The Private Equity Podcast Alex Rawlings

Introducing Morty Singer
Morty Singer is the Co-Managing Partner at Trout Capital Partners, a private equity firm investing exclusively in the consumer industry. Throughout his career, Morty has been an innovative, sought-after executive in the retail and consumer branches of the fashion industry. He has advised global companies in retail and distribution strategies, operations, and mergers and acquisitions.
What You Will Learn:
The Power of Great Cultures in Private Equity
Why You Need to Invest in Companies with Solid Cultures
The People Factor in Private Equity
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:50] The Mistakes PE Firms Make with Their Portfolio Companies
[03:59] Building the Right Relationships in Private Equity
[05:45] Trout Capital’s Main Differentiator
[08:04] Why Focus on Culture as a Private Equity Firm
[14:31] Building a Great Culture in a Portfolio Company
[18:08] How Culture Drives Deal Flow in Private Equity 
[20:54] Kindness is a Super Power
[22:51] Trout Capital’s Focus on the Consumer Bussiness
[28:25] Why Trout Capital Launched Their Own Podcast
[30:39] What Morty Likes and Dislikes About Private Equity
[33:44] What Morty Watches, Reads, and Listens To 
[35:28] Parting Thoughts
The Importance of Great Cultures in Private Equity
In the fast-paced world of private equity, where financial deals and high-stakes investments rule the day, one often overlooked yet profoundly influential factor is culture. According to Morty, culture is what makes or breaks successful PE investments. For him, culture is not just a buzzword; it’s the very essence of who they are as a company. The same is true for the portfolio companies you invest in. Investing in companies with great cultures can be far more profitable than investing in companies with bad cultures. By valuing culture and nurturing it within your firm, you can unlock many advantages that will propel your private equity goals to new heights. Morty and Trout Capital follow an approach built on P-E=T, where Positivity minus Ego equals Trust.
Links and Resources
Traubcapitalpartners.com
Morty on LinkedIn
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday 
 Thank you for tuning in!
To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here. Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com.
 
 

Introducing Adam Coffey


Adam Coffey is a CEO, best-selling author, Forbes Business Council member, and an acclaimed international speaker. Over the past 21 years, he has had the honour of serving as President and CEO of three national private equity-backed service companies. Two of which achieved enterprise values of $1B. 




What You Will Learn:


How to build a billion-dollar business


What it takes to scale a business successfully


The common mistakes entrepreneurs make on the road to a billion




Breakdown:


[00:00] Introduction


[02:42] What It Takes to Build a Billion-Dollar Business


[05:10] How to Build the Perfect $1000,000 Business


[08:35] The 30-20-10 Rule For Entrepreneurial Success


[12:26] Why Capital is Not the Biggest Hurdle to Entrepreneurial Success


[14:39] Making Strategic Pivots in Your Business


[16:47] Two Natural Exit Points For Private Equity


[22:39] The Top Challenges of Scaling a Business


[30:10] How to Hire the Right Talent Every Time


[33:25] How to Integrate New Hires Into the Company Culture 


[37:00] The Feeling of Achieving a Billion-Dollar Exit


[39:20] Parting Thoughts 




The 3 Most Important Aspects of Scaling a Business


Every entrepreneur dreams of one day successfully scaling their business. Unfortunately, scaling is hard. As your business grows in size and scope, it also grows in complexity. The good news is that the scaling challenges your company is facing are not unique to your business. Adam Coffey believes you only need to master these three areas to successfully scale your business to a billion-dollar empire.




1. People


We all know that people are the most important asset in an organization. When you start scaling your business, you will need people - and, most importantly, the right people. The mistake most business leaders make is that they hire just because a position is open. To be successful, don’t hire for the company you have today; hire for the skill you’ll need for the company you’ll have in 5 years.


 


2. Understand What Good Looks Like


You can only scale a business if you understand what good looks like. Before you buy anything, know what good, average, and best looks like. Otherwise, you’ll fall into the shiny objects syndrome, where everything looks good, and you overlook every flaw.




3. Proper Integration


You have a system, you’ve hired the right people, and you have customers who love your product. Now, the next thing you should do is integrate everything into a fully functioning system. Proper integration connects people, cultures, and systems so entrepreneurs have everything they need to scale their businesses.




