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Podcast

Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success

Professionalizing the finance function of a lower-middle-market business is one of the most impactful forms of value-creation a new CEO can pursue, according to a panel of Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) market experts. To learn the importance of the finance function in ETA investments, Search Party convened a conversation between Anthony Walker, Managing Partner at Next Coast Legacy, Sam Swan, CEO of TaskRay, Eric Lougher, CFO/COO of TaskRay, Emily Young, Transaction Advisory Manager at Boulay and Jake Bitz, Consulting Controller at Boulay. TaskRay is an ETA-backed SaaS company that saw its operations transformed when it brought on board Lougher as CFO. The story of TaskRay's professionalized CFO function is at the core of this authoritative, candid and lively conversation.

May 10, 2025
Podcast

Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success

Professionalizing the finance function of a lower-middle-market business is one of the most impactful forms of value-creation a new CEO can pursue, according to a panel of Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) market experts. To learn the importance of the finance function in ETA investments, Search Party convened a conversation between Anthony Walker, Managing Partner at Next Coast Legacy, Sam Swan, CEO of TaskRay, Eric Lougher, CFO/COO of TaskRay, Emily Young, Transaction Advisory Manager at Boulay and Jake Bitz, Consulting Controller at Boulay. TaskRay is an ETA-backed SaaS company that saw its operations transformed when it brought on board Lougher as CFO. The story of TaskRay's professionalized CFO function is at the core of this authoritative, candid and lively conversation.

May 10, 2025
Podcast

New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales

The need for a sales plan is of particular importance to Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs), who search for, acquire, and run lower-middle-market businesses, in most cases as first-time operators. These CEOs must also navigate the realities of a leveraged environment. Katie Walker, a Principal at Plexus Capital, highlights the added pressure of servicing debt while investing in growth. "Hope is not a strategy," Walker says. "The number of times that you ask a very, very qualified searcher, 'So why has this business been growing? It's been growing great, but why?' Well, you know, it just grows on its own. It's word of mouth. It's just got it and it's going to keep doing it."

February 28, 2025
Podcast

New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales

The need for a sales plan is of particular importance to Entrepreneurs-Through-Acquisition (ETAs), who search for, acquire, and run lower-middle-market businesses, in most cases as first-time operators. These CEOs must also navigate the realities of a leveraged environment. Katie Walker, a Principal at Plexus Capital, highlights the added pressure of servicing debt while investing in growth. "Hope is not a strategy," Walker says. "The number of times that you ask a very, very qualified searcher, 'So why has this business been growing? It's been growing great, but why?' Well, you know, it just grows on its own. It's word of mouth. It's just got it and it's going to keep doing it."

February 28, 2025
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Podcast
How Haley the AI Agent Transformed a Sales Function

In a fascinating conversation with Search Party, TransTech co-CEO Sulzer and his investment partner, Dustin Sellers, Managing Partner of ETA private equity firm Next Coast Legacy, share details of Haley's rapid implementation, and how the AI agent has transformed the sales function of North Carolina-based TransTech.

July 14, 2025
Podcast
Building a High-Impact Board in a 'Stretched-Thin' ETA Market

In a conversation with Search Party, Megan Webster of law firm Mayer Brown, Max Artz of Peterson Partners and Anthony Walker of Next Coast Legacy share observations about the positive impact a board can have on a lower-middle-market business, and the challenges the Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition community faces recruiting board members in a market where top talent is "stretched thin."

July 8, 2025
Podcast
How Haley the AI Agent Transformed a Sales Function
July 14, 2025
Podcast
Building a High-Impact Board in a 'Stretched-Thin' ETA Market
July 8, 2025
Podcast
Upgrading the Finance Function: Critical for Lower-Middle-Market Success
May 10, 2025
Podcast
Living the ETA Investment Life Cycle with your Lender
April 14, 2025
Podcast
New CEO, You Probably Don't Fully Understand Sales
February 28, 2025
Podcast
When Quality-of-Earnings Reveals Cold, Hard Truths
December 9, 2024
Podcast
Deal Dynamics in the Lower-Middle-Market: Software, Commercial Services, BPO
November 14, 2024
Podcast
Women in Search are Finding Momentum
October 28, 2024
Podcast
ETA Searchers, Grit and Self-Actualization
October 11, 2024
Video
Best Practice for Selecting 3rd Party Providers
December 14, 2023
Video
Best Practice in Managing Seller Relationships
November 17, 2023
Video
Best Practice for Deal Sourcing
October 12, 2023
Video
Debt in ETA: Navigating the Changing Tide
September 26, 2022
Video
Industry Evolution II SaaS Eats ETA
April 13, 2022
Video
Industry Evolution I Digital Transformation
March 9, 2022
Article
Key Takeaways: Next Coast ETA’s Live Panel on the Best Practices of Due Diligence
March 7, 2022
Article
Anthony Walker Promoted to Partner at Next Coast ETA
February 22, 2022
Video
Best Practices of Due Diligence within ETA
February 11, 2022
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in Pharmacy Specialists
January 24, 2022
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in TaskRay
October 27, 2021
Article
Next Coast ETA Invests in ScribSoft
October 11, 2021
Article
An Evolved Approach to Entrepreneurship through Acquisition
October 4, 2021