Smithlist is a job board for leadership roles at small businesses. If you're not ready to buy a business but want to lead one:

• Smithlist - Operate & Lead a Business

Anica John bought a print-on-demand business to have more time with her kids without compromising her career ambitions.

Topics in Anica’s interview:

• Experience at Amazon, WalMart, and Disney Streaming
• Choosing entrepreneurship over returning to office
• Buying a publishing company for indie authors
• High capex = moat
• Diversity of their genres and clientele
• Resurrecting a dead deal
• How DiggyPOD stacks up to Amazon KDP
• Carefully planning tech upgrades
• Award-winning customer service
• Running a business from out of state

References and how to contact Anica:

• LinkedIn
• anica@anicajohn.com
• DiggyPOD
• rejigg

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Register for the webinar:

• Working Capital for SMB Acquisitions - TODAY - https://bit.ly/4kQcGGj

At a low point in life, Raj Kankaria was served papers. But he liked the business and bought a process-serving company.

Topics in Raj’s interview:

• From investment banking to process server
• What he liked about process serving
• Buying the company from his boss
• Building industry relationships
• What TV gets wrong about process serving
• Technology in process serving
• Making changes on day one
• Communicating unpopular changes to employees
• Trading a high salary for ownership
• Vision for business growth

References and how to contact Raj:

• LinkedIn
• Lone Star Attorney Service

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Register for the webinars:

• The Math & Logic of Deal Making - July 22nd - https://bit.ly/459kJJn
• Working Capital for SMB Acquisitions - July 24th - https://bit.ly/4lBEhft

Enrique Rodriguez bought a project-based construction business (gasp) with $1.4m in revenue. One year later it's at $4m.

Topics in Enrique’s interview:

• 17 years in project-based construction
• Getting his MBA and electrician’s license
• Buying too small for an SBA loan
• Bringing a machine gun to a knife fight
• Injecting his own money during the J-curve
• Doing his own quality of earnings
• His wife and father’s roles in the business
• Disagreement with Walker Diebel
• Assertiveness in managing employees
• Celebrating milestones with his team

References and how to contact Enrique:

• LinkedIn
• MAC General
• The ReWild Group
• Matthew Pohl on Acquiring Minds: 2 Welders and a Shop... to $3.8m in Sales
• Justin Willess
• Justin Willess on Acquiring Minds: Business Collapse After Going All-In
  
  

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron