Shows
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 5 Businesses After Failing My First AcquisitionSteve Lawrence, the founder of Uncomplicated Group went from middle management at a $14B manufacturer to buying five businesses in a few short years -- now running two injection-molding factories, employing 45 people, and shipping 200M parts a year.But this episode isn’t about the highlight reel. It’s about the real path: quitting his job for a deal that collapsed at the finish line, burning cash on diligence, watching funding evaporate, and learning what “the seller isn’t emotionally ready” actually means -- when the mortgage clock is ticking.We dig into how Steve rebuilt hi...
2025-12-2853 min
HoldCo BuildersHow Smart Buyers Create Alpha Without Cheap DebtFor the last 20 years, private equity followed a simple formula: buy with leverage, cut costs, rely on multiple expansion, exit at a higher valuation.That playbook worked incredibly well.But it no longer does.In this episode, I break down why the old private equity model is structurally broken - not just cyclically - and why a new model is emerging. A model where cheap debt doesn’t save you, multiple expansion can’t be assumed, and real value creation matters more than spreadsheets.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Why the old private equity play...
2025-12-2325 min
HoldCo BuildersThe Playbook for 50-200% Annual Company GrowthIn this episode, I’m joined by John Seiffer - the person investors, company buyers and operators call when growth starts getting expensive, messy, or fragile. John has spent decades across manufacturing, software, restaurants, chemicals, and professional services, and he sees the same pattern over and over: founders are great at the product and the sale… but the company can’t scale until the structure scales.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Deals are great, but the money is made in operations02:15 The real business model: CAC, LTV, gross margin07:06 What a “healthy company” looks like + why founders get stuck on s...
2025-12-1948 min
HoldCo BuildersI didn't join PE to be an operatorThe future of private equity talent is moving toward ownership.We explore why the traditional PE career path is breaking, why carry no longer delivers the upside it once promised, and why more professionals are choosing to build - not wait - for real equity.You will discover:0:00 The Quiet Exodus Inside Private Equity1:45 Carry That Never Materializes2:56 “I Didn’t Join PE to Be an Operator”3:38 No Real Path to Ownership5:27 Where PE Talent Is Going NextSponsors:https://capitalpad.com/https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquir...
2025-12-1609 min
HoldCo BuildersThere Is No Path — How Elite Investors Actually Build Their Lives, Careers, and CompaniesIn this episode, we break down a powerful idea from Jeffrey Walker, a private equity veteran who backed thousands of entrepreneurs and watched success and failure up close. His conclusion is uncomfortable but freeing: the people who win don’t follow a path, they create one.You’ll hear why talent is overrated, why “perfect careers” quietly fail, how one pathless founder built a $200M company, and a practical framework for building a career or business that actually compounds over decades.TIMESTAMPS0:00 The dangerous myth of “the path”1:04 Jeffrey Walker’s core insight: there is no pa...
2025-12-1315 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Quit My 6-Figure Job and Bought 9 CompaniesToday’s guest, David Dowda (Dowda Holdings), went from burned-out insurance salesman working 80-100 hour weeks to buying his first business doing just $30,000 a year - fully seller-financed.Ten years later, he owns nine companies across multiple industries - all acquired with zero outside equity and often minimal cash down.TIMESTAMPS0:00 How he bought a $30k revenue business with zero cash down3:00 Rolling up a beach town with chairs, linens, golf carts and a coffee shop8:03 Buying a construction company 6 hours away with no experience10:31 Sponsor: CapitalPad - investing alongside small bu...
2025-12-091h 07
HoldCo BuildersHow These Firms Turn $5M-15M Companies Into 100x ReturnsHow these serial acquirers generate 20-40% annual returns for decades?They buy small, niche, profitable companies again and again.In this episode, we break down the strategy, the structure, and what private buyers can learn from the greatest acquisition machines on earth.TIMESTAMPS0:00 Why tiny acquisitions beat big deals1:12 21x, 120x, 375x: Lifco, Addtech, Constellation & Heico’s insane returns2:07 The simple playbook: buying small boring companies again and again3:56 Engine #1 - Organic growth in the “unsexy” corners of the economy6:50 Engine #2 - Programmatic M&A: what these serial acquir...
2025-12-0624 min
HoldCo BuildersFrom VC to Main Street: How AI Is Rewiring Service BusinessesIn this episode, Cyrus Hessabi from Shore Capital Partners breaks down what it really looks like to build AI-enabled services, transition from VC to micro-cap private equity, and back searchers buying “boring” but powerful businesses.Cyrus has lived every chapter of the operator-investor journey: aerospace engineering, Salesforce sales, venture capital, architecting AI rollups at OpenOcean, and now backing searchers at Shore Capital Partners.We dive into how AI is transforming traditional service industries, where real opportunities (and risks) lie, how to evaluate founders, and why the best investing often happens in industries that don’t change...
2025-12-0351 min
HoldCo BuildersHow to Find 10x MOIC, 30%+ IRR Deals (Step-by-Step)Most people in ETA quote the Stanford Search Fund Study, but almost no one looks at what investors actually earn. In this episode, we break down new Yale data from 1,192 investor-level outcomes and shows why access, not modeling, is the #1 driver of 10x MOIC, 30%+ IRR results.You’ll learn why your portfolio will never be “the index”, how a tiny % of deals drive almost all returns, and what elite investors do differently to consistently catch those outliers. If you’re a searcher, investor, fund, or holdco, this is the episode that will change how you think about ETA retu...
2025-11-2818 min
HoldCo Builders20 Acquisitions, 500 Investors, Zero Fund (The Private Equity Strategy No One Is Talking About)Sequoya Borgman has quietly built one of the most interesting retail-funded private equity machines in America. Since launching Borgman Capital in 2017, he’s acquired 20 companies across 8 platforms and raised deal-by-deal from 500+ individual investors instead of institutions.In this episode, we break down how he sources mostly off-market deals in second-tier cities, structures conservative, over-capitalized balance sheets, manages messy founder transitions, and keeps hundreds of retail LPs aligned while staying oversubscribed on almost every deal.TIMESTAMPS0:00 Biggest risk in PE founder transitions and bad leadership fit0:44 Why the “retail private equity” model4:37 Working with P...
2025-11-251h 02
HoldCo BuildersHow I Retired at 30 as a Family Office Investor (Here Are the Investments I've Made)Akshay Ramachandran is a retired family office investor. In his last role, Akshay was the sole analyst at a New York-based single family office, reporting directly to the portfolio manager. Together they analyzed over 60 industries using a simple strategy: buy and hold great businesses run by great management teams. In this episode, he explains his biggest winner and covers the whole story.TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro1:43 Defining retirement: cost of living vs net worth3:04 Immigrant upbringing & discovering value investing4:40 From NYU to Wall Street & joining a family office7:58 Learning to analyze businesses & six key...
2025-11-201h 00
HoldCo BuildersBuy 5 Companies as Fast as You Can (1-on-1 Advice From Fredrik Karlsson That Changed Everything)There’s a holding company that almost no one talks about, yet it might be one of the most efficient compounding engines.RÖKO owns 29 niche, traditional businesses, runs 21% margins, generates 14.5% returns on capital and keeps acquiring new companies every quarter. And they do all of this with a headquarters team of just eight people.In this episode, I break down the full story behind RÖKO and its 63-year-old founder Fredrik Karlsson, the former CEO of Lifco - one of Sweden’s legendary serial acquirers. After two decades mastering the art of permanent capital, Karlss...
