Podcast appearances and mentions of corey kupfer

From jumping straight to deal structure to building repeatable acquisition programs that scale, Corey Kupfer shares the exact whiteboarding process he uses with clients to create successful deal programs across M&A, joint ventures, licensing, and any deal-driven growth strategy. In this solocast episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer walks through the five critical steps that must come before deal structure when building a repeatable deal program. Drawing on 35+ years of deal-making experience and countless whiteboarding sessions that have helped create platforms completing dozens of transactions, Corey reveals why most attorneys start in the wrong place and how proper planning separates successful programs from expensive mistakes. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why deal structure should be the sixth step in your process, not the first, and how to identify your personal and business motivations before pursuing any deal program. Corey shares the five whys technique from Honda's former CEO to uncover your real drivers, how to define your ideal target or partner profile to avoid wasting time on opportunities that don't fit your strategic criteria, and why your value proposition must differentiate you from competitors who may have more capital. You'll learn how to assemble the right deal team with both internal and external expertise, why building a repeatable model before doing individual deals prevents cap table nightmares and integration problems, and the power of having template documents ready to demonstrate you're a serious player. The framework applies whether you're pursuing acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing deals, franchising, or any other deal-driven growth approach. THE WHITEBOARDING PROCESS: Most clients come to Corey asking about deal structure. What should the terms be? Should they pay cash or offer equity? What about earnouts? These are important questions, but they're not where you should start. After doing whiteboarding sessions with countless clients over 35 years, Corey can say with complete confidence that every single one has gotten significant value from the process. The firms that skip these steps end up with inconsistent deal structures, cap table problems, and integration nightmares. The companies that do this right create efficient, repeatable processes that let them scale their deal programs. THE INTERNAL JOURNEY: Corey often talks about things other lawyers don't discuss. He focuses on the internal journey, making sure business leaders and executives move forward on deals from the right place. When you get to wherever you think you want to go, you should actually be happy and satisfied, and it should help you achieve your objectives and goals. Too many entrepreneurs pursue growth strategies based on external pressures or assumptions about what they think they should be doing, based on entrepreneurial wisdom out there. They grow and do things in ways that don't actually end up making them happy and satisfied and aren't necessarily best for their business. STEP ONE: START WITH YOUR WHY: The first question in every whiteboarding session is why. Not just the corporate why, although that matters. Corey wants to know your personal why as the founder or executive driving this strategy. If your why is geographic expansion because your clients need services in other markets, that's legitimate. If your why is adding capabilities that will create a better integrated client experience, that works too. If your why is increasing enterprise value before an exit in five or ten years, there's no judgment about that. You just need to be clear on what drives you, because that clarity will shape every subsequent decision. Corey uses the five whys technique, which comes from the former CEO or chairman of Honda. You ask why five times, going deeper with each question. Why do you want to grow? To get bigger. Why do you want to get bigger? To serve clients better. Why will that serve clients better? Because they have needs we currently send elsewhere, and integration would improve their experience. Why does that matter to you? Because I genuinely care about my clients and believe this will make them happier while helping our company grow. That depth of understanding separates deal programs that succeed from those that become expensive distractions. STEP TWO: DEFINE YOUR TARGET PROFILE: Once you know your why, you can determine who you should be targeting. This is where many firms waste tremendous time and energy. Doing deals is a distraction from running your business, especially if you don't have a dedicated corporate development team with finance people, legal resources, and integration specialists. You need to be surgical about who you pursue. Think about the wealth management space, which Corey works in extensively. There are huge numbers of buyers right now. The market is incredibly competitive. If you're trying to compete with private equity backed aggregators on their terms, you'll lose every time. They can pay top dollar, close fast, and offer the second bite of the apple through rollover equity and multiple arbitrage. If you don't have PE backing, you need a completely different value proposition. Maybe it's culture. Maybe it's the opportunity for advisors to expand their service offerings. Maybe it's taking administrative burden off retiring founders so they can focus on what they love. Your value proposition should be authentic to who you are and what you can actually deliver. STEP THREE: ASSEMBLE YOUR DEAL TEAM: Before you start actively pursuing deals, you need to know who will be on your deal team, both internally and externally. This includes whoever sources deals for you, whether that's an internal corporate development person, an investment banker, a recruiter, or a consultant. You need financial expertise, and it better be someone with deal experience. Accountants, CFOs, and controllers who have never worked on transactions are very different from those who have. The same goes for legal. Your general corporate lawyer is not the person to build your deal program. Then you have all the integration functions. Technology integration. HR and culture integration. Client communication and retention strategies. You might not have every person in place on day one, but you need to know what roles are required and have a plan for filling them before you close your first deal. STEP FOUR: BUILD YOUR MODEL: This is where most companies make a critical mistake. They do deals opportunistically without creating a consistent model first. Someone approaches them, they negotiate terms, they close. Then another opportunity comes along, they do it differently. After three or four deals, they have completely different structures with different equity classes, different earnout provisions, different everything. This creates massive problems. If you have different classes of equity, your cap table becomes a mess. If sellers talk to each other and realize they got very different deals, you have credibility issues and potential legal exposure. Integration becomes nearly impossible because you don't have standardized processes. The best acquirers find their model and make it repeatable. They have template legal documents. They have standardized financial analysis and underwriting processes. They have systems for due diligence and integration. Every deal follows the same fundamental structure with minor variations based on specific circumstances. When you build your model, you're deciding the big conceptual components. Are you doing all cash deals or creating an equity class for rollover? How much will you pay upfront versus over time? Will you have retention requirements tied to revenue or client retention? What about earnouts for partners who stay involved in growth? In service businesses where client relationships matter, you almost always want some backend money contingent on retention. If you're buying a manufacturing business with hard assets, the calculus is different. STEP FIVE: DRILL DOWN TO DEAL STRUCTURE: Once you have your model, you can determine the actual deal structure for individual transactions. What specific equity class will you offer? If you're an S corp, you can only have one class of equity. Will you restructure as a C corp or an LLC to offer different equity terms? What exact percentage will you pay upfront versus backend? Over how many years? If you know you're targeting retiring business owners who want to cash out, they probably want more money upfront and less backend risk. If you're targeting younger partners who want to stay and grow, they might prefer less upfront and more backend upside. All of these specific terms fit within your broader model. You're not reinventing the structure for each deal. You're applying your established approach with minor customizations based on the specific situation. THE POWER OF TEMPLATE DOCUMENTS: The ideal scenario is completing your whiteboarding session, building your model, and creating template legal documents before you start seriously pursuing targets. When someone expresses interest, you can immediately send a letter of intent. You can start due diligence with established processes. You can deliver definitive legal documents quickly. This makes you look professional and serious. It shows potential partners that you know what you are doing and have your act together. Speed matters in competitive markets. Corey understands the practical reality. Template documents cost legal fees before you have a deal in place. Some clients aren't willing to make that investment without more certainty. Others have already started conversations with potential partners before they come in for the whiteboarding session. Recently, a client did the whiteboarding session in the morning, then met with a potential seller that same afternoon. The seller was ready to move faster than expected. The documents got built for that specific deal, which also became the templates for future transactions. REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS: The framework works across any deal type. While Corey uses M&A as the primary example because that's what most clients ask about, the principles apply to licensing strategies, joint venture partnerships, franchising programs, or any other deal-driven growth approach. The key is understanding what the ideal process looks like and getting as close to it as circumstances allow. A lot of these factors depend on your industry and the types of relationships with clients and customers. The contractual length and other factors with those customers and clients help dictate what the model will be around things like retention requirements. If you're bringing in retired folks who are looking to get out of the business and will be gone after a consulting arrangement, that will dictate a different part of the model than somebody who is younger, coming in, going to stay with the company, and wants to continue to grow. THE PERSONAL WHY MATTERS MOST: Company objectives matter. Strategic rationale matters. Financial considerations matter. But your personal why as the founder or executive is equally important. Why are we entrepreneurs if we're not creating companies that let us build the lives we want? Too many business leaders grow based on external pressure or assumptions about what they should be doing. They read about how some company scaled through acquisition, so they think they need to do the same thing. They hear about the multiples PE backed platforms are achieving, so they assume that's the only path. Then they build companies they don't actually want to run. They create obligations and structures that make them miserable. They achieve financial success but personal dissatisfaction. Your personal motivations are relevant and legitimate. If you want to build a legacy company, own that. If you want to create enterprise value for an exit, be honest about it. If you genuinely care about providing better client experiences, let that drive your decisions. When your personal why aligns with your company strategy, you create something sustainable. PROVEN RESULTS: These whiteboarding sessions have helped build platforms that have completed dozens of acquisitions. The firms that invest in proper planning make deal-driven growth look easy because they've built proper foundations. The firms that skip these steps end up scrambling, making mistakes, and wondering why their deal program isn't delivering expected results. The process creates tremendous value for every client who goes through it, helping founders create businesses they actually want to run while achieving their financial objectives. Perfect for business leaders considering deal-driven growth, entrepreneurs building acquisition programs, executives exploring joint ventures or strategic alliances, and anyone who wants to pursue deals without wasting time and resources on opportunities that don't align with strategic objectives. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/dealprogram• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction to the whiteboarding process for building deal programs [01:01] - Why this process applies to all deal types, not just M&A [01:53] - Five steps that must come before deal structure [02:43] - The passion for visioning, planning, and strategy sessions [03:24] - Why starting with deal structure is the wrong approach [04:18] - The internal journey and making sure deals align with happiness [05:24] - Step One - Starting with your why and getting clear on motivations [06:26] - Using the five whys technique to go deeper on your drivers [06:49] - Example of the five whys in action with client scenarios [08:02] - Step Two - Defining who you're targeting to avoid wasting time [09:54] - How to compete when you don't have PE backing in competitive markets [10:59] - Creating authentic value propositions that differentiate you [12:43] - Step Three - Assembling your deal team internally and externally [13:27] - Why you need the model before individual deal structures [14:08] - The mistake of doing deals opportunistically without consistency [14:44] - Problems created by inconsistent deal structures across multiple deals [15:02] - Step Four - Building a repeatable model that can scale [17:01] - Deciding conceptual components like cash versus equity structures [19:35] - Step Five - Drilling down to specific deal structure within your model [20:34] - Determining upfront versus backend payment percentages [22:17] - The ideal scenario of having template documents ready [22:38] - The practical reality when clients have already started conversations [24:56] - Socializing deals to key stakeholders after closing [24:58] - The importance of not skipping the process even under time pressure [25:25] - Why your personal why matters as much as company objectives [26:24] - The danger of building companies you don't want to run Host Bio Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes Episode 80 - Deal-Ready Foundations with Corey Kupfer: Explore the foundational elements needed before pursuing any deal strategy, including team building and internal preparation. Episode 84 - Business Partnerships Deals with Corey Kupfer: Understand how partnership structures work and how to create successful collaborative deals. Episode 90 - The BEST Of Company Founders with Corey Kupfer: Learn from multiple founders about their deal-driven growth strategies and what worked in building their companies. Episode 134 - Deal Preparation with Corey Kupfer: Discover the five steps toward deal-making success and how proper preparation prevents poor performance. Episode 138 - 5 More Steps Towards Deal-Making Success with Corey Kupfer: Building on the foundation of deal preparation, explore additional critical steps for executing successful transactions. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Keywords/Tags deal program planning, M&A strategy, acquisition planning, joint venture strategy, licensing deals, deal structure framework, whiteboarding sessions, strategic deal planning, repeatable deal process, deal-driven growth, deal team building, value proposition for deals, target partner profile, deal legal structure, franchise strategy, strategic alliances, five whys technique, business motivation alignment, personal why in business, cap table management, template legal documents, integration strategies, corporate development, wealth management M&A, PE competition strategies, deal model building

