Podcasts about chenmark

Register for the webinars: Where Searchers Go Wrong - Thu Nov 14 - https://bit.ly/3O0im2aLegal Office Hours: Understanding the Waterfall - Thu Nov 21 - https://bit.ly/3O3zqo2Sam Rosati & partners built the Sunbelt's largest commercial fencing contractor in 3 years. But the origins were modest.Topics in Sam's interview:His background in accounting and lawBeing inspired by Chenmark and Brent BeshoreAcquiring Alpha Dumpsters with his brotherBirth of SMBashOrigin story of SMB LawHow an independent sponsor differs from a self-funded searcherInvesting in a commercial fencing businessThe role of luck in successAcquiring and consolidating fence businesses Partnering with private equityReferences and how to contact Sam:LinkedInTwitterSMBootcampChandler Reed on Acquiring Minds: Boom, Bust, Boom: Buying a Whiplash BusinessJohn Hubbard on Acquiring Minds: Why Buy a Small Manufacturing Business? and Time to Sell? Growing EBITDA from $750k to $2m Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or email hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsWork with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital AdvisoryGet a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HRConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on Twitter

Ever wondered how to effectively market multiple travel brands? Jamie Storrs, VP of Marketing at Chenmark, shares his expertise on managing diverse marketing strategies across various travel companies. Learn from his innovative approach and boost your marketing game!

In this episode of the Scale Up valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Trish Higgins, Partner at Chenmark Building a holding company model How to grow with a small business acquisition model Working with businesses to preserve legacies and position companies for long term success. The importance of having a pipeline of CEOs to lead the portfolio of companies Buying, owning and operating exciting businesses Back to basics: radical focus.

In this episode, the Greg and Kevin chat with Jamie Storrs, the director of marketing for Chenmark, a company that invests in and advises small businesses. With years of experience in crisis management and marketing, Jamie shares his insights on how to develop a crisis plan that will help your watersport business navigate unexpected challenges.Jamie walks us through the steps of creating a crisis plan, from identifying potential risks to developing response procedures and communication strategies. He emphasizes the importance of being proactive in crisis planning and taking a comprehensive approach to risk management. By doing so, he says, businesses can not only minimize the impact of a crisis, but also build trust and loyalty with their customers and stakeholders.Drawing on his experience working at large ski resorts, Jamie also shares practical tips for communicating with customers and employees during a crisis. He discusses the role of social media and other digital channels in crisis communication, and explains how to develop messaging that is both transparent and reassuring.Throughout the episode, Jamie stresses the importance of collaboration and regular training in crisis planning. He encourages business owners to work with their teams to develop a plan that is tailored to their specific needs and to practice and update that plan on a regular basis.Whether you're a watersport business owner or a marketing professional, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in crisis planning and management. Tune in to hear Jamie's expert advice and learn how to build a plan that will help your business weather any storm!Do you currently have a crisis plan for your business? Join our Facebook group to join the conversation.[SPONSORS] - This show is sponsored by Von Mack Agency and TourScale.Show Links:Website: https://www.watersportpodcast.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/awgpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1155418904790489Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awg_podcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3TSseuv2wdIYO5nuviZSwQ

