Paul claims that this is “one of the most valuable sessions we have done thus far, if not the most valuable session, when it comes to very, very important estate planning issues.” Before jumping into estates and trusts with attorney Phil Tortorich, The Boardroom conversation begins with the pros and cons of various entity structures. Paul recalls witnessing a debate between Phil and Paul’s CPA regarding flexibility and self-employment tax. How far into this discussion before regret sets-in and conversion begins? 

Level-up your estate plan… before the government does it on your behalf. When it comes to trusts and planning, which level can (should) you achieve? When a domestic trust isn’t enough, what options exist with higher levels of sophistication?

Trusts made the news with the recent release of The Pandora Papers, including Walmart’s Walton’s and Nike’s Phil Knight. Other than using trusts, what other common traits has Phil witnessed in his 20+ year practice working with ultra high net worth individuals?

Tax changes are on the horizon, and so is a follow-up sit-down with Phil. Make sure to RSVP your spot by emailing a question that you’d be proud of to [email protected]

While we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, don’t be a turkey. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts here.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

If you’re not too busy breaking fire boards or walking on crushed glass, step into The Boardroom with Mike Agugliaro. On his own at age 15, Mike chose the martial arts and vocational school combo. Follow Mike’s path scaling from electrician to entrepreneur to exits. Exits, yes, plural.

There were times when Mike and his business partner, Rob, fought for survival. Hear how together they chose the path to not quit. Mike’s formula of sales, marketing, and leadership should help bring clarity to your business.

With more than an ordinary reputation, Mike grew his staff (that would fight to the death for him) without negotiating compensation. Is the secret in how he aligned himself with his staff’s personal goals?

Everyone has their own opinions on commercial vs residential and single vs many service offerings. Mike will open your mind with his reasons. Speaking of mind… Mike is a learner, a teacher, and an author. Get schooled on his take on ‘mindset’. 

The Italian Grandmaster's serve-first philosophy grew Gold Medal to best of class service and also birthed CEO Warrior. Born out of a Buddha moment, CEO Warrior brought CEOs together and gave them the path to conquer fear and change their destiny. Don’t miss Mike’s philosophy of a leader’s #1 job. As the leader of his family, Mike was intentional on his family’s involvement in business and modeled hard work with a front row seat.

Don’t tap-out on this interview. How many more service vehicles are you ordering?

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

"How do you best sabotage the wealth building exercise of growing a business?" sounds so gloom and doom. It could be re-stated "how do you increase the value of your business?" for the eternal optimists out there. It's not often that Patrick gets away with giving Paul homework.

In no particular order, The Boardroom duo makes it through a top seven list. Now it's time for you to do your homework. Email [email protected] with your prioritized list (recurring revenue, pricing, incentive structure, service offerings, density, organizational chart, and understanding profitability). For extra credit, include the number of Episode 70 - Jay & Jason references. 

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

Class is in session. Log this one in your planner as a case study on search funds. Harvard Business School classmates, Jay Davis and Jason Pananos, left their successful careers behind to find search funds, or maybe, search funds found them.

One minor (major) problem. The year is 2008. Armed with patient investors and critical criteria, the determined duo found themselves in pest control, specifically vector control. Their entry with Vector Disease Control International got the search fund party started, but hear how shortly thereafter they made a splash into lake management.

Fourteen acquisitions later, the HBS grads were not bashful about their buy-side bravery. Don’t be fooled though. Although 'acquisition' was in their name (Vector Disease Acquisition), they stress a more critical skill during this interview.

You won’t believe it until you hear it, but don’t miss out on some real sage advice from a pair of forty year olds. Step into this Boardroom conversation to hear how these students turned lecturers and businessmen turned investors found their way to a 2-platform exit with Rentokil. 

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

A listener’s economic question kicks off this episode although Patrick admits to his own self-interest. Following the listener’s follow-up research on Supernova, the signals and signs are out there, but what are they? The conversation inside The Boardroom turns to investing and the economy. As you can imagine, this episode earns its fair share of financial disclaimers. 

Paul chooses to self-manage his portfolio, but that begs the questions of how and why. Diversification goes a lot further than choosing multiple asset classes. Paul shares his investing mindset that goes beyond increasing wealth and into preservation. From crypto to commodities, there are various playbooks out there, but is there one that can solve for inflation? Paul can’t predict the future, but he does see trends reversing. Has anyone ever accused Paul of wearing rose colored glasses? He shares his take on massive demographic shifts and the very real threats of inflation. Tax receipts are at an all-time high, but they still can’t keep up with the US’s debt to GDP ratio. How will the US government navigate out of this extreme liability? Negative forward returns are on the horizon. There can be a variety of extreme outcomes. Take note. Ignorance will not excuse poor preparation.

While it may or may not change who you choose to follow on Instagram, it’s time to sign off with one last reminder that Paul, Patrick, and The Boardroom Buzz disclaim all liability.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

Paul goes unplugged in this interview. Literally. Maybe this was part of Paul’s plan to get Allan back for another episode, but the show must go on.

This isn't an ivory tower novel. What was the powering force for Allan writing The 1-Page Marketing Plan? You’ll be glad that Allan wrote a book to himself but shared it with everyone. Paul name drops some of the biggest names in direct response marketing. Pop quiz, Allan…

Shots fired. Allan says, "Don’t start with why. Start with buy." From attribution to target market, The Boardroom Buzz guest gives great advice on marketing for service businesses. Would it really be a Boardroom Buzz episode without mentioning pricing? Allan even gives his recent experience shopping for a plumber… and from there, a 1-star idea is born.

