Merger She Wrote ®

Paloma Goggins

Merger She Wrote is a podcast for business owners looking to scale, sell, or transition their companies. Each episode unpacks the strategies behind successful exits, the pitfalls to avoid, and the steps to maximize value. Featuring expert insights and real-world case studies, this podcast helps you navigate the complexities of M&A with confidence. Whether you're planning your next move or just starting to think about the future, Merger She Wrote gives you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and build a business buyers want.

  1. 1D AGO

    EP: 27 | Trying to Sell Your Business? This Mistake Kills Deals

    In this episode of Merger, She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins sits down with leadership coach Ryan Meaney to unpack one of the most common—and costly—mistakes business owners make when preparing to sell: owner dependency. For founders considering an exit or investors evaluating acquisitions, businesses that rely too heavily on the owner often struggle to close deals, face reduced valuations, or fail during due diligence altogether. This conversation breaks down how burnout, client reliance, and operational bottlenecks create risk for buyers—and how to fix it before going to market. Through real-world insights and advisory experience, Paloma and Ryan explain what acquirers actually look for in scalable companies and how business owners can position themselves for a smoother, more profitable exit. What You Will Learn: Owner Dependency and Valuation: Why businesses that rely on the founder are harder to sell and how buyers price this risk. Burnout and Deal Risk: How founder fatigue impacts operations, growth, and buyer confidence during acquisition. What Buyers Look For: The key indicators private equity firms and strategic buyers use to evaluate scalability. Preparing for Exit: Practical steps to reduce dependency and increase enterprise value before going to market. Building a Sellable Business: How to structure your company so it can run—and grow—without you. Notable Quotes: "A business that cannot operate without the owner is not a business buyers want to acquire—it’s a job." "The more your company depends on you, the more risk a buyer has to underwrite." About the Guest: Ryan Meaney is a leadership coach who works with founders and executive teams to reduce operational bottlenecks, improve leadership structure, and build scalable businesses that are attractive to buyers. If you’re planning to sell your business, improve valuation, or acquire companies, this episode provides critical insight into how owner dependency impacts deals—and how to solve for it. Learn more about M&A legal strategy and deal support at https://nocturnallegal.com/

    36 min
  2. How to Read Business Financials When Buying or Selling a Company

    MAR 11

    How to Read Business Financials When Buying or Selling a Company

    Welcome back to Merger She Wrote! In this episode, host Paloma Goggins, founder of Nocturnal Legal, is joined by financial and bookkeeping expert Steven Bialecki to break down the financial numbers that matter most when buying or selling a business. Instead of focusing on dry financial definitions, this episode walks through real-world case studies that reveal how financial statements can make or break a deal. First, we examine a local pastry shop sale where the owner treated the business like a personal piggy bank. While the company was profitable, excessive owner draws made the financial statements look weak and nearly caused the buyer to walk away. Next, we switch to the buyer’s perspective and analyze a cash-heavy hair salon acquisition where messy bookkeeping, missing financial records, and unclear revenue reporting created serious due diligence risks. If you want to understand how to read a profit and loss statement, interpret cash flow, and identify financial red flags before acquiring a business, this conversation is for you. Whether you're a business owner preparing to sell your company or an entrepreneur looking to acquire a small business, understanding financial statements is critical to making smart decisions. What You’ll Learn in This Episode• Why treating your business like a personal bank account can hurt your sale value • How buyers can identify owner draws and legitimate add-backs • The key differences between a profit & loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement • Financial red flags to watch for during business acquisitions • Why messy bookkeeping can derail deals during due diligence • How professional bookkeeping and CFO advisory support helps prepare businesses for acquisition • What journal entries are and why they matter in financial reporting Resources MentionedListen to more episodes of Merger She Wrote https://www.mergershewrote.com/episodes/ Learn more about Nocturnal Legal https://nocturnallegal.com/

    36 min

  3. FEB 20

    EP: 25 | The Hidden Insurance Costs of M&A with Richard Hearden | Merger She Wrote

    In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins sits down with risk management consultant Richard Hearden from Freestone Insurance Group to uncover the frequently overlooked insurance requirements that can complicate a business sale or acquisition. When navigating mergers and acquisitions, many founders focus entirely on revenue and valuation while missing critical risk management steps. Through real world case studies, this episode explores why private equity buyers demand specific policies before closing and how failing to prepare can cost you time and money. Richard breaks down exactly what policies you need, when to buy them, and how proper planning protects both the company and your personal wealth. What You Will Learn: Directors and Officers Liability: Understand what D&O insurance is, why buyers require it, and the risks of purchasing a policy at the last minute.The Importance of Tail Coverage: Discover why professionals in the medical and legal fields must maintain coverage even after selling their practice.Scaling and Insurance Audits: Learn how rapid growth impacts your insurance premiums and how buyers evaluate these changes during due diligence.Key Man Policies: Find out how life insurance on crucial personnel can provide immediate cash flow to replace an irreplaceable founder or buy out a deceased partner's shares.Bonus Golf Advice: Richard shares a brilliant tip from his professional golfing days to help you escape sand traps with ease. Notable Quotes:"Insurance is almost never going to be the deal breaker, but the cost of things can drastically change depending on whether or not you have a full understanding of what the insurance plan is.""If you are getting D&O at the very end when you are careening towards closing, there could be exceptions or exclusions."Connect with Our Guest: Richard Hearden is a producer and risk management consultant at Freestone Insurance Group. You can reach out to him directly for your commercial property, casualty, and M&A insurance needs at ricky@freestoneig.com. Learn more about corporate legal services and M&A representation at https://nocturnallegal.com/ #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessInsurance #KeyManInsurance #BusinessExit #CorporateLaw #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #RiskManagement

