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 MindsHow I Bought 12 Small Business in 18 Months (Revenue $13M) | Jeremy Harbour Interview
Jeremy has bought and sold over 100 businesses, but never uses a broker. Treat a company like a product. You buy one and then you sell it Again, never use…
Acquiring MindsControl & Family: Drivers of a Self-Funded Search
Register for the webinars: Thu Sept 12 - How Big a Business Should You Buy? - https://bit.ly/3XmtR8v Thu Sept 19 - Due Diligence Office Hours -…
Acquiring MindsBuilding a Portfolio of Nostalgia Restaurants
Register here for the webinar, How Big a Business Should You Buy? https://bit.ly/4cSC6is Topics in Jackson’s interview: Fulfilling his dream of living on the…
Acquiring MindsHow We Bought 26 Companies and Make $116M in Profit PER YEAR; Interview with CEO and CFO of Röko
Swedish serial acquirers have cracked the code on how to compound their wealth (at a staggering rate!) Their holding companies trade at 12-29 times EBITDA…
Acquiring MindsWhite-Collar Sisters Buy a Blue-Collar Business
Register here for the webinar, How Big a Business Should You Buy? https://bit.ly/4dPunmC Without backgrounds in business, Julie & Janna Hottinger have grown…
Acquiring MindsLeaving Corporate to Buy a $4m Manufacturer
An engineer at heart, Mike Dey set his sights on buying a manufacturing business for the next stage of his career. Topics in Michael’s interview: Pivoting from…
Acquiring MindsHard Pivot? Reflections After Buying 3 B2B SaaS Businesses | Colin Keeley Interview
Dream for 1,000s of software investors: Build a portfolio of profitable B2B SaaS companies The northstar being Constellation Software (which trades at a P/E…
Acquiring MindsExited but Tired: 5 Years in a Hard Business
Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/4dWmPxV After 5 years of owning a scale business, Matt Bauer &…
Acquiring MindsYoung Couple Starts a Family Business By Buying One
Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/3ySUJ7R Topics in Meredith & Michael’s interview: Buying an…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 10 Companies in 18 Months Using $0 of My Own Money ($7.5M EBITDA and 50% Carry) | Nigell Lee Interview
Imagine this... First acquisition March 2023 Today a portfolio of 10 companies $7.5M in EBITDA Average acquisition multiple so far 2.5x (!!!) Last deal: $550k…
Acquiring MindsInvestor Perspective on Self-Funded Search
Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/3YQP2lp Niklas James, Adam Borcz, and Tony Cappeart reflect on…
Acquiring Minds5 Businesses Acquired with a Long-Term Hold Model
Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/46OH4LN Ryan Sullivan's group is buying businesses with…
Acquiring MindsSBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market
3 top players in SBA lending to the searcher ecosystem discuss what they're seeing in the market as of summer 2024. Topics in SBA Lender Roundtable: Role of…
Acquiring MindsHow I Built a 5-Company HoldCo with a Next Goal to Generate $100M in Revenue | Nikolas Hulewsky Interview
Imagine this… You help grow the home care and hospice company from $20 million to $150 million and then they fire you. Then you think whether you should start…
Acquiring MindsOne Couple, 4 Kids, and a Business 3 Hours Away
Gabe Perez sought a way out of corporate while Kristen sought a way back to working. Buying a $4m business offered both. Topics in Gabe and Kristen's…
Acquiring MindsAfter 4 Years of Part-Time Searching, Success
Will Gano was rewarded for his persistence & vision when he bought an 8-figure, 125-year-old ingredients manufacturer. Topics in Will Gano’s interview: Getting…
Acquiring MindsHow I Invested in 40+ Companies and Built a $1.9B AUM Investment Firm | John Caple Interview
Even when every 3rd and 4th person in finance dreams of starting their own private equity fund… Only 0.01% give it a chance and far fewer succeed…Here is my…
Acquiring MindsBuy Fast: A Good Reason to Buy Small
Rob Carpenter was eager to start operating, so it only took 90 days to start searching then buy a $200k SDE business. Topics in Rob’s interview: His background…
Acquiring MindsTangible & Collectible: Buying a Consumer Product Company
Years after one venture ended in failure, Jeff Velker bought a $2.5m pen maker with a strong brand & devoted customers. Topics in Jeff’s interview: His…
Acquiring MindsFrom $6.5M to $84M: The Journey of Building A 9-Fig Holding Company | Chris Rolls Research
My research of Chris Rolls, the founder of PieLAB Capital, who went through the journey of building and selling his business, then starting a private equity…
