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Acquiring Minds
Will Smith
397 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
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business,
Investing
Episodes (20/397)
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...
2 days 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...
6 days 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 week 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...
1 week 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 weeks 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 weeks 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...
3 weeks ago
2 hours 9 minutes

Acquiring Minds
The Flywheel of Buying Businesses in a Single Region

Register for the webinar: 

  • Buyer of Choice Series Pt 1: Building Your Personal Buyer Brand (in a Sea of Searchers) - TODAY!- https://bit.ly/46ntJLG

Doug Lepisto has partnered with 7 searchers to acquire businesses strictly in Western Michigan. Momentum is building.

Topics in Doug’s interview: 

  • Having one foot in academia, one in business
  • Place-based private equity model
  • Delivering returns while elevating Western Michigan
  • Competitive advantage through building local trust
  • “Find the operator, find the deal” philosophy
  • Investing in searchers with one-on-one education
  • The tide is shifting to long-term hold strategy
  • Western Michigan students intern at portfolio companies
  • 5 elements of his private equity model
  • Plenty of businesses, shortage of owner-operators

References and how to contact Doug:

  • LinkedIn
  • Sleeping Giant Capital
  • Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy

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...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 22 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Hiring a CEO to Run Things (and Get Life Back)

Register for the webinar: 

  • Buyer of Choice Series Pt 1: Building Your Personal Buyer Brand (in a Sea of Searchers) - Thu Sep 11th - https://bit.ly/4pcznI8

Jeremy Hunka bought a $2m cabinet business, and year one consumed him. Leadership had to evolve for things to improve.

Topics in Jeremy’s interview:

  • Buying a business at age 27
  • Rocky first day as owner
  • Living 1.5 hours from the business
  • Employees wanting him present every day
  • Taking too long to fire an employee
  • Watching sales drop dangerously low
  • Facing resistance from employees
  • Learning to balance empathy with boundaries
  • Hiring a great sales leader
  • Installing a CEO to run the day-to-day

References and how to contact Jeremy:

  • LinkedIn
  • Summit Mountain Coatings

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 49 minutes

Acquiring Minds
A Few Hours Per Week, a Few States Away

Register for the webinar: 

  • Love & Leverage: Lessons from Couples Who Acquired Together - TODAY! - https://bit.ly/4mBLyw5

Brett Maxam bought a concrete business with high 6 figures of earnings. Despite being a plane ride away, it's gone well.

Topics in Brett’s interview:

  • His desire to “run the show” after watching acquisitions up close
  • Involving his wife as a sounding board
  • Buying a business a plane ride away
  • Proactively negotiating for a seller note
  • “Shut up and let them do a little more talking”
  • Using ROBS to fund a 30% down payment
  • Getting a 70% seller note with a sub 3x multiple
  • 13-week cashflow forecast is critical
  • Delegating management to the local team
  • Deciding whether to grow the business or acquire again

References and how to contact Brett:

  • 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...
1 month ago
1 hour 31 minutes

Acquiring Minds
The Joy & Pain of Buying a Tech Business

Register for the webinar: 

  • Love & Leverage: Lessons from Couples Who Acquired Together - Thu Sep 4th - https://bit.ly/47PpZ6L

Felipe Corcuera bought an automation company that didn't offer AI. Since ChatGPT was released, he has had to adapt.

Topics in Felipe’s interview: 

  • Imperfect information in the lower middle market
  • Pivoting from investing to operating
  • Finding a partner with complementary strengths
  • How he defines success during search
  • AI threats to traditional SaaS businesses
  • Testing for seller motivation
  • Valuation based on revenue
  • Aggressively reinvesting in the business
  • Pros and cons of being an AI company
  • Economics of sharing deals for a finder’s fee

References and how to contact Felipe:

  • LinkedIn
  • Beecker
  • Relay Investments

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...
1 month ago
1 hour 43 minutes

Acquiring Minds
$2 Million of Fun: Big Margins in Play Centers

About fall conferences: 

  • Southeast Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Conference
  • 2025 Buy Then Build Summit
  • McguireWoods Independent Sponsor Conference
  • M &A Launchpad's Fall Show (use ACQUIRINGMINDS for a discount)

Despite tight search criteria, Daniel Batista found a business that excited him. The eye-popping margins were a bonus.

