Buying a small business and raising the equity shouldn’t take a roadshow.
In this episode, Donza Worden (ex–institutional PE, Clear Peak Capital) and Travis Jamison (multi-exit founder turned investor) break down how CapitalPad makes both sides easier:
1) curated deal flow for accredited investors;
2) and a streamlined path to capital for independent sponsors/searchers.
Start deploying today with CapitalPad: https://capitalpad.com/
(HoldCo Builders is proudly sponsored by CapitalPad.)
We cover:
00:00 Intro — making buying businesses & raising capital easier
00:27 Danza’s path: IB/PE → Clear Peak → the CapitalPad problem
02:01 Travis’s path: founder → exits → discovering SMB deals
03:35 Why SMB acquisitions: return studies & the access gap
05:11 The marketplace solution: deal flow + right-sized checks
06:45 Build & launch timeline; choosing curation over “open”
07:46 Fees & alignment: investors pay (20% carry + 1.5% close), sponsors free
10:36 Curation filters: leverage, concentration, valuation, tough industries
15:13 Do good deals fund? Understanding complexity & platform growth
16:51 Searcher flow: teaser, VDR, interview, listing, go-live
18:02 Investor experience: NDAs, Q&A, allocations, SPV mechanics
19:54 Post-close: reporting discipline & early outcomes
21:42 Portfolio design: illiquidity + diversify (expect some failures)
22:45 Market temperature: pricing sanity, avoiding froth
23:55 Common searcher mistakes; why post-LOI matters
27:33 Beyond capital: better governance
31:01 No pay-for-priority access; keeping incentives aligned
32:14 Roadmap: expert LP involvement & operator support
Subscribe on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5g
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724
Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuy
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
