Unlocking Retirement Funds for Small-Business Financing

Guidant CEO Jeremy Ames and Omni AI CEO Tyler Maran discuss alternative capital, venture capital pitfalls, and the human side of automation.

When it comes to starting or acquiring a small business, most entrepreneurs assume the options are limited to debt or venture funding. But as Jeremy Ames, Co-Founder of Guidant Financial, and Tyler Maran, Co-Founder of Omni AI, revealed in their conversation, a lesser-known but powerful tool is gaining traction: using retirement funds to self-invest and essentially be your own angel investor.

Retirement Funds as Startup Capital

Guidant helps clients use their retirement accounts to purchase or fund businesses without incurring penalties.

“The way that we structure it is such that the retirement account becomes a shareholder in the business. It’s essentially a way to become your own angel investor.” Jeremy Ames, Co-Founder, Guidant Financial

This approach sidesteps the burdens of debt financing while enabling control and upside. The most common reaction?

“Some people say, ‘You can do that? That’s amazing.’ Others say, ‘Why on earth would you want to use your retirement fund?’” — Jeremy

Guidant’s model relies on setting up a C Corporation that your retirement plan invests in. Unlike borrowing from your 401(k), this method incurs no repayment obligation or interest as it is an equity investment by your own plan.

“Instead of your 401(k) investing in Nvidia stock, it’s investing in Tyler Maran Inc.” — Jeremy

Avoiding the VC Trap

“Venture is one of the most expensive ways to get money. You give up control over equity and often over vision.” Tyler

Both speakers noted how VCs can pressure founders toward chasing explosive growth, sometimes at odds with financial sustainability.

“They’re putting rocket fuel in the tank and telling you: go to the moon or blow up in the atmosphere.” - Tyler

Guidant’s clients, on the other hand, aim to buy or build enduring small businesses—from campgrounds to metal shops. The goal isn’t unicorn growth, but long-term ownership and income.

From Real Estate to Retirement Capital

Guidant didn’t start as a financing company. Ames was originally a real estate entrepreneur developing land near a naval base.

“We learned about self-directed retirement accounts from a group of attorneys. Two-thirds of our investors used retirement funds. That was our aha moment.” — Jeremy

Recognizing the complexity and knowledge gap in the space, Jeremy and team pivoted from real estate to retirement-based small-business funding. The inflection point was a marketing discovery:

“One of our buddies said, ‘Hey, you should start marketing on Google.’ That changed everything.”

The Unspoken Discipline: Navigating Uncertainty

Much of the discussion centered on resilience and iteration, especially critical for founders bootstrapping with their own capital.

“The macro skill of all entrepreneurs that succeed is their ability to manage uncertainty. It’s going to happen.” Jeremy

“We’re not even on the third plan we started with. You have to adapt constantly.” Tyler

Both agreed: success isn’t about the perfect product; it’s about persistence, clarity on the customer, and disciplined cash management.

“People come in with money and want to spend big—inventory, buildouts, the works. But they haven’t proven demand.” Jeremy
“Don’t spend a dollar until you know where your money levers are. And those levers change over time.” Tyler

AI’s Role in the Human-Centric Future

The conversation closed with a take on financial-services AI adoption. While many firms focus on cutting costs, Jeremy and Tyler agree on a different mindset.

“Using AI purely to reduce headcount is incredibly short-sighted. The second people think innovation leads to job loss is the second they stop supporting innovation.” Jeremy

Instead, Jeremy sees AI as a tool to free up human capital, creating space for team members to focus on what’s truly human.

“What we’re trying to figure out is: what’s going to be uniquely human in 5, 10, 20 years? That’s where we need to invest.” Jeremy

“Most AI tools solve 80% of the problem quickly. That last 20% takes two years. Reliable rollouts are where the real work begins.” Tyler

AI isn’t a plug-and-play fix. It’s an ongoing negotiation between technology, people, and processes.

“In our culture, we talk about the cost of collaboration. You either pay it in the planning stage or pay it in adoption failure.” Jeremy

Key Takeaways

• Retirement funds can be invested penalty-free into a C Corp you own, providing equity capital without debt.

• This alternative is ideal for those with $100K+ in retirement and a desire for control over their business.

• Venture capital often trades autonomy for scale, but not every founder wants -or needs- to play that game.

• Startups succeed by navigating uncertainty, testing manually, and focusing on their customer before scaling.

• Financial-services AI adoption should prioritize human augmentation, not just operational efficiency.

Conclusion

As AI transforms how services are delivered and capital becomes more accessible, founders face a broader, more complex menu of options. The lesson here? Own your path, whether it’s funding your future through your 401(k) or building AI tools that keep people at the center.