The Strategy Behind $20M Exit and the Buy-and-Build Playbook No One Talks AboutPeter Michels scaled his accounting and tax advisory firm from 0 to €20 million in yearly revenue.
a buy-and-build strategy,
and multiple acquisitions,
before successfully exiting the business.
In this new episode of the Amsterdam Founders Club podcast,
Marcel sits down with Peter to unpack the full journey.
From washing cars door-to-door at age 11 to building a multi-million euro firm.
Including what it really takes to find and acquire the right businesses.
- How to build a business from 0 to €20M using a buy-and-build approach
- Why Peter registered his company the same day his daughter was born
- The acquisitions playbook
- Why he never sells and what he does instead
- How to recognize when you're stuck and what to do about it
- The difference between goals and habits
00:00 What you'll learn today
00:25 Welcome to Amsterdam Founders Club
01:02 Was Peter always an entrepreneur?
01:31 First business at age 11: car washing door-to-door
01:53 Second business: stringing tennis rackets
04:30 Starting the accounting firm
05:33 His wife pushed him to go for it
06:07 He registered the business the same day his daughter was born
06:44 On financial risk and the entrepreneur identity
07:43 First acquisition: €30K in clients, quadrupled within a year
08:33 How he found deals through his network
08:53 "I'm never selling, I'm always telling my story"
10:01 Hustling for clients: Chamber of Commerce lists and cold letters
11:12 On being good at sales without it feeling like sales
12:44 The SIMPLE framework
13:46 Focus on income first, everything else comes after
14:28 From solo to first team member
16:01 The fear of hiring and why you have to push through it
16:41 What Peter kept focusing on as the company grew
17:33 Culture change as you scale and what to do about it
18:56 Why first hires matter and how to get them right
19:29 Hire for what you're bad at, not a version of yourself
20:16 When to bring in your first manager
21:21 The four keys to growing a business: passion, plan, mindset, fun
23:19 How to write a job offer that actually attracts the right people
25:00 Sell the story to potential employees, not just the job
26:15 When it's not a fit: having the hard conversation early
28:56 The Formula of Happiness and letting people go with respect
30:21 The journey to private equity: feeling stuck pre-COVID
31:07 The moment he decided to sell
34:13 The Sunday that changed everything
35:18 Meeting the PE partners who shared his vision
36:31 How the deal was structured: cash, shares, and staying involved
37:26 Why he said no to the first buyer
38:41 Shared vision over price: what made this deal work
39:51 Advice on equity vs. cash deals for founders
41:13 How to value your business
43:07 Life inside the buy-and-build: scaling toward €50-70M
44:41 What they learned from acquiring businesses that were too small
47:16 How to choose the right businesses to acquire
48:22 Why people resist change after acquisitions -- and how to handle it
49:46 Should you be transparent with the team during acquisitions?
52:04 Preparing your business to sell makes it better to run anyway
52:50 Key lessons from 15+ acquisitions
55:15 Why Peter didn't want to be CEO
58:06 "Don't become the manager"
58:48 What Peter is working on now: growth coaching for founders
61:21 What "stuck" actually looks like for an entrepreneur
63:24 Zoom out to see what you're missing
64:09 Peter's 5-year vision: speaking at Ahoy
65:23 His upcoming book: working title revealed
65:39 One message to every founder in the world
Connect with Peter Michels:
https://www.instagram.com/petermichels010/
Connect with Marcel Wijermars:
Superconnectedfounder.com
Amsterdamfoundersclub.com
https://linktr.ee/marcelwijermars
Apply to join Amsterdam Founders Club:
https://amsterdamfoundersclub.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamfoundersclub/
The podcast is produced by 301 Studios and Marcus Engel: https://www.instagram.com/themarcusengel/ - [email protected]
