Barrett Willich

Barrett Willich has extensive experience working with companies on strategic initiatives, capital raising, implementing day-to-day processes, and overseeing general operations. He has a unique mix of investing in companies and running companies, allowing him to navigate investors' needs with management's needs.

Prior to Bear & Kenmore, Barrett was Vice President of Investments at a family office where he focused on investing in lower middle-market businesses as well as sourcing alternative investments. His responsibilities included deal origination and execution, as well as assisting operating companies with strategic direction, operational improvements, and financing decisions.

In addition to the family office responsibilities, Barrett was the president of a debt collections agency, inside a portfolio company. Prior to the family office role, Barrett worked at a growth-equity focused private equity fund

where he assisted with deal execution and operational improvements at portfolio companies.  Earlier in his career, Barrett was an analyst in Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Healthcare, Technology, & Business Services Investment Banking Group, where he worked with and advised middle market corporate and private equity clients on M&A, debt, and equity transactions.

Barrett holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Finance cum laude from Marquette University.

Barrett enjoys skiing, sailing, hunting, and sporting clay.

Daniel C. Regan

Dan is a Managing Partner at Grit & Growth Consulting, LLC and is the managing partner at Regan Law, LLC, where he focuses on companies that are between $5M and $50M in revenue, acting as their outside general counsel, assisting in mergers and acquisitions, and helping them with certification as a Women Owned Business (WBE), Minority Owned Business (MBE), or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). Having an entrepreneurial spirit, Dan has partial ownership in companies in the manufacturing, apiary, landscaping, management consulting, trucking, and automotive repair industries. Prior to forming Regan Law, he was Assistant Vice President in the legal department of Envestnet Asset Management, a leading provider of integrated solutions to financial advisors and institutions. Prior to this, he served as a financial consultant for Thrivent Financial, a provider of financial planning and wealth management services. While Dan enjoyed financial consulting, he answered a calling to provide a greater depth of counsel by transitioning to legal and management consulting. His extensive background enables Dan to help clients navigate day-to-day needs as well as unforeseen challenges and opportunities.

Dan earned a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a Master of Business Administration degree (M.B.A.) from Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business.

He enjoys working and raising his family in the Chicago area. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We can custom tailor our offering to your needs. For instance, if you already have a lawyer, we can focus on bookkeeping and financial strategy for your firm, while continuing to use your current lawyer.

  • We prefer to set a fixed, monthly fee for our ongoing work. This allows the client consistent visibility into their monthly expense. We adjust the fee up or down, on a quarterly basis, to adjust for the needs of the client.

    Please reach out to us for a quote.

  • Yes, we can provide references and client testimonials upon request. Our satisfied clients are happy to share their experiences working with us.

  • Our team members bring extensive experience in with owner/operator small businesses. We understand the nuances and issues that arise on normal basis. We continually invest in professional development to ensure we deliver the highest quality service.

  • We purposely have a small company at Grit & Growth Consulting so that the people selling you the work are the people doing it. Each project is staffed with a combination of a partner, senior-level bookkeeper, and potentially an analyst/accountant, depending on the needs of the client. A partner is always overseeing the client work.