Acquiring Minds

Marco Hsu took over a Porsche upgrade maker run by one person, and now faces the same limits its founder did.

Register for the webinar:
Franchisor Diligence 101 for Searchers - Thu Nov 5 - https://bit.ly/4ySdPnG

Topics in Marco’s interview:

• “I never wanted to work for a company”
• Discovered Clewett Engineering through Quiet Light
• Submitted 3 LOIs for the same business
• Ran the business from a small garage
• Supplier changes disrupted the business for months
• Marco redrew fifty engineering drawings
• Profits initially went toward rebuilding inventory
• Goals: employees and dedicated workspace
• Earning less than his former job
• “We’re never fully aware of how hard it’ll be”

References and how to contact Marco:

• LinkedIn
• Clewett Engineering
• Patrick Dunphy on Acquiring Minds: The $150k Hiding in the Business He Bought
• Adam Goldberg on Acquiring Minds: How to Reinvent a $1m Candle Manufacturer
• Chad Hildebrant on Acquiring Minds: How to Buy a $3m Business with No Books

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

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Jeff Thompson took over an unprofitable elevator company as GM, with a pre-agreed right to buy it in pieces.

Topics in Jeff’s interview:

• Why elevator companies attract private equity
• Turning operational chaos into repeatable processes
• Empowering employees to solve technical problems
• Improving pricing and expanding customer revenue
• Structuring a staged, three-year business acquisition
• Aligning incentives between buyer and sellers
• Building trust through transparency and fair dealing
• Growing revenue beyond $8 million annually
• Using hire-to-acquire to reduce acquisition risk
• Finding new acquisition opportunities in elevator services

References and how to contact Jeff:

• LinkedIn
• careers@charterelevator.com
• Ben Rizzo on Acquiring Minds: How to Buy, Double & Exit a Turnaround (as a First-Timer)
• Mike Bourgeois on Acquiring Minds: First-Timer Buys a $15m Business in Distress
• Elias Youssef on Acquiring Minds: Take Over the Business Before You Buy It

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

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Rahib Diwan started a short-term rental company, then bought another one 3x its size without having to use more cash.

Topics in Rahib interview:

• From healthcare to short-term rentals
• Building the business from scratch
• Choosing Nashville as the market
• Luxury properties as a niche
• Valuing the property management business
• Financing through an SBA expansion loan
• Sellers retaining 20% equity
• Preserving property-owner relationships
• Unexpected customer churn after acquisition
• Rebuilding operations and booking momentum

References and how to contact Rahib:

• LinkedIn
• Visit Nashville Now
• Matt Orley on Acquiring Minds: Buying for Brand (Then Growing 4x)
• Megan McGee on Acquiring Minds: No SBA Loan and $75k Out of Pocket

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Jon Hyatt was under LOI on a dental practice when a late-night Craigslist search turned up one he couldn't resist.

Register for the webinar:

• Structuring LOIs: Competitive Enough to Win, Bankable Enough to Close - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4s1pAWV

Topics in Jon’s interview:

• Using Facebook groups for industry research
• Why labor became a search constraint
• The abandoned dental roll-up thesis
• Discovering E.J. Willis on Craigslist
• Falling for a 138-year-old heritage brand
• Buying a tiny business
• Navigating an asset purchase and carve-out
• Selling bells to defense shipbuilders
• Building direct-to-consumer bell demand
• Reviving forgotten products and company history

References and how to contact Jon:

• LinkedIn
• E.J. Willis Co.

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Elias Youssef stepped into an unprofitable plumbing company as its GM, grew it 6x, then got an SBA loan to buy it.

Register for the webinar:

• Structuring LOIs: Competitive Enough to Win, Bankable Enough to Close - Thu, Oct 22 - https://bit.ly/4B7XVHU

Topics in Elias’s interview:

• Dropping out of community college
• Stacking cash as an appliance salesman
• Early real estate joint ventures
• Breaking even on an assisted living acquisition
• Seeking out HVAC mentorship
• The brutality of cold calling
• Operating before buying
• Majority equity is majority work
• Buying is easy. Running it is the hard part.
• Getting out of operations

References and how to contact Elias:

• LinkedIn
• Frost and Flow
• Elias’s announcement of Kyle’s acquisition

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

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Jay Boren bought a tiny grease tool business run out of a living room, then grew it into a brand with 250 products.

