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Acquiring Minds
Will Smith
410 episodes
1 day ago
Buying a business is an amazing path for many successful entrepreneurs. Learn how to buy a business from the entrepreneurs who have already done it. 2x per week: stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship. Hosted by Will Smith, who is on his own path to acquire a business. Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquiringMinds Sign up for episode summaries at: https://acquiringminds.co
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Entrepreneurship
Business,
Investing
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All content for Acquiring Minds is the property of Will Smith and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Buying a business is an amazing path for many successful entrepreneurs. Learn how to buy a business from the entrepreneurs who have already done it. 2x per week: stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship. Hosted by Will Smith, who is on his own path to acquire a business. Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquiringMinds Sign up for episode summaries at: https://acquiringminds.co
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Entrepreneurship
Business,
Investing
Episodes (20/410)
Acquiring Minds
The Dream Outcome: From $300k to $5m EBITDA

From the acquisition of a tiny refrigeration business, Linh Tran has built an enterprise that earns millions annually.

Register for the webinar: 

  • What a Good Investor Pitch Looks Like -TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/3LYM4H2

Topics in Linh’s interview:

  • The "Three Rs" search criteria
  • Being an undercover owner for 18 months
  • Eliminating 70-hour workweeks for his techs
  • Struggling with work-life balance
  • Implementing value-based pricing
  • 80% rule for delegation
  • Why he doesn’t want to exit
  • Fostering deep employee loyalty
  • Corporate philanthropy and legacy
  • What money can’t buy

References and how to contact Linh:

  • info@apexfundgroup.com
  • LinkedIn
  • Apex Fund Group

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
5 days ago
1 hour 53 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buy Well, Exit Better: A $67m Win in 4 Years

Greg Geronemus bought a highly-profitable travel business at favorable terms, helping to ensure a great return on exit.

Register for the webinar: 

  • What a Good Investor Pitch Looks Like - Nov 20th - https://bit.ly/47YbVXj

Topics in Greg’s interview:

  • Challenges of searching in New York
  • Cobbling together a search fund in earlier days of search
  • Strategy of cold email outreach
  • Acquiring at age 26
  • Partnering with a friend
  • Significant challenges of running a tour operator
  • Digital marketing did not move the needle
  • Direct mail was the silver bullet
  • Partnering with universities and religious groups
  • Exiting after 4 years

References and how to contact Greg:

  • LinkedIn
  • Footbridge Partners
  • Katherine & Rahul on Acquiring Minds: Why Choose Ownership Over Being a CEO

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 week ago
1 hour 36 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying to $4m Across 7 Sites in 3 Years

Gail Azodo discovered a method of buying audiology practices with 100% financing. She's moving quickly to buy and build.

Register for the webinar:

  • Financing Your Deal: SBA vs. Non-SBA - TODAY - https://bit.ly/4p4J2Q7

Topics in Gail’s interview:

  • Managing brands at Proctor and Gamble
  • Her vision to run her own company
  • Life changing power of hearing aids
  • Switching her search from Vision to Audiology
  • Consequences of untreated hearing loss
  • Financing through hearing aid manufacturers
  • Cross-licensing her providers in multiple states
  • Addressing the Audiologist shortage
  • Intentionally acquiring where she does not live
  •  Find what “brings the flies to the honey”

References and how to contact Gail:

  • LinkedIn
  • Real Hearing USA
  • Bruce Vann on Acquiring Minds: How to Grow a Manufacturing Business

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 week ago
1 hour 56 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Why Choose Ownership Over Being a CEO

After chafing under the constraints of being a CEO, Katherine Butler-Dines & Rahul Desai bought a business of their own.

