Rephonic
Artwork for ETA Insider Podcast
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Search Funds
Entrepreneurship
Chicago Booth
Solar Energy
Private Equity
Investment Strategies
Acquisition Strategies
Mentorship
Polsky Center For Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Miller Industrial
Platform Accounting Group
Contract Sweeping Services
Finance
Business Acquisition
Covid-19
Polsky Center For Entrepreneurship
University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business
Search Fund
Commercial Solar Companies

A podcast series featuring all things related to search funds and entrepreneurship through acquisition. Hosted by Brian O'Connor, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and Managing Partner of NextGen Growth Partners.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes92Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for ETA Insider Podcast

Latest Episodes

In this episode, Mark Hoffman, MBA ’91, owner of Larson Packaging Company, sits down to explore his decades-long journey as a self-funded business owner. Mark shares the realities of moving from consulting to entrepreneurship, describes the challenge... more

In this episode of the ETA Insider Podcast, Matt Littell joins the podcast to discuss his early experiences managing union employees, his transition into small business acquisitions, and the importance of building trust and curiosity as an operator. ... more

In this episode of the ETA Insider Podcast, Alex Panosian, MBA ’18, joins the podcast to discuss his path from the U.S. Army to ETA and operating small businesses. Alex reflects on how military leadership shaped his approach to ownership, discipline,... more

In this episode of the ETA Insider Podcast, we are joined by Jake Bitz, Director of Client Accounting & Advisory Services and Consulting CFO at Boulay. Jake breaks down the accounting realities that searchers and newly minted CEOs face before and aft... more

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Recent Guests

Mark Hoffman
CEO of Larson Packaging, self-funded searcher and operator
Larson Packaging Company
Episode: Unpacking the Self-Funded ETA Experience
Matt Littell
Co-founder of Legacy 41; Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Northwestern Kellogg; investor, advisor, and operator in ETA
Legacy 41; Kellogg School of Management; University of Chicago Booth (collaborator)
Episode: Building Trust and Curiosity as an Operator
Alex Panosian
Managing partner at Charles William Growth Partners and CEO of StartGuides
Charles William Growth Partners
Episode: Military Leadership Meets Small Business Ownership
Jake Bitz
Director of Client Accounting and Advisory Services and Consulting CFO at Boulay.
Boulay
Episode: From Diligence to Dashboards: How Finance Shapes Search Success
JT Fitzgerald
CEO of Kingsway Financial Services and advocate of search fund strategy
Kingsway Financial Services
Episode: Redefining ETA in the Public Markets
Jason Jackson
Partner at Futaleufu Partners and co-founder of the Black Search Network
Futaleufu Partners
Episode: Hard Lessons, Resilience, and the Future of ETA
Cat Littell
Co-leads the ETA effort at Hallstatt Legacy Partners and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Chicago Booth
Hallstatt Legacy Partners
Episode: When Search Meets Real Life
Andre Papianopoulos
Co-founder and managing partner of APARA Capital
APARA Capital
Episode: Operating in the White Space of ETA in Mexico
Jake Levine
CEO of ROBO, an IT managed service provider, and a Chicago Booth alumnus
ROBO
Episode: Cracking the Code on a Non-Traditional ETA Journey

Host

Brian O'Connor
Host of ETA Insider Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 79 ratings
  • Older episodes

    What happened to the older episodes? I started at the beginning and was through some of 2019 and now it only shows 5 total episodes?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ZipgradAkron
    United States3 years ago
  • Excellent Podcast

    Great information, very helpful resource for aspiring ETA entrepreneurs

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Etrudeau
    United States6 years ago
  • Great show for EtA!

    Feedback for host: beware rambling questions... less is more. Let guest speak

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JohnFromTulsa
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

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

The show offers practical insights for aspiring ETA entrepreneurs.
Some episodes could benefit from tighter questioning to let guests speak more.
Balanced mix of inspiring journeys and actionable guidance.

Top Business Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Unpacking the Self-Funded ETA Experience
Q: How did you finance the initial acquisition given the limitations of SBA loans at the time?
We used what capital we had, pursued SBA financing up to about $1.3 million, and completed the deal around $2.5 million; it required careful prioritization of cash flow and leveraging a factory-based platform to drive growth from within.
Unpacking the Self-Funded ETA Experience
Q: What drew you to a low-tech manufacturing business as a self-funded searcher in a tech-dominated era?
I wanted a local business with a tangible, controllable product footprint and a lifestyle that allowed me to be at home with my family, leveraging my consulting and tech-adjacent skills to create value; I wasn't chasing a quick flip but a sustainable platform that could grow from a solid foundation.
Building Trust and Curiosity as an Operator
Q: What should listeners focus on in the first 100 days post-acquisition to understand the business and industry?
Understand the 'why' behind the former owner's thinking, invest in relationships to build trust, and map processes and cash flows to uncover how money moves and where improvements can be made.
Building Trust and Curiosity as an Operator
Q: What are some tips or tricks for self-awareness and filling gaps when leading an ETA acquisition?
Spend time next to operators to learn day-to-day realities, use tools like Predictive Index or Hogan assessments to understand behavioral tendencies, and align with a partner to balance strengths and cover weaknesses.
Building Trust and Curiosity as an Operator
Q: Hey, Matt, did your early career experiences in having a familiarity with being in a manufacturing environment, being lean Six Sigma as you were in your time at GE, influence the type of businesses you were drawn to as a searcher?
Yes, I was drawn to companies with people who were hands-on and created tangible outputs—shop-floor, operational roles where you move things and make things—so dirtier but more hands-on environments appealed to me.

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ETA Insider Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 92 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 ETA Insider Podcast?

Recent guests on ETA Insider Podcast include:

1. Mark Hoffman
2. Matt Littell
3. Alex Panosian
4. Jake Bitz
5. JT Fitzgerald
6. Jason Jackson
7. Cat Littell
8. Andre Papianopoulos

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