How Michael Ovitz and Steve Schwarzman From BlackStone Find 10s
Want to grow your B2B business? Start with your inbox. Spacebar Studios builds B2B newsletters that drive pipeline, build authority, and generate real revenue.- 115k+ subs in compliance- 7-figure ARR from emailFirst 6 founders get theirs built freeReserve your slot here: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireRunning a business can feel like you're doing it all alone—but you don’t have to.Scalepath connects you with a private network of over 2,000 experienced operators, and CEO Rand Larsen will personally intro you to 3 like-minded business owners in your area.It’s part mastermind, part growth engine, part therapy.Book your free intro call at: https://www.joinscalepath.com/What if your next CEO hire could 10x—or destroy—your portfolio company?Michael Ovitz, legendary founder of CAA, built a $100M+ firm by spotting raw, misfit talent and turning it into power. In this solo episode, we break down the exact frameworks Ovitz used—and how HoldCo builders and investors can apply them to identify elite operators, structure trust systems, and build institutions that last.If you're hiring leaders, backing talent, or scaling a portfolio of companies—this is a playbook you can't afford to skip.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Why Michael Ovitz Matters00:05:07 - Big lessons when hiring a CEO for your portfolio company00:05:25 - Sponsor: Scalepath00:06:40 - Don’t overindex presentation and don’t judge by how equipped someone looks today00:07:59 - Meet hundreds and thousands to train your eye00:10:36 - Institutional momentum is more important than individual brilliance00:16:32 - Sponsor: Spacebar Studios00:17:59 - The top 0.01% of people I back just never stop00:20:11 - Reward those who create a movement00:22:28 - Decentralized decision-making00:27:12 - Ego is the enemy of multiples00:29:28 - Be brutally honest but relationship-driven00:33:07 - Time is the ultimate enemy00:36:14 - How to build time discipline in your investment firm or HoldCo00:40:44 - Add these three questions to your DD00:41:22 - How to win when you play the long game with people----------------------------------------------Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
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How I Bought 4 Companies After Raising Millions from 35 Investors | Danny Vivier Interview
Want to grow your B2B business? Start with your inbox.Spacebar Studios builds B2B newsletters that drive pipeline, build authority, and generate real revenue.- 115k+ subs in compliance- 7-figure ARR from emailFirst 6 founders get theirs built freeReserve your slot here: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireRunning a business can feel like you're doing it all alone—but you don’t have to.Scalepath connects you with a private network of over 2,000 experienced operators, and CEO Rand Larsen will personally intro you to 3 like-minded business owners in your area.It’s part mastermind, part growth engine, part therapy.Book your free intro call at https://www.joinscalepath.com/Danny Vivier is quietly building one of the most thoughtful vertical SaaS portfolios in the game.Buying founder-led software companies and grow them forever.Danny shares the real playbook behind Evermore's rise—raising from 35 investors, managing post-acquisition chaos, and why he's doubling down on boring businesses with big moats.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro – Who is Danny Vivier?00:01:07 - Starting First Landings (E-commerce)00:02:10 - Product Sourcing and Early Days00:03:09 - Getting Offer from Aggregator00:04:56 - Sponsor: Scalepath00:06:59 - Amazon Delisting Story00:07:59 - Exit Process & Post-Sale Transition00:08:42 - Why Danny Moved Into Software00:09:30 - Managing Risk While Employed00:11:22 - First Acquisition00:14:34 - Sponsor – Spacebar Studios00:16:06 - Partner Dynamics with Scott00:18:04 - First Acquisition Size & Deal Terms00:18:58 - Second Acquisition – Sign Company00:20:03 - Launching the Evermore Strategy00:21:08 - Lessons from Offline vs SaaS Businesses00:22:05 - Post-Acquisition Leadership Hiring00:24:14 - Offline Business Operations Today00:25:13 - Going All-In on Vertical SaaS00:26:36 - Acquisition Structures and Transitions00:27:55 - Evermore vs VC, PE, and Search Funds00:30:50 - Raising from 35 Individual Investors00:33:00 - Convincing Investors with the Vision00:34:50 - Investor Communication Systems00:36:28 - Deal Sourcing Strategy00:38:36 - Competition in Acquisitions00:42:32 - Refining Acquisition Criteria00:45:58 - Debt Strategy and Deal Structures00:46:30 - Portfolio Size Today00:47:03 - Doubling Down on One Platform00:50:33 - Vertical SaaS Opportunity Ahead00:51:04 - Current Portfolio Struggles00:52:28 - Leaving Social Media00:54:08 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up----------------------------------------------Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
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Follow This Private Equity Model and You'll Win (They Turned a $25K Loan Into a $15B AUM Fund)
