In this episode, we sit down with Jared and Rachel Doise, husband-and-wife founders of Legends Born Grill, a nine location restaurant and bar concept built over more than 20 years in Acadiana.

This is a real conversation about building a business together, navigating risk, staying grounded in values, and choosing sustainability over ego-driven growth. Jared and Rachel share how they balance vision and discipline, emotion and logic, faith and execution.

This conversation covers:

• How a career detour led to building a nine-location business
• Why Rachel’s conservative financial discipline kept the company alive
• How to grow without losing culture or values
• The role of faith, humility, and gratitude in leadership
• Managing risk without chasing scale for scale’s sake
• Why launching people matters as much as launching locations
• How marriage survives pressure when business gets hard

This episode is for founders, family business owners, operators, and couples building something together who want to grow without losing what matters most.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Kristine Goebel, founder of Accompany Suite, to unpack the real reasons companies struggle during growth, acquisitions, and exits.

Kristine shares how emotional intelligence, communication, and leadership behavior directly impact profitability, retention, and deal outcomes. Drawing from her experience with Toyota, wealth advisory firms, and middle-market companies, she explains why most operational problems are actually people problems.

This conversation covers:

• Why emotions quietly limit scale and valuation
• How fear, anger, and risk show up in leadership behavior
• The hidden culture risks in mergers and acquisitions
• Why work-life balance is the wrong conversation
• How transparency builds trust before an exit
• What private equity groups often miss during integration
• Why mindset determines whether change actually sticks

This episode is essential listening for founders, operators, private equity teams, and family offices focused on sustainable growth and successful exits.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Flash, former co-owner of Dixie Electric, a second-generation family business founded in 1979 and successfully exited after more than four decades.

Mike shares the deeply personal story behind selling a family business that carried his parents’ names, supported generations of employees, and became part of the fabric of the local community. This is a rare, honest look at what happens before, during, and after the sale when legacy matters as much as price.

This conversation covers:

• What it’s like to exit a multi-generation family business
• Why Mike walked away from buyers who wouldn’t protect his employees
• The emotional weight of selling something tied to family identity
• Why most owners underestimate how complex exits really are
• The difference between running a business and selling one
• Life after the sale and navigating the transition from owner to employee
• Honoring legacy through leadership, faith, and giving back

This episode is for family business owners, founders, and operators who want to exit well without compromising values, people, or purpose.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Ted Anthony, a veteran patent attorney with decades of experience advising founders, operators, and acquirers on intellectual property in M&A transactions.

Ted breaks down how patents and trademarks actually function inside real deals and why IP should protect economic value, not be confused with creating it.

This conversation covers:

• How patents show up in middle-market M&A
• Why many founders misunderstand the value of patents
• What buyers look for during IP diligence
• Patent term limits, maintenance fees, and enforcement risk
• Why laddered patent portfolios matter for exit value
• Provisional patents and when to file
• Trademarks vs patents and why they work differently
• Licensing strategies that unlock hidden value

This episode is essential listening for founders, inventors, private equity groups, and advisors navigating technology-driven deals.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode we sit down with David Podell, a specialist in advanced tax mitigation strategies for founders, partners, and closely held businesses.

David breaks down how defined benefit and cash balance plans can be used as powerful tools for owners who are paying too much in taxes and want to build personal net worth outside of their business.

This conversation covers:

• How high-performing companies legally reduce six and seven figures in taxes
• Why defined benefit and cash balance plans are owner strategies, not employee perks
• When these plans make sense for exits, buyouts, and succession planning
• How tax mitigation strategies can increase business valuation
• Why CPAs bring in specialists instead of trying to do this alone
• Who qualifies and who should not consider these plans

This episode is for founders, dealmakers, operators, and investors who want to keep more capital working for them instead of sending it to the IRS.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions, to unpack how founders, investors, and advisors can exit assets without watching 20–50% disappear to capital gains taxes.

Brett breaks down the Deferred Sales Trust and explains how it differs from traditional strategies like 1031 exchanges, why timing and flexibility matter more than ever, and how smart exits preserve momentum for the next chapter.

This conversation covers:

• Why capital gains tax is the biggest hidden cost in exits
• Deferred Sales Trust vs. 1031 exchanges
• How founders, Bitcoin holders, and real estate investors exit strategically
• Why most “passive income” strategies still trap owners
• How exit planning impacts legacy, estate taxes, and family wealth
• Why solving tax problems helps M&A advisors win more deals

This episode is essential for founders, dealmakers, M&A advisors, real estate investors, and anyone preparing for a major liquidity event.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Rip Reeves, CEO of Institutional Investor, to unpack the evolution of global investing, asset allocation, and the allocator–manager ecosystem.

Rip shares his journey from a first-generation college student in South Louisiana to Wall Street, portfolio management, and ultimately leading one of the most influential platforms serving CIOs, asset managers, and allocators worldwide.

This conversation covers:

• How a single college class changed Rip’s career trajectory
• What Wall Street looked like before email, LinkedIn, and automation
• Why grit and networking still outperform credentials alone
• How institutional investing has become truly global
• The convergence of public markets, private markets, and private wealth
• Why relationships and communities matter more than products
• What young allocators and future CIOs need to focus on now

This episode is for allocators, asset managers, investors, and professionals who want a deeper understanding of how capital really moves and how long-term careers are built in global finance.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Larry Attenhofer, a senior commercial banking leader at Hancock Whitney with nearly three decades of experience financing middle-market businesses.

Larry walks through how banks actually underwrite deals, what separates strong borrowers from risky ones, and why relationships and communication matter just as much as financials.

This conversation covers:

• How banks define the middle market and why it matters
• What credit analysts and bankers look for in a “good” deal
• Common red flags that kill deals early
• Working capital lines, leverage, and balance sheet structure
• How business owners should prepare years before an exit
• Why the banker CPA attorney triangle is critical for growth and M&A
• Career advice for future bankers and finance professionals

This episode is essential listening for founders, operators, dealmakers, and finance professionals who want to understand how capital decisions are really made behind the scenes.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Andre Broussard, a seasoned CPA operating at the intersection of private equity, venture capital, and middle-market deal execution.

Andre shares how he functions as a “CFO by the hour” for founders, operators, and investment groups and why accounting today is far more about psychology, judgment, and trust than debits and credits.

This conversation covers:

• How CPAs support PE and VC firms before, during, and after exits
• Why psychology and sociology matter more than spreadsheets in dealmaking
• Common mistakes founders make when preparing to sell a business
• What causes deals to fall apart late in the process
• How AI and automation are reshaping accounting and financial diligence
• The difference between VC growth thinking and PE cash-flow discipline

This episode is for dealmakers, investors, founders, and operators who want a clearer picture of how financial reality and human behavior collide in real transactions.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

In this episode host Josh Wilson sits down with CJ Miller, a transactional attorney who has built his career in the boardroom rather than the courtroom.

CJ shares his journey from growing up in a small family business in South Louisiana to becoming a trusted advisor for banks, entrepreneurs, and middle-market companies. He explains what transactional law really looks like day to day and why helping people structure deals, manage risk, and plan for the future brings lasting fulfillment.

This conversation covers:

• The role of a transactional attorney in business growth and M&A
• Why Louisiana law is different from the rest of the U.S.
• The reality of career pivots and returning to what fits
• Lessons learned from moving in-house and back to private practice
• Practical advice for business owners preparing to sell their company

This episode is for founders, dealmakers, attorneys, and operators who care about process, clarity, and building something that lasts.

DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.