Most CEOs think value equals revenue and EBITDA.

Buyers think differently.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Lindsey Wendler, Managing Director at 414 Capital, breaks down what buyers actually score you on, what you need to have in order before going to market, and what quietly kills deals before they close.

Lindsey advises lower middle market companies on M&A, capital raises, and restructures across industries from roofing and landscaping to staffing and legal services. She is a Certified M&A Advisor and Certified Business Appraiser, Vice Chair of the AM&AA, and incoming President of that organization. She has been on both sides of the table — as an advisor and as a founder who started a business abroad and raised capital in Geneva, Switzerland.

In this episode, you will learn: • Why recurring revenue, management depth, and technology resistance matter more than most sellers realize • How buyers use a valuation scorecard to raise or lower your multiple • Why owner dependency is one of the most common deal limiters in the lower middle market • What a Quality of Earnings report actually does for your valuation • The silent deal killers showing up in diligence right now — from EBITDA disputes to I-9 compliance

Learn more about Lindsey and 414 Capital: Website: https://414capital.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lindseywendler/

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/determined2succeed/

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/this-is-m-a/

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe: https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

#thisismapodcast #mna #mergersandacquisitions #exitplanning #middlemarket #founders #valuation #privateequity

The cash runs thin. Debt piles up. The market turns against you. This is distress.

In this episode of This Is M&A, Phil Cassel, Managing Director at Cassel Salpeter & Co., breaks down the early warning signs most founders miss, the playbook for protecting value under pressure, and why moving fast is the single most important thing you can do when things start to go wrong.

Phil started his career at Alvarez & Marsal in the Turnaround and Restructuring Group, worked in private equity at Rialto Capital, and joined his father in building Cassel Salpeter & Co. into a 15-person boutique investment bank based in Miami. He has guided companies through distressed M&A, bankruptcy proceedings, and healthy transactions across healthcare, manufacturing, technology, consumer products, and more.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The early warning signs that your business may be heading toward distress
• Why the most common mistake in distressed M&A is not moving fast enough
• How to retain key people, manage suppliers, and preserve value when cash is tight
• Why bankruptcy is not a dirty word and how it can actually protect jobs
• What a Quality of Earnings report does for your deal and why it pays for itself
• How lessons from distressed deals apply directly to healthy transactions

Learn more about Phil and Cassel Salpeter & Co.: Website: https://casselsalpeter.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/philipcassel/ Email: pcassel@cs-ib.com

🔗 Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/determined2succeed/

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/this-is-m-a/

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe: https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/ Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

#thisismapodcast #mna #distressedma #restructuring #privateequity #founders #exitplanning #turnaround

James Marciano has built four companies, sold several, invested in a dozen more, and now helps founders exit. He has sat at every seat at the table — founder, angel, LP, banker — and he came out of retirement because he saw that most investment banks only close 35% of their deals.

Last year, Tuck Advisors closed 100% of theirs.

In this episode of This Is M&A, James breaks down what it actually felt like to build in the chaos of the early internet, what founders today are getting wrong with capital, and the tactical moves that matter most when it is time to sell.

In this episode, you will learn: • What building a startup in 1995 taught James that still applies today • Why raising too much capital is often just as dangerous as raising too little • How companies are bought, not sold — and what a UFO can cost you if you are not prepared • Why you should never tell a buyer your number • The one thing James would change across all four of his startups

Learn more about James and Tuck Advisors: Website: https://tuckadvisors.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marciano/ Email: justjames@tuckadvisors.com Specialties: Education, healthcare, sustainability, safety, pet industry

Connect with your host, Steven Monterroso: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/determined2succeed/

Follow This Is M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/this-is-m-a/

Want to become our next guest? Sign up or subscribe: https://sharevault.com/this-is-ma/

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

01:00 - The Man Who Closed 100% Of His Deals Last Year 08:15 - What Building A Startup Felt Like Before The Internet Existed 13:20 - He Raised $6 Million Three Days Before The Dot-Com Cras 19:15 - Why You Should Think About Selling Before You Even Star 27:40 - How One Phone Call Doubled A $10 Million Exit 43:10 - Why Growing Up Poor Might Be The Best Business Training

#thisismapodcast #mna #founders #startups #exitplanning #venturecapital #entrepreneurship