Advisor

Rich Waigand of SFW Partners shares how 30 years of relationship-first accounting, a painful leadership transition, and a nonprofit born in a hospital room shaped one of St. Louis’s most respected CPA careers.

Brian Wygle of Help for My Company shares 40 years of corporate fixing — from buying a distressed oil company for $300 to helping owners change the thinking that got them into trouble.

Greg Waller shares how a bankruptcy at 26 and a PhD from Purdue shaped his unique approach to valuing and selling middle market companies at Cornerstone Valuation.

Rick Thomas of First Generation Advisors shares what most exit planners won’t tell founders — from confirmation bias and cocktail napkin valuations to the emotional cost of selling something you built with your life.

Kristi May of J&E Business Group shares how she went from 16-year side hustle to full-time business broker — helping sellers exit at 3X profit and buyers find the right fi

Brian Swilling shares how he left investment banking with a three-month-old at home, built a dental-focused wealth practice from scratch, and discovered that empathy is a more powerful competitive advantage than any financial credential.

Jeremy Furtick of NorthStar M&A shares 20 years of deal-making experience — from first-in-history multi-year brokerage title to co-founding a firm one month before a house fire changed everything.

Brent Bardales shares how he built and sold three companies, survived a partner betrayal, and now helps small business owners find hidden profit and plan profitable exits at Rev Your Business.

Dino Lucarelli shares how 23 years of win-win M&A advisory at Capital Tactics built a reputation-only practice that turns down bad actors and walks away from dirty deals.

Kenny Harper shares going from music dreams to Growth Amplifiers business coach—bank account dwindling with kid coming, mindfulness saved him during partner split crisis.

John Hoey shares how he tripled revenue at The Y in Central Maryland, rebranded the YMCA, survived COVID bankruptcy fears, and received an $18M MacKenzie Scott gift.

Rick Smilow shares Northwestern Kellogg MBA margarine tastings, failed cat snack startup competing Ralston Purina, 1995 cold call acquiring Peter Kump's Cooking School knowing nothing culinary education, landlord non-renewal forcing expensive Manhattan relocation, and acquiring pandemic-weakened French Culinary Institute as "buyer of last resort."