The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

In this powerful episode, Marc Adams shares his remarkable journey from a stage 4 cancer diagnosis to a full recovery—and how that experience inspired him to rethink private equity. Now leading Acquisitions for You, Marc helps business owners double their company’s value and cash out tax-free—without debt, dilution, or outside capital.With 40+ years in leadership, IPOs, and M&A, Marc discusses his “Double and Keep It” framework, raising over $350M to support non-traditional exits, and how PE firms can create more value by going deeper into operations. He also shares how a question from his 10-year-old son sparked a mission to help business owners keep more of what they’ve built.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro to Marc & his corporate background01:27 – Life-changing cancer diagnosis during the pandemic05:34 – A pivotal question from Marc’s son: “Who helps the business owners?”07:01 – Miraculous recovery and new purpose09:24 – Writing a bestselling book to help owners increase value10:16 – The “Double and Keep It” framework explained11:43 – $350M raised to support exits without debt or dilution13:08 – How structuring right helps owners keep 70–90% post-sale15:01 – Helping younger founders take chips off the table18:52 – From $140M to $1B valuation: how it was done22:09 – Case study: $0 to $950M in 18 months23:36 – Why PE must engage with operating teams25:26 – Reducing founder resistance and aligning incentives27:49 – Leaving room for buyers’ value creation30:09 – Example: $6B tech buyer building value via synergy32:29 – When forced changes from PE go wrong34:28 – Why personal brand and social media matter more than ever37:21 – 19-year-old entrepreneur’s turnaround and success40:38 – Helping overlooked businesses unlock true value42:02 – How to connect with Marc and access his free resources📘 ResourcesContact Marc: [email protected]: acquisitionsforyou.comFree tools & book via Marc’s Linktree (shared in episode)Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.comLooking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guidesfor proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires. 

Overview:In this high-energy episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brad Pilcher, Partner and Co-Founder at Bonaccord Capital Partners, a leading mid-market GP Stakes investor. Brad shares his fascinating journey from aspiring concert pianist to private equity investor, and dives deep into how the private equity world is evolving — particularly around culture, capital, talent, and growth.They explore how mid-market firms can scale successfully, the five principles guiding Bonaccord’s strategy, and why “professionalization” is now essential across PE — from investor relations and origination to team structuring and multi-product growth.🔑 Key Topics:[00:00] Brad’s background & founding Bonaccord Capital Partners[01:54] Lessons from Bridgewater: culture, ambition, client-focus[06:34] Brad’s 5 core principles for investing and business success[13:05] Why Bonaccord targets the mid-market: stability + growth[17:38] Institutional capital shift towards mid-market PE[20:29] Mistakes PE firms make: lack of evolution, strategy, or value creation[24:17] Fundraising playbook: off-cycle marketing, transparency, and LP engagement[31:18] The professionalization of private equity – talent, IR, and origination[36:07] State of the GP Stakes market & why liquidity concerns are overblown[42:04] Surge in control acquisitions & how it impacts GP Stakes[44:50] What Brad reads: quarterly reports, Bridgewater research, biographies & astrophysics📌 Notable Quotes:“In business as in life, the only constant is change.”“Great firms know who they are, and evolve with purpose.”“People, not spreadsheets, drive performance.”“The best GP Stake firms bring capital and value creation.”📚 Resources & Mentions:Bonaccord Capital Partners – bonaccordcapital.comBrad Pilcher on LinkedIn – Connect HereEdgar SEC Filings, Bridgewater macro research, A.V. Loeb’s astrophysics workRaw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.comLooking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guidesfor proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires. 

In this episode, host Alex Rawlings speaks with Eric Wiklendt, Managing Director at SpeySide Equity, a private equity firm focused on lower middle-market manufacturing businesses.Eric shares his “fix and build” value creation strategy, the key elements of successful human capital alignment, and why cost accounting is the hidden killer in many portfolio companies. With deep operational experience, Eric offers a grounded perspective on how to avoid overcomplicating PE value creation.🔍 Key Highlights:Fix & Build Framework: Phase 1 focuses on EBITDA improvement; Phase 2 drives growth.Top Phase 1 Levers:Aligning and incentivizing managementRationalizing the revenue portfolioOptimizing the operational footprintBiggest Friction Point: Getting the people side right—human capital alignment and talent quality.Always an Issue: Poor cost accounting systems that impact pricing and margins.Hiring Better Leaders: SpeySide’s edge comes from having “been there, done that” as former operators.Walk-Away Red Flag: Dishonesty or lack of transparency in due diligence.Industry Mistake: Relying on too many value levers—hope is not a strategy.📚 Eric Recommends:Books on economics, behavioral psychology, and sociology to better understand how people think and make decisions.💼 Connect with Eric:LinkedIn: Eric WiklendtWebsite: www.speysideequity.comRaw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/ 🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.comLooking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guidesfor proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires. 

