HoldCo Builders

Imagine raising millions for your startup…A team of 50 and significant revenue…Then getting FIRED from the same company you started…Then starting a boring traditional company that generates significant cash flow, so you could buy another company…And not just one, but 4 companies!!!And THEN, growing these businesses an average of 65% in the first year post-acquisition.All this in four short years.What a WILD story and an even wilder life for 34-year-old Chase.“It was a condensed MBA – 50 employees. Millions in revenue. Scaling the company at a double- and triple-digit YoY growth rate. I was a 23-year-old clueless entrepreneur trying to keep a ship together… Ultimately, getting fired from my baby.”Today, Chase is a new man, happy, relaxed, builds a business he never wants to retire from, travels the world with a kid, and Decada Group has 5 companies in its portfolio.We discuss:— Why slow growth may be the smartest thing ever d— The best companies plan for decades— Having fun daily, and genuinely enjoying building the company vs. arrival fallacy and chasing IRR— How to grow a business (SMB Growth Playbook)— 5 step guide on how to grow business by 65% in the first year post-acquisitionShow notes:00:00 - Intro00:31 - The wild story of raising multiple rounds of VC and then getting fired from your own company05:09 - Transforming a profitable lifestyle business into a serious cash cow type business and a portfolio of 5 SMBs07:05 - Building a holding company by accident. “It was never the idea.”14:50 - How to make sure opportunities come to you vs. you constantly chasing them18:48 - The technology revolution is not over, but the heyday is over23:32 - Overview of the current diversified portfolio of traditional businesses27:53 - How do they find companies to acquire while having ZERO competition on deals38:10 - Growing portfolio companies by an average of 65% in the first year post acquisition (How exactly?)54:51 - Pros and cons of focusing on single business vs managing a portfolio of companiesMy full conversation with Chase Murdock, the co-founder of Decada Group — Stream now.Follow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small profitable niche businesses: ⁠⁠⁠https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/⁠Chase on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chasemurdockThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

There's a gentleman who manages a $115 million AUM fund with annualized returns of 35% (before fees) since inception.And he wrote a 3,150-word letter for those who dream of compounding their money at 20-25% per year over the course of their careers.1. Your chance of becoming a great investor is 1/50 of 1% or something. If not less… You have almost no chance of being a great investor.”2. Going to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton or reading every book ever written on investing won't make you a good investor3. I don’t believe there is a correlation between investment performance and number of books read.4. Experience is overrated. It’s important but it’s not a source of competitive advantage. If that wasn’t true, all the great money managers would have their best years in their 60s, 70s and 80s. And we know that’s not true.“There are 7 traits great investors share that are true sources of advantage because they can’t be learned once a person reaches adulthood. Some of them can’t be learned at all, you’re either born with them or you aren’t.”Show notes:00:00 - Intro00:43 - Why only very few can compound money 20% for their entire career05:22 - To protect your investment, you need one of these four sources of economic moats that are hard to duplicate07:59 - Having advantages over fellow fund managers and individual investors11:12 - 7 traits that can’t be learned yet true investors who end up compounding at 20% or 25% over their careers ALL have in commonFollow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small profitable niche businesses: ⁠⁠⁠https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/⁠This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Ever considered acquiring a profitable, sub $1-5M EBITDA niche business?So you could spend summers on Lake Como, winters in Aspen, and Saturdays in Las Vegas at the Wynn listening to David Guetta…Or so you could retire your parents, send your lovely kids to a private school, and buy your wife the BMW convertible she always wanted…I don't know your exact dream, but owning a business like this makes it all possible.So... I have something for you.I believe Jules Brenner of the Industrial Succession Group just shared everything one needs to know when it comes to acquiring a traditional niche business with $1M+ EBITDA. How to find a deal? How to find co-founders? How to raise capital? How to pitch investors so they are actually willing to invest? How to manage it all post-acquisition?Ohh.. and I forgot.He really walks the talk: 3 acquisitions $20 mil in revenue 50% gross margin $4 mil in EBITDAWith a goal of reaching $100 mil by the end of 2028…And maybe (if a few acquisitions go well) $35 mil already by the end of 2024Most importantly, him being very open and generous with advice, sharing it all without holding anything back.We discuss:— Creating a list of companies to be acquired— How they will reach $100 million by 2028— 6-7 failed deals, while not losing hope— How to pitch, structure and present a deal in a way that investors would love— Deal structure (equity to debt ratio)— A very good VP of Marketing can do magic for your traditional business— An agency where people make 100+ cold calls a day to grow their business00:00:00 - Intro00:00:41 - A portfolio of industrial companies with 100+ employees00:05:39 - 2.5 years of research (for example, metal fabrication in the aerospace industry)00:09:58 - Step-by-step guide to how you pitch your deals so investors want to participate00:19:02 - “If you paid nothing for a company, would you still buy it?”00:25:14 - Obvious red flags when looking at deals00:31:39 - A lot of traditional businesses don't have a CRM or a website and just make a 7-fig from real estate00:37:17 - The VP of Marketing handles all business development00:38:02 - The way their deals are structured00:40:11 - Buying a business so you don't have to rely on an exit00:41:56 - Selling products to LAX Airport which burns $2,000,000 a day00:44:37 - The industrial sector does not get the love from small business buying community00:47:39 - Jules pre-acquisition vs. Jules post-acquisition (skills, experiences, beliefs)My full conversation with Jules Brenner, the founder of Industrial Succession Group — Stream now.Follow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small profitable niche businesses: ⁠⁠https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/Jules on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-brenner/This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

