Minds Capital Podcast

Will Smith & Niklas James

Private Equity

Independent Sponsorship

Investment Strategy

Investment Strategies

Hair Cuttery

Guatemala

Crunch Fitness

Lower Middle Market

Covid-19

Distressed Investing

Coltala Holdings

Minds Capital

Retail Investors

Soccer

Deal Flow

Trust

Building Products

Self-Funded Search

Franchising

Multi-Location Retail

Your connection to the growing world of independent sponsors and deal-by-deal private equity.

36 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	59	Founded	a year ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	InvestingEntrepreneurshipBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

One Man's Trash: 5x MOIC on a 14-Deal Waste Roll-Up

Chandos Mahon dreamed of driving garbage trucks at age 3. In 2024, he exited a tire recycling waste management platform to a strategic buyer for a 5x net MOIC. Starting as a searcher in 2015, he acquired the business in 2017 and scaled it through 14 ... more

15 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 17 min

$100m Acquisition as First Deal

Former auto mechanic Eugene Polevoy is an independent sponsor based in Toronto. His strong opinions routinely go viral on LinkedIn and were recently featured in Pitchbook's daily newsletter. Eugene walks through how he built and exited an HVAC platfo... more

8 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 34 min

Almost 40% IRR across 55 Platforms

Transition Capital Partners is a mainstay in Dallas private equity. Jason Faucett and his team are the 4th generation of partners at this 33-year old firm, with a track record that includes 55 platform acquisitions and a historical IRR in the high 30... more

1 Apr 2026 • 1 hr 8 min

"We're Not Operators": Bridging Capital & Management

As early deal-by-deal pioneers, Edwin Burke and Chris Eichmann of Pillsman Partners have have completed 7 platform investments and 23 add-on acquisitions since their founding in 2012. Unlike many PE executives who embrace operations depth as a differ... more

25 Mar 2026 • 1 hr 17 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Accepts Sponsors

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Acquiring MindsWill Smith

Acquisitions Anonymous - #1 for business buying, selling and operatingBill D'Alessandro, Mills Snell, Heather Endresen, and Michael Girdley

Built to Sell RadioJohn Warrillow

MoneywiseHampton

My First MillionHubspot Media

Recent Guests

Chandos Mahon

Founder/CEO, Castle Capital (guest on Minds Capital Podcast)

Castle Capital

Episode: One Man's Trash: 5x MOIC on a 14-Deal Waste Roll-Up

Eugene Polevoy

Founder/Managing Partner, Blue Sea Capital

Blue Sea Capital

Episode: $100m Acquisition as First Deal

Jason Faucett

Managing Director at Transition Capital Partners

Transition Capital Partners (TCP)

Episode: Almost 40% IRR across 55 Platforms

Edwin Burke

Co-founder of Pillsman Partners

Pillsman Partners

Episode: "We're Not Operators": Bridging Capital & Management

Chris Eichmann

Co-founder of Pillsman Partners

Pillsman Partners

Episode: "We're Not Operators": Bridging Capital & Management

Corbin Cook

Co-founder of Rise Run Capital

Rise Run Capital

Episode: 7x Organic EBITDA Growth After Liberating Employees

Alex Swanston

Co-founder of Rise Run Capital

Rise Run Capital

Episode: 7x Organic EBITDA Growth After Liberating Employees

Chris Breaux

Founder/CEO of Emberline

Emberline

Episode: The Applied AI Engineer: A New PE Weapon

Edoardo Maggini

Partner at Star Step Performance Coding Group

Star Step Performance Coding Group

Episode: Acquiring $10m of EBITDA as Industry Operators

Hosts

Will Smith

Host of the Minds Capital Podcast

Niklas James

Host of the Minds Capital Podcast

Max Lummis

Host of the Minds Capital Podcast

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 36 ratings

Great Podcast
This is a great addition to the SMB podcast market. The independent sponsor model has received far too little attention. Thanks for shedding light on the space!
Apple Podcasts
5
BudFox87
United Statesa year ago
Svend Hansen
Couldn’t follow the tips. Went bankrupt. Do not recommend
Apple Podcasts
1
tildeeridubai
Norwaya year ago
Another great show from Will Smith
Will is a great interviewer, I have been a listener for a long time and it is easy to overlook how thoughtful his questions are because he has such a natural style.
Apple Podcasts
5
corporate_struggling
United Statesa year ago
Great podcast!
Keep up the good work, Will & Niklas! Thank you for this terrific new resource for people, considering buying an operating their own business.
Apple Podcasts
5
Plazure
United Statesa year ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

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

Criticism exists around the accessibility of certain topics, which some listeners find challenging to implement.

