Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Chatham.
Hi Rebecca, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been a big believer in small business. I can’t walk by a farmers market booth without buying something. My kids joke that I’m the ultimate pigeon for a good story and a handmade product. But honestly, I just love seeing people build something from nothing and put their name on it.
I’ve always liked business; not the numbers part so much, but the why behind it. The spark. The “how’d you start?” part. I began my career helping people buy and sell insurance agencies on the corporate side, which, to be honest, was as boring as it sounds. Somewhere along the way, I realized I didn’t care about insurance at all. I cared about the deal.
The deal felt like matchmaking. But instead of awkward first dates, I get to help someone buy their first business and make real what they’d been dreaming about for years. Or help someone close a chapter: retire, move on, or, in one case, take care of a sick spouse. That means something to me.
Over the years, I’ve built and sold a few small service businesses myself: landscaping, document shredding, cleaning. Nothing flashy, just real, gritty work. And those experiences taught me things you can’t learn from a book: what burnout feels like, how trust can crumble overnight, and what truly matters when you’re trying to keep the lights on and your people paid.
That’s why I started RLC Business Brokers in 2025. I work with small, service-based and blue-collar businesses, the real builders. The people who aren’t chasing disruption or Series A funding. They’re just trying to do solid work, build something of value, and pass it to someone who’ll take care of it next.
What I love most about this work isn’t just the money. It’s the freedom. The autonomy. The fact that I get to help other people buy their way into that same freedom and then cash out on the concept of it. To me, that’s the greatest gift of entrepreneurship: the ability to build life on your own terms.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first five months after launching, I didn’t close a single deal. I was out there every day, hustling, calling, chasing leads, learning, following up on everything immediately. But deals at this level are fragile. They can fall apart over almost anything. A seller hangs on too tightly. A buyer’s wife is allergic to the seller’s dog. Seriously, that happened a month ago. The numbers shift just enough to make someone nervous.
And then there’s the financing. Most people have no idea how tough it is to get a loan for a small service business. Banks don’t love them because they can’t repossess “goodwill.” They can be a hard-sell to an underwriter. So I had to get the right loan guys on board to make these deals more seamless.
Those first few months tested me. I started wondering if I’d made the wrong call, but nonetheless, I kept showing up. Kept talking to people. Kept learning the patterns of what makes a deal work and what kills it. And somewhere in there, it started to click. Not because the problems went away, but just because I stopped being surprised by them. I built the expectation of chaos into my process and I started preparing buyers and sellers for it, too.
As you know, we’re big fans of RLC Business Brokers. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
RLC Business Brokers helps everyday entrepreneurs buy and sell small and mid-sized, service-based, and blue-collar businesses, the kinds of businesses that are the actual backbones of our local economies. Landscaping companies, cleaning services, HVAC/plumbing outfits, auto repair, restaurants, insurance agencies.
What sets me apart isn’t some proprietary process or fancy valuation software (although I’ve got those, too). It’s how I treat people. I’ve been told more than once that I’m the nicest, and most available, broker someone’s ever worked with. Honestly, that means more to me than any award or credential.
I answer my phone. I return texts. If you’re panicking at 9 p.m. because you’re second-guessing your deal, I’m not going to tell you to wait until business hours. I’ve been on both sides; I’ve bought businesses, sold them, walked away from bad deals, and closed great ones. I know what it feels like when your entire future is sitting in escrow. That’s not something you take lightly.
And I don’t rush people. A lot of brokers push for quick closings because that’s how they get paid. I’d rather take the time to make sure both sides actually feel good about what’s happening. Because this isn’t just a transaction. For the seller, it’s their life’s work. For the buyer, it’s their longshot.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is real connection: with my kids, my friends, my work, and myself. I like when things feel honest and when the work I’m doing actually means something.
Freedom makes me happy too. I love being able to wake up and decide what my day looks like, without anyone telling me what I have to do or how I have to do it. I like chasing what feels right instead of what looks right and I love the fact that I can close million dollar deals in a hoodie now because I finally know myself well enough to know that none of the “show” matters.
Outside of that, it’s the simple stuff. A really good $7 iced coffee. A nice long walk at sunset. The kind of friends who make it your personal mission to make you laugh. A glass of Chardonnay at the end of a good or bad day. A trendy, new restaurant. A fast car from the early 2000’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rlcbizbrokers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckythebroker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rlcbusinessbrokers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-chatham-68ab83232/
