Anthony Tokosky

Owner/President - Priority Doors and Windows

In November 2024, I left my W2 tech career. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to end up doing and I had no real backup plan. But I did have a conviction that the path I was on wasn’t the one I wanted.

I’d spent years in tech, building a career that was fun and rewarding but felt unfulfilling. I found myself working on real estate and starting businesses while working full time but with divided attention, nothing gained real traction. So I decided to take a pivot.

I committed to buying a business. I spent over a year searching full-time for the right acquisition. Evaluated thousands of deals across the country. Submitted LOIs that went nowhere and went down paths with potential partners that didn’t work out.

Meanwhile, my partners and I were repositioning the Marlo Hotel in Solvang, California. I drove four and a half hours each way from San Diego every week for months to manage the renovation. Woke up at 3 AM on Mondays to get there, 3 AM on Fridays to get back. If I left even an hour later, a 4 hour drive would be a 6+ hour drive (thanks LA traffic)

The hotel is now fully renovated and operating. And I also recently closed on my first business acquisition.

I take pride in being a hands-on operator. I personally work in the same building as my staff. I talk to customers, and sometimes I’m literally unloading trucks and fixing the latest broken thing. It’s an unglamorous part of business that’s not often talked about but it’s one of the parts that I find most rewarding.

Today, I’m building a portfolio of cash-flowing businesses in California with a focus on operating hospitality and real estate-related companies.

I write about what I’m learning along the way: buying businesses, hospitality and cash flowing assets, deal process, and the real work of entrepreneurship through acquisition. If you’re an operator, investor, or just curious about what it takes to buy and run businesses, take a look!

Joined Vistage in 2026