Register for the webinar:

• The Small Things That Sink First-Year Owners - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/3VAOWiq

Topics in Jay’s interview:

• Choosing Vermont over Silicon Valley
• Solving geography through ETA
• Discovering LockNLube through Tuck
• Turning a grease coupler into opportunity
• Navigating a hostile South African supplier
• Buying LockNLube as an intern
• Structuring a heavily seller-financed acquisition
• Expanding from one SKU to 250
• Scaling through digital advertising and Amazon
• Exiting LockNLube and staying through integration

References and how to contact Jay:

• LinkedIn
• LockNLube
• Jarrett Burke on Acquiring Minds: When a Restaurant Is a Great Business to Buy

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Brendan Guerin was 21 when he and 3 friends bought a dog daycare on the side. Today: 6 Midwest locations.

Register for the webinars:

• Debt Financing Your Deal (SBA & Independent Sponsor) - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4rRpQaY
• The Small Things That Sink First-Year Owners - Thu, Oct 15 - https://bit.ly/4idBtVx

Topics in Brendan’s interview:

• He bought his first doggy daycare at 21
• The first acquisition was a deliberate starter deal
• Four partners split ownership and responsibilities.
• The $1.1M deal included real estate
• EBITDA margins approached 50% before rent
• Buying real estate protects long-term business control
• Midwest real estate makes their model work
• Covid unexpectedly supercharged dog daycare demand
• Brendan eventually left finance to operate full-time
• Today, Argos spans six Midwest locations

References and how to contact Brendan:

• LinkedIn
• brendan@argospartners.com

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

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Tyler Hoffman has bought 4 telecom companies with no outside equity, and works 15 hours a week to get to $50m.

Topics in Tyler’s interview:

• Lessons from being fired repeatedly
• Finding and acquiring Metro Wireless
• Filling experience gaps with charisma
• Financing the $4.5 million acquisition
• Navigating a difficult ownership transition
• Discovering hidden operational problems post-close
• Losing half of earnings — and surviving
• Rebuilding Metro Wireless through operational improvements
• 3 tuck-in acquisitions
• Balancing business growth with personal autonomy

References and how to contact Tyler:

• LinkedIn
• Hoffman Capital
• Metro Wireless
• Jeff Homer’s webinar: Architecture of an Entrepreneurial Roll-Up

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

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Colin King and his 50/50 partner have paid themselves little since 2018, reinvesting profits back into their businesses.

Topics in Colin’s interview:

• Growing Circle City Capital’s business portfolio
• Don’t call them private equity
• Why Colin stopped wanting operational roles
• Why critical mass matters for holdcos
• He still earn less than operators
• Holdco strategy versus industry-specific rollups
• The fox versus hedgehog framework
• Learning through hands-on operating experience
• Why chasing money can make things harder
• Costly mistakes and failed acquisitions

References and how to contact Colin:

• colin@circlecitycapitalgroup.com
• LinkedIn
• Colin King’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds: How to Build a $28m Holdco (in 6 Years)
• Circle City Capital Group

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Patrick Dunphy acquired a low-seven-figure interpreter agency, then halved its collection times in year one.

Topics in Patrick’s interview:

• From Army aviation to business ownership
• Why Patrick chose ownership over corporate success
• Three years searching while working full-time
• Turning red flags into acquisition opportunities
• Why intrinsic value matters beyond financial returns
• Building a scalable, contractor-driven service business
• Structuring an SBA acquisition without seller financing
• Cutting payment times in half through better invoicing
• Preserving trust through a quiet ownership transition
• Growing through new markets and government contracts

References and how to contact Patrick:

• LinkedIn
• JS Languages

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

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Jack Rauch left politics for a niche Florida business no bank would finance. He's doubled revenue twice since.

