Inspired Or Acquired

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.

Cheryl Ham has built Hypnotic Yarn into a +$1M revenue business with 28% net profit margin and 80% of revenue on a subscription basis. She was an amazing story of trying to 'create a little side hustle' that has become a great business with a great mission to help customers unleash their creativity. We discuss what her business might be worth today and future plans for the company. Hypnotic Yarn Website: https://hypnoticyarn.com/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Devin Wanzor has bought and sold more than 10 businesses. He joins the podcast to share his journey from being an SBA lender to being part of a sign manufacturing roll up to buying a high end liquor store and recently buying a business close to his passion for flying planes. We also discuss how he's improved profitability as an operator and his unique perspective helping others with financial due diligence.Devin Wanzor on X: https://twitter.com/DevinWanzorDevin Wanzor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-wanzor-5459a31/Clint Fiore & Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter & Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/

Chris Edwards, a successful entrepreneur who recently sold his thriving flooring business in Steamboat, Colorado, shares his journey of rapid growth, achieving a 50% revenue increase and doubling EBITDA in just 3.5 years. He discusses the challenges of financing an acquisition, navigating operational improvements, and key growth strategies. Chris reflects on the emotional transition post-sale and the resilience required in business ownership. His insights on effective processes and team management offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

'POV Husband' is a genuine, funny follow on TikTok and Instagram. Prior to becoming a content creator he worked in banking and bought a business to escape his 9-5. He ended up buying a fast casual restaurant in 2020. Then they quickly bought a 2nd and 3rd location with real estate. In 2022 they decided to sell 2 of the locations. We discuss how much they made on the sale, why restaurants sell for lower multiples, and what businesses he's debating next. POV Husband on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pov_husbandPOV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pov_husband/?hl=enPOV Husband YouTube video on restaurant profitability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd4wrWpwHdI&t=28sClint Fiore, Bison Business: https://bisonbusiness.com/Patrick Dichter, Appletree: https://appletreebusiness.com/