Episodios

  • Episode 392: How to Actually Get Your Deals Across the Finish Line with Corey Kupfer

    Episode 392: How to Actually Get Your Deals Across the Finish Line with Corey Kupfer
    Feb 25 2026
    After 35+ years of closing deals across industries, Corey Kupfer shares the practical strategies that separate deals that close from deals that die in the final stretch. This remastered solocast from the early days of DealQuest delivers timeless advice on getting deals across the finish line. In this solocast episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer breaks down the critical factors that determine whether your deal actually closes or falls apart at the last minute. Drawing from decades of experience as an M&A attorney, entrepreneur, and dealmaker, Corey addresses the mental traps, preparation gaps, and emotional triggers that derail otherwise successful transactions. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why mentally closing a deal before it actually closes is the biggest mistake dealmakers make, and how "spending the money in your mind" sabotages your focus and negotiating position. Corey explains the concept of pre-due diligence and why preparation before the LOI stage prevents deals from falling apart during buyer scrutiny. You'll learn how to identify your true bottom line and get total clarity on what's acceptable and what's not. The episode covers how ego and emotional attachment blow deals that would otherwise succeed, the strategic balance of bringing in key stakeholders while maintaining confidentiality, and how to keep deal momentum alive through consistent engagement with your professional team. WHY DEALS DIE: Most deals don't fall apart because of bad terms or major due diligence discoveries. They fall apart because someone mentally checked out too early. The moment you sign the LOI and start treating the deal as done, you stop focusing on the critical work still required. You stop keeping your due diligence clean. You stop maintaining pace. You stop staying hungry for the close. The other side senses this shift, issues arise that could have been managed, and momentum dies. PRE-DUE DILIGENCE PREPARATION: One of the best ways to ensure deals close is preparation that happens before negotiations even heat up. If you're selling your company, experienced advisors know what buyers will examine. If you're raising capital, they know what investors will scrutinize. The goal is to be fully prepared and looking great before their team starts asking questions. Many deals fall apart during due diligence because sellers haven't done this preparation work. When there's smoke, buyers think there's fire. One issue makes them worry about ten others they haven't found yet. TRUE BOTTOM LINE CLARITY: This connects to a fundamental negotiating principle from Corey's Authentic Negotiating book. You need total clarity on exactly what's acceptable and what's not acceptable to you. When things shift unexpectedly, whether the economy changes, due diligence reveals issues, a key employee leaves, or you lose a major client, that foundation of clarity determines whether you navigate the disruption or let it derail everything. If you don't know your true bottom line, these disruptions can easily prevent you from ever reaching closing. MANAGING EGO AND ATTACHMENT: As deals progress, watch for ego and emotional attachment on both sides. When the other party raises issues close to closing, you need clarity to analyze whether those issues actually matter versus reacting because you feel triggered. Sometimes people blow deals not because the terms became unacceptable, but because they got tired, frustrated, or insulted. Don't let triggering emotions destroy a deal that could be very good or lucrative for you. STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT: Deals can fail at the last minute because the principals assume alignment that doesn't exist. They go to key employees, minority owners, or investors expecting buy-in and discover it isn't there. The balance between confidentiality and getting necessary stakeholder alignment requires strategic thinking. Especially if you're selling your company, you have to weigh not being seen as "in play" on the marketplace and not having employees get spooked against the risk of bringing key folks in too late. MAINTAINING MOMENTUM: Work closely with your team and professionals to keep the pace of the deal moving forward. Deals die when people lose interest or momentum simply fades. Consistent engagement, timely responses to information requests, and staying available to work through inevitable issues keeps deals on track. Perfect for business owners preparing to sell, executives pursuing acquisitions, entrepreneurs raising capital, and anyone involved in transactions who wants to understand why deals succeed or fail in the final stretch. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/how-to-close-deals FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, ...
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    10 m
  • Episode 391: How to Maximize Your Company's Sale Value with Greg Waller

