Acquiring Minds
Episodes
Getting Unstuck by Buying a Business
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The construction services business Christian Bateson bought will do $7.5m in 2024. It also rescued him from the depths.Topics in Christian’s intervi...
Buy & Build a Trash Business to a $4.4m Exit
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th:https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDSPatrick...
Roofing + Florida = Path to $100m
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Only after Matt Jackson bought a roofing business in the hurricane state did he realize just how big the opportunity is.Topics in Matt’s interview:H...
Rather Than Retire, Buy a Business
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th:https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDSAt age ...
$700k EBITDA with No SBA, No Money Down
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How Andrew Stordeur bought a 25-year-old furniture manufacturer in Alberta without having to use any of his own capital.Topics in Andrew’s interview...
The Birth of a Roll-Up
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101https://bit.ly/3IGEZWQGet $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May...
How to Identify & Buy a Great Residential Contractor
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101https://bit.ly/3veZaYPAlan Lochridge left a career in consulting to buy a 20-year-old $5.5m hardscap...
Reward for a Brutal Transition: 3 Hours/Week with 2x EBITDA
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101https://bit.ly/3IFObuBGet $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May...
Buying Small, Growing Big: From $1m to $26m
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Wilson bought & grew a very small plumbing business 26x over the last 7 years, and today has plans to reach $100m.Topics in John’s intervie...
Unlocking Growth in a Business, Average Age 55
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th:https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDSDanny F...
Bought Tiny, Grew to $4m
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SBA lender Chad Fondriest got the itch to get in the game himself & bought a couple's hobby business doing just $150k.Topics in Chad’s interview...
When You Buy a Glorified Job, Not a Business
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th:https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDSTato Co...
The Front Lines of a Crisis
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
14 months ago, Russ Hadlock bought an auto glass business with $2.3m in sales. Today he is struggling to keep it alive.Topics in Russ’s interview:In...
How a First-Timer Did a Turnaround (Including an Exit)
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Rizzo bought an unprofitable, 4th-generation elevator business then stabilized, doubled, and sold it within 2 years. Topics in Ben’s interview:...
Saying No to Home Services, Yes to B2B Media
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan Gregory left the music industry to buy Autobody News, a business that could benefit from his experience in media. Topics in Nathan’s intervi...
8 Figs or Bust: Transitioning a Big Plumbing Business
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Businesshttps://bit.ly/3SUJhzQGet $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference...
Fire, Covid, Exit: 5 Years in a $12m Events Business
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Businesshttps://bit.ly/3uwHx6yWill Wright bought a big event rental business in December 2...
Taking a Blue Collar Biz from $900k to $2.4m in Earnings
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Businesshttps://bit.ly/3SAWZXdAdam Borcz bought & unlocked growth in a niche-y, 35-yea...
First-Timer Turns $20k into $900k in 19 Months
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Only after taking a second look at a small wedding catering & venue business did Nick Patrick recognize an opportunity. Topics in Nick’s interv...
The Model Works: Reflections of a Plumbing Business Buyer
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Johns reflects on his balance sheet, lifestyle, and new identity as business owner after 9 quarters in the seat. Topics in Doug’s interview:Hi...
Buying a $4m Business (with 80% Recurring Revenue)
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI:https://bit.ly/4263xl0It was only after Michael Young started an accounting practice that he foun...
Taking the Plunge into Extreme Ownership
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI:https://bit.ly/3U52srPAt his job, Morgan McCauley saw a ceiling on his impact & earning poten...
Finding a Good Business After 2+ Years of Searching
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI:https://bit.ly/3SsxKrtRyan Doyle was 2 long years into searching when he walked away from a deal,...
Buying a Business to 20x a Real Estate Empire
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI:https://bit.ly/492E8ehBuying a property management business (which he's doubled) helped Brandon L...
4 Acquisitions In, Holdco Builder's Goal is £150m
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Holdco entrepreneur Sam Turner shares his vision to build the leading platform for independent M&E businesses in the UK. Topics in Sam’s interv...
14 Months from Searcher to $5.5m EBITDA
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Luis Aguilar found a $1.5m SDE commercial laundry business on BizBuySell, then a second acquisition followed quickly. Topics in Luis’s interview:Ge...
Shutting Down After a 4-Year Struggle
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition:https://acquiringminds.co/webinars/how-to-model-a-self-funded-s...
Buying a Big $7m Trade School
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition:https://acquiringminds.co/webinars/how-to-model-a-self-funded-s...
Moving to a Small Town to Buy an SMB
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When he bought an HVAC business in east Tennessee, John Mahony moved in next door & became a member of the community.Topics in John’s interview:...
