In this episode of The Transaction Abstract Podcast, Joe Hellman sits down with Dan Hennessey, the newly appointed CEO of Sam Schwartz Pedestrian Traffic Management Services, Inc.

Dan is a former M&A professional who successfully completed his own Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) search. Drawing from years of deal experience on both the banking and private equity side, and now as an operator, Dan shares practical insights on everything from sourcing a business and building credibility to navigating financing and preparing yourself to step into ownership.

For Dan, the path didn't begin in the boardroom; it started years earlier with advice from his father and grandfather about the freedom and fulfillment that come from owning a business. After a decade in finance, investment banking, and private equity, Dan reached a crossroads: continue pursuing the traditional PE track, or take a more entrepreneurial route to build a career and a life on his own terms.

He found himself asking, "Do you continue to go down the finance path, where you try to rise the ranks of a pretty difficult world of private equity and investment banking? Or, do you go down the other route, where you have something more fulfilling? Maybe with a little less upside, but a higher likelihood of a positive outcome, controlling your own destiny with your personal life?"

Listen to the full episode of The Transaction Abstract Podcast to hear more of Dan Hennessey's firsthand experience, lessons learned, and advice for future ETA entrepreneurs.