Trish Higgins is a founding partner of Chenmark, a business that specializes in buying, owning, and operating small businesses. With a strong background in business administration out of college, Trish became a founder of Chenmark in 2013, taking a leap into the unknown and finding great success, something Chenmark represents. From there, Trish began to work with her partners to buy smaller businesses and operate them in the long-term. Starting off with snow removal, Chenmark quickly grew and expanded into many different industries, all the way from landscaping to boat tours. In this interview, Trish takes her years of experience and talks about advice for selling a business, entering new industries, and managing the emotions of a transaction.    Advice for Selling a Business "It's hard for somebody to know what your business is worth, because in a financial transaction you have to agree on a price." Chenmark focuses on buying businesses of all shapes and sizes. This has led Trish to many unique experiences when it comes to purchasing a business, and therefore, how to be successful in selling one. When a business is being acquired, transparency is key. Having a clean financial record is an easy way to increase the value of your business and ease the complicated process.  Additionally, these records and important aspects of your company's history should be able to be looked at and understood by a third party. Trish states that this is one of the largest factors in buying a business. Not only does it assist the buyer, but this is something that also proves the price of your business, making negotiations a much smoother path to travel.   Entering New Industries "It's very natural for someone to be concerned when a new owner is coming in, so we try to show empathy for that." Trish doesn't just buy a business and forget about it. Instead, Chenmark gets to come in and operate the business, which is something important to the community and the owner of the business. As a result, Trish has learned many lessons about entering new industries and having to learn on the fly in a setting where operations can be fast paced and stressful.  When Trish entered the attractions industry, the guest experience was one of the most unique challenges she faced. Having worked a guest-facing role before, she knew how to communicate with guests and improve their experience, but it was an even bigger hurdle to jump as an owner. Creating a balance for all guests and not overreacting emotionally to the negative proved successful for her, and these ideologies are implemented across all three boat touring companies Chenmark owns.   Managing the Emotions of a Transaction "Often, I find that I'm playing more of a role of therapist in a financial transaction." For many people, selling their small business can be emotionally challenging. Many people refer to their operation as their ‘third child' or ‘pride and joy,' and Trish knows that it's important to show empathy and understand their struggle. In addition, many owners can struggle to be transparent as to why they're selling their business, so it's crucial to be delicate when going about a financial transaction, especially when emotions are involved. Trish shares that the easiest forms of transactions are when somebody else is there to help the owner understand. No matter who the person is, it can help ease them into understanding the future of the operation and create a less emotional way to turn over the keys. Not only this, but this method allows for transparency on both sides, which can make both Chenmark and the owner excited for their futures.  Another key aspect is the emotion of the employees. Trish knows from experience that owners can be hesitant to let their employees know they are selling the business, and therefore has created an ever-improving action plan to reduce the stress of the employees and the incoming owners. Things as simple as taking 90 days before making any financial changes to employee income can be incredibly important to create respect, as well as let the owner learn the ins and outs of the operation before any major changes are made.   To learn more about Chenmark, head to their website here. To reach out to Trish, you can email her at trish@chenmark.com. This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team: Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Summary by Mason Nichols   To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Mario Nigro's guest in this episode is Trish Higgins, Co-Founder and Partner of Chenmark. Chenmark is a Maine investment firm with a goal of acquiring, growing and holding on to small-to-medium sized businesses. Mario and Trish discuss Chenmark's long-term investment perspective as it looks for steady businesses with a durable demand for their goods or services and a history of profitability that generates cash flows. Despite current uncertainty in the market linked to inflation and the possibility of reduced demand, Trish still sees lots of opportunity out there from a deal perspective.

New Livestream guest- Palmer Higgins from Chenmark I'm happy to have Palmer join me on a live broadcast. Palmer and his partners have built up a holding company with multiple small business operating units in two countries from their home base in Portland, ME. Tune in and as we'll be discussing how they buy businesses and put someone else in charge of running them. This is one of the biggest topics I'm asked about all the time and we'll get to hear some of the challenges and the reality of what it's like to oversee someone else who runs your business. This is a ‘must see event' for anyone trying to step back from being the leader in an operating business or who plans to build their own ‘Baby Berkshire' one day. Find the Weekly Thoughts blog here: https://chenmark.com/weekly-thoughts/ Learn to buy a business at https://www.BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com Cheers David C Barnett

The AWG guys chat with Sean Joy, CEO of Southern Star Dolphin Cruises in Destin, FL, which was just recently acquired by Chenmark. Southern Star is one of Destin's longest running tour businesses in the Florida Panhandle. Sean walks us through his experience of running a large volume tour business, and his advice for what he wish he knew before jumping in![SPONSOR] - This show is sponsored by AAMP Agency. Check out their digital marketing services at https://aamp.agency[2022 WATERSPORT CONFERENCE] Make sure to join us for this year's watersport conference in Orlando, FL on 9/26 and 9/27. Get all the info including tickets and lodging at https://partners.tripshock.com/watersport-boat-tour-operator-forum-orlando/Show Links:Website: https://www.watersportpodcast.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/awgpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1155418904790489Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awg_podcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3TSseuv2wdIYO5nuviZSwQ

Seasonal. Nonrecurring. Key person risk. Trish Higgins recounts how Chenmark got excited about an unlikely acquisition. Topics in Trish's interview: Building a holdco versus taking a job in private equity What Chenmark does, why it's special Chenmark's founders' goals: impact, interestingness, financial Why isn't the holdco model taught in business schools? The story of Cap'n Fish Cruises Unit economics of a boat tour business Is seasonality really so bad? Managing seasonality Are boat tour businesses attractive generally? Finding differentiation in a crowded industry Bait & tackle shop framework Chenmark's second boat tour acquisition How Chenmark approaches learning an industry where they've acquired a business Reach Trish at: trish AT chenmark DOT com LinkedIn Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabConnect with Acquiring Minds: Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn Follow Will on Twitter Links & mentions: Cap'n Fish's Cruises Subscribe to Chenmark's Weekly Thoughts Episode 55, featuring the other Chenmark co-founders: 7 Years Later: Leaving Wall Street to Buy Small Businesses Episode 64, featuring Trish: How & When to Make Changes at Your Acquisition

This week, we speak with Trish Higgins, who, along with her husband and brother-in-law, left Wall Street and set up Chenmark Capital in Portland, Maine. Chenmark is focused on the acquisition and long-term ownership of small businesses. In this excellent episode, Trish explains how 3 Wall St. professionals found their way into SMB acquisitions, their current platform companies and portfolio construction, how they utilise free cash flow to fund future acquisitions, and their approach to developing in-house talent to run their portfolio companies. Enjoy!

Mike Loftus started his landscaping business from scratch, then began buying others to accelerate growth to $4m/yr. Themes from Mike's interview: Growing a landscaping business organically from the ground up Acknowledging your weaknesses and handing them off as soon as you can The advantages familiarity with technology bring despite a lack of experience Finding acquisition opportunities through unconventional methods The importance of recurring revenue in landscaping The potential exit opportunities for landscaping owners Connect with Mike: Twitter: @signthefronts LinkedIn: Michael Loftus Connect with Acquiring Minds: Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn Follow Will on Twitter Links & mentions: Connor's Landscape Building a Blue Collar Empire: Adrian Pinto on Acquiring Minds 7 Years Later: Leaving Wall Street to Buy Small Businesses with Chenmark founders James & Palmer Higgins, on Acquiring Minds How to Buy Landscaping Businesses: Mike Botkin's second appearance on Acquiring Minds How to Buy a Landscaping Biz & Boost Profits Quick: Mike Botkin's first appearance on Acquiring Minds John Wilson on Twitter Mills Snell on Twitter

Private equity gets a bad rap when it comes to owners thinking about their legacy. Thankfully there is a new wave of players coming in who are focused on the long game and what it takes to see a company through multiple decades, not just years. Enter Trish Higgins. Trish, her husband James, and his brother Palmer started Chenmark with the mission to buy small businesses in order to hold on to them and preserve their legacies long-term. Today Trish opens up about choosing the C-corp route and how that influences her acquisition choices. She also talks about why she looks at the owner's personal drivers as well as the cash flow statements of the company to determine fit. One thing you’ll notice is that Trish tends to buy up those “boring” companies because they have sustainable and predictable cash flow, plus those types of companies don’t require a lot of hyper-skilled managing partners to run them. Her unique strategy is proving quite successful—to the tune of 31 acquisitions since 2015. WATCH THE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE: Intentional Growth™ Podcast What You Will Learn Why Trish made the shift from finance to starting her own private equity holding company What types of businesses Trish focused on out of the gate and why Why Trish never wrote up a “grand plan” for her investments like most business owners How Trish finds business owners that are ready to step back and sell Why Chenmark Capital is structured as a C-corp What drove Trish to allow her employees to use their holiday bonuses to buy equity in their company How Trish structured Chemark’s first deal Why Trish goes after “boring” and “uninteresting” businesses What factors into making a deal that preserves the legacy of a company and how that goes beyond numbers Why small business owners need to understand how to deploy their capital, even if it’s not directly into business operations Why Trish looks into a company's cash flow statements rather than EBITDA to evaluate the deal // USE YOUR FINANCIALS TO CLARIFY A PATH TOWARDS A MORE VALUABLE BUSINESS: Intentional Growth Financial Assessment Bio: Trish Higgins is a founding partner at Chenmark, a firm based out of Portland, Maine, focused on the acquisition and long-term ownership of small businesses throughout North America. She is currently acting CEO of Cap'n Fish's Cruises, a Boothbay Harbor-based

Private equity gets a bad rap when it comes to owners thinking about their legacy. Thankfully there is a new wave of PE players coming in who are focused on the long game and what it takes to see a company through multiple decades, not just years. Enter Trish Higgins. Trish, her husband James, and his brother Palmer started Chenmark Capital with the mission to buy small businesses in order to hold on to them and preserve their legacies long-term. Today Trish opens up about choosing the C-corp route and how that influences her acquisition choices. She also talks about why she looks at the owner's personal drivers as well as the cash flow statements of the company to determine fit. One thing you’ll notice is that Trish tends to buy up those “boring” companies because they have sustainable and predictable cash flow, plus those types of companies don’t require a lot of hyper-skilled managing partners to run them. Her unique strategy is proving quite successful—to the tune of 31 acquisitions since 2015. What You Will Learn Why Trish made the shift from finance to starting her own private equity holding company What types of businesses Trish focused on out of the gate and why Why Trish never wrote up a “grand plan” for her investments like most business owners How Trish finds business owners that are ready to step back and sell Why Chenmark Capital is structured as a C-corp What drove Trish to allow her employees to use their holiday bonuses to buy equity in their company How Trish structured Chemark’s first deal Why Trish goes after “boring” and “uninteresting” businesses What factors into making a deal that preserves the legacy of a company and how that goes beyond numbers Why small business owners need to understand how to deploy their capital, even if it’s not directly into business operations Why Trish looks into a company's cash flow statements rather than EBITDA to evaluate the deal // USE YOUR FINANCIALS TO CLARIFY A PATH TOWARDS A MORE VALUABLE BUSINESS: Intentional Growth Financial Assessment Bio: Trish Higgins is a founding partner at Chenmark, a firm based out of Portland, Maine, focused on the acquisition and long-term ownership of small businesses throughout North America. She is currently acting CEO of Cap'n Fish's Cruises, a Boothbay Harbor-based whale watching, puffin tour, and sightseeing operation founded in 1936, which Chenmark acquired in February 2020. Outside of work, Trish can be found spending quality time with her husband and business

The 3 founders of Chenmark left promising corporate careers to pursue a multi-decade path of acquiring small businesses.Themes from the interview with James & Palmer Higgins: Why the Chenmark founders decided to do this Lessons learned from 30+ acquisitions How the founding thesis is performing 7 years in The value of an "extreme delayed gratification muscle" Intellectual stimulation in corporate life vs. small business Buying big vs. buying small How has competition in search evolved over the last 5 years Chenmark's diversification strategy Other recommend podcasts where Chenmark has appeared: Invest Like the Best: Trish and James Higgins of Chenmark Capital - Permanent Equity Think Like An Owner: Trish Higgins, Chenmark Capital Think Like An Owner: Trish Higgins – Chenmark Five Years Later Think Like An Owner: Palmer Higgins – Moving to the Operating Side – Ep. 43 Think Like An Owner: Palmer Higgins – Removing Sales Roles at Mainely Grass – Ep. 61 The Commercial Landscaper: James Higgins - Reinforcing Areas to Create a More Scalable Platform The ThriveTime Show: What's Your Business Worth? Buying Small and Mid-sized Businesses with Chenmark Capital Subscribe to: Chenmark's Weekly Thoughts.