    Episode 391: How to Maximize Your Company's Sale Value with Greg Waller
    Feb 18 2026
    From sandblasting pipe yards at 17 to advising on $10-200M M&A transactions, Dr. Greg Waller shares proven strategies for maximizing business exit value, managing buyer expectations, and why the best time to prepare for sale is 3 years before you're ready. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Dr. Greg Waller, who advises clients on complex business valuation and buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions. Greg is the managing partner of Cornerstone Valuation and a partner and managing director of Transact Capital, leading a 20-person team focused on the lower middle to middle market. Given his academic and entrepreneurial background, he jokingly refers to himself as the Blue Collar Scholar. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why professional buyers and owner-operators require completely different M&A processes, how to set realistic expectations about the gap between business value and market price, and why starting exit preparation 3 years in advance dramatically impacts final sale outcomes. Greg explains how private equity-backed platforms are blurring the traditional lines between financial and strategic buyers, what makes labor-intensive businesses particularly attractive in the current market, and the cultural complexities that emerge in international transactions. You'll also learn why the most successful exits often begin as casual conversations years before any actual sale decision. GREG'S JOURNEY: Greg's path to M&A advisory started in Youngstown, Ohio at age 17. He walked into a pipe yard with a 4-inch piece of pipe, half sandblasted and coated, half rusty. He showed the crew his before-and-after demo and landed a contract to blast the entire yard over 18 months. That first deal led to years painting elevated structural steel, bridges, water tanks, and radio transmission towers. The industry changed when EPA regulations around lead-based paint removal came in. Working on a bridge one day, a coworker with cracked hands from years of painting looked at Greg and said, "Look at my hands, look at my face. What are you doing? You're a smart boy, why don't you go back to school?" That conversation took the rest of the season to sink in, but Greg eventually left the painting business and pursued his MBA at Ohio University. Faculty members encouraged him to pursue a PhD. His initial reaction was "Are you crazy? Why would I ever want to do a PhD?" But they convinced him, and he earned his PhD in finance at Purdue University. During his 20 years in academics at Ohio University and Virginia Commonwealth University (until May 2025), Greg maintained entrepreneurial ventures including valuation work as an expert witness, real estate development, buying his father's distribution company, and building a restaurant operating group. THE BLUE COLLAR SCHOLAR: Greg's unique combination of blue-collar operations experience and academic expertise gives him a perspective most M&A advisors lack. As he puts it, "I'm as comfortable talking to the janitor as I am to a board of directors, and just being able to put yourself in those shoes and having done it really gives you a different perspective." Having been under the hood of companies across virtually every industry through ownership and valuation work, he can get into the head of sellers in ways that matter when emotions run high and expectations need managing. KEY INSIGHTS: The M&A market divides into two buyer pools requiring vastly different processes. Professional buyers (private equity and strategics) respond to structured competitive auction processes with rigorous due diligence. Owner-operators typically engage through market-making platforms where price leads the conversation. Understanding which buyer type you're targeting shapes everything about your approach. Value and price represent fundamentally different concepts. Greg uses GameStop as his example: price went through the roof despite no fundamental change to the company, then crashed. Setting realistic expectations upfront with clients about valuation ranges prevents painful surprises when market realities emerge. The critical question: "If this thing ends up pricing at the lower end of the range, are we still good to go?" The consultative approach produces the best outcomes. Greg's most successful deals were "3 or 5 years in the making" where he identified value drivers early, helped clients clean up their operations, and positioned them properly before market entry. The best time to start thinking about hitting the market is 3 years ago. Private equity-backed platforms now dominate middle-market transactions, acting like strategics by bolting on competitors but bringing institutional capital discipline. This hybrid model has made the traditional financial versus strategic buyer distinction increasingly blurry. Labor-intensive businesses with skilled workforces are commanding premium multiples as immigration policies create labor challenges. Service ...
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    41 m
  • Episode 390: Tax-Smart Exit Planning with David Flores Wilson