2025-11-1711 min
HoldCo BuildersIan Rickwood on AI, Private Equity, Car Wash & Real Estate Investing | Henley GroupIan Rickwood, Founder and CEO of Henley Group, has quietly deployed $4B+ across US and Europe, built and sold food chains, and is now rolling up US car washes using AI-driven site selection. We also dive into what great operator partners look like, how to handle bad deals, and what it’s really like to build a serious firm with your spouse and kids.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 “Don’t give up” Ian’s core lesson on entrepreneurship and resilience0:34 Who is Ian Rickwood and what is Henley Group?1:04 The scale of Henley today: capital, sectors, and strategy
2025-11-1458 min
HoldCo BuildersHow To Raise $159M, Acquire 6 YouTube Channels and Sell To Blackstone For $3B in 3.5 YearsThe $3 Billion Rollup: Inside Moonbug’s Epic Exit (with Alex Prokofjev from Rollup Europe)What do Cocomelon, Blippi, and Little Baby Bum have in common? They were all part of one of the most impressive media rollups in history: Moonbug Entertainment — a business that scaled from 0 to $100M EBITDA in under four years and exited for $3 billion to Candle Media (backed by Blackstone).Thank you to our newest sponsors:Scalepath: https://www.joinscalepath.com/Spacebar Studios: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/In this episode, I sit down with Alex Prokofjev, co-founder of Roll...
2025-06-1623 min
HoldCo BuildersHow They Invest in 6-8 Boring, Owner-Operated Businesses Each Month | Judd Goodrich interviewIn this episode of HoldCo Builders, I sit down with Jude Goodrick, Head of Capital Markets at Mainshares—a fast-growing platform that's quietly reshaping small business acquisitions.Mainshares helps acquisition entrepreneurs find the capital they need to buy real, cash-flowing businesses. Jude has seen hundreds of deals and works directly with operators and investors to get them across the finish line.Thank you to our newest sponsors:Scalepath: https://www.joinscalepath.com/Spacebar Studios: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/In This Episode We Discuss:00:00:00 - Intro: Why Jude Goodrick is at th...
2025-06-131h 00
HoldCo BuildersHow Plumbing and HVAC Investors Turned $500K Into $6 Billion ExitIs this the most underappreciated rollup in Europe?In this episode, we dive deep into HomeServe — the unsexy plumbing and HVAC company that quietly evolved into a $2B revenue giant and was eventually acquired by Brookfield for $6B. But this isn't just a story about boilers and leaky taps.Joining us is Alex Prokofjev, co-founder of RollUp Europe.Whether you're an operator, investor, or aspiring acquisition entrepreneur, this episode is packed with strategic insights on rollups, recurring revenue, and scaling services with a subscription twist.Thank you to our newest sp...
2025-06-1018 min
HoldCo BuildersHow To Partner with 20 Operators ($100m in Sales) | Neil Twa InterviewNeil Twa is a veteran e-commerce operator and investor who’s built and exited multiple 8-figure physical product brands. He raised $100M to launch an Amazon aggregator — and then walked away before deploying a single dollar.Now, Neil is a partner at Patriot Growth Capital, where he focuses on acquiring businesses in the $5M–$50M range and backing veteran entrepreneurs.Thank you to our newest sponsors:Scalepath: https://www.joinscalepath.com/Spacebar Studios: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/In This Episode We Discuss:00:00:00 - Intro & Neil's background00:00:28 - Bigg...
2025-06-061h 02
HoldCo BuildersRollup of the Decade? Two Private Equity Firms, One Boring Business, and a 10-Figure PaydayPrivate equity firms made over 80x their money on Mister Car Wash. How?In this episode, Mikk is joined by Pavel Prokofjev from Rollup Europe to dissect one of the most extreme boom-and-bust rollup stories in recent memory. At its peak, Mister Car Wash was a private equity dream: 40% EBITDA margins, 3-year paybacks, and a shift from transactional to recurring revenue — a perfect storm of unit economics and subscription-like predictability.PE firm Leonard Green used aggressive sale-leasebacks and dividend recaps to fully recover its equity by 2019 while retaining control — ultimately achieving a 20x+ MOIC and IRRs nort...
2025-06-0225 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 30+ Businesses and Built a $195M HoldCo in My 30s | Chris Sparling InterviewIn this episode of HoldCo Builders, I’m joined by Chris Sparling, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Tiny. Chris has helped acquire and scale more than 30 internet businesses and has deep insights into capital allocation, due diligence, deal structuring, and the psychology of long-term investing.We talk about how Tiny was built, the story behind acquiring AeroPress, thought experiments that shaped their early decisions, and what Chris learned from personal interactions with Charlie Munger and Bill Ackman. Whether you’re a business buyer, holdco operator, or investor, this episode is packed with timeless wisdom and practical frameworks....
2025-05-291h 04
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a $12M HoldCo Through Chaos, Grit, and Two Acquisitions | Mark Rossano InterviewMy guest today is Mark Rossano, Co-Founder & CEO of C6 Capital Holdings, a firm focused on building real-world solutions in energy and agriculture infrastructure.In this episode, we explore Mark’s journey from Morgan Stanley and global oil trading to building a holding company that owns hydroelectric power plants and sustainable fertilizer companies.In Today’s Episode We Discuss:00:00:00 - Intro: meet Mark Rossano00:01:06 - From Wall Street to Oil Trading & Global Energy00:03:18 - Launching a Fund & Personal Tragedy00:05:45 - Why Energy & Agriculture Infrastructure00:08:00 - How Mark Met His Part...
2025-05-221h 04
HoldCo BuildersHow Elite Investors Stay Sharp For 30+ Years (Yet Many Overlook It)What if the real edge in investing isn’t another framework or deal structure—but how you learn?In this solo episode of HoldCo Builders, I break down a mental model that quietly powers the world's top capital allocators, HoldCo founders, and hedge fund managers. Inspired by the teachings of Alix Pasquet (Prime Makaya Capital), we explore why the highest IRRs often come from behavioral change—not spreadsheets.----------------------------------------------In This Episode, You Will Learn:00:57 - Why “learning” is useless unless it changes your behavior03:27 - The overlooked relationship between physical tension an...
2025-05-1923 min
HoldCo BuildersHow We Left PE, Bought a $5M Business and Scaled To $21M in 2 Years (M&A and Organic) | Johannes Hock InterviewJohannes Hock, a former private equity associate left his high-paying job to build wealth through acquisition. In 2022, Johannes and his partner acquired DFW Turf, a fast-growing artificial turf installation business.After leaving a prestigious private equity firm, he went on to review over 200 deals in just a few months, submitted 10 LOIs, signed 3, and ultimately closed on one.In just two years, they scaled the business from $5M to over $21M in revenue—leveraging both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.In Today’s Episode We Discuss:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:31 - Where it all...