Kevin and Greg interview Trish Higgins, founding partner of Chenmark , who answers some great questions about what to consider when retiring/selling/transitioning out of a business. [SPONSOR] - This show is sponsored by AAMP Agency. Check out their digital marketing services at https://aamp.agencyShow Links:Website: https://www.watersportpodcast.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/awgpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1155418904790489Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awg_podcast/

Trish is a partner at Chenmark Capital, a small permanent equity firm she founded with her husband and brother in law.Chenmark has acquired and runs 6 different businesses some of which have grown through acquisitions to the tune of buying about another 25 deals.At Wilson Companies, we're just starting to ramp up our acquisition processes and Trish gave us the secrets and barriers we will likely encounter in the near future.If you're interested in what it looks like when two permanent capital companies brainstorm some strategy, you are going to love this episode.Enjoy!Also check out...Microacquire.com to find internet businesses to buy.Captarget.com for the best off-market deal sourcing platform ever.Our Twitter - https://twitter.com/OwnedOperatedcoOur Newsletters - https://www.getrevue.co/profile/wilsoncompanies

This is the second episode of an experiment I did on a new episode format that was shorter, 20-30 minutes, and focused entirely on ideas and challenges operating small companies. The first episode in this experiment was last week’s episode with Jason Hill on adding food to the office and some of these interesting benefits there.    On this operating focused episode, I talk with Palmer Higgins of Mainely Grass and Chenmark on why he’s getting rid of sales roles and doesn’t operate on a commission structure. We talk about the positive and negative unintended consequences of becoming a more versatile team, the training and adjustment period of shifting roles, and some of Palmer’s thinking on paired metrics and why commissions are a poor metric and incentive to use in their business. If you want to learn more about Palmer and his work, you can listen to our earlier podcast, episode 43, on his move to CEO at Mainely Grass. For now, enjoy our episode on sales roles and incentives. For the full episode transcript and more, visit alexbridgeman.com/podcast.

James Higgins is a Partner at Chenmark, a diversified holding company that works with retiring owners and current entrepreneurs to provide liquidity, preserve legacies, and position companies for long term success. To date, Chenmark has completed 21 acquisitions in the property services, pest control, manufacturing, and tourism industries.  Before founding Chenmark, James worked for a few different hedge funds after starting his career at Barclays Capital.  James graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in history.  He lives in Cumberland, Maine with his wife, Trish (also a Chenmark Partner) and their two young children.

My guest on this episode is Palmer Higgins, a founding partner of Chenmark along with Trish and James Higgins. I’ve had Trish on the podcast twice before, episodes 1 and 23, and in those episodes we talked about Chenmark as a whole and what they look for in companies.    In this episode with Palmer, we talk about his move to one of their operating companies, Mainely Grass, as CEO. We go over lessons learned as an operator, how he thinks about acquisitions differently now being in the seller’s shoes, how they are making Mainely Grass more efficient, tuck in acquisition opportunities, and what happened to his great podcast, Big Time Small Business.   For the full episode transcript and more, visit alexbridgeman.com/podcast.

This week's episode is a conversation I recorded with Trish Higgins who is the co-founder and a partner at Chenmark, a holding company that focuses on acquiring small businesses looking for a permanent home. We explored a great many topics about her experience in the SMB space, including: - Trish's background on Wall Street and her transition to Main Street - The 'why' behind starting Chenmark - The first Chenmark purchase and thesis behind the investment - The Chenmark playbook for businesses post-close - How Chenmark structures transactions - The 'people' side of small business - How Chenmark thinks about competitive advantage in small businesses - A startup idea that is sorely needed for the SMB space (hint: it involves customer reviews) LINKS: - Chenmark website - Chenmark newsletter - Trish's interview with Patrick O'Shaughnessy ABOUT THE PODCAST: Hi, I'm Benton Moss. I launched The Circle of Competence Podcast in June 2020 to focus on entrepreneurship and investing, and explore each guest's unique journey. From real estate to technology to public equities to small business investing and more, I hope this podcast will be a wide-ranging exploration of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, operator, and investor in today's competitive world. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6BW1ZZC6SLVA6U09KBf5br?si=cP15zhyWSwCw832NttMR9A FOLLOW: Website: https://circleofcompetence.co Twitter: https://twitter.com/benton_moss --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-circle-of-competence/support

