18 Years at Google -> Buying 2 Businesses in 15 Months

Author

Helen Guo
January 12, 2026

Hey - Helen here,

After 18 years at Google, Meshal quit cold turkey to buy a facility management company…

And a doggy daycare.

Both in the same year.

His dad had always told him that business requires street smarts. And Meshal had spent nearly two decades as an employee. He wasn't sure he had that in him.

But eventually, something switched. After 18 years, he was finally done building someone else's business and wanted to pursue his own.

He started listening to podcasts about acquisitions in April 2024. By July, he'd done enough research to know two things: he wanted to buy a business, and he couldn't do it alone.

So he joined SMB Deal Hunter Pro in August 2024.

Here's what he said about that decision:

"I don't have a business background. I've always been an employee. So I definitely knew that I can't do this alone. I looked at all the different programs out there. Yours stood out because of the people. Hands down, the folks that I've worked with are probably the best I've met. Besides just knowing this stuff, they're really good people."

— Meshal

15 months after joining the program, he'd closed on two businesses. Both off-market. Both in California, where licensing and regulations make deals a bit more complicated.

Here’s a sneak peek at the deals:

🔥 Deal #1: Doggy Daycare (Partnership)

  • 33% ownership stake, all-cash deal

  • Found through our direct off-market outreach campaign (contacted 100+ daycares in the Bay Area)

  • Second location opening March 2025, right next to Google's campus

🔥 Deal #2: Facility Management Company

  • ~$3M revenue, ~$1M SDE

  • 30% recurring revenue from janitorial contracts

  • B2B model selling to property managers across the Bay Area

  • Seller retained 20% and stayed on as an employee

  • Off-market (introduced through the doggy daycare partners)

Two deals. 15 months. Both off-market. And one led directly to the other.

But the path to close wasn't smooth. In the interview, Meshal breaks down:

→ How he got over the fear of starting. His advisor Mubarak told him early on: "You've started walking, but now you have to start running. Get the fear out by putting in the first CIM. Then the first LOI. Then just keep submitting." He went on to review 480+ CIMs.

→ What happened when his banker disappeared. Mid-deal, his SBA lender went silent. Meshal worked with advisors Bill and Mark to figure out how to get a response. They escalated on his behalf and kept the deal moving.

→ The after-hours call that saved his deal. Two days before closing, he had to restructure the entire deal. He reached out at 6 PM and advisor Ale jumped on a call immediately to walk him through the new structure.

→ Why he structured the doggy daycare as a partnership instead of a full acquisition, and how that single decision introduced him to the seller of his second business.

→ What he changed in his first 15 days that the seller had been trying to fix for two years, and how he collected 50-60% of outstanding receivables in his first month.

Here was his advice to someone thinking of taking the leap:

"I quit my job cold turkey. Even my wife didn't have a job at that time. Both of us were without a job. My friends used to keep asking, why aren't you tense? I think because I had that path. I knew very clearly this is what I wanted to do. And I had all these people guiding me. The advisors were constantly telling me, hey, California is tough, all the rules are tough, but your deal is on the way. So just do it. If this is something you're even remotely considering, take the leap.”

— Meshal

Meshal leaned on our battle-tested deal team to help him:

  • Get moving after months of researching alone (he went on to review 480+ CIMs and submit more LOIs than he can count)

  • Find off-market deals through direct outreach and relationship-building (both his deals were off-market, and one introduced him to the other)

  • Navigate a disappearing banker and keep his SBA loan on track

  • Restructure his deal at the last minute when the terms had to change two days before closing

So, if you want to buy a $1M+ business in the next 6-12 months, but don’t want to spend years spinning your wheels alone, let’s talk.

Talk soon,

Helen Guo