    Episode 390: Tax-Smart Exit Planning with David Flores Wilson
    Feb 11 2026
    From Olympic sprinter to trusted advisor helping entrepreneurs save millions in taxes, David Flores Wilson shares proven strategies for QSBS planning, equity compensation design, and preparing business owners for successful exits both financially and personally. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with David Flores Wilson, CFA, CFP, Managing Partner at Sinceres, who advises entrepreneurs and business owners in New York City on personal financial planning from formation to exit and beyond. David is a multiple Investopedia Top 100 Financial Advisor whose guidance has appeared in CNBC, Yahoo Finance, the New York Times, US News and World Report, and Investment News. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how QSBS planning can potentially exclude $10 million to $70 million or more in capital gains from taxes when structured correctly, why LLC to C Corp conversion timing creates dramatic differences in tax outcomes, and how QSBS stacking through non-grantor trusts multiplies exclusions. David shares why equity compensation plans often fail to motivate the specific people they target and what questions to ask before choosing a vehicle. You'll also learn about the personal readiness component of exit planning that determines whether entrepreneurs thrive or struggle after selling their businesses. DAVID'S JOURNEY: David's path to financial planning started with entrepreneurial instincts in an unexpected place. Growing up in Guam, he ran a comic book arbitrage business as a kid, discovering price differences between local stores and mainland mail-order catalogs. His father was a CPA with a home office, and despite wanting nothing to do with accounting, David absorbed financial concepts through osmosis that would later prove invaluable. After college at UC Berkeley, David joined Lehman Brothers and worked through the financial crisis. During that time, colleagues started coming to him with financial planning questions, and he realized helping people with their money was his true passion. He sat on that realization for years before eventually transitioning to financial planning. When Covid hit in 2020, David and his partner Dan Ryan launched Sinceres, and the firm has been growing since. OLYMPICS LESSON: David represented Guam in track and field at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, competing in the 200 and 400 meters. The experience taught him something crucial about career selection. Unlike running, where pushing harder brings diminishing returns and constant injury risk, financial planning offers the opportunity to improve incrementally every single day. That compounding knowledge approach now drives how he serves clients. KEY INSIGHTS: QSBS planning stands out as potentially the most powerful tax planning tool for qualifying entrepreneurs. C Corps meeting holding period and active business requirements can exclude $10 million in gains, or 10 times basis for older shares, with new legislation increasing that to $15 million. The planning becomes even more powerful with LLC conversions where market value at conversion becomes the QSBS basis. The biggest mistake with equity compensation involves choosing vehicles based on what owners like rather than what motivates specific employees. "Equity" can mean participation in profits, upside potential, a seat at the table, or financial disclosure. Different people value these differently, and the best planning starts with understanding objectives before selecting tools. Exit planning involves three components that David implements from the first meeting with business owners. Getting personally ready addresses what provides purpose after selling. Getting financially ready ensures the numbers work. Getting business ready covers everything from customer concentration to management team development. The recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act has changed QSBS holding periods, SALT deductions, and AMT rules. Business owners should review their planning with advisors rather than assuming previous strategies still apply. Perfect for entrepreneurs considering entity structure decisions, business owners thinking about exit planning, and anyone interested in tax-efficient wealth building strategies. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/davidfloreswilson FOR MORE ON DAVID FLORES WILSON: https://www.planningtowealth.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfloreswilson/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share ...
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    46 m
  • Episode 389: From Startup to PE Exit in Three Years with Josh Davis

    Episode 389: From Startup to PE Exit in Three Years with Josh Davis
    Feb 4 2026
    From ten years of entrepreneurial struggles to PE exit in three years, Josh Davis shares proven strategies for scaling through acquisitions, building proprietary systems, and navigating the identity shift that follows a successful exit. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Josh Davis, CEO of JL Davis Enterprises, a five-time founder, business acquirer, and turnaround expert with multiple exits including to a US private equity-backed firm. Josh built one of Canada's fastest-growing logistics startups alongside his wife Loretta, scaling it from the ground up before it was acquired by one of North America's largest transportation companies just three years after launch. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how to scale a company through strategic acquisitions without outside capital, why building proprietary software became a major competitive advantage, and what the post-sale transition really feels like when you stay on as CEO. Josh shares the visionary and integrator partnership dynamic that creates breakthrough results, why most post-exit entrepreneurs struggle with minority investments, and what freedom means when you deliberately keep your family office smaller than outside investors want. JOSH'S JOURNEY: Josh's entrepreneurial drive started early watching both grandfathers build successful businesses. On his mother's side, his grandfather ran a construction company, warehouse business, and real estate ventures. On his father's side, his grandfather was a successful mining entrepreneur who became Josh's closest mentor. But Josh also saw his parents go through financial struggles and divorce, which made him view entrepreneurship as the path to stability rather than risk. In his early twenties, Josh dropped out of business school when his grandfather became sick with cancer. He spent two years learning about business and understanding how to acquire distressed mining properties. After his grandfather passed, Josh got exposure to acquisitions, due diligence, and integration through his grandfather's connections. But for the first ten years, he didn't understand the real importance of building teams, building systems, and building a real company. THE TURNING POINT: At twenty-eight, Josh made a deliberate decision to actually learn how to be an entrepreneur. He read every business book he could find, connected with mentors, and joined a private peer advisory group with seasoned entrepreneurs in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. That group has been a game-changer for thirteen years. A few years later, he married his wife Loretta. Their skills were completely opposite. Josh was the visionary with strengths in leadership and sales. Loretta brought systems, processes, and operational excellence from her commerce degree at one of Canada's top universities. The combination created the breakthrough. BUILDING THE LOGISTICS COMPANY: When Josh and Loretta launched their logistics company, they realized the Canadian transportation industry was old school with manual processes and paper systems. They couldn't find software that fit their needs, so they hired four developers and built their own. After eight months, they launched custom software that tracked gross profit per head, enabled profit-sharing structures, and attracted top talent. The second key was acquisitions. They bootstrapped with bank debt and systematically acquired distressed transportation and warehousing businesses, bringing in their own software, systems, and team members. After developing their operating system for acquisitions, each deal got easier. THE PE EXIT: The conversation about selling started when Loretta raised it. She was pregnant with their first child and knew she didn't want to run operations in a 24/7 transportation logistics business. They had also hit a capital constraint since the low-margin business required more capital every time they grew. They engaged an M&A advisor and found a well-capitalized US private equity-backed firm with Canadian roots in North American transportation. POST-SALE TRANSITION: Josh describes post-exit life as giving a child up for adoption and living in the same house. He stayed on as CEO for two years, and having financial backing from the larger entity was a huge relief. But when the transition ended, his partners were gone, his wife had been out for two years, and the company had become more corporate. The day he told the team was emotional, and when his email was finally turned off, the quiet was striking. KEY INSIGHTS: Josh's original plan post-exit was to take small equity positions and sit on boards. What he found was that he actually likes getting his hands dirty, and working with founders who weren't ready for the advice proved challenging. Some founders would realize they didn't want to do the work and would ask Josh to buy them out instead. That misalignment led JL Davis Enterprises to pivot toward full acquisitions while being ...
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    53 m
  • Episode 388: Navigate International Deals Successfully with Corey Kupfer

