Private/Hard Money Question

[Kirk Frickey]

I've never used private or hard money to fund a deal. My first two flips i had used loans through banks to fund my deals since i wasn't too comfortable with the process. I have been listening to podcasts concerning this topic and trying to read as much as i can. Now that i am more familiar with fix & flips, i would like to try and expand out of bank loans. 

Now here is my question:

 Should you get the deal lined up first and then look for the Money Lenders? Or should I find the Lender first and let my next step be finding the deal? I'm more looking for personal opinions on past experiences to see what route was better in your case. Thanks in advance!