PODCAST · business
M&A Launchpad
by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa
Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.
Episodes
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From Failed Search to a Successful Acquisition with Megan McGee
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew welcome Megan McGee, owner of Virginia Guest Houses, a 50-year-old vacation rental management company in Charlottesville, Virginia. Megan shares her journey through nearly four years of entrepreneurship through...
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Sub-$100M Deals as an Independent Sponsor with Ian Reynolds
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with fellow Houstonian Ian Reynolds of Thesis Capital Partners. Ian shares how he bought his first business, scaled it from about 15 to more than 200 employees in four and a half years, and turned that...
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QoE Over $3M, 10% Down & the New SBA Rules with Sarah Andrews
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Sarah Andrews, SBA Senior Business Development Officer at Northwest Bank, who reviews 200 to 300 acquisition deals a year with her partner Lisa Forrest. Sarah shares what lenders look for in buyers…
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Make It Recurring: Building a Scalable Service Business with Antoine Campbell
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Antoine Campbell, founder of CEO 929 Business Solutions, to talk about building the back end of a service business so it's ready to scale, take on capital, or sell. Antoine has been a full-time...
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Building a $360M Bank in 23 Months with Hazem Ahmed
Hazem Ahmed co-founded a bank in 2007, grew it to $800M, and sold it. Then he did it again — building Integrity Bank, SSB from scratch into a $360M institution in just 23 months, one of only seven de novo bank charters approved nationwide in 2024. In this episode, Hazem breaks down what it really...
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$2.2M Raised to Insure the SBA Personal Guarantee with Jason Hunt
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles sit down with Jason Hunt, founder and CEO of Ink Insurance, to unpack one of the biggest hidden risks in small business acquisitions: the personal guarantee. Jason's path here started in restructuring during the 2008...
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How a Banker Bought a 40-Year-Old Business and Survived the J-Curve with Joseph Cruz
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Joseph Cruz, who left a decade-long career in leveraged finance and investment banking at Fifth Third to acquire a sewer and water distributor in the Chicagoland area. Joseph walks through how he found...
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From Horror Story to $25M Exit with Mike Krupit
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Mike Krupit, founder of Trajectify, to talk about mentoring and coaching leaders through the stages of scaling a business — from one to two, two to five, and five to ten — and what it really takes to...
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The Capital Stack, Decoded: Search Funds, Self-Funded Deals & Independent Sponsors with Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa
This is a milestone episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast — Episode 100. In lieu of a guest interview, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa look back on how they got started in acquisition entrepreneurship and use the milestone to unpack the capital stack in plain terms. They walk through the…
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From 27% to 11%: Cutting $4.2M in Taxes on a $25M Business Sale with Nick Saloom and John Blanchard
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with John Blanchard and Nick Saloom of Engineered Tax Mitigation to unpack how business owners can dramatically reduce the tax hit on a sale. John and Nick explain how they work alongside a seller's…
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The $1M Mistake That Made a Broker with Mark Hartmann
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Mark Hartmann, Lower Middle Market M&A Advisor and Business Broker at HartmannRhodes and author of *The Sweat Equity Payday*. Mark spent years building a medical claims cost containment company, sold…
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The $14M Deal That Almost Closed with Betsy Kauffman
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Betsy Kauffman, Founder & CEO of Cross Impact, a Charlotte-based leadership coaching and organizational development firm, and author of the new book The Fix. Betsy has spent two decades coaching...
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1,500 Deals, 20 Acquisitions, 1 Gut Punch with Sequoya Borgman
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Sequoya Borgman, Founder & CEO of Borgman Capital, a Milwaukee-based independent sponsor firm that has completed over 20 acquisitions in roughly a decade. Sequoya shares how he left an 18-year career…
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The $13M Deal That Unlocked Scale with Christopher Burke
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles sit down with Christopher Burke — Australian entrepreneur, founder of Brickendon Consulting and HybridHero, and Managing Partner of Aduvo — to talk about what 25 years of building companies from the inside actually...
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Stop Chasing Sexy Deals: Why This Buyer Chose Sheet Metal with Andrew Kurzrok
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Andrew Kurzrok, owner-operator of Hopewell Sheet Metal Manufacturing in Hagerstown, Maryland. Andrew shares his unconventional path from national security to Fortune 500 manufacturing executive to...
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Inside the ER Rollup Serving 1.5 Million Patients with Kevin Baker
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Kevin Baker of Emergency Care Partners (ECP) to unpack the business side of emergency medicine and the acquisition strategy behind one of the country’s fastest-growing emergency care platforms. Kevin...