📍 Episode Overview: Alex Rawlings welcomes Taavo Godtfredsen and Sam Allison, co-founders of Advantage CEO, to discuss insights from their two-year research study of over 50 private equity-backed CEOs who averaged 6.2x MOIC. They break down the habits, systems, and mindset that separate high-performing CEOs from the rest—and introduce their proven 5X CEO Model.⏱️ Key Timestamps:00:00 – Introductions Taavo and Sam share their backgrounds and transition into executive coaching for PE-backed CEOs.01:50 – Common CEO MistakesStrategy gets stuck at the topTrying to do too muchHolding onto average talent too long04:30 – How Top CEOs Handle TalentIdentify A-players for mission-critical rolesUse litmus test: “Would I rehire this person today?”Design roles to be winnable, not overwhelming09:00 – Quarterly Talent ReviewsSimple red/yellow/green assessmentsUse of the Nine Box model for performance and potentialSuccession planning: Who’s ready now vs. in 1-2 years?12:56 – Research Behind the 5X CEO Model50+ CEOs and 25 PE leaders interviewedFocused on repeatable, values-based leadership900+ years of combined PE experience17:03 – The 5X CEO ModelStrategic Clarity – Clear, compelling vision beyond EBITDAScalable Talent – A-players in critical rolesRelentless Focus – Prioritize top value driversDisciplined Execution – Systems to track, adapt, and performEnergized Culture – Engage employees to drive growth25:38 – Practical Tools from Top CEOsReverse Executive Session for feedbackBlank Sheet Strategy to identify disruption risksUsing AI to detect performance issues faster29:47 – CEOs as System DesignersBuild systems that scale, not just solve problemsUse tech and tools to extend leadership capacity32:14 – Recommended ResourcesThe 5X CEO (Taavo & Sam)Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick LencioniMOVE – Sandy OggThe Private Equity Playbook – Adam Coffey33:09 – How to Connect with Taavo & Sam 🌐 advantageceo.com 📧 [email protected] | [email protected] Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/ 🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.comLooking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guidesfor proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires. 

Note: The securities mentioned in this podcast are not considered a recommendation to buy or sell and once should not presume they will be profitable.In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings welcomes Scott Neuberger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Karmel Capital, a private equity firm investing in late-stage software and AI companies. Scott shares deep insights into how Karmel Capital leverages AI within its investment process, how they identify and evaluate late-stage tech businesses, and why they’re placing strategic bets in the infrastructure layer of AI.Scott explains the firm's capital efficiency-focused strategy, how they rank companies, and what metrics truly distinguish iconic businesses from the rest. He also discusses how AI is transforming internal operations and why firms must go beyond the hype to truly implement impactful AI solutions.Later in the conversation, Scott offers practical advice to portfolio company leaders on how to begin leveraging AI meaningfully—starting with labor-intensive areas like customer support. He finishes by outlining Karmel’s top-down investment approach to sectors like cybersecurity and why infrastructure plays offer value and growth.Whether you're investing in tech, operating a portfolio company, or just curious about how AI intersects with private equity, this episode is packed with real-world insight.⌛ Episode Highlights & Time Stamps:00:03 – Introduction to Scott Neuberger and Karmel Capital 01:00 – Scott’s journey: entrepreneur turned investor 02:19 – The mistake of investing too early in venture capital 03:47 – Why Karmel focuses on measurable, repeatable metrics 04:45 – How they assess capital efficiency in tech companies 06:41 – Key metrics and importance of experienced management teams 08:38 – Evaluating human capital and talent within portfolio companies 10:05 – Zooming out: The “mosaic theory” of identifying strong investments 10:33 – How Karmel Capital uses AI internally for data collection & analysis 13:22 – AI investing: why infrastructure is Karmel’s focus 15:49 – Pick-and-shovel strategy: betting on infrastructure vs. applications 17:44 – Advice for portfolio execs on where to begin with AI 18:43 – Customer support as a high-impact AI use case 21:09 – Navigating noise in AI investing: how Karmel decides where to play 22:34 – Case study: AI in cybersecurity and the top-down analysis approach 24:59 – The arms race in cybersecurity: AI on both offense and defense 25:29 – Scott’s reading and listening habits (inc. 20VC podcast) 26:56 – How to contact ScottConnect with Scott Neuberger: 📧 Email: [email protected] 🌐 Website: www.karmelcapital.comRaw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/ 🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.comLooking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guidesfor proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires.