The private equity industry won't want to miss this insightful episode of the Karma School of Business Podcast, as host Sean Mooney welcomes Emily Holdman, Managing Director at Permanent Equity. Emily shares her unconventional route into the private equity world, highlighting the importance of diverse on-ramps into the industry. With a background in journalism and economics, Emily's story is a testament to the evolving landscape of private equity, where varied experiences and perspectives are sh...
Jan 10, 2024•46 min•Ep. 45
In this reflective episode of the Karma School of Business Podcast, we gather pearls of wisdom from seasoned private equity veterans and business builders as they share the advice they would give their 22-year-old selves. With insights that span from embracing resilience to the power of authenticity, this episode is a guidebook for both personal and professional growth. Join host Sean Mooney and the BluWave team as they delve into these transformative lessons that transcend time, providing guida...
Jan 03, 2024•32 min•Ep. 44
I n this special episode of the Karma School of Business Podcast, we bring you a curated list of impactful book recommendations from our esteemed private equity industry guests, offering a wealth of knowledge to enhance your strategic thinking and personal growth. 1:34 – Author Nick Shaw's poignant and insightful "My Teacher, My Son," is a book that promises to transform your perspective on life and leadership My Teacher, My Son: https://www.amazon.com/My-Teacher-Son-Lessons-Life/dp/B0CH7F5MGW 5...
Dec 20, 2023•36 min•Ep. 43
In this deeply moving episode of the Karma School of Business podcast, hosted by BluWave's Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, we sit down with Nick Shaw, co-founder of Mirrorbox Leadership Lab and author of My Teacher, My Son. Nick shares his personal journey through an unimaginable tragedy that led him to profound revelations about life, empathy, and the power of choice. This episode offers a unique perspective on how to navigate life's toughest challenges and transform them into opportunities for g...
Dec 13, 2023•37 min•Ep. 42
In this riveting episode of the Karma School of Business podcast, we delve into the private equity world with Dave Feierstein, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Ronin Equity Partners. Join our host, Sean Mooney, BluWave's Founder and CEO, as he engages Dave in a conversation that traverses his entrepreneurial beginnings to his current innovative strategies at Ronin Equity Partners. This episode offers a wealth of insights for private equity professionals and business owners, shedding light on t...
Dec 06, 2023•44 min•Ep. 41
In this episode, BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, catches up with Eric Jensen, Operations Director at Nordic Capital. They explore the current dynamics of the M&A market, the significance of preparing businesses for the M&A process, and the growing importance of aligning the right roles with the right people. Also, Sean and Eric delve into the impact of technology in the corporate world, focusing on Eric's unique journey from consulting to operating and then transitioning into private equit...
Nov 29, 2023•38 min•Ep. 40
In this episode of the Karma School of Business podcast, Sean Mooney interviews Jay Hernandez, head of the industrial technology practice at Raymond James. They discuss the current state of the M&A markets and offer insights for both sellers and buyers. Hernandez emphasizes the importance of preparation for sellers, advising them to engage advisors early and thoroughly prepare their businesses for the M&A process. He also urges buyers to come prepared and do their homework before pursuing a deal...
Nov 15, 2023•40 min•Ep. 39
In this special episode, we have exclusive audio from our recent webinar: Interim Ingenuity: Ready-made Executives to Elevate Your Company. The panel of experts from this webinar includes: Mark Steenhoek, Managing Director, The Stephens Group Bryan West, Managing Director, Resurgens Technology Partners The panel, moderated by BluWave's Richmond Donnelly, includes the following topics: 3:28 - Proprietary data highlighting human capital as a main priority 4:42 - How the experts are working with in...
Nov 08, 2023•30 min•Ep. 38
In this episode, host Sean Mooney and Scott Estill, a Managing Partner at Lancor, discuss the evolving landscape of the private equity industry. They delve into the importance of aligning the right people to the right roles, the emerging significance of the human aspect in business, and how top private equity firms are managing their talent acquisition and retention processes. Additionally, they explore the impact of technology advancement on the industry and everyday life. The conversation conc...
Nov 01, 2023•39 min•Ep. 37
In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the key revelations from the Q3, 2023 Insights Report, showcasing the state of the private equity industry amidst fluctuating market fundamentals. We discuss intriguing observations in the industry's investment patterns; drawing attention to a significant rise in confidence, a notable shift towards growth, and an emphasis on human capital. Tune in to discover the significance of these trends, the raw data supporting these findings, and what this ...
Oct 24, 2023•21 min•Ep. 36
In this engaging episode, Sean and Andy Greenberg explore their career paths and the transformation of the M&A market. From Andy's shift from politics to investment banking, to the evolution of M&A from a manual process to a tech-driven one, they highlight the increasing need for specialization. Looking ahead, they predict a future where AI significantly enhances industry efficiency. 1:31 - Andy's origin story and his path to M&A 7:10 - What did M&A look like in the mid-90s 12:58 - How has the M...