Acquiring MindsWhite Collar Roll-Up from $700k to $12m
Jordan Evans left tech & bought a tiny, decades-old language services business. 6 years later, revenue is 17x larger. Topics in Jordan’s interview: Acquiring…
Acquiring MindsReflections on 2 Years in the Knife Fight
Register for the webinar: How (and Why) to Choose a Franchise as an Acquisition Entrepreneur - https://bit.ly/4fa3CKB Brett Kennedy has doubled & strengthened…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 10 Companies and Built a $200M Portfolio in My 30s | Eugen B. Russ Interview
My conversation with Eugen Benedikt Russ. A gentleman in his 30s who runs a $200 million a year holding company. Since starting in 2018, they have achieved an…
Acquiring MindsThe Scrappy Path of a One-Man Holdco
Register for the webinar: How (and Why) to Choose a Franchise as an Acquisition Entrepreneur - https://bit.ly/3WwZqNR When Dustin Carreon reached a ceiling in…
Acquiring MindsGetting Reps: Helping Others Look at Deals Led to a Holdco
Register for the webinars: Search Investor Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/4cvUOwV Overcoming Common Deal Sticking Points -…
Acquiring MindsGrowth Equity And $500M To $700M Worth Of Deals Per Year | Kashyap Chanchani Interview
My conversation with Kashyap Chanchani, managing partner of The Rainmaker Group, an Indian firm that works with traditional family businesses and VC-backed…
Acquiring MindsBuilding a $10m EBITDA Leader in a Fragmented Space
Register for the webinars: Search Investor Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/4cCMyuZ Overcoming Common Deal Sticking Points -…
Acquiring MindsBuying & Growing a Business While Keeping a Day Job
Register for the webinars: SBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/4bydwTe Due Diligence Office Hours - https://bit.ly/3WbVpxT Search…
Acquiring MindsBuy as Search Fund, Keep as Long-Term Owner
Register for the webinars: SBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/4eTZ8Yn Due Diligence Office Hours - https://bit.ly/3WbAs6h Search…
Acquiring MindsHolding Company For Internet Businesses, 150 People And Personal Branding | Daniel Priestley Interview
My conversation with Daniel Priestley about how to become a "key person of influence" in the world of private equity, investing or small business acquisition…
Acquiring MindsIt Really Happened: 100% Financing for an $8m Business
Register for the webinars: Thu July 11 - SBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/4eJqUXB Fri July 12 - Due Diligence Office Hours -…
Acquiring MindsTurning $500k into a $38m Holdco (No Investors)
Register for the webinars: Thu July 11 - SBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market - https://bit.ly/3XSdIcG Fri July 12 - Due Diligence Office Hours -…
Acquiring MindsCandid Reflections on 7 Years of SMB Ownership
Register here for the webinar, How to Buy a Business & Hire an Operator at Once https://bit.ly/3KJnYwg 7 years ago Dan Verboski bought a sign business with…
Acquiring MindsAnnouncing: Minds Capital
Register here for the webinar, How to Buy a Business & Hire an Operator at Once https://bit.ly/3KH9RaS Will Smith has partnered with Niklas James & Max Lummis…
Acquiring MindsWhy Work IN the Business You Buy (Not Just On It)
Register here for the webinar, How to Buy a Business & Hire an Operator at Once https://bit.ly/3Rto4Mc -- Get Remediation Company CIM - Request the NDA to get…
Acquiring Minds3x Revenue Despite Turnover, Hangovers & Threats
Register here for the webinar, How to Buy a Business & Hire an Operator at Once https://bit.ly/3RuI018 -- Get Remediation Company CIM - Request the NDA to get…
Acquiring MindsHow I Built a Businesses Portfolio Which Does $1B in Revenue | Eran Efrat Interview
“Don’t stop trying…” Eran used to work as an airport security to pay the bills. Today, VerDiesel Group does $1 billion in revenue… Turns out that KFC and…
Acquiring Minds1 Business vs. Many: Deciding to Roll Up
Elliott Edge started as a searcher looking for a single business, then pivoted to a roll-up. He's 7 acquisitions in. Topics in Elliot’s interview: His…
Acquiring Minds2 Welders and a Shop... to $3.8m in Sales
Register here for the webinar, The DO's & DON'Ts of the LOI (legal office hours) https://bit.ly/3VeWF1B Matt Pohl & his wife bought a small welding business…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Bankrupt 117-Year-Old Manufacturer
Register here for the webinar, The DO's & DON'Ts of the LOI (legal office hours) https://bit.ly/3yCQaOw Despite having no experience in manufacturing, Jens…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 24 Companies And Here's Everything I Learned Looking At 1000s | Xavier Helgesen Interview