Register for the webinar:

  • Financing Your Deal: SBA vs. Non-SBA - Nov 13th - https://bit.ly/47OQpUA

Topics in Katherine and Rahul’s interview:

  • Katherine’s early CEO experience
  • Board conflicts pushed her toward majority ownership
  • Acquiring without a traditional bank loan
  • Convincing the seller to do a seller note
  • Paying the seller note with float from advance bookings
  • Rahul built custom software to increase margins
  • Searching nights and weekends while at their W-2s
  • Affordability of living in the midwest
  • Vision of acquiring and integrating more travel businesses
  • Learning to delegate and enjoying free time

References and how to contact Katherine and Rahul:

  • Katherine’s LinkedIn
  • Rahul’s LinkedIn
  • Affinity Travel Co.
  • Shell Zhang on Acquiring Minds: Buying a Not Boring Business with $600k SDE
  • Jared Benoff on Acquiring Minds: Why Buy a Travel Agency (Because They Can Crush It)

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 27 minutes

Acquiring Minds
How to Build a $5m Media Business Into a $20m Flywheel

Clayton Collins acquired HousingWire with a big vision for the small media business. 9 years later, it has come to life.

Register for the webinar:

  • Overcoming Risks from a Lender’s Perspective -  TODAY! - https://bit.ly/3WxDKAs

Topics in Clayton’s interview:

  • Hire for your skill gaps
  • Flying around the country to meet investors
  • Asking for warm introductions
  • Selling investors on his strategic vision
  • What to look for in a media company
  • Direct relationships with advertisers vs. programmatic ads
  • Rebuilding the sales team over and over
  • Riding the wave of the mortgage industry
  • Maintaining the magic of annual events
  • Selling print ads differs from selling digital ads

References and how to contact Clayton:

  • LinkedIn
  • HousingWire
  • Nathan Gregory on Acquiring Minds: Business-Buyer Fit in a 42-Year-Old Media Biz

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 30 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Timing is Everything: Buying a $30m Tutoring Business

Both buyer Jared Lenner and seller Dave Serwitz share their perspectives on the acquisition of a 20-year-old business.

Register for the webinars: 

  • Investor-Backed Search and SBA: Buy Bigger, Keep Control - TOMORROW! - https://bit.ly/4qABMgn
  • Overcoming Risks from a Lender’s Perspective - Thu Nov 6th - https://bit.ly/4qDoJdV

Topics in Jared & Dave’s interview:

  • Jared buying Dave’s tutoring business
  • Dave’s motivation to sell
  • Choosing to work with Search Fund Accelerator
  • Their agreement to “assume positive intent”
  • Why Dave didn’t sell to private equity
  • How the in-person business survived Covid
  • Bookkeeper quit right after transition
  • “Other people’s money is scarier than a PG”
  • Competing with AI in the future
  • How it feels to sell your company

References and how to contact Jared & Dave:

  • Dave Serwitz LinkedIn
  • Jared Lenner LinkedIn
  • Grade Potential Tutoring
  • Marc Anderegg on Acquiring Minds: So Much Fun: The Buyer of Choice in a Fragmented Industry

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel

  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 57 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Started Mid-Career, Grew to $38m in 3 Years

Shaun Stimpson had worked for two decades before pivoting to buying businesses in a different industry. He's moved fast.

Register for the webinar: 

  • Tax Issues: Entity and Deal Structuring - TODAY! - http://bit.ly/47CVZui

Topics in Shaun’s interview:

  • Staying in corporate was the riskier choice
  • Calling 1200 businesses during his search
  • Going back to school to learn more about acquisition
  • Acquiring with his partner, Robert Wolf
  • Raising $6m from outside investors
  • Leaning on his professional network
  • Choosing his investors carefully
  • Acquiring in his mid-40’s
  • Long-term hold strategy
  • Acquiring 3 businesses in succession

References and how to contact Shaun:

  • LinkedIn
  • Mitten Fluidpower
  • FLN-MAR
  • Frank Murken Products

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 36 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying a Wide Moat in a Consolidating Industry

Ania Aliev was so eager to buy her business, she worked the deal while in labor at the hospital. It's been worth it.

