The Search Fund Entrepreneur Round Trip

Matt Estep of Bosworth Capital shares insights gained from his own experiences as a search fund entrepreneur - deciding on the career path, raising search capital, acquiring a company, serving as the co-CEO, and ultimately selling the business. During the conversation he touches on a number of interesting topics - how his team positioned themselves to succeed versus other buyers on a basis other than price, the importance of their board of directors, what they did, both right and wrong, in improving the business, finessing the sale of the company to a private equity firm, and his ultimate transition to other endeavors.

26 Apr 09:09

The Legal Aspects of Search Funds

Raam Jani, Partner at McDermott, Will & Emery, provides perspective on the legal aspects of the search fund through the full lifecycle, from raising the search capital to closing the acquisition. He covers what legal documents come into play and when, key terms that often receive attention, and when it's appropriate to use your attorney and when to DIY.

26 Apr 09:09

Funding the Acquisition: The Nuts and Bolts of Debt Financing

Steve Groya, Managing Director of Aldine Capital Partners, discusses best practices when raising debt financing in conjunction with acquiring a company. The conversation covers what information lenders evaluate during their underwriting process, the various different forms of debt - senior debt, mezzanine, and seller paper, and how entrepreneurs can position themselves for success during the process.

26 Apr 09:09

Searching for the Business

Search fund entrepreneur Shamus Hines of Silverfield Capital talks about his strategies for finding the right business, how he balances his time between searching, assessing companies, and performing due diligence, getting the most out of interns, intermediated versus proprietary deal flow, communicating with investors, and how to effectively engage with business owners.

26 Apr 09:09

Raising A Search Fund

Matt Taylor, Managing Director of search fund Gypsum Ridge Capital, shares his reasons for pursuing a search fund, working with a partner, choosing your investors, conducting the search from two locations, and tactics to maximize the probability of success.

26 Apr 09:08

Perspectives of the Successful Independent Sponsor

Alex Schneider, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and the founding partner of Clover Capital Partners, talks about his personal career path to becoming an independent sponsor, shares the stories behind his initial investments, touts the merits of having an industry focus, and contrasts the differences between pursuing a business with committed equity funding versus more open ended arrangements.

26 Apr 09:08

The CEO Odyssey. Evolving from Deal Professional to Company Leader.

Brad Morehead, Adjunct Lecturer of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, recounts his own professional journey, moving through careers in investment banking, private equity, and ultimately to company operator as CFO of FeldCo, and later CEO of LiveWatch Security, which he acquired in 2010. In the conversation he reveals secrets to leading and managing people, the characteristics of successful serial entrepreneurs, and the importance of having mentors.

26 Apr 09:08

Words of Wisdom from an Expert Board Member

Dennis Chookasian, Adjunct Professor of Strategic Management at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and incredibly accomplished executive, shares tactics for juggling multiple professional responsibilities, how to work with your board as a young CEO, and key reasons why companies fail.

26 Apr 09:08

Speaking From Experience: Coley Andrews of Pacific Lake

Coley Andrews, Co-Founder and Managing Member of Pacific Lake, a well regarded institutional investor in search funds, lends his perspective on a wide variety of topics. Beginning with his personal story and the inception of Pacific Lake, he delves into the common traits of successful search entrepreneurs, investment theses that can lead to good outcomes, the importance of having a bias to action, and advice on best practice when serving as a search fund entrepreneur turned CEO.

26 Apr 09:08

Working with the Business Owner

This episode features Chuck Mishoulam, Founder of Alert Protective Services, and David Silberstein, Managing Principal of Anchor Light Partners, and CEO of Alert Protective Services. The duo provide a 360-view of the acquisition process – from making the decision to sell, working through a broker to source and execute the deal, and how they’ve ensured a smooth transition post-acquisition.

26 Apr 09:08

Journey of the Self-Funded Searcher

Austin Hall, Founder and Director of Brick Street Partners, reflects on the first six months of his search, looking back to his initial motivation to pursue entrepreneurship through acquisition, why he chose a self-funded search, and how he’s measured success thus far. Austin openly discusses the challenges of focusing his search in a confined geography, and explains the benefits of the self-funded model.

