Episodes
The Pattern Recognition Skill That Built Four Exits with Steven Pivnik
Steven Pivnik on four exits from the same company — licensing software to IBM and Microsoft, surviving fraud and two missed payrolls, the KPI discipline that built the second act, and bringing in a CEO for the $4B sale. Now an exit advisor at Acresis and coach at The CEO Project.
Gatr Coolers: The Story Behind the Brand with Bryan McGehee
Bryan McGehee of Gatr Coolers on building a viral consumer brand from a Thibodaux, Louisiana camper — the marketing playbook, strategic partnerships, and the real cost of manufacturing in oil country.
Finding Your Highest and Best Use as an Entrepreneur — Dominic Dupré
Dominic Dupré of Tule Creek Capital on going from operator to investor — surviving the 2014 oil bust, turning around the family crude hauling division, and what disqualifies most SMB sellers.
The Growth by Subtraction Playbook for Middle Market Founders with Yarin Gaon
Yarin Gaon of Fractional Partners on growth by subtraction for founders — why scaling addition kills EBITDA, how to attribute overhead by revenue stream, and what PE does post-close.
The Partner You Need When You've Run Out of Gas — George Boudreaux & Nathan Rath
George Boudreaux and Nathan Rath on finding a business partner to grow Pelican Roofing from $9M to $19M — partnership structure, hard decisions, and why they avoided PE.
Building a Business With Your Spouse Without Losing Your Mind — Kenny & Stacy Maggard
Kenny and Stacy Maggard of Azalea Health Services on building a business with your spouse — founding a senior mental health company, the management service agreement model, and what makes co-founder marriages work.
Running City Hall Like a Business with Mayor-President Monique Boulet
Mayor-President Monique Boulet on running government like a business — the $200M Johnson Street project, sewer policy that saved a developer $600K, and reorganizing 2,000 employees.
What Happens to Your Business If You Don't Make It Home Today with Taylor Davis
Taylor Davis on the buy-sell agreement for business owners — what happens when partnerships dissolve, why most high-income earners are underprotected, and the question every owner avoids.
The Success Story Behind The Gingerbread Twins with Billy & Denny
Billy and Denny of Gingerbread Twins on scaling a family bakery business — three generations of baking, the viral king cake season, and building a nationwide brand from a Lafayette shoebox.
Why Your Book of Business May Be Worth More Than You Think — Dr. Jon Randall
Dr. Jon Randall of XFA on selling a financial advisor practice — the $1M revenue ceiling, the practitioner-to-CEO shift, and what private equity buyers want in a book of business.
The Lone Survivor of a Plane Crash — and the Lessons That Followed with Wade Berzas
Wade Berzas on surviving a plane crash and rebuilding around EOS — the four pillars he now teaches entrepreneurs: Faith, Perseverance, Surrender, and Love.
Why Creativity Without Data Is Just a Pretty Waste of Money with Jeremy Beyt
Jeremy Beyt of ThreeSixtyEight on marketing strategy for business owners — data-driven creative, what really happens in an agency merger, and why he turned down PE and Shark Tank.
From Oil Field Landman to Business Owner with Scott Rainey
Scott Rainey on buying a business as a first-time owner — the deal that nearly bankrupted him, what he wishes he'd diligenced, and building Quest Safety Solutions to sell.
Bootstrapped to VC-Backed: Scaling a Female-Founded Brand — Lauren Bercier
Lauren Bercier on raising venture capital as a female founder — bootstrapping Something Borrowed Blooms to 60,000 weddings, Series B at 26% YOY growth, and the rent-and-return model.
Access Granted: Inside the Hilton Family Office — Mark Miller
Mark Miller of the Hilton Family Office on how family offices invest — the Hilton Financial Network, reducing portfolio volatility, and the gap between smart money and retail.
No Operator, No Deal — How PE Firms Find the Right CEO with Travis Hann
Travis Hann of Pender & Howe on how PE firms find the right CEO — deal-contingent executive search, Top Grading methodology, and the operators willing to co-invest.
He Buys Companies Everyone Else Is Running From — Nate Moore
Nate Moore of Moore Consulting on building a 700-person platform by acquiring distressed childcare and home care businesses — what turnaround buyers look for, and the leadership framework behind every successful turnaround.
Value Creation vs. Wealth Acceleration: The Family Office Framework
Benjamin Domingue of Family Office Partners on wealth acceleration after the sale — the liquidity, longevity, legacy framework, and why $20M at 45 may not cover your lifestyle.
Why Culture Kills More Acquisitions Than Bad Pricing — Scott Harkey
Scott Harkey on EBITDA arbitrage in agency rollups — buying at 3x and selling inside a group at 10-15x, plus the $200M billboard rollup opportunity in out-of-home media.
How a Banker Evaluates Business Acquisitions (The 5 Cs Explained)
Ben Smith of Red River Bank on the 5 Cs of credit explained — how bankers evaluate business acquisitions, equipment financing, and which deals are bankable vs need a PE route.
When to Sell: The $50K Angel Investing Lesson — Bubba Page
Bubba Page of Influence.vc on when to take liquidity in angel investing — the cookie jar rule, how syndicates work vs. funds, and pattern recognition across 200 deals a month.
When to Order a Quality of Earnings — Elliott Holland
Elliott Holland of Guardian Due Diligence on when to order a quality of earnings — what a QoE actually finds, why first-time buyers can't skip it, and how sellers manipulate EBITDA.
What an Investigative Journalist Notices That Most Deal Makers Miss
Adam Daigle of the Acadiana Advocate on why restaurants are bad investments, the patterns that separate winners from losers, and what investigative journalism teaches dealmakers.
From Brazil to Rebuilding Downtown Lafayette
Gus Rezende of Social Entertainment on bootstrapping from a Brazilian tennis scholarship to a 300-employee holding company — plus the Hotel Lafayette mixed-use development deal.