Rick Norris, CFA
Entrepreneur. Operator.
Investor. Business Advisor.
350+
$100M+
Managed
300+
M&A Transactions
E-commerce
Since 1997
Seeing Business as an Entrepreneur, Operator, Investor and Buyer
“I’ve spent my career as an entrepreneur, operator, investor, auditor, M&A professional and buyer. I’ve built businesses, invested in them, financed transactions, evaluated acquisitions and managed more than $100 million.”
When an owner brings me a problem, I can look at it through all of those lenses. That’s where I believe I can add the most value.
I’ve Been Building Businesses Since I Was a Teenager
In junior high and high school, I built a business buying and selling baseball cards. I spent hours watching games and studying statistics looking for players and cards I believed were undervalued.
“As a teenager, I learned what research and conviction could do. I invested about $250 in 1,000 rookie cards of Toronto Blue Jays player Fred McGriff, eventually sold them for more than $20,000, and used the proceeds to buy a new Ford Mustang.”
Learning How Major Companies Are Run, Financed, Bought and Sold
I began my professional career at Arthur Andersen, where I learned to understand businesses through their financial statements, controls and operations.
I later joined BNY Mellon’s M&A group, working on more than 300 mergers, acquisitions and strategic financing transactions for Fortune 500 companies, including Walt Disney, Intel, Northrop Grumman, Avery Dennison, Mattel and Hilton.
Working directly with CEOs, CFOs and treasurers gave me a front-row view of how major companies evaluate acquisitions, finance growth, allocate capital, manage risk and make important decisions.
Then I wanted to see business from the owner’s side.
Building a Global Business and Brand From the Ground Up
In 1997, I founded Hampton Nautical, when e-commerce was still in its infancy and manufacturing directly overseas meant figuring out much of the process ourselves.
Every stage brought a new problem to solve: build factories in China and India, product development, inventory, shipping and logistics, e-commerce technology, digital marketing, hiring and building systems that could support a growing global business.
350
4
Factories
8,000
Products
1,000+
Wholesale & Dropship Accounts
Nearly 30 years of running Hampton meant solving one problem after another, often without an obvious playbook.
“Every business is different. I don’t bring a solution looking for a problem. I start with your business, figure out what’s really driving the issue, and build the solution from there.”
Building a More Valuable Business
For years, I equated sales growth with success. Eventually, I realized growth and creating value are not the same thing.
During my final two years running Hampton day to day, I redesigned the company to become leaner, more efficient and less dependent on me.
77%
88%
93%
lower advertising spend
Profitability remained essentially unchanged.
Experience at a Glance
Hampton Nautical
Founder & CEO, 1997–2026
Founder & Chairman today
Built the company into a 350-person global manufacturer, wholesaler and e-commerce retailer.
Blue Chip Macro
Founder & Managing Director
Business advisory, acquisitions, value creation, restructuring and exit readiness.
BNY Mellon, M&A Group
300+ M&A and strategic financing transactions for Fortune 500 companies.
Arthur Andersen & Co.
Auditor
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Today, I bring that experience to business owners facing important decisions: what to fix, where to create value, what to simplify and how to prepare the business for what comes next.
Today, I bring that experience to business owners facing important decisions:
what to fix, where to create value, what to simplify and how to prepare the business for what comes next.
The right conversation could change the
future of your business. Call (800) 913-5117
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do you mean by "Would You Buy Your Own Business?
It’s one of the most revealing questions a business owner can ask. If your answer is “no,” ask yourself why. Those reasons often uncover your greatest opportunities to improve your business.
Looking at your business through the eyes of a buyer helps you see its strengths, its weaknesses, and the opportunities to make it more valuable.
At Blue Chip Macro, we believe better businesses begin with asking better questions. From there, strategy, execution, and disciplined decision-making help build stronger, more valuable businesses.
Q: Why do clients choose Blue Chip Macro?
Clients choose Blue Chip Macro because our advice comes from real-world experience, not theory. We’ve built, operated, acquired, and sold businesses, managed investments through multiple market cycles, participated in mergers and acquisitions, and advised business owners for decades.
That experience allows us to evaluate opportunities through multiple perspectives and provide practical advice grounded in real-world experience.
Q: What is Blue Chip Macro's approach?
Every business is different, so every engagement begins by understanding where you are today, where you want to go, and what’s standing in the way.
From there, we identify the opportunities with the greatest potential to create value, develop a practical strategy, and help you execute it. Every recommendation is focused on building a stronger, more valuable business.
Q: Can Blue Chip Macro help me achieve my goals?
Every business owner has different goals. You may want to grow faster, improve profitability, create more freedom, prepare for an eventual sale, or simply build a stronger, more valuable business.
Whatever your goals, our business advisory services are designed to help you get there.
Q: What services does Blue Chip Macro provide?
Blue Chip Macro provides two core services:
Business Advisory for business owners who want to build stronger, more valuable businesses. Wealth Management for investors seeking disciplined investment management focused on protecting capital, managing risk, and building long-term wealth.
Whether you’re building a business or managing wealth, our focus is helping clients create lasting value.
Q: How do I get started?
It starts with a conversation. We’ll learn where you are today, where you want to go, and what you’re hoping to accomplish. Together, we’ll determine whether we’re the right fit and how we can help you move forward.
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