From losing his $25,000 life savings on his first startup investment to democratizing venture capital for everyday investors, Gerry Hays shares proven strategies for making early-stage investing accessible through VentureStaking while teaching founders outside traditional tech hubs how to raise capital and build sustainable businesses. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Gerry Hays, founder and CEO of Doriot and Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Gerry has made 75+ startup investments, taught venture capital for 20 years, and built multiple companies from zero to exit, including HomeYeah.com and Charlie Biggs Food Company. His current mission focuses on expanding venture capital access beyond coastal hubs through innovative funding models. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how to participate in early-stage startup investing with as little as $10 through the VentureStaking model, why the right to invest later in winning companies proves more valuable than over-investing today, and how collapsing startup costs are fundamentally changing capital requirements for founders. Gerry shares strategies for avoiding what he calls "the fool's tax" when making your first investments, the critical importance of backing founders over ideas, and why venture investing resembles poker more than roulette. You'll also learn about building venture ecosystems within universities where students and alumni can collaborate on funding and growth, navigating the decision between raising capital versus bootstrapping your business, and the difference between venture-appropriate businesses versus lifestyle companies. The conversation explores tokenization's potential to create an ownership economy, why cultivation mindset beats consumption thinking for long-term wealth building, and what freedom from scarcity truly means in both dealmaking and life. GERRY'S JOURNEY: Gerry's path into venture capital came through painful education. After leaving law practice after just six months, he made his first investment at age 27, putting his entire life savings of $25,000 into a hazardous waste processing technology. He knew the space intimately from running lobbying for Indiana's Department of Environmental Management. The technology made sense. The market opportunity was clear. But the founder couldn't execute, and Gerry lost everything. That lesson kept him away from startup investing for a decade. Instead, he became a founder himself, launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom. He acquired a small Indianapolis company with 25 lawn signs and built it into the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions, growing from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in just 20 to 24 months. The company sold to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003, but not before Gerry experienced the challenge of raising capital outside traditional tech hubs. After the HomeYeah.com exit, Indiana University invited him to teach a new venture capital course. He's been there since 2004, creating what he calls a bridge between academic theory and real-world startup practice. Meanwhile, he co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, scaling it from zero to $10 million in revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. FIRST INVESTMENT LESSONS: That initial $25,000 loss taught Gerry what he calls "avoiding the fool's tax." The fundamental insight was simple but profound. When you invest, you're really investing in founders more than ideas. He was simply a bad picker of founders at that point. The technology expertise didn't matter. Market knowledge didn't matter. What mattered was identifying founders who could execute through inevitable obstacles and pivots. This lesson shaped everything that followed. Gerry wouldn't touch startup investing again for ten years after that loss. When he did return, his approach centered on cultivating relationships with founders over time, watching how they respond to challenges, and building diversified portfolios that acknowledge most investments will fail. VENTURESTAKING MODEL: The VentureStaking approach emerged from Gerry's years of teaching and investing. The model allows investors to participate with as little as $10 in early-stage founders. Instead of writing large checks for immediate equity, venture stakers provide small grants to founders just getting started. If those founders break out and raise a real equity round, the stakers get invited to invest at 10 times their initial stake. The math works elegantly. Out of 25 investments of $10 each totaling $250, you might only see three worth backing in a real round. But when winners emerge, you've earned the right to participate in meaningful equity rounds without the traditional barriers to entry. This democratizes access while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. Gerry likens venture investing to poker rather than roulette. You play many hands with small amounts. You fold most of them. But when you spot real winners, you bet heavy. This is cultivation versus consumption, a long-term wealth-building game that Warren Buffett exemplifies, having created 99% of his wealth after age 65. THE COLLAPSING COST OF STARTING: One of the most profound shifts Gerry identifies is how startup costs have collapsed. What required $5 million to build ten years ago can now be created in a day for $50 thanks to AI agents, no-code platforms, and cloud services. This changes everything about capital requirements and who can be a founder. This trend combines with tokenization to create what Gerry calls an ownership economy. Instead of owning a few stocks generating passive income, people could hold tokens in 150 companies, each generating small amounts of passive income without traditional barriers to entry. The infrastructure for this future is being built now through blockchain technology and regulatory evolution. UNIVERSITY VENTURE ECOSYSTEMS: Gerry's work brings the VentureStaking model to universities, creating ecosystems where students, alumni, and faculty can participate in funding and building the next generation of startups. Indiana University has 70,000 students and 800,000 alumni. Imagine creating an arena where students pitch ideas, alumni back them with small stakes, and the community participates in the upside when founders succeed. Shared information, shared risk, shared prosperity. This approach captures innovation traditional VCs miss entirely. Founders outside coastal hubs gain access to capital. Alumni gain access to investment opportunities typically reserved for accredited investors with six-figure minimums. Students learn by doing rather than just studying theory. The model scales to any university willing to build the infrastructure. KEY INSIGHTS: Geographic location shouldn't determine access to capital. Gerry experienced this firsthand with HomeYeah.com in Indianapolis. He wasn't in California. He didn't have the right connections. That challenge drives his current work at Doriot, focused on democratizing venture capital for founders and investors outside traditional hubs. The Sam Altman example illustrates how network effects compound. Altman invested $15,000 in Stripe in 2009, now worth $650 million. That wealth creates access to more deals. Those deals create more wealth. The rich get richer not because they're smarter but because they have access. VentureStaking aims to expand that access. Contracts matter, but people matter just as much. Gerry's experience shows that when something seems too easy, like tenants responding unusually quickly to lease documents without redlines for 10-15 year commitments, it raises red flags. You can have perfect legal documents but still face challenges if you're working with the wrong people. THE SHARK TANK STORY: Gerry shares his Shark Tank experience where his former student pitched a business and received a $250,000 offer from Mark Cuban for 35% equity. Gerry advised him that existing SAFEs would push him below 50% ownership. The founder turned down Cuban's offer. That "no" to Mark Cuban kicked off Season 4 of Shark Tank and generated publicity that proved more valuable than the deal itself. The company continued growing without the investment. CULTIVATION VERSUS CONSUMPTION: One of Gerry's most powerful insights addresses how society trains people for consumption rather than cultivation. We've made sports betting legal. Prediction markets are booming. We're training young people about fast-moving money and dopamine hits. But venture investing is a cultivation game. You're dropping seeds into the ground and watching what the universe brings back. He gave a student $5,000 who wanted to build something in the travel industry. The founder pivoted to AI and Shopify and just raised $8 million at a $55 million valuation. That $5,000 investment is now worth over $200,000. The bet wasn't on the idea. It was on a founder who wouldn't quit. That's something you discover by playing the game, getting yourself into wealth-building activities where you're patient, watching, and learning. FREEDOM FROM SCARCITY: When asked about freedom, Gerry's answer cut to something fundamental. Being free from a scarcity mindset is profoundly important. Everything around us reinforces scarcity. But when you let go of that and realize how abundant things really are, it changes how you see opportunities. You can afford to be patient. You can take calculated risks. You can help others succeed knowing there's enough to go around. This mindset applies to venture capital, to dealmaking, to entrepreneurship, and to life. When you operate from abundance rather than scarcity, you see opportunities differently. Capital formation is evolving. The question is whether that evolution will democratize opportunity or concentrate it further. Gerry's betting on democratization. Perfect for investors curious about venture capital but feeling locked out of traditional opportunities, founders outside coastal tech hubs seeking capital, university administrators exploring venture ecosystem development, and anyone interested in how capital formation is evolving to become more accessible while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/gerryhays FOR MORE ON GERRY HAYS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ https://doriot.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction to Gerry Hays and the VentureStaking model [02:15] - Growing up around real estate and finding it boring initially [04:30] - The $25,000 first investment loss and avoiding the fool's tax [07:45] - Launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom and growing to $1.8 million [10:20] - Capital raising challenges outside traditional tech hubs [12:30] - Selling HomeYeah.com to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003 [14:15] - Teaching venture capital at Indiana University since 2004 [16:45] - Building Charlie Biggs Food Company from zero to $10 million in revenue [19:30] - The VentureStaking model explained with $10 minimum investments [22:15] - Why venture investing is poker, not roulette [25:00] - The collapsing cost of starting companies from millions to dollars [27:30] - Tokenization and the ownership economy vision [30:45] - The $5,000 investment now worth $200,000 after founder pivoted to AI [33:20] - Sam Altman's $15,000 Stripe investment now worth $650 million [36:00] - Building venture ecosystems within universities [39:15] - The Shark Tank story where student turned down Mark Cuban [42:00] - Cultivation versus consumption mindset for wealth building [44:30] - Warren Buffett creating 99% of wealth after age 65 [46:45] - Freedom from scarcity mindset in dealmaking and life Guest Bio Gerry Hays is the founder and CEO of Doriot, a platform focused on democratizing venture capital by expanding access for entrepreneurs outside traditional coastal hubs. He is also a Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where he has taught Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Finance since 2004. Gerry began his career in politics and law before founding HomeYeah.com, an online real estate platform that grew from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in 20-24 months and became the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions. The company was acquired by the private equity firm behind Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003. He co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, growing it to over $10 million in annual revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. He also co-founded Apparel Media Group, later acquired by Custom Ink. An active investor, Gerry has backed 75+ early-stage companies, several of which have raised over $20 million or achieved profitability. He has been investing in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Layer 2 infrastructure since 2013. Gerry is the author of The First-Time Founders Equity Bible and has led student venture immersion trips to Asia for over a decade. Host Bio Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes Episode 350 - Tom Dillon on Fractional CFOs and Alternative Funding Sources: Learn how fractional CFO services help companies explore diverse funding options beyond traditional venture capital. Episode 351 - Solocast on Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Explore joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models that expand growth options. Episode 89 - Sherisse Hawkins on the Capital Raising Journey: Discover the practical realities of securing investment as a founder and navigating the funding landscape. Episode 85 - Nick Adams on Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs evaluate early-stage deals and what metrics matter most to institutional investors. Episode 175 - Natasha Miller on Developing Strategic Partnerships: Master the concepts of shared risk, shared resources, and creative collaboration structures that bring communities together. Episode 185 - Maximilian Rast on How to Raise Capital for Your Company: Build the fundamentals of capital raising that apply across venture, real estate, and business growth strategies. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Gerry Hays: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ Company: https://doriot.com Twitter: @gerryhays Keywords/Tags venture capital democratization, VentureStaking model, early stage investing, startup funding alternatives, university venture ecosystems, tokenization investing, accredited investor alternatives, cultivation mindset wealth building, venture capital accessibility, startup investment diversification, capital raising strategies, founder backing strategies, angel investing, entrepreneurship education, blockchain tokenization, ownership economy, portfolio diversification, founder selection strategies, dealmaking strategies