Register for the webinar: 

  • Tax Issues: Entity and Deal Structuring - Thu Oct 30 - http://bit.ly/43tlhIP

Topics in Ania’s interview:

  • Rushing to get a deal closed before giving birth
  • Using her people skills to connect with sellers
  • Searching only in the Eastern US
  • Buying an AED sales and service company
  • Myths about AEDs
  • Figuring out the best pricing model
  • Lack of competition in the industry
  • Dealing with “Mom brain”
  • Willingness to say “I don’t know”
  • Stickiness of customers

References and how to contact Ania:

  • Linkedin
  • Life Support Systems

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
4 weeks ago
1 hour 29 minutes

Acquiring Minds
From €4 Million, to Zero, to €12 Million

Despite skepticism from her US investors, Ivona Butcher bought (and tripled) a business in her native Czech Republic.

Topics in Ivona’s interview:

  • Doing business in a post-Soviet culture
  • Determination to acquire in the Czech Republic
  • Buying a business as a married couple
  • Getting into exhibition services right before Covid
  • Losing all revenue at onset of Covid
  • Pivoting to virtual events
  • Finding work for their carpenters and metalsmiths
  • Aggressively re-negotiating their loan with the bank
  • Buying back the seller note at a huge discount
  • Surviving Covid and doubling EBITDA

References and how to contact Ivona:

  • Ivona Butcher
  • Corbin Butcher
  • Beire
  • Adam Rao on Acquiring Minds: Reviving a Covid-Crushed Business: $0 to $6M in 3 Years

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 35 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Building Trust as New Owner of a $3m Business

Ruchik Gandhi was a diligence CPA when he decided to get in the game himself. Becoming an owner has been an education.

Topics in Ruchik’s interview:

  • India > Australia > US immigration
  • Discovery of the wonders of multiple arbitrage
  • Receiving the deal from another searcher
  • Paying a $20k finder’s fee
  • Buying a fabrics and upholstery workroom
  • Learning how to manage a blue-collar workforce
  • Mishandling employee relationships
  • Taking feedback from his managers
  • Earning the employees’ trust
  • His plan for growth in a fragmented industry

References and how to contact Ruchik:

  • LinkedIn
  • Window 25

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 24 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying a $1.6m Business for the Inventory Value

Undeterred by self doubt, Danyelle Nys bought a $400k SDE business at a fantastic price. She's grown it 25% in year one.

Topics in Danyelle’s interview:

  • Working in her family’s asphalt business
  • Learning about ETA from a masterclass
  • Hiring a coach for the search process
  • Buying a business for the price of inventory + working capital
  • The seller was running it remotely
  • Raising prices and salaries after acquisition
  • Dealing with an obstinate commercial landlord
  • Moving 14,000 sq ft of inventory to a new warehouse
  • Hiring her mom as the bookkeeper
  • “F*** your mood. Follow the plan.”

References and how to contact Danyelle:

  • LinkedIn
  • Decorus Home Staging
  • Kyle Boyden & Jake Furfaro on Acquiring Minds: Stacking Small Acquisitions to $5m in Revenue

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 21 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying 2 Rivals to Create a Dominant Leader

When his deal died the first time, Kyle Poll was devastated. But then it came back around, larger and more interesting.

Topics in Kyle’s interview:

  • Skills he learned on his 2-year Mormon mission
  • Growing Gympass from $10m to $100m
  • Aiming for happiness at work and home
  • Earning the respect of brokers
  • Watching his deals die and being outbid
  • Q of E that drastically lowered the business value
  • Emotional rollercoaster of full-time search
  • Completing his acquisition as CEO with equity
  • Finding investors who would bet on growth
  • Merging 2 rival companies

References and how to contact Kyle:

  • LinkedIn
  • GetOutPass
  • The Mormon Way of Doing Business by Jeff Benedict

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 45 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Trades Over Tech: Buying an Appliance Repair Business

Brian Seeling sought a blue-collar business with a good manager in place. He found exactly that — with $2.6m in revenue.

