The Sourcing Engine
Brad doesn't run a pipeline. He runs three relationships and a calendar — the Personal Executive Network, his GTIA ISO Board seat, and the conferences where whales actually show up.
#1Whale becomes aware of TC via Brad's three sourcing channels
November 2025. IT Nation Connect Executive — Las Vegas. Brad is there as an attendee, not a vendor. He's at a private dinner Eastpoint Equity hosts at the Bellagio for portfolio CEOs. He sits across from a man with a quiet voice and a half-eaten ribeye. They trade business cards. Marcus Bellamy, CEO, Tideline Holdings.
Brad doesn't pitch. He asks Marcus what's keeping him up at night.
Brad makes one note in his phone before bed: "Marcus Bellamy / Tideline / 28 brands / portfolio visibility on cyber attach. Watch for trigger."
#2Brad maintains standing relationship investment
Across the four months following IT Nation Connect, Brad does what the 1.10 SOP describes as "the standing relationship investment": he doesn't sell. He sends a hand-written note to Marcus with a copy of Adam's book Cybersecurity by the Numbers and a one-line postcard: "Thought of our dinner. — Brad." No CTA. He sees a Tideline update cross his GTIA feed and texts in February: "Saw the press release on the Detroit acquisition. Three down, twenty-five to go?" Marcus laughs back: "Don't jinx me."
This is what "top-of-mind" actually looks like. Brad doesn't pitch. He stays in Marcus's peripheral vision. The 1.10 SOP relationship-investment line — $30K annual origination budget — is dinners, conference badges, and small gifts.
#3A trigger event surfaces a qualified candidate
March 11, 2026. Bloomberg posts a one-paragraph item: "Eastpoint Equity closes follow-on capital at Tideline Holdings; commits an additional $40M for platform infrastructure and integration." Brad sees it within an hour. The 1.10 SOP names this exact pattern: recent funding event → integration thesis is now active → Tideline must demonstrate platform-level economics within 12 months → cybersecurity attach is the highest-leverage cross-portfolio metric.
Brad pulls Tideline up in his target-list spreadsheet, books a flight to Tampa for the following week. He doesn't email Marcus from the airport. He texts.
#4Brad enters whale into target list with sourcing channel tag
Before he flies, Brad updates his whale target sheet — only Brad and Solei can see it. Sourcing channel tag: Personal Executive Network / IT Nation Connect Executive 2025. Trigger: Eastpoint follow-on capital, March 11. Stage: 1 (sourced). Type: 2 (multi-brand rollup) — provisional. Estimated ARR if won: $400–$500K.
Cap warning: this would be Brad's third active whale; he already has CMIT and Apex Holdings open. He acknowledges the cap to himself and proceeds anyway because Tideline is high-quality.