From professional wakeboarder to CEO managing $250M+ in commercial real estate investments, Nick Jones shares proven strategies for building successful real estate businesses through strategic partnerships, effective capital raising, and protecting investor interests. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Nick Jones, CEO of Alakai Capital, who has underwritten and acquired over 70 commercial investments and developments representing more than $250 million in value. Nick currently oversees 800,000+ square feet of industrial, retail, office, and medical assets across multiple states. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how to raise outside capital for your first commercial real estate deal while protecting downside risk, why syndication can work better than funds when you can close deals quickly with trusted investors, and the surprising truth about "off-market" deals versus listed properties in today's transparent market. Nick shares how to build broker relationships that generate consistent deal flow without constantly hunting for opportunities, due diligence strategies when high-credit tenants won't share financial information, and why Covid flipped conventional wisdom about credit tenants versus mom and pop operators. You'll also learn about the strategic value of balancing consistent real estate returns with selective angel investments, how to navigate market trends including drive-through retail and efficiency-focused opportunities, and what freedom means beyond just financial independence. NICK'S JOURNEY: Nick's path wasn't linear. Growing up near Microsoft and Nintendo in Redmond, Washington, he found real estate "incredibly boring" until witnessing how it connected to fascinating industries. After his father and grandfather passed away during his senior year of high school, Nick moved to Florida to pursue professional wakeboarding, eventually earning a podium finish at the World Championships in 2011 while graduating summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida. The dean of UCF's real estate program, whose son was also a professional athlete, reignited Nick's interest in commercial real estate investment and development. Nick started in land brokerage during 2011-2012 when Florida land was worth less than the buildings next to it, learning through challenging cold calls to developers. FIRST DEAL LESSONS: Nick's entry into investing came through a vacant Taco Bell property. Working with a broker partner, they secured the building, signed a 10-year lease with a new tenant, and only had to replace the HVAC and roof. The timing proved fortunate - securing 80% loan to value at 2% interest on an interest-only basis during the post-financial crisis recovery. That first deal taught valuable lessons about protecting downside risk and building tenant relationships while delivering one of his strongest returns ever. CAPITAL RAISING EVOLUTION: For his first capital raise, Nick bought an old bank branch all cash with plans to tear it down and build a quick service restaurant. To protect downside risk as a new sponsor, he structured it with no debt and two years of interest and tax reserves. After approaching friends' parents, fellow brokers, and creating a detailed investment memorandum, a tenant approached wanting to lease the existing building as-is with a 10-year lease. Nick refinanced at 50% LTV, pulled equity out, and used those proceeds to buy a second deal. That snowball effect has grown to approximately 100 investors making about 500 investments with his company. KEY INSIGHTS: Nick continues syndicating individual deals instead of raising funds because his deals follow similar patterns with consistent return theses. This approach gives investors freedom to select which markets and property types align with their preferences while maintaining speed to close. Managing investor capital creates heightened responsibility that sharpens every aspect of deal execution. Nick approaches it similarly to personally guaranteeing loans - while losing your own capital is unfortunate, losing someone else's carries profound implications for relationships and reputation. The biggest lesson from deals that didn't go as planned: contracts matter, but people matter just as much. When tenants respond unusually quickly to lease documents without redlines for 10-15 year commitments, it raises red flags. During Covid, high-credit tenants had attorneys advising them to stop paying rent while small bay industrial mom and pop tenants maintained perfect payment records. BROKER RELATIONSHIPS: The majority of Nick's deals come through brokers he's built long-term relationships with over years. These relationships prove valuable because brokers trust Nick will maintain confidentiality, move quickly through underwriting, and they understand his investment criteria. After years of exchanging deals and feedback, brokers know which opportunities match his thesis. MARKET TRENDS: Interest rate movements create near-term positivity while inflation continues hitting sectors unevenly, creating inefficiencies and opportunities. The retail apocalypse predictions following Covid haven't materialized because people still crave experiences. Drive-throughs represent a clear trend as efficiency becomes paramount - almost every concept has figured out how to use them successfully, including Chipotle proving the model works for food types that seemed ill-suited initially. Perfect for real estate investors considering raising outside capital, operators building broker networks, and anyone interested in how successful commercial real estate investors structure deals and protect investor capital.FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/nickjones FOR MORE ON NICK JONES:https://www.alakai-capital.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/alakaicapital/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjonesrealestate/https://www.instagram.com/alakaicapital/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction: Nick Jones' journey from professional wakeboarder to real estate CEO [02:21] - Growing up around real estate near Microsoft and Nintendo in Redmond, Washington [04:21] - Pivoting from professional sports to commercial real estate after family tragedy [06:09] - The first deal: A vacant Taco Bell property that set the foundation [07:44] - Why Nick started with commercial properties instead of residential real estate [09:17] - Evolution of financing and capital raising strategies across 70+ deals [11:44] - Syndication vs funds: Why individual deal syndication works better [13:26] - The decision to raise outside capital and the weight of investor responsibility [14:15] - How grandfather and father approached real estate differently without raising capital [16:15] - Learning from deals that didn't go as planned: Contracts and people both matter [19:05] - Due diligence challenges with high-credit tenants who won't share financials [20:23] - Covid revelation: Mom and pop tenants paid while credit tenants had attorneys advise stopping rent [22:28] - How to source properties and build broker relationships that generate deal flow [25:52] - The truth about "off-market" deals in today's transparent commercial real estate market [27:59] - Balancing commercial real estate with selective angel investing for asymmetric returns [31:09] - Relying on specialized partners for angel investing due diligence [34:10] - Current market trends: Interest rates, inflation, drive-through retail, and efficiency plays [37:52] - Whether Nick's investor pool is set and how new investors can learn more [40:00] - What freedom means beyond financial independence: Physical, mental, and relationship dimensions [41:22] - The danger of gaining financial freedom while losing physical health or relationships [42:25] - Corey's "ideal life now" philosophy versus waiting for retirement Guest Bio Nick Jones has been involved in commercial real estate management, investment, development, and brokerage for over 20 years. Each role has added valuable perspective, introducing various angles and strategies to evaluate every opportunity Alakai Capital pursues. Currently, he serves as CEO managing acquisitions, development, and capital markets. Throughout his career, Nick has underwritten and acquired over 70 commercial investments and developments representing more than $250 million in value. He currently oversees 800,000+ square feet of industrial, retail, office, and medical office assets. Nick graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida while simultaneously competing on the World Tour as a professional wakeboarder, earning a podium finish at the World Championships in 2011. He is an active member of ULI, ICSC, and NAIOP. Host Bio Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes Episode 191 - Jack Gibson: Achieving Financial Stability Through Real Estate Episode 183 - How To Invest In Real Estate with Kent Ritter: Explore different approaches to real estate investing and building investor relationships. Episode 353 - Build Community-Driven Real Estate Ventures with Ryan Andrews: Discover how community-focused approaches can enhance real estate investment strategies. Episode 185 - How To Raise Capital For Your Company with Maximilian Rast: Master the fundamentals of capital raising that apply across real estate and business ventures. Episode 352 - Proven Strategies for Scaling Companies Through Strategic Partnerships with Nahed Khairallah: Learn how strategic partnerships drive business growth beyond traditional capital raising. Episode 213 - A Discussion on Business Partnerships with Corey Kupfer: Understand the legal and strategic foundations of creating successful business partnerships. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Nick Jones: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjonesrealestate/ Company: https://www.alakai-capital.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alakaicapital/ Keywords/Tags commercial real estate investing, capital raising strategies, real estate syndication, syndication vs funds, broker relationships, tenant due diligence, credit tenant analysis, angel investing, real estate investment strategy, property investment, commercial property management, real estate financing, investor relations, deal sourcing, off-market deals, real estate partnerships, building wealth through real estate, entrepreneurship, business growth strategies, dealmaking