Register for the webinar: 

  • Tactical EQ to Win Over Sellers and Brokers - TODAY! - https://bit.ly/46MlUhC

Topics in Brian’s interview:

  • Being an entrepreneurial kid
  • Moving from IT to blue-collar
  • Getting value from SMBootcamp
  • “Riches are in the niches”
  • Satisfaction of developing people
  • Not all SBA lending is the same
  • “Billionaires do business with billionaires”
  • Tactfully bringing about change
  • Continuing the commission-based compensation model
  • Replacing old tech in the business

References and how to contact Brian:

  • LinkedIn
  • PGM Service

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 10 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Acquisition Unlock: €210m in 5 Years

Nick Keegan owned a struggling software business doing just €1m/yr until an acquisition put it on the path to 9 figures.

Register for the webinars: 

  • How PACT Simplifies Investor Deals Using SBA - TOMORROW! - https://bit.ly/42jGpB2
  • Tactical EQ to Win Over Sellers and Brokers - Thu Oct 9th - https://bit.ly/48wqcMP

Topics in Nick’s interview:

  • 10 years in the Irish Defense Forces
  • His app idea that ultimately failed
  • Pivoting his failed business into Mail Metrics
  • Successfully competing against larger print companies
  • 7 years of slow growth
  • Acquiring 2 large companies simultaneously
  • Hiring a tutor to teach him basic finance
  • Buying one business in Ireland and one in the UK
  • Borrowing at a very high interest rate
  • Increasing revenue by $12m in one year

References and how to contact Nick:

  • LinkedIn
  • Mail Metrics

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 28 minutes

Acquiring Minds
$60m Roll-Up That Started With an SBA Acquisition

Onu Okebie and Brian Boland wanted to retain 100% ownership when they began, so they used an SBA loan. It has paid off.

Register for the webinars: 

  • The ABCs of Franchise M&A: Deal Sourcing, Diligence, and Integration - TODAY! -  https://bit.ly/481yThO
  • How PACT Simplifies Investor Deals Using SBA - Tue Oct 7th - https://bit.ly/48FjAvq

Topics in Brian and Onu’s interview:

  • Forming a partnership in business school
  • Searching for 2.5 years
  • Closing on their first business while still in school
  • Bootstrapping their first acquisition
  • Sacrifice and long commute the first year
  • Willingness to “be bad at something”
  • Complexity of niche/time-sensitive freight
  • Athletic grit carried them through acquisition challenges
  • Learning to pitch to investors
  • 5 acquisitions in less than 5 years

References and how to contact Brian and Onu:

  • Brian LinkedIn
  • Onu LinkedIn
  • HTL Freight
  • Webinar: Use an SBA Loan to Start a Roll-Up

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 29 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Founder Mode for ETA: $6m to $25m in 3 Years

Aizik Zimerman bought a home services business to build a consumer brand into his life's work. It seems to be working. 

Register for the webinar: 

  • The ABCs of Franchise M&A: Deal Sourcing, Diligence, and Integration - Thu Oct 2nd -  https://bit.ly/46E2uv8

Topics in Aizik’s interview:

  • There is endless opportunity in home services
  • His goal of $1 billion in revenue
  • Advantage of his youthful energy
  • Going all-in on digital advertising
  • Small business = big problems
  • Founder Mode theory
  • Organic growth over acquisitions
  • Your must earn your right to diversify
  • Winning on Google with reviews
  • Hiring overseas for auditing and marketing

References and how to contact Aizik:

  • LinkedIn
  • John Wilson on Acquiring Minds: Buying Small, Growing Big: From $1m to $26m

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 17 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Family Offices for Searchers: A Primer

James Bohannon of family office Belzberg & Co. explains the FO world and its untapped potential for searchers & sponsors.

