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

Stuck in the Founder Trap? How to Free Yourself From the Day to Day with Jeff Martin

What happens when a buyer looks at your business and says, "The owner is too involved — we can't pluck him out"? That's the moment your exit value collapses. And it's the moment Jeff Martin has spent a career helping founders avoid. In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson and co-host Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA and Managing Partner at FA Mergers, sit down with Jeff Martin — serial entrepreneur, four-time exiter, and founder of Company Growth Academy. Jeff shares hard-won lessons from building and selling companies across real estate, paramedical services, and DNA testing (where he was a true first mover in the franchising space). Today, Jeff coaches second-generation owners and founders running service-based businesses in the $1M–$5M range, helping them push past the development stage into real growth — and building companies that are actually sellable. Jeff, Joshua, and Jude unpack owner dependency, the value-first mindset, the difference between a business and a company, and why the biggest obstacle to growth is almost always the person at the top. 🎯 What We Cover: * Why business strategy starts with exit strategy — not two years before close * The "value first" mindset and why revenue and profit follow * How to spot the choke points buyers will use to devalue your company * Owner dependency, customer concentration, and other risk factors that crush multiples * The four stages of company development — and where most owners get stuck * Why "build a business to sell a company" beats "build a business to sell" * The vacation test: what really happens if you disappear for 90 days * Coaches vs. consultants vs. advisors — and why every operator needs one * Lessons from being a first mover in DNA testing franchising * How to develop your team so the company can outgrow you 🤝 Connect with Jeff Martin:  🌐 https://www.companygrowthacademy.com/ [https://www.companygrowthacademy.com/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/companygrowthtv/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/companygrowthtv/]  ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@CompanyGrowthTV [https://www.youtube.com/@CompanyGrowthTV] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Jude David:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/] 💼 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: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The Deal Podcast is presented by FA Mergers and is produced for informational and educational purposes only.  Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts, co-hosts, and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of FA Mergers, One Iron Network LLC, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/

From Ministry to Real Estate: Lessons From a Career Pivot with John Ray Perkins

He spent over two decades as a full-time Catholic minister. Then four kids, a tight bank account, and a global pandemic forced a pivot that would reshape everything. In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson and co-host Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA and Managing Partner at FA Mergers, sit down with John Ray Perkins, a top-producing Realtor with Keller Williams Realty of Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana. After 20+ years in youth and parish ministry at St. Peter's in Carencro and St. Pius X, John Ray launched a real estate side hustle in late 2019 — just months before COVID redrew the map. Six years in, he's running a growing team and rebuilding his business as a system, not a job. This is a story about identity, calling, provision, and the shift from operator to owner — told through the lens of a guy who walked it. 🎯 What We Cover: * Why he left full-time ministry after 20+ years — and the surrender moment that opened the door * Hustling through financial pressure with four kids and "more month than money" * How COVID reshuffled both careers in the same six months * The Costco conversation that became a six-year client relationship * Selling a service in a relationship-driven market without leading with religion * The mindset class that rewired how he thinks, talks, and parents * "You have a high-paying job — not a business" — the wake-up call from his coach * Building systems, processes, and models so the business runs without the operator * How he vets seller motivation before taking a listing * Why he changes coaches when he hits a plateau — and how to find the right one * Quality Time Remaining: the framework Jude uses with founders weighing an exit * Why the best businesses to sell are the ones that don't need to sell 🤝 Connect with John Ray Perkins:  🌐 https://johnrayperkins.kw.com/ [https://johnrayperkins.kw.com/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyheyitsjohnray/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyheyitsjohnray/]  ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/user/johnrayperkins [https://www.youtube.com/user/johnrayperkins] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Jude David:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/] 💼 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: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The Deal Podcast is presented by FA Mergers and is produced for informational and educational purposes only.  Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts, co-hosts, and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of FA Mergers, One Iron Network LLC, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/

Scaling a Law Firm Without Losing the Mission with Blake David

What does it take to scale a plaintiff's law firm to 17 attorneys across three offices — without losing the mission, the culture, or your sanity? Blake David has done it, and he's still trying cases. In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson sits down with Blake R. David, founding partner of Broussard, David & Moroux in Lafayette, Louisiana, alongside co-host Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA, Managing Partner at FA Mergers — and Blake's younger brother. Blake is one of the most decorated trial lawyers in the country: ranked #3 on the 2026 Top 10 Louisiana Super Lawyers list out of more than 22,000 attorneys, four-time recognized lead counsel on Top 100 jury verdicts, board-certified in Civil Trial Advocacy, and a Trial Advocacy professor at the LSU Law Center. He's also an active operator — co-owner of Titus Crane Services and Stately Doors & Windows — and a force in Louisiana economic development as past Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the business behind the practice: how Blake grew from two lawyers and a stack of files to a 17-attorney firm, why he implemented EOS, how he selects cases (and why he turns down 19 out of 20), and what it really takes to be a credible operator inside a courtroom and a boardroom. 🎯 What We Cover: * Why "excellence is a habit" became the firm's operating principle * How EOS transformed a high-performing firm into a scalable one * The mentorship model that built every senior partner at the firm * How Blake evaluates a case the way an investor evaluates a deal * Building a referral-driven business without billboards or mass advertising * Lessons from his biggest verdict — and the loss that humbled him right after * Investing alongside his brother Jude across crane, door, and millwork businesses * Why the Louisiana Board of Regents matters to anyone investing in the state * The Litany of Humility and what it teaches founders and dealmakers * Why honesty wins the long game in trials, deals, and partnerships 🤝 Connect with Blake David:  🌐 https://bdm.law/ [https://bdm.law/]  ⚖️ https://justiceobtained.com/ [https://justiceobtained.com/] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Jude David:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/] 💼 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: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The Deal Podcast is presented by FA Mergers and is produced for informational and educational purposes only.  Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts, co-hosts, and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of FA Mergers, One Iron Network LLC, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/

