Shows / Acquiring Minds
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
Episodes
Acquiring MindsHome Care Business: How to Buy & 2x an Agency
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 interview: His cold…
Acquiring MindsOverworked & Underpaid: Buying a Business to Escape
Heather Shattuck-Heidorn was a tenure-tracked professor, but wanted out. Buying a business offered freedom & security. Topics in Heather’s interview: What she…
Acquiring MindsLearning to Lead: From Searcher to Boss of 140
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…
Acquiring MindsUber Driver to 7-Figure Exit in 3 Years
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: Buying a…
Acquiring MindsSurviving the Nightmare: Sales Plunge 95%
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: Finding…
Acquiring MindsHow to Raise Money from Investors to Buy a Business
2 searchers, Kaustubh Deo & Kevin Bibelhausen, share how they found investors to provide money to buy their businesses. Topics in Kevin and Kaustubh’s…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy a $5m Business & Hire an Operator to Run It
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 interview: Why he…
Acquiring MindsThe Opportunity in Carve-Outs (and Uncle Sam)
Caroline Chapdelaine seized opportunity when a biomed company needed to sell a $2m unit that made special defense tech. Topics in Caroline’s interview: About…
Acquiring MindsFetal Position to Foundry Holdco ($30m & Counting)
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 interview: Why…
Acquiring MindsHow to 2x Sales in a Service Business You Buy
Adrian Pinto returns to reflect on his 1.5 years as owner of a landscaping business that he's grown from $3m to $6m/yr. Topics in Adrian’s interview: Buying…
Acquiring MindsHow to Build a Portfolio of 20 Franchise Locations
Michael Horowitz was looking to buy an independent business when a different path opened up. Today he owns 20 Wingstops. Topics in Michael’s interview: Pros…
Acquiring MindsLife as an Operator: Leaving PE to Buy a $2m Tree Business
Kaustubh Deo reflects on his first year as the owner of a tree business versus his former life in NYC private equity. Topics in Kaustubh’s interview: Buying a…
Acquiring MindsFrom Determined Searcher to $75m Accidental Holdco
Adam Duggins had 650 meetings to find his first business in 2013, not expecting he'd buy 3 more over the next 10 years. Topics in Adam Duggins’s interview…
Acquiring MindsFeast or Famine: How to Grow a Niche Manufacturing Biz
Bruce Vann returns to update us on his manufacturing business, and a thesis around the roll-up of window blinds stores. Topics in Bruce Vann’s interview…
Acquiring MindsNavigating Failure: Buying a $5m+ Business that Collapses
John Ikalowych shares his traumatic journey of going all-in to buy a hail-repair business, then having to shut it down. Topics in John Ikalowych’s interview…
Acquiring MindsSingle Mom, 2 Kids, and a $4m Business
Morli Desai left corporate to scratch her entrepreneurial itch, using an SBA loan to buy an ecommerce biz with $1m SDE. Topics in Morli Desai’s interview…
Acquiring Minds6 Months from Twitter Inspiration to $2m Business Owner
Pawel Kosicki learned about buying small businesses in July. By January, he'd bought one himself with 7 figures of SDE. Topics in Pawel Kosicki’s interview…
Acquiring MindsBack to a W-2: When Business Ownership Isn't the Way
Damon Chlarson takes a job in tech sales, despite having improved the business he bought & surviving a tough year. Topics in Damon’s interview: Damon bought…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy and 2x a Subcontractor Business
Brenden Van Buren is growing his fencing business, despite the industry's notorious cyclicality & project-based revenue. Topics in Brenden’s interview…
Acquiring MindsOne Year Later: Holdco Grows to $75m in Total Revenue
Justin Turner returns with details on 2 new acquisitions by his holdco Traction, plus updates on the existing 4 portcos. Topics in Justin’s interview: Justin…
Acquiring MindsHow to Build a Holdco Around Company Culture
Michael Arrieta's holdco has made 3 acquisitions since 2020. Sales & culture, not tech, have proven to be the key levers. Topics in Michael’s interview: How he…
Acquiring MindsHoneymoon, Darkness, then Light
