Top M&A Entrepreneurs How Independent Sponsors REALLY Buy Businesses (M&A from the Inside)
May 18, 2025
Casey Minshew, founder of Equity Launchpad and an independent sponsor with three successful acquisitions, shares his real-world journey in M&A. He delves into the grit required to find and fund deals without a major firm backing him. Listeners will learn about the critical importance of networking and due diligence, along with tech's role in uncovering hidden legacy businesses. Casey discusses navigating challenges, building a trustworthy team, and highlights the M&A Launchpad Conference's impact on small business ownership.
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Disaster After First Acquisition
- Casey Minshew bought an oil industry business without thorough due diligence, which faced disaster soon after acquisition.
- Despite negative oil prices and tough challenges, he persisted and learned valuable lessons about business and himself.
Switch Mindsets for Due Diligence
- Be optimistic to find deals, but once you have a deal, switch to being a pessimist to thoroughly underwrite it.
- Don't skip quality of earnings or due diligence steps, even if eager to move fast.
Know Your Entrepreneurial Strengths
- Casey realized he is not built to run one business long term but to scale and grow multiple ventures.
- He prefers focusing on finding the right team and taking less equity to play to his strengths.
