Acquiring Minds

Gabriel Cruz Avila bought a $1.4M remodeling business, weathered a divorce and burnout, then sold it two years later. 

Register for the webinar: 

• The 3 Paths to Franchising for Acquisition Entrepreneurs - Thu, Aug 6 - https://bit.ly/4pY7VOX

Topics in Gabriel’s interview:

• Lessons learned from his dad’s business
• Getting bored in the oil and gas industry
• Joining ETA Circle in Houston
• Leaning on his warehouse management experience
• Acquiring a tile and marble company
• Failing to dig deep into historical revenue
• Using technology to eliminate 2 admin roles
• Negative working capital in home remodels
• Going through a divorce
• Burnout led to selling the business

References and how to contact Gabriel:

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Katy Tile & Marble
• ETA Circle

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

Edgar Galindo and his partner bought 2 businesses with SBA loans. Now he's facing the consequences of shuttering both.

Topics in Edgar’s interview:

• Construction background in his family business
• “Google-funded search”
• Wanted flexibility to start a family
• Austin-only geographic search 
• Found partner through Searchfunder
• First deal: Austin landscaping company
• Buying a second business within 6 months
• Making quick changes to the business
• Undisclosed liabilities and customer-stealing employees
• Closing both businesses and facing bankruptcy

References and how to contact Edgar:

• LinkedIn

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

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 [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

Raj Mahajan bought a salon software business, tripled it to $11M ARR. Then his biggest customer launched a competitor.

Register for the webinar:

• Tax Issues: Entity and Deal Structuring - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4frQstm

Topics in Raj’s interview:

• Wanting to move “from coach to quarterback”
• Buying a niche point-of-sale software company
• Converting to cloud-based SaaS
• Growing recurring revenue from $4 to $11 million
• Establishing a headquarters for the remote company
• A failed exit to private equity
• His biggest customer stealing his software
• Emotional turmoil of Covid + lawsuit
• Choosing to protect his team
• Lessons learned from good and bad years

References and how to contact Raj:

• LinkedIn
• Jaan Capital
• Lessons for New Operators - 2020

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

• The Acquisition Lab

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 [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

Patrick Beal left tech to buy an HVAC business with 90% seller financing, no SBA. He's on track to hit $3.5m this year. 

Register for the webinar: 

• Working Capital: One of ETA’s Most Expensive Mistakes - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4f8pSGY

Topics in Patrick interview:

• Entrepreneurship in his family
• Zoom fatigue from remote work
• Searching in Northeast Ohio
• Finding a business through his network
• Meeting with the seller for almost a year
• Structuring 10% down, 90% seller note
• Underestimating working capital needs
• Keeping his W-2 until the business grew
• Quadrupling revenue in 2 years
• Working on getting his HVAC license

References and how to contact Patrick:

• LinkedIn
• Temperature Control Maintenance
• Linh Tran on Acquiring Minds: The Dream Outcome: From $300k to $5m EBITDA
• Steve Carroll on Acquiring Minds: ETA Unicorn:  $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 Years

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact [email protected]

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.

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

Brian Jungles bought a $400k direct mail business in Atlanta and skipped SBA by pledging his portfolio as collateral.

Register for the webinars:

• Don't Rush: How to Prepare for a Quality of Earnings Report - TOMORROW! - https://bit.ly/3T4OQOJ
• Working Capital: One of ETA’s Most Expensive Mistakes - Thu, Jul 23 - https://bit.ly/3T1aELe

Topics in Brian’s interview:

• Leaving his corporate career at Adobe
• Finding a business through his network
• Acquiring for $400k cash
• Getting a personal line of credit through his bank
• Direct mail is still effective
• Growth is a lot of work
• Humbling experience of learning Quickbooks
• Picture-perfect transition of ownership
• Learning to translate “corporate speak”
• “The entrepreneur community all wants to help each other.”

References and how to contact Brian:

• LinkedIn
• City Publications Atlanta

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

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

Rob Belk networked his way to "the most caffeinated guy in town" searching for a local business — then found it online. 

