# Building Firms That Last: Lessons from the Deal Table | With Marc Cooper

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-impact-6402160/building-firms-that-last-lessons-from-the-deal-table-with-marc-cooper.md
Podcast: [Power & Impact](https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-impact-6402160)
Published: 2026-02-17T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://f33fcf2b-60bb-47c2-83d6-dd682fea7507.libsyn.com/building-firms-that-last-lessons-from-the-deal-table
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/power-impact-6402160/episodes/building-firms-that-last-lessons-from-the-deal-table-with-marc-cooper
Duration seconds: 2070

## Resource

Markets move in cycles. Companies endure — or they don't — based on the decisions leaders make when conditions are uncertain. In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Marc Cooper, CEO of Solomon Partners, to talk about what the current M&A environment is teaching us about durability. Beneath the headlines about slower deal flow and shifting valuations, there's a more important story unfolding: private equity portfolios aging, capital waiting for clarity, and management teams deciding whether to hold, sell, or reinvest for the long term. Marc shares what he's seeing across the market — from renewed activity in larger transactions to the early "green shoots" in the middle market. We discuss the pressure facing funds that expanded during the zero-interest-rate years, the reality of price discovery, and why 2026 may bring a steady return of movement rather than a dramatic surge. After five decades in business, I've learned that lasting firms are built on discipline, perspective, and the willingness to act when the moment calls for it — even when the answers aren't perfectly clear.

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