Oct 18, 2023•47 min•Ep. 35
Joe DeLuca, Operating Partner at NewSpring Capital, joins the Karma School of Business to share insight into NewSpring Capital's organizational structure, his experience pivoting a portco's business model (twice) and more in this week's conversation: 1:17 - The type of thinking that led Joe to enter the world of private equity 4:08 - Sean and Joe share their personal interests related to his bookshelf and the shore 8:12 - What do you do in March 2020 with an institutional pharmacy portco in NYC ...
Oct 04, 2023•32 min•Ep. 34
In this special episode, we have exclusive audio from our recent webinar: A Wave of Deals is Coming: Commercial Due Diligence for When the Tide Rolls In. The panel of experts from this webinar includes: Andrew Joy, Partner, Hidden Harbor Capital Partners Sean Mooney, Karma School of Business Host and Founder & CEO of BluWave The panel, moderated by BluWave Managing Director, Houston Slatton, includes the following topics: 3:48 - How to think about a target's end markets and why it matters when c...
Sep 27, 2023•41 min
Ed Hine, an Operating Partner at Cold Bore Capital, shares his perspectives on building great companies in private equity, learned through the lens of a US Navy veteran. Tune in for a great conversation where we discuss: 1:20 - Ed's path to private equity 6:32 - Persevering through challenges in PE 11:31 - Evaluating potential through a value creation lens 16:22 - Lessons learned about integrating companies 20:21 - Common traits of great businesses: talent and culture 23:13 - Essential professio...
Sep 20, 2023•31 min•Ep. 32
Matt Cole, a Managing Director at SBJ Capital joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including: 1:20 - Matt's journey to private equity 7:58 - Overcoming challenging situations 11:34 - "Professionalization" and acceleration 16:13 - Becoming scalable with clean data, AI and key KPIs 23:25 - Matt's advice to his younger self To learn more about SBJ Capital, go to www.sbjcapital.com . To learn more about BluWave and this podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcast ....
Sep 13, 2023•29 min•Ep. 31
The Karma School of Business is joined by a recognizable name in both the private equity and healthcare communities. Scott Becker, founder of Becker's Healthcare and Partner at McGuireWoods shares valuable insight to business owners and PE professionals: 2:09 - Scott's background in PE and founding Becker's Healthcare 6:14 - The origin story of Becker's Healthcare and the window of opportunity 13:29 - Top healthcare trends for PE and business executives 19:27 - How machine learning and AI factor...
Sep 06, 2023•51 min•Ep. 30
A Partner and Resource Group Lead from Huron Capital, Gabe Mesanza, joins the Karma School of Business to discuss a wide variety of tactics for business leaders and private equity professionals. In this episode, we discuss: 1:20 - Gabe's path to private equity and engineering mindset 9:58 - The traits of a great business: people and culture 17:27 - Perspective into the evolution of value creation in the PE industry 25:42 - Growing through uncertain economies 33:10 - Gabe's advice to his younger ...
Aug 31, 2023•43 min•Ep. 29
The Karma School of Business is joined by John Kirk, a Deal Partner and Operating Advisor at Tuckerman Capital. John shares his unique perspective on people, business growth, and perseverance. We discuss: 1:20 - John's path to private equity 6:04 - Hiking the Appalachian Trail and a lesson in perseverance 11:32 - Finding a great business: growth mindset 13:31 - Finding a great business: alignment to secular trends 14:30 - Finding a great business: identifiable differentiation 18:18 - The modern ...
Aug 24, 2023•39 min•Ep. 28
Scott Phillips, a Managing Director at Orix Capital Partners, joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss key data monitoring and choosing the key KPIs that really help companies grow. In this episode we discuss: 0:53 - Scott's path to private equity (including a background in industrial modeling) 6:22 - Identifying businesses that could or will be great 14:01 - The trend towards value creation and a unique approach 22:38 - Working with portfolio companies to find opportunities in unce...
Aug 17, 2023•32 min•Ep. 27
The Karma School of Business podcast is joined by Paul Stansik, an Operating Partner at ParkerGale Capital, to discuss his Sales Metric Playbook and overall approach to growth within portfolio companies. In the episode, we discuss: 2:06 - Paul's origin story and path to private equity 8:01 - The Sales Metrics Playbook and the importance of clean data 15:42 - What to do after you've got clean data 20:08 - Analyzing specific cohorts of revenue 30:04 - Managing long-term revenue goals versus short-...
