Acquiring Minds

Brendan Burdette and Ryan Conner have launched personal guarantee insurance to enable more — and stronger — SBA buyers.
Register for the webinar: 
Score It or Skip It: A Framework for Fast Deal Evaluation - Thu, Jun 11 - https://bit.ly/3Q1D9qM
Topics in Brendan & Ryan’s interview:
Psychological weight of the personal guarantee
Building a personal guarantee insurance product
Taking the risk from a 10 to a 5
Sequence of events after default
Targeting mid to late career operators
Premiums decrease over time
Balancing risk between unequal partners
Solving the seller rollover conflict
Philosophy of “skin in the game”
How they hope this affects ETA ecosystem
References and how to contact Brendan & Ryan:
Brendan Burdette’s LinkedIn
Ryan Conner’s LinkedIn
Personal Guarantee Insurance 
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Pioneer Capital Advisory
The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

Greg Shapiro & Zach Cooper-Vastola are building a long-term, compounding business they see as the anti-PE of the trades.
Register for the webinar:
Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - TODAY - https://bit.ly/49sKF4H

Topics in Greg and Zach’s interview:
Founders combined technical and financial expertise
Shifted from SaaS to long-term ownership
Acquired century-old Manhattan HVAC company
High cost and complexities of New York market
Avoided SBA limits to scale acquisitions
What “Anti-PE” means to them
Digitization takes longer than you think
Living lean on low salaries
Predicting HVAC roll-up market shakeout ahead
Influence and investment from Will Thorndike
References and how to contact Greg and Zach:
Hickory
Greg Shapiro LinkedIn
Zach Cooper-Vastola LinkedIn
Will Thorndike
Steve Carroll on Acquiring Minds: ETA Unicorn: $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 Years
Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.
Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.
The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

The first business Joe Wechsler bought had $280k of SDE. Seven years later, he runs a fund with $50m of buying power.
Register for the webinar: 
Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - Thu, June 4 - https://bit.ly/4vnGP5u
Topics in Joe’s interview:
Background in management consulting
Inspired by Rich Dad Poor Dad to own assets
Joining an early cohort of the Acquisition Lab
Searching is more fun with a partner
First deal died 10 days before closing
Discovering employees had never been paid overtime
Total office staff turnover in first 4 months
Acquiring 4 diverse businesses
Launching a $25M equity fund with 5 partners
It’s all about the people
References and how to contact Joe:
LinkedIn
Blueline Ventures
Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Richard T. Kiyosaki
Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):
Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds
Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:
From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.com
Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Pioneer Capital Advisory
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

As a South African in the US, Justus Luttig had to get creative to search then buy 2 trades businesses at the same time.
Register for the webinar: 
New $10m Limit for SBA Loans: What You Need to Know - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4v3zKXh
Topics in Justus’s interview: 
Growing up on a cattle ranch in South Africa
Disillusioned with the venture capital bubble
Perception of white collar work as “the dream”
Meeting successful owners of blue-collar businesses
Big deal failure on his birthday
Structuring a deal without the SBA
Challenges of searching on an H1B visa
Merging an HVAC with a plumbing business
The magic happens when you leave your desk
Acquiring during the slow season
References and how to contact Justus:
LinkedIn
Copeland Home Services
The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:
From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.com
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

David Graf went after a business that had sat on the market, acquiring $750k of EBITDA for 2.7x. It's going well.
Register for the webinars: 
Negotiating Working Capital in SMB Acquisitions - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4a2ozGe
New $10m Limit for SBA Loans: What You Need to Know - Thu, May 28 - https://bit.ly/49j3V4t
Topics in David’s interview: 
Drive to earn money as a kid
Choosing to skip business school
Advantages of acquiring in Texas
Preparing his case to convince his wife
Working full time while searching
Growth is often underpriced
Wholesaling real estate he didn’t want
How to decide whether to keep an employee
Joining a group for manufacturing owners
Near-crisis days before closing
References and how to contact David:
LinkedIn
Danhard
Rand Larsen
Scalepath
Get a Grip by Mike Paton
Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Pioneer Capital Advisory
Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.
Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.
Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):
Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron