When I was first introduced to Matt Danna, I had just started with ServiceTitan. In my role, I meet a lot of people, especially in the vertical software space; smart people with big visions and ambitious goals. Meetings sometimes blur together, but every once in a while, you meet someone who really sticks out. That was the case with Matt. I could tell right away he was different. 

It was immediately clear we shared a similar worldview, especially around the pivotal role software can play in powering an industry. But what really stood out to me was the clarity of vision Matt had for Boulevard. He is a product-first CEO in the truest sense. Like me, he believes that exceptional product quality and design aren’t just important—they’re everything when it comes to building a generational brand. We also share the belief that you can’t build an enduring vertical business unless your success and the success of your customers are the same.

Matt and I are also both obsessed with vertical SaaS and its ability to empower small businesses—especially within industries that are too often overlooked. That obsession is what led me to join ServiceTitan. With most technology solutions, you can improve part of a business. But with vertical SaaS, you can rewire the whole thing. Done right, it doesn’t just transform customers, it transforms an industry. That was clearly Matt’s goal from the start with Boulevard—to elevate the self-care space in a way no one else has.

I ended up personally investing in Boulevard early on (mainly so we could have a fun reason to stay in touch). Every time we talked, I could see that Boulevard was onto something big. Matt was determined to act boldly and fill a widespread market need in a way that no one else had before, and the company was relentless about leveraging technology to drive positive impact for its customers’ businesses. Boulevard’s big-picture approach was especially evident during COVID, when it went above and beyond to support customers through a challenging period for the industry.

So when Matt reached out earlier this year about an independent board seat at Boulevard and asked if I was interested, I didn’t hesitate. I’m excited, of course, to be their first independent board member, but I’m even more excited about the opportunity to become even more connected to the company’s leadership team, its employees, and especially its customers.

Even as an outsider, it’s crystal clear that Boulevard is building something special. Matt and his leadership team never over-promise or stray from their core values. It’s a company that’s unwilling to compromise on service and product quality, or engage in short-sighted and short-term decision-making. Most importantly, it’s a company with a unique opportunity to transform an industry and build a generational brand.

In many ways, Boulevard reminds me a lot of ServiceTitan in our early days. It goes without saying that I think amazing things are happening at ServiceTitan. We’re bringing modern, world-class technology to a massive industry that has been underserved for decades, and helping our customers unlock growth and efficiency like never before. But it still feels like we are only scratching the surface of our potential. All because we know that if our customers are successful, ServiceTitan is successful.

I see so many of those same attributes in Boulevard. I see a company where the value delivered to the end customer is enormous. I see a company—much like ServiceTitan—that is not only establishing leadership in its core markets but is smartly and strategically expanding into adjacent verticals with an equally strong need for vertical SaaS solutions that help them elevate their businesses. And I see a company that is only getting started.

Today, over 40,000 professionals across more than 5,000 businesses are already using Boulevard to book more than 2 million appointments monthly, while processing more than $5 billion in payments annually. Even still, I honestly feel like Boulevard is still in the first inning. AI is poised to disproportionately benefit early adopters in the self-care space, and Boulevard is leading the charge for its customers.  

Thank you, Matt, Sean, and the other board members for this opportunity. I can’t wait to work with you and the amazing Boulevardians as we march towards earning the right to serve hundreds of thousands of professionals who are powering hundreds of millions of appointments a year in the U.S. and beyond!