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Acquiring Minds
Will Smith
423 episodes
3 days 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
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business,
Investing
Episodes (20/423)
Acquiring Minds
Complexity Hides Fragility: Losing a $20m Business

Joe Odell and his partner acquired a business with over $4m in earnings and lots of green flags. It went sideways fast.

Register for the webinar: 

  • How to Present Your Deal for Maximum SBA Success - Jan 8th - https://bit.ly/4snUKHY

Topics in Joe’s interview:

  • His blue collar, military background
  • Volunteering without pay for a consulting company
  • Ultimately rejecting the tech industry
  • Finding his search partner at business school
  • Seeking out a complex business
  • Doing traditional search, on his wife’s advice
  • Acquiring a home health adjacent company
  • Post-close cash crisis
  • Losing a key sales rep
  • Fatal “pen stroke risk”

References and how to contact Joe:

  • LinkedIn

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

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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

Acquiring Minds
Buying Small to Then Buy Larger ($1m SDE)

The first business Joe Soelberg bought did $400k SDE. The experience and cash flow enabled a second, larger acquisition.

Topics in Joe’s interview:

  • Leaving corporate for a chance to manage P&L
  • His toughest pitch was to his wife
  • Acquiring a 3D design firm
  • Pivoting hard during Covid
  • Hiring a manager with a design background
  • Acquiring a branding agency
  • Difference between branding and marketing
  • Retainer model for recurring revenue
  • Offering less than listing price
  • His hand-off relationship with his businesses

References and how to contact Joe:

  • LinkedIn
  • Point B Communications
  • SONNY+ASH
  • Mike Curry on Acquiring Minds: It’s All Your Fault: How to Become CEO of Your Acquisition
  • Johannes Hock on Acquiring Minds: Buy and 3x a Project Based Business in Just 2 Years

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 week ago
1 hour 43 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Passion & Profit in an American Pastime

Former pro bowler Mike Fagan bought a $2m bowling center with a plan to roll up and rejuvenate these legacy businesses.

Topics in Mike’s interview:

  • His professional bowling career
  • Connecting with a bowling-specific broker
  • Economic role of league bowlers
  • The decline of bowling in America
  • Traditional bowling vs Bowlero
  • Buying a traditional, older bowling alley
  • Running leaner to pay down debt
  • Employee resistance to change
  • Success with online bookings
  • His goal of managing remotely

References and how to contact Mike:

  • LinkedIn
  • Tenpins & More
  • Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
  • Carlo Santelli on Acquiring Minds: ​​How to Buy a $13m Business with No PG, No Investors
  • Webinar: Using a Sale-Leaseback to Buy a Business

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 week ago
1 hour 50 minutes

Acquiring Minds
When You Buy a Glorified Job, Not a Business

Tato Corcoran packed a lifetime of learning (and tears) into 18 months when she left tech & bought a tiny manufacturer.

Topics in Tato’s interview:

  • Connecting with sellers through direct mail
  • Her “Say yes and figure it out later” approach
  • Difficulty in hiring unskilled labor
  • How she solved her labor issue
  • Being a single woman in a male industry
  • Learning Spanish to communicate with her employees
  • Hemorrhaging money the first 8 months
  • Raising prices 40% without losing customers
  • The difference between good growth and bad growth
  • Doubling top line revenue

References and how to contact Tato:

  • Linkedin
  • tatohomes@gmail.com
  • The direct mail piece Tato used to reach business owners

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
Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 45 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Getting Unstuck by Buying a Business

The construction services business Christian Bateson bought will do $7.5m in 2024. It also rescued him from the depths.

Topics in Christian’s interview:

  • His front row seat to the 2008 financial crisis
  • Qualities of a top salesperson
  • Business acquisition as a way out of a miserable career
  • Shopping around for an SBA loan
  • Choosing to play to his strengths and outsource his weaknesses
  • Difficulty in hiring for construction
  • Bouncing back and growing after Covid losses
  • Red flags he ignored when acquiring his second business
  • How his finance background benefited him
  • His $100 million goal

References and how to contact Christian:

  • LinkedIn
  • Resolute Services

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
Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 54 minutes

Acquiring Minds
How to Buy a Generational Brand with $20m in Sales

Respected consumer brands are not common in lower middle market acquisitions, but Philip Hussey and Chenmark bought one.

Topics in Philip’s interview:

  • Chenmark’s acquisition of Thomas Moser
  • Leading a furniture business as a non-craftsman
  • Chenmark’s hold-forever intention
  • Wait times for custom, hand-made furniture
  • Long tenure of craftsmen
  • Commitment to world-class quality
  • Getting away from offering discounts
  • Building talent through their woodworker school
  • Running a company with a strong legacy behind it
  • Downside to owning your manufacturing

References and how to contact Philip:

  • LinkedIn
  • Thos. Moser
  • Chenmark

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...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 17 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Reward for 17-Month Deal: $1.8m of EBITDA

Robert Gayden worked for over a year to buy a home care business. Revenue kept growing but the price remained the same.