Register for the webinars:

• From Working IN the Business to ON the Business: How Owners Make the Transition - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4aKP3fY
• Don't Rush: How to Prepare for a Quality of Earnings Report - Tue, Jul 21 - https://bit.ly/4feY1DP

Topics in Rob’s interview:

• Geographic search in the Triad of North Carolina
• Networking with local business owners
• Finding a business through Axial
• Buying a marketing and consumer research agency
• His choice to stay out of the weeds
• Bringing in a consultant (maybe too) early
• How his agency intersects with the trades
• Structuring a 50% earnout
• Consensus-based leadership style
• Finding clients through Substack

References and how to contact Rob:

• LinkedIn
• Sales Factory
• Adam Duggins on Acquiring Minds: How to Build a Holdco of 4 Blue Collar Businesses in 10 Years
• Joe Soelberg on Acquiring Minds: Buying Small to Then Buy Larger $1m SDE
• Bryan Houck on Acquiring Minds: 4th Time's the Charm: 3 Broken Deals to Buy a Great Business
• Scott Alexander on Acquiring Minds: Rebuilding from 80% Collapse to Mid 7 Figures Revenue 
• Rob’s 10-page Search Learnings

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

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact [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

Chris Farkas endured a 7-week fetal position moment when he finally found a website bug that had cost him $500k in sales.

Register for the webinar:

• From Working IN the Business to ON the Business: How Owners Make the Transition - Thu, Jul 16 - https://bit.ly/4vRBhk8

Topics in Chris’s interview: 

• Going through Acquisition Lab
• First deal fell through on Christmas Eve
• Acquiring an ecommerce business with a warehouse
• Buying inventory he didn’t want
• The marketing agencies that hurt his business
• Business almost tanked due to website glitch
• Doing $10k in sales per day
• Hardship of traveling every other week
• Why he stays off Amazon
• Make only one change at a time

References and how to contact Chris:

• LinkedIn
• EmergencyKits.com
• Russ Hadlock on Acquiring Minds: The Front Lines of a Crisis
• Dave Richards of Keystone Business Advisors
• Kalen Foster of Live Oak Bank

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

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

After 25 years in corporate, Gina Rosen bought a jewelry wholesaling business with $635k in sales — now on track to $1m.

Register for the webinar: 

• Finance Essentials Before You Close - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4fcxTdK

Topics in Gina’s interview:

• Leaving corporate for more family time
• Decoupling her salary from her value
• Acquiring the supplier for her side gig
• Her mistake with buying inventory
• Keeping her corporate job the first year
• Going full time in the business to focus on sales
• Standing out by making sales calls in-person
• Operating a highly seasonal business
• How tariffs have affected her business
• Acquiring without the SBA 

References and how to contact Gina:

• LinkedIn
• Seasons Jewelry

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 [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

Buying a metal fabricator with $1m in earnings pivoted Paul Callahan into the new entrepreneurial chapter of his career.

Register for the webinar: 

• Finance Essentials Before You Close - Thu, Jul 9 - https://bit.ly/4eMaUow

Topics in Paul’s interview:

• M&A, integrations, and private equity experience
• COVID Zoom fatigue sparked career pivot
• Atlanta’s crowded deal market challenges
• Hiring buy-side help while still working
• Pursuing full ownership without outside investors
• Navigating two simultaneous LOIs carefully
• Choosing SBA 504 over 7(a) financing for the real estate
• Acquiring a high capex business
• Replacing Ferrari equipment with Toyota reliability
• Why consultants make strong ETA operators

References and how to contact Paul:

• LinkedIn
• Metro Metal Works

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 [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

Jeff Homer bought a small local music school as a fun side hustle. It turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Topics in Jeff interview:

• Switching from high finance to music schools
• Buying his first music school as a side project
• Raising growth equity after first 2 acquisitions
• Acquiring a music school every month
• Artists’ negative predisposition toward selling
• Comparing profitability of music vs. dance
• Importance of general managers in scaling
• Implementing apps to streamline operations
• Other industries with roll-up potential
• Rolling up 60+ music/dance schools nationwide

References and how to contact Jeff:

• LinkedIn
• Ensemble Performing Arts

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact [email protected]

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