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 MindsThe Gritty, High-Capex Road to Millions
Reid Tileston bought a business that relied on $800k trucks, capex he came to love for the fat margins they produced. Topics in Reid’s interview: Working on…
Acquiring MindsWatching Warren: How to Build a Mini-Berkshire
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Rafael Quinn shares…
Acquiring MindsGetting Unstuck by Buying a Business
The construction services business Christian Bateson bought will do $7.5m in 2024. It also rescued him from the depths. Topics in Christian’s interview: His…
Acquiring MindsBuy & Build a Trash Business to a $4.4m Exit
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Patrick Norris bought…
Acquiring MindsHow I Acquired 8 Companies By Age Of 32 While Traveling To 20 Countries | Lee Betts Interview
Here is the dream story of many entrepreneurs: Owning a business that generates so much free cash flow that you can invest in/acquire 8 businesses. I’d even…
Acquiring MindsRoofing + Florida = Path to $100m
Only after Matt Jackson bought a roofing business in the hurricane state did he realize just how big the opportunity is. Topics in Matt’s interview: His…
Acquiring MindsRather Than Retire, Buy a Business
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS At age 63, Maurice…
Acquiring MindsMy Top 16 Lessons On Actively Looking For Exeptional $2-10 Million Revenue Companies (Pre-Acquisition)
One great acquisition can change the life of you and your children.Forever.As the smartest private market deal makers have said:"The goal is to acquire $10…
Acquiring Minds$700k EBITDA with No SBA, No Money Down
How Andrew Stordeur bought a 25-year-old furniture manufacturer in Alberta without having to use any of his own capital. Topics in Andrew’s interview: Taking a…
Acquiring MindsThe Birth of a Roll-Up
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3IGEZWQ Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th…
Acquiring MindsHow To Grow ANY Traditional $2-$10M Niche Business 50-200% Annually?
The day has come! SME people, whatever you are doing, stop it. Here is a masterclass: How to grow ANY traditional and “boring” business 50-200% annually. From…
Acquiring MindsHow to Identify & Buy a Great Residential Contractor
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3veZaYP Alan Lochridge left a career in consulting to buy a 20-year-old $5.5m hardscaping…
Acquiring MindsReward for a Brutal Transition: 3 Hours/Week with 2x EBITDA
Register here for the webinar, Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3IFObuB Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th…
Acquiring MindsBuying Small, Growing Big: From $1m to $26m
John Wilson bought & grew a very small plumbing business 26x over the last 7 years, and today has plans to reach $100m. Topics in John’s interview: Growing up…
Acquiring MindsHow This Private Equity Fund Achieved An IRR of 72% After Doing 586 Deals
Spent 7 hours researching a true master of small cap private equity: - 586 transactions - Acquire $1 million to $10 million EBITDA companies - Average deal $12…
Acquiring MindsUnlocking Growth in a Business, Average Age 55
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Danny Fields & Steve…
Acquiring MindsBought Tiny, Grew to $4m
SBA lender Chad Fondriest got the itch to get in the game himself & bought a couple's hobby business doing just $150k. Topics in Chad’s interview: Keeping his…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 12 Service Companies (Without Investors) | Nick Haschka Interview
Very first acquisition in November 2016 As of March 2024, they manage a portfolio of 12 companies. All done with their own capital. (Except the one they did in…
Acquiring MindsWhen You Buy a Glorified Job, Not a Business
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Tato Corcoran packed a…
Acquiring MindsThe Front Lines of a Crisis
14 months ago, Russ Hadlock bought an auto glass business with $2.3m in sales. Today he is struggling to keep it alive. Topics in Russ’s interview: Inventing…
Acquiring MindsHow a First-Timer Did a Turnaround (Including an Exit)
Ben Rizzo bought an unprofitable, 4th-generation elevator business then stabilized, doubled, and sold it within 2 years. Topics in Ben’s interview: His…