After a rollercoaster year in his appliance repair business, John Schooler returns with scars, wisdom, and optimism. Topics in John’s interview: John bought an…
Acquiring MindsGrowing a Small 1st Acquisition into a Holdco Platform
Andrew Hitchings bought a $250k SDE cooling biz. It has grown 3x and will now fund a 2nd acquisition, with more to come. Topics in Andrew’s Interview: Andrew…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy a Neighborhood Institution
Andrew Sieve saw his life implode after COVID. Buying a highly profitable 40-year-old restaurant turned things around. Topics in Andrew’s interview: Andrew’s…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy & Operate a Plane Ride Away
Paul Quirk acquired a $800k EBITDA window & door business in the UK, continuing to live with his family in Switzerland. Topics in Paul's interview: Paul’s…
Acquiring MindsRecent Guest Exits for 8 Figures
Shortly after his first interview in June, Jason Andrews sold his business to a strategic buyer for a life-changing sum. Topics in Jason's interview: Jason's…
Acquiring MindsReward for Being Systematic: $2m Dog Training Business
Chirag Shah applied systems from his days as a product manager to find & acquire a dog-training business with $600k SDE. Topics from Chirag's interview…
Acquiring MindsHow to Roll Up Legacy Franchises (to $36m/yr)
Brian Beers, owner of 30 Midas locations, teaches how to acquire an empire with seller financing for retiring owners. Topics from Brian's interview: How…
Acquiring MindsUsing $100k to Buy a 7-Figure Dream Business
Tyler O'Connor bought a 20-year-old golf school he found on BizBuySell doing mid-7 figures with 35% margins. Topics in Tyler's interview: Why Tyler decided to…
Acquiring MindsOne Year Later: 60% Growth + 2 More Acquisitions
Patrick Dichter returns to update us on a productive first year as CEO of a bookkeeping business he bought in late 2021. Topics in Patrick's interview: How…
Acquiring MindsKey Moments from 3 Entrepreneurs Who Bought Businesses
Multiple perspectives today as Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab moderates a panel with 3 women who bought businesses. Topics from the panel: Cassie Niekamp…
Acquiring MindsFormer Searcher Opts to Franchise Instead
Jacob Lee signed up for 10 locations in the Scenthound franchise after deciding it was a better opportunity than search. Topics in Jacob's interview: Why…
Acquiring MindsManufacturing Opportunity: Look Where Others Aren't
Jules Brenner searched for 2.5 years before buying a manufacturer with great tailwinds and a path to $100m in revenue. Topics in Jules' interview: Jules's…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy a Salon as an Industry Outsider (and Survive)
Sarah Romer bought a large but tired hair salon in Austin for $80k. Her first year as owner was the hardest of her life. (This is a rebroadcast from November…
Acquiring MindsBuying Franchises: A Primer for Searchers
Twitter-famous Wolf of Franchises on why & how you should buy existing franchise businesses, including lots of examples. Themes from the conversation with…
Acquiring MindsBuying a $3m Course Business (Whose Founder is the Face)
Online course businesses have dazzling margins but a key weakness. Dom Wells explains how to acquire one & make it work. Topics from the interview with Dom…
Acquiring MindsThe Wine Business: 5x Growth in a Tough but Fun Industry
David Page bought a Bay Area wine business in 2010, against the advice of colleagues. 12 years later, it's 5x larger. Topics in David's interview: Don't avoid…
Acquiring Minds1 Year Later as Buyer of a $1m EBITDA Business
Chris Williams was a guest in 2021, just after his acquisition. He returns to share how it's going now, 14 months later. Topics from Chris's interview: System…
Acquiring MindsThe Wealth Potential of Self-Funded Search
Key findings from SIG's new study on self-funded search: financial outcomes, deal costs & terms, search lengths & more. Topics from the interview with SIG…
Acquiring Minds(Part 2) 8-Figure Exit: How to Buy, Transform & Sell in 3.5 Years
How Bradley Roofner & Logan Brown transformed a tough, project-based landscaping biz into a recurring revenue machine. (This is the second part of a 2-part…
Acquiring Minds8-Figure Exit: How to Buy, Transform & Sell in 3.5 Years