The Appeal of Buying a Food Product Business
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Lazure explains why Flavor-Crisp, a food product business that uses co-packers, was such a great business to buy. Topics in Pat’s interview:Doi...
Building an HVAC Holdco to £60m in Revenue
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Turner is 3 acquisitions into a 5-year plan to buy HVAC businesses across the UK that together cash flow £6m/yr. (Rebroadcast from August 2022.) ...
Opening Up to Franchises to Buy a Great Business
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How Doug Johns overcame his reservations about being a franchisee to acquire a dream business with $1.8m EBITDA. (Rebroadcast from September 2022.) T...
Building a $350m Holdco of Farms
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jack McCarthy has acquired 27 pistachio & almond farms from retiring owners, with a plan to build & hold for decades. Topics in Jack’s inte...
Factory Life: Buying a Manufacturer with $1m SDE
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Jasper made a change at age 40, acquiring a plastic bag manufacturer with 10 people & a daily start time of 4:30am. Topics in Ben’s intervi...
Scaling Sweaty Services with a Brokerage Model
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eddy Zakes has 2x'd revenue and 4x'd headcount at the snow removal brokerage he bought with a traditional search fund. Notes from the conversation wi...
2.5 Years from Buying to Exiting
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Lee Shields bought a barely-profitable property management business intending to improve, grow, & hold it forever. Topics in Brian’s inte...
Hard but Fun: Transitioning a 77-Year-Old Business
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Darryl Lindie did a geo-constrained search in Rhode Island to acquire a sign business with $650k of SDE & 25 employees. Topics in Darryl’s inte...
The Power of Conviction in Buying a Business
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Barnes bought a $400k SDE linen laundry business, channeling his conviction at big decision points along the way. Topics in Matt’s interview:D...
3 Perspectives: A Panel on Buying Small Businesses
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recording of a live panel hosted by EO Silicon Valley with Acquiring Minds host Will Smith moderating. Topics discussed:3 stories of buying businesse...
Escaping Golden Handcuffs by Buying a Business
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While not a CPA herself, a clear list of buying criteria led Gretchen Roberts to acquire a 16-person accounting firm. Topics in Gretchen’s intervie...
7 Takeaways from 200 Episodes
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Acquiring Minds host Will Smith reflects on 200 episodes, tells the podcast backstory, and teases what's coming in 2024. Topics in today’s episode ...
Cash Flows Over Exits: Buying for the Long Term
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sensing untapped potential, Mark Olivito paid cash for a project-based construction business with less than $100k SDE. Topics in Mark’s interview:B...
Skip the SBA: Buying a $4m Biz with a Conventional Loan
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bryer worked with a financial backer to find & buy a 65-year-old niche manufacturing business without an SBA loan. Topics in Ben’s intervie...
Doing It His Way: First-Timer Buys 2 at Once
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Okhravi left a cushy tech career to buy a towing business & a flooring business — and within 30 days of each other. Topics in Mike’s int...
The Upside & Downside of Search, from a 20-Year Veteran
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A fireside chat with veteran searcher & investor Kent Weaver recorded at the Self-Funded Search Conference in Dallas. Topics in Kent's interview:...
Passion, Meet EBITDA: The Joy of Buying an Art Gallery
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sean Moore looked at a handful of businesses, but a fine art gallery with over $1m SDE won the art collector's heart. Topics in Sean’s interview:Pu...
Growing EBITDA from $750k to $2m: Time to Sell?
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Hubbard returns to share how "chasing EBITDA over revenue" has benefited the trailer fabricator he bought in 2021. Topics in John’s interview:...
How to Buy a SaaS Business with an SBA Loan
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It CAN be done. Andrew Swiler acquired a SaaS business with $650k SDE using an SBA loan (and while living in Spain). Topics in Andrew’s interview:W...
Boom, Bust, Boom: Buying a Whiplash Business
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chandler Reed reflects on buying a project-based business in 2021, seeing sales soar, then crash, then surge again. Topics in Chandler’s interview:...
Partnering with an Operator to Buy a Business
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Landon Mance bought a $1.7m tree business alongside a minority partner who's operated the business full-time from Day 1. Topics in Landon’s intervi...
How to Survive Going from Hedge Funds to SMB Owner
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Neil Finneran had worked in hedge funds & as a CFO when the opportunity to buy a pest control business presented itself. Topics in Neil’s inter...
A Reward for Widening Search to $300k SDE
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A year into his search Jesse Sunquist realized he needed to lower his SDE floor to find a business to buy in his market. Topics in Jesse’s intervie...