If you are ever considering buying or investing in a profitable small business… Or you want to build a holding company where each company is run by a CEO…
Acquiring MindsRolling Up EBITDA and Rents with Auto Repair Shops
Register here for the webinar, The DO's & DON'Ts of the LOI (legal office hours) https://bit.ly/4538koZ Stephen Quindlen & Paul Westhart have found powerful…
Acquiring Minds3 Years Later, Climbing Out of the J Curve
Matt Drndak bought a parts business with a plan to grow it. It worked — he's doubled earnings. But it's taken patience. Topics in Matt’s interview: Losing…
Acquiring MindsFrom Midnight Deliveries to $28m Holdco (in 6 Years)
Summary from Webflow: The first business Colin King bought was tiny & unpleasant but also the crucial first step to buying more & better ones. Topics in…
Acquiring MindsFinding a Great Business in Cow Country
Cody Agee thought food testing would be a good recession-resistant business to buy. 2 weeks later, one listed for sale. Topics in Cody interview: Bypassing…
Acquiring MindsHe Raised $450 Million At 31 With No Prior Experience & Grew It To A Market Cap Of $33 Billion | Research on Urs Wietlisbach
Imagine being in your early 30s, starting a private equity fund and raising $450 million as your first fund. All this with no prior track record and without…
Acquiring MindsArt of the Roll-Up: 40 Businesses in 4 Years
Jeff Homer bought a small local music school as a fun side hustle. It turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Topics in Jeff interview: Switching from…
Acquiring MindsWhen a Restaurant Is a Great Business to Buy
Jarett Berke told his intermediary "no restaurants" but changed his tune when he saw what a great business Lou's was. Topics in Jarett’s interview: Finding a…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 4 Small Businesses And Grew Them An Average By 65% In The First Year | Chase Murdock Interview
Imagine raising millions for your startup… A team of 50 and significant revenue… Then getting FIRED from the same company you started… Then starting a boring…
Acquiring MindsBuilding a $10m Platform from 2 Low-SDE Businesses
Scott Walton bought 2 barely-profitable blue collar companies, changed the culture, unlocked growth & hired a president. Topics in Scott’s interview: Acquiring…
Acquiring MindsHoldco Origin Story: The Bumpy Road to $3m EBITDA
4 acquisitions, 3 years after the first deal, and 2 dishonest sellers before Chandra Rao went full-time in his holdco. Topics in Chandra’s interview: Learning…
Acquiring MindsAnnualized Returns of 35%, $115m AUM and 7 Investment Traits To Such Success By Mark Sellers
There's a gentleman who manages a $115 million AUM fund with annualized returns of 35% (before fees) since inception. And he wrote a 3,150-word letter for…
Acquiring MindsThe Allure of Buying a Marketplace Business
Zach Smith bought a 30-year-old membership business that connects patients with dentists to return it to former glory. Topics in Zach’s interview: His exit…
Acquiring MindsHow an American Bought a Canadian Business
Most first-timers shy away from buying across borders. Not Christi Loucks, whose Canadian acquisition did $550k of SDE. Topics in Christi’s interview: Buying a…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 3 Companies And Built $20M Industrial Portfolio in 3.5 Years | Jules Brenner Interview
Ever considered acquiring a profitable, sub $1-5M EBITDA niche business? So you could spend summers on Lake Como, winters in Aspen, and Saturdays in Las Vegas…
Acquiring MindsSelling $100k of Dog Training… Per Day
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Garth Fasano searched…
Acquiring MindsRolling-Up to $15m EBITDA
Robert Graham & Aaron Blick's first acquisition did $1.2m SDE. Four years later, their roll-up generates $15m in EBITDA. Topics in Robert & Aaron’s interview…
Acquiring MindsHow I Make $14M Net Profit Per Year With a Team Of 16 People | Matt Paulson Interview
What would be your potential reward for mastering the fundamentals? Whether it's small business acquisitions, private equity investing, or the financial media…
Acquiring MindsThe Double Life of Owning a Business 2.5 Hours Away
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS John Murphy pushed…
Acquiring MindsHow He Built $500M Revenue and $100M EBITDA HoldCo in 5 Years (Röko CEO Fredrik Karlsson RESEARCH)
Imagine being so unhappy with your boss that you leave… - Start the exact same business - Following the exact same strategy Today, ONLY 5 yrs later do $500m in…