Think making money and making impact are mutually exclusive? THINK AGAIN. Bob Bush went from working on the RJR Nabisco LBO to advising Dubai's government to co-founding a coffee company with NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. His approach? Commerce, not charity. After 30+ years structuring deals across Wall Street, Africa, and the Middle East, Bob discovered that sustainable social impact requires sustainable economics. Now he's disrupting coffee supply chains where farmers get just 6 cents of your $5 latte. Key Takeaways: Why crossing cultural bridges creates the best deal opportunities How to build "shock absorbers" into social enterprises The power of democratizing investment through crowdfunding Why alignment beats optimization in building meaningful businesses Tune in to this episode to hear Bob Bush share his journey from Wall Street to creating social impact businesses across continents. From his insights on the RJR Nabisco deal to building sustainable supply chains in Africa, this conversation offers invaluable perspectives for business leaders seeking to create both financial value and social impact. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/bobbush FOR MORE ON BOB BUSH:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcbushjr/https://www.instagram.com/mutombocoffee/?hl=en FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Just wrapped my second year chairing the EO Deal Exchange Conference, and the lessons were off the charts. Here's what happens when you put hundreds of entrepreneurs in a room focused on one thing: growing through deals. Three insights that stood out: The wisdom is already in the room. We ran deal speed networking sessions where members shared their specific needs (buying companies, seeking JV partners, raising capital). The collective knowledge and connections in that room solved problems in minutes that could take months to crack alone. Stop looking outside your network for every answer. Exit satisfaction is shockingly low. Dave Hirsch shared that only about 13% of entrepreneurs who successfully exit are actually happy afterward. His "Inner Board Meeting" concept helps you identify all the different voices and aspects of your personality that need to be satisfied by any deal you pursue. Powerful framework for avoiding founder depression. Lifestyle business isn't an insult. Silicon Valley prodigy Fallon Fatemi, who co-founded an AI company with Mark Cuban, shared that she'll never raise capital again. Not because capital is bad, but because her priorities have shifted. Build the business and life YOU want, not what others expect.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/kraftheinz• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

85% of founders have regrets about their exits. The research is clear. But here's what surprised me most about this statistic: almost none of them regret leaving money on the table. They regret the clarity work they didn't do beforehand. In my latest conversation with Jodi Hume, an advisor who works exclusively with founders and CEOs navigating acquisitions and exits, we explored what that clarity actually looks like: How to distinguish between what you can compromise on and what will keep you awake at night years later. Why energy management during due diligence directly impacts the quality of your decision-making. The identity piece nobody talks about: who you are after the company is no longer yours. How to protect yourself from making decisions born of depletion rather than strategy. The uncomfortable truth about founder burnout and when an exit might be the right call precisely because you've hit your limit. Jodi's approach is unusual. She's less interested in maximizing valuations than in ensuring founders actually get what they came for—and that they don't regret it afterward. Listen to the full episode if you're even thinking about an exit in the next few years. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jodihume FOR MORE ON JODI HUME:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joditurnerhume/https://atthecore.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Concentration beats diversification. One stock. That's all Jaden Sterling bought during the 1990s. It tripled, became capital for 125 real estate deals, and eventually funded Sterling Stock Picker, a stock-picking platform now serving 3,000 investors. What most financial advisors don't tell you: diversification is what you do when you don't know what you're doing. When Jaden's clients at Merrill Lynch held 4-6 solid companies, they were pressured to sell and diversify into mutual funds. The math later showed holding those original positions would've beaten all the churn. The path to real wealth isn't about spreading money thin. It's about focused conviction in what you actually understand. I sat down with Jaden to talk about deal structures across real estate, concentrated stock investing, raising capital from customers instead of VCs, and why your relationship with money mirrors your relationship with yourself. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jadensterling FOR MORE ON JADEN STERLING:https://www.sterlingstockpicker.com/jaden_sterling FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

I just had an incredible conversation with Jon Wells on the DealQuest Podcast about a real estate niche that most investors have never even considered. After 25 years in Denver real estate, Jon discovered something remarkable: group homes for mental health and sobriety programs that generate 6%+ cap rates with almost zero landlord responsibilities. Here's what struck me most from our discussion: Jon's "fix and flop" philosophy completely changed my perspective. "My best deals were the ones that didn't sell," he told me. Those failed flips that he couldn't unload? They became his most profitable long-term holdings and led him to this overlooked niche. The economics are compelling. While everyone fights over compressed margins in traditional real estate (Jon watched fix-and-flip profits shrink from 25% to barely 10%), group homes maintain 6-13% cap rates even in high interest rate environments. His mentor has accumulated 1,000 beds. Jon manages 30-40 beds that provide what he calls "a great living." The structure is brilliantly simple. Operators funded by Medicaid and grants handle everything - maintenance, tenants, daily management. Property owners collect rent. It's "as close to a triple net deal as you can do" in residential real estate. The vetting process Jon shared was eye-opening. Drawing from his 1990s experience helping people save properties from foreclosure, he applies rigorous financial analysis to operators. The key: finding those with grant funding, solid track records, and willingness to accept purchase options so they treat the property like their own. What impressed me most was Jon's disciplined approach to avoiding shiny object syndrome. After a syndication advisor told him "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole," he pivoted back to what he knows works - paying off mortgages and creating owner-carry notes for stable, predictable income. The lesson? While everyone chases the same crowded strategies, the best opportunities often hide in markets others don't even know exist. Sometimes the path to financial freedom isn't about following the crowd, but about finding overlooked niches that match your values and expertise. Listen to our full conversation on the DealQuest Podcast where Jon reveals his complete framework for evaluating group home opportunities. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jonwells FOR MORE ON JON WELLS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwellsrealtor/ https://abetterwayrealty.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Warren Buffett called it one of his biggest investment mistakes.The 2015 Kraft Heinz merger destroyed $63 billion in shareholder value while the broader market doubled.Key lessons for M&A professionals:• Consumer behavior trend analysis is critical for food industry due diligence • Aggressive cost reduction can eliminate innovation capacity in consumer products • Post-merger integration strategies must balance efficiency with brand development • Market research capabilities become essential during rapid cultural shifts • Strategic exit planning requires objective assessment of recovery prospectsThe complete merger failure analysis reveals why sophisticated investors missed consumer preference shifts toward natural foods and how 3G Capital's cost optimization strategy backfired in processed food markets.Essential listening for dealmakers in consumer products industries.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/kraftheinz• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Think great communication in deals is about having the right words or perfect hand gestures? After 35 years of negotiating deals, I can tell you this: all the tactical training in the world won't help if you haven't done the internal work to understand who you are and what you bring to the table. In this episode, Dia Bondi breaks down why your leadership voice matters more than any communication skill. She turned a $30,000 project into over a million dollars by structuring it as a mix of cash and equity. She helped a client maneuver a complex secondary deal by crafting a multi-layered ask that positioned him as an equal partner. And she showed a founder how to create $10 million in value by painting a picture that helped an entire room recognize the moment they were in. Dia shares her six attributes of clutch communicators, including how to:Make strategic asks that create value for everyone (not just get you what you want)Use killer setups that feel natural to your voiceBridge your unique perspective to whatever you're buildingShow up big in big moments even when it feels uncomfortable This conversation reveals why "be authentic" is useless advice and what to focus on instead. Perfect for founders heading into funding rounds, executives negotiating partnerships, or anyone who needs to speak powerfully when stakes are high.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/diabondi• • •FOR MORE ON DIA BONDILinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dia-bondi/Company: https://www.diabondi.com/The Book: https://www.asklikeanauctioneer.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

