This month’s episode features Rob LeBlanc, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at ambit partners. The discussion highlights the growing momentum of ETA in various countries and delves into fund deployment, geographic investment distribution, and the

Fostering Collaboration and Mentorship for Success

May 31st, 2024 27m 7s

This month’s episode features Sara Rosenthal, partner at TTCER Partners and co-founder of the Women's Search Network, who shares her journey in the search fund ecosystem and her efforts to promote diversity and mentorship. Brian and Sara discus

Finding Success in the Pacific Northwest: Acquiring a Franchise Business

Apr 30th, 2024 35m 32s

This month’s episode features Chris Richling, MBA ’14, owner of a franchise business in Seattle. Chris shares his entrepreneurial journey from search fund pursuits to self-funded acquisition. He discusses the challenges faced, the transition to

Live from the Harper Center: Acquiring for Long-Term

Apr 1st, 2024 48m 17s

This month’s episode features a live recording from the Harper Center with Aizik Zimerman, MBA ’23, CEO of J Blanton Plumbing, a business he acquired during his second year at Booth. Unlike many ETA students focused on quick exits, Zimerman is

Exploring the Future of ETA

Mar 4th, 2024 40m 5s

This month’s episode features a discussion with AJ Wasserstein, Professor, Yale School of Management, on the rapidly changing world of search funds. They explore the normalization of search funds, demographic trends, and the evolution of search

From Wall Street to Main Street: A Journey in Industrial Entrepreneurship

Jan 31st, 2024 32m 26s

This month’s episode features Peter Jackson, the owner and CEO of Miller Industrial, as he shares his remarkable journey from the world of Wall Street to becoming a key player in Main Street entrepreneurship. The discussion delves into Peter’s

From Finance to Innovation: A CEO's Journey

Jan 3rd, 2024 44m 46s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Marc Shiffman, MBA ’94, Former President & CEO of SMS Assist. In this episode, we explore the dynamic career journey of a finance professional who transitioned into the realm of innovatio

Decision Making Moments in ETA

Nov 30th, 2023 37m 57s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Manvendra Saxena, Founder and Chairman at Mars Energy Group. Manny discusses navigating the challenges of moving acrosscontinents to his experiences in corporate America and the startup

Navigating ETA & SBA

Oct 31st, 2023 28m 59s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Lisa Forrest, Director of Live Oak Bank. At the time of the taping last March, the LMM SBA market was in the throws of adjusting to the interest rate shocks. Deal flow at that time was in

Navigating Personal and Financial Risk in Entrepreneurship

Sep 29th, 2023 32m 17s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Tim Lahey, CEO of r:Home, a technology concierge company, who shares his journey into entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) from a finance career. He stresses the significance of per

Diverse Perspectives in ETA: Building Resumes and Teams for Success

Aug 31st, 2023 32m 7s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Clement Lucas, Principal of Relay Investment, a diverse firm based out of Boston that focuses on ETA investments. Clement’s unique perspective as a former operator is a value add to his t

Risk in ETA from an Investor’s Point of View

Jul 31st, 2023 41m 31s

This month’s episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Jan Simon, the Managing Partner of Vonzeo Capital, a Professor of the Practice of Management in Entrepreneurship at IESE, and the Academic Director of its International Search Fund Center

From Sponsored Searcher to Operator: Creating Your Own Path with ETA

Jun 30th, 2023 29m 38s

In this episode of the ETA Insider Podcast, Brian interviews Nick Oberhouse, MBA ‘20, CEO of DAWGS (Door and Window Guard Systems, Inc.). After graduating from Chicago Booth, Nick partnered with NextGen Growth Partners (NGP) to acquire a busine

Live from the Harper Center: Next Steps in the ETA Journey Post-Exit

Jun 9th, 2023 40m 15s

This special edition, live episode of the ETA Insider Podcast features Brian Vanderheyden, MBA ‘14, Founder and CEO of Glass Lake Holdings. When Brian joined the podcast in 2020, he was CEO of the Richmond Alarm Company, which he acquired in Ju

Combining Passion with Expertise: Advice on Operating

Apr 28th, 2023 30m 32s

This episode features Mia Jackson, CEO of Vital Care Industries, a medical surgical supplies manufacturer. With a background in operations, supply chain, and finance, Mia discusses how acquiring Vital Care Industries combined her expertise with

Reflections on Serial Acquisitions and Long-Term Growth

Mar 31st, 2023 35m 40s

Brian interviews Jason Pananos and Jay Davis, cofounders of the Nashton Company, on their careers in entrepreneurship through acquisition. Jason and Jay discuss how they developed a serial acquisition strategy, the benefits of long-term growth,

Navigating the Partner Led Search

Feb 28th, 2023 37m 35s

Addie Epstein and Ashley Quisol, principals and cofounders of Benton Place Partners, join Brian to discuss their journey into entrepreneurship through acquisition. Addie and Ashley share their search philosophy and highlight the importance of p

Examining ETA's Growth Potential in Frontier Markets

Jan 30th, 2023 29m

Santiago Perez Teuffer, Managing Partner at Cerralvo Capital - a search fund investment firm based in Mexico City - discusses his journey into the world of ETA as well as his current work at Cerralvo as the firm approaches its third fund. The c

Building Alpine Investors with Graham Weaver

Aug 1st, 2022 32m 50s

Graham Weaver, founder and CEO of Alpine Investors, joins the podcast to tell the story of Alpine's evolution. Graham focuses on key times (the Great Recession) and people who made Alpine what it is today. The episode is full of hard earned wis

Perspectives on a Purposeful ETA Career

Apr 1st, 2022 38m 17s

Industry veteran David Dodson joins Brian to talk about his successful and varied career in the Entrepreneurship through Acquisition community. From his time as an early student of Irv Grousbeck to his multiple successful searches, acquisitions

Creating a Great Leadership Transition at TGI Direct

Feb 23rd, 2022 29m 59s

Monica Weaver, MBA '07 talks through her first two years of leadership at TGI Direct, a company that manages direct mail in highly regulated industries. Monica shares her search story from raising and then closing a traditional search fund aft

Self Funded Search From Multiple Angles

Jan 25th, 2022 34m 15s

Robert Graham talks through his busy roles first as the CEO of Pilar Health Group, a company he acquired through a partnered self funded search in 2018, and also as a Partner at Search Investment Group where he advises self funded searchers on

Reflections on 30 Years of Successful Search Entrepreneurship

Dec 23rd, 2021 38m 53s

Andrew Cousin joins to talk about his career as an ETA entrepreneur. His story is full of rich anecdotes from acquiring and building onto a woodworking hardware company in the early 90s to exiting that business and leading one of the largest se

Working on the business versus in the business with Brian Kruse

Oct 14th, 2021 28m 49s

Brian Kruse, MBA '18, joins the podcast to talk about his first year as the owner/operator of Legacy Roofing in Ohio. The two talk about how to identify a great industry and weigh the pros and cons of choosing the right size business to acquire

Celebrating an Exit at T Base Communications

Jul 29th, 2021 36m 51s

Brian chats with Trevor Lwin, MBA ’12, about his round trip ETA journey. Trevor discusses his introduction to the model during his time as an executive MBA student at Chicago Booth, his keys to a successful partner search, advice on intermediar