Best Iseries Podcasts (2024)

1
MM M&A - 028: Strategic Exit Planning for Equipment Leasing and Finance Companies 30:20

2y ago30:20

30:20

In this episode, we discuss strategic steps for Equipment Leasing and Finance companies as they grow and evolve. The leadership of some of these businesses may decide to remain a certain size and complexity and be “ lifestyle businesses”, providing healthy cash flow to the owner(s) while they continue to run the business. However, other options exi…

1
Koii - The blockchain project built for media - Al Morris, Koii Network 28:33

2y ago28:33

28:33

About Al Morris Al is a chief architect and co-founder of Koii network. Koii was born in 2020 to widen the possibilities for the future of Web3. Al loves teaching, which made him start Blockchain Institute Chicago. The main goal of the institute is to help educate the public about the use of blockchain technology. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 | Introduction to…

1
The Ugly Side of Unintentional Growth with Mark Rickmeier, TXI 46:51

2y ago46:51

46:51

About Mark Rickmeier Mark is the CEO at TXI - a product innovation firm. He believes in creating rich employee and customer experiences. But, not everything scales well. Even good intentions don’t necessarily scale well. In the pandemic, TXI tried to deliver cooked meals to all members of the team. That didn’t scale well. Mark shares lessons he lea…

1
Premature Scaling: Why It Kills Startups and How to Avoid It - Ron Benegbi, Uplinq 39:21

2y ago39:21

39:21

Follow Aram Melkoumov on Linkedin for highlight clips and DMs. Ron runs a tight ship at Uplinq and he shares how and why he does so. This interview also explores why growing a startup for the sake of an exit is a bad strategy, why you should want to hold cash in this economy, how to hire people that make a genuine impact in your growth, and the dif…

1
MM M&A 027: Start Early & Exit Right with Mark Achler and Mert Iseri 41:08

2y ago41:08

41:08

Before you sell your company, even the odds. This episode features guests Mark Achler and Mert Iseri, authors of the recent book, Exit Right: How to Sell Your Startup, Maximize Your Return and Build Your Legacy. Exit Right demystifies how to conclude the startup journey, a perfect complement to our podcast, which focuses more on the exits of larger…

1
What Most People Don’t Tell You About Exiting Your Company - Mark Achler & Mert Hilmi Iseri 47:01

2y ago47:01

47:01

Follow Aram Melkoumov on Linkedin for highlight clips and DMs. How much do you really know about exiting a company? Most people know very little, simply because there’s very little out there about the hush-hush world of mergers and acquisitions. That’s until today’s guests co-wrote their book Exit Right. About Mert Hilmi Iseri Mert is the co-author…

1
MM M&A 026: Industry spotlight – F&I Agencies & Payment Plans 34:54

2y ago34:54

34:54

This episode continues with our “industry spotlight series” where we focus on specific trends and opportunities in middle-market M&A transactions. Our previous episodes have covered four industries in which Colonnade has played a significant role as an M&A advisor to both buy-side and sell-side clients. We add F&I Agencies & Payment Plan Providers …

1
MM M&A 025: Datarooms - Get your Ducks in a Row 29:47

2+ y ago29:47

29:47

In this episode, Gina Cocking and Jeff Guylay pick up their discussion around the due diligence process related to the sale of a company. This episode is a great add-on to the previously released four-episode series exploring the due diligence process: EP003: Business aspects of due diligence EP004: Legal aspects of due diligence EP005: Accounting …

1
Transitioning from a Pro Service Company to SaaS one - Jordi Torras, Inbenta 40:50

2+ y ago40:50

40:50

Follow Aram Melkoumov on Linkedin for highlight clips. Highlights: - Building a Minimal sellable product (MSP) and going international - How Jordi deals with the paradigm of large customers and requests for introducing features in the product roadmap - Finding a French version of himself - origin of Jordi’s company Inbenta About Jordi Jordi is the …

