Ep. 19- Scaling Beyond $5M EBITDA — Lessons from BDE Capital’s Christien Louviere

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The SMB Investor

Nick Bryant

24 episodes

2 days ago

Forget startups. Forget climbing the corporate ladder. The real path to wealth? Owning profitable small businesses. Hosted by Sean Smith and Nick Bryant, The SMB Investor dives into how investors, operators, and dealmakers are building wealth through small business acquisitions, syndicates, and holding companies. We talk to the pros—fund managers, investors, searchers, and service providers—who are making SMB investing the next big asset class. Whether you want to invest, operate, or build your own holding company, this podcast is your playbook.

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Ep. 19- Scaling Beyond $5M EBITDA — Lessons from BDE Capital’s Christien Louviere

The SMB Investor

26 minutes 54 seconds

2 months ago

Ep. 19- Scaling Beyond $5M EBITDA — Lessons from BDE Capital’s Christien Louviere

In this episode of the SMB Investor Podcast, Sean Smith (Managing Partner, Search Fund Ventures; Founder, SMB Investor Network) sits down with Christien Louviere, Co-Founder of BDE Capital, to explore the journey from venture capital and startup founding to becoming an independent sponsor in the lower middle market.Christien shares:- Why BDE Capital focuses 80% on healthcare and 20% on B2B services- How his team evaluates leadership, talent, and sales models before acquiring a business- The advantages of significant rolled equity in aligning seller and buyer incentives- Unique due diligence techniques using AI for scenario analysis on management teams- Lessons learned from both venture-backed exits and SMB acquisitions- Deal structure tips for independent sponsors, including equity roll, milestones, and avoiding overreliance on seller notesWhether you’re an investor, operator, or entrepreneur looking to buy and grow established businesses, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on sourcing, structuring, and scaling acquisitions.📌 Subscribe for more interviews with top SMB investors, operators, and dealmakers.💬 Leave a comment with your takeaways or questions about independent sponsor strategies.🔗 Christien Louviere on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christienlouviere/🔗 BDE Capital: https://bdecap.com/🔗 Sean Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-smith-47ab2a70/🔗 SMB Investor Network: https://www.smbinvestornetwork.com/