Topics in Daniel’s interview:

  • His experience in the film industry
  • Launching a Latino media brand
  • Searching for a fun business
  • Acquiring an indoor playground 
  • LA demographics are perfect for this business
  • High initial installation costs but 50% EBITDA margins
  • Candeeland Kids’ unique franchising structure
  • Surprisingly low maintenance costs
  • Teenage hourly labor
  • Adding an arcade to his location

References and how to contact Daniel:

  • LinkedIn
  • Candeeland Kids Downey
  • Shell Zhang on Acquiring Minds: Awakening to Entrepreneurship to Buy a Not-Boring Business
  • Sam Rosati on Acquiring Minds: How to Shorten Your Search: Big 3, Little 2

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 24 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Stacking Small Acquisitions to $5m in Revenue

About fall conferences: 

  • Southeast Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Conference
  • 2025 Buy Then Build Summit
  • McguireWoods Independent Sponsor Conference
  • M &A Launchpad's Fall Show (use ACQUIRINGMINDS for a discount)

Kyle Boyden & Jake Furfaro bought tiny cleaning companies, five times. While painful, it taught them ops & integration.

Topics in Kyle and Jake’s interview:

  • Leaving a “cushy sales job” to buy a business
  • Doing no due diligence on the first acquisition
  • Cons of property management
  • Trading property management for janitorial
  • Buying very small cleaning businesses
  • Losing faith in SBA loan underwriters
  • Educating sellers about valuation
  • Seller financing on all 7 deals
  • Support from previous owners
  • No more acquisitions for now

References and how to contact Kyle and Jake:

  • Kyle Boyden LinkedIn
  • Rainier Cleaning Solutions

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 21 minutes

Acquiring Minds
4th Time's the Charm: 3 Broken Deals to Buy a Great Business

Register for the webinar:

  • Overcoming Common Deal Sticking Points - Thu Aug 21st - https://bit.ly/4oB4zAk

Bryan Houck was fatigued of his search and broken deal costs when he finally closed on an award-winning creative agency.

Topics in Bryan’s interview:

  • Losing everything in a startup at 41
  • Discovering his personal talents
  • Using a buy-side advisor
  • Ups and downs of search
  • Importance of meeting the owner
  • Buying an in-person creative agency
  • The “Superbowl winning” team at Extra Credit Projects
  • Talking to clients about price
  • Buying a business at 58
  • The “Stoopid Framework” he invented

References and how to contact Bryan:

  • LinkedIn
  • Extra Credit Projects
  • The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

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

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 14 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying and Building a Xerox Dealer to $30m

Register for the webinar:

  • Overcoming Common Deal Sticking Points - Thu Aug 21st - https://bit.ly/3UrzG3F

Jeff Horn left a lucrative path to buy a $5m copier sales and service firm. 5 years later he exited for a great return.

Topics in Jeff’s interview:

  • Feeling a calling to lead
  • Leaving a high-paying job to search
  • You have to check the character box
  • Acquiring a Xerox dealership
  • Spending the first 90 days building relationships
  • 3 buckets of growth
  • Learning to rely on great employees
  • Challenges of scaling
  • Growing revenue from $5m to $30m
  • Exiting and becoming an investor

References and how to contact Jeff:

  • LinkedIn
  • Masked Rider Capital
  • JD Hasley on Acquiring Minds: How to Grow Revenue 50% in Year 1

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

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 21 minutes

Acquiring Minds
A Searcher’s Second Act: Building a $25m Holdco

Smithlist is a job board for leadership roles at small businesses. If you're not ready to buy a business but want to lead one:

  • Smithlist - Operate & Lead a Business

After success as a traditional searcher, Eric Calderon started building an industry-focused holding company in 2020.

Topics in Eric’s interview:

  • Accepting investment from Rick and Royce
  • Acquiring through traditional search
  • Commitment to community banks
  • Ups and downs of the oil and gas industry
  • “You gotta tell your story to anyone who’s listening”
  • Emotional challenges of downsizing
  • Shared services vs. decentralization
  • Recruiting patient capital for a long-term hold
  • Why $1m SDE is the target size for holdco acquisitions
  • Evolving from operator to investor

References and how to contact Eric:

  • LinkedIn
  • TXE Capital
  • Rick & Royce on Acquiring Minds: The 2 Professors Who Helped Start the ETA Movement
  • Reid Pennebaker
  • ETA Circle - Houston

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

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 36 minutes

Acquiring Minds
2 Years to $40m: The Anatomy of a High-Velocity Roll-up

Smithlist is a job board for leadership roles at small businesses. If you're not ready to buy a business but want to lead one:

  • Smithlist - Operate & Lead a Business

When Luis Reyes bought a small fire safety business, he saw an opportunity. 24 acquisitions later, he's at $8m EBITDA.