    Episode 388: Navigate International Deals Successfully with Corey Kupfer
    Jan 28 2026

    In this remastered DealQuest solocast, Corey Kupfer shares insights from over 35 years of cross-border deal-making experience. Originally recorded when the podcast was still called Fueling Deals, this episode remains highly relevant for entrepreneurs considering international expansion or partnerships with foreign companies.

    WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

    Why international deals offer significant growth opportunities in less saturated markets

    The critical importance of finding trusted local partners who understand culture, laws, and how business actually gets done in foreign jurisdictions

    How employment laws, IP protections, and disclosure requirements vary dramatically across countries and why this matters for your deals

    Cultural considerations that can make or break international transactions, including business card etiquette, relationship building timelines, and signing ceremony customs

    Why due diligence processes must be adapted for each jurisdiction's available information and verification methods

    How foreign companies entering your market could become partners, joint venture collaborators, or even buyers rather than competitors

    CROSS-REFERENCED EPISODES

    Episode 173 with Wendy Pease covers international deal lessons in depth

    Episode 337 with Jonathan Gardner discusses cultural integration in M&A transactions

    Episode 175 with Natasha Miller explores strategic partnerships with competitors

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE

    This remastered episode was selected from the DealQuest archives because the advice and frameworks remain timeless. Corey discusses why globalization will continue despite disruptions, how to approach market entry in foreign jurisdictions, and the opportunity to turn potential foreign competitors into strategic partners.

    CONNECT WITH COREY

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer

    Website: coreykupfer.com

    ABOUT COREY KUPFER

    Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. He is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker who is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. Corey is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.
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    22 m
  • Episode 387: Mastering Debt Decisions and Alternative Investments with Stas Sukhinin

