Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.
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Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.
From Divorce Papers to a $1M Business Acquisition with Raj Kankaria
M&A Launchpad
38 minutes
2 weeks ago
From Divorce Papers to a $1M Business Acquisition with Raj Kankaria
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew chat with Houston-based operator and Army veteran Raj Kankaria, owner of Lone Star Attorney Service—the largest process service company in Harris County. Raj breaks down how a career pivot and a tough life moment led him to discover a niche, recurring-revenue business, why he structured the acquisition with heavy seller financing, and how implementing EOS unlocked rapid growth from ~700–800 serves per month to ~1,200 in just a few months. We get into margins, pricing, who pays for service of process, the realities of post-close change management, and how disciplined leadership from the military translates into small-business execution.
In this podcast episode, we discuss:
Raj’s path: Army → Rice MBA → Investment banking → Acquisition entrepreneur
How getting served divorce papers revealed a business opportunity
What a process server actually does and who pays for it in different case types
Inside Lone Star Attorney Service: pricing transparency, sticky clients, and 25%+ margins
Deal structure: ~$1M valuation, ~4x forward EBITDA, 60% seller note, 30% seller rollover, 10% buyer equity
Why seller financing protects both parties and can create better after-tax outcomes
First-90-days playbook: immediate cultural reset, policy changes, and EOS implementation
Operational cadence: weekly L10s, issue-solving, and aligning the team to quarterly targets
Growth unlocks: InfoTrack preferred-vendor status and a tax-protest client adding steady volume
Technology collaboration with the case-management vendor versus building in-house
What’s next: organic growth, acquisitions, offshoring, and scaling statewide
Guest Contact Info:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajkankaria/
Company: Lone Star Attorney Service (Houston, TX)
Email: (shared during the episode)
Additional Resources:
Sponsored by O’Connell Advisory Group – Work with a trusted Quality of Earnings and Financial Diligence partner who focuses solely on business acquisitions. Schedule a discovery call with Patrick of O’Connell Advisory Group—your dynamic Quality of Earnings partner. Visit: https://www.oconnelladvisorygroup.com
M&A Launchpad Conference – Upcoming May 2, 2026 in Houston, TX. Get your ticket at https://www.malaunchpad.com and use code LAUNCH for $150 off.
Contact the Hosts – Email Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa at info@equitylaunchpad.com. Equity Launchpad helps founders and operators learn to buy, operate, and scale small businesses. Learn more at https://www.equity-launchpad.com
About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community.Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/
M&A Launchpad
Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.