Acquiring Minds

Constrained in her job and seeking more time for her kids, Ana Lia Barragan bought a $385k/yr, 30-year-old business.
Register for the webinars: 
Your First Finance Hires After Buying a Business - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/3OvsNic
Real Estate Issues When Buying a Business - Thu, Apr 16 - https://bit.ly/3PYIhf8
Topics in Ana Lia’s interview:
Wanted flexibility while raising two young children
Hit promotion ceiling in corporate tech ladder
Joined Beta Accelerator, buying businesses training program
Treat LOIs like conversations, not commitments
DIY diligence first to avoid costly mistakes
SBA rule changes complicated future acquisition financing
Recurring revenue lower than seller originally claimed
Lost major client after leadership cost-cutting shift
Built custom AI app for operations tracking
Bought a job first, business later
References and how to contact Ana Lia:
LinkedIn
Kelly Green
Ana Lia’s LinkedIn post on how the new SBA rules affect her
Ana Lia’s LinkedIn post on the pre- and post-closing gap in understanding her business 
Gabe Perez on Acquiring Minds: One Couple, 4 Kids, and a Business 3 Hours Away
Darryl Lindie on Acquiring Minds: Hard but Fun: Transitioning a 77-Year-Old Business
Nick Haschka on Acquiring Minds: How One Small Acquisition Led to 9 More in 5 Years
Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Pioneer Capital Advisory
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 [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds
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

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 [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds
Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:
Email Nick Akers at [email protected], 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 [email protected]
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 [email protected], 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

Jack Foster & Jake McLaughlin raised $2.8m to buy 10 Meineke stores. That equity has taken them further than expected.
Register for the webinars: 
Offshore Talent vs. AI for Business Buyers - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/4bAIbTj
Quality of Technology (QoT) Report: Protecting Your Acquisition - Thu, Apr 2 - https://bit.ly/4rUHngL
Topics in Jack and Jake’s interview:
Childhood friends turned business partners
Leaving Goldman Sachs, KKR, and Baird for entrepreneurship
Why they chose the franchise roll-up model
Consolidating units within the Meineke system
Applying a first-principles approach to an unfamiliar industry
Paying royalties as the price of product-market fit
Technician recruiting advantages of a strong franchise brand
Why they passed on car washes and quick lube
The real timeline of the EV threat to auto repair
Buying real estate and using sale-leasebacks for growth capital
References and how to contact Jack and Jake:
Jack Foster’s LinkedIn
Jake McLaughlin’s LinkedIn
Meineke
Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):
Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds
Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:
From this page or contact [email protected]
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
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