2025-05-121h 03
HoldCo BuildersWhat Holdco Investors Can Learn from Neil Mehta (Never Outsource DD!)Neil Mehta built Greenoaks Capital into one of the most successful — and secretive — investment firms in the world. While most VCs chase hype, Neil built a reputation for radical focus, long-term thinking, and doing his own diligence.In this solo research episode, I break down what holdco builders, private equity investors, and traditional business owners can learn from Mehta’s strategy — from his obsession with simplicity to how he scaled Greenoaks to $15b AUM without raising hype-driven rounds.Key topics in this episode:- Why Greenoaks avoids traditional venture traps- The importan...
2025-05-0540 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I'm Building a $50M EBITDA Holdco Of Boring Businesses | Nick Huber InterviewMy guest today is Nick Huber — entrepreneur, investor, and creator behind a $30M+ holding company spanning real estate, service businesses, and media.In this episode, we dive deep into how Nick allocates capital across multiple businesses, builds operationally lean teams, and balances short-term cash flow with long-term wealth creation.We explore how social media transformed his entrepreneurial journey, raising millions and unlocking career-changing relationships. Nick also shares the realities of building in public, handling criticism, and why focusing on "unsexy" businesses gives him an edge.If you're an investor, business buyer, or private eq...
2025-04-2849 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 4 Competitors and 200x'd My Company ($1M -> $210M in 5 Years) | Nick Keegan InterviewMy guest today is Nick Keegan, co-founder and CEO of Mail Metrics, a company helping highly regulated industries—like banks, insurers, and pension providers—communicate more effectively with their customers.Nick started Mail Metrics in 2013 at just 24 years old, after serving 11 years in the Irish Defence Forces. It took 7 years to reach €1M in revenue, but what followed is nothing short of remarkable: in 2023, the company hit €40M—and is on track to do €210M in 2025.In this episode, we go deep into the gritty early years, how he closed his first clients after 3 years of trying, a...
2025-04-2152 min
HoldCo BuildersWhy Networks are Your MOAT and Competitive Edge (And How to Build Them?) | Alix Pasquet's Triad StrategyIn this special episode, I share transformative insights on the power of networks, heavily inspired by the wisdom of Alix Pasquet, a Managing Partner at Prime Macaya Capital Management.I dive into his framework for understanding how your network acts as both a critical competitive moat and a vital margin of safety in investing and business.Key topics covered, largely learned from Alix Pasquet:- Why your network is your strongest competitive advantage- The "Triad" strategy for building powerful connections, a concept deeply influential in Alix Pasquet's thinking...
2025-04-1434 min
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 15 Companies Worth $270M in Just 24 Months | Yuen Yung InterviewMy guest today is Yuen Yung, Founding Partner at HalBar Partners, a firm focused on operator-led acquisitions. In just two years, HalBar and NCA ETA have closed 15 acquisitions totaling $270M in enterprise value, hitting their goal of 10 deals per year.We discuss:Yuen’s journey from immigrant roots to building HalBarThe firm’s investment thesis, fund structure, and capital strategyHow they source operators and deals, and drive post-acquisition valueLessons from wins and misses in ETAHalBar’s playbook for growing EBITDA and scaling portfolio compan...
2025-04-091h 04
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 35 Businesses and Built a $700M HoldCo | Jesper Søgaard InterviewMy guest today is Jesper Søgaard, co-founder and CEO of Better Collective — a global leader in digital sports media and sports betting information, with over 400 million monthly visits, 1,200+ employees, and 20 international offices.Founded in 2004, Better Collective has grown into a powerhouse through a disciplined mix of organic growth and over 35 acquisitions, including major deals like Playmaker Capital and AceOdds in 2024. The company now owns 11+ media brands, including Action Network, SoccerNews, and HLTV.In this episode, Jesper shares:The founding story of Better CollectiveHow to scale a media company globally
2025-04-0249 min
HoldCo BuildersThe Ultimate HoldCo Model: Turning Advisory into Long-Term Equity in Wonderful Businesses | Matthew Mathison InterviewMeet Matthew Mathison – Co-founder and Managing Partner at MBL Partners, a firm building and investing in enduring, cash-flowing businesses. With a unique mix of Wall Street experience and entrepreneurial grit, Matthew shares how MBL identifies overlooked opportunities, partners with exceptional operators, and builds long-term value without chasing hype.If you're into real-world investing, smart capital allocation, and the playbook behind durable business success—this one's for you.Please enjoy this conversation with Matthew Mathison., co-founder of MBL Partners.----------------------------------------------Time...
2025-03-261h 03
HoldCo BuildersMy First 5 Acquisitions and How I'm Building a $20m EBITDA SaaS HoldCo | Pascal Levy-Garboua InterviewIn this episode, I sit down with Pascal Levy-Garboua, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Noosa Labs. After making 140 venture capital investments, including seven unicorns, Pascal shifted his focus to acquiring and scaling small, profitable SaaS businesses under Noosa Labs. His next goal? Building a $50 million ARR portfolio with a 50% EBITDA margin.We dive into his journey—from bootstrapping and navigating trade-offs to executing four acquisitions in his first year. Pascal shares invaluable lessons on structuring deals, managing high-cost debt, and the realities of scaling through acquisitions. He also explains how his experience as a VC...
2025-03-201h 07
HoldCo BuildersHow a Youtuber Built an 8-Fig Holdco of 6 Businesses | Arie Scherson InterviewMeet Arie Scherson, co-founder of Bluedot Holdings, a fast-growing e-commerce and SaaS holding company with six portfolio businesses generating over $10 million in revenue.Arie started his journey as a YouTuber in his 20s, testing 15 different products before mastering Facebook Ads and scaling his first business.Through relentless experimentation, investing, and team-building, he has built a diverse portfolio, including an agency, a SaaS business, and four e-commerce brands. Despite the challenges of managing multiple ventures, Arie continues to acquire, scale, and optimize businesses—proving that content, marketing, and persistence are powerful tools in the modern business la...
2025-03-141h 14
HoldCo Builders30+ Acquisitions And Counting – The Hidden Genius of Jeremy GiffonJeremy Giffon is one of the most interesting minds in business that almost no one knows about. As a former analyst at Tiny Capital, he played a key role in acquiring and operating dozens of companies—while staying almost completely out of the spotlight. His insights on capital allocation, holding companies, and finding asymmetric opportunities have made him a legend among those who pay attention.In this episode of HoldCo Builders, I break down Jeremy Giffon’s strategies, philosophy, and unconventional approach to business. How did they structure deals that made Tiny Capital so successful? What can we learn from...
2025-03-0428 min
HoldCo BuildersHow This Young Man Bought a $10M Business with Just $40K – Secrets from a $400M Lender | Bruce Marks InterviewBruce Marks is a seasoned lender who has closed over $400M in deals, helping over 1,200 entrepreneurs acquire businesses using SBA loans. As Senior VP at First Bank of the Lake, Bruce specializes in financing small business acquisitions, search funds, and lower middle-market M&A transactions.Bruce doesn’t just finance deals—he knows what makes a buyer successful and what gets deals killed.In this episode, we dive into:How a young entrepreneur bought a $10M business with just $40KWhy your experience matters more than the business you’re buy...