Aug 08, 2023•48 min•Ep. 26
In this special episode, we have exclusive audio from our recent webinar: Activating AI: Empowering Your Business for Success. The panel of experts from this webinar includes: Alex Castrounis, Founder and CEO, Why of AI Nik Kapauan, Principal, Access Holdings Ken McLaren, Partner, AI, Frazier Healthcare Partners Keith Thomas, National Practice Lead, Security Operations, AT&T The panel, moderated by Karma School of Business host, Sean Mooney, includes the following topics: 4:40 - What pre-cursor ...
Aug 03, 2023•53 min•Ep. 25
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Brit Yonge, an Operating Partner at Corsair Capital, to hear his expert perspective: 1:29 - Brit's path to private equity 6:23 - How Brit formed his values from serving the US Military 13:45 - Characteristics for evaluating a great company 21:56 - Working with management teams to build great companies 25:44 - Persevering through an uncertain economy 32:15 - Personal/professional growth books and topics from Brit For more information on Corsair Capital, g...
Jul 25, 2023•41 min
Listen as Sean Mooney discusses private equity findings from the Q2 2023 BluWave Insights Report. The report uncovers how private equity firms are taking action, securing safety and finding success. In this episode, Sean discusses: 1:02 - Why value creation is surging 3:33 - Cooling activity on human capital 4:32 - Growing activity across other value creation sectors 5:12 - The trend toward data and AI 6:30 - An update on 2023 predictions To download the full report, go to www.bluwave.net/insigh...
Jul 18, 2023•9 min•Ep. 22
We're joined by Cici Zheng, a Partner from ParkerGale Capital to give her operations-focused perspective on many different private equity topics. Listen to the conversation as we discuss: 2:30 - Cici's path to private equity 8:19 - What traits show a company has potential 13:06 - Focusing on all facets of a company 17:18 - The strategy behind working with portco management teams 20:31 - Navigating uncertain economies 24:05 - Getting buy-in from portco sales teams on pricing changes 27:31 - Cici'...
Jul 13, 2023•33 min•Ep. 23
We're joined by David Hellier, a partner at Bertram Capital, to discuss: 1:31 - His background and what brought him to private equity 5:40 - How private equity is evolving 9:18 - David's story about throwing out the first pitch 11:09 - Overcoming adversity and being differentiated 16:23 - Running private equity like a business 22:37 - How data and AI will impact productivity 27:50 - Finding opportunity admidst uncertainty 34:08 - David's life hack For more information on Bertram Capital, go to t...
Jun 29, 2023•37 min•Ep. 21
In this captivating episode, we delve into the history of private equity, exploring its origins, confronting industry stigmas, and witnessing its evolution into a dynamic force. Join us as we: (0:54) Uncover the ideas that gave birth to the first private equity firms, laying the groundwork for an industry that would reshape the business landscape. (5:37) Challenge the prevailing stigma personified by 1980s Wall Street movies, to explore how the industry has and continues to evolve. (10:05) Highl...
Jun 08, 2023•21 min•Ep. 20
A managing partner from Compass Group Equity Partners, John Huhn, joins the Karma School of Business Podcast to discuss: 1:04 - John's background and path to private equity 9:28 - The most important traits to look for when evaluating a potential investment 13:50 - What makes Compass unique and how they approach value creation 21:34 - Advice to successfully manage a rocky economic period 26:52 - Important aspects of the portco-PE firm relationship 31:30 - John's advice to his younger self And muc...
Jun 01, 2023•36 min•Ep. 19
Brian Adams, Founder and President of Excelsior Capital, joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss real estate investing and compares it to private equity investing. Brian dives into a broad scope of topics, including: 1:44 His path to real estate investing 5:55 Advantages and benefits to real estate investing 10:36 How to evaluate a good investment 17:39 How the current economic landscape is impacting the real estate investing industry 21:48 The long term outlook for real estate inv...
May 09, 2023•35 min•Ep. 18
The Karma School of Business is joined by Bain and Company Global Head of Performance and Improvement, Harnan Saenz to take a deep dive on the future of the economy as it relates to sustainability, viewed through the lens of private equity. The conversation topics include: 2:30 "Remanufacturing" and forces applying pressure to traditional operations 5:21 What is the circular economy? 13:13 The current policies set up by the government related to the circular economy 16:03 Barriers to a circular ...
Apr 26, 2023•43 min•Ep. 17
We share top private equity insights from our Q1 2023 Insights Report where we evaluate proprietary data from over 500 leading private equity firms across thousands of projects. We compare year over year activity from the BluWave Activity Index to share how private equity is reacting to the current economic state. Join BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, as he discusses: 1:07 - Comparing the economy in 2023 to 2008 2:52 - The breakdown between due diligence and value creation 6:25 - How privat...
Apr 13, 2023•17 min•Ep. 16