Links and Resources:


Adam’s LinkedIn


Adam’s website

Introducing Carl Cox
Carl J. Cox is a Business growth strategy expert, podcast host, and the CEO of 40 Strategy, where he helps CEOs scale with strategic excellence. He is also the author of Lost At CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide To Strategy. The book reveals a uniquely different approach to strategies that have the power to transform any business that has struggled with stale strategic retreats, failed initiatives, and stalled-out growth. 
What You Will Learn:
The Power of Strategic Planning in Private Equity
How to Design a World-Class Strategic Plan
Ways to Move From Lagging to Leading Indicators
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:50] The Mistakes PE Firms Make with Their Portfolio Companies
[02:49] Marrying People, Processes, and Systems in a Firm
[04:14] From Lagging Indicators to Leading Indicators
[06:47] Indicators That Prove You're Headed in the Right Direction
[08:53] Strategies and How Often to Track Your Them
[12:10] The Concept of Strategic Accountability
[15:29] What a World-Class Strategy Looks Like
[19:25] Motivation For Writing the Book
[23:30] What Carl Likes and Dislikes About Private Equity
[28:57] What Carl Watches, Reads, and Listens To 
[33:02] Parting Thoughts 
The Foundations of a Strategic Plan in Private Equity
Ready to scale your private equity firm the right way? Well, it's very simple. All you need is a world-class strategic plan and the accountability to get it done. According to Carl, all these can be achieved by focusing on only three things:
Initiatives that Create Value. As a PE firm, you must focus on the initiatives that create the most value. Highlight all potential strategic initiatives, then rank them according to feasibility, and double down on the ones that have a greater organizational impact. To improve your chances of success, Carl recommends focusing on at most three strategic plans at a time.The Right KPIs. Choose KPIs that are leading indicators, not lagging indicators. Stop focusing on the outcome and instead focus on the behaviors that lead to them. A solid strategic plan should have metrics for behaviors and actions that can be tracked and monitored regularly. Accountability. PE firms should make accountability a core part of their business strategy. Keep your people accountable. Don't take your eye off the ball because people will likely fall back into old habits. As a leader, start by setting clear deadlines, establishing roles, and performing regular check-ins. The more successful PE firms ensure everyone stays on track and feels more accountable for their work.How to Carl Cox
Carl's email - CarlJCox@40strategy.com
Carl's LinkedIn, 40strategy.com, Lost At CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide To Strategy
by Carl J. Cox 
Thank you for tuning in!
To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.
Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com.

Introducing Matthew Garff
Matthew Garff is the Senior Managing Director at Sun Capital Partners, Inc. - a private investment firm focused on investing in middle-market businesses. Sun Capital's portfolio includes approximately 35 businesses across multiple sectors, with over 400 acquisitions since the late '90s.
 
What You Will Learn:
Culture as The Key to Success in Private Equity
The Problem with the Low Barrier to Entry in Private Equity
Private Equity Deal Scarcity
 
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:40] The Mistakes PE Firms Make with Their Portfolio Companies
[02:38] How Sun Capital Measures Company Culture
[05:15] The Link Between Great Cultures and PE Success
[07:32] Current Trends in Private Equity
[11:46] What the Best Firms Do to Create Value in Portfolio Companies
[15:53] The Role of PE Firms in Their Portfolio Company's Success
[18:35] Deal Team and Portfolio Team Working Together
[21:11] What's Driving Deal Scarcity in Private Equity
[25:58] Biggest Lessons in Matthew's Career
[28:02] What Matthew Likes and Dislikes About Private Equity
[29:53] The Low Barrier to Entry in Private Equity
[31:30] What Matthew Watches, Reads, and Listens To 
[25:53] Parting Thoughts
 
How Culture Impacts Private Equity Success
Is company culture important for making successful PE firms and portfolio companies? According to Matthew, the culture within a company plays an important role in the performance of that company. Companies with great cultures often translate to better returns for investors. Companies with not-so-great cultures rarely get the intended results for their investors. Unfortunately, culture can often be an afterthought in PE. So, how can you build great cultures in your company? It all starts with getting the right people in the right positions. Firms with the right people are more likely to build a great culture. This, in turn, benefits the firm by embracing a forward-thinking approach—which is often a common predictor of financial success.
 
