How to make it in PE? - Acquisitions Anonymous episode 168

Michael Girdley (@Girdley) is joined by Michael Arrieta (@MikeArrieta) to talk about his journey from W-2 to HoldCo operator. He gets to talk about storytelling, how his fund is structured, the challenges he faced, and how HoldCo CEO is the most difficult job in the world.-----Thanks to our sponsors!CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.-----(0:00) - Introduction(0:40) - Our Sponsor is CloudBookkeeping.com(2:10) - Guest Intro: Michael Arrieta(6:00) - How did public speaking affect your career?(7:50) - The gun show analogy(9:00) - What is the biggest enemy we have today?(10:00) - Honesty and vulnerability as an advantage(11:00) - How to grow your network?(14:28) - What is the most important thing about transmitting your message?(16:10) - How do you cultivate missionaries rather than mercenaries?(19:28) - How did you transition from a W-2 to business owner?(22:52) - What was your calling? What is your investment thesis?(25:05) - What was the key to start your fund?(26:30) - How do you build relationship capital?(29:30) - How did you optimize your fund for a permanent hold model?(36:21) - Being smart means you can quote the US Tax code(37:21) - What have you learned in these two years?(40:30) - How do you run a campaign to intermediaries?Links:https://www.joingardencity.com/https://twitter.com/mikearrietaSubscribe to  weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at [email protected]