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Artwork for Acquiring Minds

Acquiring Minds

Will Smith
Acquisition Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
SBA Loans
Business Acquisition
Private Equity
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Franchising
Covid-19
Acquisition Lab
HVAC
Small Business
Construction Industry
Small Business Ownership
Search Funds
SBA Loan
E-Commerce
Digital Marketing
Small Business Acquisition
Minds Capital
Acquisition

Buying a business is an amazing path for many successful entrepreneurs. Learn how to buy a business from the entrepreneurs who have already done it. 2x per week: stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship. Hosted by Will Smith, who is on his own path to acquire a business. Also on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@AcquiringMinds Sign up for episode summaries at: https:... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes467Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Acquiring Minds

Latest Episodes

Brendan Burdette and Ryan Conner have launched personal guarantee insurance to enable more — and stronger — SBA buyers.

Register for the webinar: 

• Score It or Skip It: A Framework for Fast Deal Evaluation - Thu, Jun 11 - bit.ly/3Q1D9qM

T... more

Greg Shapiro & Zach Cooper-Vastola are building a long-term, compounding business they see as the anti-PE of the trades.

Register for the webinar:

Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - TODAY - bit.ly/49sKF4H

To... more

The first business Joe Wechsler bought had $280k of SDE. Seven years later, he runs a fund with $50m of buying power.

Register for the webinar: 

• Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - Thu, June 4 - bit.ly/4vnGP... more

YouTube

As a South African in the US, Justus Luttig had to get creative to search then buy 2 trades businesses at the same time.

Register for the webinar: 

• New $10m Limit for SBA Loans: What You Need to Know - TODAY!! - bit.ly/4v3zKXh

Topics in ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

David Graf
Owner of Dan Hart (Dan Hartwa)
Dan Hart / Dan Hard
Episode: The Magic of Low Multiple + Growth
Truc Nguyen
Nail salon roll-up entrepreneur; owner of TTN Ventures
TTN Ventures
Episode: Rolling Up an Industry with 1.5x Multiples
Gant Elmore
Co-founder of Elmore Companies
Elmore Companies
Episode: The Origins and Future of a 9-Figure SMB Holdco
Matt Moldenhauer
Partner and operator turned investor at Elmore Companies
Elmore Companies
Episode: The Origins and Future of a 9-Figure SMB Holdco
Zack Mutnik
Owner of Mutts Electric (formerly Jeff Masters Electric); seasoned tradesperson with Navy background
Mutts Electric / Jeff Masters Electric
Episode: Too Good to Be True: Year 1 in a $700k SDE Business
Alicia Powers
Owner, Price Builders; design-build general contractor
Price Builders
Episode: How to Structure Around Risk in a $250k SDE Acquisition
Brendan Duebner
Owner of IT Total Care (acquired)
IT Total Care
Episode: Buying Small to Build for the Long Term ($300k SDE)
Andrew Blazenko
Founder of Eterna Equity; acquired multiple businesses including ProSafe and TrueFoam
Eterna Equity
Episode: A $800k Business to Start, $60m Portfolio Today
Dan Burnside
Former owner of Parker Mechanical, HVAC contractor in rural Colorado
Parker Mechanical
Episode: Buying Then Losing a $2.1m HVAC Business

Host

Will Smith
Host and guide focused on ETA and acquiring small businesses across industries

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 684 ratings
  • Best ETA / Search / Business Buying Podcast in the World

    While other podcasts pitch their own services, Will stays focused on delivering accurate, genuinely useful content to his listeners. Hands down the best podcast out there for learning about acquiring a small business.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BigSlick55
    United States2 months ago
  • Must listen for anyone buying a business

    Thanks Will for sharing these stories. There are so many actionable takeaways for acquisition entrepreneurs. Thanks also to the community for sharing these stories highs, the lows and the lessons. This is invaluable stuff!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    J--Mar
    Australia9 months ago
  • Brilliant podcast

    Love hearing all the journeys to business ownership - and running the business. Will organises the show in a great way too, so you can learn why the owner made the decisions they did.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kimhollis
    Australiaa year ago
  • Will is out here doing god's work. He's skillfully teaching first time searchers everything from books to read, pitfalls to avoid, tactics to emulate, the whole package. I went to the top business school in the country. But Will and his team are giving anyone who will listen more value, connections, and practical knowledge for free. Take advantage of this ASAP.

    Audible
    5
    James Addison
    United Statesa year ago
  • Essential Listening for First Time Business Acquirers

    Will is out here doing god's work. He's skillfully teaching first time searchers everything from books to read, pitfalls to avoid, tactics to emulate, the whole package. I went to the top business school in the country. But Will and his team are giving anyone who will listen more value, connections, and practical knowledge for free. Take advantage of this ASAP.

    Audible
    5
    James Addison
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host for thoughtful questions and practical takeaways.
Guests provide actionable, real-world lessons on buying and growing small businesses.
The interviews mix successes with hard-won lessons, keeping content grounded and useful.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Too Good to Be True: Year 1 in a $700k SDE Business
Q: What were the biggest operational challenges after closing?
Initial days were chaotic: poor records, a difficult transition with the seller, and a lack of immediate inbound work; over time, leadership, culture, and targeted marketing helped stabilize revenue and retention.
Too Good to Be True: Year 1 in a $700k SDE Business
Q: Tell us about the moment you decided to buy the business.
I made a decisive internal commitment to move forward, leave my jobs, and take the plunge after weighing risks and believing the opportunity aligned with my goals, even though records were incomplete and due diligence was challenging.
How to Structure Around Risk in a $250k SDE Acquisition
Q: How did you handle the works in progress (WIP) that the seller wouldn't hand over?
We negotiated to keep WIP with the seller while creating two separate accounts; however, the seller insisted on retaining WIP revenue and expenses, which meant we had to structure other parts of the deal to avoid paying for non-transferred WIP from day one.
How to Structure Around Risk in a $250k SDE Acquisition
Q: What were the key terms that actually sealed the deal despite the long closing?
The down payment was delayed, the seller note started later (18 months after close), and the consulting fee was eliminated, effectively letting the seller mentor the buyer for free for 18 months while the business ramped up.
How to Structure Around Risk in a $250k SDE Acquisition
Q: Let's start with background—why did you decide to acquire this particular design-build GC?
I wanted a mentorship-heavy transition, a business with a long-standing customer base and trusted subs, and a structure that would let me leverage my background in Kohler-marketed lead generation while building a stable path forward for my family without assuming sole salary risk upfront.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Acquiring Minds

What is Acquiring Minds about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive show for aspiring and active acquisition entrepreneurs, mainly focusing on entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) of SMBs and franchised units. Episodes explore deal structures, financing (SBA, seller notes, and owner financing), due diligence, culture and leadership, and practical growth playbooks across trades, services, and franchising. Guests share firsthand journeys—from initial search and valuation through post-close integration and scale—along with personal stories about risk, family dynamics, and long-term portfolio-building. Notable throughlines include the importance of operator-fit, mentor networks, and creative financing, often anchored by real-world case studies that reveal both wins and hard lessons. A standout... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Acquiring Minds?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Acquiring Minds:

1. Acquisitions Anonymous - #1 for business buying, selling and operating
2. Minds Capital Podcast
3. Built to Sell Radio
4. My First Million
5. Moneywise

How many episodes of Acquiring Minds are there?

Acquiring Minds launched 5 years ago and published 467 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Acquiring Minds?

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What guests have appeared on Acquiring Minds?

Recent guests on Acquiring Minds include:

1. David Graf
2. Truc Nguyen
3. Gant Elmore
4. Matt Moldenhauer
5. Zack Mutnik
6. Alicia Powers
7. Brendan Duebner
8. Andrew Blazenko

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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