Acquiring Minds

Brendan Guerin was 21 when he and 3 friends bought a dog daycare on the side. Today: 6 Midwest locations.

Register for the webinars: 

• Debt Financing Your Deal (SBA & Independent Sponsor) - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4rRpQaY
• The Small Things That Sink First-Year Owners - Thu, Oct 15 - https://bit.ly/4idBtVx

Topics in Brendan’s interview:

• He bought his first doggy daycare at 21
• The first acquisition was a deliberate starter deal
• Four partners split ownership and responsibilities.
• The $1.1M deal included real estate
• EBITDA margins approached 50% before rent
• Buying real estate protects long-term business control
• Midwest real estate makes their model work
• Covid unexpectedly supercharged dog daycare demand
• Brendan eventually left finance to operate full-time
• Today, Argos spans six Midwest locations

References and how to contact Brendan:

• LinkedIn
• [email protected]

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

Tyler Hoffman has bought 4 telecom companies with no outside equity, and works 15 hours a week to get to $50m.

Topics in Tyler’s interview:

• Lessons from being fired repeatedly
• Finding and acquiring Metro Wireless
• Filling experience gaps with charisma
• Financing the $4.5 million acquisition
• Navigating a difficult ownership transition
• Discovering hidden operational problems post-close
•  Losing half of earnings — and surviving
• Rebuilding Metro Wireless through operational improvements
• 3 tuck-in acquisitions
• Balancing business growth with personal autonomy

References and how to contact Tyler:

• LinkedIn
• Hoffman Capital
• Metro Wireless
• Jeff Homer’s webinar: Architecture of an Entrepreneurial Roll-Up

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• The Acquisition Lab

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

Colin King and his 50/50 partner have paid themselves little since 2018, reinvesting profits back into their businesses. 

Topics in Colin’s interview:

• Growing Circle City Capital’s business portfolio
• Don’t call them private equity
• Why Colin stopped wanting operational roles
• Why critical mass matters for holdcos
• He still earn less than operators
• Holdco strategy versus industry-specific rollups
• The fox versus hedgehog framework
• Learning through hands-on operating experience
• Why chasing money can make things harder
• Costly mistakes and failed acquisitions

References and how to contact Colin:

• [email protected] 
• LinkedIn
• Colin King’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds: How to Build a $28m Holdco (in 6 Years)
• Circle City Capital Group

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: [email protected]

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

Patrick Dunphy acquired a low-seven-figure interpreter agency, then halved its collection times in year one.

Topics in Patrick’s interview:

• From Army aviation to business ownership
• Why Patrick chose ownership over corporate success
• Three years searching while working full-time
• Turning red flags into acquisition opportunities
• Why intrinsic value matters beyond financial returns
• Building a scalable, contractor-driven service business
• Structuring an SBA acquisition without seller financing
• Cutting payment times in half through better invoicing
• Preserving trust through a quiet ownership transition
• Growing through new markets and government contracts

References and how to contact Patrick:

• LinkedIn
• JS Languages

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.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: [email protected]

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

Jack Rauch left politics for a niche Florida business no bank would finance. He's doubled revenue twice since.

Register for the webinar: 

• Sizing an SBA Loan to the Cash Flow - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4hrFwge

Topics in Jack’s interview:

• From the White House to entrepreneurship
• Discovering an overlooked private provider niche
• Customers helped save the business
• How private inspections accelerate construction projects
• Expanding beyond the seller's tiny territory
• Navigating licensing requirements without industry experience
• Financing the deal without SBA backing
• Raising prices and finding unexpected growth
• Doubling revenue during each ownership year
• Joining industry leadership to reduce regulatory risk

References and how to contact Jack:

• LinkedIn
• Tew & Taylor

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

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or [email protected] 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

Kyle Holmes spent 8 years running Quail Ridge for its investor owners. Then they asked if he wanted to buy it.

