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Artwork for Masters in Small Business M&A

Masters in Small Business M&A

Peter Lehrman
Private Equity
Mergers and Acquisitions
Lower Middle Market
Tucker's Farm
U.S. Manufacturing
Roll-Up Strategy
Investment Banking
Med Spa Industry
Independent Sponsor
Axial
Vertical Market Software
Self-Funded Search
Buffett
LP First Capital
Investing Strategies
Finance To Entrepreneurship (F2E)
Artificial Intelligence
Saas
Investment
M&A

Welcome to the “Masters in Small Business Mergers and Acquisitions podcast.” I am your host, Peter Lehrman, and I’m the Founder and CEO of Axial (www.axial.net), a trusted online platform for business owners & their M&A advisors to use to safely and intelligently explore and execute capital raises, acquisitions, and exits with strategic buyers or professional financial sponsors.

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Artwork for Masters in Small Business M&A

Latest Episodes

Today’s guest is John Hill, Managing Partner of Hyde Park Capital, a boutique investment bank he co-founded in 2000. Hyde Park focuses on raising capital and selling American lower middle market businesses with $5M to $50M in EBITDA. The firm has spe... more

Today's guests are Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter, Co-Founders of Heritage Holding, an investment firm that has completed nearly 50 acquisitions across 12 active platform companies.

After graduating from HBS, where they met as classmates and intram... more

Today’s guest is Grant Hensel, founder of Entrepreneurial Capital, a fund that partners with self-funded searchers acquiring small businesses through ETA. After building and exiting businesses of his own, making personal ETA investments, and completi... more

Today's guest is Lane Carrick, founder of Optima Mergers & Acquisitions, a boutique lower middle market investment bank he launched in 2024. Lane brings a “renaissance man” profile and personal story to the M&A advisory seat: he grew up in the Holida... more

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Recent Guests

John Hill
Managing partner of Hyde Park Capital, which he co-founded in 2000
Hyde Park Capital
Episode: 35 Years in American Investment Banking with John Hill, Managing Partner at Hyde Park Capital
Alex de Pfyffer
Co-founder of Heritage Holding, former self-funded search fund founder
Heritage Holding
Episode: Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter’s Journey from Self-Funded Search to a $220M Committed Fund
Ross Porter
Co-founder of Heritage Holding, former Stanford engineer
Heritage Holding
Episode: Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter’s Journey from Self-Funded Search to a $220M Committed Fund
Grant Hensel
Founder and general partner of Entrepreneurial Capital
Entrepreneurial Capital
Episode: Trustworthy Searchers, SBA Policy, and Underwriting ETA Investments w/ Grant Hensel
Lane Carrick
Founder of Optima Mergers & Acquisitions
Optima Mergers & Acquisitions
Episode: Lane Carrick on Founder Psychology, Deal Sabotage, and the M&A Emergency Room
Matt Plooster
Founder and CEO of Bridgepoint Investment Banking
Bridgepoint Investment Banking
Episode: Revisiting Private Credit and AI with Matt Plooster
James Bohannon
Belzberg Family Office executive leading sourcing/origination for private markets
Belzberg Family Office
Episode: Goodbye Partner Track, Hello “F2E”: James Bohannon of Belzberg & Co.
Eliot Kerlin
Founder and Managing Partner of Broadwing
Broadwing
Episode: Eliot Kerlin and Broadwing: Principles over Playbooks
Thomas Ince
Co-founder of LP First Capital
LP First Capital
Episode: LP First Capital: Behind the Impressive Rise of a Top-Tier Independent Sponsor

Host

Peter Lehrman
Host of the podcast and founder/CEO of Axial

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 34 ratings
  • Excellent Podcast for SMB/ETA Acquisition

    More please!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NicaBD1980
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests deliver actionable takeaways on sourcing and risk management.
Concrete examples and practical frameworks are a big plus for listeners evaluating deals.
Covers a broad spectrum from ETA to independent sponsorship with real-world anecdotes.
Hiring and AI implications add a forward-looking angle for dealmakers.
Strong emphasis on founder/operator psychology and deal dynamics.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

35 Years in American Investment Banking with John Hill, Managing Partner at Hyde Park Capital
Q: Why does the sell side do its own Q of E, even if the buyer is going to do their own Q of E?
Hill says many founder-owned businesses lack audited financials or experienced finance staff, so a sell-side quality-of-earnings report helps establish reliable numbers, reduce uncertainty, support the pro forma, and address discrepancies before they threaten the deal.
35 Years in American Investment Banking with John Hill, Managing Partner at Hyde Park Capital
Q: Do you have thoughts on why private equity has become so big? Why wasn't it already big in 1990?
Hill says private equity funds expanded as smaller IPOs became harder to execute after changes in research separation and electronic trading reduced the economics of underwriting and trading smaller offerings. Private equity capital grew to fill that void and became a major buyer and funding source for lower middle market businesses.
LP First Capital: Behind the Impressive Rise of a Top-Tier Independent Sponsor
Q: How do you approach LP composition on a deal-by-deal basis, and do you have rules of thumb for different scenarios?
They start with the size of capital needed and align with investors experienced in the thesis, aiming for LPs that can support a buy-and-build strategy and provide comfort with longer integration timelines.
LP First Capital: Behind the Impressive Rise of a Top-Tier Independent Sponsor
Q: Could you talk a little bit about the speed and urgency that you just mentioned? What motivates that, and how have you created it?
Speed is a core value; they prioritize rapid communication, quick calls, and fast in-person meetings to maintain deal velocity, while balancing deliberate planning to avoid reckless execution.
Nick Huber’s journey from college entrepreneur to RE Acquirer back to full time CEO; a case study in entrepreneurial private equity
Q: What was the implicit bet that you're making when buying Somewhere.com?
I made a bet on myself as an operator, leveraging global remote teams and improving efficiency.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Masters in Small Business M&A

What is Masters in Small Business M&A about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A business-focused M&A podcast featuring operators, investors, and advisers who navigate the lower-middle market through independent sponsor structures, self-funded search funds, and private equity backs. Episodes consistently explore deal sourcing, founder psychology, governance post-close, and the evolving roles of ETA/F2E models, independent sponsorship, and AI-enabled dealmaking. Notable angles include hands-on operator involvement, practical playbooks for deal velocity, and how policy, capital access, and culture shape success in small-to-medium transactions.

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These podcasts share a similar audience with Masters in Small Business M&A:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. The Daily

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Masters in Small Business M&A launched 5 years ago and published 25 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 Masters in Small Business M&A?

Recent guests on Masters in Small Business M&A include:

1. John Hill
2. Alex de Pfyffer
3. Ross Porter
4. Grant Hensel
5. Lane Carrick
6. Matt Plooster
7. James Bohannon
8. Eliot Kerlin

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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