logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2
1h 29m

$60m Roll-Up That Started With an SBA Ac...

Will Smith
About this episode

Onu Okebie and Brian Boland wanted to retain 100% ownership when they began, so they used an SBA loan. It has paid off.

Register for the webinars: 

Topics in Brian and Onu’s interview:

  • Forming a partnership in business school
  • Searching for 2.5 years
  • Closing on their first business while still in school
  • Bootstrapping their first acquisition
  • Sacrifice and long commute the first year
  • Willingness to “be bad at something”
  • Complexity of niche/time-sensitive freight
  • Athletic grit carried them through acquisition challenges
  • Learning to pitch to investors
  • 5 acquisitions in less than 5 years

References and how to contact Brian and Onu:

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

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

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

Up next
Yesterday
Trades Over Tech: Buying an Appliance Repair Business
Brian Seeling sought a blue-collar business with a good manager in place. He found exactly that — with $2.6m in revenue.Register for the webinar: Tactical EQ to Win Over Sellers and Brokers - TODAY! - https://bit.ly/46MlUhCTopics in Brian’s interview:Being an entrepreneurial kidM ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 6
Acquisition Unlock: €210m in 5 Years
Nick Keegan owned a struggling software business doing just €1m/yr until an acquisition put it on the path to 9 figures.Register for the webinars: How PACT Simplifies Investor Deals Using SBA - TOMORROW! - https://bit.ly/42jGpB2Tactical EQ to Win Over Sellers and Brokers - Thu Oc ... Show More
1h 28m
Sep 29
Founder Mode for ETA: $6m to $25m in 3 Years
Aizik Zimerman bought a home services business to build a consumer brand into his life's work. It seems to be working. Register for the webinar: The ABCs of Franchise M&A: Deal Sourcing, Diligence, and Integration - Thu Oct 2nd - https://bit.ly/46E2uv8Topics in Aizik’s interview: ... Show More
1h 18m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
#806: How Rich Barton Built Expedia and Zillow from $0 to $35B — Audacious Goals, Provocation Marketing, Scrabble for Naming, and Powerful Daily Rituals
Rich Barton is the co-founder and co-executive chairman of Zillow, a company transforming how people buy, sell, rent, and finance homes. Before Zillow, Rich founded Expedia within Microsoft in 1994 and successfully spun the company off as a public company in 1999. He served as pr ... Show More
2h 25m
Oct 2019
The Founder of Groupon’s New Thing!
Andrew Mason is the founder and former CEO of Groupon… who had a VERY public firing. Today, I’m talking to Andrew about what he learned getting fired from the company he helped create, how he dusted himself off to start a new business, and more.   Full show notes at https://okdor ... Show More
40m 9s
Feb 2025
I Made $50M Buying & Running Boring Businesses
Episode 681: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk to Brent Beshore ( https://x.com/BrentBeshore ) about buying profitable businesses. —Show Notes: (0:00) $50K/yr to 9 figures(6:04) Accidentally buying a $1M business for $0(11:06) Jus ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2025
My Business Has Cash-Flow Issues
Today we’ll hear about: A business owner struggling to cash flow projects A leader wanting to prepare his team for an ownership transition How a business doubled their revenue in one year Dave Ramsey’s advice on handling credit card fees Next Steps 📞 Have a question for the show ... Show More
37m 53s
Mar 2025
146. Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition 101 feat. Jesse Safir
Send us a textJoin us as we dive deep into the world of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) with our guest, Jesse Safir, President of ABG Print. In this episode, finance enthusiasts and budding entrepreneurs will find a treasure trove of insights about search funds, self-f ... Show More
1h 39m
Feb 2025
"I Fast-Forwarded My Life 10 Years”: How Geo-Arbitrage 3X’d My Wealth and Changed My Life
What if you could fast-forward your financial goals by ten years just by moving abroad? That’s exactly what entrepreneur Rob Hoffman did when he relocated to Colombia, where his $3M net worth stretches as if it’s $9M. Rob, a member of the Hampton community, shares how he built a ... Show More
32m 6s
Sep 2022
Thoma Bravo, Scott Crabill – Public-to-Private at RealPage (PE Deals EP. 2)
Scott Crabill is a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo, the software and technology specialist with $120 billion in asset under management. He joined Thoma Bravo twenty years ago to help develop its software investment strategy. RealPage is a technology platform that enables real est ... Show More
54m 42s
Dec 2024
E117: What Will Family Offices Invest into in 2025? w/Hansen Ringer
Hansen Ringer, Managing Director at Sepio Capital sits down with David Weisburd to discuss the asset class that delivers equity-like returns without the market risk, what distressed credit reveals about market cycles and investor behavior, and what happens when stocks and bonds m ... Show More
42m 10s
Aug 27
Robert Wallace: Managing Stanford’s Endowment, Balancing Risk, and Driving Innovation
What shapes the investment strategy behind one of higher education's largest endowments? Nicolai Tangen sits down with Robert Wallace, CEO of Stanford Management Company, who oversees more than $40 billion for Stanford University. From his unique journey as a professional ballet ... Show More
47m 58s
Apr 2025
Should I Leverage Debt to Speed My Business Growth?
Today we’ll hear about: An owner looking to leverage debt to rapidly expand his business A businesswoman who’s trying to avoid bankruptcy after a costly mistake How customer service defines company success A father hoping to bring his kids into the family business Next Steps: 📞 ... Show More
1h 3m