Independent Advisor

Advisory for founders facing high-stakes operating decisions

Market entry. M&A. Restructuring. When the decision is irreversible and the stakes are real, you don't need a team of analysts. You need one person who has been there before.

Juan Isava — Independent Advisor
15+
Years in markets
50+
Decisions advised
$2B+
Transactions touched
3
Continents

Three profiles. One pattern.

You run something real. The decision in front of you is consequential. And you're not looking for a slide deck — you're looking for a thought partner.

Founders raising or deploying

You're entering a new market, evaluating an acquisition, or deciding whether to take capital. You need someone who'll pressure-test the thesis — not validate it.

Operators at an inflection point

The business works but the next move is unclear. Restructure? Double down? Exit a vertical? The cost of indecision is compounding and you need clarity fast.

Principals managing risk

Portfolio companies, family offices, or holding structures. You want an independent perspective that isn't selling the next engagement. Just the truth.

What I hear most often

01

"I have advisors. But none of them will tell me not to do the deal."

02

"We spent $200K on diligence and I still don't know if we should move forward."

03

"My team is too close to this. I need someone with no stake in the outcome."

04

"I don't need a framework. I need someone to sit across the table and think with me."

No decks. No associates. No filler.

Three formats, each designed around how real decisions actually get made.

Strategy Call

90 minutes

One high-stakes decision. One focused conversation. You leave with a clear yes, no, or here's-what-I'd-do.

  • Pre-call briefing doc from you
  • 90-min structured conversation
  • Written decision memo within 48h
  • One follow-up call (30 min)
Book a strategy call

Quarterly Retainer

By application

Ongoing advisory for principals and operators who want a trusted external perspective on a recurring basis.

  • Bi-weekly calls
  • Priority async access
  • Board/investor prep
  • Annual strategy review
  • Limited to 4 clients
Inquire about availability

The work speaks for itself

"He told us to kill the deal. We were furious. Six months later the market proved him right and saved us $2M in runway we would have burned."
Founder, SaaS ($40M ARR) Market entry advisory
"Juan is the only advisor I've worked with who doesn't optimize for the next engagement. He optimizes for the right answer — even when it means telling you to do nothing."
Managing Partner, Family Office Portfolio risk assessment
"One 90-minute call replaced three months of internal back-and-forth. The clarity was immediate and the decision memo is still pinned in our Slack."
COO, Logistics Scale-Up Restructuring decision
"I hired a Big Four firm for $300K. Then I hired Juan for a fraction of that. Juan's work was more useful in the first week than theirs was in three months."
CEO, Cross-border Services M&A advisory

The 7-question filter I use before any market entry

Before I take on any market-entry advisory, I run the founder through these 7 questions. If they can't answer #3 and #5, I tell them to wait. Get the filter — score yourself before you spend a dollar.

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Free PDF

The 7-Question Market Entry Filter

Why this works

Most advisory is structured around deliverables: decks, reports, frameworks. That's useful when you need analysis. It's useless when you need judgment.

What I do is simpler and harder: I sit across from you, understand the full picture, and tell you what I'd do if it were my money, my company, my decision. No hedging. No "it depends." A clear recommendation you can act on today.

This works because I have no recurring revenue incentive. I don't need you to hire me again. I need you to make the right call — and if the right call is "do nothing," I'll say that.

Independence over engagement

I don't optimize for the next contract. I optimize for the right answer, even when it ends our work together.

Judgment over analysis

You can hire analysts anywhere. What you can't easily find is someone who's sat in your chair, made similar calls, and will tell you the truth.

Speed over thoroughness

Most high-stakes decisions have a decay function. A good answer this week beats a perfect answer in three months.

If the decision matters,
the conversation should too

A 15-minute discovery call. No pitch, no pressure. Tell me what you're working through — I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.

Prefer email? juan@berick.finance

Book a discovery call