The engaging interviewing style of the hosts is frequently praised, with a focus on their thoughtful questioning.

Listeners appreciate the depth of insights into independent sponsorship, finding the discussions relevant and highly informative.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts	#117	Canada/Business/Entrepreneurship
Apple Podcasts	#104	Indonesia/Business/Entrepreneurship
Apple Podcasts	#120	Mexico/Business/Entrepreneurship
Apple Podcasts	#135	Poland/Business/Entrepreneurship
Apple Podcasts	#202	Ireland/Business/Entrepreneurship
Apple Podcasts	#210	New Zealand/Business/Entrepreneurship

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

$100m Acquisition as First Deal

Q: What role do relationships and prior collaboration play in landing a first major deal as an independent sponsor?

A long history of working with the right people, including prior board experience and shared success, builds trust and credibility that helps bridge to a large first deal even for a first-timer.

$100m Acquisition as First Deal

Q: Why did you choose the US as the primary target market for your generator and HVAC platforms, given you're based in Canada?

America offers a larger, more entrepreneurial market with a richer buyer universe and more favorable deal dynamics. Canada can be too fragmented and geographically dispersed, making the US a more scalable environment for a platform strategy.

$100m Acquisition as First Deal

Q: You mentioned the idea of not wanting to run a ladder of platform acquisitions; how do you balance growth with depth in a single platform?

The approach is to build around a couple of core platforms where you can meaningfully invest and improve the business, rather than chasing many deals. Deep operational engagement and strategic exits over a longer horizon create true value, rather than endless add-ons.

7x Organic EBITDA Growth After Liberating Employees

Q: What were the key levers you used to achieve the 7x growth?”

The growth came from a combination of real operational improvements, a one-two punch of culture realignment and hands-on management, a disciplined approach to capex with clear ROI windows, and a late-stage but targeted M&A that was more about entering new markets and customers than big-scale consolidations.

“I Sold My Business to an Independent Sponsor”

Q: Why did you decide to sell now and bring in partners to grow the business?

Aaron explains it was a combination of reaching a maturity point, wanting to take chips off the table, and the belief that growth would be accelerated with partners who shared a growth mindset; it was also about not wanting to be the bottleneck and ensuring continuity for employees.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Minds Capital Podcast

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

Focusing on the evolving landscape of independent sponsorship and deal-by-deal private equity, this podcast offers insights into the strategies, experiences, and market dynamics that define successful investments. Regular discussions revolve around topics such as private equity strategies, emotional intelligence in investment, and methodologies for mergers and acquisitions, particularly within niche sectors like commercial landscaping and healthcare. Unique insights from diverse voices, including experienced entrepreneurs and capital providers, provide listeners with actionable strategies and real-world examples that highlight the importance of networking, relationships, and long-term thinking in business growth and investment success.

Where can I find podcast stats for Minds Capital Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Minds Capital Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Minds Capital Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Minds Capital Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Minds Capital Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Minds Capital Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Minds Capital Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Minds Capital Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Minds Capital Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Minds Capital Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Minds Capital Podcast:

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

How many episodes of Minds Capital Podcast are there?

Minds Capital Podcast launched a year ago and published 59 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 Minds Capital Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Minds Capital Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Minds Capital Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Minds Capital Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Minds Capital Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Minds Capital Podcast?

Recent guests on Minds Capital Podcast include:

1. Chandos Mahon
2. Eugene Polevoy
3. Jason Faucett
4. Edwin Burke
5. Chris Eichmann
6. Corbin Cook
7. Alex Swanston
8. Chris Breaux

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days