Register for the webinar:

• Sizing an SBA Loan to the Cash Flow- TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4hrFwge

Topics in Jack’s interview:

• From the White House to entrepreneurship
• Discovering an overlooked private provider niche
• Customers helped save the business
• How private inspections accelerate construction projects
• Expanding beyond the seller's tiny territory
• Navigating licensing requirements without industry experience
• Financing the deal without SBA backing
• Raising prices and finding unexpected growth
• Doubling revenue during each ownership year
• Joining industry leadership to reduce regulatory risk

References and how to contact Jack:

• LinkedIn
• Tew & Taylor

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Kyle Holmes spent 8 years running Quail Ridge for its investor owners. Then they asked if he wanted to buy it.

Register for the webinars:

• Protect the Business: How to Diligence Insurance Pre-Close - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4xvNj2E
• Sizing an SBA Loan to the Cash Flow - Tue, Sep 29 - https://bit.ly/4y1Xr4a

Topics in Kyle’s interview:

• Growing up in a golf family
• Running Quail Ridge before becoming an owner
• Being approached about buying the golf course
• Golf’s boom, recession, and post-COVID resurgence
• Michigan’s surprisingly strong golf market
• Revenue from golf, dining, events, and driving range
• Improving Quail Ridge before buying the business
• Valuing land worth more than operations
• Negotiating from $6.5 million to $7.3 million
• Financing with SBA, conventional, and seller debt

References and how to contact Kyle:

• LinkedIn
• Quail Ridge Golf Club

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Manolo Diaz Corrada came home to Puerto Rico to build for decades and keep the wealth from leaving the island.

Register for the webinars:

• Working Capital: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4yJUdSX
• Protect the Business: How to Diligence Insurance Pre-Close - Thu, Sep 24 - https://bit.ly/4rlZei3

Topics in Manolo’s interview:

• Building a career across engineering, business, and law
• Fighting Puerto Rico’s brain drain
• Launching a self-funded search in a tiny market
• Why traditional search fund investor passed on Puerto Rico
• Finding an acquisition through family connections
• Navigating SBA financing challenges in Puerto Rico
• Using reputation as a due diligence tool
• Betting on Puerto Rico’s infrastructure boom
• Using backlog to underwrite acquisition risk
• Structuring a deal with seller financing

References and how to contact Manolo:

• LinkedIn
• Bonneville Group

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

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Morli Desai bought an e-commerce brand with an SBA loan. Three years later: liquidation, Chapter 11, and gratitude.

Register for the webinars:

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4r81edB
• Working Capital: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing - Tue, Sep 22 - https://bit.ly/4gZWFxh

Topics in Morli’s interview:

• Acquiring a skincare brand
• Why she felt confident in the company
• Early red flags she minimized
• Amazon shipping disaster
• Rising cost per click
• 8-12% customer retention rate
• Unique challenges of ecommerce
• Negotiating multiple loan deferrals
• Stress of the personal guarantee
• Filing subchapter V bankruptcy

References and how to contact Morli:

• LinkedIn
• Morli’s first Acquiring Minds episode: How to Buy a $4m E-com Business with an SBA Loan

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Rob Brooks bought a $1.9m Sarasota HVAC shop, then ignored the advice to wait 90 days before changing it.

Register for the webinar:

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - Thu, Sep 17 - https://bit.ly/3VqwuZu

Topics in Rob’s interview:

• Choosing an industry where he had an edge
• Buying smaller to reduce debt risk
• Understanding prepaid customer obligations
• Using ChatGPT to learn HVAC
• Making changes immediately after acquisition
• Inheriting a GM and long-tenured employees
• Digitizing operations and increasing accountability
• Transforming a blame culture into a problem-solving culture
• Adding weekly employee training sessions
• Practicing radical honesty with customers

References and how to contact Rob:

• LinkedIn
• Gary Air
• Grant Hensel
• Jack Carr on Acquiring Minds: Back from the Brink When Everybody Quits Day 1

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

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Adam Whelchel paid himself instead of the IRS, putting $35k down on an escape room doing $365k with room to grow.