2025-02-261h 05
HoldCo BuildersHow 4 Swedish Serial Acquirers Scaled To a 49x P/E Ratio | Niklas Sävås InterviewIn this episode, we dive into the world of serial acquisitions with Niklas Savas, an analyst at Redeye, who has a unique perspective on the Swedish serial acquirers' approach.Addtech AB: Over 150 companies, $1.5B in revenue, $150M in operating profit.Lagercrantz Group AB: Around 40 companies, $500M in revenue, $50M in profitLifco AB: Over 100 companies, $1B in revenue, $100M in profitTeqnion AB: Around 10 companies, $100M in revenue, $10M in profitRöko: A private company with a diverse portfolio of 27 companies, more than $500M in r...
2025-02-1855 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 4 Companies and Built a One-Man HoldCo Doing $20M in Revenue | Dustin Carreon InterviewToday’s story is a huge reminder to not cancel out the troubled kid or the teen who doesn't have it all together.Just a down-to-earth success story (with all the drama, obstacles, grind and persistence for 90-min straight).Dustin Carreon’s journey is a testament to the power of reinvention and strategic thinking. He started with a business that had unpredictable revenue, but instead of accepting its limits, he used it as a stepping stone. Through smart acquisitions and a willingness to take calculated risks, he transformed volatile cash flow into a po...
2025-02-121h 29
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a 14-Unit Zaxby's Franchise Doing $50M in Revenue | Ben Little InterviewBen Little runs the #1 Zaxby’s franchise in the U.S. His company owns 14 locations, employs over 800 people, and generates more than $50M in annual revenue.Ben didn’t just buy into a franchise—he built a powerhouse.In this episode, we dive into what makes a top-performing franchisee, Ben’s approach to scaling, and how he structures deals and financing. We also cover the challenges of managing a large team, the importance of strong leadership, and why he believes that “people don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.”...
2025-02-061h 05
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 6 Businesses and Built a $80M Long Term HoldCo | Ryan Sullivan InterviewRyan Sullivan is a risk-conscious entrepreneur who stepped into business ownership in his late 40s, proving that it’s never too late to take the leap.As the co-founder of North Park Group, Ryan has been acquiring small legacy manufacturing businesses across the U.S., starting with a 100-year-old electrical component manufacturer in Wichita, Kansas, producing $700K in adjusted EBITDA. What began as a single acquisition with one partner has now grown into a team of five, with six acquisitions to date. Today, North Park Group’s portfolio generates $80–85 million in revenue and $8 million in EBI...
2025-01-291h 22
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 10 Businesses and Turned $20K Into a $200M HoldCo | Roman Khan InterviewRoman Khan is the co-founder of Peak21, a direct-to-consumer holding company that has scaled to an impressive $200 million in revenue—all while maintaining profitability.Together with his wife Jennifer, Roman has acquired 10 companies, building a diverse and thriving portfolio of DTC brands.In this episode, we dive into Roman’s entrepreneurial journey, including the challenges and strategies of scaling a profitable holding company, his approach to identifying and integrating acquisitions, and the unique dynamics of running a business with his spouse.We also explore the...
2025-01-2145 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built and Sold a $16M Company to Invest In Search Funds | Christopher Hillier InterviewChristopher Hillier is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the employee benefits industry.He began his journey as the Co-Founder and President of Benefit Health Advisor, a full-service employee benefits brokerage based in Englewood, Colorado.In our conversation, we delve into Chris’s entrepreneurial journey, from starting a brokerage firm from scratch and scaling it to $16M in top-line revenue, to acquiring an insurance underwriting company on the verge of collapse and turning it around for a strategic exit.We also explore his insights on the ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition) sp...
2025-01-161h 00
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 2 Businesses With Little Of My Own Money And No Investors | Santino DeFranco InterviewSantino DeFranco is a former UFC fighter turned entrepreneur who has successfully transitioned from the octagon to the world of business ownership. Santino has acquired two companies: a Shell Gas Station with a Krispy Krunchy Chicken franchise and a restaurant hood cleaning business. In this episode, we dive into his journey from professional fighting to becoming a business owner, exploring how his competitive mindset and resilience have shaped his approach to entrepreneurship.Santino is also a highly sought-after MMA coach who has trained and guided world champions in the UFC, bringing the same level...
2025-01-091h 21
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 14 Businesses and Built a $30M HoldCo in 6 Years | Joe Van Deman and Colin King InterviewMeet Joe Van Deman and Colin KingFounders of Circle City Capital Group. Starting with a small amount of savings and an SBA loan, over the past six years, they’ve made 14 acquisitions that have been consolidated into 4 companies, employing a total of 200 people.A combined $30m of revenue.----------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:55 - How Joe and Colin met and what they did before their first acquisition00:07.32 - Quitting their jobs to start a...
2025-01-021h 05
HoldCo BuildersHow I Raised Money (from 44 Investors) and Bought a 40-Year-Old 8-Fig Manufacturing Business | Jason Andrew InterviewJason Andrew is the co-founder of a holding company Arbor Permanent Owners - team of operators and investors committed to growing businesses for the long-term.They just closed their fundraise and cornerstone deal: 40-year-old manufacturing business in the materials handling sector. $25m in revenue, 25%+ EBITDAJason, Simon and Rowan have done an exceptional job in their first year at Arbor Permanent OwnersTheir structure, strategy, fundraising, and first acquisition are all unique—and we cover each.Timestamps:
2024-12-271h 06
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 25+ Businesses and Built a $600M HoldCo at 34 and 33 | Iryna and Sameer InterviewMeet Iryna Dubylovska and Sameer Rizvi.Founders of RD Capital Partners (RDCP). Over the past eight years, they’ve made 31 investments that have been consolidated into 12 companies, employing a total of 2,000 people.A combined $400m of revenue and $40m of EBITDA.1. We pick sectors and businesses where profits and cash-flow are the main driver of value.2. Decentralize your operations, 'Hire very smart people and leave them alone, let them get on with it.'3. We r...
2024-12-191h 10
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 35+ Businesses and Built a $240M HoldCo At 38 | Andrew Wilkinson Interview12 ideas and observations from the 56-minute conversation with Andrew Wilkinson, the the founder of Tiny, on building a 30+ business holding company: Starting companies is fun, but anyone who has done it knows it is a lot of work. Buying established businesses with existing cash flow isn’t as sexy so I suspect it is wildly underrated as a way of building wealth. He will occasionally pay 10x for an amazing business, but that is rare. Some CEOs will go 6 months or more without speaking with Andrew. Portfolio companies are not at all connected. They each op...
2024-12-0556 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Started, Bought and Sold 6 Service Businesses (In $500k to $3M EBITDA Range) | Robert Lombardi InterviewSelling the very first flooring business for $30k turned into a career of starting, buying and selling B2B, B2C service businesses.A total of 6 different companies in different industries: 2 residential flooring companies 2 commercial flooring companies 1 restoration company 1 commercial cleaning companyMy conversation with Robert Lombardi, the founder of Lombardi Group.He’s sharing a journey of making plenty of mistakes and falling on his face MORE than anyone would like to admit (and this being a major part of the journey and so...
