Jenna Whigham and her brother bought a large business for a search fund, then grew it 6x larger over the last 5 years.

Register for the webinar:

• The Operator’s Perspective: Running a Business for an Owner - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4va4hUm

Topics in Jenna’s interview:

• Investment banking during the 2008 crisis
• Launching a traditional search fund with her brother
• Golden Retrievers led to an acquisition
• Acquiring a $100 million company
• Financial risk of being a “price taker”
• Expanding through M&A
• Software “Trojan Horse” strategy
• How they decide which states to expand to
• Managing a 25% staff turnover rate
• Realities of home care and compliance incidents

References and how to contact Jenna:

• LinkedIn
• Abound Health

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Joseph Cruz left a lucrative job in finance to pursue business ownership. Year 1 has gone well (despite losing his GM).

Register for the webinars:

• What Type of Franchise Is Right for You? - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/48gn6eH
• The Operator’s Perspective: Running a Business for an Owner - Thu, Apr 9 - https://bit.ly/4m7lSZ7

Topics in Joseph’s interview:

• Growing up in a Filipino immigrant family
• Why aging infrastructure creates long-term opportunity
• The laundromat that started it all
• Running an “oh sh*t” business
• Construction seasonality in Chicago
• Last-minute GM retirement before closing
• Running the business while still working his W-2 job
• The scramble to digitize knowledge stuck in employees’ heads
• Building systems, vendor lists, and shared documentation
• Setting the company’s “emotional temperature” as the owner

References and how to contact Joseph:

• LinkedIn
• A&A LinkedIn

• A&A Equipment and Supply Co.

Articles by Joseph:

• From Spreadsheets to Steel-Toed Boots: Lessons from the First Few Months as an Entrepreneur
• Small Businesses are Small for a Reason: What It Really Takes to Modernize a 40-Year-Old Distribution Business
• The Real Work Begins: Midway Through My First Year as a Business Owner
• Top 10 lessons from my first year of owning a business

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.com

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

If you’re serious about buying a business, learn why Acquisition Lab members have a 40% success rate:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

It took Robin Kovitz fours years to find her business, which she has built into an industry leader and her life's work.

Register for the webinar:

• Quality of Technology (QoT) Report: Protecting Your Acquisition - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4d9F2en

Topics in Robin’s interview:

• Upbringing in the meat industry
• Early career in investment banking and M&A
• Her 4-year search for a business
• Always visit the competitors
• Critique of the 2-year search clock
• "Long-termism" and becoming a B Corp
• Her 3 non-negotiables
• Turning around the gift basket business
• Solving their storage problem
• The payoff and price of high ambition

References and how to contact Robin:

• LinkedIn
• Baskits

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

If you’re serious about buying a business, learn why Acquisition Lab members have a 40% success rate:

• The Acquisition Lab

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron