The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Bobby Ocampo and Sheldon Lewis, co-founders and managing partners of Blueprint Equity. Following the successful close of Blueprint Equity’s $333 million third fund, Bobby and Sheldon explain how the firm identifies and supports high-growth B2B software companies. They discuss Blueprint’s early growth investment strategy, its...

In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Paul Isaac, Managing Partner of Isaac Management LLC, about investing in lower-middle-market businesses through a permanent-capital model. Paul explains why Isaac Management operates without a traditional fund, predetermined exits or outside investor pressure. He discusses the risks of overleveraging, the importance of unders...

In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Russ Roenick, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Transom Capital, about building a differentiated middle-market investment strategy around carve-outs, special situations and operational complexity. Russ explains how launching Transom shortly before the global financial crisis shaped the firm’s highly hands-on approach. He out...

In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Daniel Pianko, Co-Founder of Achieve Partners, about Achieve’s talent-led investment strategy, its $465 million exit of Optimum, and how the firm reached top 5% performance for DPI in Cambridge Associates’ US buyout benchmark. Daniel shares how Achieve Partners invests in businesses where the biggest growth constraint is acce...

In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with David Bell, former Wharton Professor of Marketing and early-stage investor in consumer companies including Diapers.com, Warby Parker, Harry’s and Jet.com. David shares what he looks for in standout consumer brands, why founder insight and capital discipline matter, and how businesses can build emotional and symbolic value aro...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Adil Taha, a private equity operator specialising in the UK legal sector. They explore why private equity has struggled to scale law firms, the challenges of buy-and-build strategies, and why many legal businesses are weaker than they appear financially. Adil shares lessons from rescuing and rebuilding Child & Child, explains why consumer legal servic...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Shiv Narayanan, CEO of How to SaaS, about how private equity firms can use marketing and AI as value creation levers. They discuss why many B2B companies underinvest in marketing, how AI is changing buyer behavior, and why brand authority and content are becoming critical for growth. Timestamps 00:03 – Introduction to Shiv Narayanan and How to SaaS 01:55...

In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Christina Haxton about the relationship between private equity firms and portfolio company leadership teams. They discuss how trust, communication, alignment, and culture impact execution during periods of rapid growth — and why many businesses struggle not because of strategy, but because of leadership friction...

Episode Summary Paul Brennan, PE-backed CFO, shares lessons from exiting Lindsay Precast (sold to The Jordan Company), covering exit prep, value creation, and integration. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & Background CFO experience across PE, public, and family-owned businesses. 01:23 – Common PE Mistake Lack of clarity on why data requests matter → impacts alignment. 03:13 – Exit Preparation...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Robert Irving, CEO of Buffalo Growth Partners. Robert shares his journey from building and selling a fire & life safety business to scaling within private equity and launching his own independent sponsor firm. ⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics 00:00 – Introduction Robert’s journey across founding, exiting, and re-entering private equity. 00:30 – Building...

Guest: Michael Arietta Host: Alex Rawlings 🕒 Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro Overview of Garden City Equity’s long-term, people-first model. 00:40 – Biggest PE Mistake Short-term thinking (IRR focus) limits investment in transformational initiatives like ERP, CRM, and AI. 01:37 – Long-Term Hold Strategy 30-year horizon allows compounding value without forced exits. 03:05 – Holding Company Model All...

Alex Rawlings speaks with Nigel Green on why private equity firms struggle with organic growth and how better hiring, faster execution, and customer focus can unlock value. ⏱️ Timestamps & Key Takeaways 00:00 – Introduction Nigel’s background and advisory focus 00:29 – Career Highlights  Two successful exits before 30   Now advising PE-backed companies on growth  01:34 – Biggest PE Mistake  We...

Alex Rawlings speaks with Jeff Helfgott, CEO of Boardroom Salon, about scaling PE-backed multi-unit businesses. They discuss talent strategy, retention, resilience, and how to turn operational fixes into sustainable growth. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & Jeff’s Background From barbershop beginnings to PE-backed CEO. 01:04 – Common PE Mistakes Overlooking talent strategy during dilige...

