
Private Equity Podcast: Karma School of Business
Private equity insights for and with top business builders, including investors, operators, executives and industry thought leaders. The Karma School of Business Podcast goes behind the scenes of PE, talking about business best practices and real-time industry trends. You'll learn from leading professionals and visionary business executives who will help you take action and enhance your life, whether you’re at a PE firm, a portco or a private or public company.
BluWave Founder & CEO Sean Mooney hosts the Private Equity Karma School of Business Podcast. BluWave is the business builders’ network for private equity grade due diligence and value creation needs.
To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3oPBjs8
Latest episodes

Jun 8, 2023 • 21min
Filling a Need: Unraveling the History and Growth of the Private Equity Industry
In this captivating episode, we delve into the history of private equity, exploring its origins, confronting industry stigmas, and witnessing its evolution into a dynamic force. Join us as we: (0:54) Uncover the ideas that gave birth to the first private equity firms, laying the groundwork for an industry that would reshape the business landscape. (5:37) Challenge the prevailing stigma personified by 1980s Wall Street movies, to explore how the industry has and continues to evolve. (10:05) Highlight the shifting focus of private equity towards the people involved and the value they can create, from investors to management teams. (13:18) Touch on the importance of being the best in private equity, engaging the right third party resources to help. (15:20) Revisit the current state of PE and predict where it's going. For more information on the Karma School of Business podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcasts. For more information about BluWave, go to www.bluwave.net.

Jun 1, 2023 • 36min
John Huhn, Compass Group Equity Partners | Unlocking Success: The Power of Persistence in PE
A managing partner from Compass Group Equity Partners, John Huhn, joins the Karma School of Business Podcast to discuss: 1:04 - John's background and path to private equity 9:28 - The most important traits to look for when evaluating a potential investment 13:50 - What makes Compass unique and how they approach value creation 21:34 - Advice to successfully manage a rocky economic period 26:52 - Important aspects of the portco-PE firm relationship 31:30 - John's advice to his younger self And much more. To learn more about Compass Group, go to https://www.cgep.com/. To learn more about BluWave, go to www.bluwave.net.

May 9, 2023 • 35min
Brian Adams, Excelsior Capital | Real Estate vs. Buyout: Private Equity Investor Perspectives
Brian Adams, Founder and President of Excelsior Capital, joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss real estate investing and compares it to private equity investing. Brian dives into a broad scope of topics, including: 1:44 His path to real estate investing 5:55 Advantages and benefits to real estate investing 10:36 How to evaluate a good investment 17:39 How the current economic landscape is impacting the real estate investing industry 21:48 The long term outlook for real estate investing 30:29 What lessons Brian would teach his younger self

Apr 26, 2023 • 43min
Hernan Saenz, Bain & Company | A Glance into the Future of the Planet, the Power of Circular Transformation and the Role Private Equity Can Play
The Karma School of Business is joined by Bain and Company Global Head of Performance and Improvement, Harnan Saenz to take a deep dive on the future of the economy as it relates to sustainability, viewed through the lens of private equity. The conversation topics include: 2:30 "Remanufacturing" and forces applying pressure to traditional operations 5:21 What is the circular economy? 13:13 The current policies set up by the government related to the circular economy 16:03 Barriers to a circular economy 25:21 How can tech be leveraged to support the circular economy? 27:13 Measuring progress toward circularity 29:25 The role of private equity in promoting circularity 30:28 Incorporating circular principles into investment strategies 33:01 Investment opportunities and most promising sectors 35:46 Challenges a PE firm might face when investing in a circular economy 37:13 How can firms work with portcos to improve sustainability? 39:39 How PE can collaborate with governments and other stakeholders to promote the circular economy

