Acquiring Minds Will Smith

Damon Chlarson takes a job in tech sales, despite having improved the business he bought & surviving a tough year. 
Topics in Damon’s interview:

Damon bought Pacific Insulation Supply, an online wholesaler
Difficulties in scaling the insulation business. 
Overview of sales in the first year 
Getting a regular W-2 job again 
New systems he put in place at the business 
Training his sales team
The challenges of working from home
How he runs a business with bipolar disorder
Fluctuation in demand for home renovations 
Managing a sales team in the Philippines
Damon's original appears on Acquiring Minds:
Nailing the Trifecta: B2B + Remote + Scalable - Acquiring MindsLinks and how to contact Damon:

Pacific Insulation Supply
Twitter
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:

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Brenden Van Buren is growing his fencing business, despite the industry's notorious cyclicality & project-based revenue. 
Topics in Brenden’s interview:

Brenden’s family history in the construction business
Co-founding Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs 
The pros and cons of having a pipeline when starting search
Why the perfect relationship is better than the perfect business
The risks associated with construction companies
Acquiring Pro Max Fence Systems
How he doubled sales in 4.5 years
The top mistakes searchers make regarding time management and communications
The advantages of proprietary search
Self-funded vs. traditional search
References and how to contact Brenden:

Pacific Lake
Bringing Down the House
Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs
Pro Max Fence Systems
LinkedIn
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Justin Turner returns with details on 2 new acquisitions by his holdco Traction, plus updates on the existing 4 portcos. 
Topics in Justin’s interview:

Justin helps run investment firm Traction Capital Partners
How Traction is different from Private Equity
The risks of buying into a franchise network
How he bought one of his vendors
Lessons learned from buying 6 businesses
Driving sales in a disaster restoration business 
Doubling revenue in 5 years for a Fire Department supply business 
Facing the post-Covid economic downturn
Rising competition for acquiring a business
Trends in the blue and white collar labor market
Justin's original appears on Acquiring Minds:
How to Build a Holdco (4 Acquisitions So Far)Links and How to Contact Justin:

LinkedIn 
Twitter
Traction CP
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition LabConnect with Acquiring Minds: 

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

Michael Arrieta's holdco has made 3 acquisitions since 2020. Sales & culture, not tech, have proven to be the key levers. 
Topics in Michael’s interview:       

How he built the holding company Garden City
Why he is drawn to service businesses
His experience with fast-growth startups in Silicon Valley
How he almost doubled EBITDA in less than a year
The mistakes he made with his first acquisition
The 3 ways he finds companies to buy
How he improves workplace culture in the service industry
How Garden City adds value to their companies
How to carefully add new technology after acquisition
Why he is recruiting searchers to run businesses
References and how to contact Michael:

Michael Arrieta's Twitter

Michael Arrieta's LinkedIn


Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze
Brent Beshore's Twitter

Garden City
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More StaffingOverhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
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See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel

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After a rollercoaster year in his appliance repair business, John Schooler returns with scars, wisdom, and optimism. 
Topics in John’s interview:

John bought an appliance repair business 14 months ago
How he runs a repair business without having repair skills
The disaster that took away 20% of revenue overnight
Why running a business is harder than a marathon
The pros and cons of working with home warranty companies
What he would do differently from day one
What he learned about retaining employees
His role in day-to-day operations
His system for training technicians
John's original appearance on Acquiring Minds:
Buying a Business & Having a BlastLinks and how to contact John:

Twitter
LinkedIn
Appliance Professional
Twitter thread mentioned
Reg Zeller
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
EversiteGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:

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

Andrew Hitchings bought a $250k SDE cooling biz. It has grown 3x and will now fund a 2nd acquisition, with more to come. 
Topics in Andrew’s Interview:

Andrew and his wife bought a home ventilation business in April 2020
How 7 months on a motorcycle prepared them for running a business together
His history in the Army, business school, and McKinsey & Company
How his business partner Max improved employee training
Why he looks at the P&L every day
Expanding their seasonal business to a year-round business
How they mitigated the risk of buying a business with a single employee
Three things a business owner should focus on
Why they hire for character, not experience
His strategy for building a holdco
References and how to contact Andrew:

LinkedIn
His partner: Marcela Fernandez

His other partner: Max Williams

Colorado Home Services
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business
Greg Ambrosia
Chenmark
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More StaffingLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition LabConnect with Acquiring Minds:

See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel

Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn

Follow Will on Twitter