Mike Esposito shares his journey from a 30-year career at Goldman Sachs to co-founding Franchise Equity Partners, highlighting their differentiated approach to private equity through franchising and multi-unit retail investing. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Career background and transition to PE 01:45 – Pitfalls of “me-too” PE strategies 03:13 – Leaving Goldman Sachs during COVID...

Guest: Meg Pogue, Founder, Mission Squared Host: Alex Rawlings Meg Pogue joins Alex to discuss the psychology behind change in private equity-backed businesses . A former CEO who scaled her company from 2 to 95 employees , Meg now works with executive teams to navigate transformation, cultural friction, and the human dynamics of growth and acquisitions . The conversation explores why acquisitions...

Guest: David Williams, CEO, Advantage Services Group (ASG) Host: Alex Rawlings David Williams joins Alex to share how he transitioned from consulting into entrepreneurship through acquisition — and scaled a home services platform to $100m+ in revenue in just five years. Since acquiring his first HVAC business in Oregon during COVID, David has completed 10 acquisitions, expanded into three states,...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Andrew Sachs , Founder of Mauloa , about why he believes the traditional private equity model is fundamentally flawed — and what a long-term alternative looks like. After starting his career at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners , Andrew built Mauloa around a simple philosophy: no excessive leverage, no forced exits, and a focus on compounding cash flow over...

In this episode, Alex sits down with Peter Rossi, a UK-based CTO with 25+ years in technology and 15 years in commercial leadership. From running trackside IT at McLaren to leading 22 acquisitions in a PE-backed group, Peter shares hard-earned lessons on growth, integration, and operating under pressure. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & career overview 00:28 – Life at McLaren & high-pe...

In this episode, host Alex Rawlings welcomes James Carver , a seasoned CFO with two private equity-backed exits under his belt. James shares his unique journey from the trading desk to executive leadership, and unpacks valuable lessons from navigating complex M&A deals, ESOP sales, and private equity integrations. ⏱️ Episode Highlights 00:00 – Intro & Background James shares his career pat...

Episode Overview: In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Richard Fitzgerald of CapitalSpring, a private equity firm specializing in foodservice and multi-location consumer businesses. Richard shares insights into CapitalSpring’s differentiated, sector-focused approach, how they’ve scaled over 20 years, and the recent $1B+ exit to Bain Capital. He also unpacks their latest fundraising success i...

🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Chris Sznewajs of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners about building a private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs and businesses owned by “unnatural owners.” Chris shares how Pacific Avenue identifies overlooked assets, drives value through operational focus, and recently expanded into Europe with a team-first approach. He...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Alex Sabel , Vice President at THL Partners , to explore how the firm is embracing AI across its operations and portfolio. Alex leads THL’s research function and AI strategy, bringing a data-driven, quant mindset to private equity. He shares how THL uses AI internally to improve investment workflows, how portfolio companies are deploying AI to drive prod...

In this episode, Giovanni Zangani joins Alex Rawlings to share insights from operating in Vietnam’s emerging private equity landscape. As Managing Partner at Maestro Equity Partners , Giovanni discusses the firm’s hands-on approach to investing in consumer and F&B businesses, the challenges of deal execution in emerging markets, and why local understanding is critical to success. ⏱️ Timestamps...

In this episode, Sam and Taavo from CEO Advantage return to dive into the 5X CEO Assessment —a diagnostic tool developed from two years of research into top-performing private equity-backed CEOs who delivered 5x+ MOIC. The conversation explores how the 5X model —comprised of Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, and Energized Culture —is used not just as a co...

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Tim Schulte , Value Creation Partner at Council Capital , a Nashville-based private equity firm investing in healthcare businesses across tech-enabled services, outsourced services, and provider platforms. Tim brings a unique blend of consulting, operational, and investing experience. He shares how Council Capital drives value creation through collaborat...