1
MM M&A 024: Minority Stakes – Read the Fine Print 31:52

2+ y ago31:52

31:52

This episode is an excellent continuation of our discussion in E023 about the pros and cons of partnering with a financial sponsor. When a company is considering an M&A transaction, there’s a range of alternatives. On one side of the spectrum, there’s selling 100% of the company and exiting. On the other side of the spectrum is no transaction at al…

1
Celtic House VC talks hiring, raising money and failed businesses, Jonathan Graff 50:00

2+ y ago50:00

50:00

Conversation highlights: - How Jonathan’s $60,000 MRR company failed after acquisition process went sideways - Hiring your leadership team as a founder: what to look for - What qualities founders need to have to raise money About Jonathan Jonathan Graff is the Venture Partner at Celtic House Venture Partners, a Canadian venture capital firm that ha…

1
MM M&A 023: The Market is Hot - Is it Time to Sell? 38:57

2+ y ago38:57

38:57

1
Building Products For The Gig Economy - The New Norm - Scott Absher, ShiftPixy 39:31

2+ y ago39:31

39:31

The pandemic has disrupted the workforce twice. Once when it made remote working normal and another time when it empowered workers to be more autonomous and powerful. Scott Absher, the CEO at ShiftPixy talks about what happens now. About Scott Scott Absher is the CEO at ShiftPixy - a company focused on streamlining the gig economy to unleash new po…

1
MM M&A 022: Industry Spotlight – Home Warranty 25:32

2+ y ago25:32

25:32

This episode continues our series of "industry spotlights," in which we focus on specific trends and opportunities in middle market M&A transactions.By Colonnade Advisors

1
Five Key Traits that Successful Entrepreneurs Share - Jeff Dennis, Counsel, Fasken Law 42:16

2+ y ago42:16

42:16

Winning attitudes that show up again and again among the most effective entrepreneurs, include: - They are lifelong learners, perpetually curious. - They don’t feel the need to be the smartest person in the room. - They’re able to listen to feedback, seek out information and learn from others. - They’re good at delegating and helping people reach t…

1
The Best VC Pitches Gets Right to the Point - Nick Adams, Differential Ventures 31:21

2+ y ago31:21

31:21

Approach VCs that have an interest or expertise in your market sector. Create pitch decks that are tight, disciplined and get right to the selling points. Nick shares thoughts about how to ride the entrepreneurial tide without getting lost in a sea of competitors. As a wrap up with take a quick look at what’s on the horizon for Differential Venture…

1
MM M&A 021: Industry Spotlight – Automotive Reconditioning 24:46

2+ y ago24:46

24:46

This episode continues our series of "industry spotlights," in which we focus on specific trends and opportunities in middle market M&A transactions. This episode focuses on the automotive reconditioning industry, a $5.4 billion industry that is highly fragmented and ripe for consolidation. Colonnade has extensive transaction experience in the auto…

1
Startup growth principles and talent strategy - Anuj Adhiya, Underscore VC 41:36

2+ y ago41:36

41:36

Follow me on Linkedin for podcast updates, new episodes and highlight clips. Highlights: - A powerful way to connect and network with tech entrepreneurs who deliver daily value - How hire the right people based on your company growth stage - When is a good/right time to bring your first marketer onboard About Anuj Anuj Adhiya is the author of the b…

1
From a Bootstrapped startup to having 5 financing rounds and an IPO - Mike Evans, Fixer 50:07

2+ y ago50:07

50:07

Highlights: - Principles and metrics on when to pivot or not (apart from the gut feeling) - How Mike started GrubHub and grew it to IPO - How Mike raised 5 million dollars for his new company Fixer About Mike Mike Evans is an author and Founder of Fixer and GrubHub. Before Fixer, he earned a pile of degrees in MIT, where he also accrued a massive a…

1
Over-mentoring founders, how to exit your business - Stephen Forte, Fresco Capital 45:58

2+ y ago45:58

45:58

Highlights: - How to prepare your company for an exit - When is the right time to exit your business - If you’re being acquired how not to sell your business too low - VC role may not be a good fit to you - reasons why About Stephen Stephen is a managing partner at Fresco Capital. He was Chief Strategy Officer of Telerik, a leading vendor of develo…