How Founders Use Community Foundations to Protect Their Legacy with Missy Andrade

What if the smartest move before your liquidity event isn't talking to your banker — it's talking to a community foundation? In this episode of The Deal Podcast, host Joshua Wilson and co-host Scott Shea sit down with Missy Andrade, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Acadiana (CFA), to unpack one of the most overlooked tools in middle market dealmaking: the community foundation. Missy leads a 26-year-old organization stewarding more than $253 million in assets across roughly 1,000 component funds, working alongside CPAs, attorneys, and wealth advisors to turn liquidity events into multi-generational legacies. From donor-advised funds and complex asset gifts — appreciated stock, real estate, mineral rights, art collections, even ownership of operating companies — to the conversation founders should be having before they sign an LOI, Missy walks through how community foundations function as a strategic partner for entrepreneurs, families, and the advisors who serve them. 🎯 What We Cover: * How community foundations actually work (and why they're like "a bank for donors") * Why CPAs send clients to community foundations before a sale closes * The case for charitable planning before liquidity — not after * Donor-advised funds vs. private foundations: when each makes sense * How a billion-dollar Baton Rouge company was transferred to a community foundation * Complex asset gifts: stock, real estate, mineral rights, IP, art, and more * Donor intent and how to protect a founder's legacy across generations * The G2 and G3 succession question every fund holder should ask * Why the most successful philanthropists are obsessive — and team-builders * Trust-based philanthropy and why neutrality is a community foundation's superpower 🤝 Connect with Missy Andrade:  🌐 https://www.cfacadiana.org/ [https://www.cfacadiana.org/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-bienvenu-andrade-81363b65/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-bienvenu-andrade-81363b65/]  🤝 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: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The Deal Podcast is presented by FA Mergers and is produced for informational and educational purposes only.  Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts, co-hosts, and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of FA Mergers, One Iron Network LLC, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/

Eat What You Kill: The Bet-On-Yourself Model — Mark Weber

Mark Weber made $12,000 his first year in business. He never hired an employee. Three decades later, he's built a portfolio across life insurance, real estate, and mortgage lending — all on strategic partnerships and commission-only hustle. Mark Weber is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and CEO of Mark Weber Enterprises — a multi-layered company spanning real estate, investments, insurance, and mortgage lending. In this episode, Mark sits down with host Joshua Wilson and co-host Jude David, Managing Partner at FA Mergers, to break down the "eat what you kill" operating model that's carried him through 30+ years of entrepreneurship without a single W-2 employee. From his first $28,000 townhouse in 1994 to co-inventing the GreatCatch soft hands trainer (licensed to Cutters Gloves and SKLZ, now sold globally), Mark shares how strategic partnerships, faith-led discernment, and old-fashioned grit built a durable boutique business — and what the next generation of dealmakers needs to hear. 🎯 What We Cover: * The eat-what-you-kill model and how Mark scaled without fixed payroll * How AI is reshaping life insurance underwriting (policies issued in minutes) * Strategic partnerships vs. hiring — how to structure transactional back-office support * Turning a $200 prototype into a $3.33 global retail product (the GreatCatch story) * Why grit and work ethic matter more than credentials for the next generation * How faith and discernment shape Mark's go/no-go decisions on deals * The rental property playbook that started with a single $28K townhouse * Teaching kids to hustle: lessons from laying sod and cutting grass * Inefficient markets, value creation, and why sales skills always win * Walking away from the wrong deals — and why the walk-aways matter most 🤝 Connect with Mark Weber:  🌐 https://www.leadprofessionalsgroup.com/our-team [https://www.leadprofessionalsgroup.com/our-team]  🌐 https://donedealnow.com/staff/mark-weber/ [https://donedealnow.com/staff/mark-weber/]  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-a-weber-a220999/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-a-weber-a220999/]  ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@GreatCatch08 [https://www.youtube.com/@GreatCatch08] 🤝 Connect with Co-Host Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA — Managing Partner, FA Mergers:  💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-david-jd-dcl-mba-172a6a76/] 💼 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: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The Deal Podcast is presented by FA Mergers and is produced for informational and educational purposes only.  Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts, co-hosts, and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of FA Mergers, One Iron Network LLC, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ To Contact Us, Please Visit: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/contact/