What would be your potential reward for mastering the fundamentals?Whether it's small business acquisitions, private equity investing, or the financial media and newsletter business…In Matt’s case the reward is approximately $14,000,000 in net profit in 2024All this with a team of 16 people.We discuss:— How to grow a business (Growing 86% in 2020; 77% in 2021)— Email is still massively untapped for PE funds, VCs and traditional businesses— Spend $1-2m per month on advertising— Why more private companies should publish their numbers00:00:00 - Intro00:00:19 - Team of 16; $2.3M in revenue per employee00:05:57 - Different sources of revenue00:07:48 - A short masterclass on how business builders and investors can use email to their advantage (deals, talent, capital)00:18:01 - Mentors are key00:19:19 - Hiring mistakes and lessons learned00:22:54 - Bootstrapping vs. raising capital00:23:25 - Why share ALL numbers publicly, even when running a private company00:28:17 - How to overcome VERY difficult periods (personal, family, business)00:39:11 - 3 lessons from 17-year career (distribution is everything)00:43:12 - The key to 0.0001% success is to turn your business into your hobby00:50:47 - $200,000,000 and I’m outMy full conversation with Matt Paulson, the founder of MarketBeat — Stream now.Follow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://Twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small niche manufacturing businesses: ⁠⁠https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠Matt on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/MattPaulsonSDThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Imagine being so unhappy with your boss that you leave…- Start the exact same business- Following the exact same strategyToday, ONLY 5 yrs later do $500m in revenue and $100m in EBITDAHere is my full research on a true M&A and buy-and-build pioneer Mr. Fredrik Karlsson:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:52 - 24 portfolio companies (15 B2B; 9 B2C)00:03:51 - The type of businesses they acquire00:07:00 - The beauty of investing in HoldCo businesses00:10:05 - A very successful investment in yacht supplies business00:12:19 - How to find the right CEOs to run PortCos00:16:02 - Being happy with 1% organic growthFollow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://Twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small profitable niche businesses: ⁠ https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Here is the dream story of many entrepreneurs:Owning a business that generates so much free cash flow that you can invest in/acquire 8 businesses.I’d even call him Andrew Wilkinson Jr…Capital allocation at its best…Started in 2017…Today there are 8 companies in his portfolio.All while being 32, traveling & living in 20 countries, having Tim Ferriss as an inspiration and driving a Range Rover Sports.Most importantly, being generally happy and relaxed (my comments about him)."The freedom of location. For the past 7 years I’ve lived and worked in 20 different companies. Only thanks to the businesses I ran.”We discuss:— Building a list of companies to acquire— Finding the absolute best off-market deals— Growing businesses 2-3 times in 18 months— A 30-day post-acquisition action plan— One book that changed his life forever00:00:00 - Intro00:00:29 - Early failures turned into successful cash-flow machine00:03:20 - Andrew Wilkinson from Tiny as a big influencer00:05:18 - Acquiring a business using seller financing or not doing a deal at all00:07:54 - Capital allocation at its best - buying vs. starting00:11:19 - 8 businesses, 8 different CEOs00:18:35 - Growing portfolio companies 2-3x in 18 months00:21:19 - How to build a database of companies you want to acquire00:23:52 - How to acquire a business in 30 days00:27:59 - This is how you build a company where people want to work00:32:11 - Turning big mistakes and failures into success00:36:09 - Diversification, diversification, diversificationMy full conversation with Lee Betts, the founder of BettsCo — Stream now.Follow PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://Twitter.com/PrivatEquityGuy⁠⁠Join HoldCo Builders weekly newsletter on finding deals, raising capital, and growing small niche manufacturing businesses: ⁠⁠https://privatequityguy.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠Lee on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/leebetts_This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

Discover the transformative power of acquiring traditional businesses with revenues between $2-10 million. Learn how street smarts and genuine connections can lead to successful negotiations. The speaker shares insights on the happiness of old-school business owners and their stress-free lifestyles. Key negotiation techniques emphasize the value of silence and patience. A spontaneous trip to London reveals how ordinary companies hold extraordinary potential for investment. Listening is crucial—appreciating the hard work of business owners can make all the difference.

Learn how to supercharge your traditional business growth by 50-200% annually. Discover why many niche companies struggle with marketing and how to revamp outdated practices. Explore the differences between white label and brand-building, emphasizing direct customer connections. Dive into the importance of database marketing and tracking effectiveness to optimize growth. Uncover strategies to double your revenue while navigating the challenges of the $2 to $10 million revenue range. This is a masterclass in growth!

Dive into the fascinating world of private equity success with a master who achieved a stunning 72% IRR across 586 deals. Discover his unique approach to acquiring small companies and the significance of first-time CEOs in his strategy. Learn how he builds effective management teams while managing risk in smaller markets. Gain insights from personal mentors and family lessons that shaped his investment philosophy, emphasizing understanding and expertise in specific industries.

Nick Haschka, co-founder of Cub Investments, masterfully navigates the world of service company acquisitions, boasting a portfolio of 12 firms. He shares insights on finding the best deals, emphasizing the competitive edge of location and industry knowledge. Haschka discusses the unique challenges of working with retiring owners and highlights transformative strategies that leverage technology for growth. Balancing his entrepreneurial journey with family life, he offers a candid look at the importance of partnerships and the reality of small business investing.