In this episode, Blaise Zuschlag, EVP & Chief Administrative Officer of Acadian Companies, shares how a family-run ambulance service grew into a 5,000+ employee enterprise without losing its heart.

Blaise walks us through:

• His pivot from JPMorgan to joining the family business
• The early days of Acadian Ambulance and a pivotal buyout decision
• How they use M&A to grow into new regions while preserving culture
• The power of ESOPs and what it means when medics are also owners
• 10 core “ZP” (Zuschlag Principles) that guide leadership at Acadian
• The ROI of handwritten notes, duck camps, and direct communication
• Where AI, drone tech, and predictive models fit into emergency services

Whether you’re in operations, legacy leadership, healthcare, or private equity, this is a masterclass in long-term thinking, boots on the ground innovation, and family-rooted execution.

Connect with the Guest:

Blaise Zuschlag: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acadianambulance/posts/

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast

In this episode, we sit down with William Kellner, a former college basketball coach turned commercial litigator and M&A deal attorney.

Will brings a rare blend of courtroom experience, in-house legal strategy, and business-owner empathy. He shares the most overlooked threats in deal execution, what litigators know about deal structures gone wrong, and how his background in coaching shaped his approach to legal counsel.

This episode is essential for dealmakers, business owners, and attorneys who want more than boilerplate legalese, they want strategic clarity.

What You’ll Learn:

• The unexpected deal pitfalls litigators see that others miss
• How to protect sellers from unserious buyers
• Why early legal involvement leads to smoother exits
• Red flags in contract language and buyer behavior
• What it takes to build trust across the negotiating table

Whether you’re prepping your business for a future sale or actively evaluating offers, this conversation will help you avoid self inflicted wounds and structure deals that hold up under pressure.

Guest Info:

Founder, Kellner Law Firm

William Kellner: LinkedIn

Location: Lafayette, Louisiana

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson – LinkedIn

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast

Website – https://www.thedealpodcast.com

What if your infrastructure wasn’t just a cost center but a source of recurring revenue?

In this episode of The Deal Podcast, energy developer and fourth-generation entrepreneur Ken Bernhard breaks down how his firm is flipping the script on mechanical systems, turning legacy utility plants into modern revenue engines.

Ken shares:

• How his family legacy sparked a new model for financing and operating infrastructure
• Why large institutions like hospitals and universities should outsource energy management
• What makes a deal truly “off balance sheet” and why that matters
• His partnership story with the Dallas Cowboys and the AT&T Stadium retrofit
• Why AI and smart O&M are the future of long-term asset performance

This episode is packed with strategic insight for investors, CFOs, and developers looking to future-proof their assets and generate real returns from infrastructure.

Learn more about Ken’s work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-bernhard-8b21a213/

🎧 Listen to all episodes at https://www.thedealpodcast.com

In this episode of The Deal Podcast, Beau Bourque, President of Beacon Realty, breaks down exactly how he built a real estate deal pipeline from scratch using a laptop, an Excel sheet, and relentless drive.

Beau started his business by targeting mobile home parks, an overlooked, fragmented niche and used consistent outreach to create opportunity where others saw none. Now, he’s expanded into industrial real estate, knocking doors, logging CRM calls, and training for the Boston Marathon all at once.

He shares why timing and persistence beat flashy tech tools, why door-to-door still works in 2025, and how to earn respect in a market by simply showing up.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered how to get started or get sharper, as a dealmaker.

Topics Covered:

• How Beau found his first deal by identifying overlooked assets
• Why he chose mobile home parks to start, and how he expanded into industrial
• What separates high-performing originators from average agents
• The “90-day plan” for prospecting that built his book
• Why door knocking still works—and will set you apart in an AI-first world
• How to overcome fear of rejection and get into momentum
• The best mindset for running both a business and a marathon

Connect with the Guest:

Beau Bourque

President, Beacon Realty

Phone: (337) 257-4272

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beau-bourque-b0701435a/

Connect with the Host & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealPodcast

Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com

In this powerful episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson sits down with former LSU basketball star turned business leader Collis Temple III for a raw and inspiring conversation on navigating transitions, building legacy, and the mindset of championship leadership.

Collis opens up about his family’s legacy at LSU, how his father shaped his discipline from childhood, and the heartbreaking moment when a career-ending injury forced him to pivot from a lifelong dream of the NBA, just six hours before discovering a new calling.

If you’re a dealmaker, entrepreneur, athlete, or parent, Collis’ story will challenge your perspective on identity, purpose, and success beyond the scoreboard. You’ll learn what coachability really means, how to build durable teams, and why intentional parenting is the highest form of leadership.

Topics Covered:

• How Collis transitioned from pro basketball to business ownership in 6 hours
• Lessons from his father on strategic mentorship
• The mindset of elite performance in both sports and business
• Why NIL and the transfer portal are changing leadership in college sports
• How he built a thriving utility company using the same principles as sports

Guest:

Collis Temple II – Former LSU Basketball Player | Business Owner | Mentor

Connect with Collis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collis-temple-iii-9906b631/

Host: Joshua Wilson

Presented by: FA Mergers

Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com

Like this episode? Subscribe and leave a review.

Want to be featured? Submit your deal at https://www.thedealpodcast.com

In this episode of The Deal Podcast, we sit down with Jeremy Roth and Hunter Thevis, co-founders of S1 Technology, to explore their rapid journey from startup to a thriving MSP (Managed Service Provider) with 45+ employees, operations in 30+ states, and a spot on the Inc. 5000 list.