2024-11-251h 13
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a 7-Figure Swim School HoldCo With 30-35% Margins | Josh Scott InterviewForget HVAC and trade businesses…Private equity comes after your kids swim schools…Meet Josh Scott (with wife Annie): 5 locations 7 figures in revenue (30-35% margins) Spends a lot of time with family and children.Again, the riches (both time and $$$) are in niches.We discussed:- Raising prices and selling it to private equity (which they choose not to do now).- Buying more and more swimming pools (property)
2024-11-181h 00
HoldCo BuildersHow I'm Building a $15M EBITDA B2B Micro-SaaS Holdco | Kjael Skaalerud Interview“Selling B2B SaaS is great, but owning assets is better - that's why I went and built Skaling Ventures on my own.”A portfolio of profitable niche vertical B2B SaaS businesses: $1-3M with some ARR growth (~10%) logo retention greater than 95% limited go-to-market (GTM) knowledge/investment, fragmented competition, and technical founders.We discussed how he found the best deal among the 300 deals he looked at.How he structures deals and what his game plan is 90 days after the acquisition.How 75% of p...
2024-11-121h 00
HoldCo BuildersThis Grocery Store HoldCo Opened 32 New Stores in 90 Days | Research Episode on Tomasz Biernacki of Dino PolskaThis gentleman and his grocery store holdco opened 32 new stores in 90 days.Tomasz Biernacki - a true capital allocator has cracked the code on how to compound his wealth (at a staggering rate!)His grocery holding company has invested 96% of its earnings for the past 10 years. He opened 167 new stores in Q1-Q3 in 2024.Every store he opens returns 20-30% on invested capital…All while net debt to EBITDA sitting at a conservative 1.1x...
2024-11-0827 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Left Goldman Sachs and Turned $25k Into an $11M Live Lobster Business | Alex Schultz InterviewNot too many folks are willing to quit their job at Goldman Sachs to start a holding company.It gets even better…He even decided to move from the US to Hong Kong.That’s the story of Alex Schultz who grew a live lobster business to $11m a year; growing 20-30% per year.- Convincing the Hong Kong government to grant him a Visa to build a business- Printing out Google Maps to find the firs...
2024-11-0658 min
HoldCo BuildersHow To Buy 5 Businesses and Build a $60m Holdco (No Investors) | Dan Tamkin InterviewMeet Dan Tamkin, co-founder of Resurgent Capital Partners:- Portfolio of 4 companies in different industries- $60M in revenue- $8M EBITDA- No LPs- Happy, excited about life, spends tons of time teaching kids to play hockeyThis is a must listen for someone who’s extremely good at growing and building a single company but feels that they aren’t happiest and need more moving parts on their life:“When I started to unders...
2024-10-291h 08
HoldCo BuildersLetter to a Friend Who May Start a New Investment Firm | Graham Duncan researchGraham Duncan from East Rock Capital is so generous that wrote a letter to his friend who was considering starting an investment company.Why listen to Graham:- Started his fund at 31 years old- Today $2B in aum- Manages the capital of five families"Letter to a friend who may start a new investment platform"Show notes:00:00:00 - Intro00:04:50 - When everything is uncertain, are you...
2024-10-2329 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built and Sold a $31m Financial Media HoldCo | James Camp InterviewJames started and built a financial media holdco to the point where it was acquired for $31 million.He did it in 5 short years…We discuss:- Founding HoldCo with the most financially creative person he knew – a former commodities trader- Organic growth vs growth through mergers and acquisitions- Looking for stable year-over-year growth opportunities. “I’m not the dude who wants to do turnarounds”- The importance of distrib...
2024-10-151h 10
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 8 Companies and Built a $200M HoldCo (100% Bootstrapped) | Jesse Tinsley InterviewOrganic growth is great, but if you want to grow through M&A while beating almost every private equity firm in deal competition. Learn from Jesse.He became so good at it that he built the company to $200mm- 8 acquisitions and counting- 100% bootstrapped- Being 35 years old; hungrier than everA couple of notes:1. I am a forced entrepreneur, I dropped out of school and then I couldn't find a job so I...
2024-10-071h 08
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought Two Traditional Businesses with $4m EBITDA at 24 | Ethan Macdonald InterviewImagine that for a moment…You are 24 years old and want to acquire a business…You pick up the phone and make your first cold call to the founder who owns two companies in the $1-2mm EBITDA rangeThe founder says, "yes, I would be interested in selling my company," four months later you are the new owner of a small holding company with two traditional businesses (First Fleet Maintenance and Northern Diesel, both located in Northern Alberta, Canada) and a combined EBITDA of $...
2024-10-0151 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a Portfolio of 6 SaaS Businesses With 170+ Employees | Philippe Willi Interview"There is an ultimate way to build a group of software companies without having to follow the typical VC growth playbook."Philippe Willi is building a SaaS holding company TrekkSoft in Switzerland.He buys SaaS companies all day but never sells them.Philippe's story is different:He started a VC-backed SaaS, but wasn't able to grow it fast enough…Then he pitched investors not to grow that one SaaS, but to acquire other SaaS co...
2024-09-2058 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 12 Small Business in 18 Months (Revenue $13M) | Jeremy Harbour InterviewJeremy has bought and sold over 100 businesses, but never uses a broker. Treat a company like a product. You buy one and then you sell it Again, never use brokers! Buy right and you’re gonna win Do more of what works Joint ventures and the beauty of itGreat story with Jeremy building a holding company in Dubai while the team is based in Singapore.Important note: he does all that while traveling twice a month with the family.Enjoy!...
2024-09-121h 02
HoldCo BuildersHow We Bought 26 Companies and Make $116M in Profit PER YEAR; Interview with CEO and CFO of RökoSwedish serial acquirers have cracked the code on how to compound their wealth (at a staggering rate!)Their holding companies trade at 12-29 times EBITDA.Here is the story from their founder and CEO Fredrik Karlsson who got so unhappy with his boss so he decided to leave…Start the exact same business.Following the exact same strategy.Today, ONLY 6 years later, he and his team has done 26 acquisitions which does $600M in revenue an...
2024-09-071h 14
HoldCo BuildersHard Pivot? Reflections After Buying 3 B2B SaaS Businesses | Colin Keeley InterviewDream for 1,000s of software investors: Build a portfolio of profitable B2B SaaS companiesThe northstar being Constellation Software (which trades at a P/E ratio of 104 and has a market cap of $90B)Reality: It’s hard, extremely hard!Despite this, there are few people who actually go and try to do that…Take Colin Keeley, co-founder of Verne, where they buy and build mission-critical B2B SaaS businesses.“You can have a hold...
2024-08-2929 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 10 Companies in 18 Months Using $0 of My Own Money ($7.5M EBITDA and 50% Carry) | Nigell Lee InterviewImagine this... First acquisition March 2023 Today a portfolio of 10 companies $7.5M in EBITDA Average acquisition multiple so far 2.5x (!!!) Last deal: $550k EBITDA business acquired for $850kCraziest part, doing all that with ZERO personal investment and still making 50% of the carryShow me a better salesman!When asked how you did it?“There are no rules. Literally.”This conversation with Nigell Lee of RBO Group has everything. I hope you enjo...