"Every time I get off the phone with you, I feel better... but I don't call because I don't want to pay the billable hour."Alexandria Seydel heard this from clients constantly when she was practicing M&A law. So she made a simple offer: "What about once a month you buy me lunch and we go for 90 minutes and you get my brain."Those lunch conversations changed everything. Alexandria realized she was more energized talking business strategy than drafting legal documents. Now as founder of Ripples Edge Advisors, she helps business owners prepare for exits before they're forced to sell.Most owners think exit planning means getting financials in order and hoping for the best. Alexandria starts differently. She has clients close their eyes and picture life five years after selling: What does your typical day look like? Who are you spending time with? What gives you purpose?Those answers determine whether you should target private equity (focused on returns) or strategic buyers (who care about legacy and team). The visioning exercise prevents what Alexandria sees constantly: post-exit depression, even among sellers who make life-changing money.Right now she's watching clients in tech-adjacent industries get multiple serious offers in the same week. Legal tech, agricultural tech, climate tech - traditional industries adding technology are hot. But success isn't just about timing the market."If you were to go to Bali for three weeks, would your business run without you?" That's Alexandria's test for exit readiness. Most entrepreneurs think they're prepared until they actually try stepping away.In our conversation, Alexandria breaks down her exit readiness assessment, explains why the visioning exercise matters more than most tactical work, and shares what's driving current M&A activity in her clients' industries.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/alexandriaseydel• • •FOR MORE ON ALEXANDRIA SEYDEL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandria-seydel/Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ripples-edge-advisors/Website: https://www.ripplesedgeadvisors.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Think investors who don't re-up for your next round are doing you a favor?Not the case!Most entrepreneurs see this as rejection. But here's what Sahil Patel discovered after 11 years building and selling ER Express: Sometimes the BEST thing that can happen is getting misaligned investors out of your cap table.His family office investors knew service businesses. But SaaS? Different game entirely."The way you look at a SaaS business, you really have to look at unit economics. If you just look at the whole cost, it looks terrible."The result? A year of treading water while growth stalled.But here's where it gets interesting: Those same investors offered him a management buyout with seller financing. NON-RECOURSE.Eight quarters of consecutive growth followed.We'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast! How to identify when investor misalignment is killing your business Why timing is the entrepreneur's biggest enemy (not money) The crisis pivot that doubled his total addressable market Building performance-based business models that guarantee results And much more Whether you're navigating complex investor relationships or building systems for sustainable growth, this conversation provides frameworks every business leader needs.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/sahilpatel• • • FOR MORE ON SAHIL PATELhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilanamipatel/https://www.spiralyze.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