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Why 20% of Small Business Owners Close Instead of Sell | Mike Ehrle
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Mike Ehrle, founder of FinParency, to discuss one of the most overlooked problems in the lower-middle market: business owners who simply lock the door and walk away rather than securing a proper exit....
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How PE-Backed Companies Scale Fintech Revenue with Robert Checchia
**Please note: There are periodic audio distortions. Thank you for bearing with the tech glitches. In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Robert Checchia, CFO of Benzinga, to discuss what happens after private equity acquires a…
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Legal Mistakes that Kill Acquisitions with Fareed Kaisani
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Fareed Kaisani of MW Law to discuss the legal side of buying businesses and the costly mistakes that can derail acquisitions. Fareed shares insights from working on lower middle market deals ranging...
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Scaled a Business to $30M After a Brutal First Deal | Joe Van Deman
He went from working at Google to driving trucks at 3AM after a brutal first acquisition—then turned those hard lessons into a business that scaled to nearly $30M. Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com...
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100 Days to Unlock Millions? How Sale-Leasebacks Work | Tyrell McGee
Most investors leave millions locked inside their deals because they don’t understand how to turn real estate into usable capital through sale-leasebacks. Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com Looking…
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Infinite Banking for Business Buyers with Erica Neal
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Erica Neal, an infinite banking practitioner, real estate investor, and acquisition entrepreneur. Erica breaks down how infinite banking works, how cash value life insurance can be used as a financial...
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Why Most Business Deals Fall Apart | Drew Eckman
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Drew Eckman, founder of SMB Loan Support. Drew shares his journey from M&A attorney to operator to advisor, and how he now helps acquisition entrepreneurs successfully finance and close deals. They...
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Stop Wasting Time Searching for Deals with Liz Macrae
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Liz MacRae, co-founder of Village Wealth, a deal management platform built specifically for acquisition entrepreneurs and self-funded searchers. Liz shares how her experience as a business broker...
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Independent Sponsor Deals: Structure, Capital, and Risk with Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa unpack one of the biggest topics in the acquisition world right now: the independent sponsor model. They walk through what an independent sponsor actually is, how the model compares to ETA and SBA-backed acquisitions…
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Franchising as a Wealth Engine with Jeff Dudan
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Jeff Dudan, CEO of HomeFront Brands, to break down why franchising can be one of the most powerful wealth-creation models in the lower middle market. Jeff shares how he built a restoration business into a...
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How to Buy Online Businesses in 2026 with Blake Hutchison
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, to explore the rapidly evolving world of digital M&A. Flippa is one of the largest marketplaces to buy and sell online businesses, with over 1.6 million registered users and...
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She Bought a 60-Year-Old HR Firm: A Self-Funded Acquisition Story with Marci LaRouech
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Marci LaRouech, CEO and owner of Seay HR, to unpack her path from two decades in HR outsourcing to buying a 60-year-old HR consulting firm. Marci shares how she narrowed her search, why she chose a...
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Business Brokerage and SBA Loans with Clint Fiore
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Clint Fiore, Founder and CEO of Dealonomy, to break down what really happens behind the scenes in lower middle market mergers and acquisitions. Clint shares how his journey started with a simple goal:...
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How R&D Tax Credits Impact Acquisitions with Bob Stabell
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Bob Stabell of Think Tax Strategies to discuss how R&D tax credits, revitalized and expanded under the One Big Beautiful Bill, are creating real leverage for business buyers. Bob breaks down what...
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Mastering Deals, Capital and People with Kevin Ramsier
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Kevin Ramsier, founder of Sier Capital, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a private equity platform. Kevin shares his journey from leaving a stable corporate career to launching a firm...
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Bought a $450K Company - Grew It to $5M with Enrique Rodriguez
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Enrique Rodriguez, owner of Mag General Power Solutions. Enrique shares how he went from electrical engineer, master electrician, and professional engineer to business owner by acquiring an electrical...
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What No One Tells You About Buying Manufacturing Businesses with Casey Minshew
In this episode, the M&A Launchpad Podcast hosts, Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew, share the unfiltered story behind their acquisition of H&M Plating, an industrial chrome plating company with multiple locations and a large operational footprint. They walk through how the deal was sourced...
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How to Build Wealth with Small Bets with Mandy McAllister
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew sit down with entrepreneur and investor Mandy McAllister to unpack what business ownership really looks like behind the scenes. Mandy shares how she used small apartment buildings to buy her way out of a W2, why…
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How $100M Sell-Side Deals Really Get Done with Patrick Galleher
Patrick Galleher of Boxwood Partners breaks down how a professional $100M sell-side process works—prepping financials, running IOIs, conducting management meetings, and choosing the right private equity partner. We cover the full seven-month timeline, rollover equity, how buyers are screened, and...
