ve looked at for years.
Would You Buy Your Own Business?
If you were looking at your company from the outside, would you want its customers, economics, people, systems and competitive position?
When Is Enough, Enough?
There will always be another opportunity. At what point is your time worth more?
Which Perspective Are You Missing?
Entrepreneurs, operators, investors and buyers can look at the same situation and see completely different things. Sometimes changing the perspective changes the decision.
These are the questions I spend more time thinking, writing and talking about today.
What I’m Doing Now
Today, I advise business owners through Blue Chip Macro, continue investing and building, and spend more time writing and speaking about business ownership, decision-making and the lessons I wish I had understood earlier.
I’m still building, investing, learning and refining how I think.
The right conversation could change the
future of your business. Call (800) 913-5117
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do you mean by "Would You Buy Your Own Business?
It’s one of the most revealing questions a business owner can ask. If your answer is “no,” ask yourself why. Those reasons often uncover your greatest opportunities to improve your business.
Looking at your business through the eyes of a buyer helps you see its strengths, its weaknesses, and the opportunities to make it more valuable.
At Blue Chip Macro, we believe better businesses begin with asking better questions. From there, strategy, execution, and disciplined decision-making help build stronger, more valuable businesses.
Q: Why do clients choose Blue Chip Macro?
Clients choose Blue Chip Macro because our advice comes from real-world experience, not theory. We’ve built, operated, acquired, and sold businesses, managed investments through multiple market cycles, participated in mergers and acquisitions, and advised business owners for decades.
That experience allows us to evaluate opportunities through multiple perspectives and provide practical advice grounded in real-world experience.
Q: What is Blue Chip Macro's approach?
Every business is different, so every engagement begins by understanding where you are today, where you want to go, and what’s standing in the way.
From there, we identify the opportunities with the greatest potential to create value, develop a practical strategy, and help you execute it. Every recommendation is focused on building a stronger, more valuable business.
Q: Can Blue Chip Macro help me achieve my goals?
Every business owner has different goals. You may want to grow faster, improve profitability, create more freedom, prepare for an eventual sale, or simply build a stronger, more valuable business.
Whatever your goals, our business advisory services are designed to help you get there.
Q: What services does Blue Chip Macro provide?
Blue Chip Macro provides two core services:
Business Advisory for business owners who want to build stronger, more valuable businesses. Wealth Management for investors seeking disciplined investment management focused on protecting capital, managing risk, and building long-term wealth.
Whether you’re building a business or managing wealth, our focus is helping clients create lasting value.
Q: How do I get started?
It starts with a conversation. We’ll learn where you are today, where you want to go, and what you’re hoping to accomplish. Together, we’ll determine whether we’re the right fit and how we can help you move forward.
