How I Built and Sold a $16M Company to Invest In Search Funds | Christopher Hillier Interview

Christopher Hillier is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the employee benefits industry.He began his journey as the Co-Founder and President of Benefit Health Advisor, a full-service employee benefits brokerage based in Englewood, Colorado.In our conversation, we delve into Chris’s entrepreneurial journey, from starting a brokerage firm from scratch and scaling it to $16M in top-line revenue, to acquiring an insurance underwriting company on the verge of collapse and turning it around for a strategic exit.We also explore his insights on the ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition) space, where he is now a recognized expert, and his perspective on time management—an area he’s written a book about.Chris shares lessons learned from navigating acquisitions, growing businesses, and managing teams, as well as his thoughts on the future of employee benefits and wellness in a rapidly evolving marketplace.Please enjoy this conversation with Christopher Hillier, serial entrepreneur, investor and educator in the ETA space.----------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:45 - Christopher's story before founding, building and buying the company00:04:35 - How does the company make money?00:10:53 - Landing the first major clients00:16:55 - First acquisition, buying distressed assets00:20:49 - The reason for selling the company to a strategic buyer00:24:11 - It's all harder than you'd ever imagine00:30:08 - A perfect timing to sell a business: cash, stock, earn-out00:34:10 - The importance of a right fit between buyer and seller00:38:40 - Investing in search funds (love for ETA - entrepreneurship-through-acquisition)00:43:09 - Buying an already established business is a kind of miracle00:48:19 - The search process to find the right opportunity takes a long time and its lonely00:56:21 - Chasing money-----------------------------------------------Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyChristopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-hillier-88621113/This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.