Apr 13, 2023 • 17min
HR, Tech Take Center Stage in Q1: Private Equity Industry Update
We share top private equity insights from our Q1 2023 Insights Report where we evaluate proprietary data from over 500 leading private equity firms across thousands of projects. We compare year over year activity from the BluWave Activity Index to share how private equity is reacting to the current economic state. Join BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, as he discusses: 1:07 - Comparing the economy in 2023 to 2008 2:52 - The breakdown between due diligence and value creation 6:25 - How private equity is being strategic in diligence during the unsteady economic environment 8:35 - What is fueling the increase in value creation activity 11:58 - The top three functional areas in the BluWave Activity Index 16:06 - How to get additional insights and trends Click here to get the report: http://bit.ly/3obXJXu

Mar 28, 2023 • 41min
Charlie Gifford, New Heritage Capital | Differentiation in Private Equity, Advice to Business Builders
Private equity insights from Charlie Gifford, a senior partner at New Heritage Partner, in this episode relate to how PE firms can differentiate themselves from the competitors to win more often. Charlie speaks to BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, about the following topics: 1:45 Charlie's background 7:00 Why did he get into private equity 9:02 How private equity reacts to change 13:22 The evolution of the private IPO 15:29 How New Heritage stands out to portcos 20:55 The future of private equity 25:30 Charlie's advice to aspiring business builders 29:49 Learning how to be successful 36:10 Pro tips about wine

Mar 22, 2023 • 17min
SVB Bank Crisis: What Will Happen Next and How Private Equity Will Reframe Crisis into Opportunity
The Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapses of March 2023 are top of mind for many investors and business leaders. In this episode, Sean Mooney explains what happened and how if affects the private equity industry. Additionally, Sean predicts how private equity will react to the crisis and gives advice on how to turn the situation into an opportunity for growth, rather than a setback. For more info, go to http://bit.ly/40hZQH2 0:52 What happened on the weekend of March 18, 2023 2:28 What happens next 4:35 How the bank collapses impact private equity 6:40 Turning crisis into opportunity 8:03 PE's reaction to crisis (Ooda Loops) 13:06 How all companies can learn from PE firms during a crisis Colonel John Boyd's Ooda Loop concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop

Mar 1, 2023 • 32min
Doug Horn and Mohit Kansal, Clairvest | Strategic Collaboration and Structure in Business
Doug Horn and Mohit Kansal from Clairvest, a private equity firm based out of Toronto, join the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss: 0:42 Clairvest's history and focus 3:27 How Clairvest works to collaborate with entrepreneurs 5:43 Valuable traits that Clairvest considers before making investments 8:17 Mohit's approach to high-stress times 11:52 Advice to business owners on how to tackle economic uncertainty 16:55 Doug's predictions for the PE industry in the near future 22:40 Clairvest's book/movie recommendations 27:43 Advice Mohit would give to his 22 year old self 29:26 Doug's life hack To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

Feb 21, 2023 • 31min
Demetrios Dounis, Heartwood Partners | Path to Private Equity, Value Creation, Acquisitions
In this episode, host Sean Mooney chats with Demetrios Dounis, a partner at Heartwood Partners, to discuss his path to private equity, and his unique approach to business building. 0:55 Demetrios' path to private equity 3:04 Demetrios' upbringing 4:39 What to look for in a prospective investment 8:44 Lessons to learn from change 12:24 How Heartwood approaches value creation 16:32 How business leaders can find the right private equity partner 20:30 Demetrios' advice to business leaders starting to think about add-on acquisitions 26:34 Advice to his younger self To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

Feb 13, 2023 • 38min
Marshall Phelps, MidOcean Partners | Value Creation, Business Growth, Building a Company
Host Sean Mooney sits down with Marshall Phelps, a Managing Director at MidOcean Partners, to discuss his unique path to the private equity industry. Marshall also provides insight on value creation as it relates to business growth. 1:40 Marshall's story 7:27 Investment banking to PE 13:46 Unique perspective on driving value 18:52 How do PE Firms standout in the M&A process 23:05 A seller's perspective on IOI & LOIs 25:25 Biggest opportunities in the investment world 30:11 Marshall's book recommendations 33:47 Marshall's advice to his younger self To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