1
MM M&A 020 - Indications of Interest and Letters of Intent: Narrowing the Field 31:36

2+ y ago31:36

31:36

In previous episodes, Colonnade Advisors has outlined our unique 16-week sales process timeline in four phases: pre-marketing, go to market, management presentations/buyer due diligence, and exclusivity/documentation. In this episode, we will be doing a deep dive on indications of interest ("IOI"), which take place at the end of the go to market ph…

1
Passion Drives Your Startup Success - Bram Warshafsky, Shelfgram 38:15

3y ago38:15

38:15

Follow me on Linkedin for similar content and personal updates. Highlights: - 2 moments when Bram was considering walking away from a startup - How to get employees to work on what they really want - 1000 small pivots - what’s that and how it works - Don’t set long term goals About Bram Bram Warshafsky is the Founder of Shelfgram, a tech start-up t…

1
Entrepreneurship is a mental game - Mike Smerklo, Next Coast Ventures 31:28

3y ago31:28

31:28

Follow me on Linkedin for podcast updates, new episodes and highlight clips. Highlights: - How much mindset matters in running your business - What to look for in a good mentor - How Mike met Bill Campbell - Self-awareness - fundamental block for your success About Mike Mike Smerklo has worked 100 hour weeks at Lehman Brothers, a job that he hated.…

1
Start your startup marketing from day one, with Mike Williams, CEO @ Jetstream Digital 39:51

3y ago39:51

39:51

Follow me on Linkedin for similar content and personal updates. Highlights: Why you need to start marketing before you build a product At what point do you abandon opportunities? How do you find traction? How to not get destroyed by your business mentally About Mike Mike is the CEO and Co-founder of Jetstream and a Facilitator of the Alacrity Acade…

1
Overnight success that took me 30 years (with Founder and Owner of Danby Appliances, Jim Estill) 46:20

3y ago46:20

46:20

Conversation highlights: Jim’s philosophy on failing and doing market research How Jim bought Danby Appliances What to look for in hiring Wealth philosophy - you don’t need that much money About Jim Estill: Jim is a Canadian technology entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist. He started his first computer distribution business from the trunk of…

1
MM M&A 019 - Industry Spotlight: Vehicle Service Contract Administrators 30:28

3y ago30:28

30:28

This episode continues our series of "industry spotlights," in which we focus on specific trends and opportunities in middle market M&A transactions. This episode kicks off several episodes around the finance and insurance ("F&I") products industry, estimated at $80+ billion in size at the retail level. Specifically, this episode is all about vehic…

1
CEO of ACTO on product market fit, defining core values and funding (with Parth Khanna) 50:45

3y ago50:45

50:45

Parth takes us through his entrepreneurial path and obstacles he had to overcome while building his business. We talk about product market fit, figuring out your company values, scaling and fundraising. Key talking points: - Product market fit - what to look out for - What kind of mindset you need to secure funding and build relationships with inve…

1
Raising Capital 101: Breakdown of the key principles from Scott Case, CEO @ Upside 51:06

3y ago51:06

51:06

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. I’m speaking with technologist, inventor, and entrepreneur Scott Case. Scott is well-known as the founding CTO of Priceline.com. Currently, he is the Co-founder and CEO of Upside.com, where he is reinventing business travel for millions of people each year. He is also the host …

1
The right way to build your brand online from scratch (with Nelio Leone from UrbanMonks) 24:46

3y ago24:46

24:46

Key talking points: - How Nelio hacked his way into marketing while being on vacation - Key considerations for founders to build their brands on social media - What elements make social posts hyper-successful About Nelio: Nelio has been a growth marketer for nearly a decade, and he has a passion for building edgy brands with digital flair. He is th…

