Danny Payne is a Co-Founder of Stirling Heights, a holding company built through self-funded search and acquisition. Danny has navigated the full arc from searcher to multi-business operator — developing hands-on playbooks for post-acquisition integration, team building, and growing a portfolio of acquired companies.

At SMBash 2026, Danny leads "So You Want to Build a HoldCo?" — a session designed for operators whose ambitions go beyond a single acquisition. Drawing directly from his experience co-founding Stirling Heights, Danny shares what the holding company model actually looks like in practice: how to structure deals for a portfolio, what breaks when you're running multiple businesses at once, and the operational frameworks that have to exist before you can scale without burning out.