JP Morgan's latest M&A report reveals something fascinating: despite ongoing uncertainty, global deal volumes hit $2.2 trillion (up 27% year-over-year).Here's what caught my attention: - Mega deals increased 57% because bigger players can thrive when smaller competitors freeze up. - Cross-border activity actually grew 24% despite rising protectionism as companies use M&A to position around trade uncertainties rather than avoid them. - And get this - AI infrastructure needs will drive $1 trillion in spending over the next 5 years, with data center capacity needing to increase 100-fold.Technology M&A surged 42%, financial services up 56%, and even media jumped 51% as consolidation becomes a survival strategy.The bottom line? Uncertainty isn't going away, but markets remain remarkably resilient. Smart deal-makers are learning to operate effectively in permanently uncertain conditions rather than waiting for clarity that may never come.Listen to my full breakdown on this solo DealQuest episode.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/JPMorgan2025• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Ever wonder how great dealmakers got their start?Some began with childhood lemonade stands. Others learned through necessity when family circumstances required quick business education. A few discovered their talents through door-to-door sales or car flipping as teenagers.But here's what's fascinating: every successful dealmaker has an origin story that reveals the early development of skills that would later drive millions in transactions.In this best of compilation from the DealQuest Podcast, you'll hear from over a dozen successful business leaders sharing their very first deals - from Thomas Samuelson negotiating his way out of Philadelphia to Sunny Vanderbeck subcontracting lawn care in elementary school.What you'll discover: How childhood businesses teach fundamental negotiation principles Why early sales experiences translate directly to deal success The common patterns that predict future dealmaking ability How adversity often accelerates business skill development And much more Whether you're developing your own deal skills or helping others recognize their potential, these stories provide insights into how business instincts develop and grow. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/originstories• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most people think private equity means gutting companies and squeezing margins. Neal Cobb is proving them wrong.After raising over $20 million and scaling his delivery startup to 100,000 drivers before selling to 7-Eleven, Neal could have retired. Instead, he's building something that challenges everything we think we know about private equity.At Equity X, they're acquiring legacy businesses and turning them into employee-owned enterprises. No quick flips. No cultural destruction. Just long-term value creation where employees actually benefit from the success they help create.In this DealQuest conversation, Neal shares how he went from running dice games in high school to building a white-label delivery empire to reimagining what private equity can be. His insights on partnerships, timing deals, and betting on people over ideas will change how you think about business growth.Neal's approach reveals what happens when you prioritize people and culture alongside profits.This is a perfect listen for business leaders exploring acquisition strategies and sustainable growth models.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/nealcobb• • • FOR MORE ON NEAL COBBhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/neal-cobb-4a4084179/www.equityx.co FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Eighty percent of business owners have eighty percent of their net worth locked in their business.But only twenty percent of businesses survive to see their tenth birthday.This conversation will change how you think about building enterprise value forever.Scott Beebe didn't just build a successful consulting practice...He proved that the secret to enterprise value isn't your product, your market, or your marketing.Scott is the founder of Business on Purpose and certified exit planning advisor who has helped hundreds of business owners liberate themselves from chaos while building sellable assets.In this DealQuest Podcast episode, I sat down with Scott to uncover the real drivers of enterprise value and why most businesses fail the ultimate test.In our conversation, we explored: The eighty percent rule that destroys most businesses Why your product isn't actually your product The enterprise value litmus test every owner should know How to break free from "hero complex" that kills scalability The five meeting types that build culture and systems Cash domination strategies that put owners in control And much more!Whether you're planning an exit in two to three years, building for long-term growth, or struggling with operational chaos, this conversation provides actionable frameworks for immediate implementation. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/scottbeebe• • • FOR MORE ON SCOTT BEEBECompany: https://www.businessonpurpose.com Assessment Tool: https://www.businessonpurpose.com/healthy Books: "Let Your Business Burn" and "The Chaos Free Contractor" FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most business leaders believe they need significant capital to pursue growth deals.This assumption limits their strategic options.The reality is that dozens of deal structures are available to businesses of every size, yet most entrepreneurs only explore a fraction of what's possible.From acqui-hires that appear to be acquisitions but are actually strategic hiring initiatives, to licensing agreements that generate ongoing revenue, to joint ventures that create value for all parties involved.This episode of the DealQuest Podcast explores the full spectrum of deal opportunities:• The crucial distinction between mergers and acquisitions and why it matters for your strategy • How to structure transactions with zero upfront capital requirements • Why licensing represents the most underutilized revenue opportunity for many businesses • Employee retention strategies that function as internal deals • And much moreEssential listening for business owners seeking to understand their complete range of strategic growth options.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/languageofdeals• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Hikari Senju did something different. While everyone else was chasing VCs, he built Omneky to millions in revenue first. After seeing AI generate art at MIT, this Harvard CS grad knew the future. But when investors didn't bite in 2018 ("AI is vaporware," "advertising is too competitive"), he didn't give up. He bootstrapped. Two years. Living hand-to-mouth. Building real revenue. His philosophy: "Build a company that deserves capital." The result? When he finally raised money, he had leverage. He was selecting partners, not begging for checks. Three insights from our conversation that reinforce critical deal principles: Strategic exits: He took less money from his first sale to learn inside a funded startup. That buyer became his first investor in Omneky. The deserve capital test: Growing 3x with strong margins? Investment should be obvious. If not, keep building. Infinite game thinking: Every deal starts a relationship. Your vendor today might be your investor tomorrow. From selling art to grandma at 7 to serving Fortune 100s with AI. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/hikarisenju• • • FOR MORE ON HIKARI SENJULinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisenju/Omneky: www.omneky.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most real estate developers think they need institutional investors or private equity to scale their projects.Ryan Andrews proved you can raise millions locally while building stronger community connections.Here's what makes this approach powerful:His $8 million fund is 80% local investors who show up to city council meetings advocating for his projects.These aren't just silent money partners.They're community champions.When your investors live in the community, they care about getting it right."We've had investors showing up at city council meetings, advocating for the projects, and giving public testimony. And like, it gives you a really different kind of investor." - Ryan AndrewsWe'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast:• Systematic approaches to local capital raising • Building investor relationships in small communities • Scaling through developer partnerships nationwide • Creating attainable housing that communities actually want Perfect for: Real estate developers, entrepreneurs seeking community-driven growth strategies, and business leaders looking for alternatives to institutional capital. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/ryanandrew• • • FOR MORE ON RYAN ANDREWRyan Andrew's LinkedIn Hiatus Homes Email: ryan@hiatushomes.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most business leaders think scaling requires massive capital investment.But what if I told you companies are scaling from 7 to 9 figures through strategic partnerships instead?That's exactly what this business scaling expert has been doing for the past decade.Through systematic partnership frameworks and strategic deal-making.And guess what? His approach started when he was just 13 years old, creating partnership deals to expand beyond his local market."Why am I limiting myself to my school? Why don't I actually find people in other schools who I can work with?"That one systematic question became the foundation for scaling multiple companies to nine-figure revenue.Here's what surprised me: This expert has customers in Europe and Africa but has never done business development in those markets.How? Strategic partnership systems that systematically refer qualified customers.We'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast! Proven frameworks for partnering with larger firms even when you're small Why white-labeling strategies can accelerate your brand building Partnership structures that create sustainable long-term growth Strategic decision-making frameworks for equity vs. cash deals If you're ready to scale your business beyond organic growth using proven partnership frameworks, this conversation provides a systematic blueprint. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/nahedkhairallah• • • FOR MORE ON NAHED KHAIRALLAHhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahed/https://organizedchaos.fyi Email: hello@organizedchaos.fyi FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most entrepreneurs think M&A and capital raising are the only "real" deals.They're missing 90% of the opportunities.In this DealQuest solo episode, I break down the full spectrum of deal types that can solve virtually any business challenge: Strategic partnerships and alliances Technology licensing and transfer deals Operational and supply chain partnerships Asset deals and real estate transactions Financial restructuring options Emerging digital economy deals The truth? There's a deal for virtually every business problem.You just need to know what's possible.Perfect for: Business leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to grow through strategic partnerships rather than traditional funding. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/dealforthat• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Most entrepreneurs think raising VC money means they've "made it."But Tom Dillon learned something different during his years in investment banking and running a PE-backed company.After analyzing countless deals and experiencing the pressure firsthand, he discovered that VC money comes with a specific expectation: IPO-level returns."For a lot of VCs, they kinda look at things in terms of roulette table. They really need one of those to hit big."The problem? Most successful businesses exit through M&A, not IPOs.So if you're building a profitable company that could sell for $20-50M in a few years, VC funding might actually work against you.Tom now helps founders as a fractional CFO, matching funding strategies to realistic business goals rather than chasing the biggest check.In this episode, we explore:• Why thinking multiple rounds ahead is crucial for any capital raise • Alternative funding sources that align with M&A exits • The growing trend of buying your first business instead of starting one • How to set realistic valuation expectations • The mindset shifts that separate successful founders from those who strugglePerfect for entrepreneurs evaluating funding options and business owners planning exit strategies.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/tomdillon• • • FOR MORE ON TOM DILLONhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdilloncfa/ https://fracfinance.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Georgi Feidler shared some incredible stats with me... Over 50% of small businesses are owned by Baby Boomers. 60% of those have zero succession plan.That's billions in wealth transfer happening right now and most of it is going to be messy.Georgi has spent 20+ years helping founders navigate this transition. Her approach isn't just about finding buyers - it's about building businesses that can actually survive without their founders.The brother/sister case study she shared shows how creative structuring can cut transition time from years to months.Perfect for business owners planning exits or anyone working with Boomer-owned businesses.Georgi is the founder of Hire, Train, Aspire and a seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience who's helped scale companies from small teams to organizations with over 68,000 employees through IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises.In this episode, she breaks down how to overcome the "tribal knowledge problem," build confidence in your team to run without you, and create succession plans that work for both internal and external transitions.We talked about business exits, succession planning, and freedom, the kind that comes from building something bigger than yourself.So if you're a business owner thinking about your exit strategy or a Baby Boomer founder wondering how to preserve your legacy, you'll want to hit play on this one.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/georgifeidler• • • FOR MORE ON GEORGI FEIDLERGeorgi Feidler's LinkedInHire, Train, Aspire FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERCorey Kupfer's LinkedInCorey Kupfer's Website Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Creating the Vision for Your Life   What does it take to break free from a scarcity mindset and rise to the top as a master negotiator and dealmaker? On this compelling episode of Richer Soul, Corey Kupfer shares his raw journey from paycheck-to-paycheck roots to building a powerhouse law firm and consultancy focused on high-stakes negotiation and deal-making. If you've ever doubted whether your background could limit your future success, this is the episode that will blow your mind—and redefine what's possible.   Key Takeaways: Your Money Mindset Can Be Reprogrammed. Corey's early life was shaped by scarcity—“money's hard to come by,” “budget everything”—but he did the inner work to shift to a mindset of abundance and strategic wealth creation. The Courage to Go Solo. At 31, with zero clients and no financial safety net, Corey left a secure legal job and launched his own firm. He used credit cards to pay rent and still found the resilience to build from scratch. Negotiation Is a Skill Anyone Can Master. Corey breaks down the three pillars of authentic negotiating: Clarity, Detachment, and Equilibrium—tools anyone can use to stop overthinking and start winning in both business and life. True Success Requires Internal and External Alignment. Wealth isn't just about money—it's about being purpose-aligned, values-driven, and empowered to create lasting impact through your work and your deals.   Money Learning: From Scarcity to Strategy Corey's relationship with money started in a fear-driven, budget-focused household. The breakthrough came when he realized that despite early professional success, his subconscious beliefs were holding him back from building real wealth. He invested deeply in personal development, challenged inherited financial scripts, and reshaped his thinking to embrace abundance, philanthropy, and purpose-driven prosperity.   Lesson for Listeners: No matter your past, you can rewrite your money story—and your results will follow.   About Corey Kupfer Corey Kupfer is a seasoned entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, and professional speaker with over 35 years of deal-making experience. He's the founder of Kupfer & Associates, PLLC, a top-tier corporate law firm, and DealQuest, a platform for empowering deal-driven entrepreneurs. He's also the bestselling author of Authentic Negotiating and host of the top 1% ranked DealQuest Podcast.   Key Discussion Points: Breaking out of limiting financial beliefs rooted in childhood. Going from high-salary corporate law to entrepreneurial uncertainty. The psychological and practical tools behind Authentic Negotiating. How entrepreneurs can use clarity, detachment, and equilibrium to win big. Why “working harder” doesn't lead to wealth—and what actually does. Building a legacy through impact, philanthropy, and alignment.   Conclusion: This episode isn't just about making deals—it's about making change. Corey's story proves that no background is too humble, and no challenge too big, when you're aligned with purpose and armed with the right mindset. If you're ready to rewrite your relationship with money, embrace your inner negotiator, and take bold steps toward financial independence, this is your blueprint.   Links: Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreykupfer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoreyKupfer X: https://x.com/coreykupfer   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let's talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let's figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It's about personal freedom! Thanks for listening!   Show Sponsor: http://profitcomesfirst.com/   Schedule your free no obligation call: https://bookme.name/rockyl/lite/intro-appointment-15-minutes   If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes: http://bit.do/richersoul   https://www.facebook.com/richersoul http://richersoul.com/ rocky@richersoul.com   Some music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast   Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

Attention entrepreneurs: If you think working 80+ hour weeks makes your business more valuable... the data says otherwise.This conversation will change how you think about business building forever.James Brown didn't just sell his business for multiple cash offers he proved that less owner involvement equals higher business value.James is the founder of BizTech Guru, a business consultant who transformed his own accommodation business over many years from requiring 120-hour work weeks to just 30 minutes of monthly involvement. After surviving multiple economic challenges including the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19, he eventually sold the business with 7 offers, 3 of which were cash.In this episode, he exposes the shocking truth about why 80% of businesses aren't sellable, reveals his exact automation playbook, and shares the mindset shifts that create truly passive income.We talked about business automation, but not the tech-heavy complicated kind.We talked about remote team management, but not the micromanagement nightmare kind.And we talked about exit preparation, the kind that actually increases your quality of life WHILE building value.This completely changed my perspective on what makes businesses valuable.Perfect for: SaaS founders, service business owners, e-commerce entrepreneurs, and anyone building for eventual exit. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jamesbrown• • • FOR MORE ON JAMES BROWNJames Brown's LinkedIn BizTech Guru WebsiteFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

If you think Shark Tank shows you how real investment deals work, it's time to look deeper. After 35+ years of structuring actual deals, I have some thoughts. Don't get me wrong. Shark Tank has done incredible things for entrepreneurship awareness. It's entertaining. It introduces people to concepts like customer acquisition costs and business valuations. But as someone who negotiates real deals, the show misses so much of what actually happens. Mark Cuban's "shot clock" negotiations? Not how real investors operate. The focus on simple equity percentages? Real deals involve preferred shares, liquidation preferences, board seats, anti-dilution rights. Those dramatic handshake commitments? Studies show 30-40% of Shark Tank "deals" never actually close. And we rarely hear follow-up on companies that struggle or fail. Compare this to The Pitch podcast, which features real investors evaluating real companies with full follow-up on what happens after the cameras stop rolling. We'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast! What Shark Tank gets right about deal basics The crucial deal terms that never get discussed on TV Why most "Shark Tank deals" don't actually close How The Pitch provides authentic deal education And much more So if you're an entrepreneur considering investment or anyone fascinated by how deals really work, you'll want to hit play on this one.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/sharktank• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

