The Deal Podcast

The Opportunity Machine: Powering Louisiana's Startup Boom — Destin Ortego

What happens when a former musician with degrees in graphic design and public relations becomes the executive director of one of Louisiana's most important startup engines? You get Destin Ortego — and a playbook that's helped founders raise $116M in venture capital and drive over $2 billion in economic impact since 2018. In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson and co-host Scott Shea sit down with Destin Ortego, Executive Director of Opportunity Machine, the Lafayette-based nonprofit turning aspiring entrepreneurs into fundable, scalable founders. Destin shares how Opportunity Machine evolved from an LITE-backed initiative in 2009 into a membership-based nonprofit supporting roughly 50 active startup teams across idea, early, and growth stages. The conversation digs into what makes a company actually fundable, why customer discovery kills more bad ideas than any pitch deck, and why curiosity and "humble swag" are the two traits that separate successful founders from everyone else. Destin also unpacks the AI moment, why SaaS-only startups are losing their moat, and why marketplaces and network-effect businesses are built to win the next cycle. 🎯 What We Cover: * How Opportunity Machine supports founders from idea stage through growth stage * The real definition of "fundable" — and why traction beats vision every time * Why customer discovery is the single most important skill for early founders * The difference between leading and lagging indicators (and why vanity metrics lie) * Bootstrapping, equity, and non-dilutive funding pathways like SBIR and STTR * Why the average successful founder takes 3.5 tries to get it right * How AI is reshaping defensibility — and why SaaS alone is no longer a moat * The marketplace comeback: why network effects are the new investor magnet * The mindset shift founders must make to avoid the "permanent underclass" * Why buying a business may be more viable than starting one from scratch 🤝 Connect with Destin Ortego:  🌐 https://opportunitymachine.org/ [https://opportunitymachine.org/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/destin-ortego/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/destin-ortego/] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Scott Shea:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/] 💼 Thinking About a Transaction? FA Mergers helps founders, investors, and business owners navigate the full M&A process — from valuation to close. If you're exploring a sale, acquisition, or capital raise, let's talk. 🔗 https://www.famergers.com/ [https://www.famergers.com/] 🎙️ Follow The Deal Podcast: 🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/]  ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast] DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

The Public-Private Partnership Playbook with Mike Tarantino

What does it actually take to land a $1.4 billion manufacturing deal in a parish of 70,000 people? Mike Tarantino has the playbook — and he's running it in real time. In this episode, Joshua Wilson and co-host Scott Shea sit down with Mike Tarantino, President and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, to break down the mechanics of modern economic development dealmaking. Mike walks through how Iberia Parish, Louisiana beat out 15+ competing communities to land First Solar's 2.3 million square foot facility — now employing over 825 people and anchoring an entirely new advanced manufacturing ecosystem in Cajun country. From building the public-private partnerships that move at the speed of business, to courting site selectors, to retaining the legacy businesses that quietly built the local economy, Mike shares the relationship-driven, numbers-first approach that turns a community into a magnet for capital. 🎯 What We Cover: * Why incentives sweeten deals but never make a bad deal good * How Iberia Parish landed First Solar's $1.4B advanced manufacturing facility * The site selector ecosystem and how to get on their radar * Building public-private partnerships that move at the speed of business * What drives location decisions in a remote-work, AI-enabled economy * Why business retention is the unsung hero of economic development * The role of generational and family businesses in regional growth * Building supplier ecosystems around anchor tenants (tier 1, 2, and 3) * How Marine Corps discipline translates into dealmaking focus * Diversifying a legacy oil and gas economy without abandoning it 🤝 Connect with Mike Tarantino:  🌐 https://www.iberiabiz.org [https://www.iberiabiz.org]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tarantino-cecd-21693017/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tarantino-cecd-21693017/]  🎙️ The Mike Drop with Mike Tarantino: https://open.spotify.com/show/7KaiEyDlxpUmGyzzjSUynL [https://open.spotify.com/show/7KaiEyDlxpUmGyzzjSUynL] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Scott Shea:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/] 💼 Thinking About a Transaction? FA Mergers helps founders, investors, and business owners navigate the full M&A process — from valuation to close. If you're exploring a sale, acquisition, or capital raise, let's talk. 🔗 https://www.famergers.com/ [https://www.famergers.com/] 🎙️ Follow The Deal Podcast:  🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/]  ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast] DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

The Pattern Recognition Skill That Built Four Exits with Steven Pivnik

What if the same company could give you four bites of the apple? Steven Pivnik did exactly that — and nearly lost it all in between. In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson sits down with Steven Pivnik, serial founder, endurance athlete, and exit advisor who built and monetized the same software company four separate times before finally selling to a $4 billion competitor. Steven shares the real story behind the wins — and the gut-punch in the middle when he came back from a two-year contract to find fraud, falsified financials, and a company one month from bankruptcy. From immigrating from the former Soviet Union as a toddler to coding Pac-Man on a Commodore 64 to climbing Mount Everest at 55, Steven's story is a masterclass in pattern recognition, founder resilience, and the discipline it takes to actually build something worth selling. Now an executive coach with The CEO Project and exit advisor with Acresis, he helps founders avoid the mistakes that nearly cost him everything. 🎯 What We Cover: * How Steven licensed the same software to IBM and Microsoft in back-to-back deals * The "MBA in a box" he got working under a seasoned management team post-acquisition * Why pattern recognition is the most underrated founder skill * The fraud and betrayal that nearly killed his company while he was away * Why he interviewed every employee on day one of his return — and cut from 30 to 8 * How he made good on two missed payrolls over 12 months after coming back * The KPI discipline that separated his second act from his first * Bringing in a CEO for the final exit — and how to "love like you've never lost" * His ideal client profile: 10+ years in business, $10M+ revenue, 90% of net worth tied up * The transformation founders experience when accountability replaces "we've always done it this way" 🤝 Connect with Steven Pivnik: 🌐 https://www.stevenpivnik.com/ [https://www.stevenpivnik.com/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpivnik/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpivnik/]  🎙️ Built to Finish Podcast: https://stevenpivnik.com/podcast/ [https://stevenpivnik.com/podcast/] 📘 Built to Finish (Book): Available on Amazon:https://a.co/d/0g77FiBE [https://a.co/d/0g77FiBE] 💼 Thinking About a Transaction? FA Mergers helps founders, investors, and business owners navigate the full M&A process — from valuation to close. If you're exploring a sale, acquisition, or capital raise, let's talk. 🔗 https://www.famergers.com/ [https://www.famergers.com/] 🎙️ Follow The Deal Podcast: 🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast] DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

