Joseph Heieck: Lessons from Buying and Scaling a Small Business

Brett Sleyster: From Banker to Co-Owning a Treatment Center

A friend's broker referral, a 7-month diligence marathon, and a deal in an industry he never planned to enter – Brett shares how he and his partner acquired Windmill Wellness Ranch, a residential addiction treatment center in Texas. Traditional vs. self-funded search (his wife settled that debate), building lender relationships early, navigating out-of-network healthcare deals, and why your first months should be spent listening, not changing. Brett now also invests in searchers alongside his father. Chapters (00:00) Intro (08:07) Navigating the Search Fund Landscape (16:23) Finding and Evaluating Deals (19:34) The Deal That Almost Wasn't (25:06) Closing the Deal and Day One (33:15) Reflections and Investing in Searchers

Joseph Heieck: Lessons from Buying and Scaling a Small Business

Joseph Heieck went from Navy intelligence to Harvard Business School to buying and scaling a software business - then stepped up to chairman and co-founded Heiton Partners to buy companies and place CEOs. We cover finding mentors, working with brokers as partners, what 'quality of revenue' really means, a simple seven-check diligence rhythm, and how to lead through the messy middle of scaling. Practical, candid ETA lessons - minus the fluff.

The Dream We All Share (And Why Most of Us Never Start)

We all have the same dream—running our own company, being our own boss, choosing when and where we work. But the harsh reality? Most of us never start, and those who do often fail. What if there's a different path to entrepreneurship that's hiding in plain sight? In this inaugural episode, I introduce the concept that's quietly revolutionizing how smart entrepreneurs think about business ownership: buying existing companies instead of starting from scratch. Discover why a $400/month website changed everything for me, how the 3x earnings multiple works in practice, and why my friend who bought a company seemed so calm while our startup friends were burning cash and losing sleep. With millions of profitable businesses owned by retiring baby boomers looking for successors, the timing has never been better to consider this alternative path to the entrepreneurial dream we all share. Topics covered: * The simple math behind business acquisition (3-4x earnings multiple explained) * Real comparison: startup stress vs. acquisition calm * My personal story: From $400 to $2000/month in under two years * Why 90% startup failure rates make acquisition attractive * The baby boomer succession opportunity Welcome to Searchers—where we explore how buying can be more interesting than building. Join the community at Searchers.com