Like A Champion Podcast | M&A Mastery with Wes Shelton

Tim Petrillo | Building Successful Restaurants: Real Estate, Concepts & Consistency #17

Restaurant veteran Tim Petrillo joins Wes Shelton to share the strategic foundation behind The Restaurant People’s success—from securing the right real estate to designing concepts that fit the market to enforcing operational consistency across every location. Tim recounts the early struggles of his first restaurant, the game-changing review that saved it, and the disciplined leadership lessons that shaped TRP’s growth into a multi-concept hospitality group. He offers candid insights into today’s restaurant landscape, including labor dynamics, rising costs, the push for authenticity, and why guest expectations have evolved dramatically. Tim also discusses mentorship, partnerships, postmortems, and what it takes to sustain excellence in one of the toughest industries. This episode delivers practical wisdom for operators, founders, and anyone who wants to understand how great restaurants are built—and how they survive. ***GET A ONE-ON-ONE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION with WES*** https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/ [https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/] ***LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW*** Hear more great stories, actionable M&A tips, and leadership insights from Wes Shelton of SM2 Advisors and his guests. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton Sponsored by SM2 Advisors (https://sm2advisors.com [https://sm2advisors.com]) and Rebel Motor Company (https://www.rebelmotorclub.com [https://www.rebelmotorclub.com]) Produced by DTM Creative Solutions (https://dtmcreativesolutions.com [https://dtmcreativesolutions.com]) Logo & Website Design by PixelWorks (https://pxlwrx.com [https://pxlwrx.com])

Sean Hutchinson | Fire Yourself! Exit Planning Done Right #16

Think your business is ready to sell? Think again. Sean Hutchinson, veteran exit planning advisor, reveals why 70-80% of your wealth may be trapped in an illiquid asset - and the single most common mistake that's destroying your business value right now. In this eye-opening conversation, discover why most baby boomer business owners are dangerously unprepared, what buyers REALLY look for when evaluating your company, and the counterintuitive strategy that can pump your valuation by 40%, faster than you think. Whether you're planning to exit in 2 years or 10, this can change everything. The question isn't, "What's my business worth?" - it's "What am I doing to make it worth more?" Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2kyUgQKch4I ***GET A ONE-ON-ONE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION with WES*** https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/ [https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/] ***LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW*** Hear more great stories, actionable M&A tips, and leadership insights from Wes Shelton of SM2 Advisors and his guests. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton Sponsored by SM2 Advisors (https://sm2advisors.com [https://sm2advisors.com]) and Rebel Motor Company (https://www.rebelmotorclub.com [https://www.rebelmotorclub.com]) Produced by DTM Creative Solutions (https://dtmcreativesolutions.com [https://dtmcreativesolutions.com]) Logo & Website Design by PixelWorks (https://pxlwrx.com [https://pxlwrx.com])

Bruce Marks | SBA Loan Secrets & Tips | Cash Flow is King #15

Bruce Marks is a veteran in M&A and an expert in SBA lending. As Senior Vice President at the First Bank of the Lake, and 35 years of experience in the world of acquisitions and entrepreneurship, Bruce has seen what does - and what doesn't - get across the acquisition finish line.  With over 1,200 SBA deals under his belt, Bruce explains why cash flow—not collateral—is king, how to navigate the J-Curve after acquisition, and what makes sellers say yes to one buyer over another. 🚀 You’ll learn: 💰 SBA loan secrets and financing tips 😬 Why 80% of first-time buyers struggle ⚠️ Deal breakers that derail acquisitions 🏡 How to prepare your business for a successful sale 🌊➡️👨‍💼 The “Silver Tsunami” opportunity: 12,000 owners retiring daily **TRIGGER WARNING:* This episode includes a tragic story that mentions self harm/suicide. Skip the section from 00:09:57 to 00:15:32 if you wish to avoid it. ***GET A ONE-ON-ONE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION with WES*** https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/ [https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/] ***LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW*** Hear more great stories, actionable M&A tips, and leadership insights from Wes Shelton of SM2 Advisors and his guests. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton Sponsored by SM2 Advisors (https://sm2advisors.com [https://sm2advisors.com]) and Rebel Motor Company (https://www.rebelmotorclub.com [https://www.rebelmotorclub.com]) Produced by DTM Creative Solutions (https://dtmcreativesolutions.com [https://dtmcreativesolutions.com]) Logo & Website Design by PixelWorks (https://pxlwrx.com [https://pxlwrx.com])

Kevin Couper | Ditching Wealth Management, Buying a Plumbing Company and Owning His Future #14

Former wealth-manager Kevin Couper discusses why he walked away from finance and used Acquira’s “search-funder” playbook to buy 30-year-old Kyle Plumbing transforming it from construction-heavy and paper-based to service-focused, tech-driven, and rapidly scaling.  He and host Wes Shelton unpack their experience from two years ago when Wes served as a sell-side advisor for Kyle Plumbing, discussing the process, overcoming its challenges, tips and insights from their experiences and other great business minds like Gary V and Alex Hormozi. They also talk through some of the successes that followed, like Kevin rolling out ServiceTitan and AI chatbots, as well as the straight-talk KPIs & culture moves he made that keep top plumbers on the team.  If you’re looking to sell, are considering buying or just crave more control over your career—you won’t want to miss this episode of Like A Champion. ***GET A ONE-ON-ONE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION with WES*** https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/ [https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/] ***LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW*** Hear more great stories, actionable M&A tips, and leadership insights from Wes Shelton of SM2 Advisors and his guests. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton Sponsored by SM2 Advisors (https://sm2advisors.com [https://sm2advisors.com]) and Rebel Motor Company (https://www.rebelmotorclub.com [https://www.rebelmotorclub.com]) Produced by DTM Creative Solutions (https://dtmcreativesolutions.com [https://dtmcreativesolutions.com]) Logo & Website Design by PixelWorks (https://pxlwrx.com [https://pxlwrx.com])

Paige Held of The Yoga Joint | Manifesting Success from Welfare to Wealth thru Wellness #13

She went from food stamps to multi-million-dollar deals building The Yoga Joint.  Wes talks with his friend Paige Held as she shares the raw truth behind building The Yoga Joint. They discuss everything from the process of learning how to choose the right business partner and building a team that maximizes your strengths to the power of believing in yourself and not taking 'no' in business for an answer. Hear how Paige turned passion, vision boards and discipline into a nationally expanding yoga and fitness empire—and why yoga is more than just exercise, it’s a way of life. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton More from Paige Held:  @Watchmegrowpod [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCmxu6nPHccy5GKCcqQbSNkA]  ***GET A ONE-ON-ONE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION with WES*** https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/ [https://sm2advisors.com/like-a-champion-podcast-request-a-meeting/] ***LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW*** Hear more great stories, actionable M&A tips, and leadership insights from Wes Shelton of SM2 Advisors and his guests. FOLLOW WES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-shelton-fll https://x.com/wwshelton Sponsored by SM2 Advisors (https://sm2advisors.com [https://sm2advisors.com]) and Rebel Motor Company (https://www.rebelmotorclub.com [https://www.rebelmotorclub.com]) Produced by DTM Creative Solutions (https://dtmcreativesolutions.com [https://dtmcreativesolutions.com]) Logo & Website Design by PixelWorks (https://pxlwrx.com [https://pxlwrx.com])