This Week’s Breakdown (in 10 Seconds):
Kevin spent 10 years climbing to partner status at an investment firm, becoming richer than he ever imagined he'd be.
But the view from the top wasn't what he expected. He was unhappy, and he missed building something of his own.
So he walked away from all of it.
He put his savings into a tiny $60K business and went out on his own.
Everyone he knew told him he was crazy.
But that crazy bet took off. It grew from just 3 employees to over 700, and Kevin eventually sold it to a private equity firm.
Turning his $60K investment into an $80 million exit.
Today he owns around 10 companies, and he still buys one or two more every single year.
And for our audio-only listeners, jump in and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
But if you want to learn a bit more, let's dive into the story...
Hello SMB Deal Hunters!
How many of you were sold this dream?
Get good grades.
Land a prestigious job.
And climb the ladder until you reach the top.
Kevin chased exactly that dream for many years.
He climbed all the way to partner at an investment firm, more financially successful than a poor kid from Ohio ever thought he'd be.
Then one morning he woke up in a Minneapolis hotel room, looked in the mirror, and admitted he was the most unhappy he had ever been.
He'd been happier years earlier as a kid mowing yards back home, building something that was his.
So he did the thing everyone called crazy, and put in his two weeks notice.
This was long before anyone made a career out of buying businesses.
There was no playbook to follow.
He just knew he wanted something of his own.
Around then, a friend who sold real estate kept hitting the same roadblock: radon. It's a hazardous gas that seeps into homes from the ground, and a house often can't close until it's been tested and fixed.
His friend watched deal after deal stall over it and said, "I think there's a big business here."
Kevin barely remembered radon from a chemistry class he wasn't paying attention in. But he bought the tiny company that fixes it anyway, for just $60k.
The next two years were brutal.
He slept in the office, had almost no life outside of it, and fought for the business every single day.
But somewhere in that grind, he cracked something. An approach that turned one struggling shop into a machine.
It grew from 3 employees to over 700, and he sold it to a private equity firm.
A $60,000 bet had become an $80 million exit in just 10 years.
That same approach worked again. And again.
He's used it to build a portfolio of around 10 companies, buying one or two more every single year.
Member Spotlight
From AI Layoff to $4.5M Business With ONLY 5% Down
For those who missed it, we also did an SMB Deal Hunter Pro alumni interview breaking down Jeremy's acquisition of a $4.5M home automation business in Tampa with only 5% down.
The business cash flows $1.32M a year.
Before it, Jeremy spent his career at Amazon, Xerox, Toyota, and helping grow two companies from under $4M to nearly $90M combined.
But none of it was his. After a career spent building value for other people's companies, he decided he wanted to build something of his own.
So he joined the Pro program. A few months in, he found his deal.
The result?
🔥 He bought a $4.5M business with ONLY 5% down by getting the seller to accept a 10-year standby on one of three seller notes
🔥 He beat four private equity firms to win it, even though he came in $1.5M under the highest offer
🔥 He closed 3 weeks after his entire division got laid off
Now he runs the dominant home automation business in Tampa.
And here's what he had to say:
"There's no way I do this on my own. You can think you're going to use AI. I came from two AI companies. I'm an early adopter. I know how to use it, know how to max it. It's just so much faster and easier and smarter to work with a group."
So, if you want us to work with you to find, finance, and acquire a million-dollar cash-flowing business in the next 6-12 months, you might be interested in the Pro program.
👀 Kevin's $80 million exit started with one small deal.
Our members have already closed 4 deals and put another 19 under LOI in July, and the month isn't even over.
None of them decided last week. They made the call months ago, sitting right where you are now, reading an email a lot like this one. On average, our members go from joining to closing in about 8 months, versus 23 for buyers going at it alone.
So if you want to work with us to find, finance, and acquire a million-dollar cash flowing business in the next 6-12 months, start now and you could be the name in this email by early next year.
COMMUNITY PERKS
• Ready to buy and operate a $1M+ business? Get expert help at every step.
• Want to invest passively in SMB acquisitions? Get access to investment opportunities.
• Get a personal introduction to my preferred SBA 7(a) lender, non-SBA lenders, Quality of Earnings providers, or legal counsel
• Raising capital for your deal? I’ll connect you with investors from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.
• Interested in selling your business? I’ll help you connect with buyers from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.
THAT’S A WRAP
Want me to interview you for my podcast? Hit reply.
See you next week with some new deals!
-Helen Guo
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Disclaimer
This publication is a newsletter only and the information provided herein is the opinion of our editors and writers only. Any transaction or opportunity of any kind is provided for information only; SMB Deal Hunter does not verify nor confirm information. SMB Deal Hunter is not making any offer to readers to participate in any transaction or opportunity described herein.