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Podcast

Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success

Professionalizing the finance function of a lower-middle-market business is one of the most impactful forms of value-creation a new CEO can pursue, according to a panel of Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) market experts. To learn the importance of the finance function in ETA investments, Search Party convened a conversation between Anthony Walker, Managing Partner at Next Coast Legacy, Sam Swan, CEO of TaskRay, Eric Lougher, CFO/COO of TaskRay, Emily Young, Transaction Advisory Manager at Boulay and Jake Bitz, Consulting Controller at Boulay. TaskRay is an ETA-backed SaaS company that saw its operations transformed when it brought on board Lougher as CFO. The story of TaskRay's professionalized CFO function is at the core of this authoritative, candid and lively conversation.

May 10, 2025
Podcast

Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success

Professionalizing the finance function of a lower-middle-market business is one of the most impactful forms of value-creation a new CEO can pursue, according to a panel of Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) market experts. To learn the importance of the finance function in ETA investments, Search Party convened a conversation between Anthony Walker, Managing Partner at Next Coast Legacy, Sam Swan, CEO of TaskRay, Eric Lougher, CFO/COO of TaskRay, Emily Young, Transaction Advisory Manager at Boulay and Jake Bitz, Consulting Controller at Boulay. TaskRay is an ETA-backed SaaS company that saw its operations transformed when it brought on board Lougher as CFO. The story of TaskRay's professionalized CFO function is at the core of this authoritative, candid and lively conversation.

May 10, 2025
Podcast

New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales

The need for a sales plan is of particular importance to Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs), who search for, acquire, and run lower-middle-market businesses, in most cases as first-time operators. These CEOs must also navigate the realities of a leveraged environment. Katie Walker, a Principal at Plexus Capital, highlights the added pressure of servicing debt while investing in growth. "Hope is not a strategy," Walker says. "The number of times that you ask a very, very qualified searcher, 'So why has this business been growing? It's been growing great, but why?' Well, you know, it just grows on its own. It's word of mouth. It's just got it and it's going to keep doing it."

February 28, 2025
Podcast

New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales

The need for a sales plan is of particular importance to Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs), who search for, acquire, and run lower-middle-market businesses, in most cases as first-time operators. These CEOs must also navigate the realities of a leveraged environment. Katie Walker, a Principal at Plexus Capital, highlights the added pressure of servicing debt while investing in growth. "Hope is not a strategy," Walker says. "The number of times that you ask a very, very qualified searcher, 'So why has this business been growing? It's been growing great, but why?' Well, you know, it just grows on its own. It's word of mouth. It's just got it and it's going to keep doing it."

February 28, 2025
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Podcast
How Haley the AI Agent Transformed a Sales Function

In a fascinating conversation with Search Party, TransTech co-CEO Sulzer and his investment partner, Dustin Sellers, Managing Partner of ETA private equity firm Next Coast Legacy, share details of Haley's rapid implementation, and how the AI agent has transformed the sales function of North Carolina-based TransTech.

July 14, 2025
Podcast
Building a High-Impact Board in a 'Stretched-Thin' ETA Market

In a conversation with Search Party, Megan Webster of law firm Mayer Brown, Max Artz of Peterson Partners and Anthony Walker of Next Coast Legacy share observations about the positive impact a board can have on a lower-middle-market business, and the challenges the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition community faces recruiting board members in a market where top talent is "stretched thin."

July 8, 2025
Podcast
How Haley the AI Agent Transformed a Sales Function

In a fascinating conversation with Search Party, TransTech co-CEO Sulzer and his investment partner, Dustin Sellers, Managing Partner of ETA private equity firm Next Coast Legacy, share details of Haley's rapid implementation, and how the AI agent has transformed the sales function of North Carolina-based TransTech.

July 14, 2025
Podcast
Building a High-Impact Board in a 'Stretched-Thin' ETA Market

In a conversation with Search Party, Megan Webster of law firm Mayer Brown, Max Artz of Peterson Partners and Anthony Walker of Next Coast Legacy share observations about the positive impact a board can have on a lower-middle-market business, and the challenges the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition community faces recruiting board members in a market where top talent is "stretched thin."

July 8, 2025
Podcast
Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success

Professionalizing the finance function of a lower-middle-market business is one of the most impactful forms of value-creation a new CEO can pursue, according to a panel of Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) market experts. To learn the importance of the finance function in ETA investments, Search Party convened a conversation between Anthony Walker, Managing Partner at Next Coast Legacy, Sam Swan, CEO of TaskRay, Eric Lougher, CFO/COO of TaskRay, Emily Young, Transaction Advisory Manager at Boulay and Jake Bitz, Consulting Controller at Boulay. TaskRay is an ETA-backed SaaS company that saw its operations transformed when it brought on board Lougher as CFO. The story of TaskRay's professionalized CFO function is at the core of this authoritative, candid and lively conversation.

May 10, 2025
Podcast
Living the ETA Investment Life Cycle with your Lender

The relationship between lender and lower-middle-market CEO is a critical factor in the success of ETA deals, say veterans of the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition strategy.This episode of Search Party is about how to get the most from your lender over the lifecycle of an ETA investment, with expert commentary from Castle Capital Managing Partner and ETA veteran Chandos Mahon, Conor Tidgwell of Avidbank and Anthony Walker of Next Coast Legacy.