2024-08-221h 10
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a 5-Company HoldCo with a Next Goal to Generate $100M in Revenue | Nikolas Hulewsky InterviewImagine this…You help grow the home care and hospice company from $20 million to $150 million and then they fire you.Then you think whether you should start your own thing or not, “I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur but I wasn’t ready for it…”Voila…You still decide to do it…Today, at 38, Nikolas runs a diversified portfolio of 5 companies. ("A small portfolio of a few companies,”, as he put it.) What a humb...
2024-08-1349 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Invested in 40+ Companies and Built a $1.9B AUM Investment Firm | John Caple InterviewEven when every 3rd and 4th person in finance dreams of starting their own private equity fund…Only 0.01% give it a chance and far fewer succeed…Here is my conversation with John Caple of Hidden Harbor Capital Partners who just went and did all that...$260m fund I$465m fund II$800m fund III (just announced fundraising)They invest in lower middle market industrial and business services companies, paying 4-8x EBITDA per deal, making them a true value shop.
2024-08-0657 min
HoldCo BuildersFrom $6.5M to $84M: The Journey of Building A 9-Fig Holding Company | Chris Rolls ResearchMy research of Chris Rolls, the founder of PieLAB Capital, who went through the journey of building and selling his business, then starting a private equity fund, and then starting a permanent holding company.Their most successful portfolio company, Detector Inspector, have grown from $6.5 million in revenue to $84 million.Chris is a big fan of acquisition led compounders and serial acquirers.When comparing serial acquirers and private equity: “We got the end of the fund and we had to se...
2024-07-3024 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 10 Companies and Built a $200M Portfolio in My 30s | Eugen B. Russ InterviewMy conversation with Eugen Benedikt Russ.A gentleman in his 30s who runs a $200 million a year holding company.Since starting in 2018, they have achieved an IRR of 39% over the past 6 years.A portfolio of 10+ companies (all majority owned)They specialize in acquiring, managing, and operating profitable niche businesses in Online Marketplaces, Consumer Apps and SaaSThe smallest portco earns about $2-3m in EBIT, while the largest earns $19.2m in EBIT.
2024-07-2239 min
HoldCo BuildersGrowth Equity And $500M To $700M Worth Of Deals Per Year | Kashyap Chanchani InterviewMy conversation with Kashyap Chanchani, managing partner of The Rainmaker Group, an Indian firm that works with traditional family businesses and VC-backed companies."I started the Rainmaker Group because I didn't want to sleepwalk through life."Kashyap runs a growth equity advisory firm which does $500 to 700 million worth of transactions annually.We discuss:– 30 of India's 50 largest companies are still family-owned– 30% of family owned businesses are open / attracted to raising private equity funding– Why and how should one invest in pri...
2024-07-1548 min
HoldCo BuildersHolding Company For Internet Businesses, 150 People And Personal Branding | Daniel Priestley InterviewMy conversation with Daniel Priestley about how to become a "key person of influence" in the world of private equity, investing or small business acquisition.Being known in your own little world makes three things possible:- Finding better deals- Attract more capital on better terms- Have more talent wanting to partner with your companiesDaniel manages a portfolio of internet companies and has a team of 150 people.We discuss:– The bi...
2024-07-051h 01
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a Businesses Portfolio Which Does $1B in Revenue | Eran Efrat Interview“Don’t stop trying…”Eran used to work as an airport security to pay the bills.Today, VerDiesel Group does $1 billion in revenue…Turns out that KFC and McDonald's used cooking oil can be VERY big business.Add biodiesel, biogas, feedstock… it gets HUGE.Everything we touched in the first 2-3 years failed. Everything. We tried to touch everything but we had no experience.Every time I did not have the money, I said I wou...
2024-06-131h 00
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 24 Companies And Here's Everything I Learned Looking At 1000s | Xavier Helgesen InterviewIf you are ever considering buying or investing in a profitable small business…Or you want to build a holding company where each company is run by a CEO...Here's my talk with Xavier Helgesen (co-founder of Enduring Ventures), where he shares everything he knows about buying businesses after 20+ acquisitions and looking at 1000s- Currently 17 companies in the portfolio- Revenue $100 million+- Spends plenty of time with family and children"Pay for Quality of...
2024-06-031h 01
HoldCo BuildersHe Raised $450 Million At 31 With No Prior Experience & Grew It To A Market Cap Of $33 Billion | Research on Urs WietlisbachImagine being in your early 30s, starting a private equity fund and raising $450 million as your first fund.All this with no prior track record and without your rich father or uncle.Years later, you own 90 companies, have $152 billion in AUM, your EBITDA is growing at 15% year-over-year, and only Thoma Bravo has outperformed you…True story, all the way from Switzerland…1. "Stock and bonds are boring, so we went into private equity."2. "The concept of thematic research helps us find the...
2024-05-2023 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 4 Small Businesses And Grew Them An Average By 65% In The First Year | Chase Murdock InterviewImagine raising millions for your startup…A team of 50 and significant revenue…Then getting FIRED from the same company you started…Then starting a boring traditional company that generates significant cash flow, so you could buy another company…And not just one, but 4 companies!!!And THEN, growing these businesses an average of 65% in the first year post-acquisition.All this in four short years.What a WILD s...
2024-05-131h 09
HoldCo BuildersAnnualized Returns of 35%, $115m AUM and 7 Investment Traits To Such Success By Mark SellersThere's a gentleman who manages a $115 million AUM fund with annualized returns of 35% (before fees) since inception.And he wrote a 3,150-word letter for those who dream of compounding their money at 20-25% per year over the course of their careers.1. Your chance of becoming a great investor is 1/50 of 1% or something. If not less… You have almost no chance of being a great investor.”2. Going to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton or reading every book ever written on investing won't make you a good investor3. I do...
2024-05-0619 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 3 Companies And Built $20M Industrial Portfolio in 3.5 Years | Jules Brenner InterviewEver considered acquiring a profitable, sub $1-5M EBITDA niche business?So you could spend summers on Lake Como, winters in Aspen, and Saturdays in Las Vegas at the Wynn listening to David Guetta…Or so you could retire your parents, send your lovely kids to a private school, and buy your wife the BMW convertible she always wanted…I don't know your exact dream, but owning a business like this makes it all possible.So... I have something for you.
2024-04-2956 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Make $14M Net Profit Per Year With a Team Of 16 People | Matt Paulson InterviewWhat would be your potential reward for mastering the fundamentals?Whether it's small business acquisitions, private equity investing, or the financial media and newsletter business…In Matt’s case the reward is approximately $14,000,000 in net profit in 2024All this with a team of 16 people.We discuss:— How to grow a business (Growing 86% in 2020; 77% in 2021)— Email is still massively untapped for PE funds, VCs and traditional businesses— Spend $1-2m per month on advertising— Why more pri...
2024-04-2253 min
HoldCo BuildersHow He Built $500M Revenue and $100M EBITDA HoldCo in 5 Years (Röko CEO Fredrik Karlsson RESEARCH)Imagine being so unhappy with your boss that you leave…- Start the exact same business- Following the exact same strategyToday, ONLY 5 yrs later do $500m in revenue and $100m in EBITDAHere is my full research on a true M&A and buy-and-build pioneer Mr. Fredrik Karlsson:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:52 - 24 portfolio companies (15 B2B; 9 B2C)00:03:51 - The type of businesses they acquire00:07:00 - The beauty of investing in HoldCo businesses...
