Where Are They Now? A Conversation with Nick Wheeler
Last summer when, after a self-funded search, Nick Wheeler was only a few months into his new role as President at Tra-Cal, Rick and Royce had a chance to speak with him about his early experiences at the company’s helm. In that Season One episode, Nick confessed that he was “drinking from the fire hose”, but he also believed that Tra-Cal had been a high-quality acquisition and was optimistically looking ahead to the company’s future. In this conversation, Nick reflects on the journey he’s taken since last touching base with Rick and Royce fourteen months ago. Together they discuss the ongoing evolution of the company, encompassing Nick’s own transition from an early-days learning mode to a current focus on growth; hiring challenges and successes; advice to current searchers on the kinds of skills that are important for successfully running a small business; what Nick most appreciates about his current role; and more. Our hosts also look ahead to Think Big, Buy Small’s third season, launching on September 8th, in which they'll engage in many fascinating, forthcoming conversations. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!
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Questions and Answers with Rick and Royce
At the end of each episode, Rick and Royce ask listeners to reach out with any questions they may have related to entrepreneurship through acquisition. In response, we’ve heard from people at all stages of their entrepreneurship through acquisition journeys, along with other stakeholders in search. Now, in the final episode of Season Two, our hosts address many of the queries that were received. This wide-ranging discussion includes reflections on how undergraduates can begin to think about the ETA path; traits of successful acquisition entrepreneurs – and whether they’re innate or can be learned; insights on financial modeling and valuation; whether franchises are appealing acquisition targets; mistakes to be avoided in due diligence; trade-offs for investors considering traditional versus self-funded opportunities; artificial intelligence, and more. Rick and Royce also share their thoughts on whether there are ETA-related topics on which they disagree – and they look ahead to Season Three!
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A Successful Model for Roll-Ups in Automotive and Beyond
A few years ago, Logan Leslie began his search with the goal of rolling up smaller, same-industry enterprises under the umbrella of one company. Fast forward to today and Logan is CEO of Main Street Auto, which is the parent company to over ninety auto repair shops around the country. In this engaging conversation, Logan shares why he believes the auto industry is ideal for roll-ups, along with his strategy for doing so therein; his thoughts on the importance of a cultural fit in search; how and why he’s been so successful in building the team around him; the role of sale-leaseback transactions in supercharging growth; and his reflections on the advantages of scale, to name but a few examples. Listeners may recall that Rick is generally skeptical of roll-ups. In this episode, however, we learn about the “secret sauce” in Logan’s approach that has Rick reconsidering his long-held position.
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The Journey and Impact of a Mission-Driven Searcher
In the last three years, Adriana Garcia Ceja graduated from Harvard Business School, became a mother and, after a funded search, acquired an aging life care management business called ElderTree. Many would-be CEOs set out on their searches primarily wanting to experience the joys of operating a small business, while being more agnostic about what the company does. This was not the case for Adriana, who from the outset wanted to acquire either an addiction
recovery center or a company in the elder care space, searching for a business that she believed contributed to the greater good. In this discussion, she reflects on how the mission-driven aspect of her search was instrumental in fundraising conversations; the experience of closing on a business while being thirteen weeks pregnant; how and why the ETA career path can align so well for women; the merits and potential downsides of having an MBA while searching; her future plans for the company; and more. Tune in to learn about Adriana’s distinct journey and why she’s now so well positioned for both personal and professional success.
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Learnings From a Former Searcher, Current Investor, and Industry Wise Man
Kent Weaver was an early participant in the world of search, completing a self-funded search that led to his acquisition of a healthcare company in 2002 and then, four years later, putting on his investor hat to make his first investment in search. Today, he’s one of the most experienced and highly regarded funding partners in the space, having invested in over one hundred searches, both traditional and self-funded. In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the qualities that Kent looks for in prospective searchers and future CEOs, including reflections on the importance of both hard and soft skills; industry and company characteristics that he screens for during diligence; the pros and cons of solo versus partnered searches, along with funded versus self-funded searches; trends in the world of ETA; and so much more. Kent is truly energized by his collaborations with searchers, and listeners will gain valuable insights from this fascinating discussion with one who has seen so much in search.
Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own startup seem too risky? There's another compelling path open to you: acquiring a small business and running it as CEO. Co-hosted by Harvard Business School Professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, the show is an extension of their courses on small firms, including Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, which has been taken by thousands of MBA students, and their highly-regarded book, HBR Guide To Buying A Small Business, which has sold more than 65,000 copies. In this series, Rick and Royce guide listeners through the different milestones of the journey to acquiring an enduringly profitable small business, sharing insights on how to evaluate prospects, raise capital, and ultimately determine if this path is right for you.
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