Travis Woods

Hi! I'm Travis, a financial professional and entrepreneur from Mississippi.

My career began at a traditional AUM firm, where I assisted an advisor with plans to take over his business eventually. However, nine months in, the company's chairman, Allen Stanford, was indicted for a $7B fraud. Just after my 23rd birthday, I was escorted out of my first job with a PB&J sandwich and my resume.

I returned to school for an MBA and reconnected with my now-wife, making it a win. Upon graduating, I rejoined the advisor and continued on our original path. I also earned my CFP® and CFA credentials.

While working with the advisor, I launched Collaborative Advice to serve individuals my age with a flat fee structure. This made me question buying an AUM business of clients 30 years older than me, especially with PE buyers driving up prices. While studying for the CFA, I heard Brent Beshore discuss buying small businesses, sparking my interest further.

I hired a broker to search for small businesses, but the pandemic delayed any purchases. Instead, a conversation with Josh Pigford led to co-founding Maybe, which deepened my interest in CFO work.

In 2023, due to a lack of product-market fit, we decided to pivot from the Maybe product. I then focused on Collaborative Advice and founded LiftCFO to assist businesses. Realizing the gap in the market for comprehensive financial guidance, I started LiftCFO to provide expert financial services and support. Additionally, I invested in and bought a small business, Carolina Security Systems, with partners in 2023.

Maybe got a second life when we open-sourced the codebase, and I continue to work with individuals through Collaborative Advice and businesses through LiftCFO. Whether I'm working with a company or an individual, my goal remains the same: to make optimal financial decisions based on the best available information.