35 Best Podcasts for Buying and Operating Businesses in 2022

What entrepreneurs, searchers, and leaders listen to in the world of SMB, M&A, and EtA

Apr 08, 2022

The world of podcasts has grown exponentially over the last few years, with over 2 million podcasts now available worldwide. Here are 35 of the top podcasts recommended by entrepreneurs and leaders on buying & operating businesses in 2022.

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition from the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

A podcast series featuring all things related to entrepreneurship through acquisition. Hosted by Brian O’Connor, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and Managing Partner of NextGen Growth Partners.

Notable review: “Great information, very helpful resource for aspiring ETA entrepreneurs”

Monthly, 54 episodes

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy: search & acquisition specific episodes

Exploring the ideas, methods, and stories of people that will help you better invest your time and money.

Specific episode: Brent Beshore - Learnings from a Year of Unexpected Events

Specific episode: Brent Beshore – Cultivating a Disaster Resistant, Compound Interest Machine

Notable review:
“Probably the best podcast that I follow and definitely the best interviewer. Patrick has interesting people on the show and his questions are intelligent and insightful.
It is interesting because several times I read the bio of the speakers and don’t feel interested but the talks are always amazing.
Recommend not only for investors or finance people but for everyone interested in exploring new ideas.”

Weekly, 344 episodes

Owned and Operated with John Wilson

Owned and Operated is a weekly podcast segment that dives deeply into the operations of businesses that we own and businesses we are considering acquiring. We will be discussing real issues in our companies, the nuance that came with them and the decisions we made. We hope to give entrepreneurs, searchers and the public a window into a real business as we solve real problems, acquire companies and build in public.

Notable review: “If you are at all interested in learning what it is like to run a small business, look no further than this podcast! Highly recommend”

Weekly, 41 episodes

Think Like an Owner with Alex Bridgeman

This show seeks out conversations with business owners and private investors to learn how to acquire and run small companies, with a special focus on search funds, micro private equity, and permanent capital.

Notable review: “For aspiring business owners and small business investors, this is your bible in podcast form. The guests on every episode I’ve listened to so far have been incredibly knowledgeable and I’ve learned something new during each one.”

Weekly, 112 episodes

Let’s Buy a Business with Ryan Condie

Buying a business is a blend of process, timing, and luck. A few times a week Ryan Condie shares the deals he’s looking at in a short form podcast. Listen in on updates from investors and bankers. Whether you’re buying a business to own and operate or building up your passive income, you’ll learn what to focus on and what to avoid during acquisition.

Notable review: “This show is the 20 piece nuggets of buying a business. There’s so much good stuff in here. having listened to every episode, if you’re thinking at all about buying a business, pull up a seat at the table. Don’t settle for a 4 piece or 6 piece nuggets of wisdom, get the 20!"

Weekly, 227 episodes

Entrepreneur Stories 4⃣ Inspiration with Austin Peek

Entrepreneur Inspiring Stories to Help Motivate, Build, & Grow Your Successful Business with a Master Class from Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders that tell it How It Is...

Millionaire Interviews is actionable advice for the (future & present) Entrepreneur, Thought Leaders, Solopreneur, Youpreneur, and Small Business Owner. The host interviews Business Founders in the Product, Service, Real Estate, and Tech industries so they can teach you from their experience.

Notable review: “Austin Peek has managed to secure podcasts interviews with true entrepreneurs who are willing to share it all! So many other just share the successes and the “what”. These stories talk about the successes AND the struggles and tell you HOW they did it. So many of the stories are rich with valuable and practical information that can be applied right away.”

Bimonthly, 234 episodes

The Next Step with Pete Seligman

Helping people find the courage to try, the clarity to start and the commitment to keep going!

Monthly, 41 episodes

Acquiring Minds with Will Smith

Buying a business is an amazing path for many successful entrepreneurs. Learn how to buy a business from the entrepreneurs who have already done it. Stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship. Hosted by Will Smith, who is on his own path to acquire a business.

Notable review: “Great content showing diversity of search! Will does a terrific job showcasing different searchers (from a variety of backgrounds) who have embraced the search process and lifestyle. He profiles interesting people with fascinating businesses and gets them to share their highs and lows for others looking to learn.”

Weekly, 67 episodes

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.

Notable review: “Must listen for entrepreneurs and/or B2B sales. It’s easy to forget that success stories are mired in many, many, many failures, struggles and other hardships and the bucket list of problems faced is one that has been set to infinite refill. Hearing about how people are dealing with starting up, scaling, capital and failure is inspiring and a reminder that nothing worth having comes easy.