1
Growing your startup with freelancers (ft. Growth Mentor CEO, Foti Panagiotakopoulos) 40:14

3y ago40:14

40:14

Foti is an accomplished founder with an extensive background in full stack growth marketing. He has over a decade of experience developing and marketing businesses. In this episode, we’re speaking with Foti about getting your product off the ground and growing your startup, as well as the benefits of outsourcing, and why a strong team might not be …

1
MM M&A 018 - Industry Spotlight: Insurance Premium Finance 36:06

3y ago36:06

36:06

This episode kicks off a series of “industry spotlights” in which we focus on specific trends and opportunities in middle market M&A transactions. Our first episode in this series is all about an exciting niche industry ($35 billion) that Colonnade has dominated in the role of advisor to both buy-side and sell-side clients. This industry focus has …

1
Delivering customer satisfaction, every time (with Marcus Cauchi) 41:38

3y ago41:38

41:38

On today’s episode of the Off the Record series, our guest is Chief Revenue Officer, Marcus Cauchi. Marcus collaborates with ambitious founders and CEOs of disruptive technology companies in the £10-£50m turnover range to increase revenue quickly and effectively. He is also co-Author of Making Channel Sales Work, founder of Sales: A Force For Good …

1
Launching a company without a developer (with Bethany Stachenfeld from Sendspark) 47:07

3y ago47:07

47:07

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. A New Jersey native and business graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Bethany joined Venture For America after college. She led marketing for start-ups, Filestack and VidGrid before shifting gears to pursue her own entrepreneurial aspirations to co-found Sendspark in…

1
PR stunts, word-of-mouth marketing and making your brand memorable (with Saul Colt) 46:11

3y ago46:11

46:11

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Key talking points: - PR stunts and making your brand unforgettable - Advice on building your brand through influence and not audience - Importance of word-of-mouth marketing About Saul: Saul Colt is the Founder and Creative Director at The Idea Integration Company. In his care…

1
Increasing your revenue via building relationships & marketing (with Sam Jacobs from Pavilion) 53:12

3y ago53:12

53:12

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Key talking points: What you need to be a customer centric organisation Early adopters vs product market fit Managing high churn rates Ways to engage your engineers About Sam: Sam is the Founder of Pavilion (former Revenue Collective) and also hosts the Sales Hacker Podcast. Pr…

1
AirborneApp CEO Lee Gladish on the realities of committing your time as a founder 51:54

3y ago51:54

51:54

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Lee gives his insight into how you can identify a realistic launch date for your product to avoid overspending on your development. Airborne App is a Sales Engagement application, purpose built for marketing agencies. Users can manage multi-channel sequences via email, phone, a…

1
The road to leadership and sales career (with Christina Brady from Sales Assembly) 48:53

3y ago48:53

48:53

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add us on Linkedin here. Key talking points: - How to sell your product to customers on a sales call - Qualities of a good leader and how to be truly great in any role - Running productive one-on-one meetings with your employees Check out how Sales assembly works: https://www.salesassembly.com/ About C…

1
How to succeed as an entrepreneur and build your community (with Swish Goswami from Trufan) 48:28

3y ago48:28

48:28

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add us on Linkedin here. Key talking points: - Swish’s career journey as an entrepreneur - How to build your brand and community effectively through social media - Prioritizing what’s important as an entrepreneur and managing your time About Swish: Gen Z entrepreneur and venture capitalist Swish Goswam…

1
Honest lessons to new founders from a “deadly CEO” (with Art Shaikh) 48:28

3y ago48:28

48:28

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Discover Art’s views on the importance of building a strong team of “passionate people”, who can become “true assassins” for your company. We also talk about taking the reins of responsibility as a founder, and what that role actually means. As well as the value in continuously…

1
MM M&A 017 - Pick Your Partner - The Exclusivity Phase 39:50

3y ago39:50

39:50

We are excited to focus today’s episode on the final phase of our unique 16-week sales process. Today we are focused on phase four: exclusivity/documentation. We invite you to listen to episode 001 for more information about phase one (pre-marketing), episode 002 for more information about phase two (go to market), and episode 0016 for more informa…

