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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
Acquisition Lab
Covid-19
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 weeklyEpisodes468Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Acquiring Minds

Latest Episodes

When Alan Turkus found a business with a mission, he knew he'd found the right fit for the final chapter of his career.

Topics in Alan’s interview:

• Background in book publishing

• Post-MBA career in tech

• Taking a career break to raise his son

... more

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

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Recent Guests

Alan Turkus
Owner of Interim Health Care of the Twin Cities
Interim Health Care (franchise)
Episode: How to Buy a $20m Business as a First-Timer
Brendan Burdette
Co-founder of Braddock Road Insurance Corporation (BRIC)
BRIC (Braddock Road Insurance Corporation)
Episode: How to De-Risk the Personal Guarantee
Ryan Conner
Co-founder of Braddock Road Insurance Corporation (BRIC)
BRIC (Braddock Road Insurance Corporation)
Episode: How to De-Risk the Personal Guarantee
Joe Wechsler
SBA Acquisition Entrepreneur, General Partner at Blue Line Ventures
Blue Line Ventures
Episode: Started as SBA Searcher, Built to a PE Fund
Justus Luttig
Owner of Copeland Home Services, HVAC/plumbing entrepreneur
Copeland Home Services
Episode: Buying $1.5m of Earnings Without an SBA Loan
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

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.

How to Buy a $20m Business as a First-Timer
Q: How did the deal complexity and franchise considerations affect your path to closing?
The franchise dynamics and a problematic SBA-related funding snag required careful negotiation, but ultimately the franchise structure provided a community and support system that complemented the acquisition while the SBA hurdles were navigated with lender help.
How to Buy a $20m Business as a First-Timer
Q: What made you decide to take on investors rather than funding the deal entirely yourself?
Investors brought capital, strategic guidance, and a network within the ETA community; alignment with mission and the ability to secure a larger, stable acquisition outweighed the control trade-offs.
How to Buy a $20m Business as a First-Timer
Q: Why did you ultimately pursue a local, larger business instead of a smaller, perhaps easier to manage one?
Because I wanted a meaty, leadership-focused role with scale to manage people directly, and a mission-driven business offered more meaningful impact and a larger platform to deploy my experience.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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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 468 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Acquiring Minds?

Recent guests on Acquiring Minds include:

1. Alan Turkus
2. Brendan Burdette
3. Ryan Conner
4. Joe Wechsler
5. Justus Luttig
6. David Graf
7. Truc Nguyen
8. Gant Elmore

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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