How Bradley Roofner & Logan Brown transformed a tough, project-based landscaping biz into a recurring revenue machine. Themes from the interview with Bradley &…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Therapy Practice & Selling for Millions
A husband & wife bought a therapy practice for $120k, almost dumped it, then grew it for 8 years when PE came knocking. (This is a rebroadcast from November…
Acquiring MindsA Cautionary Tale of Buying Too Small
JD Klein bought a print shop for $100k, thinking such a small acquisition carried little risk. The opposite was true. (This is a rebroadcast from December…
Acquiring MindsState of the Pod, 2022
Acquiring Minds will start publishing twice per week. Host Will Smith explains the rationale for this decision. Get complimentary due diligence on your…
Acquiring MindsDream Fulfilled: Buying a $2m, 50-Year-Old Business
When Fraser Voll first learned about buying businesses, he couldn't stop reading about it. That passion paid dividends. Topics in Fraser's interview: What…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Bitcoin Mining Facility
Chris Koerner acquired a bitcoin mining facility he found on BizBuySell for $750k and now employees 11 people. Topics in Chris's interview: Bitcoin mining 101…
Acquiring MindsBirth of a Holdco (with 15 Acquisitions to Date)
Trevor Boehm shares how Saturn Five started as a venture studio but found buying small businesses a better model. Topics in Trevor's interview: First rule of…
Acquiring Minds6 Months to Buy a Business with $1m+ in EBITDA
Shane Ehrsam went full-time in his search & used systematic broker outreach to buy a great business in his local market. Topics in Shane's interview: Why he…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Business to Escape the Middle Class
Jordan Novgrod sold his house, tapped his 401k, and went all-in to buy an $800k SDE business he found on BizBuySell. Topics in Jordan's interview: Finding a…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy a $2.3m Business with $100k in Cash + Your 401k
Burk Adams tapped his 401k to buy a business that reinvented his career, gave him back time, and catapulted his wealth. Topics in Burk's interview: Using your…
Acquiring MindsHow to Survive Buying a Bad Business
It looked like a dream: $2m EBITDA, recurring, large market. Only after Judd Lorson bought it did he learn the truth. Topics in Judd's interview: Searchfund…
Acquiring MindsBuying Doggy Daycares After 10 Years in Tech
Taylor Wallace was over tech. He acquired a small business and with it a renewed sense of impact (and opportunity). Topics in Taylor's interview: Tech burnout…
Acquiring MindsWould They Do It Again? 1 Year Later with 5 Early Guests
Episode 100! To celebrate, 5 early guests come back to share how things are going at their acquisitions, 1 year later. 2:48 - Chris Edwards acquired a flooring…
Acquiring MindsHow to Buy a Seasonal Biz: Buy Another for Low Season
Andrew Harbin first bought an awning business, then bought a fencing franchise to keep his crew working through summer. Topics in Andrew's interview: Should…
Acquiring MindsHow a $40k Acquisition Led to a Franchise Empire
James Temple & his mother acquired a struggling Mathnasium franchise in 2009. Today, they do $7m across 19 locations. Topics in James' interview: Buying vs…
Acquiring MindsSelling a Business for 5x a Year After Buying It
Sumana Sanjeeva got into ecommerce by chance. 3 years later, she's acquired 4 ecom businesses & sold one for over $5m. Topics from Sumana's interview: Brick &…
Acquiring MindsUps and Downs of Buying Small (and Keeping a Job)
Toni Kononova bought a ghostwriting business for $500k to experiment with buy-then-build while limiting her downside. Topics in Toni's interview: What to love…
Acquiring MindsReflections After 1 Year of Searching Full Time
Frustrated searchers: this episode is for you. Jesse Sunquist shares 4 lessons from a year of hunting for a business. Topics in Jesse's interview: What he…
Acquiring MindsNot Just a Young Man's Game: Acquiring at 60
When most people would be considering retirement, Anne Ristic started a new chapter of her career by buying a business. Topics in Anne's interview: Deciding to…
Acquiring MindsOpening Up to Franchises to Buy a Great Business
How Doug Johns overcame his reservations about being a franchisee to acquire a dream business with $1.8m EBITDA. Topics in Doug's interview: Buying a franchise…