April 14, 2025
Podcast
New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales

The need for a sales plan is of particular importance to Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs), who search for, acquire, and run lower-middle-market businesses, in most cases as first-time operators. These CEOs must also navigate the realities of a leveraged environment. Katie Walker, a Principal at Plexus Capital, highlights the added pressure of servicing debt while investing in growth. "Hope is not a strategy," Walker says. "The number of times that you ask a very, very qualified searcher, 'So why has this business been growing? It's been growing great, but why?' Well, you know, it just grows on its own. It's word of mouth. It's just got it and it's going to keep doing it."

February 28, 2025
Podcast
When Quality-of-Earnings Reveals Cold, Hard Truths

Bob Boniface and his ETA search partner went searching for a high quality, blue-collar business in the lower middle market, and found TransTech, a commercial driver's license (CDL) training business in North Carolina. The business had predictable revenue and competed in an essential, growing market. The seller was impressed with the research that Bob and his partner had done into the niche industry.

December 9, 2024
Podcast
Deal Dynamics in the Lower-Middle-Market: Software, Commercial Services, BPO

Businesses acquired in the lower-middle-market at single-digit multiples of EBITDA can be sold for double-digit multiples, but only if the new owners improve operations and grow earnings, according to three veterans of the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) search-fund market.

November 14, 2024
Podcast
Women in Search are Finding Momentum

Women are making gains toward substantial representation in the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) community, and supporting each other along the way. In fact, 17% of ETA searchers in the market are now women. In a fascinating conversation, three ETA leaders compare notes about the appeal of the ETA search-fund career, the advantages women can have connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, and the challenges and misperceptions women confront in a male-dominated industry.

October 28, 2024
Podcast
ETA Searchers, Grit and Self-Actualization

Wasserstein, himself the builder of two successful businesses, has made entrepreneurship and the search fund community the subject of his teaching and academic work. As Search Party learned in a fascinating conversation, Wasserstein has developed frameworks not only about the potential of an ETA career to pave a way to self-determination and wealth, but to personal fulfillment, what psychologist Abraham Maslow calls self-actualization.

October 11, 2024
Video
Best Practice for Selecting 3rd Party Providers

Anthony Walker (Partner at NC ETA) moderates this discussion between panelists Conor Tidgwell (Senior VP at Avid Bank), Chris Smith (Managing Partner at Spellbound), and Emily Deagen (Sr. Managing Associate at Sidley Austin, LLP) on unpacking the importance and timing of engaging third party diligence providers post LOI and best practices in working with these groups.

December 14, 2023
Video
Best Practice in Managing Seller Relationships

Anthony Walker (Partner at NC ETA) moderates this discussion between panelists Audrey Kohout (Co-CEO at Luggage Forward & LugLess) and Dillon Friedman (Operator at APA Medical) on proper management of seller relationships pre-LOI, during the diligence phase, and post transaction close.

November 17, 2023
Video
Best Practice for Deal Sourcing

Anthony Walker (Partner at NC ETA) moderates this discussion between panelists Bob Boniface (co-CEO at TransTech), Tyrel Sulzer (co-CEO at TransTech), and Justin Vogt (CEO & Co-Founder at Evermore Industries) on the best practices in sourcing deals, from pipeline building, to managing interns, to broker relationships, to conference attendance. Learn the tricks of the trade from recent searchers turned operators.

October 12, 2023
Video
Debt in ETA: Navigating the Changing Tide

September 26, 2022
Video
Industry Evolution II SaaS Eats ETA

Anthony Walker (Partner at NC ETA) moderates this discussion between panelists Chris Lueck (co-CEO at Scribsoft) and Eric Giesecke (CEO at Planet DDS) on the evolution of the asset class and the emergence of SaaS companies as primary targets for searchers. The discussion draws on the panelists’ experiences as CEOs of SaaS businesses, how their diligence processes differed from the classic model, and more.

April 13, 2022
Video
Industry Evolution I Digital Transformation

Dustin Sellers (Partner at NC ETA) moderates this discussion between panelists Gabrielle Ritcher (President at Accel Events & Tents), Jack McCool (Project Manager at Koa Process), and James Saulez (President & CEO at Koa Process) on how value can be created by infusing technology and processes into businesses that have historically been without.

March 9, 2022
Article
Key Takeaways: Next Coast ETA’s Live Panel on the Best Practices of Due Diligence

On February 11th, Next Coast ETA hosted the “Best Practices of Due Diligence” panel with TaskRay’s CEO Sam Swan and Next Coast ETA...

March 7, 2022
Article
Anthony Walker Promoted to Partner at Next Coast ETA

We are thrilled to announce that Anthony Walker has been promoted to Partner at Next Coast ETA.

February 22, 2022
Video
Best Practices of Due Diligence within ETA

Anthony Walker (Partner at NC ETA) leads a discussion with Sam Swan (CEO at TaskRay) on the best practices of deal due diligence – from deliverables and timelines to effective communication with investors. This webinar originally took place on February 11th, 2022.

February 11, 2022
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in Pharmacy Specialists

Next Coast ETA is thrilled to announce our investment in Pharmacy Specialists, alongside Jessica Patterson and Joe Odell...

January 24, 2022
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in TaskRay

Software is changing the way most businesses deliver value to their customers. When it comes to customer onboarding...

October 27, 2021
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in ScribSoft

In keeping with our ethos of finding where tech and core business meet, NCETA is excited about its recent investment in ScribSoft.

October 11, 2021
Article
An Evolved Approach to Entrepreneurship through Acquisition

Over the last decade, the number of entrepreneurs actively searching for a small or medium sized business to acquire has grown by greater than...

October 4, 2021