Episode
He Bought His First Business at $17M and 2x'd It in 5 Years
- Podcast
- The SMB Deal Hunter Podcast
- Published
- May 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3144
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/f4fb2d1c
Actions
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Summary
In this episode, Adam breaks down the unusual deal structure that pulled him off the fence, why running a $20M business was harder than running a $150M one, and the single biggest lever he pulled to double the profits. ◼️ The CEO-on-salary trial structure that let him run the business for 6 months before he committed to buying it ◼️ The construction-to-service flip that doubled EBITDA on a 50% revenue lift ◼️ Why running a $150M company was easier than running a $20M one ◼️ The year-one near-disaster that nearly cost him his largest equipment distributor ◼️ Why he managed to EBITDA, never to revenue, from day one Subscribe to the SMB Deal Hunter newsletter (200,000+ subscribers): https://join.smbdealhunter.xyz/ Want help buying a business? Learn about SMB Deal Hunter Pro: https://pro.smbdealhunter.xyz/ Follow Helen: Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo _ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/