"Fireside MSP" is a warm, engaging podcast brought to you by the Managed Service experts at XenTegra, where technology meets conversation around the virtual fireside. Each episode dives deep into the world of managed services, exploring the latest trends, solutions, and innovations that are shaping the future of technology. Hosted by seasoned professionals from XenTegra and featuring occasional guest appearances from our industry partners, "Fireside MSP" aims to demystify the complex world o ...
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Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own startup seem too risky? There's another compelling path open to you: acquiring a small business and running it as CEO. Co-hosted by Harvard Business School Professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, the show is an extension of their courses on small firms, including Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, which has been taken by thousands of MBA students, and their highly-regarded book, HBR Guide To Buy ...
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Questions and Answers with Rick and Royce
54:10
54:10
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54:10At the end of each episode, Rick and Royce ask listeners to reach out with any questions they may have related to entrepreneurship through acquisition. In response, we’ve heard from people at all stages of their entrepreneurship through acquisition journeys, along with other stakeholders in search. Now, in the final episode of Season Two, our hosts…
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A Successful Model for Roll-Ups in Automotive and Beyond
56:32
56:32
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56:32A few years ago, Logan Leslie began his search with the goal of rolling up smaller, same-industry enterprises under the umbrella of one company. Fast forward to today and Logan is CEO of Main Street Auto, which is the parent company to over ninety auto repair shops around the country. In this engaging conversation, Logan shares why he believes the …
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The Journey and Impact of a Mission-Driven Searcher
54:28
54:28
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54:28In the last three years, Adriana Garcia Ceja graduated from Harvard Business School, became a mother and, after a funded search, acquired an aging life care management business called ElderTree. Many would-be CEOs set out on their searches primarily wanting to experience the joys of operating a small business, while being more agnostic about what t…
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Learnings From a Former Searcher, Current Investor, and Industry Wise Man
46:51
46:51
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46:51Kent Weaver was an early participant in the world of search, completing a self-funded search that led to his acquisition of a healthcare company in 2002 and then, four years later, putting on his investor hat to make his first investment in search. Today, he’s one of the most experienced and highly regarded funding partners in the space, having inv…
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Acquiring Outdoor Recreation Programs as Co-CEOs and Spouses
54:52
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54:52Connor McCarthy and Caroline Matthews are not only a married couple and new parents, but they’re also funded searchers turned co-CEOs at Canyonlands Camps. The outdoor recreation industry is little explored in the world of search and their ETA journey is also distinct in that, through the acquisition of summer camps and travel programs, they’ve tak…
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The Acquisition, Transition, and Operation of a Technology Solutions Company in Texas
59:02
59:02
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59:02William Young became CEO of Aerowave Technologies in January of 2021. While he has no regrets about his pursuit of the ETA path, his journey to the company’s helm was a difficult one. His story is distinct in that he started out in a partnered, brokered search but ended up as a solo searcher, focusing on proprietary outreach in Dallas-Fort Worth an…
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Insights From a Recurring Investor in Self-Funded Searches
1:01:36
1:01:36
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1:01:36Sam Rosati is a former searcher turned active equity investor in self-funded searches and, given his experiences, an important focus of this conversation is on the evolution of the self-funded market. It used to be the case that self-funded searchers had to create their investor base from scratch, out of pure networking. Now, however, a path is eme…
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The Purchase, Carve Out, and Transformation of a Remote Software Company
53:17
53:17
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53:17Betsy Harbison, CEO at Softrip, successfully completed a funded search in 2021. Her story, however, is rather unique in that the business she acquired is a remote, vertical software company that was also a carve out, meaning that a crucial part of Betsy’s journey involved the daunting task of untangling Softrip from its parent company. In this epis…
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From W-2 Job, To Startup Life, To Acquisition Entrepreneurship
49:31
49:31
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49:31In May of 2024, after a self-funded search, Brian Seeling became CEO of PGM Service, a Florida-based company that focuses on maintenance, service, and repair of commercial food equipment. His journey to become an acquisition entrepreneur is distinct in that he first worked as a software engineer, was then involved in startup life for a number of ye…
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Practical Takeaways From A Seasoned Lender To Smaller Firms
57:50
57:50
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57:50Not only is Zach Duprey a highly experienced commercial lender to those seeking to acquire a small business but, in helping to create a national market for these loans, he has been instrumental in dramatically changing the landscape of small business lending, revolutionizing the market for search. In this episode, Zach describes the “three legs of …
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The Acquisition of a Remarkable Recurring Revenue Business
56:47
56:47
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56:47After a brokered search, Jenn Braus became CEO at Systems Design West, a company that provides customized ambulance billing, emergency medical services billing, and accounting services to fire and rescue organizations, and one that Rick and Royce believe is “the perfect recurring revenue business.” In this episode, we learn about the beauty of recu…
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In May of 2021, after a self-funded search, Nick Vandam became CEO of MCI, a telecommunications infrastructure company based in St. Paul, Minnesota. In this episode, he shares his distinct journey, including his days at West Point; competing in triathlons on the U.S. National Team; deployment in Afghanistan; work experience at a large financial ser…
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Where Are They Now? A Conversation with Geoff Duckworth
18:22
18:22
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18:22Starting in early February, we’ll begin releasing new episodes of Think Big, Buy Small, season two. Rick and Royce are looking forward to sharing some fantastic conversations with you! Ahead of these new releases, however, we've built a bridge, of sorts, between the two seasons by checking in with season one guest, Geoff Duckworth, who was featured…
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Disaster Recovery with Nutanix and Citrix Cloud
24:05
24:05
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24:05In this episode of Fireside MSP, join hosts Brian Clark and Trevor Mansell as they sit down with special guest David Swanzy from XenTegra's architecture team. The discussion dives into the intricacies of disaster recovery (DR) solutions and the real-world challenges that organizations face. From cutting-edge technologies like Nutanix and Citrix Clo…
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Listeners’ Questions, Rick and Royce's Answers
59:13
59:13
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59:13Throughout the first season, Rick and Royce have asked listeners to reach out to them with any queries they may have related to entrepreneurship through acquisition. Now, in the final episode of Season One, our hosts address many of the questions that were received. This wide-ranging discussion includes reflections on common mistakes made by first-…
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Despite growing up in unstable and challenging circumstances, Jerod Pierce changed the trajectory of his life by embracing educational opportunities, which helped him to thrive in a series of good jobs. He then made the decision to control his own professional destiny through acquisition entrepreneurship, purchasing Mercurio's Heating & Air Conditi…
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A Seller and Business Broker’s Perspectives
1:01:40
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1:01:40In discussions of the entrepreneurship through acquisition journey, our attention is often drawn to the experiences of the searchers, those looking to acquire an enduringly profitable small business. However, two other crucial perspectives to consider are those of the sellers and of the brokers who they have partnered with to help sell their compan…
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An Acquisition Entrepreneur’s First Months As CEO
1:02:18
1:02:18
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1:02:18In February of 2024, after a self-funded search, Nick Wheeler took the helm at NSCA & Tra-Cal, an enduringly profitable small business that’s been serving the electronics, manufacturing, and telecom industries since 1988. In this episode, he reflects on his entrepreneurship through acquisition journey to-date, with a particular focus on his experie…
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After years spent studying and working in the United States, Alexander Wallace recently returned to his native New Zealand to launch a self-funded search for an enduringly profitable small business to buy. In this episode, Alexander reflects on his decision to leave a conventional job in someone else's company in order to become a searcher; the rea…
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program offers acquisition entrepreneurs an incredible opportunity to buy a company with little equity, and on very advantageous terms. Heather Endresen has decades of experience in SBA lending and is now Owner of Viso Business Capital, where she helps searchers in a variety of ways, including finding ba…
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Explaining The Success Of First-Time CEOs
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57:52
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57:52How is it that so many searchers become successful CEOs, even when many have never run a company before and may not have the relevant industry experience? Personal characteristics count for a lot, but so too do company attributes. Sticky customers, for example, are hugely important, as this creates space for a new CEO to learn the ropes of the busi…
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Why A Long Island Swimming Pool Company Was An Ideal Acquisition Target
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51:00As an acquisition entrepreneur, Jackie Kopcho is now CEO of Tortorella Swimming Pools, where she leads a team that engineers, builds, and services pools on Long Island, in southeastern New York State. When searching for a company to acquire, Jackie wasn’t looking for this particular industry or location. Rather, she was on the lookout for those qua…
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Acquisition Versus Working For Someone Else
56:34
56:34
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56:34Ari Santos and Allan Newman, about to graduate from business school, reflect on the choice between buying their own business or working for someone else. Though there are parallels between their paths, including service in the US Army, these similarities make their differences all the more interesting. From considerations of leadership, risk, and c…
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Acquisition Versus Startup: Weighing The Risks And Rewards
57:33
57:33
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57:33In this episode, Daniella Bertolotti and Steve Goulas discuss the more traditional startup route versus entrepreneurship through acquisition. Just weeks ahead of their graduation from business school, and thinking about what’s next, both are looking for control over their professional lives, want to be in a position where they make decisions that m…
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Buying A Seasonal Gift Basket Business In Canada
35:39
35:39
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35:39Ten years ago, Robin Kovitz became President & CEO of Baskits, now one of Canada’s leading gift services companies, by purchasing the company from its two retiring founders. Baskits was an acquisition that had many of the qualities that lead to success for first-time CEOs, including recurring customers and a record showing years of profitable opera…
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The Self-Funded Journey From Searcher To Seller
52:07
52:07
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52:07Geoff Duckworth’s story is that of a self-funded search that transformed him from being an employee at a larger firm, to CEO of an enduringly profitable small business, to seller of the company that he had run for years. It was after reading Rick and Royce’s book, HBR Guide To Buying A Small Business, that he decided to pursue the path of entrepren…
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Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own startup seem too risky? There's another compelling path open to you: acquiring a small business and running it as CEO. Co-hosted by Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, the show is an extension of their popular course, Entrepren…
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Navigating The News: Citrix Acquires UberAgent
23:34
23:34
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23:34In this first episode of "Fireside MSP," host Brian Clark and the XenTegra team dive into the significant acquisition of UberAgent by Citrix. This episode offers an in-depth analysis of how this acquisition could reshape the landscape of IT monitoring and management. Joined by industry experts Ray Anderson, Randy Price, and Trevor Mansell, the disc…
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Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Fireside MSP," where your hosts, Trevor Mansell and Brian Clark, light the first spark of conversation around the captivating world of managed services. In this episode, Trevor, VP of XenTegra Managed Services, and Brian, Chief Architect and Technology Officer, set the stage for a series dedicated to unraveling …
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