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Acquiring Minds

Will Smith
Acquisition Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
SBA Loans
Business Acquisition
Private Equity
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Franchising
Acquisition Lab
Covid-19
HVAC
Small Business
E-Commerce
SBA Loan
Search Funds
Small Business Ownership
Digital Marketing
Acquisition
Flower Shop Industry
Forklift Repair
Vanlife Outfitters

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 weeklyEpisodes495Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Acquiring Minds

Latest Episodes

Manolo Diaz Corrada came home to Puerto Rico to build for decades and keep the wealth from leaving the island.

Register for the webinars: 

• Working Capital: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing - TOMORROW!! - bit.ly/4yJUdSX

• Protect th... more

YouTube

Morli Desai bought an e-commerce brand with an SBA loan. Three years later: liquidation, Chapter 11, and gratitude.

Register for the webinars:

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - TODAY!! - bit.ly/4r81edB

• Working C... more

Rob Brooks bought a $1.9m Sarasota HVAC shop, then ignored the advice to wait 90 days before changing it.

Register for the webinar: 

• Equity Financing: From SBA Deals to Independent Sponsors - Thu, Sep 17 - bit.ly/3VqwuZu

Topics in Rob’s ... more

YouTube

Adam Whelchel paid himself instead of the IRS, putting $35k down on an escape room doing $365k with room to grow.

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• The Deal I Almost Bought (And Why I Passed) - TODAY!! - bit.ly/4hVeKik

Topics in Adam’s intervie... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Manolo Diaz Corrada
Owner of Bonneville Group
Bonneville Group
Episode: Buying a $12.5m Contractor to Create 1,000 Jobs
Morli Desai
Former owner of Amira Natural Skin Care
Amira Natural Skin Care (former)
Episode: Losing a $1m SDE Business to Bankruptcy
Rob Brooks
Owner of Gary Air, HVAC entrepreneur who acquired and scaled a small HVAC business
Gary Air, Sarasota, Florida
Episode: $340k to $1.3m of Earnings in 14 Months
Adam Whelchel
Owner of Lakeland Escape Room, former accounting firm founder
Lakeland Escape Room (Lakeland, Florida)
Episode: Buy a Business with Your Tax Bill
Mike Bourgeois
CEO and co-owner of Cardinal Heating and Air
Cardinal Heating and Air
Episode: First-Timer Buys a $15m Business in Distress
Sujith Shankar
Auto industry veteran who buys and runs automotive service businesses
Owner of two auto service shops in Southern California
Episode: An Engineer's Mini Berkshire: 2 Auto Shops in 1 Year
Courtney Dunn
Acquirer of Servo, half of husband-and-wife team behind Cerbo
Cerbo (EHR/Practice Management SaaS)
Episode: Right-Tail Outcome for a Husband & Wife Search Fund
Jonathan Dunn
Co-owner of Cerbo, half of husband-and-wife team behind Cerbo
Cerbo (EHR/Practice Management SaaS)
Episode: Right-Tail Outcome for a Husband & Wife Search Fund
Andrew Sova
Co-owner of Windsor Fireform; partner at Novo Foundry
Novo Foundry / Windsor Fireform
Episode: The Ferrari of Signage: $9.5m Pipeline in 6 Months

Host

Will Smith
Host of Acquiring Minds, guides interviews and explains concepts to listeners

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 701 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 States5 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
    Australiaa year 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's interviewing clarity and practical takeaways.
The content is seen as a top resource for SMB acquisition and deal structuring.
Guests are consistently real about challenges and strategies in ETA journeys.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Losing a $1m SDE Business to Bankruptcy
Q: How did you decide to pursue bankruptcy, and what form did you choose?
Facing escalating loan payments and dwindling cash flow, Morli pursued Chapter 11 with Subchapter 5 to facilitate a structured repayment plan and protect assets, rather than immediate liquidation.
Losing a $1m SDE Business to Bankruptcy
Q: What were the biggest issues that emerged after you took over?
The primary issues were Google Ads driving the majority of revenue, rising cost per click, a collapsing multi‑channel ecosystem, and an 8% repeat purchase rate, which made sustainable growth unlikely without major changes.
Losing a $1m SDE Business to Bankruptcy
Q: Start us off, Morli, with a refresher, please.
Morli explains her background, the acquisition of an SBA‑financed skincare line, and the initial success followed by a rapid decline due to channel dynamics, low repeat purchases, and an overreliance on Google Ads.
40 Schools to 130: The Roll-Up 2 Years Later
Q: How generalizable is what you've built and what should potential ETA entrepreneurs take away?
The core pattern is the founder-turned-operator who shifts from providing a service to running a business; ETA can work by immersing in a very small market, building a playbook, then scaling with shared services and disciplined growth while staying mission-focused on serving students.
3 Years, $80k In: An Honest Update
Q: What happened in year three that changed the trajectory, and how did you respond?
Year three brought a contraction due to weather and other factors; despite bringing in a full-time GM, the overall performance still declined. I shifted to a W2 role at a startup and decided to sell the business, though the sale didn't go through smoothly. I learned the model is fragile and that hands-on management isn't easily scalable for empire-building in this network.

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 show about acquisition entrepreneurship, focusing on buying and scaling small to mid-sized businesses across a wide range of industries. Episodes center on real-world dealmaking, financing structures (SBA loans, seller financing, liquidity lines), post-close integration, leadership transitions, and lessons learned from both successes and failures. Listeners can expect practical tactics on deal sourcing, due diligence, and operating improvements, as well as candid honesty about personal tolls, risk, and resilience. The format often features deep-dive interviews with first-hand ETA or growth-story guests, emphasizing actionable takeaways and a clear path for prospective buyers or operators exploring holdco-building strategies. A standout as... 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. Think Big, Buy Small
3. Built to Sell Radio
4. Minds Capital Podcast
5. My First Million

How many episodes of Acquiring Minds are there?

Acquiring Minds launched 5 years ago and published 495 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. Manolo Diaz Corrada
2. Morli Desai
3. Rob Brooks
4. Adam Whelchel
5. Mike Bourgeois
6. Sujith Shankar
7. Courtney Dunn
8. Jonathan Dunn

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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