Inspired Or Acquired

Alex Nelson is an impressive entrepreneur in Iowa who built a wedding venue from scratch to $4M revenue within a few years. He also recently bought a chain of coffee shops then renovated and rebranded. We discuss what each business might sell for today, which one Alex might sell, and his long term goals. It's a great discussion on buy vs build, real estate heavy businesses, and compounding. Alex Nelson on X: https://x.com/WeddingVenueGuyThe Midnight Gem: https://themidnightgem.com/Midnight Coffee: https://www.midnight-coffee.com/Eversite - show sponsor & digital marketing: Eversite.com/inspiredClint Fiore & Dealonmy: https://www.dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Kyle Ewing is the founder of Terraslate, which manufactures and prints waterproof, and rip-proof paper designed to replace traditional lamination. Kyle shares how he scaled the business to over $10M in annual revenue while maintaining 100% ownership and fending off overseas knockoffs. We discuss the business valuation and if he would sell or not. Kyle Ewing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleewing/Ideas To Empires newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/ideas-to-empires-7295591098423357440/Eversite - show sponsor & digital marketing: Eversite.com/inspiredClint Fiore & Dealonmy: https://www.dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Brett McManus, owner of a motel and hotel in Killington, Vermont, shares his inspiring journey of renovating a dilapidated motel with his wife, Casey. They dive into the highs and lows of their renovations, the impressive value increase in just one year, and their ambitions to acquire another hotel. Brett discusses their tech startup, aimed at supporting independent hospitality businesses, while exploring the benefits of using SBA loans to finance such ventures. Their story offers a fresh, behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of the hospitality industry.

Cassi Niekamp, owner of Bowden Fence Company in Columbus, Ohio, is a former corporate sales professional who transformed her company after acquiring it four years ago. She shares her journey of growing revenue from $700,000 to $3.3 million and the stress that comes with rapid growth. Cassi discusses the challenges of balancing profitability with expansion, the complexities of navigating debt and asset appreciation, and the importance of a strong team in transitioning to commercial markets. Her passion for fencing and dedication to improving business structure shines through as she looks towards the future.

Daniel Magazu's first entrepreneurial venture was a landscaping and mulch business he started during college. With the mulch business he cracked the code on Facebook group marketing, and has since gone all in on scaling his marketing agency business, Ride The Wave. It's growing very quickly and has 96% retention rate. We discuss what the mulch business might sell for today, what the agency might sell for, and Daniel's long term goals. Daniel Magazu on X: https://x.com/DannyMagazuRide The Wave: https://ridethewave.info/Clint Fiore & Dealonomy: https://dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Christian Kobes is quickly scaling 19:21 Consultants Co, an independent health insurance and employee benefits firm. They've found their niche providing better, modern service to clients with +50 employees. Christian expects revenue to nearly double again this year. We discuss the M&A landscape in health insurance, what their company might be worth today, and if they'd sell soon. Christian Kobes on X: https://x.com/christian_kobes19:21 Consultants: https://www.1921consultants.com/Clint Fiore & Dealonomy: https://www.dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Furkan Yuce started Elevation Flooring with a couple scrappy partners and $2500 in the bank 7 years ago. Since then they've grown it organically to $7M revenue in 2024 and they're on pace for $10-12M in 2025. They've built some unique advantages that help them scale and be competitive like proprietary software and a back office team in Turkey. We discuss what the company is worth today, working capital constraints and what number might tempt Furkan to sell or not. Furkan Yuce on X: https://x.com/FurkYuceClint Fiore & Dealonmy: https://www.dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Tim Ryan has successfully built a pool cleaning business from scratch and sold it - 4 times over! Why does he keep doing it? He's been building a software for pool cleaning companies and is committed a scalable SaaS venture. We discuss what he learned with each exit, the sale multiples, and what his software company, Symbri, might be worth today.Tim Ryan on X: https://x.com/KenziesPoolBoySymbri: https://symbri.com/Clint Fiore & Dealonomy: https://www.dealonomy.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Brendan Dawson, founder of Accident Plan, shares insights from his innovative software designed for trucking companies to manage accident risks. He dives into the valuation complexities of his business, debating whether a strategic partner or a cash flow buyer would meet his price. The discussion highlights the importance of modern risk management in trucking and the potential of merging with telematics systems. Dawson also reflects on the emotional aspects of business valuation and the strategic decisions involved in growth and partnerships.

David Barlev started Goji Labs with his business partner 10 years ago. Goji Labs is a digital product agency building custom software, apps, and tools to drive business outcomes. They're grown steadily to $6.5M revenue and +35% EBITDA margins. We discuss what Goji might be worth today, if they'd sell the business or not, and what a deal structure could look like. David Barlev on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbarlev/ Goji Labs: https://gojilabs.com/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/