26 Apr 09:08

Dynamics of the Relationship Between the Investor and Searcher

Matt Burr, General Partner at Matland Capital, lends his expertise to discuss the dynamics of the relationship between searcher and investor, and what leads to a rewarding partnership. Matt expounds on his own experiences as an investor in search funds, as well as those of his father, Craig Burr, to provide a glimpse into how the investor thinks. He highlights a key trait their entrepreneurs have, “native intelligence,” and how it separates successful searchers from the rest.

26 Apr 09:08

Transforming the Model: Evolution of the Search Fund since Irv Grousbeck

Mark Egan, a founder and Managing Partner of Boston-based investment firm Marion Equity Partners, recounts the last 30 years of the search fund model and how he’s seen both searcher and investor’s approach change over the years. Mark provides his words of wisdom for those looking to start a search fund and emphasizes the power of community in entrepreneurship.

26 Apr 09:08

The Two-Man Search Fund: Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Patrick Dickinson, co-founder and Managing Partner of Ninth Street Capital Partners, discusses his early exposure to ETA through working with a merchant banking group specializing in acquiring and operating companies, and his eventual decision to pursue an MBA and round-off his business skills. He went on to found Ninth Street Capital Partners with Michael Weiner, which now has a diverse investment portfolio and successfully exited Castronics in 2012. Patrick reveals the secret behind his firm’s investment strategy as well as their individual takes on different roles in order to play to their own strengths.

26 Apr 09:08

Perspectives from the Search Fund Investor

Chris Killackey, Partner at Prairie Capital, has over 23 years of experience in private equity and middle-market lending, including time with Banc One Mezzanine Corporation (now part of Chase Mezzanine) and American National Bank. In this episode, Chris speaks from the point of view as an investor in search funds and provides insight into what behavioral qualities Prairie Capital looks for in the searchers and entrepreneurs they fund.

26 Apr 09:08

Operator, Advisor, Investor: The Entrepreneurial Trifecta

CEO of an Oregon-based company that provides educational marketing services for registered investment advisors speaks about the three roles of an entrepreneur. He discusses his path to pursuing entrepreneurship, why he chose to assemble a diversified group of investors to fund his search, and how he’s made the transition from investor to operator of a company.

26 Apr 09:08

Building Out Your Team

Devin Matthews, Partner at ParkerGale Capital, discusses his firm's investment strategy and the significance of a portfolio company's management team. He highlights the importance of putting together the right team and the qualities he looks for in an operator when evaluating a potential investment.

26 Apr 09:08

Invaluable Advice from a Veteran Search Fund Investor

This episode features Michael Miles, Co-Founder and Partner at the Operand Group, a fund that exclusively invests in search funds. A longtime search fund investor and operator, Michael shares his insights on forming a search fund, attracting investors, and closing a deal. He also goes through some do's and don'ts for budding entrepreneurs.

26 Apr 09:08

Going Global: Launching a Search Fund in International Markets

Co-Founding Managing Directors of Relay Investments, Sandro Mina and Martin Steber, touch on a variety of topics including launching an international search, working with a partner, and managing your search budget. Sandro and Martin have over 45 years combined experience in search fund investing, participated in 100+ deals, and invested in 16 countries on 5 continents.

26 Apr 09:07

ETA Alternatives: The Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC)

On this episode, Mike Wallach with Levy Family Partners discusses special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, and provides listeners with an in-depth look into how the investment vehicles are structured and can be used to carry out a transaction. Mike speaks about his experience with the Levy Acquisition Corp. and their ultimate acquisition of Del Taco in 2015.

26 Apr 09:07

Navigating Your Search: Lessons Learned Along the Way

Co-founders and Principals of Calyx Capital Partners, Trista Engel and Jessica Markowitz discuss their ETA journey and how they came together to form a search fund following their time at Chicago Booth School of Business. The pair reflect on their partnership and share insights into how they've been able to maintain both a professional and personal relationship throughout their search. Trista and Jessica speak about the ups and downs of their search and provide valuable advice for those looking to pursue the search fund model.