If your definition of success still sounds like someone else's dream… It's time to rewrite it ⁠I was deeply moved by this conversation with the incredible Rha Goddess. - CEO of Move The Crowd, the author of The Calling, and a cultural innovator who has helped hundreds of changemakers stay true to themselves while making bank.⁠ In this episode, she breaks down how to negotiate deals with soul, reclaim your worth in high-stakes rooms, and redefine success on your own terms.⁠We talked about ambition, but not the hustle-till-you-drop kind.⁠ ⁠We talked about impact, but not the performative kind.⁠ ⁠And we talked about power, the kind that comes from knowing who you really are.⁠ ⁠I've never looked at ambition the same way since.⁠ ⁠What comes up for you in this conversation? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. ⁠So if you're building a business, legacy, or life that actually feels good...⁠You'll want to hit play on this one.⁠ • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/rhagoddess• • • FOR MORE ON RHA GODDESShttps://www.movethecrowd.me/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhagoddesshttps://www.facebook.com/RhaGoddess/https://bit.ly/IntentionalAmbitionBookFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Feeling stuck inside someone else's definition of success?If you're a financial advisor dreaming about building a business on your terms, this is for you.Because here's the thing…The RIA model is one of the most powerful paths to real independence in the wealth management space.And this DealQuest episode, we're talking with Chuck Failla—founder of Sovereign Financial Group and a fierce advocate for advisor freedom.He's breaking down:- Why so many advisors are finally making the leap- What to know before going independent- How to navigate the challenges that come with freedom (yes, they exist)- And why values-based leadership is the future of wealth managementAnd much more • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/chuckfailla• • • FOR MORE ON CHUCK FAILLAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesfailla/https://twitter.com/SF_Group_Inchttp://www.goria.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Why REPORTERS might know more than the CEOs they cover… ⁠Couldn't agree more with the insights dropped by Diana Britton and Ian Wenik on this episode of DealQuest.⁠ ⁠ In case you don't already know Diana & Ian…⁠ Ian is the Editor at Citywire RIA and host of This Week in Wealth⁠ Diana is the Managing Editor at WealthManagement.com and host of The Healthy Advisor Podcast⁠ Together, they've interviewed just about everyone in the RIA space (yours truly included)⁠ ⁠ They've spent years behind the mic asking the big questions...⁠ ⁠ So this time, I flipped the script—⁠ ⁠ And I asked them what's really going on in wealth management.⁠ ⁠ Here's what we dug into:⁠- The truth about RIA M&A and what's happening behind the scenes- The rising risks of private equity and over-leveraging⁠- How politics and tax policy are shifting deal timing- The massive talent and succession gaps too many firms are ignoring⁠And much more ⁠If you want the unfiltered take on where this industry is headed…⁠ • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/dianaandian• • • FOR MORE ON DIANA BRITTONWealthManagement.com FOR MORE ON IAN WENIKCitywire RIAFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • •Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

For YEARS, business owners have been told to wait for the right time to make deals, especially when the economy feels uncertain.⁠ ⁠ But… that strategy could be killing your momentum. ⁠ In this solocast episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I'll break down…⁠- Why fear-based decisions kill more deals than a downturn ever could- How to shift your mindset from reactive to strategic- What smart deal structures look like in a changing market- How to stay confident (even when the headlines say panic) And much more… ⁠• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/keepclosing• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! If you've been hesitating to make a move or second-guessing your next step…⁠ You need to hear this.⁠

What you think selling a startup looks like vs. what it actually looks likeHere's what most founders assume about startup acquisitions…⁠ ⁠You need to raise millions in VC funding first⁠Only “unicorns” get acquired⁠It's a long, complicated process with lawyers and bankers⁠You need to scale like crazy before you sell⁠Only big-name founders get exits⁠ ⁠ NOPE.⁠ ⁠You can build a lean, profitable business and sell it without a huge team, a pile of funding, or a decade of hustle.⁠ ⁠And Andrew Gazdecki is living proof.⁠ ⁠He's the founder of Acquire—a platform simplifying startup acquisitions—and he's breaking down exactly how it's done in the this episode of the DealQuest Podcast Why selling might be smarter than scaling The real reason your startup isn't selling The sneaky risks of building on platforms you don't own And why white labeling exploded his growth without big funding⁠ ⁠ Whether you're a startup founder, solo SaaS builder, or just acquisition-curious… this one's gold.⁠ • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/andrewgazdecki• • • FOR MORE ON ANDREW GAZDECKIhttps://www.acquire.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/https://x.com/agazdecki/highlightsFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Is your business really built to scale?Most entrepreneurs dream of growing fast… but here's the truth: speed alone won't get you to sustainable success.This insight from business growth expert Robert Levin says it all…Scaling isn't just about getting bigger—it's about getting better, stronger, and more profitable in the long run.And more and more entrepreneurs are learning this the HARD way after chasing growth at all costs…These failures are due to poor scaling decisions…Expanding too quickly. Hiring too fast. Investing in the wrong areas.And guess what?The businesses that took a strategic, execution-focused approach lasted 3x longer.Robert said it best…“Sustainable success isn't about ideas—it's about executing the right ones at the right time.” So how do you make sure you're scaling the right way?We'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast! The BIGGEST scaling mistakes (and how to avoid them) How to grow without overextending your team, resources, or cash flow The #1 growth strategy that keeps businesses thriving for the long haul And much moreIf you're serious about scaling sustainably and profitably… • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/robertlevin• • • FOR MORE ON ROBERT LEVINRobert Levin's LinkedInCIS Ventures, LLCFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Want to make your business irresistible to buyers? Let's talk MARKETING in M&A… Too often, businesses focus only on financials when preparing for an acquisition—But buyers don't just pay for numbers. They pay for BRAND, POSITIONING, and GROWTH POTENTIAL.If you're ignoring marketing due diligence in M&A, you're leaving money on the table.A strong marketing strategy = higher valuations, smoother transitions, and long-term success post-acquisition.So, ask yourself… Is your marketing engine driving real, measurable growth? Are you positioning your brand to attract strategic buyers? If not, it's time to rethink your approach.I sat down with Angelo Ponzi on the DealQuest Podcast to break down the role of marketing in M&A—why it matters, how to get it right, and what buyers actually look for.Even if you're not selling anytime soon, these insights will help you build a business that thrives. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/angeloponzi• • •FOR MORE ON ANGELO PONZI:https://www.craftmarketingandbranding.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

In This Episode What makes some dealmakers stand out while others struggle to close? According to Corey Kupfer, the difference is often systems—both internal and external. In this conversation, Corey unpacks his process-driven approach to negotiating deals. He explains how systems such as due diligence templates, internal training guides, and centralized data rooms not only streamline transactions but also add enterprise value and buyer confidence. Beyond the tangible tools, Corey emphasizes mindset systems. His framework of Clarity, Detachment, and Equilibrium helps negotiators operate from a place of strength and authenticity rather than ego or fear. Whether you're preparing to sell, acquire, or simply lead with more confidence, this episode delivers essential takeaways on systemizing deal success.