From a lunch meeting that sparked their partnership to multiple acquisitions and a nationwide footprint, this conversation dives into how culture, recurring revenue, EOS, and a strong co-founder dynamic have fueled their growth.

What you’ll learn:

• Why building a “business to sell” from day one matters even if you’re not planning to sell
• The power of recurring revenue in raising valuation and structuring acquisitions
• What makes a good partner, and why shared values matter more than split roles
• How S1 evaluates acquisition targets in the MSP space
• Why EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) keeps the team aligned, and culture keeps them winning
• The difference between MSP 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 and how they’re leading the evolution

Whether you’re an operator, investor, founder, or advisor, this episode delivers real insight into modern dealmaking and growth strategy.

In this episode, we sit down with Thomas Hooks, General Counsel, Chief of Staff at Stately, and City Councilman in Lafayette, Louisiana to explore how legal, strategy, and leadership intersect in M&A and beyond.

Thomas isn’t your average in-house attorney. With a background that spans industrial services, local politics, and private equity dealmaking, he brings a systems-thinking lens to every deal, team, and tension point. He’s also a husband and father of six with a grounded identity rooted in faith and family.

Whether you’re an M&A lead, founder, operator, or advisor, this episode will challenge how you think about risk, integration, and the people side of transactions.

Key Topics Covered:

• How to balance family, faith, and high-performance leadership
• The four great temptations in ambitious environments: wealth, pleasure, power, and honor
• Why general counsel must be the unpopular truth-teller in deals
• M&A strategy: scale vs. capabilities, and how to think like an operator
• Leveraging salespeople and product experts for acquisition insights
• The difference between public-sector and private-sector deal dynamics
• How to build organizational alignment across visionary and risk-averse leadership

Connect with the Guest:

Thomas Hooks

General Counsel & Chief of Staff, Stately

City Councilman, Lafayette, LA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasrhooks/

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealPodcast

Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com

In this episode, we sit down with Scott Shea, a sell-side advisor, former family business operator, and recovering professional poker player who brings a uniquely grounded perspective to helping owners navigate the sale of their company.

From growing up in an oilfield services family business to sitting across from buyers in private equity, Scott shares how poker taught him more about deals than business school ever could. He breaks down how sellers sabotage their own exits by getting emotional, managing for dollars instead of percentages, and waiting too long to prepare.

Whether you’re years away from selling or getting offers now, this conversation offers a masterclass in readiness, realism, and negotiation psychology.

Topics Covered:

• How to manage deal fatigue and emotional detachment during a sale
• Why timing and identity are critical for business owners looking to exit
• The myth of “I can just sell it myself” and where it goes wrong
• The danger of bad buyer psychology and off-market lowball offers
• Why culture, not just capital, matters in acquisitions
• How to create real buyer competition and why it changes everything

Connect with the Guest:

Scott Shea

Sell-Side Advisor, FA Mergers

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.famergers.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealPodcast

Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com

In this clip from The Deal Podcast, Ashley shares how her journey into entrepreneurship was fueled by faith, resourcefulness, and the power of community.

Though she stepped into a 10-year-old business, Ashley never took it for granted. She poured herself into learning, growing, and asking for help. From Instagram strategy podcasts to TikTok tips from a 20-something friend, her story is a masterclass in humble perseverance and using what’s around you to push forward.

Ashley’s message is clear: If God calls you to it, He’ll provide a way. But you still have to ask, learn, and move. This is for every aspiring founder who feels stuck, under-resourced, or unsure where to start.

Connect with the Guest:

Ashley – Founder, Pink Salt Riot

Website: https://www.pinksaltriot.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinksaltriot

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pinksaltriot

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealPodcast

#TheDealPodcast #FaithDrivenEntrepreneur #FounderStories #BusinessWithPurpose #WomenInBusiness #Perseverance #ChristianEntrepreneurs

In this special episode of The Deal Podcast, hosts Joshua Wilson sits down with power couple Ashley David and Jude David, who are redefining what it means to chase dreams while keeping faith and family first.

In Part 1, Ashley shares her deeply personal journey from stay-at-home mom of six to unexpected CEO of a faith-based jewelry company. From infertility and loneliness to discernment and divine timing, Ashley opens up about what led her to acquire Pink Salt Riot, a Christian brand she once purchased gifts from for her kids and how God made a way where there seemed to be none.

In Part 2, Jude joins the conversation for a raw and transparent look at what it takes to be married dealmakers navigating priorities, parenting, and partnership. As a seasoned private equity pro and M&A strategist, Jude shares insights on how faith, focus, and radical honesty fuel their business and family life.

Topics Covered:

• Ashley’s journey from infertility to entrepreneurship
• The power of discernment and faith-based decision-making
• Jude’s M&A experience and how he advises Ashley’s growth
• Prioritizing marriage, mission, and money
• Setting boundaries as husband-and-wife entrepreneurs
• Raising a faith-filled family while building businesses

This is not just a podcast episode, it’s a blueprint for blending business, belief, and love. If you’re a visionary, married entrepreneur, or navigating a family business, this one’s for you.

Connect with the Guest:

Jude David – Managing Partner, FA Mergers

Website: https://www.famergers.com

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/

Learn more about Ashley’s business at: https://www.pinksaltriot.com

Follow them on Instagram: @pinksaltriot

Connect with the Hosts & The Deal Podcast:

Joshua Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealPodcast

#TheDealPodcast #VisionaryLeadership #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #BetOnYourself #LeavingCorporate #FaithDrivenBusiness #JudeDavid

Contact The Deal Podcast:

https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/