Register for the webinars:

• Protect the Business: How to Diligence Insurance Pre-Close - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4xvNj2E
• Sizing an SBA Loan to the Cash Flow - Tue, Sep 29 - https://bit.ly/4y1Xr4a

Topics in Kyle’s interview:

• Growing up in a golf family 
• Running Quail Ridge before becoming an owner
• Being approached about buying the golf course
• Golf’s boom, recession, and post-COVID resurgence
• Michigan’s surprisingly strong golf market
• Revenue from golf, dining, events, and driving range
• Improving Quail Ridge before buying the business
• Valuing land worth more than operations
• Negotiating from $6.5 million to $7.3 million
• Financing with SBA, conventional, and seller debt

References and how to contact Kyle:

• LinkedIn
• Quail Ridge Golf Club

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: [email protected]

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.

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

Manolo Diaz Corrada came home to Puerto Rico to build for decades and keep the wealth from leaving the island.

Register for the webinars: 

• Working Capital: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4yJUdSX
• Protect the Business: How to Diligence Insurance Pre-Close - Thu, Sep 24 - https://bit.ly/4rlZei3

Topics in Manolo’s interview:

• Building a career across engineering, business, and law
• Fighting Puerto Rico’s brain drain
• Launching a self-funded search in a tiny market
• Why traditional search fund investor passed on Puerto Rico
• Finding an acquisition through family connections
• Navigating SBA financing challenges in Puerto Rico
• Using reputation as a due diligence tool
• Betting on Puerto Rico’s infrastructure boom
• Using backlog to underwrite acquisition risk
• Structuring a deal with seller financing

References and how to contact Manolo:

• LinkedIn
• Bonneville Group

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

Morli Desai bought an e-commerce brand with an SBA loan. Three years later: liquidation, Chapter 11, and gratitude.

Register for the webinars:

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4r81edB
• Working Capital: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing - Tue, Sep 22 - https://bit.ly/4gZWFxh

Topics in Morli’s interview:

• Acquiring a skincare brand
• Why she felt confident in the company
• Early red flags she minimized
• Amazon shipping disaster
• Rising cost per click
• 8-12% customer retention rate
• Unique challenges of ecommerce
• Negotiating multiple loan deferrals
• Stress of the personal guarantee
• Filing subchapter V bankruptcy

References and how to contact Morli:

• LinkedIn
• Morli’s first Acquiring Minds episode: How to Buy a $4m E-com Business with an SBA Loan

Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.

• Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: [email protected]

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

Rob Brooks bought a $1.9m Sarasota HVAC shop, then ignored the advice to wait 90 days before changing it.

Register for the webinar: 

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - Thu, Sep 17 - https://bit.ly/3VqwuZu

Topics in Rob’s interview:

• Choosing an industry where he had an edge
• Buying smaller to reduce debt risk
• Understanding prepaid customer obligations
• Using ChatGPT to learn HVAC
• Making changes immediately after acquisition
• Inheriting a GM and long-tenured employees
• Digitizing operations and increasing accountability
• Transforming a blame culture into a problem-solving culture
• Adding weekly employee training sessions
• Practicing radical honesty with customers

References and how to contact Rob:

• LinkedIn
• Gary Air
• Grant Hensel
• Jack Carr on Acquiring Minds: Back from the Brink When Everybody Quits Day 1

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:

• The Acquisition Lab

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

Adam Whelchel paid himself instead of the IRS, putting $35k down on an escape room doing $365k with room to grow.

Register for the webinar: 

• The Deal I Almost Bought (And Why I Passed) - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4hVeKik

Topics in Adam’s interview:

• Built a $1.5M accounting firm
• Business brokerage opened the acquisition door
• Wanted a business his daughter could appreciate
• An escape room caught his attention
• Fixed costs created massive operating leverage
• Bought the business for roughly $220K
• Put about $35K into the deal
• Business acquisition as a tax strategy
• Re-engaged customers and local businesses
• Plans to double capacity to 20%

References and how to contact Adam:

• LinkedIn
• Axis Accounting & Tax
• Jeff Homer on Acquiring Minds: 1 Music School to $100m in Revenue
• Adam’s slides 

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.

Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:

• Jenny Thear: [email protected]

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