Inspired Or Acquired

Matt Glaros, who transformed his family health insurance brokerage and sold it to Hub International, shares his unique journey into the print industry. He discusses the strategic decisions behind selling at an impressive multiple and reflects on the lessons learned from the transition. Glaros highlights the advantages of acquiring print shops, likening their operations to insurance. He emphasizes the importance of financial understanding and relationships in navigating this new business landscape.

David Ensley, an accomplished orthodontist from Austin, Texas, built Celebrate Dental & Braces into a thriving business generating $1.5M in revenue within three years. He shares insights on the pros and cons of building versus buying orthodontic practices. Discussion includes intriguing valuation ranges from 3x to 15x, the dynamics of partnering in a larger DSO, and the importance of accurate financial reporting. Ensley also sheds light on growth strategies and achieving work-life balance in the demanding field of orthodontics.

Shane Ehrsam bought North Texas Trailers just a few years ago. Since then he's grown revenue to $11.5M, improved the team and tech, and maintained healthy margins. We dig into what the business is worth today and if he would sell soon, capital allocation for inventory vs real estate vs new acquisitions, and and how he thinks about building the best business it can be so it's a sellable asset.North Texas Trailers: https://www.northtexastrailers.com/Shane Ehrsam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-ehrsam/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/Walker Deibel & Acquisition Lab: https://acquisitionlab.com/

Robert Mayer has built an amazing business with Arizona Party Bike. It's a unique tour company based in Arizona specializing in pedal-powered party bikes where guests can enjoy their favorite adult beverages on board. He's been a pioneer in the industry bringing the model to the US, manufacturing the bikes for other locations, franchising, and even getting involved in legislation related to party bikes having alcohol. Clint explains why his current business is worth a high multiple, Robert debates selling, and Robert reveals some big expansion plans. Robert Mayer on X: https://x.com/RobertMayerArizona Party Bike: https://www.arizonapartybike.com/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Hayden Slack, a skilled business owner, transformed his family foundation repair company from $4M to $30M and successfully launched a plumbing business. He discusses the thrilling journey of unexpected growth and the challenges of navigating family dynamics while negotiating business deals. Insights into valuing family businesses, the significance of honest communication, and strategic decisions for scaling are shared. Hayden also delves into how digital presence and a strong performance culture play crucial roles in driving success.

This is a special episode of Inspired Or Acquired to celebrate 10,000 downloads, reflect on learnings from prior episodes, share 2025 goals, and answer listener questions. The shows hosts, Clint Fiore and Patrick Dichter, also give some of their career backstory of how they ended up Mergers & Acquisitions (Clint) and Accounting (Patrick). Clint Fiore & Bison Business: bisonbusiness.comPatrick Dichter & Appletree: appletreebusiness.com

In 2023 Ben Tiggelaar made the acquisition most people dream of - an IT services business that's recession resistant, with sticky clients, healthy margins, management team in place, and can be run remotely. He's steadily improved the business and made another acquisition already putting revenue over $8M. We discuss if he plans to sell, the IT services landscape, tuck in acquisition strategies, investing in other searchers, and why he's enjoying life more running DataTel. Previously Ben had a successful exit in a dental platform after his investment banking career.Ben Tiggelaar on X: https://x.com/bentigg DataTel: https://datatelco.com/SMB Junction: https://www.smbjunction.com/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Marc Hawk joins Inspired Or Acquired to share the journey of selling RevLocal to Hibu. Marc Hawk was the CEO of RevLocal for 14 years and is now part of the Hibu team as EVP. During that 14 year run, RevLocal became one one of the biggest digital marketing agencies for small businesses. Marc explains they didn't have to sell and the 3 reasons why you might sell a company after growing to +$50M revenue. We also cover the details of integration, the company synergies, and how he's feeling a few months post close.Marc Hawk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marchawk/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Jameson Haslam, the innovative founder of West Coast Decks, transitioned from a successful career in investment banking to tackling the deck construction industry. In a witty and insightful conversation, he shares how he grew his company to over $1.2M in just 2.5 years. Jameson discusses the unique challenges of running a deck business, the significance of content marketing, and his strategies for scaling to $10 million. He also reveals plans for new products and the potential for his unique online tools, all while maintaining a humorous and reflective perspective.

Ian McKenna, founder of InTech Scientific, shares the fascinating journey of his profitable lab equipment service business. He delves into the complexities of running a service-centric operation for the pharmaceutical and academic sectors. The conversation covers the valuation of his business amidst growing buyer interest and the challenges of staffing for expansion. McKenna highlights the importance of customer relationships and the strategic considerations behind growth versus selling, revealing the balance between financial and personal fulfillment.