DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer

From co-managing the Odwalla IPO at Van Kasper & Company to raising $100 million with Lehman Brothers for a Pacific Northwest workers comp captive when insurance was unavailable at any price, David Horwich shares why thinking like a buyer, understanding the three ways to grow a business, and building optionality matter more than chasing any specific exit. In this episode of the DealQuest Podca...

From buying his first fourplex in Albuquerque for $117,000 to helping build a portfolio of more than 2,700 apartment units and 100,000 square feet of industrial real estate, Jens Nielsen shares why hiring property management on day one, picking the right investors, and getting visionary owners out of their own way matter more than chasing the next deal. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, ho...

From a childhood dream of becoming an inventor like Louis Pasteur to leading commercial due diligence for private equity funds like KKR and HIG, Josh Emington shares how his team sizes markets, calls real customers, and spots the growth opportunities other investors miss. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Josh Emington, a partner at The Martec Group, a bout...

From speaking at three major wealth management conferences in a single quarter to mapping out a pattern that's already reshaped accounting and is now creeping into law and the trades, Corey Kupfer breaks down the barbell effect and what business owners should be doing now to avoid getting caught in the middle. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover what the barbell effect is and why i...

From selling candy in school as a kid in Medellin and getting robbed by his business partner, to riding the South Florida real estate boom and losing everything in the crash before he was twenty, Alex Lopez, CPA built his understanding of deals through lived experience long before he picked up an accounting textbook. Alex runs a CPA firm specializing in CFO services and tax minimization strategy,...

When Jack Clark talks about building 180 Water Franchising, he focuses on one core idea: creating a replicable model in an industry that has never had one. The water well business has always been built around owner-operators — small crews, no national presence, and a retiring workforce with no clear succession path. Jack saw that gap and built the first franchise in the industry to fill it. In thi...

When Omar Morillo talks about wealth management for entrepreneurs, he focuses on one core idea: reducing lifetime tax drag across income, investments, business operations, and eventual liquidity events. The earlier owners start planning, the more options they have. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, Corey Kupfer sits down with Omar Morillo, founder of Imperio Wealth Advisors, to discuss wha...

From sketching fashion designs as a kid to leading complex M&A and private equity deals, Sara Mostafa shares what separates true dealmaking attorneys from ordinary transactional lawyers, why minority investment deals are like marriages with prenups, and what founders should understand before bringing in growth capital. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with...

From experiencing an acquisition early in his career when the AT&T division he worked for was sold to a UK private equity firm, to time at $4 billion Scotts Miracle-Gro where the company created what it called the Integration Factory, Mark Sims shares 25 years of insights on why post-deal integration often determines whether M&A deals succeed or fall short, and why integration planning has...

From buying into a mismanaged family business on his mother's advice to selling at an incredibly high multiple to a PE-backed acquirer, Nate Collins shares how he built a transferable licensing company, what the post-exit "liminal period" really looks like, and why personal well-being is a greater predictor of company success than the reverse. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey K...

From the Bronx to 17 years of boots-on-the-ground relationships across Latin America, Stephanie Pimentel shares the workforce governance, cultural alignment, and regulatory pitfalls that quietly cost U.S. companies millions in cross-border deals, and the proprietary audit system she built to catch them before capital is deployed. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits dow...

Nearly 8 years, 400 episodes, and close to 30,000 monthly listens: Corey Kupfer shares how the DealQuest Podcast started as a solution to a real business problem, what the guest relationship strategy actually produces for a professional services firm, and why most podcasters quit before the compounding effect kicks in. In this milestone episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer hands the...

From dot-com survivor to fractional CFO, Salvatore Tirabassi shares how his venture capital and private equity background enables him to deliver PE-grade financial strategy to founder-owned businesses, why the AI bubble looks fundamentally different from 2000, and how unit economics analysis should drive every growth-stage debt decision. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer...

From printing a pitch deck in 8th grade to accidentally raising their first angel investment, building a 100,000-person wellness app with no salary for five years, and pivoting into a web design business that has launched over 100 sites, Leah and Becca Wiser share what it takes to build a business partnership that holds up under real pressure. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey K...

From buying his first practice from a trusted friend to achieving 97% client retention when selling his own 700-client firm, Jerry Blakely shares the emotional strategies that make RIA practice transitions succeed when so many others fail. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Jerry Blakely, a CFP and financial advisor with over 40 years of experience in the we...

From year-end deal crunches to honest conversations about risk tolerance and self-knowledge, Corey Kupfer makes the candid case for why deal making may not be for every entrepreneur, and what it actually takes if you decide it is. In this remastered DealQuest solocast, host Corey Kupfer draws from his own experience managing multiple year-end closings while stretched thin to walk through three rea...

From grassroots soccer parks to $600 million exits, Marty M. Fahncke reveals why every dollar of EBITDA sacrificed for tax savings costs you seven on a multiple, how the build versus buy decision needs a reality check, and why a business fully prepared to sell is the best business to own. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Marty M. Fahncke, CMAA, who has hel...

From installing network cards as a teenager to navigating four successful exits across decades of tech evolution, Raj Singh shares lessons on acquisition timing, building buyer relationships, and the emotional journey founders experience after selling. Raj Singh is VP of Product at Mozilla, leading new zero-to-one product initiatives. He joined Mozilla in 2022 via acquisition of his startup Pulse...

Andrew Ackerman shares proven strategies for evaluating founders, testing assumptions cheaply, and why the best entrepreneurs see deals where others see nothing. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Andrew Ackerman, a serial entrepreneur turned early-stage investor and innovation expert. Andrew is currently a strategic advisor and head of Reach Labs at Second...

After 35+ years of closing deals across industries, Corey Kupfer shares the practical strategies that separate deals that close from deals that die in the final stretch. This remastered solocast from the early days of DealQuest delivers timeless advice on getting deals across the finish line. In this solocast episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer breaks down the critical factors that...

From sandblasting pipe yards at 17 to advising on $10-200M M&A transactions, Dr. Greg Waller shares proven strategies for maximizing business exit value, managing buyer expectations, and why the best time to prepare for sale is 3 years before you're ready. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Dr. Greg Waller, who advises clients on complex business valuati...

From Olympic sprinter to trusted advisor helping entrepreneurs save millions in taxes, David Flores Wilson shares proven strategies for QSBS planning, equity compensation design, and preparing business owners for successful exits both financially and personally. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with David Flores Wilson, CFA, CFP, Managing Partner at Sinceres, w...

From ten years of entrepreneurial struggles to PE exit in three years, Josh Davis shares proven strategies for scaling through acquisitions, building proprietary systems, and navigating the identity shift that follows a successful exit. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Josh Davis, CEO of JL Davis Enterprises, a five-time founder, business acquirer, and tur...

In this remastered DealQuest solocast, Corey Kupfer shares insights from over 35 years of cross-border deal-making experience. Originally recorded when the podcast was still called Fueling Deals, this episode remains highly relevant for entrepreneurs considering international expansion or partnerships with foreign companies. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why international deals offer significant growth opport...

From investment banker to crypto fund strategist, Stas Sukhinin shares insider perspectives on how credit committees really make decisions, why over-leveraged companies fail fast during downturns, and where stablecoins are creating trillion-dollar transaction opportunities. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Stas Sukhinin, a finance veteran with over 19 year...