He went from working at Google to driving trucks at 3AM after a brutal first acquisition—then turned those hard lessons into a business that scaled to nearly $30M.

Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com

Serious about buying a business? Start your acquisition journey here: https://equity-launchpad.com/invest-with-us/

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Joe Van Deman of Circle City Capital Group to break down what it actually looks like to buy and operate small businesses.

After reviewing more than 1,200 deals, Joe and his partner acquired an overnight trucking business that looked great on paper but quickly became a grind of middle-of-the-night routes, missed drivers, and operational chaos. Instead of walking away, they stabilized it, grew it, and exited using that experience to reshape their entire strategy.

From there, they built a diversified portfolio across e-commerce, bookkeeping, and manufacturing, including scaling an American-made denim platform to nearly $30M in revenue. Their approach is simple: buy stable businesses, improve operations, and focus on long-term value, not hype.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Reviewed over 1,200 businessesand still got the first deal wrong • Bought a “great on paper” business that had them driving trucks at 3 AM • Doubled the business in year one and exited to a strategic buyer • Scaled a niche denim manufacturing business from under $2M to ~$30M • Built a portfolio by buying overlooked businesses most people ignore

Guest Contact Info:

Joe Van Deman Email: joe@circlecitycapitalgroup.com Website: https://circlecitycapitalgroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joevandeman/

Additional Resources:

Contact Casey Minshew, Ben Suttles and Feras Moussa at info@equitylaunchpad.com https://www.equity-launchpad.com

About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/

Most investors leave millions locked inside their deals because they don’t understand how to turn real estate into usable capital through sale-leasebacks.

Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com

Looking to buy a business or scale through acquisition? Submit your information here: https://www.equity-launchpad.com

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew sits down with Tyrell McGee, a commercial real estate expert specializing in sale-leaseback transactions. Ty shares how investors use real estate as a strategic tool to unlock capital, solve financing challenges, and accelerate growth.

This conversation breaks down how sale-leasebacks work, when they make sense, and how operators, searchers, and private equity firms use them in real deals. From credit and EBITDA thresholds to lease structure and long-term risk, this episode gives a clear, practical look at one of the most powerful tools in M&A.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What a sale-leaseback is and how it works in M&A
• How investors use real estate equity to fund acquisitions and growth
• A real-world example of solving a debt maturity using a sale-leaseback
• Minimum EBITDA and deal size thresholds that make deals viable
• How credit quality and operator strength impact deal structure
• The role of market rent and how lease rates are determined
• Risks of long-term lease obligations and overburdening the business
• When sale-leasebacks make sense for searchers vs private equity sponsors
• How to think about real estate as a strategic lever in acquisitions

Guest Contact Info:

Tyrell McGee

Email: Tyrell.McGee@marcusmillichap.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyrellmcgee/

Additional Resources:

Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equitylaunchpad.com

Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Erica Neal, an infinite banking practitioner, real estate investor, and acquisition entrepreneur. Erica breaks down how infinite banking works, how cash value life insurance can be used as a financial tool, and how she is applying these strategies to acquire and scale a CPA firm. This episode connects liquidity strategy with deal execution, showing how entrepreneurs can build capital, protect assets, and deploy funds into acquisitions more efficiently.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What infinite banking is and how it differs from traditional banking

• How cash value whole life insurance functions as a private banking system

• Borrowing against your policy while continuing to earn compound growth

• Asset protection strategies and why policies act as a financial “vault”

• Using life insurance to meet SBA liquidity and collateral requirements

• Erica’s strategy for acquiring a CPA firm

• The difference between buying a firm vs. a book of business

• How she sourced deals using niche brokerage platforms

• Negotiation dynamics including SBA delays and non-compete structuring

• CPA firm valuation multiples and how timing impacted pricing

• Using policy loans for down payments and maintaining control of capital

• Turning your policy into a revolving source of capital for future deals

• The role of masterminds and accountability in scaling a business

Guest Contact Information:

Email: erica@infinityinvestmentstrategies.com

Additional Resources:

• Equity Launchpad – A platform for acquisition entrepreneurs, investors, and operators focused on buying and scaling businesses.

• Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com

• Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. This is a one-day, high-impact event focused on real deal execution. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off tickets: https://malaunchpad.com

• Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equity-launchpad.com

About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/