DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer

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 more Essential 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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/languageofdeals] • • • FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/] http://coreykupfer.com/ [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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast], 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: 1. Strategic exits: He took less money from his first sale to learn inside a funded startup. That buyer became his first investor in Omneky. 2. The deserve capital test: Growing 3x with strong margins? Investment should be obvious. If not, keep building. 3. 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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/hikarisenju] • • • FOR MORE ON HIKARI SENJU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisenju/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisenju/] Omneky: www.omneky.com [http://www.omneky.com] FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/] https://www.coreykupfer.com/ [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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast], 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 Andrews We'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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/ryanandrew] • • • FOR MORE ON RYAN ANDREW Ryan Andrew's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-andrew-hiatus/] Hiatus Homes [https://hiatushomes.com/] Email: ryan@hiatushomes.com [ryan@hiatushomes.com] FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/] https://www.coreykupfer.com/ [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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast], 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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/nahedkhairallah] • • • FOR MORE ON NAHED KHAIRALLAH https://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahed/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahed/]https://organizedchaos.fyi [https://organizedchaos.fyi] Email: hello@organizedchaos.fyi [hello@organizedchaos.fyi] FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/] https://www.coreykupfer.com/ [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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast], 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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/dealforthat] • • • FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/] http://coreykupfer.com/ [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 [https://www.coreykupfer.com/podcast], 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!