Will Sinatra is a DevOps Engineer at Chenmark and is also a Linux guru. He has taken several years of enjoying a hobby and turned it into a career. This goes to show that just because something is fun doesn't mean that you can't make it a career. For more information on Chenmark and their business visit their website and For more information on Linux and the different distributions visit the sites below.https://chenmark.com/https://linux.org/pages/download/

Trish Higgins was the guest on my very first podcast episode and was kind enough to share her time with me when I had no downloads, no show, and no website. Funny enough, that first episode is still my most downloaded episode to date. A lot has happened since then and I’m very excited to have Trish on the show for a second episode. In this episode, we cover Trish’s recent move to the operating side, how Chenmark has evolved including what’s become easier and more difficult over time, and we dive briefly into landscaping.  For those listeners interested in eventually operating your own company, Chenmark has begun recruiting future operators into existing leadership roles at current portfolio companies where they will be trained for eventually running a future portfolio company. If this is interesting to you, I highly recommend reaching out to Trish. Finally, Chenmark writes a weekly newsletter called Weekly Thoughts about their views on investing and operating small companies, behavior and psychology, and concepts from other disciplines that can be brought over to business. I’ve been a reader for years and I’ve found it extremely valuable. Go to Chenmarkcapital.com/weeklythoughts to subscribe.   Links Mentioned Chenmark Capital Yale Case Study Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Weekly Thoughts

How much is your business worth? Chenmark Capital founders share the ins and outs of buying companies with $5 million to $15 million in revenue and earnings of $1 to $3 million per year with the founders of Chenmark Capital.

On this episode, I speak with Owen McCarthy, Co-founder and President of MedRhythms, a Maine-based digital therapeutics company that uses music to help drive clinical outcomes for people following neuro injury or disease.  The idea for the company was born when Owen's co-founder, Brian, utilized auditory techniques as a clinician at Spaulding Rehab to help people recover from walking deficits twice as fast as traditional physical therapy.  Now, MedRhythms is working towards FDA approval so they can reach patients across the globe.  Owen talks about what it's like to lead a start-up where failing fast and failing cheap is not an option when it comes to patient health, but staying nimble and moving fast is still crucial to success.

On this episode, I talk to Paul Stringer, owner of DHM Landscaping, a commercial maintenance landscaping company in Phoenix Arizona.  Paul purchased DHM almost three years ago with the idea of putting his tech and marketing experience to work in a company of his own.  His focus on delighting the customer with technology and service far above what is considered normal in the industry has propelled DHM to grow upwards of 45% per year.  Paul admits those rates are unsustainable indefinitely but remains committed to investing in his team and in technology to stay ahead of the competition.

On this episode, I speak with James Morin, co-owner and COO of Flowfold, an outdoor company that makes minimalist gear for everyday adventures.  James admits to initially selling wallets for beer money for almost five years while he and his partners prototyped their designs and raised some seed money, before going full time three years ago.  Since that time, they have been near doubling sales annually, thanks in part to collaborations with companies like LL Bean and entering international markets as far away as Japan.  Now, with revenues in the low 7-figures, James and his co-owners have their sights set on hitting $10 million in the next five years.

On this episode I speak with Jeff Small, founder of Strategic Media, a radio advertising company based in Maine that has a client list featuring the likes of Vistaprint, FanDuel, and eharmony.  Jeff has built the company around a core competency in traditional radio and his company has doubled over the last five years thanks to that focus.  Now, Jeff is looking out to 2025 with two goals in mind: to build expertise and business in the exponentially growing podcast sector and to donate $1 million dollars to local charities–the combination of which give Jeff and his team both purpose and drive.

On this episode, I speak with Phil Coupe, Co-founder of ReVision Energy, a full-service renewable energy contracting company in Maine that was ranked the #1 in New England – and #14 nationally – for rooftop solar in 2016.  Started in 2003 by two guys in a garage, Phil and his partners have grown ReVision to a 250-employee company spanning five locations in three states.  In 2017, Revision sold itself to its employees via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) so we dive deep into this program, the founders’ reasons for pursuing it, and why they think it will set the company up for the next 100 years.We are taking a short break for the holidays.  The podcast will continue on January 11th.

