DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer

This week’s guest, Gina Cocking, is a highly accomplished CEO with a wealth of experience in investment banking, finance, and executive leadership. With a career that spans prestigious firms, such as Kidder Peabody, Madison Dearborn Partners, J.P. Morgan & Co., and Colonnade Advisors, Gina has honed her expertise in financial services and business operations. Her extensive background includes...

Matt Putra is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer with a proven track record of scaling, transforming, and financing small and medium-sized businesses. As an accomplished Fractional CFO specializing in eCommerce companies and agencies, Matt brings invaluable financial expertise to the table. His impressive portfolio includes successful collaborations with Eightx, Tru Earth, The Turmeric, and Lusomé...

In my journey as the host of the DealQuest Podcast, I've delved into a myriad of deals, engaging with diverse personalities. Every episode is put together with the intent to share strategies for business growth, aiming to enrich and empower entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders like you. My mission is to explore untapped avenues and innovative approaches to business growth, ensuring every li...

Note: I want to share a brief content warning to my readers and listeners regarding this episode with guest Elliot Kallen. While Elliot’s story is powerful and important, there is discussion of teenage mental health and self-harm. If you or someone you know is struggling, please see below for resources. Elliot Kallen stands as an exemplar of leadership, leveraging a profound wealth of expertise am...

Ryan Tansom's remarkable journey from reviving his family's $21 million business to its 8-figure sale in 2014 exemplifies his entrepreneurial prowess. As the founder of Arkona and creator of the Intentional Growth™ Framework, he has redefined how entrepreneurs manage their businesses as financial assets, combining educational training with fractional CFO services. A mentor to over 400 entrepreneur...

As the leader of Dynasty Financial Partners' Investment Banking division, Harris brings over 15 years of financial services experience to the table. His career journey is marked by significant achievements, including a successful stint at UBS Investment Bank, where he played a pivotal role as an Executive Director in the Financial Institutions Group. During his time at UBS, he was instrumental in...

With a distinguished career spanning over 25 years, Brian Meegan has been a formidable presence in corporate law, representing U.S. and multinational clients with finesse in a multitude of business transactions. His expertise encompasses M&A, business structuring, contract negotiation, and a suite of other corporate matters including real estate, financing, and governance. Brian's acumen has n...

DealQuest Community, as the holiday season approaches, I find myself contemplating the concept of an ideal life. It's a question that often lingers in our minds, especially during this time of year when we reflect on the past and look towards the future. The truth is, tomorrow is not promised, and we have witnessed countless examples of this in our own lives and in the world around us. It serves a...

DealQuest Community, several episodes ago, I introduced a project we’ve been working on – remastering early episodes of the DealQuest podcast into new life. I’m excited to bring you yet again another remastered episode from the start of this podcast. This episode is with a good friend of mine, David Bach, owner of FinishRich Media, and 10x New York Times Bestselling Author. David has authored 13 b...

This week on the DealQuest Podcast, I had the pleasure to host guest Brett Martin, co-founder of Kumospace , a virtual office software for teams and events. Kumospace takes the unique experience of in-office work – where there is culture and community – and brings it to a post-COVID world, where working from home is commonplace. Furthermore, he is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Charge Ve...

Opening Your Dealmaker’s Mindset for Better Deals On this podcast we discuss the dealmaker’s mindset often. It’s important to know there is no one singular way to achieving an efficient and successful mindset, however, there are plenty of core principles that help to grow your dealmaking skills. In turn, you can fix yourself to become a better dealmaker. In this episode, I want to discuss both the...

From Sheepskin Boots to Billion-Dollar Success with Brian Smith DealQuest Community, I am so grateful to each of you for allowing the DealQuest Podcast to grow over the last few years. We’ve had so many incredible guests since day one, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. This is why I’ve chosen to remaster many of our older episodes into new life… And what better way to do that than with the st...

The Fundamental Equation of Business Success with Kevin Stansfield When it comes to entrepreneurship, many people take the bold step of leaving their jobs to pursue their dreams of becoming their own boss. Too often, these aspiring entrepreneurs end up becoming proverbially enslaved to their own businesses. Kevin Stansfield is a seasoned entrepreneur and business coach on a mission to liberate fel...