You would clone your customers (at least most of them), but how can you scale your business through word of mouth marketing? “Orchestrating and Stimulating Referrals” gets a chapter all to itself. Implementing the template will more than pay for your copy of Allan’s book.

Kohl’s finds a way to set a hook in the Baldwin budget. Have you implemented a voucher into your marketing strategy?

Patrick wasn’t expecting to find a derivative of The Pareto Principle (the 80/20 Rule) in Allan’s “marketing” book. There’s a lot more than marketing in this bestseller. High five for this week’s guest as he shares his take on entrepreneurship as a tool for social good.

If you get to listen to 1% of this episode, then listen to the angel investor bit ;) 

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

Guest Bryan Dodge kicks off the interview as the host as you’ll hear him interviewing Paul. Young Paul was an entrepreneur in the… farming industry?!? From Cornell to investment banking to private equity, Paul opens up about his world traveling backstory with Bryan. 

It must be a prank when McGraw-Hill, one of the largest publishers in the world, calls you. It’s a good thing Bryan answered that call (twice) because he went on to write and publish The Good Life Rules in 2009. Shortly thereafter, Patrick received it as a gift, and you can say the rest is history. Although Bryan denies it, the book had an impact on Patrick’s life. It feels like today’s society requires formal education. It's a stark contrast as you'll hear about getting a job vs. making a fortune. 

The Boardroom conversation turns to Bryan's more recent book, The Principles of an Unstoppable Family Business. Bryan shares how the faces are different but the problems are the same, including overpaying family members. 

There are lots of nuggets in this interview. Take notes, and as you’ll hear, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Don’t forget to pick up a free copy of one of Bryan’s books by emailing [email protected] & cc: [email protected] (Don’t forget to include your shipping address)

Now, grab yourself a drink, give your grandkids a Red Bull, and send in your questions for Bryan’s Bonus Buzz.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

That’s a wrap on the Atlanta Sessions, but Paul is already heading back to Atlanta for a celebratory dinner. Congrats to Anticimex and Pestban!

Patrick knows the emotions involved in selling a business. Imagine the feeling when your out-of-the-know acquirer calls the office line.

There is more chatter about private equity. Is this a tell-tale sign of the bubble? What scenarios make sense for private equity to win deals? Can private equity pay as much as acquirers? Paul provides answers on why and why now.

You can’t miss Paul citing his investment banking business mentor’s 2003 speech. Do you find yourself nodding to these signs of the times?

Paul sheds light on anchoring in negotiation. Would a trained buyer ask “what do you want for the business”? Class is back in session as The Boardroom discussion turns to negotiation and NDAs. As a potential seller, is there a reason to sign an NDA if they want to see my numbers? Process control, emotions, the Dunning-Kruger effect, and more get unpacked in this episode.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

Congratulations to Brian Alexson on his recent promotion at Anticimex (AX). Quicker than you can say SMART, Brian rose the ranks from reporting to Senator Scott Stevenson to the President of Anticimex North America. Stockholm-based Anticimex views North America as a new frontier. AX entered the US in 2016, and now sits at #8 on PCT's Top 100 list. With $1 billion in its sights, will AX provide coast-to-coast coverage like its North American counterparts?

Brian has experience in janitorial, solar, and recycling. What can the pest control industry learn from Brian’s varied background? What prevents industry innovation?

Jarl Dahlfors preached on the decentralized format at Anticimex in Episode 24. Let’s find out if there are exceptions to that rule. As an outsider looking in, it’s hard to find room for improvement at AX. What can Brian do to raise the bar with their high performing culture?

Watch in 4K on YouTube, or tune in to hear Brian share his take on customer experience, communication, and leadership.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd

Andreas was first mentioned in Episode 23 via shared credit for Nomor’s turnaround alongside Svein Olav Stölen and Robert Stierngranat. It’s time to put the spotlight on former Nomor COO Andreas and his wife, Victoria. Victoria represents the world’s largest privately held leadership development organization, Franklin Covey. (Yes, as in Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Franklin Covey.) Victoria shares a lot of the lessons given in her Wall Street Journal bestseller, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager, a book she co-wrote with Scott Miller and Todd Davis.

As an executive coach, author, and keynote speaker, Victoria is on a mission to help first level leaders. There is a wide gap between donning the title of leader and receiving proper leadership training. There are finance classes and degrees, for example, but where can you go to learn leadership? Often with a lot of chaos and a little planning, promotions are handed out to the best individual contributor. Is it possible to design and implement a formal training program? Strategy takes top priority for senior executives, but should leadership development take the front seat?

Not only did Andreas dive into the unglamorous pest control industry, he landed in the middle of a wasp summer at the start of Nomor's turnaround. Undeterred from the bad season at a troubled business, Andreas injected his hospitality experience into the industry. Trust, determination, and pride were critical in the turnaround. What really stands out though is when Andreas shares the first commandment of leadership: Know thyself.

It’s easy to throw stones at selling during a service call, but it’s hard to argue when you're adding value. That’s sales and service. With previous experience inside larger organizations, Andreas, Svein Olav, and Robert, built and refined incentives to create the winning culture. It’s a relief to hear that incentives can be refined through trial & error.  

Senior executives underestimate the importance of being leadership coaches. Watch (or listen) as Victoria coaches Paul and Patrick throughout the interview. From formal feedback to employee engagement to adapting to change, you’ll find ample relevant advice throughout this Atlanta interview.

Co-Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Dylan Seals of Verbell.Ltd