Gatr Coolers: The Story Behind the Brand with Bryan McGehee

What does it take to turn a text message into a viral brand? Bryan McGehee, founder of Gatr Coolers, did exactly that — starting from a camper with his wife and kids, betting his house on a cooler company, and going full-time the same month COVID shut the world down. Bryan McGehee is the founder of Gatr Coolers, a premium customizable cooler and drinkware brand built out of Thibodaux, Louisiana. Bryan spent years working pipeline jobs, living in hotels and campers, before a text from his brother Mitch sparked an idea that became a decade-long entrepreneurial ride. Joining host Joshua Wilson is co-host Scott Shea, who first connected with Bryan through shared business experiences and knew his story needed to be told. In this episode, Bryan gets raw about the real cost of building a manufacturing company in South Louisiana — hurricanes, inventory tax, staffing wars with oilfield wages, and supply chain chaos that left him waiting on last year's inventory well into this year. He also breaks down the marketing playbook that helped Gatr grow to 50,000 Instagram followers, 50,000 on Facebook, and hundreds of thousands on an email list — almost entirely without paid ads. 🎯 What We Cover: * How a Thanksgiving text from his brother Mitch became Gatr Coolers * Why Bryan went full-time in March 2020 — and signed a building lease two weeks before COVID * The "wife test" that shaped every marketing decision Gatr ever made * Why he ditched influencer culture in favor of real users and user-generated content * How strategic product partnerships with brands like Realtree and Benelli generated 60–80K emails at a time * The hidden costs that blindside Louisiana manufacturers: inventory tax, hurricane shutdowns, insurance * Why he tells college students most of them probably shouldn't start a business * What it felt like when a customer cried opening a custom cup engraved with her late sister's photo * His five-year vision: US manufacturing, new product lines, and changing Thibodaux's economy * The brand-naming logic behind dropping the "o"  🤝 Connect with Bryan McGehee: 🌐 https://gatrcoolers.com/ [https://gatrcoolers.com/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-mcgehee-38b75268/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-mcgehee-38b75268/] 📘 https://www.facebook.com/gatrcoolers [https://www.facebook.com/gatrcoolers] 📸 https://www.instagram.com/gatrcoolers/ [https://www.instagram.com/gatrcoolers/] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Scott Shea: 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/] 💼 Thinking About a Transaction? FA Mergers helps founders, investors, and business owners navigate the full M&A process — from valuation to close. If you're exploring a sale, acquisition, or capital raise, let's talk. 🔗 https://www.famergers.com/ [https://www.famergers.com/] 🎙️ Follow The Deal Podcast: 🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast] DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.

Finding Your Highest and Best Use as an Entrepreneur — Dominic Dupré

What if the biggest mistake you're making isn't a bad deal or a wrong hire — but spending your life doing things you're capable of instead of things you were made for? Dominic Dupré grew up watching four cousins build successful companies in Louisiana's energy corridor. He graduated into the shale boom, swung sledgehammers on a workover rig, and had his entrepreneurial dreams derailed by the 2014 oil bust — only to be called back into the family business to turn around a failing crude hauling division. What followed was one of the most clarifying journeys we've heard on this show: from survival mode to self-discovery, from operator to investor. Today Dominic is the founding member of Tule Creek Capital, a Gulf Coast investment firm focused on heavy industrial and environmental businesses. Joining host Joshua Wilson is co-host Scott Shea, who first crossed paths with Dominic when FA Mergers was working a logistics deal — and the connection stuck. 🎯 What We Cover: * Growing up in a Cajun entrepreneurial family and why business was Sunday dinner conversation * Why Dominic never wanted to work in the family business — and what changed * The 2014 oil bust: what happened, who got hurt, and what it taught a young entrepreneur * Turning around a failing crude hauling division inside Dupré Logistics * How the family business exit was structured and what made the transition work * Moving from operator mindset to investor mindset — and the gaps in between * Why Tule Creek Capital over-indexes on culture and gut instinct in deal evaluation * The key man risk problem that disqualifies most SMB sellers before diligence even starts * How to know when you've found your highest and best use as a founder * Rich Dad Poor Dad, Traction, and the books that shaped how Dominic thinks about wealth and growth 🤝 Connect with Dominic Dupré: 🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/guests/dominic-dupre/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/guests/dominic-dupre/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-dupre/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-dupre/] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Scott Shea: 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/escottshea/] 💼 Thinking About a Transaction? FA Mergers helps founders, investors, and business owners navigate the full M&A process — from valuation to close. If you're exploring a sale, acquisition, or capital raise, let's talk. 🔗 https://www.famergers.com/ [https://www.famergers.com/] 🎙️ Follow The Deal Podcast: 🌐 https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ [https://www.thedealpodcast.com/] 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/] ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast] DISCLAIMER The Deal Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial or investment decisions.