Register for the webinar: 

  • What Killed Deals in 2025 - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/44r1pH5

Topics in Robert’s interview:

  • Influence of his late father
  • The “go bigger” search philosophy
  • Appeal of the home health care industry
  • 17-month acquisition process
  • Choosing to operate “in the weeds” of the business
  • Leading with high expectations
  • Focusing on increasing sales
  • Achieving 15% growth in 8 months
  • Working capital dynamics in home care
  • Investing in employees

References and how to contact Robert:

  • LinkedIn
  • Aizik Zimerman on Acquiring Minds: Founder Mode for ETA $6m to $25m in 3 Years
  • Morgan McCauley on Acquiring Minds: How to Buy a $2.5m Home Care Business
  • Devin Fitzgerald on Acquiring Minds: Buying $5m of Revenue with $50k of Equity
  • Robert Graham & Aaron Blick on Acquiring Minds: How to Build a Roll-Up to $60m Revenue
  • Jérôme Bouillon on Acquiring Minds: How to Buy & Double a Home Care Agency

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...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 36 minutes

Acquiring Minds
The 7-Year Collapse of an SBA Acquisition

Scott Duncan endured brutal ups & downs — and personal depression — during his ownership of a doomed tool & die business

Register for the webinar: 

  • How to Model an Investor-Backed Search Acquisition - TODAY! - https://bit.ly/3XysjZB

Topics in Scott’s interview:

  • Wishing he had listened to his gut
  • The risk of EBITDA (vs. revenue) concentration
  • Managing highly skilled primadonnas 
  • Employee theft
  • Losing key employees
  • Long sales cycles and fixed quotes
  • Forced Covid shutdown
  • Razor and blade business model
  • Facing aggressive creditors
  • Filing Chapter 7

References and how to contact Scott:

  • LinkedIn

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...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 39 minutes

Acquiring Minds
SBA Acquisition to $9m Cash Exit in 5 Years

Andy Rougeot launched remote territories of the blue collar business he bought, which led to $1.7m of EBITDA and an exit

Register for the webinars: 

  • How to Invest In SMBs (Without Buying One Yourself) - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4rBI4Nb
  • How to Model an Investor-Backed Search Acquisition - Dec 11th - https://bit.ly/4owBkNW

Topics in Andy’s interview:

  • His experience as an Army intelligence officer
  • When in doubt, do the dirtiest job
  • The military concept of “left seat, right seat” training
  • Searching from the public library
  • Veterans are well-suited to blue-collar leadership
  • Rewards of leading young men
  • Gaining warm leads in new markets
  • His team’s competitive edge
  • Exiting his business to run for mayor of Denver
  • Investing in self-funded searchers

References and how to contact Andy:

  • LinkedIn
  • Search Fund Secondaries Group
  • Andy’s webinar: Liquidity Options for Search Investors

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...
1 month ago
1 hour 27 minutes

Acquiring Minds
ETA Unicorn: $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 Years

Steve Carroll started as an SBA searcher before pivoting to a PE-backed roll-up. It's gone better than he ever expected.

Register for the webinars: 

  • How to Run the SBA Deal Race - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/3Xh3WQb
  • How to Invest In SMBs (Without Buying One Yourself) - Dec 9th - https://bit.ly/44Gylv1

Topics in Steve’s interview:

  • Experience working for WalMart corporate
  • Searching while working full time
  • Myth of passive income
  • Large dead deal costs from a failed acquisition
  • Partnering with his childhood friend
  • Underestimating working capital needs
  • 100-hour weeks away from his family
  • Rapidly scaling through M&A
  • Beware owners who leave quickly
  • Achieving $1 billion in revenue in 5 years

References and how to contact Steve:

  • LinkedIn
  • Kelso Industries

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

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 42 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying for $600k, Selling for $35m

Jake Bittner bought an unprofitable carve-out doing $3m. A key pivot grew revenue to $20m and got the attention of PE.

Register for the webinar: 

  • How to Run the SBA Deal Race - Dec 4th - https://bit.ly/44whqv6

Topics in Jake’s interview:

  • Building a nest egg before leaving his job
  • Fallout from his father’s failed businesses
  • Calculating the value of a business losing money
  • Disliking the bureaucracy of large companies
  • Joining his friend to run a distressed company
  • Employee war stories
  • Changing the service they offered
  • Achieving 60% margins 
  • Boosting customer retention
  • Selling the company for 11x earnings

References and how to contact Jake:

  • LinkedIn
  • Mission Support Partners

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

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 40 minutes

Acquiring Minds
When a $2.8m Acquisition Is More Like Zero-to-One

Dave Gilbert spent 2 years fixing the model and customer concentration of the $750k SDE family business he bought with SBA debt.

Topics in Dave’s interview:

  • Leaving tech to buy a white collar business
  • Meeting with 120 owners while searching
  • Buying a business he initially passed on
  • Risks of family members as employees
  • Financial surprises after the transition
  • Losing 23% of revenue when clients left
  • Accountants do not like change
  • Recruiting top talent
  • Importance of listening to employees
  • Transferring his zero-to-one skills

References and how to contact Dave:

  • Proven
  • LinkedIn

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...
1 month ago
1 hour 15 minutes

Acquiring Minds
When to Buy a Large Consumer Business

Taylor Mattingly found high-quality revenue in an unusual and sizable B2C business that he happened to be a customer of.

Topics in Taylor’s interview:

  • Being Co-CEO with his best friend
  • Buying a business he was a customer of
  • Acquiring a business in his hometown
  • Confusing, deregulated Texas energy market
  • How Energy Ogre differs from a typical broker
  • Keeping his call center in Texas
  • “Set it and forget it” model
  • “Listening tour” in the first 100 days
  • Adopting the EOS model
  • Higher leverage deal structure

References and how to contact Taylor:

  • LinkedIn
  • Energy Ogre

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...
1 month ago
1 hour 21 minutes

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...
1 month 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 month 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 month 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...
1 month 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 months 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...
2 months 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...
2 months ago
1 hour 36 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