    Episode 387: Mastering Debt Decisions and Alternative Investments with Stas Sukhinin
    Jan 21 2026
    From investment banker to crypto fund strategist, Stas Sukhinin shares insider perspectives on how credit committees really make decisions, why over-leveraged companies fail fast during downturns, and where stablecoins are creating trillion-dollar transaction opportunities. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Stas Sukhinin, a finance veteran with over 19 years of experience spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. Stas began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products in Eastern Europe. By age 29, he had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover what really happens inside credit committees when your loan application gets reviewed and why factors unrelated to your business can determine outcomes. Stas explains how strong companies can go from healthy to restructuring in just three to four months when leverage catches up with them, and the critical difference between how first-time owners and experienced operators approach debt decisions. You'll learn the two key factors that determine how much debt your business can handle, why working capital provisions in purchase agreements deserve more attention than most buyers give them, and how sellers legally present financials in the most favorable light. The conversation also covers Stas's experience investing in the 2017 ICO boom where 90% of projects went to zero but winners returned 50x to 100x, why venture capital investors sometimes block deals that would be life-changing for founders, and where stablecoin transaction volume is already reaching trillions while most people remain unaware. STAS'S JOURNEY: Stas's path into finance started at age 14 when a classmate brought a business magazine to school. Reading about business owners selling companies for millions crystallized his direction. He knew he wanted to be in corporate lending where he could see businesses, analyze financials, and speak directly with owners while working with numbers at a bank. His first role as a junior credit analyst gave him exactly that. He progressed from working with small businesses that had no financials to mid-sized companies to large corporations. Each step taught him more about how deals really get done from inside the institutions making funding decisions. CREDIT COMMITTEE INSIGHTS: Stas pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when loan applications reach credit committees. The reality differs dramatically from what most business owners imagine. Factors affecting approval can seem completely unrelated to the specific deal. Maybe the bank already has a competitor in their portfolio. Maybe the receivable financing department has a different relationship with someone in your industry. One offhand comment from a committee member who hasn't read the full memo can change the entire trajectory of a conversation or result in higher interest rates. DEBT MANAGEMENT LESSONS: The pattern Stas has seen destroy companies in months follows predictable steps. Revenue drops or stagnates. Margins deteriorate because of increased competition and client uncertainty. Debt ratios that looked comfortable suddenly reach concerning levels. Refinancing options disappear just when needed most. Interest rates climb. Everything compounds simultaneously. The difference between experienced and first-time business owners comes down to scenario planning. Experienced operators build safety margins and stress-test assumptions. First-time owners assume conditions will continue as they are. That assumption determines survival. ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 during the ICO boom. Out of many investments, approximately 90% went to zero. The winners returned 50x or 100x. His observation about liquidity cycles was particularly interesting. Traditional venture now averages seven-year holding periods while crypto projects can reach liquidity events in three or four years through token distributions. On stablecoins, Stas sees enormous opportunity in programmable money. Transaction volume is already in the trillions though most people in developed countries don't realize the scale. Goldman Sachs reportedly reduced bond settlement time from three days to minutes using blockchain technology. Perfect for business owners considering debt financing, entrepreneurs navigating capital raising, and anyone interested in how credit decisions really get made and where alternative investments are creating new opportunities. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/stassukhinin FOR MORE ON STAS SUKHININ: https://www.thesourcer.so https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://...
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    41 m
  • Episode 386: The $12 Million Lesson Hiding in Your Head with Adi Klevit

    Episode 386: The $12 Million Lesson Hiding in Your Head with Adi Klevit
    Jan 14 2026
    From process consultant to helping businesses increase their enterprise value through systematization, Adi Klevit shares proven strategies for documenting operations, preparing companies for successful exits, and ensuring post-merger integrations don't fall apart. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Adi Klevit, founder of Business Success Consulting Group, who has spent over 30 years helping entrepreneurs bring order to their operations. Adi hosts the Systems Simplified podcast and contributes articles to Inc.com. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how documented processes dramatically increase enterprise value when selling a business, why buyers light up when they realize they're purchasing a system rather than just a company, and the concept of "unconscious competence" that keeps valuable knowledge trapped in entrepreneurs' heads. Adi shares how to extract hidden systems behind your natural talents, why entrepreneurs resist systematization even though it creates freedom, and how to get teams to actually follow documented processes. You'll also learn how process documentation complements entrepreneurial operating systems like EOS and Scaling Up, what breaks down in post-merger integration when documentation doesn't exist, and why AI is a powerful tool but cannot replace human judgment. ADI'S JOURNEY: Adi started a tutoring business in 9th grade that grew entirely through referrals, teaching her early lessons about balancing promotion with delivery. After working as VP of Marketing at an international consulting company, she launched her own firm when partnership wasn't available. As a general business consultant, she kept telling clients they needed documented processes, and nothing would happen. Finally, she offered to do it for them, and a niche was born. KEY INSIGHTS: A painting company owner documented all their processes with Adi's help. When he went to sell, the buyer's eyes lit up because he realized he wasn't just buying a painting company. He was buying a complete system and operation. On the flip side, Adi recently got a call from someone who bought a company with 60 employees and nothing documented. If everyone quit tomorrow, he would have no idea how to run what he just purchased. EOS implementers are Adi's biggest referral source because operating systems tell you that you need documented processes but don't create them for you. Adi's firm serves as a fractional process team that does the implementation work entrepreneurs keep pushing off. Too many people think deals are done when documents are signed. Adi works with companies that grow through acquisition, helping them bring new employees up to speed on unified systems. Even when both companies have good systems independently, those systems differ. Integration work determines whether the combined entity functions as one or remains two disconnected operations. For Adi, freedom means the ability to create. The systems she builds generate the freedom she values. Perfect for business owners preparing for exits, entrepreneurs struggling to extract knowledge from their heads, and acquirers concerned about post-merger integration. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/adiklevit FOR MORE ON ADI KLEVIT: https://www.bizsuccesscg.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiklevit/ https://www.successreplicator.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps: [00:00] - Introduction: Adi Klevit's journey from childhood entrepreneur to process consultant [09:13] - Starting a tutoring business in 9th grade and learning about business cycles [15:22] - How passion for systematization developed through frustration with clients [18:31] - The painting company story: Buyers purchasing systems, not just businesses [22:04] - Corey's business development system he didn't know he had [26:37] - Getting teams to actually follow documented processes [34:05] - How process documentation complements EOS and other operating systems [38:56] - Post-merger integration: Where good deals go to die [46:26] - Which business areas prove most problematic in integration [51:03] - Why AI cannot replace human judgment in process work [52:...
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    42 m
  • Episode 385: 2026 Deal Outlook and Market Trends with Brian Meegan