2024-04-1919 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Acquired 8 Companies By Age Of 32 While Traveling To 20 Countries | Lee Betts InterviewHere is the dream story of many entrepreneurs:Owning a business that generates so much free cash flow that you can invest in/acquire 8 businesses.I’d even call him Andrew Wilkinson Jr…Capital allocation at its best…Started in 2017…Today there are 8 companies in his portfolio.All while being 32, traveling & living in 20 countries, having Tim Ferriss as an inspiration and driving a Range Rover Sports.Most importan...
2024-04-0743 min
HoldCo BuildersMy Top 16 Lessons On Actively Looking For Exeptional $2-10 Million Revenue Companies (Pre-Acquisition)One great acquisition can change the life of you and your children.Forever.As the smartest private market deal makers have said:"The goal is to acquire $10 bills for $3 ... and again, that's only possible in the private markets."My top 5 lessons on actively looking for exeptional $2-10 million revenue companies. (Pre-acquisition)1. Being street smart will take you further than you can imagine. Cold calling. Being likable.General soft skill, listening more than talking, asking great questions. Doing a follow up. Many don't want to do it, and most don’t know how to do it.2. VC is sexy; but ol...
2024-03-2928 min
HoldCo BuildersHow To Grow ANY Traditional $2-$10M Niche Business 50-200% Annually?The day has come! SME people, whatever you are doing, stop it.Here is a masterclass:How to grow ANY traditional and “boring” business 50-200% annually.From $2.2M to $3.1M…From $7.6M to $11.2M…From $1.2M to $1.8M…And why do so many boring niche businesses suck at marketing?Masterclass notes:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:56 - Why should we listen to Priit in the fir...
2024-03-2132 min
HoldCo BuildersHow This Private Equity Fund Achieved An IRR of 72% After Doing 586 DealsSpent 7 hours researching a true master of small cap private equity:- 586 transactions- Acquire $1 million to $10 million EBITDA companies- Average deal $12 million- 72% IRR- 7x cash on cash returnsHe had two rare public appearances on Patrick O’Shaughnessy’s and Harry Stebbings' 20VC podcast.His name is Justin Ishbia and he is the founder of Shore Capital Partners.00:00:00 - Intro00:01:28 - Mentors00:02:05 - Less...
2024-03-1126 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 12 Service Companies (Without Investors) | Nick Haschka InterviewVery first acquisition in November 2016As of March 2024, they manage a portfolio of 12 companies.All done with their own capital.(Except the one they did in late 2023)95% of acquisitions have been owner succession & retirement driven buy-outs.Cub Investments with Nick Haschka makes long term buy & hold equity investments in growth-oriented field services companies.Most importantly, all this while raising three beautiful children.Their biggest...
2024-03-0455 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought Real Estate Which Makes Me $1.7 Million Per Year | Ben Wolff InterviewWhat if you can't code and you're not good at tech?You go and start a business that makes $1.7 million per year.This is what Ben Wolff did with little money and reasonably short period of time.Today, he manages more than $65 million worth of real estate."With our properties, we achieve industry-leading margins of, say, 52-55% NOI."We discuss:— Opening first property— Starting an real estate management company— Secrets of using social media platfo...
2024-02-181h 00
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 8 Traditional Businesses and Built a $127M Portfolio | Rafael Quinn InterviewEver wondered who are the young folks who build these great business portfolios?2020 $17.0m2021 $44.1m2022 $64.9m2023 $126.8mAll that within a reasonably short time.While spending tons of time with kids and family.I mean today Rafael Quinn is 44 years old, but decades from now people will be Googling him to find out how he started this massive conglomerate called Alternative Holdings.The best investment advice:• Bu...
2024-01-2555 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Left Goldman Sachs To Start a $1B+ Company | Michael Cassau InterviewImagine being in your 30s and having a track record of raising more than a billion in debt and equity.And starting a company which is worth over $1 billion.Here you go:Let me introduce you to Michael Cassau.From working at Goldman Sachs and Rocket Internet.To founding a company that raised more than $330 million in a recent fundraising round.Location: GermanyName of the company...
2024-01-1749 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Buy Machinery, Make Millions in Net Profit and Work 3-4 Hours a Week | Ujwal Velagapudi InterviewUjwal and his VERY unsexy story on building a holding company which is on track to hit 8-figures in EBITDA.All while being just 32 yrs old, traveling the world and sometimes working 3-4 hrs a week.The crazy part – he built it with no prior PE or M&A experience.His secret to success:"Just go and do it. Have the ability to figure things out. That's all. That's the advice."We discuss:— How to save enough to buy a business
2024-01-051h 02
HoldCo BuildersHow I Acquired 4 Companies and Built $30M Portfolio in 4 Years | Mathias Calonius InterviewMathias Calonius is a serial acquirer and co-founder of the Finnish holding company JATKAJA, which has 5 companies in its portfolio and a turnover of more than 50 million dollars.“The first 3.5 years have included 10+ transactions and the formed 4 group companies stand at around $30M+ in revenue”Location: FinlandHoldCo name: JATKAJA (means: continuer)This short 55-minute call turned out to be an MBA on how to build a diversified HoldCo around boring traditional companies.We discuss:— Day-to...
2023-12-2355 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built My Own Investment Fund Advisory Firm After Leaving a Global Law Firm | Michael Huseby InterviewMichael Bjorn Huseby is an investment fund formation attorney at a global law firm.He represents both fund sponsors (GPs) and investors (LPs).In 66-minutes Michael proved to me that he has seen almost everything in the world of funds...“Investors don’t want to see something they haven’t seen before.”“Yet some GPs pitch an investment deck with a 7% management fee.”We discuss:— Sideletters & waterfalls— How to choose the right struct...
2023-12-151h 06
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built Two Banks to $1 Billion in Total Assets | Andy Schornack InterviewAndy Schornack is a CEO of Flagship Bank and a President of Security Bank and Trust Company.Flagship Bank - $324 million in total assetsSecurity Bank and Trust Co. - $713 million in total assets“I always wanted to be in a position where I’m running my own small medium sized company. I didn’t know it’d be a bank.”We discuss:— The story of how they have bought and built two banks from nothing to a Billion $$ in assets— What do banker...
2023-12-0558 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built Companies That Make More Than $100M | Val Katayev interviewVal Katayev is a serial entrepreneur with $100M+ in profits & exits.Today Val runs a diversified holding company.Founded and led four successful companies to hyper-growth centered around digital media in display, mobile, music, search and data.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Val discuss:- building $10m and $100m businesses- how to raise millions of dollars for an asset management firm- what makes distribution type businesses so great- how they built a peer-to-peer lending platform- why...
