The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors

In this solo episode of The Close, Craig Castelli tackles listener questions covering timely M&A topics. He discusses how the government shutdown impacts SBA financing and government contractor deals, explains reverse due diligence strategies for sellers to properly vet potential buyers, and breaks down the value of conducting sell-side quality of earnings reports. Craig provides practical ins...

Business owner Ted Hsu shares his journey from selling his company to finding new purpose in life after exit. He discusses the critical aspects of the sale process, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to all that is said and left unspoken. Ted reflects on his smooth transition to working within a PE-backed environment, crediting proper systems and scalability focus. Ted offers candid ad...

Caber Hill Advisors Managing Director Jordan Gerber explores his unique path to investment banking. From his early days as a CPA to owning and selling his own collection agency, Jordan shares hard-earned lessons about the M&A process, including mistakes he made during his own business sale. Now specializing as a generalist covering multiple sectors, Jordan discusses how his diverse background...

Craig is joined by Denielle Finkelstein & Thyme Sullivan, the founders of Unicorn, who made a bold pivot from retail shelves to revolutionizing workplace bathrooms. After struggling in the competitive retail space selling premium period products, they discovered an untapped market by creating the first-ever dispensers placed directly in bathroom stalls. With zero customer churn over three and...

In this episode of The Close, Maria Melone discusses the challenges facing healthcare M&A, particularly in dental and med spa sectors. She explains how many advisors focus solely on headline multiples while ignoring crucial deal structure elements like cash-at-close ratios, equity terms, and buyer-seller fit. Maria shares a compelling example of how the same transaction could be valued at 28x,...

Nick Olsen, Managing Director of Cornerstone International Alliance, discusses what makes successful M&A advisors and how business owners should evaluate them. Nick shares insights from working with 165 M&A advisors who've closed $5.5 billion in deals over four years. He emphasizes the importance of relationship management, being a trusted advisor, and developing strong business devel...

Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj and Dr. Anushka Gaglani, co-founders of Areo Dental Group, discuss their entrepreneurial journey from associates to successful multi-practice owners. Founded in 2016, Areo has grown through strategic acquisitions and de novo development across multiple states. The duo shares insights on leadership development, the importance of peer groups and mentorship, and their decision to...

Brian Zielinski discusses how AI is transforming business operations and M&A processes. He explains how his company streamlines post-acquisition integration by connecting tools and improving data flow. In M&A, AI eliminates mundane work by accelerating target research, conducting deeper due diligence, and handling time-consuming tasks like reviewing multiple legal documents. This technolog...

In this episode, Caber Hill's Managing Director Peter Holton discusses his unique background in family-owned businesses and how it helps him connect with blue-collar business owners, particularly in the facility services sector. Peter shares insights on building trust with clients who've built their companies from the ground up, navigating family business dynamics, and preparing the next...

In this episode, Craig Castelli interviews Bob Armbruster, founder of Clean Team, who shares his journey from humble beginnings to building a nationwide janitorial company. Starting with just $5,000 in 1996, Bob grew his business from personally cleaning offices to operating 18 locations across the U.S., primarily through strategic acquisitions. He discusses key growth factors including joining in...

In this episode, Dr. Erica Person shares her journey from selling her first audiology practice to building a new one with a unique fee-for-service model. Dr. Person discusses how prioritizing service over devices has kept her business thriving despite industry downturns. She also offers valuable insights on preparing a practice for eventual sale, including the importance of clean financials, repla...

Tim Murch shares his remarkable journey growing 4M Building Solutions from a small family business to a $125 million enterprise with 6,500 team members. He discusses his strategic approach to acquisitions (completing 40+ deals), the importance of setting written goals, and how bringing in the right leadership team was crucial to breaking through growth plateaus. Later in the episode, Tim explains...

In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast, host Craig Castelli interviews Darrin Shillair, owner of Specialty Sales, an industrial distribution business in Chicago's western suburbs. Darrin shares his journey from leaving his position at Guggenheim in 2018 to pursue business ownership, driven by his desire for autonomy and control over his work and schedule. As a solo buyer competing again...

Craig's first episode with a member of the Caber Hill team features Managing Director Brian Steffens, as they discuss the common characteristics of successful clients, the importance of alignment and transparency, the competitive landscape in the middle market M&A space, and how Steffens' buy-side experience makes him a better sell-side advisor. Explore our full episode page to watch...

In this episode of The Close, Founder and CEO of Root3 Marketing, Scott Christiansen, shares proven strategies for small business owners to increase revenue before selling. Learn how to leverage digital marketing with measurable ROI, discover the untapped potential of cross-selling to existing customers, and understand how to handle brand evolution during growth. Scott reveals how a small monthly...

Craig talks with Dr. Anthony Ponzio, who shares his remarkable journey from managing a single dental practice to building, scaling, and ultimately selling a 10-practice DSO. Learn how trust between partners, maintaining clinical autonomy, and finding work-life balance were key to his success. Anthony offers valuable insights for practice owners considering their next steps and reveals why the high...

In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast, Craig talks with Brian Ludden, founder of Ludex, as he shares his journey from trader to tech entrepreneur. Discover how a simple card collecting activity with his son during COVID sparked a business idea that grew into an app with 3 million downloads. Brian reveals how embracing failure became his greatest asset, the challenges of building a tech comp...

In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors, Craig Castelli interviews entrepreneur Amir Hadar about his experience selling businesses. Amir shares candid reflections on the transition from business owner to employee after the acquisition, including the challenges of working for new leadership. He offers valuable advice for business owners considering an exit. Explore our...