The Do's and Don'ts of Private Equity

Find out how private equity use debt in their investments. Using the right kind of L in an LBO can mean the difference between good returns and weak returns (and sometimes between bankruptcy and success). Join Host Kevin Fechtmeyer as he interviews Matt James, a Vice President of Commercial Lending from Alliance Bank of Arizona. Matt has made hundreds of loans, including several to Private Equity Funds who have used them to buy companies. Find out what kind of mistakes Founders make when taking out loans and what they can do to avoid them. Find out how Private Equity can use the lending markets to their advantage in a partnership with their portfolio companies. We will end with our famous Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame stories of the winners and losers in Private Equity backed deals.

Kevin Fechtmeyer will interview Susan Shultz, of the Board Institute, Inc. one of the leading executive search consultants that specializes in recruiting for top level Directors. A good Board of Directors is a critical sounding board for CEO's and Founders and is often one of the most overlooked areas of development. Building a quality team starts at the top. Find out how to pick the right people, avoid the common traps, like packing the Board with Yes-Men and Yes-Women. Find out how diversity can be a strong competitive advantage, not just window dressing. We will top it off by our Hall of Fame worst board stories and best of breed examples to follow.

Hear how Allan Flader of RBC Wealth Management, advises Company Founders to handle a large sum of money coming their way after they sell their company. How should they prepare for that? How much do they really need? What other ways they need to adapt their lifestyle, income and assets to meet their post-transaction needs. Most Entrepreneurs need to diversify their assets, but do they really need to sell all the company? Is there a way to sell part of it or just take money out through a dividend or recapitalization? It's a high class problem, but still can be a problem, for Founders who aren't prepared.

Meet Quinn Williams, of Greenberg Traurig, one of the most experienced deal attorneys in Private Equity. Hear him talk about what landmines to avoid before you start down the path of Private Equity.

Hear how a successful company uses Amazon to grow sales. Kyle Kantner, President of AirWaves, a leading custom garment printing company, shows the way for companies to leverage their online sales (and how to avoid the pitfalls). Paul Pickard, Serial CEO and member of Deal Team 6, discusses how he manages investments in the brave new world of online marketing. It's a whole new game and you had better be ready to adapt or die.

Join Host Kevin Fechtmeyer as he interviews a real live investment banker and corners him on how and why he earns his enormous fees. Later on we will bring in one of David's former clients, Chuck McGonigal, Serial CEO (most recently of Spencers). Chuck will give a candid assessment of why he chose TM Capital and what can go well and what can go wrong with a investment banker led process.

Kevin Fechtmeyer, host, interviews Mark Harshbarger, former COO of Philosophy Cosmetics. Hear Mark tell the story of the Company's journey from a $10 million struggling cosmetics maker to a $500 million market leader by the time of its sale to Carlyle Partners.

Kevin Fechtmeyer interviews Chris Roden of C3 Capital who makes mezzanine debt investments; find out when those kind of deals make sense and for what kind of companies. Kevin and Chris also go through their Hall of Fame of greatest Do’s and Don’ts of Private Equity which entrepreneurs in their quest for capital will find helpful and entertaining. Later on Kevin and Chris will interview Jeff Mastro, CEO of Steak44, an accomplished restauranteur and a C3 investment. Find out what grade Jeff gives to C3.

Join Host Kevin Fechtmeyer and one of the leading CEO Coaches in the Southwest, Marc Sandroff of Cadre Advisors. Marc is a member of our Deal Team 6 and will discuss when, why and how a Founder should engage a CEO Coach. Later they both will interview Eric Keshin, an owner of Great Harvest Bread. Great Harvest has over 200 franchisees nationally baking some of the best tasting bread in the United States. Find out how he plans to grow his business.