How I Bought 2 Businesses With Little Of My Own Money And No Investors | Santino DeFranco Interview

HoldCo Builders

Santino DeFranco is a former UFC fighter turned entrepreneur who has successfully transitioned from the octagon to the world of business ownership. Santino has acquired two companies: a Shell Gas Station with a Krispy Krunchy Chicken franchise and a restaurant hood cleaning business. In this episode, we dive into his journey from professional fighting to becoming a business owner, exploring how his competitive mindset and resilience have shaped his approach to entrepreneurship.

Santino is also a highly sought-after MMA coach who has trained and guided world champions in the UFC, bringing the same level of discipline and strategy to coaching as he does to running his businesses. We discuss what it takes to operate across such diverse industries, his insights into finding value in small businesses, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Please enjoy this conversation with Santino DeFranco—fighter, coach, and entrepreneur.

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:56 - Santino and his wild life as a UFC fighter before his first acquisition

00:02:15 - Creation of the first iPhone and Android app called Ultimate MMA

00:03:29 - Injuries and life as an MMA trainer for UFC fighters

00:04:21 - I started looking for companies to buy

00:05:21 - What sites does Santino use to find businesses

00:07:08 - Find the first business to buy - a gas station

00:07:42 - Where does Santino's entrepreneurial gene come from?

00:10:02 - Tough decision: go back to work or start and build different companies

00:10:58 - Most of the fighters ended up going broke, so Santino pushes them to invest and acquire the company

00:13:35 - Why he is bullish on buying companies

00:15:34 - Financial situation before buying the first company

00:17:41 - Details of the first acquisition

00:19:45 - You don't have to be a member of Mensa to do this job

00:21:00 - Advisors on the first transaction

00:23:01 - Negotiations with the owner

00:26:25 - Doing due diligence all by himself

00:29:10 - Reinvesting all profits into the company

00:32:10 - First big mistake post-acquisition

00:35:45 - Why he loves the gas station business

00:38:44 - 2nd acquisition

00:42:19 - Companies Santino prefers to buy

00:45:52 - The reason why the seller sold the company

00:48:54 - How he found this deal

00:51:31 - Financial situation before the second acquisition

00:56:27 - Hiring great people and taking care of employees by giving them a raise

00:58:17 - When is the right time to acquire company number 3

01:01:19 - Working with children and thinking about buying an 8-figure business

01:06:07 - "If someone else can do it, you can do it"

01:10:49 - Who does Santino learn from, what books does he listen to

01:15:21 - How Santino manages it all: family, businesses, coaching, reading, podcast

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Santino on Twitter: https://x.com/TinoDeFranco

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.