He's from several generations of Jewish small business owners, so it was only natural for him to think this way, he said. At age 23 in 2021, he joined the Acquisition Lab, which works to help acquisition entrepreneurs like Philips source, diligence, fund and operate their new business. Within 10 weeks of completing the lab, he had a letter of intent to buy Newark Auto, and closed another two months later. "I don't know if I would recommend that they buy a business as their first thing," he said. He also keeps a 1982 Porsche 911 for attending car shows — a professional necessity in his business, and a symbol of the lesson he learned in Oregon.