Wealth, Legacy, and Investment with Salvatore Buscemi In a world where wealth and success are often pursued with relentless ambition, Salvatore Buscemi stands out as a financial expert with a unique perspective. With a remarkable 20-year career spanning a diverse range of financial domains, Salvatore's journey has taken him from the illustrious Goldman Sachs to the dynamic realm of entrepreneurshi...

Freedom is a term we often come across, yet its meaning varies significantly from person to person. In the entrepreneurial world, freedom takes on a myriad of dimensions, from financial autonomy to the liberty of choice, and the flexibility of time. In essence, freedom in the entrepreneurial landscape is a tapestry of diverse elements – financial independence, time flexibility, decision-making aut...

  From the hallowed halls of West Point in 1990 to the bustling floors of stock trading, Jeff Evenson's journey through the corporate maze has been nothing short of remarkable. With an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis under his belt, Jeff navigated the world of stocks at a brokerage firm, managed diverse portfolios, oversaw pension funds, and played a key role in facilitating acqui...

  In the latest episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I have the privilege of hosting Bill Snow, a towering figure in the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). With a rich career spanning over three decades, Bill boasts unparalleled expertise in myriad facets of M&A, including business sales, capital raises, and buy-side services, especially for middle-market companies. Having delved i...

Matthew Khalili is a first-generation immigrant whose journey into entrepreneurship began when he was born in this country. With a career spanning back to 2003, he embarked on a path of leadership, notably as Senior Marketing Director for an online technology supplier and solution provider, earning the company recognition as an Internet Retail Top 500 and an Inc. 500 Fast Growing Direct Sales Orga...

Folks, this week I’m bringing you another solocast of the DealQuest Podcast. This week, I want to share with you some of the valuable lessons and experiences I had at the Echelon Deal and Dealmakers Summit – an event that holds a permanent reservation in my calendar every year. The Echelon Deal And Dealmaker Summit is one of the premier M&A conferences in the investment advisory and wealth man...

Meet Orrin Klopper, the CEO of Netsurit, a thriving Managed Service Provider (MSP) firm with a remarkable journey of growth. Under his leadership, Netsurit has evolved into a $40 million enterprise, boasting a team of over 100 professionals. What sets Orrin apart is not just his impressive business acumen but also his commitment to fostering a unique company culture. He's the driving force behind...

Few people stand out as a loud innovator as Jay Goldman in the technology and design space. Not only is he a New York Times best-selling author of The Decoded Company, but he also proudly wears the hats of a Forbes Technology and HBR Advisory Council Member. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Sensei Labs, Jay embodies the intersection of leadership, design, and technology. His passion for reimagining th...

The wealth management space demands experts who not only understand its intricacies but also prioritize the interests of those they represent. Enter Jessica Polito, a seasoned professional who has dedicated her career to offering M&A advice exclusively within the wealth management realm. Recognizing the need for a shift from the conventional investment banking paradigm, Jessica founded Turkey...

DealQuest Community, on this episode, I’d like to delve into a crucial aspect of deal-making that can be both an art and a negotiation: Determining when and what information to share with potential deal partners. Balancing transparency with confidentiality is essential, and this decision-making process involves attorneys, accountants, and strategic evaluation.   THE NECESSITY OF NON-DISCLOSUR...

In the world of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have become an essential strategy for growth and market consolidation. Lowell Ricklefs is the CEO and founder of Traction Advising, a company that specializes in helping B2B SaaS companies with more than $5 million ARR get acquired. Lowell's impressive career includes roles as a startup co-founder, CEO, Chairman, COO...

On this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I’m excited to bring you a renaissance man of SaaS finance and accounting – Anthony Nitsos. With an impressive and diverse background in manufacturing process improvement, large-scale ERP implementations, and controllership of a Japanese company (which  achieved a remarkable 10x revenue growth in just three years), Anthony’s expertise is unparalleled....