What's Your Deal? | Business Buying, Business Acquisitions, Investing & Exit Strategies

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with returning guest Dana DeVito , coach and consultant with Elite Performance Associates, to tackle one of the most common — and costly — problems business owners face: becoming the bottleneck in their own business . Many owners start their companies because they're great technicians. But as the business grows, that same strength becomes the v...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with Maxwell Nee , Chairman of Family Office Insider. Maxwell specializes in capital structuring, partnerships, and large-scale growth opportunities. Maxwell shares how he moved from an unfulfilling corporate banking career into high-level dealmaking across industries like renewable energy, mining, waste processing, and advertising. This conver...

In this episode of What's Your Deal?, Matt Uhler sits down with Eric Tastet, whose journey took him from 20 years in ministry to becoming VP of Client Strategy at Aspire Tour—and the lead instructor for Aspire's Tax-Free Crypto Education program. Eric breaks down what he's learned about human dynamics, why most people get stuck in "learning" instead of actually taking action, and how relational eq...

In this episode of What's Your Deal?, Matt is joined again by one of our most-listened-to guests, Lindsay Denton. For the past seven years, Lindsay has worked side by side with Matt arranging financing for business acquisitions inside the brokerage. Now, through Amped Funding Advisors, she is assisting buyers and sellers nationwide structure deals for approval and funding.    They break down why b...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with close friend and colleague Steve Williams , CEO of Aspire Family Bank , to unpack a powerful alternative to traditional estate planning: the Family Bank . Steve shares his journey from growing up in generational poverty to climbing the corporate ladder— and then walking away to build a boutique real estate development firm with his wife. A...

In this heartfelt episode, Matt sits down with his wife, Audrey Uhler, for an unfiltered conversation about marriage, blended family life, and the realities of running multiple businesses together. They share how they've navigated financial stress, busy travel schedules, parenting transitions, and the constant pull between work and family. Matt and Audrey open up about what it takes to keep both a...

In this episode, Matt sits down with longtime friends Steve and Michele Sullins — two powerhouse restaurateurs who've built, bought, and sold multiple restaurants and retail stores over the past 35 years. Michelle started with a coffee cart in Sedona and grew it into a thriving restaurant empire, while Steve worked his way up from dishwasher to opening restaurants for major resort brands like Hyat...

Matt shares the origin story behind his career in business brokerage and ownership: growing up with a single mom working seven days a week, taking third-shift janitorial work at 13, and starting his first company at 17. A shop teacher's nudge ("why not start a business doing what you already know?") led to a janitorial company that scaled from one account to 40 employees across New Hampshire and M...

Today we welcome Dana De Vito, a longtime business owner, franchise operator, and co-founder of Elite Performance Associates. From owning Jack in the Box and Scooter's Coffee franchises to coaching business leaders, Dana shares his insights on responsible growth, the difference between consulting and coaching, and why defining a desired end statematters more than tactics. This conversation digs in...

In part two of our series on preparing your business for sale, Matt is once again joined by Lindsay Denton. Together they dive deep into the often-overlooked details that can make or break a deal: commingled entities, lease negotiations with landlords, environmental and maintenance concerns, and the importance of correctly titled assets. Packed with real-world stories, hard-earned lessons, and pra...

Part 1 of a two-episode series on preparing your business for sale. Today, Matt is joined by Lindsay Denton (Financing Specialist at WCI Business Brokers) to break down what sellers must have dialed in before they list.   Timestamps:  1:00 – Why seller preparation matters   3:10 – Business financing vs. home financing   5:50 – The importance of organized financials   7:55 – Real-world examples of...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with Cristian Cruz, a former Miami firefighter who walked away from a secure career and pension to pursue entrepreneurship and business ownership. Cristian shares his bold decision to leave behind stability for opportunity, his first steps into startups, and why he's now focused on buying an established business instead of building from scratch...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with longtime client and friend Chad Cook—a true serial entrepreneur who has started, grown, and sold 12 businesses over the last 34 years. From his humble beginnings running a paper route and selling donuts to owning large-scale Family Fun Centers and a statewide Dippin' Dots distribution business, Chad shares the real stories behind his busin...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt Uhler sits down with David Davis—an academic-turned-entrepreneur who transitioned from a PhD and professorship in hospitality to launching not one, but three service-based businesses. David shares his real-world startup journey, including the shift away from higher ed, the grit it took to build Fuse Topline Solutions, Boundless Hospitality, and a commerc...

What happens when a former Microsoft exec trades the corporate fast track for small business ownership? In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt sits down with long-time friend and client Tim Lewis to explore his journey from tech giant to serial entrepreneur. Tim shares how he left a thriving career at Microsoft, launched a consulting firm, built and scaled a web design agency using internatio...

In this episode, Matt talks with Michael Yarnes about how he and his wife went from waiting tables to managing 750 rental units and owning 27 of their own. They cover starting during the 2008 crash, building a property management company with high standards, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and finding balance as a business-owning couple. A real conversation on grit, systems, and staying grounded wh...

In this powerful follow-up episode, Dr. Mark Costes returns to unpack what happens when overachievers can't stop grinding—even when they've already "made it." Matt and Mark dive deep into the danger of moving the goalpost, why burnout is often disguised as ambition, and how business owners can either scale or stall based on their ability to let go. From lessons learned in private equity boardrooms...

Description: In this powerful first part of a two-part series, Matt sits down with Dr. Mark Costes—dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Dental Success Institute and Dental Success Network. Mark shares the raw and inspiring journey from starting a small practice in Prescott Valley, Arizona to owning 16 dental offices. But this isn't just a success story—it's also a cautionary tale about burnou...

In this powerful episode, Matt sits down with longtime friend and business partner Jay Koller to unpack one of the most dramatic comeback stories in business ownership. Jay shares how he acquired Vision Collective — a high-stakes event production company — in late 2019, only to watch the entire industry collapse months later as COVID made live events illegal overnight. What follows is a raw and in...

Today, I'm flying solo to walk through a question I get all the time:   "Should I leave my job and become a business owner?"   Or…   "Can I keep my W-2 job and run a business on the side?"   This episode is an honest gut-check — not just to motivate you, but to help you avoid buying a business that might not fit your lifestyle, income needs, or stress threshold.   Key Insights from the Episode  ...

In Part 2 of this two-part story, Matt returns with Sarah Rainwater to unpack how a struggling assisted living facility—purchased just before COVID—was transformed into a thriving, stable business. This episode covers the power of persistence, smart partnerships, creative deal structuring, and the invaluable impact of boots-on-the-ground leadership. You'll also hear how one employee's relentless c...

In this episode of What's Your Deal? , Matt Uhler takes the guest seat as his business partner, Sarah Rainwater, hosts a revealing conversation about one of the toughest deals he's ever faced—an assisted living facility bought just months before the pandemic hit. With a proven track record, experienced staff, and a strong ROI projection, it looked perfect on paper. But then everything changed. Fro...

Today, I'm flying solo to address one of the biggest questions I get as a broker and educator: "Why buy a business when you can just start one?"   At first glance, starting a business seems cheaper and more exciting — but from experience, I've found that buying is almost always the smarter play. Less risk, faster results, and more predictable income. In this bonus episode, I'll walk you through th...

In this third and final installment of our Combat Sports x Business crossover series, Matt and 10x Martial Arts Hall of Famer John Potenza dig into "the event" —the moment when preparation meets pressure. John shares real-world strategies on how elite fighters (and business owners) manage high-stakes situations, recognize the right opportunities, stay calm under fire, and know when it's time to pu...

In this powerful second installment of the 3-part series, Matt and John Potenza dive into the mental side of both combat sports and business. With 45 years of martial arts experience and 10 Hall of Fame inductions, John has battled fear, overconfidence, and high-stakes pressure—both in the cage and as a business owner. This episode is all about mindset. From managing paralyzing fear and anger to b...