On this episode, I speak with Peter Handy, CEO of Bristol Seafood, a seafood processing and distribution company.  Originally a research analyst on Wall Street, Peter bought Bristol four years ago and spent the first two learning the business under the previous owner before taking over as CEO in 2016.  Since then, Peter has focused on adding talent to the organization and putting in processes that will allow the company to “go fast.”  Peter is on a mission to make seafood America’s favorite protein and he shares what the past four years have been like as a 32 year-old CEO of a small seafood company in Maine with large ambitions.

For the first conversation of the podcast, I'm meeting with Trish Higgins who, along with her husband James Higgins and brother-in-law Palmer Higgins, run Chenmark Capital in Portland, Maine. Chenmark Capital acquires and operates small companies for the long term using their own capital, with no intention of selling - a perfect example of permanent equity. What makes Chenmark unique is they look for slow growing, steady, and boring businesses and seek to operate them as efficiently as possible. Trish is the perfect first guest for Think Like An Owner because she has experience being both the investor in the business and serving an operator role in their portfolio companies. Our conversation ranges from discussions around capital allocation within portfolio companies, to the "Chenmark carwash", and why the small business acquisition market at the moment feels a lot like Zillow. We held our conversation in a quieter area of a shopping mall in Boston so there is occasional background noise. I assure you however, that this past audio performance is not indicative of future audio performance. In fact, I hope it makes the conversation sound more authentic and relatable. Please enjoy my conversation with Trish Higgins.   Chenmark Capital: https://www.chenmarkcapital.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chenholdco Thinklikeowners.com  

On this episode, I speak with Jeff Buckwalter, CEO of The Holy Donut, a Portland, Maine based retail and wholesale donut company whose hand-cut, hand-glazed potato donuts have developed a crazed following both locally and beyond.  With demand far exceeding supply for his donuts and persistent inquiries for expansion and even franchising,  Jeff talks about his efforts to build the infrastructure necessary to support a growing company, the value of trust and accountability in developing his workforce, and the importance of conflict in a healthy organization.

On this episode, I speak with Colin Campbell, founder and CEO of Stratosphere Consulting, a national consulting company with an expertise in case management which made it to #488 on the INC 5,000 list thanks to their 1,000% growth over the past three years.  Operating as an entirely distributed company with no corporate office, Stratosphere has doubled their workforce for the past three years in a row.Colin shares what it is like managing what he calls “constant organizational change management” in such a fast-growing company, how he works on the businesses while still staying relevant to those working in the business, and his thoughts on process improvement in small businesses.

On this episode, I talk with Bob Smith, owner of Sebasco Harbor Resort, a 405-acre seasonal family vacation destination located on the coast of Southern Maine.  The self-proclaimed Keeper of the Lighthouse – a title in homage to his promise to preserve the 90-year legacy that came before him – Bob has spent his 21 years as owner setting the resort up to last another 90 years.Bob shares what it was like to live through the Financial Crisis – a setback that he is only now, some 11 years later, completely through–and his three-legged vision for the property to attract a long-term employer and build a residential community to complement the resort and its amenities.

On this episode, I talk with Bob Garver, co-founder of Wicked Joe, a wholesale roasting company and Bard Coffee, a retail coffee shop both located in Maine. After falling in love with the connections coffee can foster as an Army Captain stationed in Turkey, Bob has spent the past quarter-century sourcing, roasting, and brewing the best coffees he can find from around the world.From living on a boat with no kitchen or bathroom and plowing driveways on the side for supplemental income, Bob has remained focused on two things: relentlessly iterating on the perfect cup of coffee and positively impacting the entire coffee supply chain.  Whether it is blind taste tests on every batch of coffee produced or subsidizing farm expansion and community development at origin, Bob and his team continually strive to instill best practices throughout the organization.