Thinking about selling your business? You need strong G2 & G3 leadership in place first.Tune into my solocast episode to see why it's a game-changer for valuation, deal structure, and a smooth exit.If you're an investor or business owner planning for the future, pay close attention…Because leadership gaps can kill a deal before it even starts.A strong leadership pipeline ensures: Higher business valuation More attractive deal structures Seamless mergers & acquisitions A legacy that outlasts you Most founders wait too long to set this up—don't be one of them.Want the full breakdown? • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/G2matters• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR CAREER AND REAL ESTATE INVESTING."Many people believe you can't successfully invest in real estate while maintaining another career or business.THINK AGAIN.Joel Miller has been investing in rental properties since 1978 and has flipped over 100 houses since 1991 – all while maintaining a 35-year career as a professional mobile DJ with 5,051 appearances.And guess what? His first property from 1978? He STILL owns it 47 years later, and it's a "cash cow" with three units and three garages."It's harder to find the deal than it is to find the money. If you can find a deal that makes sense, you will find some way to get the money," says Joel.We'll dive deep into this (and so much more) in this episode of the DealQuest Podcast!- Learn how to balance a full-time career with real estate investing - Discover the truth about hard money lending from someone who's both borrowed and lent - Understand the mindset shifts needed for successful property investingIf you've ever thought about adding real estate to your investment portfolio while keeping your primary career, this episode is a must-listen. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/joelmiller• • •FOR MORE ON JOEL MILLER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-miller-42981811/https://joelmillerbooks.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Mergers are exciting… until the real work begins. I had an incredible conversation with Jonathan Gardner on this podcast episode. This is something we don't talk about enough…(We spend so much time focusing on closing the deal)…But we're not REALLY talking about what happens after—the post-merger integration that can make or break the entire deal.When you… Align teams and company cultures seamlessly… Avoid the costly integration mistakes most businesses make… Ensure a smooth transition for customers, employees, and operations… And actually unlock the full value of your deal… That's when a merger becomes a real success story.Otherwise? You're leaving millions on the table.Don't make that mistake. Tune in to this game-changing episode now. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jonathangardner• • •FOR MORE ON JONATHAN GARDNER:http://www.linkedin.com/in/j-gardner-buy-and-sell-with-confidencehttp://www.jgardnergroup.comFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Had an incredible conversation with Devan Gonzalez about scaling a fitness business the right way—without burning out or sacrificing quality. We broke down how he went from corporate trainer to thriving gym owner, built a game-changing franchise model, and turned sales into service (no sleazy tactics here). We covered so much in this episode, including:- How Devan went from corporate trainer to thriving gym owner- The business model shift that benefits everyone—clients, trainers, & the gym- Why selling isn't about pushing—it's about solving problems- The key to strong business partnerships (hint: clear boundaries)- His unique approach to franchising smart, not fast—and why most people get it wrongAnd much more!If you're a fitness entrepreneur—or dreaming of turning your passion into a real business—this episode is packed with gold.Tune in to this episode to hear Devan Gonzalez share his insights on building a sustainable business model, empowering franchisees, and creating long-term success in the fitness industry.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/devangonzalez• • •FOR MORE ON DEVAN GONZALEZhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/devangonzalez/https://www.tiktok.com/@devan.gonzalezhttps://www.youtube.com/@devan.gonzalezhttps://www.strive11fitness.com/franchiseFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Sovereign wealth funds are changing the M&A game! Keep reading to find out how Everyone is talking about private equity in mergers and acquisitions... but they're overlooking a major player.Sovereign wealth funds are making big moves in the investment advisory space.And they're reshaping valuations, deal structures, and long-term exits in ways that most advisors aren't prepared for.If you're in M&A, you need to know what's happening Sovereign wealth funds now control over $11 trillion in assets globally They're deploying record-breaking capital into private markets and advisory firms Their long-term investment strategies are reshaping valuation models Traditional M&A players must rethink their approach to stay competitive And much more...Sovereign wealth funds are strategic, long-term players, and their influence on the M&A landscape is only growing.If you're an advisor, investor, or entrepreneur navigating M&A... this is a trend you can't afford to ignore. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/SovereignWealthFunds • • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Hold on to your coffee cups, folks —we're diving deep into the world of private capital, emerging markets, and coffee investments today!⁠In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I'm chatting with Cole Shephard, founder of Green Coffee Company, about how he turned Colombian agriculture into a business powerhouse. This episode is a game-changer for anyone interested in real estate, coffee, or emerging markets. Here's the deal—Cole's journey from corporate finance to entrepreneurship is packed with invaluable insights you NEED to hear.⁠Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, or coffee lover, you're going to get the inside scoop on: How to navigate cultural differences in international business Turning market inefficiencies into BIG opportunities Building local partnerships to thrive in new markets And much moreWant the full story?⁠• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/coleshephard• • • FOR MORE ON COLE SHEPHARDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-shephard-67b1a51a/https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Want to unlock the real secrets of building a successful franchise? Then you NEED to hear this conversation with franchise expert Greg Mohr! In this episode, Greg breaks down the biggest mistakes new franchise owners make and what it actually takes to create a business that works for you—not the other way around. Greg has helped countless entrepreneurs break free from the 9-5 and find the perfect franchise fit for their goals, lifestyle, and financial freedom. If franchising has ever crossed your mind, this is a must-listen!Ready to make franchising work for you?• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/gregmohr• • •FOR MORE ON GREG MOHR:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorykmohr/https://www.facebook.com/FranchiseMaven/https://instagram.com/franchisemavenhttps://www.franchisemaven.com/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Want to learn the secrets to a lucrative business exit?! Then you NEED to check out this episode with business transition expert John Martinka!John has been helping entrepreneurs buy, sell, and scale businesses for over 25 years…In this episode, he's revealing the key strategies that make the difference between a profitable business sale and a missed opportunity.BTW… these are real-world tactics that ANY business owner can apply to maximize their company's value before an exit.If you've ever wondered how to strategically prepare your business for sale, you do NOT want to miss this conversation.John is the go-to expert in the world of buy-sell transactions—and in this episode, he's breaking it all down for you. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/johnmartinka• • •FOR MORE ON JOHN MARTINKA https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmartinka/http://www.nokomisadvisory.com/https://www.amazon.com/Company-Growth-Acquisition-Makes-Dollars/dp/1975710622/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=John+martinka&pldnSite=1&qid=1655249073&sr=8-3 FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

If you're trying to predict where the M&A market is headed in 2025… you need to hear this.The economy, the election, the shifting deal landscape—there's a LOT to unpack. And in this episode, we're breaking it all down.What's happening in the market right nowWhere deal opportunities are (and where they're drying up)The biggest risks and how to navigate them• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/2025MAMarket • • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Are YOU the bottleneck in your business? In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I'm joined by Pete Mohr, certified exit planning coach, to share actionable strategies to reclaim your time, build a self-sustaining business, and exit with confidence.⁠You'll get the lowdown on:- Creating a business that works for you- How to plan your exit strategy early-The secret to building a brand and team that thrives without you⁠If you're tired of feeling like your business can't run without you (because, let's be real, that's exhausting), this episode is a must-listen.And find out how to create a business that works for you, not because of you. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/petemohr• • •FOR MORE ON PETE MOHRhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/petemohrhttps://twitter.com/SimplifyingEhttps://www.facebook.com/SimplifyingEntrepreneurshiphttps://pete-mohr.com/https://simplifyingentrepreneurship.com/laws/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

When it comes to business growth, it's not about chasing every opportunity or following the latest shiny object.Here's the thing:You need to focus on what actually works.So stop overcomplicating it.What really moves the needle? Building systems that help you scale and finding the right strategies that actually make sense for YOU.In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I sat down with Cliff Nonnenmacher, a serial entrepreneur and franchise mastermind, who's built and scaled successful businesses from the ground up.Cliff shares his real-world insights on what it takes to spot opportunities, negotiate smart deals, and thrive in the franchising world, whether you're just starting or looking to take your venture to the next level.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/cliffnonnenmacher• • •FOR MORE ON CLIFF NONNENMACHERhttp://x.com/franocityhttp://www.facebook.com/franocityhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffnonnenmacherhttp://franocity.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

If this is the year YOU plan to scale your business while unlocking the freedom you've always dreamed of…Then this podcast episode is for you!Richard Manders, an accomplished entrepreneur and seasoned business coach, joins me to discuss: How to prepare your business for inevitable challenges (even when things are going great)... The secret to choosing a capital partner who adds real value beyond just funding… Why aligning leadership roles with your strengths can supercharge growth... And how creating a clear vision for life after an exit sets you up for long-term happiness. And much more!Richard has worked with dozens of CEOs, helping them unlock growth while staying aligned with their personal values and goals. His expertise bridges the gap between business success and a life of true fulfillment.Ready to scale smarter and live better? • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/richardmanders• • •FOR MORE ON RICHARD MANDERS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-manders-3879846/https://freescalecoaching.com/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Business owners everywhere are chasing the quick wins — faster content, bigger audiences, more sales. But here's the thing: Authenticity is the real game changer If you're in business, you know how easy it is to fall into the trap of sales pitches and automation. But listeners, clients, and followers? They're craving something different. They want connection. They want value. They want YOU.In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, I'm sharing why I've stayed true to providing real value — no ads, no gimmicks, just authentic insights into building your business and growing your authority.In this episode, I discuss: The power of curating content to save time and effort How authority marketing leads to long-term business success Building genuine relationships as you scale And much more! Want to hear why authentic marketing is your best bet for true growth? Tune in and learn how to foster relationships, boost credibility, and keep it REAL in your content creation.• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/thetruevalueofthedealquestpodcast • • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Want to build generational wealth but don't know where to start?Hint: It's sitting in your wallet.Credit isn't just for emergencies or big-ticket purchases—it's a tool that can unlock funding for your dreams, fuel your business growth, and secure a financial legacy.But if you've been stuck thinking credit is a limitation, it's time to flip the script.On this DealQuest Podcast, Herman Dolce breaks down: How to leverage credit for financial independence Steps to start building generational wealth Real strategies you can use TODAY • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/hermandolce• • •FOR MORE ON HERMAN DOLCEhttp://www.instagram.com/haitian_ceohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/herman-dolce/https://www.facebook.com/herman.dolcehttps://www.bellasloanllc.com/https://www.bellasloanacademy.com/: They meet every single Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time see each primarily credit, business funding, and business acumenFOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

Learn all about how ESOPs can help you sell your business to employees while preserving company culture and maximizing tax benefits.This episode of the DealQuest Podcast with Kelly Finnell is packed with insights! Wondering how to plan for your business exit? Or how an ESOP could provide a smooth transition while rewarding your team?Tune in to hear Kelly break it all down, plus real-world examples of how ESOPs have transformed businesses.Ready to listen?• • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/kellyfinnell• • • FOR MORE ON KELLY FINNELLhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/esopcoach/http://www.execfin.com/https://execfin.com/esop-introduction/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!

What does resilient leadership look like in business? If you're ready to scale your business to new heights, there's one lesson you can't ignore: resilience.Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt, CEO of TechWerxe has gone from global banking floors to leading her IT company to $10M in revenue. And she's sharing her secrets on how to overcome loss, lead with vision, and scale sustainably.This episode is packed with gold for anyone aiming to grow their business, no matter the obstacles • • • FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/sejallakhanibhatt• • •FOR MORE ON SEJAL LAKHANI-BHATT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sejallakhanibhatt/https://www.linkedin.com/company/techwerxe/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ • • • Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!