    Episode 385: 2026 Deal Outlook and Market Trends with Brian Meegan
    Jan 7 2026
    From a lumpy 2025 market to building pent-up demand, M&A attorneys Corey Kupfer and Brian Meegan share their frontline perspective on deal trends and what business owners need to know heading into 2026. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with his partner Brian Meegan of Kupfer. to kick off the new year with a candid conversation about the deal market. Together, they've handled dozens of deals totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in purchase price and enterprise value across wealth management, tech, and trade industries nationwide. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why the 2025 M&A market has been "lumpy" with strong activity in certain sectors while others slowed, and how markets normalize uncertainty when clarity takes too long. Corey and Brian discuss tax legislation certainty versus tariff uncertainty pending Supreme Court review, why pent-up demand builds pressure that eventually releases, and how massive PE dry powder creates deployment urgency. You'll learn why equitizing Generation 2 leadership years before an exit improves options and valuation, how trade industries remain attractive due to AI resistance, and what regional differences mean for deal opportunities. DEAL MARKET REALITY: The end of 2024 was intense, and momentum carried into 2025. Yet conversations with colleagues revealed uneven activity nationwide. Wealth management stayed robust while other sectors slowed. Weaker earnings combined with elevated prices created buyer-seller disconnects. CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY: Markets crave predictability. Recent tax legislation provided clarity around R&D credits and SALT deductions. Tariff policy remains uncertain with potential Supreme Court review, creating productivity costs as companies refigure supply chains. PENT-UP DEMAND: When natural deal flow gets suppressed, it builds pressure rather than disappearing. PE firms sit on enormous capital with fund timeline pressures. Money isn't the constraint. Finding opportunities and having clarity to proceed are the real bottlenecks. THE GEN 2 IMPERATIVE: Equitizing key executives years before a potential exit creates tax-efficient structures, makes companies more attractive to buyers, and gives acquirers confidence. Waiting until deal time limits options and hurts valuation. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES: Brian's Denver practice serves different markets than Corey's coastal work. Colorado features strong tech sectors and alternative energy with California migration. Heavy manufacturing concentrates in Arizona and Nevada. TRADE CONSOLIDATION: Professionalization of trades including plumbing, electrical, and HVAC continues after more than a decade. These industries resist AI disruption, making them attractive for stable revenue and consistent fundamentals. Perfect for business owners considering exits, entrepreneurs evaluating opportunities, and anyone wanting frontline perspective on current M&A conditions. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/brianmeegan2026 FOR MORE ON BRIAN MEEGAN: https://www.kupferlaw.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-meegan/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction: Kicking off 2026 with partner Brian Meegan [02:00] - Why the M&A market has been "lumpy" across sectors [04:00] - Tax policy certainty after major legislation passed [08:00] - 2026 outlook and pent-up demand building pressure [13:00] - Appreciation for DealQuest listeners and clients [16:00] - The importance of equitizing Generation 2 leadership [18:00] - Tax efficiency and planning equity participation early [22:00] - Heavy manufacturing trends in Arizona and Nevada[28:00] - Optimism for 2026 and where opportunities exist Guest Bio:Brian Meegan is a partner at Kupfer., bringing extensive transactional experience from his Denver-based practice. Brian specializes in M&A transactions and complex deal structures across tech, natural resources, and professional services. His Colorado practice provides unique perspective on regional market dynamics outside traditional coastal centers. Host Bio:Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional ...
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    33 m