2023-11-2159 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Acquired a Large Company Right After Stanford MBA | Justin Mazeka Vogt InterviewJustin Mazeka Vogt is the co-founder and CEO of Evermore Industries, a permanent capital holding company he founded with Ed Redden in 2020Prior to co-founding Evermore Industries, Justin invested in ~100 transportation and industrial businesses with Bain Capital Credit in Boston, Massachusetts.Justin holds a Finance degree from the University of Notre Dame as well as an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.(I'm very sorry for my audio. My microphone messed up a few minutes before the podcast.)On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Justin discuss:
2023-11-0959 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Invest My Millions I Earned From High-Stakes Poker | Alec Torelli InterviewAlec Torelli is one of the most respected poker players in the industry.With over $2,200,000 in tournament winnings and millions more in both live and online cash games.Alec also runs a syndicate WHealthier with the brightest entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Alec discuss:- The insights into his decision-making process when it comes to investments and business opportunities- Asymmetric investments when investing in companies- What does a winning mindset mean to Alec? And more importantly...
2023-10-311h 17
HoldCo BuildersHow I Mastered LBOs (Leveraged Buyouts) and Built 8-Fig Holding Company | Sacha Jak InterviewSacha Jak is the founder of a holding company with 8-figure revenue and 300 employees.He is an expert when it comes leverages buyouts. Sacha's most famous deal was the $2 acquisition of a $12m revenue PC company.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Sacha discuss:- How to get a control in a company even if you own 1% of it- How to actually buy a company using none of our own money going into the deal- A step-by-step guide to getting...
2023-10-221h 01
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a Business Portfolio of $150M AUM | Sunny Desai InterviewSunny Desai is the founder and CEO of Desai Companies, a diversified integrated holding company with a diversified portfolio and over $150,000,000 AUM.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Sunny discuss:- details of Sunny's first deal that made a huge difference and how his net worth went up a lot!- how Sunny went from knowing nothing about M&A to being a master at M&A with 3-4 deals a year- how to be really creative with capital.- how to skip 20 years of learning
2023-10-1245 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a Portfolio of 4 Wine Distribution Companies | Ranjit Chahal InterviewRanjit Chahal is the founder of BEVIQUA, a wine and spirits distribution company with four B2C e-commerce sites across the alcohol and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) space.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Ranjit discuss:- Amazon started with books, they started with wine- Running 4 ecom channels at once; the benefits of that- Being an outsider can be your greatest strength. Embrace it.- Age is just a number (and how Ranjit started a successful Holdco at 40)- Cheapest...
2023-10-0150 min
HoldCo BuildersMr. X - 22 lessons from an anonymous investor whose last investment was $30M in a company with $170M in revenueMr. X is a solo PE investor who co-invests with four large ($3-6 billion AUM) family offices, as well as other wealthy individuals.His most recent deal size was a $30 million investment in a company that generates more than $170 million in revenue.On this episode, I share 22 notes I made while spending two days with him in person:- “Mikk, what are your strengths, what is the 0.00001% thing you are the very best at? Focus on that.”- ”Raising money is f*cking hard. Closing a deal...
2023-09-2427 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Bought 18 Companies and Built A Holding Company That Does $140M in Revenue | Michael Byars InterviewMichael Byars is the founder of a holding company with the portfolio of 18 companies with total revenue of over $140,000,000On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Michael discuss:- how Michael increased his initial investment in the restaurant business by 8-10x- the three things that Michael changed in these companies that ultimately made a difference- how the first mentor changed his life and what he taught to Michael (he wouldn't have achieved so much without him)- what size and type of companies...
2023-09-1748 min
HoldCo BuildersHow to Buy Internet Companies and Take it to IPO in 9 Years | Dom Wells InterviewDom Wells is the founder and CEO of Onfolio.co - a public holding company of internet businesses.In this episode of HoldCo Builders, Dom shares the journey of how just ten years ago he was working as an English teacher in Taiwan earning $1,000 a month.In 2013, Tom made his first $1,000 a month online, and in August 2022, they did an IPO.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Dom discuss:- what Dom learned the hard way in his 10 year journey- the way of thinking...
2023-09-0959 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a $10M HoldCo of 6 Internet Businesses (100% Bootstrapped) | Greg Isenberg InterviewGreg Isenberg is the co-founder of Late Checkout - holding company of six internet businesses with combined revenue of over $10,000,000He's spent the last 15 years building venture-backed businesses, at WeWork, WallStreetSurvivor, and Islands, as well as advising Reddit and TikTok.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Greg discuss:- how to build an audience and then get 10 people to buy a $1m dollar product from you?- how to hire the absolute best talent without spending a single dollar- multipreneurship journey - portfolio of internet based businesses (all bootstrapped)- why...
2023-09-0142 min
HoldCo BuildersHow to Get Insanely Lucky When Raising Capital | Daniel Pi InterviewDaniel Pi is the founder of Coterie Capital.Coterie Capital is a principal investments and corporate advisory firm based in Sydney.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Daniel discuss:- How to get lucky when raising capital.- What does it mean tha "Ideas are global. Capital is global."- Have you actually talked to every single investor?- How to get creative when raising capital- B2B and B2C vs. human-to-human- the importance of in-person events in the fundraising process
2023-08-261h 01
HoldCo BuildersHow To Buy ATM Machines and Build a $10M EBITDA Business | Mitchell Sorkin InterviewMitchell Sorkin is the co-founder of ATM holdco.Short two years ago he left a VC backed "sexy startup" to build a basic, boring business.In year 1 they went from 3 ATMs to 100+, and did over $200k in revenue.In 2023 they will grow 3x and do north of $700k, 100s of thousands of transactions, millions in 20s dispensed.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Mitchell discuss:- how to achieve 30-50% cash on cash returns with ATM...
2023-08-1846 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Built a Luxury Property Holding Company That Pays $31,000 a Night | Michael Chen InterviewMichael Chen is Co-CEO, and the Founder of HakuLife and the developer of award-winning properties, Hakuchōzan and HakuVillas.Has over 20 years of professional history dedicated to “elevating the customer experience.”With senior executive experience with some of the world’s most elite brands including Crown Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and McKinsey & Company, Michael brings a deep passion for bringing world-class standards to the Lifestyle Real Estate category.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Michael discuss:- lessons from founding a VC backed...
2023-08-0755 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Acquire HVAC Companies to Build a $45 Million Portfolio | Amir Haboosheh InterviewAmir Haboosheh cofounded Snowball Industries in 2020.In 2023, they generate more than $45 million in revenue.Prior to Snowball he was director of M&A at Kingmakers/Acquira in charge of helping identify, acquire, finance and scale businesses in the home service sector. Amir leads Snowball where he has structured a high-performing team culture based on empowerment and accountability.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Amir discuss:- fascinating story of how Amir found his co-founders & how with one meeting from 10AM to 8PM they we are all on...
2023-07-2555 min
HoldCo BuildersHow I Semi-Retired at 28 as a Family Office Investor | Akshay Ramachandran InterviewAkshay Ramachandran is a semi-retired investor in his 20s. Akshay's most recent job was being sole analyst reporting directly to the portfolio manager. They analyzed over 60 industries and used a simple strategy: buy and hold great businesses run by great management teams. He has taken the last year off for some time traveling around the world.On this episode, PrivatEquityGuy & Akshay discuss: Lessons Akshay learned as a professional investor at a 9 figure hedge fund How to put together a great investor deck for your Holding Company (and why 99% of decks suck; mine included) Why Ashtead Group...
2023-07-041h 06