Running a business can feel like you're doing it all alone—but you don’t have to.Scalepath connects you with a private network of over 2,000 experienced operators, and CEO Rand Larsen will personally intro you to 3 like-minded business owners in your area.It’s part mastermind, part growth engine, part therapy.Book your free intro call at https://www.joinscalepath.com/Want to grow your B2B business? Start with your inbox.Spacebar Studios builds B2B newsletters that drive pipeline, build authority, and generate real revenue.- 115k+ subs in compliance- 7-figure ARR from emailFirst 6 founders get theirs built freeReserve your slot here: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireIn this episode of HoldCo Builders, I dive deep into the playbook of one of the most consistently high-performing investors in the world: Graham Weaver, Founder of Alpine Investors.Alpine isn’t just a private equity firm, it’s a human capital compounding machine that grew from a $25,000 loan to over $15B in AUM, all by betting on people. Graham didn’t win by chasing deals, he won by outbehaving everyone else in the industry.In this deep dive, I break down:00:00:00 - Intro: Why Study Graham Weaver00:02:21 - Lesson 1: Your Business is a Reflection of Your Will00:04:41 - Sponsor: Scalepath00:07:58 - Lesson 2: Purpose Over Strategy00:11:26 - Sponsor: Spacebar Studios00:15:21 - Lesson 3: Winnable Games00:22:55 - Lesson 4: Talent as Alpha00:27:19 - Lesson 5: Building Platforms Before Acquisitions00:32:36 - Lesson 6: Managing for Long-Term Value00:37:35 - Lesson 7: Personal Growth as Business Strategy00:45:30 - Final Reflections and Call to Action----------------------------------------------Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
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How to Build a $200M HVAC HoldCo Without Outside Capital (2 Acquisitions and Organic Growth)
Running a business can feel like you're doing it all alone—but you don’t have to.Scalepath connects you with a private network of over 2,000 experienced operators, and CEO Rand Larsen will personally intro you to 3 like-minded business owners in your area.It’s part mastermind, part growth engine, part therapy.👉 Book your free intro call at https://www.joinscalepath.com/Want to grow your B2B business? Start with your inbox.Spacebar Studios builds B2B newsletters that drive pipeline, build authority, and generate real revenue.- 115k+ subs in compliance- 7-figure ARR from emailFirst 6 founders get theirs built free👉 Reserve your slot here: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireToday on HoldCo Builders, I’m joined by Chris Hoffman, CEO of HP Solutions Group, the $200M+ holding company behind one of America’s fastest-growing residential services brands. Chris and his brother took over their father's $9M HVAC business in 2015 and turned it into a multi-brand platform with over 600 employees — all without raising outside capital.Timestamps:00:00:00 - From $9M to $150M: Why scaling gets easier00:01:22 - The mastermind that transformed our business00:03:56 - We didn’t invent the playbook, we executed the process playbook00:04:56 - Sponsor: Scalepath00:06:54 - I almost let my ego kill our growth00:08:19 - How we grew 35% annually for 8 years00:10:02 - Should more entrepreneurs take part in masterminds?00:11:37 - Why I paid myself $80K for 5 years00:15:01 - Sponsor: Spacebar Studios00:15:30 - How we built a game-changing advisory board00:19:38 - We hired a board member as our company president00:22:24 - Running a family business without the drama00:25:33 - Our mission: Become the #1 private home service company00:31:19 - Why we only do 1–2 acquisitions a year00:33:33 - Only looking for markets with a lot of tailwinds00:37:35 - Competing with private equity on great deals00:42:28 - How we 2.5x’d profit at Ferguson Roofing00:46:18 - The financing strategy that fuels our sales00:52:49 - How we scaled with zero outside capital00:55:51 - Capital allocation and debt terms from the banks00:58:43 - The mindset shift to break through the $30M ceiling01:01:34 - The goal is to just stay in the business and do the same things we’ve done so far----------------------------------------------Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
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This Model Beats Private Equity Returns (30-50%+ IRR)
Running a business can feel like you're doing it all alone—but you don’t have to.Scalepath connects you with a private network of over 2,000 experienced operators, and CEO Rand Larsen will personally intro you to 3 like-minded business owners in your area.It’s part mastermind, part growth engine, part therapy.👉 Book your free intro call at https://www.joinscalepath.com/Want to grow your B2B business? Start with your inbox.Spacebar Studios builds B2B newsletters that drive pipeline, build authority, and generate real revenue.- 115k+ subs in compliance- 7-figure ARR from emailFirst 6 founders get theirs built free👉 Reserve your slot here: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireWhat if the key to building real wealth wasn’t in startups or VC, but in buying simple, cash-flowing businesses?In this episode, we dive deep into the minds of Royce Yudkoff and Rick Ruback — the Harvard professors who quietly shaped the world of search funds and acquisition entrepreneurship. Their ETA class at HBS has launched hundreds of successful HoldCos and operators.We explore the two paths of search (funded vs. self-funded), why the multiple matters more than growth, what red flags kill deals, and how great operators build empires by holding longer.If you’ve ever thought about buying a business — this is the playbook.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro: The Hidden Giants Behind ETA00:01:01 - The Bifurcation of Search: Funded vs. Self-Funded00:05:23 - Sponsor: Scalepath00:06:16 - The Magic Is in the Multiples, Not Growth00:09:51 - What to Look For: 5 Filters for Great Acquisitions00:13:58 - Sponsor: Spacebar Studios00:14:54 - Red Flags That Quietly Kill Deals00:19:01 - Where Real Growth Actually Comes From00:21:58 - Why Great Operators Still Sell Too Early00:25:51 - The Real Search Process (And Why It Works)00:29:45 - More Money Than Time: The Real Reason to Buy a Business----------------------------------------------Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
The HoldCo Builders Podcast with PrivatEquityGuy is a place where you can find meaningful conversations about holding companies, entrepreneurship, small businesses, investing, and more.Be sure to follow the podcast, so you never miss an episode!
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