1
Unstack CEO on Successful Fundraising and Hiring Top Talent (with Grant Deken) 46:46

3y ago46:46

46:46

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Key talking points: How Grant approached fundraising process What Grant was looking for to make his best hires Challenges and failures of building Unstack community What Grant would do if his company went bankrupt About Grant Grant started his entrepreneurial career delivering …

1
Lessons from bootstrapping a company to $160K MRR in 16 months (with Stephen Hakami) 51:45

3y ago51:45

51:45

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Key talking points: - How Stephen quit his job to start his first company - Wiza could potentially replace zoominfo for B2B companies - why/how - Relevance vs context of your sales/marketing emails - Stephen’s views on bootstrapping vs taking capital - Saying no to new shiny op…

1
MM M&A 016 - Management Meetings 30:31

3y ago30:31

30:31

In previous episodes, Colonnade Advisors has outlined our unique 16-week sales process timeline in four phases: pre-marketing, go to market, management presentations/buyer due diligence, and exclusivity/documentation. Today’s episode focuses on phase three: management presentations/ buyer due diligence. We invite you to listen to episode 001 for mo…

1
Rachel Zimmer on co-founder dynamics, going through an exit and coaching entrepreneurs 41:40

3+ y ago41:40

41:40

Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. When starting a company and looking for a co-founder consider these 2 scenarios. I’ve got an idea, come join me as a “co-founder”, but really more like an employee. It’s my business that you happen to come join. Feeling excited? 2. Here’s a a huge issue in the industry and this…

1
How venture capital can increase diversity where it matters most (with Nasir Qadree, Zeal Capital Partners) 37:24

3+ y ago37:24

37:24

Before you take off... Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. What investors often don’t talk about is how we can help underrepresented founders and particularly women entrepreneurs get a fair chunk of the plate. if entrepreneurs are truly going to be the change agents of the globe then VC industry have to include e…

1
Amali Tower, Climate Refugees 35:15

3+ y ago35:15

35:15

This episode features humanitarian and human rights advocate, Amali Tower, Founder & Executive Director of Climate Refugees, a non-profit centered on climate justice and everything in between, from induced displacement, migration, food insecurity, and regional conflicts. Amali has worked over 17 years in human rights and to promote the protection o…

1
Founder’s mental health: secrets of staying in the game (with Jayesh Parmar) 41:30

3+ y ago41:30

41:30

Jayesh’s three rules of a startup. Don’t run out of money Don’t run out of money Don’t run out of money. Talking points: - A story about how Jayesh got sued while being acquired by Eventbrite - How to get through ups and downs of running your business - Work/life balance and how find what works for you - World’s sexiest tongue scraper - Jayesh’s ne…

1
How startup CEOs should approach press and avoid biggest PR misconceptions (with Nicole Rodrigues) 27:41

3+ y ago27:41

27:41

Before you take off... Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Talking points: Biggest misconceptions of how to run PR for tech CEOs How CEOs should approach PR if you have a limited number of followers How do you get on inc.com or Forbes What early stage CEOs should start doing PR-wise tomorrow You started a brand n…

1
Dragons' Den's Bruce Croxon on scaling a company 24/7, work/life balance, and self-awareness 44:08

3+ y ago44:08

44:08

Before you take off... Want to see future episode highlights? You can add me on Linkedin here. Talking points: - A story of a pitch Bruce had on Dragon’s Den that wasn’t solving a real problem - Biggest lesson to VCs and entrepreneurs on hiring people - Bruce’s philosophy on work/life balance - Self-awareness breakthrough Bruce had in his early 20s…

1
MM M&A 015 - How to Prepare for Wealth and Preserve Your Family Legacy 35:26

3+ y ago35:26

35:26

In this episode, Jeff Guylay focuses on the best practices to maximize after-tax proceeds from a transaction. Jeff is joined by featured guest Raj Rathi, co-founder of Rathi Singh Private Wealth Management, to share his insights from helping his clients understand the nuances of how best to manage their wealth. Jeff and Raj discuss the importance o…

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