How to Contact Matthew Garff
Matthew's LinkedIn
Suncappart.com
​​
Thank you for tuning in!
To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.
Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com.

Introducing Pranav Garg
Pranav Garg is the Founder and Head of Product at Peak Margins, a firm focused on helping B2B companies turbo-charge profitable growth. Their analytics solution taps into ERP data to give companies a transformative view of growth and profitability by customer, product, salesperson, channel, territory, and more.
 
What You Will Learn:
How to Drive Profitable Growth in Private Equity
The Power of Data in Deal Sourcing and Decision-Making
The TAU Framework For Profitable Growth in Private Equity
 
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
[02:28] The Mistakes PE Firms Make with Their Portfolio Companies
[05:48] Most PE Firms Don’t Know How They Make Money
[09:31] Thinking About Profitable Growth
[11:26] Understanding the Drivers of Profitable Growth in PE
[14:02] The First Step to Working with Data in PE
[17:38] Pranav’s TAU Framework For Profitable Growth
[20:12] How to Implement the TAU Framework in PE
[23:20] The Advantages of Data-Driven Decision Making
[26:26] What Pranav Likes and Dislikes About Private Equity
[28:40] What Pranav Watches, Reads, and Listens To 
[32:24] Parting Thoughts
 
The TAU Framework For Profitable Growth
Why is data critical in running a profitable PE firm? According to Pranav, firms that don’t use data often go with their gut feelings, intuition, or external pressures to make decisions. The problem with this is an over-reliance on the skills and experience of the team. This means that processes stop being easily repeatable, and outcomes are now sorely reliant on luck. But with the TAU framework, you can change all that.
●        T - Transparency: You need to have a single source of truth. Get good enough data that your team stops complaining about just how bad the data is. 
●        A - Accountability: The two most important parts of accountability are incentives and tracking. You need to offer incentives to your people to motivate them to do their jobs better. You also need a way to track the actions you take - and this can be as simple as using a spreadsheet.
●        U - Urgency: Make your profitability actions urgent. Keep them at the center of everything you do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. 
 
How to Contact Matthew Graff
Email on PG@peakmargins.com
Peakmargins.com
Pranav’s LinkedIn
 
Thank you for tuning in!
To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here. Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com.
 
 

Introducing Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery is the Co-founder & CEO of Passthrough, a company focused on automating the subscription process for private funds. They make it easy to distribute subscription agreements to investors and have them executed electronically. The result is less time spent going back and forth, better compliance, and structured investor data.
What You Will Learn:
Investing in Your Firm's Brand For Long-Term Success
AI Use in Private Equity
How to Communicate Effectively with Your Investors
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:46] The Mistakes PE Firms Make with Their Portfolio Companies
[05:48] Fund Strategies and Proactive Communication
[06:45] The Benefits of Investing in Your Firm's Brand
[08:40] What Investors Really Want
[12:54] Straightforward Ways to Improve Brand Strategy
[15:18] Understanding the Fundraising Market
[17:07] Advice on Raising Funds
[21:22] Lessons From Succesful Fundraising
[22:56] What Tim Likes and Dislikes About Private Equity
[25:30] How Firms Are Using AI to Raise Capital
[25:30] What Tim Watches, Reads, and Listens To 
[25:53] Parting Thoughts


Why You Need to Invest In Your Firm's Brand
There is nothing quite as important as your brand when it comes to Private Equity investing. We live in a time when people will talk about you. Their investment decisions will be influenced by what they read about you on the internet and what other investors say about you. According to Tim, investing in your firm's brand is the key to achieving long-term PE success. A strong brand establishes credibility, fosters customer loyalty, and differentiates you from competitors. It's the first impression you make and the lasting memory you leave. In today's crowded market, a distinct brand is a powerful asset for driving profitable growth. By investing in your brand, you're investing in the foundation of your business's identity and ensuring a solid place in the market.
How to Contact Tim Flannery
Tim on LinkedIn
Passthrough.com
Tim's Email: Tim@Passthrough.com
Thank you for tuning in!
To get the newest Private Equity episodes, you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify here.
Lastly, if you have any feedback on the podcast or want to reach out to Alex with any questions, send an email to alex.rawlings@raw-selection.com.