When Buying Small Goes Right (3x Growth)
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George Vallone returns to share how he has grown revenue 3x in 2.5 years and laid a foundation for multi-city expansion. Topics in George’s intervi...
Buying a $3m Candle Manufacturer That Had No Books
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chad Hildebrant knew the best deals have hair on them. The trick is finding the right hair, turning red flags green. Topics in Chad’s interview:Buy...
Buying $1m+ Ice Cream Shops to Expand Nationally
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shawn Allard didn't want a food business, but an ice cream shop with good margins & a local following changed his mind. Topics in Shawn’s inter...
Buy and 3x a Project-Based Business in Just 2 Years
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, Johannes Hock bought an artificial turf installer business doing $5m. It's on track to exceed $15m in 2023. Topics in Johannes’s interview...
How to Buy the Business Where You Work
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Corey Veverka acquired the business where he had worked for years, mitigating his risk & removing the need for a search. Topics in Corey’s inte...
The $295m Search Fund Exit
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sandy Paige struggled to raise a search fund as a mid-career executive, then grew EBITDA by 7x and exited for 9 figures. Topics in Sandy’s intervie...
Hiring a General Manager & Buying Business #2
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shane Ehrsam & Brandon Adams return to discuss hiring a GM, buying business #2, the rewards of SMB life & managing envy. Topics in Shane’s ...
Leaving a Big Salary in DC for Small Business in Wyoming
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Hayes was an accomplished executive in the DC area with 5 kids when he decided to buy a business in Laramie, WY. Topics in Eric’s interview:Wa...
Seller's View of a Searcher Buying His Business
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Wild fielded offers to buy his business for years but sold only after being introduced to the searcher community. Topics in Peter & Carlos’...
Buying a 45-Year-Old Industry Pioneer
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a successful military career, Don Gourley saw buying a business as the best means to "lead a unit" as a civilian. Topics in Don’s interview:H...
Buy a Franchise Portfolio: How to Choose a Brand
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AJ Wasserstein, Peter Mistretta & Mike Horowitz distill the selection of a franchise brand into 10 essential criteria. Topics in today’s interv...
Rocky Transition: How to Survive, Then Thrive
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Collapsing sales, unhelpful sellers, and a GM who quit. But 1 year later, Chris Jones is contemplating acquisition #2. Topics in Chris’s interview:...
First-Time Buyer Recipe for Success: Action & Small Steps
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Connor Pera shares how taking incremental steps led to buying his first business much sooner than expected. Topics in Connor’s interview:Trade-offs...
Unlocking Growth in a 40-Year-Old Business
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Medow brought a mindset to his search that he would reshape whatever business he bought into a high-growth company. Topics in Josh’s interview...
From Startup Founder to Buying a Small Business
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Ericson brings lessons from 13 years as a startup founder to the $4m printer rental company he recently bought.Topics in Tim’s interview:His exp...
Buying a Small Business to Build for Decades
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
August Felker did a search fund, then later a self-funded search so he could own & build his business for years to come.Topics in August’s inter...
Holdco Entrepreneurs: A Peek Behind the Curtain
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
HoldCoConf co-founder Kelcey Lehrich shares key findings from a survey of 100+ holdco operators about their businesses. Topics in Kelcey’s intervie...
A Non-Financial Reason to Buy a Business
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Akers had a vision for supportive, employee-first leadership. Buying a business enables him to realize this vision.Topics in Nick’s interview:H...
Postmortem of a Broken Deal
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Wheeler reflects on investing countless hours to buy a beautiful business, only to have the seller kill the deal.Topics in Nick’s interview:Fin...
The Joys & Pain of Owning a $10m City Bus Business
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George Goates bought a small shuttle business that he's grown 4x in 8 years, partly by running buses for municipalities. Topics in George’s intervi...
How (and Why) to Buy a B2B Services Business
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sajama Mitta wanted to make strategic decisions at the head of an organization. Buying her own business was the answer. Topics in Sajama’s intervie...
16 Months to Exit: Cleaning Up in Street Sweeping
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Manny Saxena quickly bought 3 street-sweeping businesses to become the largest player in NorCal. A big PE fund noticed. Topics in Manny’s interview...
Why Buy a Digital Service Business
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Karl Hughes recently bought a podcast production agency & explains why "productized service" businesses are attractive. Topics in Karl’s interv...
Building an ATM Empire
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mitchell Sorkin started by buying 3 ATMs in 2021. Today he has over 140 machines and is targeting $5m EBITDA in 3 years. Topics in Mitchell’s inter...
The Life-Changing Potential of Buying a Business
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Munn, Bakari Akil, and Bruce Vann reflect on being Black men who bought businesses & why this path is so powerful. Topics in this interview...