Topics in Luis’s interview:

  • Luis’s early career
  • Launching a roll-up strategy in Spain
  • Identifying consolidation opportunities
  • First acquisitions in poultry distribution and fire safety
  • Building and leading a team for a high-velocity, high-volume roll-up
  • Integrating operational-complex businesses at scale
  • Leveraging AI in fire safety
  • Spain’s capital markets
  • Adapting acquisition criteria
  • Goal for the platform

References and how to contact Luis:

  • LinkedIn
  • IBV
  • Minds Capital Podcast

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

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 12 minutes

Acquiring Minds
From 16 Years in Corporate to a $1m SDE Acquisition

Register for the webinar:

  • The "Plant Your Flag" Strategy: Build an Empire with ETA + Franchising - TODAY - https://bit.ly/3UH3w45

After years of corporate success, Jesus Wong yearned for something else. When he discovered ETA, he knew he'd found it.

Topics in Jesus’s interview:

  • Childhood in Mexico and Canada
  • Family history of entrepreneurship
  • Buying a Canadian garment repair business
  • Low capex, high labor costs
  • Structuring his deal without the SBA
  • Mitigating the risk of high customer concentration
  • Value of a high-quality deal team
  • Higher closing costs in Canada
  • Paying 5% interest on his loan
  • Answering the call of entrepreneurship

References and how to contact Jesus:

  • LinkedIn
  • Gear re-Store
  • Vail Resorts
  • Patagonia
  • Scott Walton on Acquiring Minds: Building a $10m Platform from 2 Low-SDE Businesses
  • Andrew Stordeur on Acquiring Minds: $700k EBITDA with No SBA, No Money Down
  • Yan Vinarskiy on Acquiring Minds: From Searcher to Sponsor: How to Buy a $22m Business
  • Marc Nzojibwami on Acquiring Minds: The Model for a 3-Way, Long-Term Holdco
  • Haifeng Hu of Bennett Jones
  • Kevin Yu of MNP
  • Joey Tai of Crete Capital

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...
2 months ago
1 hour 15 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Building a $25m FedEx Route Empire from $100k Equity

Register for the webinar:

  • The "Plant Your Flag" Strategy: Build an Empire with ETA + Franchising - Thu Aug 7 - https://bit.ly/45i7eGe

Avery Tomek bought his first little $1m FedEx route with an SBA loan. 3 years later, he has 240 trucks and $600k weeks.

Topics in Avery’s interview:

  • Pivoting from real estate to FedEx routes
  • Ups and downs of Covid
  • Expanding his fleet
  • Running his logistics business remotely
  • Everything hinges on weekly deposits
  • What makes a route lucrative (or costly)
  • No marketing or sales. Just operations.
  • Resale value of a FedEx route
  • Demanding nature of the business
  • “If you’re good, the world will compensate you.”

References and how to contact Avery:

  • LinkedIn

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 29 minutes

Acquiring Minds
Buying a $200m Franchisor (Not Units, the Whole System)

Smithlist is a job board for leadership roles at small businesses. If you're not ready to buy a business but want to lead one:

  • Smithlist - Operate & Lead a Business

Tyler & Zach Gordon's search for an overlooked industry with good prospects led to a franchise system of thrift stores.

Topics in Tyler & Zach’s interview:

  • Zach and Tyler’s backgrounds in franchising
  • Looking for career fulfillment
  • Formulating a search strategy
  • Focusing on overlooked industries
  • Discovering thrift store franchising
  • Evaluating franchise opportunities
  • Transitioning from franchisee to franchisor
  • Structuring the acquisition and partnership
  • Focusing their marketing on vendors
  • Prioritizing franchisee success and future growth

References and how to contact Tyler & Zach:

  • Tyler’s LinkedIn
  • Zach’s LinkedIn
  • Horizon Point Capital
  • tyler@bcfranchise.com
  • zach@bcfranchise.com 
  • Uptown Cheapskate Franchise
  • Kid to Kid Franchise
  • Buy a Franchise Portfolio: How to Choose a Brand

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...
2 months ago
1 hour 51 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