What if the fastest way to find your next deal is to stop waiting for credentials to speak for you? What could happen when a dealmaker trained to stay low profile decides to put themselves out there and publish instead?

Niklas James is a 3x independent sponsor who splits his time between Florida and Norway. He co-hosts the Minds Capital Podcast, the leading media for the independent sponsor ecosystem. The podcast serves as the media arm of Minds Capital, a gap equity fund for searchers and independent sponsors which invests $1-3m per platform out of their second fund. NiklasJames.com is a library of content & posts about lower-middle market private equity. Niklas, an alumnus of HBS and Bain & Company, is 6'9", drives a Chinese EV, and has a rollup of 3 kids.

Niklas James, founding partner of Minds Capital and co-host of the Minds Capital Podcast, joins Patrick Stroth to explain how one guest appearance on someone else's show turned into a fund. Minds Capital invests equity into lower middle market acquisitions led by independent sponsors and searchers.

You'll discover...

- The difference between the searcher model and the independent sponsor model, and why Niklas moved from one to the other after his first acquisition

- Why four of Minds Capital's last five investments were previous podcast guests, and how featuring someone doubles as vetting

- Why committing to a publishing cadence matters more than the volume you publish

Connect with Niklas James

Minds Capital: https://mindscapital.co

Minds Capital Podcast: on Spotify, YouTube, and other podcast platforms

Niklas's content library: https://www.niklasjames.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niklaswjames/

What does a buyer who has closed 27 acquisitions actually look for before making an offer? When your industry is consolidating around you, how do you decide whether to raise capital and become the platform or sell to one?

Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive, joins Patrick Stroth to explain how a serial acquirer evaluates a target. Thrive is a technology outsourcing provider delivering cybersecurity, cloud, and managed IT services to mid-market SMB clients.

You'll discover...

- What Thrive screens for in an acquisition target

- Why integrating people is harder than integrating technology, and what that means for the leaders and employees of an acquired company

- Why Thrive uses rep and warranty insurance on every deal

Connect with Bill McLaughlin

Thrive: https://thrivenextgen.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmclaughlinmsp/

Does culture fit between buyer and seller really make a difference to a successful deal?

Peter Hissey, Director at Strategic Exit Advisors, joins Patrick Stroth to explain why his firm puts culture fit in front of sellers before a buyer ever sees a financial model. Based outside Philadelphia, SEA is a lower middle market investment bank focused on helping entrepreneurs maximize value and protect their legacy through an ownership transition.

You'll discover...
- Why taking an offer on your own costs both value and time, and how much a buyer's quality of earnings can cut from the price you were quoted
- Why Patrick's culture-first process puts owners on 30 minute calls with prospective buyers before any confidential information memorandum goes out
- Why Patrick’s firm will decline an engagement when a seller's price expectation runs ahead of what the market will deliver

Connect with Peter Hissey
Strategic Exit Advisors: https://www.se-adv.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-hissey-73277a24/
Peter's podcast, SEA Entrepreneur Spotlight: https://www.youtube.com/@StrategicExitAdvisors