26 Apr 09:07

ETA Alternatives: Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP)

In this episode, Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, discusses employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) and their role in ETA. She provides listeners with an overview of ESOPs, how they work, and their role as a corporate finance alternative to acquiring a business.

26 Apr 09:07

Staying the Course: Insight into Growing your Business to a Successful Exit

Successful entrepreneur Rob Swanson, former founder and CEO of RAS & Associates, shares his experience founding a company, driving growth through sales and employee development, and ultimately exiting the business. As an operator, Rob’s insights into his sales and growth strategy for RAS & Associates serves those in the ETA community that have, or are looking to operate a business.

26 Apr 09:07

Lessons Learned as a First-Time Operator

Mark Agnew, president and CEO of Lou Malnati’s and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth, speaks about his journey with Lou Malnati’s and the lessons he’s learned as president and CEO of the company. Mark stresses the importance of making every experience a learning opportunity and developing a strong company culture. He attributes the success of Lou’s to the commitment of the people working at the company and their ability to innovate and lead from within.

26 Apr 09:07

ETA Alternatives: Management Buyout (MBO)

In this episode, our host Brian O'Connor is joined by Dan Kessler, partner at Cyprium Partners, and Ken Sander, former chairman and CEO of Kellermeyer Building Services. The pair work through the mechanics of a management buyout (MBO) and discuss how Cyprium Partners worked with Ken's team to facilitate the MBO of Kellermeyer Building Services.

26 Apr 09:07

Success as a Self-Funded Searcher: Benefits of Funding Your Own Deal

In this episode, Chicago Booth alum Darrin Shillair, president of Specialty Sales LLC, discusses his ETA journey and explains the benefits of pursuing a self-funded search and how he was able to acquire Specialty Sales a little over a year after beginning his search. Darrin explains how his search model provided him with a unique advantage in identifying smaller cap companies and being able to narrow his search to a specific geography.

26 Apr 09:07

Technology in ETA: Acquiring and Running a Software-Driven Business

In this episode, David Rhodes, a technology consultant and active ETA investor, discusses how he advises search entrepreneurs when they have interest in a software-driven company. David emphasizes the importance of evaluating the product, process and team, and highlights some of the challenges and opportunities presented by SaaS.

26 Apr 09:07

Growing an Investment Business

Ivan Zinn, founder and managing partner of Atalaya Capital Management, elaborates on the evolutionary changes in the credit industry as it relates to the launch and growth of Atalaya Capital, trends in the corporate credit landscape, and considers the intentional use of human capital as a means to drive impact and outcomes.

26 Apr 09:07

Building a Practice to Service Entrepreneurs: The “Volume Game” of the Search

Chicago Booth alum Phil Colaco, global leader for the corporate finance advisory practice at Deloitte, draws parallels between Deloitte’s investment banking arm and the ETA search. Phil elaborates on strategies to maximize chances of success in a search, the importance of partners, and trends in lower-middle market acquisitions.

26 Apr 09:07

Beyond the First 100 Days: Building a United Culture

Steve Swinney, CEO of Kodiak Building Partners, speaks to the importance of finding balance between the pace of acquisitions and maintaining an operational focus to build a great business – all while mastering the cyclicality of the construction industry. Additionally, Steve shares lessons learned on the importance of managing a united culture through his over 21 acquisitions.

26 Apr 09:07

Finding the Right Fit: Lessons Learned through a Partner Led Search

Chicago Booth alum Michael Curry, CEO of Krueger Gilbert Health Physics and Apex Physics Partners takes us through his entrepreneurial journey from bootstrapping a custom clothing company in the early 2000’s to a successful partner-led search. Now an operator in the health physics landscape, Michael reflects on the importance of servant leadership throughout his ETA journey.

26 Apr 09:07

Transitioning from Military Leadership to Business Leadership

Booth alum Charles Mullenger, CEO of Ethos Evacuation Strategies d/b/a MedSled, discusses the correlations between leading a team in a military environment and leading in a corporate environment, and what aspects of his military background that have translated to the business. Charles also shares how his Midwestern roots played a role in this search, his advice for young CEOs, and important factors to keep in mind when looking for the right business.