    35 min

  4. FEB 11

    EP: 24 How to Sell Your Business: What Really Happens After the Letter of Intent (LOI)

    Thinking about selling your business—but unsure what actually happens after the Letter of Intent (LOI)? In this episode of Merger She Wrote ®, host Paloma Goggins, founder of Nocturnal Legal, walks you through the entire sell-side M&A process from a seller’s perspective. This episode is especially valuable for first-time business sellers who want to avoid costly mistakes and unexpected delays. Selling a business isn’t just about agreeing on a price. From negotiating the LOI to surviving due diligence, understanding SBA lender rules, and navigating earn-outs, the legal process can feel overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. This episode breaks it all down. In this video, we cover: ✔️ Why you should never skip the Letter of Intent (LOI) ✔️ How earnest money deposits protect sellers ✔️What documents belong in a due diligence data room ✔️ How purchase agreements are negotiated ✔️ The truth about earn-outs and how they delay seller payouts ✔️ SBA financing rules that limit seller consulting after closing ✔️ What really happens after the deal closes Whether you’re planning to exit a startup, professional service firm, or family-owned business, this episode will help you negotiate smarter, protect your interests, and prepare for life after closing. 👇 Need legal guidance for your business sale?  Visit Nocturnal Legal: https://www.nocturnallegal.com #mergersandacquisitions #sellingabusiness #businessexit #smallbusinessowner #businesslaw #entrepreneurship #exitstrategy #nocturnallegal

    20 min

  5. JAN 27

    EP 23 | M&A Communication Strategy: How Honest Conversation Improves Deal Success

    Why deals collapse isn’t a spreadsheet problem, it’s a people problem. This episode shows how a seller’s legacy goals and a buyer’s optimization plans create a hidden expectation gap that quietly destroys value. The fix isn’t faster paperwork but with clearer conversations. You’ll learn how to use a change roadmap during diligence, why earnouts force real cooperation, and what no data room ever reveals, like culture carriers and customer rituals.  Hear the cautionary story of a seller who assumed a one-year role, never said it out loud, and got cut early. Silence costs deals. If you’re selling, you’ll get a simple framework for defining non-negotiables and setting realistic post-close boundaries.  If you’re buying, you’ll get the questions that reveal real operational truth. Press play to turn closing into a confident transition, not a risky leap.

    30 min
  6. EP 22 | From Launch to Exit: How Planning Ahead Protects Your Business

    JAN 13

    EP 22 | From Launch to Exit: How Planning Ahead Protects Your Business

    How to build a niche staffing business, scale smart, and sell for millions. Diane Prince joins Paloma Goggins to share how she turned a side-room startup into a $28M exit. From choosing a defensible niche in title insurance to hiring aligned A-players and building scalable systems, she breaks down the moves that made her business irresistible to buyers. Diane also shares the messy realities: failed ventures, non-competes, lifestyle creep, and the myths of passive income and perfection. Learn how to document what works, delegate early, and prepare for a sale without losing control or sanity. Press play to get practical strategies for building, scaling, and exiting a business with confidence.

    43 min
  7. EP 21 | Lessons from a Writer on Building and Exiting a Successful Community

    12/30/2025

    EP 21 | Lessons from a Writer on Building and Exiting a Successful Community

    How to build a sellable online business with community growth, membership retention, and solid KPIs. Carol Tice joins Paloma Goggins to share how a $25/month writing community became a business buyers wanted—even during the first COVID winter. She breaks down the steps that made it exit-ready: clean numbers, focused offerings, documented SOPs, and systems that didn’t rely on her daily. From managing churn and LTV to handling due diligence and avoiding fake buyers, Carol reveals the practical moves that turn an online community into a valuable asset. Post-sale, she shares her blueprint for sustainable growth and high-touch member engagement. Press play to learn how to build, scale, and sell an online business with confidence.

    48 min
  8. EP 20 | What Does Horsemanship Teach About Risk in Business Acquisitions?

    12/16/2025

    EP 20 | What Does Horsemanship Teach About Risk in Business Acquisitions?

    How to buy a business smarter using M&A due diligence, negotiation strategy, and real-world deal discipline. Chesney Reeves of Nocturnal Legal joins Paloma Goggins to connect horse trading lessons to buying companies. From vet checks to quality of earnings, “as is” sales to reps and warranties, she shows how the same rules apply in the barn and the boardroom. You’ll learn how to set a real budget, write a clean LOI, manage risk with insurance, negotiate without deal fever, and integrate with steady 1 percent improvements. Fit matters. Stewardship matters. Walking away is a strength. Press play to sharpen your acquisition strategy, negotiate with confidence, and buy without regrets.  Follow the show and share this episode with a dealmaker.

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Merger She Wrote is a podcast for business owners looking to scale, sell, or transition their companies. Each episode unpacks the strategies behind successful exits, the pitfalls to avoid, and the steps to maximize value. Featuring expert insights and real-world case studies, this podcast helps you navigate the complexities of M&A with confidence. Whether you're planning your next move or just starting to think about the future, Merger She Wrote gives you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and build a business buyers want.

Information

  • Creator
    Paloma Goggins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Merger She Wrote ®
  • Show Website
    Merger She Wrote ®