How One Tiny Acquisition Grew Into a Holdco
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Huggins bought a small water & cable utility doing $200k/year. 15 years later, his holdco is on track for $20m/yr. Topics in this interview:...
5x in 5 Years: Buying Small to Grow Quickly
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Holdco entrepreneur Chase Murdock buys very small businesses with potential for rapid growth & decades of staying power. Topics in Chase’s inte...
Snowball Effect: Getting to $45m in 3 Years
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amir Haboosheh was drawn to the double-opportunity in acquiring home services businesses: the financial, and the impact. Topics in Amir’s interview...
Don't Overlook HR Diligence: 3 Items to Check
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Sinatra returns to explain what to diligence from an HR perspective when buying your business. Topics in Mark’s interview:Top 3 things to dili...
How to Shorten Your Search: Big 3, Little 2
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Rosati shares a framework to clarify your search criteria & reduce the months it takes to find a business to buy. Topics in Sam’s interview...
The Secret to $25m Success
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James Bloom has 8x'd a small mechanical contractor he bought only 4 years ago, despite it being a competitive industry. Topics in James’s interview...
What Buying Small Is Like When Crises Happen
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
3 days into Monte Marcum's acquisition of an established franchise, key equipment breaks. Then the crises kept coming. Topics in Monte’s interview:...
Self-Funded Search vs. Independent Sponsorship
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Niklas James started off as a self-funded searcher, but evolved into being an independent sponsor of 7 acquisitions. Topics in Niklas’s interview:W...
The Bumpy Reality of Buying an Ecommerce Business
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Bispels updates us on the DTC ecommerce business he bought in 2020 and had grown to almost $2m/yr one year later. Topics in Martin’s intervi...
Owner vs CEO: 2 Approaches to Buying a Business
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Derek Turner has done both a traditional search fund and self-funded. We hear both stories & explore the differences. Topics in Derek’s intervi...
One Acquiring Minds Guest Buys Another
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2 previous guests, Mike Botkin & Adrian Pinto, are joining forces to grow a landscaping empire throughout the Southeast. Topics in Adrian and Mik...
Raising $800k to Buy an $8m Business as a First-Timer
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With no finance background, Kevin Bibelhausen learned to raise money from investors & buy a 20-year-old fabric business. Topics in Kevin’s inte...
It Worked: Buying an Ecom Business to Gain Freedom
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Michael was seeking to acquire not just a business, but freedom. One year later, he reports back on how it's going. Topics in Alex’s interview...
Buy Big: How to Acquire a $3m EBITDA Roofing Business
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How Austin Smoak raised money from investors to buy a very profitable roofing business that he found on BizBuySell. Topics in Austin's interview:How ...
Home Care Business: How to Buy & 2x an Agency
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jérôme Bouillon bought a home care agency doing $500k/yr in 2018. Today it exceeds $1m and he's added a second location. Topics in Jerome’s inter...
Overworked & Underpaid: Buying a Business to Escape
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heather Shattuck-Heidorn was a tenure-tracked professor, but wanted out. Buying a business offered freedom & security. Topics in Heather’s inte...
Learning to Lead: From Searcher to Boss of 140
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having only ever managed a few people when he bought his business, Alex Glasner shares how the trial by fire is going. Topics in Alex's interview:The...
Uber Driver to 7-Figure Exit in 3 Years
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bortner couch-surfed, drove Uber, and racked up credit card debt while finding a pool business to buy. It went well. Topics in Ben’s interview:...
Surviving the Nightmare: Sales Plunge 95%
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
9 months after Jesse Safir bought a printing biz, Covid cratered it. 3 years later, sales are nearing pre-Covid levels. Topics in Jesse’s interview...
How to Raise Money from Investors to Buy a Business
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2 searchers, Kaustubh Deo & Kevin Bibelhausen, share how they found investors to provide money to buy their businesses. Topics in Kevin and Kaust...
How to Buy a $5m Business & Hire an Operator to Run It
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It CAN be done: Matthew Saskin recently acquired a big towing business, hiring an operator to run it from day 1. Topics in Matthew Saskin’s intervi...
The Opportunity in Carve-Outs (and Uncle Sam)
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caroline Chapdelaine seized opportunity when a biomed company needed to sell a $2m unit that made special defense tech. Topics in Caroline’s interv...
Fetal Position to Foundry Holdco ($30m & Counting)
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite dire warnings against it, Reg Zeller bought a foundry. He's since bought 6 more & sees a clear path to $100m/yr. Topics in Reg Zeller’s...