How I Left Real Estate PE, Bought 6 Companies and Sold To A Strategic Buyer In 23 Months

Jun 20, 2025

Mike Botkin, Partner and CEO of Canvas Outdoors, transitioned from a real estate private equity COO to acquiring a $780K landscaping business. He discusses taking risks despite feeling unqualified and how he scaled up through six strategic acquisitions in just 23 months. Mike emphasizes the importance of focusing on profitable customers and the role of talented leadership in successful acquisitions. He shares insights on increasing operational efficiency and the significance of finding mid-career owners rather than tired sellers.

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ANECDOTE

From PE COO to Owner Leap

Mike Botkin bought a small $780K landscaping business with no prior experience and no money down.
He took the leap to be in charge of his own future despite fear and uncertainty.

ADVICE

Burn the Boats Mentality

Burn your boats: commit fully and bet everything on yourself to succeed.
Fear of hardship can change your appetite for risk and open opportunities others avoid.

ANECDOTE

First Business Bought Quickly

Mike found his first business on BizBuySell during COVID with little searching.
He closed in 45 days, buying the first viable business found despite not being the perfect deal.

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Mike Botkin went from being a real estate private equity COO to buying a small landscaping business doing $780K in revenue - with no prior experience and no money down. Just 23 months later, he sold it for millions after scaling through 6 smart acquisitions and ruthless focus.

This is one of the most tactical and inspiring HoldCo journeys you’ll hear in a long time. If you’ve ever thought about leaving your job to buy a business, this is the episode that might make you do it.

Thank you to our newest sponsors:
Scalepath: https://www.joinscalepath.com/
Spacebar Studios: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/

In this episode, we cover:
00:00:00 - Why Mike left a PE COO role to buy a $780K landscaping business
00:00:31 - “I wasn’t qualified” - Mike explains why he took the leap anyway
00:03:13 - Sponsor: ScalePath - Peer groups for HoldCos and SMB operators
00:04:30 - Burn the boats: betting everything on himself with a newborn at home
00:06:23 - How he found his first business on BizBuySell and closed in 45 days
00:08:20 - The myth of perfect deals and how Mike created his own luck
00:13:00 - Sponsor: Spacebar Studios - Growth engine for B2B PE-backed companies
00:14:10 - Why Mike fired $3M in revenue and focused only on profitable customers
00:20:12 - A reporting hack that boosted margins by cutting wasted labor time
00:22:53 - He wasn’t buying businesses, he was acquiring great people
00:26:10 - Don’t buy from tired sellers, look for mid-career owners instead
00:28:20 - Why Mike avoided SBA loans and bought 6 businesses with no debt
00:34:19 - How he raised millions without putting in a dollar of his own
00:38:55 - The exit: selling the company and why early retirement didn’t stick
00:42:50 - Starting Canvas Outdoors: replicating the model with two platforms
00:44:15 - Why maniacal focus beats portfolio diversification for HoldCos
00:50:00 - Lessons from a CEO: “Keep the main thing the main thing"
00:52:42 - Mike’s favorite book and his brutally honest best investment advice

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Mike on Twitter: https://x.com/MikeBotkin_

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.