M&A Launchpad

Welcome to The M&A Launchpad Podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa with Equity Launchpad. On this podcast, you will gain insights on acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, at Equity Launchpad, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions.

M&A Launchpad is a business podcast hosted by Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa hosts M&A Launchpad, a business show with 100 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #106

  Building a $360M Bank in 23 Months with Hazem Ahmed

  Sep 17, 202636 min

  Hazem Ahmed co-founded a bank in 2007, grew it to $800M, and sold it. Then he did it again — building Integrity Bank, SSB from scratch into a $360M institution in just 23 months, one of only seven de novo bank charters approved nationwide in 2024. In this episode, Hazem breaks down what it really takes to charter a bank (an 1,800-page application, a 14-15 month approval process, a $40-50M capital raise) and why he measures success in relationships and reputation, not just the balance sheet. In this podcast episode, we discuss: Hazem's path from a reluctant banking intern to a 25-year career banker, building and selling the original Integrity Bank (2007, grown to ~$800 million, sold to a North Texas regional bank) What it actually takes to charter a de novo bank: an ~1,800-page regulatory application, 14-15 months to conditional approval, and raising a $40-50 million minimum capital target amid a shifting 2024 market Being one of only seven de novo banks chartered nationwide, opening in October 2024, and reaching ~$360 million in total assets by month 23 Why “familiarity” and local ownership are Integrity Bank's edge over national institutions, and how Hazem measures success through relationships and reputation rather than just balance sheet growth Guest Contact Info: Hazem Ahmed, Founder & President, Integrity Bank, SSB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazema/ Additional Resources: Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities. Contact Casey Minshew: info@equity-launchpad.com Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com Save the Date: M&A Launchpad Conference is coming May 8, 2027. Learn more at malaunchpad.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/

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  Episode #105

  $2.2M Raised to Insure the SBA Personal Guarantee with Jason Hunt

  Sep 10, 202633 min

  In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles sit down with Jason Hunt, founder and CEO of Ink Insurance, to unpack one of the biggest hidden risks in small business acquisitions: the personal guarantee. Jason's path here started in restructuring during the 2008 financial crisis, continued through buying and selling his own education company, a decade in tech at Reverb, Amazon, and QuickNode, and finally hit a wall in 2024 when he went to buy another business and got stopped cold by the size of the PG he'd have to sign. With no personal guarantee insurance product on the market, he built one. The conversation covers how SBA 7(a) loans work without much business collateral, why that makes the personal guarantee so much larger and riskier for buyers of cash-flow-based businesses like professional services and trades, and how Ink Insurance's coverage, claims process, and pricing actually work. Jason also shares how his company (which recently raised $2.2 million) is backed by an A-rated, AM Best–rated carrier, and how the product is starting to solve a newer problem: sellers who roll equity and get stuck personally guaranteeing a loan on a business they no longer control. In this episode, we discuss: Why SBA loans require a personal guarantee when a business doesn't have $2M+ in EBITDA or enough hard collateral, and why that hits cash-flow acquisitions (professional services, trades) hardest How Ink Insurance's coverage works: targeting roughly 80% of the loan amount, the claims process after a default and business liquidation, and why full coverage (100%) can actually reduce an owner's incentive to fight for the business Pricing: about 2% of the coverage amount per year, based on risk scoring from SBA industry/location default data, personal credit, and deal metrics like DSCR Deal sizing: Ink Insurance covers SBA 7(a) loans from $350,000 up to $5 million, with plans to expand into 504 loans and eventually non-SBA products like real estate Using PG insurance as a negotiating chip in a deal (similar to reps and warranties insurance) and as a solution for sellers now required to personally guarantee rolled equity for two years after close Being backed by an A-rated, AM Best–rated carrier with a $5–6 billion balance sheet, Ink Insurance's role as the MGA, and the company's recent $2.2 million capital raise What happens to buyers who previously defaulted and went through bankruptcy, and why paying off a prior SBA loan in full (even after default) keeps the door open for future financing Guest Contact Information Jason Hunt Founder & CEO, Ink Insurance LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonchrishunt/ Website: https://inkinsurance.com Apply: https://apply.incinsurance.com Additional Resources Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities. Contact Feras Moussa and Ben Suttles: info@equity-launchpad.com Explore more: 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/

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  Episode #104

  How a Banker Bought a 40-Year-Old Business and Survived the J-Curve with Joseph Cruz

  Sep 3, 202632 min

  In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Joseph Cruz, who left a decade-long career in leveraged finance and investment banking at Fifth Third to acquire a sewer and water distributor in the Chicagoland area. Joseph walks through how he found the business on BizBuySell, structured the deal with an SBA loan, seller note, and a side-letter earnout, and what he's learned in less than two years of ownership — from underestimating seasonal cash flow to building toward a broader infrastructure platform. The conversation is a candid, ground-level look at self-funded search: what it actually takes to structure an SBA deal, why buyers should expect a post-close “J-curve,” and how a search that started industry-agnostic ended up in a defensible, unglamorous niche. In this episode, we discuss: Making the leap from Fifth Third's leveraged finance group to a self-funded search, and finding the deal on BizBuySell after starting industry-agnostic How the deal was structured: a $536,000 purchase price, a $550,000 SBA loan, a seller note, a holdback, and an off-books earnout tied to the general manager's retirement Real lessons from year one: underestimating seasonal working capital, living through the post-acquisition “J-curve,” and staying resourceful when a general manager departs weeks before closing The long-term vision: pivoting from commoditized distribution toward a defensible infrastructure platform spanning manufacturing, distribution, and equipment service Guest Contact Information Joseph Cruz President, A&A Equipment and Supply Co. Website: aa.equipment LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joseph-cruz-47472150 Additional Resources Thinking about buying a business of your own, whether through a self-funded search or an independent sponsorship model? The Equity Launchpad team helps entrepreneurs navigate every stage of acquisition, from search to close. Reach out at info@equity-launchpad.com to start the conversation. Explore more resources at: 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/

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  Episode #103

  From Horror Story to $25M Exit with Mike Krupit

  Aug 27, 202635 min

  In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Mike Krupit, founder of Trajectify, to talk about mentoring and coaching leaders through the stages of scaling a business — from one to two, two to five, and five to ten — and what it really takes to shift from a founder-led mindset to a CEO-led one. A software engineer turned COO turned CEO across eight Silicon Valley startups over 25 years, Mike walked away from operating companies 13 years ago to build a leadership and organizational development practice instead. The conversation also digs into the acquisition side, including two very different horror stories: a forced take-private during the dot-com bust, and a $1 million company that turned an $8 million offer into a $25 million sale after a bidding war. In this episode, we discuss: Why Mike chose coaching and advisory work over buying a business himself, and the networking exercise (75 meetings in three months) that helped him find his lane The four jobs of a real CEO — visionary, right people in the right seats, fiduciary accountability, and the outside voice of the company — and the "not-to-do list" that gets founders out of the day-to-day Building an accountability chart (not an org chart) and using fractional executives to delegate without adding headcount Spotting the "sweet spot" between an underprepared and an over-prepared acquisition target Two acquisition stories from opposite ends of the spectrum: a chaotic forced sale during the dot-com bust, and a $1 million company that became a $25 million sale after being shopped around Why mastering difficult conversations — not tactics — is the real skill buyers need before, during, and after a deal Guest Contact Information Mike Krupit Founder, Trajectify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkrupit/ Website: https://www.trajectify.com Additional Resources Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities. Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equity-launchpad.com Explore more: 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/

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  Episode #102

  The Capital Stack, Decoded: Search Funds, Self-Funded Deals & Independent Sponsors with Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa

  Aug 13, 202631 min

  This is a milestone episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast — Episode 100. In lieu of a guest interview, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa look back on how they got started in acquisition entrepreneurship and use the milestone to unpack the capital stack in plain terms. They walk through the three main paths buyers take into the lower middle market — the traditional search fund model, the self-funded search model, and the independent sponsor model — and explain how debt, equity, seller rolls, seller notes, earnouts, SBA loans, and SBICs fit together to get deals done. This conversation is especially useful for anyone trying to figure out which buying model fits them, and for buyers and sellers alike who want a clearer picture of how modern lower middle market deals are actually financed and structured. In this episode, we discuss: Search fund vs. self-funded vs. independent sponsor — Casey and Feras break down the three main paths into a buy-side deal and how to pick the right one for your situation What an independent sponsor actually is — fundless sponsors, typical deal size ($2–10M EBITDA), and how equity and management fees get structured What an SBIC is — how these SBA-backed funds bridge the gap between SBA lending and traditional private equity in the lower middle market How to build the full capital stack — mezzanine debt, seller rolls, seller notes, and earnouts, and why understanding your financing options (SBA vs. banks vs. SBICs) matters before you negotiate Additional Resources Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities. Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equity-launchpad.com Explore more: 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/

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