Ep. 155: John Block, Co-Founder & CEO at Unity Partners

John Block is the Co-Founder and CEO of Unity Partners. He launched the firm in 2022 after nearly a decade as a Partner at HGGC, where he sat on the boards of more than ten services and software companies. A St. Louis native, John is a self-described grinder who runs most mornings and throws an annual paella party for the whole team. **Topics:** 1. Employee Purpose Plans 2. Narrowing a Five-Year Plan 3. Buy-and-Build vs. Slap-and-Sell Integration 4. The 1% Better Model in Diligence and Ops ...and so much more. **Top Takeaways** 1. **Big five-year goals require a narrow year-one plan.** Unity maps a five-year "passion for excellence" plan, usually five goals across growth, tech, and market positioning. Before the investment closes, Unity works with the leadership team to choose the 2–3 priorities that matter most in year one. Three priorities beat five because a founder chasing everything at once accomplishes nothing well. As John puts it, they got "manic about getting focused" after learning the hard way. 2. **Employee equity only works with an ownership culture behind it.** Unity ties its employee ownership plans to a clear return objective, then communicates progress openly along the way. For companies without a defined exit, John suggests adapting the same model around a three-year revenue or earnings goal with a bonus pool accrued against it. 3. **Repeatability comes from a consistent framework, not an identical playbook.** John describes Unity’s model as closer to building custom homes than identical row houses: there is a common blueprint and framework, but execution changes by company. The practical implication is to standardize the process for building the plan without assuming every portfolio company needs the same plan. **About Unity Partners** Unity Partners is a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on the lower middle market. The firm makes control investments in large, fragmented services industries, essential and recurring businesses across both field- and office-based services. Since launching in 2022, Unity has built eight platforms and invests out of a fund of roughly $330M. Its philosophy runs on the idea of “Building Better Together.” **Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs** 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. 1. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, Growth Support & more 2. 400+ videos 3. 100+ projects 4. #1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market