Topics in James’s interview:

  • What is a family office?
  • Family office capital sustains private markets
  • You may wear jeans, but there are tradeoffs
  • Private, insular nature of family offices
  • How to network with family offices
  • When it makes sense to exit to a family office
  • Long-term holds are a good fit
  • Playing defense and offense within family offices
  • Family offices do not need to raise capital
  • Family offices may be friendlier to smaller deals

References and how to contact James:

  • LinkedIn

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 20 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Deciding to Exit After 2 Years of Ownership

Register for the webinar: 

  • Liquidity Options for Search Investors - Wed Sep 24th - https://bit.ly/48lptOc

Jack Saville was asked if owning a small business was underutilizing his talents. The question prompted a big decision.

Topics in Jack and Sam’s interview:

  • Jack’s motivation to own something and take a risk
  • You are always buying a job
  • Linking up with Sam Rosati through SMBootcamp
  • Buying a business far from his family
  • Realizing that he didn’t want to operate a lifestyle business
  • Difficulties of growing in a tourist town
  • Selling the business to Perimeter Solutions Group
  • Joining the leadership of Perimeter Solutions Group
  • Continuously question your why
  • Getting in the game unlocks opportunities

References and how to contact Jack and Sam:

  • Sam Rosati LinkedIn
  • Jack Saville LinkedIn
  • Perimeter Solutions Group
  • Sam Rosati on Acquiring Minds: How to Shorten Your Search: Big 3, Little 2
  • Sarah Chiles and Matthew Ferguson on Acquiring Minds: Geography as Moat: Building a Hometown Holdco

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter
Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 27 minutes

Acquiring Minds
So Much Fun: The Buyer of Choice in a Fragmented Industry

Register for the webinars: 

  • Liquidity Options for Search Investors - Wed Sep 24th - https://bit.ly/41WmQym
  • Employee Issues & Non-Competes When Buying a Business - TODAY!- https://bit.ly/4nrvvkD

Mark Anderegg built the largest private daycare business in New England. He loved the model so much he's doing it again. 

Topics in Mark’s interview:

  • Raising a search fund himself
  • Being the “world’s worst searcher”
  • Acquiring a 16-location childcare network
  • Pressure of running an essential business
  • The unsolved staffing conundrum
  • Screening for culture
  • Underestimating the cost of new locations
  • Earning a high-integrity reputation
  • Growing through acquisition
  • Selling the business twice

References and how to contact Mark:

  • LinkedIn
  • Little Sprouts
  • A.J. Wasserstein
  • David M. Dodson

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

  • The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

  • Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

  • From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 33 minutes

Acquiring Minds
From SBA Loan to High 8-Figure Exit

Register for the webinar: 

  • Employee Issues & Non-Competes When Buying a Business - Thu Sep 18th - https://bit.ly/4mbU9EI

Jerod Pierce bought an HVAC business with $500k of SDE. Five years later, private equity was desperate to buy him out.

Topics in Jerod’s interview:

  • Challenging upbringing in foster care
  • Adaptability as a survival skill
  • Joining the investment club in college
  • Getting his MBA from Harvard Business School
  • Learning about ETA from Rick and Royce
  • Searching only in Seattle by cold calling
  • Buying HVAC before it was cool
  • Value of being there every day
  • Exiting for $90 million-ish
  • His nightmare second acquisition

References and how to contact Jerod:

  • LinkedIn
  • Olympic Holdings Investments

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

  • Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

  • Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

  • Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

  • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
  • Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
  • Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Show more...
2 months ago
2 hours 9 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying a business is an amazing path for many successful entrepreneurs. Learn how to buy a business from the entrepreneurs who have already done it. 2x per week: stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship. Hosted by Will Smith, who is on his own path to acquire a business. Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquiringMinds Sign up for episode summaries at: https://acquiringminds.co