Acquiring MindsSaying No to Home Services, Yes to B2B Media
Nathan Gregory left the music industry to buy Autobody News, a business that could benefit from his experience in media. Topics in Nathan’s interview: Building…
Acquiring Minds8 Figs or Bust: Transitioning a Big Plumbing Business
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3SUJhzQ Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought Real Estate Which Makes Me $1.7 Million Per Year | Ben Wolff Interview
What if you can't code and you're not good at tech? You go and start a business that makes $1.7 million per year. This is what Ben Wolff did with little money…
Acquiring MindsFire, Covid, Exit: 5 Years in a $12m Events Business
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3uwHx6y Will Wright bought a big event rental business in December 2018…
Acquiring MindsTaking a Blue Collar Biz from $900k to $2.4m in Earnings
Register here for the webinar, How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3SAWZXd Adam Borcz bought & unlocked growth in a niche-y, 35-year-old blue…
Acquiring MindsFirst-Timer Turns $20k into $900k in 19 Months
Only after taking a second look at a small wedding catering & venue business did Nick Patrick recognize an opportunity. Topics in Nick’s interview: Buying a…
Acquiring MindsThe Model Works: Reflections of a Plumbing Business Buyer
Doug Johns reflects on his balance sheet, lifestyle, and new identity as business owner after 9 quarters in the seat. Topics in Doug’s interview: His wife's…
Acquiring MindsBuying a $4m Business (with 80% Recurring Revenue)
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI: https://bit.ly/4263xl0 It was only after Michael Young started an accounting practice that he found the…
Acquiring MindsTaking the Plunge into Extreme Ownership
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI: https://bit.ly/3U52srP At his job, Morgan McCauley saw a ceiling on his impact & earning potential…
Acquiring MindsHow I Bought 8 Traditional Businesses and Built a $127M Portfolio | Rafael Quinn Interview
Ever wondered who are the young folks who build these great business portfolios? 2020 $17.0m 2021 $44.1m 2022 $64.9m 2023 $126.8m All that within a reasonably…
Acquiring MindsFinding a Good Business After 2+ Years of Searching
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI: https://bit.ly/3SsxKrt Ryan Doyle was 2 long years into searching when he walked away from a deal, but he…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Business to 20x a Real Estate Empire
Register here for the webinar, The Anatomy of an LOI: https://bit.ly/492E8eh Buying a property management business (which he's doubled) helped Brandon…
Acquiring Minds4 Acquisitions In, Holdco Builder's Goal is £150m
Holdco entrepreneur Sam Turner shares his vision to build the leading platform for independent M&E businesses in the UK. Topics in Sam’s interview: Importance…
Acquiring MindsHow I Left Goldman Sachs To Start a $1B+ Company | Michael Cassau Interview
Imagine being in your 30s and having a track record of raising more than a billion in debt and equity. And starting a company which is worth over $1 billion…
Acquiring Minds14 Months from Searcher to $5.5m EBITDA
Luis Aguilar found a $1.5m SDE commercial laundry business on BizBuySell, then a second acquisition followed quickly. Topics in Luis’s interview: Geographical…
Acquiring MindsShutting Down After a 4-Year Struggle
Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition…
Acquiring MindsBuying a Big $7m Trade School
Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition…
Acquiring MindsHow I Buy Machinery, Make Millions in Net Profit and Work 3-4 Hours a Week | Ujwal Velagapudi Interview
Ujwal and his VERY unsexy story on building a holding company which is on track to hit 8-figures in EBITDA. All while being just 32 yrs old, traveling the…
Acquiring MindsMoving to a Small Town to Buy an SMB
When he bought an HVAC business in east Tennessee, John Mahony moved in next door & became a member of the community. Topics in John’s interview: Moving from…
Acquiring MindsThe Appeal of Buying a Food Product Business
Pat Lazure explains why Flavor-Crisp, a food product business that uses co-packers, was such a great business to buy. Topics in Pat’s interview: Doing a…