Register for the webinar:

• The Deal I Almost Bought (And Why I Passed) - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4hVeKik

Topics in Adam’s interview:

• Built a $1.5M accounting firm
• Business brokerage opened the acquisition door
• Wanted a business his daughter could appreciate
• An escape room caught his attention
• Fixed costs created massive operating leverage
• Bought the business for roughly $220K
• Put about $35K into the deal
• Business acquisition as a tax strategy
• Re-engaged customers and local businesses
• Plans to double capacity to 20%

References and how to contact Adam:

• LinkedIn
• Axis Accounting & Tax
• Jeff Homer on Acquiring Minds: 1 Music School to $100m in Revenue
• Adam’s slides

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

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Mike Bourgeois bought an HVAC company bleeding $3m a year, all cash and no SBA, then cut $1.4m of costs in 2 weeks.

Register for the webinar:

• The Deal I Almost Bought (And Why I Passed) - Thu, Sep 10 - https://bit.ly/4zKAGTN

Topics in Mike’s interview:

• Led major Air Force medical practice
• Found a search partner with complementary skill sets
• Bet on distressed businesses with liquidation value
• Found a deal through veteran ETA Slack
• Speed beat the highest bid
• Immediately cut $1.4M in annualized expenses
• Raised gross margins from 7% to 49%
• Shifted from silos to teamwork
• Emphasis on ongoing staff training
• His goal of being a capital allocator/investor

References and how to contact Mike:

• LinkedIn
• Cardinal Heating & Air
• Book: The Compounders: From Small Acquisitions to Giant Shareholder Returns

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Sujith Shankar left 25 years in corporate to buy cash-flowing businesses: a $1.2m repair shop and a $2m body shop.

Topics in Sujith interview:

• How Rivian layoffs changed everything
• Falling down the Warren Buffett rabbit hole
• Why auto repair beat real estate
• Funding a deal without an SBA loan
• Running a business while keeping a W-2
• Winning over skeptical employees after closing
• Planning a mini Berkshire Hathaway
• Is EV adoption really a threat?
• Buying a second business just months later
• Collision shops vs. repair shops

References and how to contact Sujith:

• LinkedIn
• The Billionaire Who Wasn’t by Conor O’Clery
• Edgar Galindo on Acquiring Minds: How 1 SBA Loan Brought Down 2 Businesses

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.com

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

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• 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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Courtney and Jonathan Dunn bought a fast-growing SaaS at 3-4x ARR, doubled it, then merged for a life-changing exit.

Register for the webinar:

• Architecture of an Entrepreneurial Roll-Up - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4gXkwPt

Topics in Jonathan & Courtney’s interview:

• Their background in oil & gas
• Turning down an offer from Apple
• Improving their investor pitch
• Traveling extensively to search
• Acquiring a niche healthcare software company
• Using all equity, no debt, for the deal
• Using an earn-out to resolve valuation disagreements
• Having a baby during the acquisition process
• The hire they wish they’d made sooner
• Advice for couples considering building a business together.

References and how to contact Jonathan & Courtney:

• Jonathan’s LinkedIn
• Courtney’s LinkedIn
• Cerbo
• Ned Tomasevic spelling on Acquiring Minds: How to 4x EBITDA in 3 Years Without Growing Sales

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 for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

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 and produced by Pam Cameron

Andrew Sova and Alex Clark revived sales at a 40-year-old sign manufacturer, the first acquisition of their holdco.

Register for the webinars:

• New SBA Rules: What Business Buyers Need to Know- TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4hGNwMi
• Architecture of an Entrepreneurial Roll-Up - Tue, Sep 1 - https://bit.ly/4qc7dxx

Topics in Andrew & Alex’s interview:

• Meeting at BCG
• Partnership provided accountability and motivation
• Looking for direct-impact roles
• Prioritizing speed with brokered search
• Their vision to build a holdco
• Winsor Fireform makes uniquely durable signage
• Employee growth = key success metric
• Seller chose buyers based on trust, not price
• Customers include parks, transit systems, and stadiums
• Long negotiation over working capital

References and how to contact Andrew and Alex:

• Andrew Sova’s LinkedIn
• Alex Clark’s LinkedIn
• Novo Foundry
• Cayne Crossing
• Winsor Fireform
• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: jthear@engagepeo.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 and produced by Pam Cameron