Acquiring Minds

Executive Eric Hayes left his high-paying job in DC with 5 kids to buy a small business in Wyoming. Topics include raising equity, the business of restoring native ecosystems, learning to communicate with foremen, life in a small town vs. big city, and the challenges of owning and operating a business.

Peter Wild, a seller who finally sold his business after being introduced to the searcher community, discusses the psychology of a seller, finding the right buyer, upgrading to Salesforce, and selling to a "searcher." They also discuss the history of the organic tree health industry and the owner's life as a proxy for whether to buy a business.

Former military officer Don Gourley shares his experience buying Boston Tree Preservation, emphasizing the importance of a clear vision, rigorous search strategies, and effective management of interns. They discuss the value of digital transformation, taking over from a founder-visionary, and the advantages of buying a business for veterans. They also explore techniques like having the seller pay for the Quality and Verification process and increasing the surface area of luck through effective communication with brokers.

AJ Wasserstein, Peter Mistretta & Mike Horowitz discuss the criteria for selecting a franchise brand, including evaluating the brand and franchisor, assessing demographics, and store-level economics. They explore the potential financial success of franchise ownership and the importance of defining goals and desired outcomes. The podcast also covers favorability in franchise selection, choosing the right franchiser partner, analyzing franchise system dynamics, and the importance of willing to build more locations in a brand for success.

From collapsing sales to acquiring a second business, Chris Jones shares his rocky transition as a new business owner. Topics include buying a foundation repair business, discrepancies in QuickBooks, restructuring roles, improving sales numbers, and optimism about the future.

Learn about the trade-offs of a part-time search, the importance of taking action, and the competition in the web-to-print industry. Explore the pros and cons of an SBA loan and the appeal of managing people. Discover the speaker's mistake of not accounting for working capital adjustments and the transition to ownership and fatherhood at the same time. Hear about the importance of knowing oneself and the value of a business school education.

Josh Medow's journey of revitalizing a decades-old business into a high-growth company, buying a business with no money down, the transformational power of EOS, his military experience in comparison to business leadership, laser focusing on one target market, creating a SaaS tool for customers, his plan to IPO, and what matters to him more than money.

Former startup founder Tim Ericson shares his experience transitioning to buying a small business and his plans to double the business. He discusses his journey from a VC-backed startup founder, his vision to grow the business remotely, and his search for a remote-friendly business. Tim also highlights the importance of community in the Techstars accelerator program and the value of managing employees during the acquisition process. Additionally, he explores the business models of long-term leasing and short-term rentals, the advantages of remote operations, and the contrasting differences between VC startups and small business acquisitions.

August Felker discusses his experience buying a small business without an MBA, using cold calling to secure his first deal, and the resiliency of the insurance industry. He explores lessons in leadership, the benefits of self-funding a second deal, and his vision for building a brand. The podcast also covers the niche of working with searchers, the role of virtual professionals in business operations, and the challenges of starting an insurance brokerage.

HoldCoConf co-founder Kelcey Lehrich shares key findings from a survey of 100+ holdco operators about their businesses. Topics in Kelcey’s interview:How HoldCoConf startedWhy holdcos are so popularArguments against holdcosThe “everything tastes like chicken” layer of businessSurprising survey resultsWhat becomes possible at $50M in revenueHiring leadership in holdcosDebating centralized vs decentralized modelsUse of global hiringConcerns about a recessionReferences and how to contact Kelcey:LinkedInTwitter365 HoldingsHoldCoConfHoldco Survey12 previous Acquiring Minds interviews with holdco entrepreneurs:From Determined Searcher to $75m Accidental HoldcoOne Year Later: Holdco Grows to $75m in Total RevenueBuilding an HVAC Holdco to £60m in RevenueFetal Position to Foundry Holdco ($30m & Counting)Snowball Effect: Getting to $45m in 3 YearsBirth of a Holdco (with 15 Acquisitions to Date)How to Build a Holdco (4 Acquisitions So Far)7 Years Later: Leaving Wall Street to Buy Small Businesses5x in 5 Years: Buying Small to Grow QuicklyHow One Tiny Acquisition Grew Into a HoldcoGrowing a Small 1st Acquisition into a Holdco PlatformHow to Build a Holdco Around Company CultureLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabConnect with A-players who can run your business remotely:More StaffingConnect with Acquiring Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn Follow Will on Twitter