Acquiring MindsBuilding an HVAC Holdco to £60m in Revenue
Sam Turner is 3 acquisitions into a 5-year plan to buy HVAC businesses across the UK that together cash flow £6m/yr. (Rebroadcast from August 2022.) Topics in…
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. (Rebroadcast from September 2022.) Topics in…
Acquiring MindsHow I Acquired 4 Companies and Built $30M Portfolio in 4 Years | Mathias Calonius Interview
Mathias Calonius is a serial acquirer and co-founder of the Finnish holding company JATKAJA, which has 5 companies in its portfolio and a turnover of more than…
Acquiring MindsBuilding a $350m Holdco of Farms
Jack McCarthy has acquired 27 pistachio & almond farms from retiring owners, with a plan to build & hold for decades. Topics in Jack’s interview: Jack’s…
Acquiring MindsFactory Life: Buying a Manufacturer with $1m SDE
Ben Jasper made a change at age 40, acquiring a plastic bag manufacturer with 10 people & a daily start time of 4:30am. Topics in Ben’s interview: Managing a…
Acquiring MindsHow I Built My Own Investment Fund Advisory Firm After Leaving a Global Law Firm | Michael Huseby Interview
Michael Bjorn Huseby is an investment fund formation attorney at a global law firm. He represents both fund sponsors (GPs) and investors (LPs). In 66-minutes…
Acquiring MindsScaling Sweaty Services with a Brokerage Model
Eddy Zakes has 2x'd revenue and 4x'd headcount at the snow removal brokerage he bought with a traditional search fund. Notes from the conversation with Eddy…
Acquiring Minds2.5 Years from Buying to Exiting
Brian Lee Shields bought a barely-profitable property management business intending to improve, grow, & hold it forever. Topics in Brian’s interview…
Acquiring MindsHard but Fun: Transitioning a 77-Year-Old Business
Darryl Lindie did a geo-constrained search in Rhode Island to acquire a sign business with $650k of SDE & 25 employees. Topics in Darryl’s interview: His…
Acquiring MindsHow I Built Two Banks to $1 Billion in Total Assets | Andy Schornack Interview
Andy Schornack is a CEO of Flagship Bank and a President of Security Bank and Trust Company. Flagship Bank - $324 million in total assets Security Bank and…
Acquiring MindsThe Power of Conviction in Buying a Business
Matt Barnes bought a $400k SDE linen laundry business, channeling his conviction at big decision points along the way. Topics in Matt’s interview: Doing a…
Acquiring Minds3 Perspectives: A Panel on Buying Small Businesses
Recording of a live panel hosted by EO Silicon Valley with Acquiring Minds host Will Smith moderating. Topics discussed: 3 stories of buying businesses What…
Acquiring MindsEscaping Golden Handcuffs by Buying a Business
While not a CPA herself, a clear list of buying criteria led Gretchen Roberts to acquire a 16-person accounting firm. Topics in Gretchen’s interview…
Acquiring Minds7 Takeaways from 200 Episodes
Acquiring Minds host Will Smith reflects on 200 episodes, tells the podcast backstory, and teases what's coming in 2024. Topics in today’s episode with Will…
Acquiring MindsHow I Built Companies That Make More Than $100M | Val Katayev interview
Val Katayev is a serial entrepreneur with $100M+ in profits & exits. Today Val runs a diversified holding company. Founded and led four successful companies to…
Acquiring MindsCash Flows Over Exits: Buying for the Long Term
Sensing untapped potential, Mark Olivito paid cash for a project-based construction business with less than $100k SDE. Topics in Mark’s interview: Buying a…
Acquiring MindsSkip the SBA: Buying a $4m Biz with a Conventional Loan
Ben Bryer worked with a financial backer to find & buy a 65-year-old niche manufacturing business without an SBA loan. Topics in Ben’s interview: Spending…
Acquiring MindsDoing It His Way: First-Timer Buys 2 at Once
Mike Okhravi left a cushy tech career to buy a towing business & a flooring business — and within 30 days of each other. Topics in Mike’s interview: Why he…
Acquiring MindsHow I Acquired a Large Company Right After Stanford MBA | Justin Mazeka Vogt Interview
Justin Mazeka Vogt is the co-founder and CEO of Evermore Industries, a permanent capital holding company he founded with Ed Redden in 2020 Prior to co-founding…