LenderHawk analysis. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The Permanent Podcast.
Brent and Emily use the Larry Bird story to argue for a smarter way to hire advisors: ask knowledgeable people who they would choose if they were not an option. They contrast that with relying on a single referral or chasing narrow industry specialists, and argue for triangulating recommendations while paying attention to fit and judgment.
Buy-side operators, searchers, and business owners who need a better way to select lawyers, accountants, and intermediaries without over-relying on a single referral.
The best advisor search starts by asking informed people who they would hire instead of asking them to sell themselves.
A single recommendation from one friend can be misleading if that friend’s situation, judgment, or standards differ from yours.
Triangulating multiple recommendations helps reveal which advisors consistently show up across different networks.
A strong intermediary is often hard to find through normal marketing channels, so direct outreach through your own network can matter more than online search.
Choosing an advisor is not just about expertise; fit and judgment matter because experienced specialists can still force you into a process that does not suit your situation.
People who claim broad capability in legal or accounting work are common, so the useful filter is who they would trust, not whether they say they can do the job.
Ask people with deep information for the names of the people they would choose if they were not the option themselves. The method uses a disguised question to surface trusted references rather than self-promotion.
When to use: Use it when selecting advisors, intermediaries, or specialists in a market where everyone claims competence.
Ask intermediaries, accountants, and lawyers who they would choose other than themselves.
Why: Their recommendation is a stronger signal of quality than their own pitch.
Triangulate recommendations across several informed people before deciding.
Why: Repeated names across independent sources are more likely to identify genuinely strong advisors.
Take extra care when a referral comes from a casual connection rather than a trusted peer.
Why: A weak or superficial referral can reflect convenience more than actual quality.
Do not default to a narrow specialist just because they know your industry.
Why: An expert who only knows one playbook may push you into a process that does not fit your situation.
Larry Bird reportedly wrote to top agents, asked for their background and references, and then included a final question asking who they would recommend if they were not selected. The repeated answer pointed him to the same agent, which gave him a trusted choice despite his lack of connections.
Lesson: A concealed choice question can reveal the advisor the insiders would actually trust for themselves.