About

I've Been on Both
Sides of the Table.

30 years inside founder-led businesses. I know what buyers look for because I've been the one looking.

Rachel Lugo, Founder of Stella and Main
At a Glance
  • 30+ years in founder-led businesses
  • Helped scale a company to nearly $5M in annual revenue
  • Helped a business exit for $2M
  • Walked away from an acquisition in due diligence -- knows exactly what buyers find
  • Built teams, departments, and systems across every business function
  • Maximum 2 clients at a time -- always
Rachel Lugo, Founder

30 Years Inside
the Room.

I've spent 30 years inside founder-led businesses -- not consulting from the outside, but running things from the inside. I've built departments from scratch, stood up systems that didn't exist, fixed teams that weren't working, and helped scale companies from early-stage and messy to structured and sellable.

I've done the bookkeeping, run HR, built marketing functions, and handled operations -- all of it, more than once. I know what it looks like when a business works and when it doesn't, because I've been the one making it work.

"I've also walked away from an acquisition. We were the buyer."

I got deep into due diligence on a business that looked solid on paper — and then found the 1099 issues and the key employee risk. I walked away. The seller lost the deal because of exactly the kind of problems I now fix.

I know what buyers are looking for because I've been the one looking. I know what kills deals because I've watched deals get killed. And I know how to fix the problems because I've been fixing operational and team issues inside real businesses for three decades.

Today, through Stella and Main, I work with two clients at a time -- maximum. The work is hands-on, specific, and built around one outcome: getting your business to a place where it can sell with confidence, at a number that reflects what it's actually worth.

See If We're a Fit
My Approach

What Makes This Different

I'm in it with you, not above it.

Most consultants write reports and send recommendations. I build what needs to be built, sit in your operational meetings, and get my hands on the actual work. You don't just get advice -- you get execution.

I've seen what kills deals from the buyer's side.

Walking away from that acquisition wasn't just a business experience -- it was an education. I know exactly what a buyer is looking for in due diligence, because I've been the one doing the looking. That perspective shapes everything I do with clients.

Two clients. Maximum. Always.

This isn't a scalable program or a digital course. It's direct, intensive, hands-on work inside your business. Two clients means you get real access to me -- not a junior associate, not a playbook, not a weekly check-in with someone who hasn't read your file.

The goal is one thing: a business that can sell.

I'm not trying to build you a perfect company. I'm trying to get your business to a place where a qualified buyer can trust it, pay for it, and run it without you. That clarity shapes every decision we make together.

Two Spots. Serious Sellers Only.

Let's Find Out If the Fit Is Right.

5 minutes, no pitch. I'll let you know honestly if I think I can help.

See If We're a Fit