26 Apr 09:07

Taking the Leap of Faith to Pursue ETA

Booth alum Gabe Barkley, CEO of MHW, reflects on his early entrepreneurial aspirations that led him from a post-college position at a wine shop to the role of CEO of a leading alcoholic beverage service platform. Gabe discusses why he decided to pursue an incubated search, and how he found MHW and formed a valuable partnership with the owner as the incoming CEO.

26 Apr 09:07

Democratizing the Digital Supply Chain

Booth alum Nathan Dey, discusses how his investment banking experience led him to take the entrepreneurial leap and pursue ETA, eventually stepping into the CEO role of a 50 year old logistics company. In an industry undergoing a huge digital transformation, Nathan discusses how his company is building on its rich history, positioning themselves to be an innovative leader in the shipping and logistics space, and transforming into a tech-forward global supply chain software company.

26 Apr 09:07

The Partner Led Search – Complementary Skill Sets and Delineation of Roles

Chicago Booth alums Erick Laseca and Giovanni Barbat discuss their partnered search experience and the important characteristics of their team that led them to the acquisition of American Vision Group, a leading eyecare services platform. In addition to addressing the challenges of consolidating three disparate companies at time of acquisition, Erick and Giovanni discuss healthcare rollups and their strategic plan behind vertical integration.

26 Apr 09:06

One Year In: Adjusting to the CEO Role

In this episode of the ETA podcast, Chicago Booth alum Dave Newberry reflects on why he ultimately chose to pursue an incubated search model and important lessons learned during his 24 month search. Now one year into his role as CEO of Condata Global, Dave discusses aspects of the transition that were different than expected, unforeseen challenges he’s faced in the first year leading a company, and the value of self-assessment.

26 Apr 09:06

Growth Strategy: Creatively Approaching Acquisitions

This episode of the ETA podcast features Ryan Jones, CEO of Dynamic Growth Dental Support, a dental support organization that was formed to provide the business resources and support dentists need to focus on quality dental care. Having launched his business five years out of business school, Ryan speaks to the importance of pairing with the right investors and how his focused approach and strong thesis helped him navigate the increasing competition in the search fund landscape, ultimately leading him to the business he is now running. Now over 18 months into his CEO role, Ryan discusses his growth strategy, the opportunity for buy and build, and financing acquisitions.

26 Apr 09:06

Update on the ETA Journey: From Searcher to Operator

This edition of the ETA podcast features Booth alum Shamus Hines, CEO of Applied Data Corporation (ADC), a fresh item management software company. Featured on the podcast in 2016 while in the thick of his search, Shamus returns to update on his search, diligence, acquisition, and his transition to CEO. Shamus discusses the unexpected challenges and surprises he encountered, how he approached composing ADC’s board, and what the future holds.

26 Apr 09:06

An Entrepreneurial Transition to Private Equity

This episode of the ETA podcast features Nick Somers, MBA ’88, managing partner of Somers Investment Partners. After getting his start in investment banking, Nick transitioned to private equity in quite an entrepreneurial way. He reflects on lessons learned in building out teams and capabilities, his approach to investing and evaluating companies, and exciting trends ahead in the ETA landscape.

26 Apr 09:06

Live from the 2019 Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference: Fireside Chat with Eric Roza

Eric Roza is executive-in-residence with General Catalyst (one of the country’s leading venture capital firms) and serves as Chairman of TrueCoach (the leading SaaS platform for personal trainers). He recently stepped down as the general manager of Oracle Data Cloud, a post he assumed following his sale of Datalogix to Oracle for $1.25B in 2015, delivering a 35x return to Series A investors in 5 years. In this keynote conversation moderated by Chicago Booth alum Alex Hodgkin, Eric reflects on his career trajectory that led him from Asurion to Datalogix, and the eventual sale to Oracle. Eric discusses his post-Oracle life and current role as an active investor, and offers his advice for those embarking on ETA careers.

26 Apr 09:06

Operating During the Covid-19 Crisis

Booth alum Brian Vanderheyden, CEO of Richmond Alarm Company, reflects on how he began his ETA journey, executing on the herculean task of launching a search and the altruistic element that was influencing his approach and tactics. Recorded during the Covid-19 crisis, Brain discusses his contingency planning during this new and rapidly developing situation, and its associated economic challenges.

26 Apr 09:06

The Power of the Search Pivot

Michael Tobey discusses his successful transition from Booth graduate to investment banker to owner/operator of Hose Monster, and the search pivot that he made when a year’s worth of diligence and negotiations fell through right as a unique opportunity became available. Michael also outlines changes Hose Monster has made due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as his long term plans regarding growth, spending and debt structure during the pandemic.

26 Apr 09:06

CEO Hacks with Alyssa Rapp

Fresh off her new book, Leadership and Life Hacks, Alyssa Rapp joins Brian to talk about her transition from founding and leading every wine drinker’s favorite app, bottlenotes, to moving back to Chicago and takin the reins at Surgical Solutions. Alyssa discusses her “hacks” for learning about the health care services industry, working with an inherited board and juggling family and personal life outside of work. She also speaks about her work at Booth as a lecturer for the capstone class Women as CEOs, Investors and Board Members. Spoiler alert-hacks will only get you so far as Alyssa’s motivational story is one of hard work, being present, taking risks and surrounding yourself with great people.

26 Apr 09:06

Creating Better Products and Businesses-Jerry Callahan's Inventive Entrepreneurship

“Well there’s gotta be a better way to do this!” This is the rallying cry of HeatWorks CEO Jerry Callahan, MBA ’88. From cardboard point of purchase displays, to summer bbqs, and hot showers, there is a good chance one of Jerry Callahan’s ideas has made your life easier. Jerry graciously visits the pod to talk about his successful career developing and improving products and companies through invention and acquisition.

26 Apr 09:06

Update on the ETA Journey: New Operators During Covid 19

On this episode of the ETA podcast Brian re-visits (previously featured on the 2018 episode Navigating Your Search) Booth alums Jessica Markowitz, MBA '13 and Trista Engel, MBA ’13. Jessica and Trista give an update on their acquisition of Paragon Legal, a San Francisco-based legal services firm, and their quick transition from searchers to new operators to business leaders during a pandemic. Jessica and Trista also discuss some lessons on building a great partnership, their focus on a culture of integrity, advice for entrepreneurs considering ETA amid a pandemic, and the landscape for women in ETA.

26 Apr 09:06

Reid Tileston's Self-Funded Search "An A+ in Diligence"

Reid Tileston, MBA '15, and Brian O'Connor discuss the in depth, and often, involved diligence efforts that Reid went through in purchasing Giddings Hawkins, a company that he acquired through a self-funded search. Reid is a one of a kind guest and his stories are impactful and, at times, humorous-from daily cold showers to racing up skyscraper stairs and cleaning Southern Wisconsin's grease traps. Reid's stories from his first year as an operator cover a number of lessons about assessing risk and what to do as an operator when faced with a worst-case scenario. He also provides honest advice for entrepreneurs considering the self-funded route.

26 Apr 09:06

Celebrating a Growth Recapitalization at Applied Data Corporation

Brian is joined by frequent podcast guest, Shamus Hines, MBA '15, and Chicago Booth professor Steve Morrissette, MBA '90, to discuss the exciting growth recapitalization of Shamus’ company Applied Data Corporation (ADC). Shamus talks about ADC’s switch to providing their clients with a SaaS platform and the recapitalization that will allow ADC to enter a new growth stage. Professor Morrissette recounts his history with Shamus from the classroom, where as a student, Shamus actually introduced him to the ETA model. And later, how Professor Morrissette served as an investor and advisor in Shamus’ initial purchase of ADC in 2017.

26 Apr 09:06

Family Business Lessons for ETA Searchers and Operators

Jamie Shah, MBA ’13, joins the podcast to talk about family enterprise and her experiences after joining her family’s company Chem-Impex Intl. Jamie shares the entrepreneurial roots of her father and the laboratory science product supplier, Chem-Implex Intl., that he started from scratch. Jamie discusses her role within the business and the operational strategies and impulses that guide her work as she tries to support growth within the company. Jamie also shares advice for searchers approaching family-owned businesses and the unique strengths and potential complications of working within a family-owned business, whether a member of the family or joining a family firm.

26 Apr 09:06