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How Top Business Brokers Really Choose Buyers with Trent Lee
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew sit down with Trent Lee, a multi-year IBBA Top Individual Deal Maker and #1 business broker in the U.S. for closed transactions. Trent breaks down how great brokers actually think about valuation, deal structure,...
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From Divorce Papers to a $1M Business Acquisition with Raj Kankaria
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew chat with Houston-based operator and Army veteran Raj Kankaria, owner of Lone Star Attorney Service—the largest process service company in Harris County. Raj breaks down how a career pivot and a tough life moment…
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Roll-ups, Earn Outs, and a 3-Year Exit with Josh Davis
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew sit down with Josh Davis (JL Davis Enterprises) to unpack how he and his wife built one of the fastest-growing logistics companies in Canada—bootstrapped—then exited to a private-equity–backed strategic buyer in…
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From Startup to Search Fund: Buying and Scaling a Digital Marketing Agency with Grant Hensel
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Grant Hensel — a seasoned entrepreneur and acquisition professional who transitioned from starting companies to buying and scaling them. Grant shares his journey from founding and exiting Nonprofit...
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From Tech to Business Ownership: An Acquisition Journey with Anica John
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, host Casey Minshew talks with Anica John, who shares her inspiring path from the tech industry to acquiring a book printing business. Anica opens up about leaving the corporate world, the lessons learned during the acquisition process, and how family...
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Journey to Independent Sponsorship with Cory Sandrock
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, host Casey Minshew interviews Cory Sandrock, Managing Partner of Pareto & Company. Cory shares his unique journey from theater to private equity, highlighting the nuances of independent sponsorship versus search funds and the critical role of teamwork...
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Unlocking Capital with Sale Leasebacks with Bryan Huber
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew sits down with Bryan Huber, Partner at SAB Capital, to explore the intricacies of sale leasebacks in the context of business acquisitions. Bryan breaks down how these transactions work, why they’re such a powerful tool for freeing up...
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Digital Assets & Business Valuation with Paige Wiese
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew interviews Paige Wiese, founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, a Denver-based digital marketing agency. Paige brings over 15 years of experience helping businesses build and execute marketing strategies that drive measurable growth. She...
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From 13 Franchises to Freedom: Kristie Shifflette on Scaling & Exiting with Success
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew welcome Kristie Shifflette, who shares her inspiring journey from corporate America to becoming a successful franchisee with Orange Theory Fitness. Kristie dives into the challenges and triumphs of scaling her...
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Building Exit-Ready Businesses with Jason Kruger
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Jason Kruger, President at Signature Analytics (a Citrin Cooperman Company). Jason shares his journey from Deloitte to entrepreneurship, scaling Signature Analytics, and ultimately navigating its...
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Why 80% of Businesses Fail to Sell | Exit Planning Tips with Adam Koos
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew sit down with Adam Koos, founder of Elevate and Exit and Libertas Wealth Management. With a unique background in both psychology and finance, Adam helps business owners prepare for the biggest decision of their...
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Six Acquisitions in Three Years with Ryan Sullivan
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Ben Suttles and Feras Moussa sit down with Ryan Sullivan, Co-Founder of North Park Group, to unpack how he and his partner built a private equity firm from the ground up—acquiring six businesses in three years. Ryan shares practical insights on...
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Building Powerful Brand Stories & M&A Strategies with Mark Tarchetti
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Ben Suttles and Feras Moussa welcome special guest Mark Tarchetti, a veteran in the consumer products industry. Mark has held senior roles at global giants like Unilever and now runs his own boutique consulting firm, helping companies unlock the...
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Deferred Sales Trust & Passive Income Strategies with Brett Swarts
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Casey Minshew are joined by Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions and an expert in sophisticated tax planning strategies. Brett dives deep into the mechanics of the Deferred Sales Trust (DST), breaking down how it...
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Hard Lessons in Buying, Scaling, and Exiting with Carl Kleimann
In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles are joined by Carl Kleimann, a proven entrepreneur with deep experience in scaling and exiting small businesses. Carl takes us through his business journey—from losing a $200K client, to navigating private equity...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.
HOSTED BY
Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does M&A Launchpad have?
M&A Launchpad currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is M&A Launchpad about?
Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring...
How often does M&A Launchpad release new episodes?
M&A Launchpad has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to M&A Launchpad?
You can listen to M&A Launchpad on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts M&A Launchpad?
M&A Launchpad is created and hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa.
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