Ted Hawkins spent over 40 years in senior finance and risk management roles, serving as a Vice President and, ultimately, a Partner at one of the world’s largest professional services firms. His career focused on regulatory risk, internal controls, and forensic investigations—advising organizations on how to prevent exactly the kinds of losses he would later experience personally. After retiring, Hawkins sought a hands-on challenge and entered residential homebuilding and renovation. Despite his financial expertise, he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars across multiple projects due to inadequate due diligence on contractors, partners, and real estate agents.