On this episode I talk with Mary Allen Lindemann, co-founder and community builder of Coffee By Design ("CBD" if you are a local), a Maine-based community coffee house and wholesale roastery that will roast over 550,000 pounds of coffee this year. Approaching their 25th anniversary, CBD has been through three waves of coffeehouse competition and has learned how to start, grow, and sustain a successful organization along the way.Mary Allen is steadfast in her company's commitment to steady, sustainable, and responsible growth – to the point where she says "No" more than "Yes" and is comfortable no longer being the first in an effort to be the best. She engages in a level of honest introspection only an entrepreneur of her tenure could accomplish and has sustained an enthusiasm for her business that is emblematic of a mission-driven founder. Questions, comments, or know someone who would be great on the Big Time Small Business podcast? E-mail in at podcast@chenmarkcapital.com

On this episode, I talk with Luke Livingston, founder of Baxter Brewing, a craft brewery that has grown to the third largest brewer by volume in Maine since its founding 8 years ago. Once the 16th brewery license in the state, Baxter was the first in New England to produce beer exclusively in a can or a keg — in part for the environmental benefits and in part to serve its mission of accessibility and portability. Luke talks about competition as an incumbent in an industry that locally is seeing supply outstrip demand and his company's focus on product consistency to serve its growth ambitions which include exporting to the UK and Canada

On this episode, I talk to Barrett Takesian, founder and executive director of Portland Community Squash, a nonprofit focused on community engagement and youth development in Portland, Maine. Over the past 6 years, Barrett has pioneered a hybrid business model that blends a for-profit division into a nonprofit structure and in 2017 was recognized as the United States Olympic Committee Development Coach of the Year for his work in growing the sport of squash.Barrett and I talk about what it’s like developing human capital as a precursor to financial capital, the entrepreneurial struggles of starting an untested business model from scratch, and his focus on sustaining PCS’ mission for the next 100 years.

On this episode, I talk with Seth Page, co-founder of Misfit Athletics, a fitness company that does everything from operating CrossFit gyms to running an apparel brand, to remote coaching for high-level Crossfit Games athletes and everything in between. Since starting their business from a garage gym almost 10 years ago, MisFit Athletics has grown to a tribe (their term) of 40,000 'MisFits' who look to Seth and his team to help them get healthy, fit, and engage with a community of like-minded people. For those that follow the sport of CrossFit, you can see their athletes all over the competition floor with multiples more in the stands (just look for the purple).I talk with Seth about what has made MisFit Athletics so sought after by competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, how growth forced Seth to change how work gets done and decisions get made, and the similarities (and differences) between being a coach and being a boss. Questions, comments, or know someone who would be great on the Big Time Small Business podcast? E-mail in at podcast@chenmarkcapital.com

On this episode, I speak with John Rooks, co-founder and CEO of Rapport, a software-as-a-service company helping small and medium-sized businesses capture and quantify their environmental footprint while saving them money along the way. Since winning an investment from Steve Case during his Rise of the Rest tour, Rapport is on a mission to democratize sustainability. I talk with John about one of my favorite topics, authenticity, through the lens of a data-centric software company, how blockchain has made its way into the sustainability space (you read that right), and the outlook for sustainable business models in a post-consumerism world.

On this episode, I speak with Jordan Milne, Founder and CEO of Hardshore Distilling Company, a craft distillery based in Portland Maine that recently won the title of best craft gin in the US by USA Today. While only two years into production, Jordan and I talk about the four year lead up to starting Hardshore, the difference between being a gin maker versus an alcohol professional, and the importance of authenticity in creating a differentiated brand. I came away impressed with the focus and vision Jordan has for his company and appreciative of his candor discussing both the good and the bad of Hardshore's journey thus far.

My guests this week are Trish and James Higgins, who run Chenmark Capital Management.  In this episode we continue to explore a style of investing I call Permanent Equity.  Returns in permanent equity come first from the ongoing cash flows of portfolio companies, not from reselling businesses down the line.  The partners are Chenmark are pioneering this style of small business investing and share their experience with us thus far.   For comprehensive show notes on this episode go to http://investorfieldguide.com/chenmark For more episodes go to InvestorFieldGuide.com/podcast.  Sign up for the book club, where you’ll get a full investor curriculum and then 3-4 suggestions every month at InvestorFieldGuide.com/bookclub Follow Patrick on twitter at @patrick_oshag