This podcast should be required listening for anyone looking to start a business and/or anyone remotely involved in B2B. Guy dives deep to get guests to reveal the grit and determination needed to succeed, as well as insight into the successful business owner’s mind and mindset. Love this podcast!”

Weekly, 405 episodes

My First Million with The Hustle & Shaan Puri

The Hustle presents - My First Million. A podcast where we brainstorm new business ideas based on trends & opportunities we see in the market. Sometimes we have famous guests, and they do it with us.

Notable review: “It’s refreshing to hear the angel investor, tech start up, business conversations that can sometimes seem elusive. It’s especially nice to be a fly on the wall with very smart but easy going and relatable dudes. I love this pod.”

2-4 times a week, 339 episodes

Recon Labs: Renny McPherson and Alexander Mears

Recon Labs is a podcast that showcases the many sides of successful entrepreneurship for military veterans. Our Search & Acquire series focuses on veterans who have pursued small business ownership via entrepreneurship through acquisition, also known as search funds.

Recon Labs opens the aperture for current servicemembers and for veterans, and shows the general public the power of these veterans' hard work, integrity, flexibility, and humor in the face of ambiguity and challenges.

Notable review: “Veterans spreading the word of how we can succeed in business. This is awesome. ETA is a great option for any veteran who led people. We are capable, and acquiring businesses on a regular basis. Continue to spread the word Gentelman. I hope to be on the show someday.”

Monthly, 15 episodes

The Business of Family by Mike Boyd

Mike Boyd interviews successful families and their advisors to learn how they steward their wealth across generations, managing succession issues to "keep it in the family".

Very few family businesses do the work and even fewer make it beyond the third generation. Follow along to learn about family governance structures, family office investing, succession planning and raising happy, healthy and enterprising children of wealth.

Notable review: “Mike Boyd puts together a slate of guests with compelling stories about family business and business family. Good stories and challenging lessons from around the globe - not just a US-based story. Interesting look at family businesses and how they do what they do for generations. Thanks for making this available”

Sporadic, 51 episodes

Private Equity Funcast with Jim Milbery and Devin Mathews

Hosted by Devin Mathews and Jim Milbery, partners at ParkerGale Capital, a middle-market private equity group. This bi-weekly show is a lively discussion of the uses of technology to improve business operations for companies with less than $100 million in revenue.

Notable review: “Entertaining, insightful and actionable! 🔥 Whether you’re well established as PE innovator, or just getting started carving out a profitable niche that’s ready to grow - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Jim, Devin and the entire ParkerGale team do an incredible job leading conversations that cover a huge breadth of topics related to the ins and outs of operating a profitable business, and life you can be proud of - from leaders who’ve actually experienced success themselves. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!”

Weekly, 252 episodes

Acquisitions Anonymous with Bill D'Alessandro, Mills Snell, & Michael Girdley

Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.Hosted by Bill D'Alessandro, Mills Snell & Michael Girdley

Notable review: “Brutally honest. I started listening to this podcast on a recommendation on facebook. These guys are great and I love the insight they bring on there experiences. This is a must listen if you are looking to buy a business.”

Bi-weekly, 82 episodes

The Search Fund Podcast with Jake Nicholson, SMEVentures

Jake Nicholson of SMEVentures uncovers the stories behind search fund entrepreneurs around the world. The Search Fund Podcast is a show about hungry entrepreneurs who, instead of starting a business, decide to buy one. These are their stories of success, failure, and the lessons they've learned.

Monthly, 6 episodes

Wisdom.MBA by Gavin Jocius, specific episodes

Business insights from MBA students, professors and alums. We look to share wisdom, focusing on the hard-lessons learned through different career, school and business endeavors and share insights into how you can put a business education to best use.

Specific episode: Search Fund / Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Advice with Trevor Ewen

Specific episode: The Traditional Search Fund Model is Broken with Robert Graham

Specific episode: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition with Ari Medoff

Notable review: “A perfect blend of stories and insight: Gavin brings out the conversational storyteller in his guests, but the stories are filled with advice, wisdom, and tangible tips for business and life. The result is a product that is entertaining and easy to listen to but provides fodder for deep reflection. It’s the kind of show that flies by when you listen on a walk or while driving, but has you really thinking when you lie awake in bed later that night contemplating the bigger picture.”

Monthly, 27 episodes

Views From the Market with Stikeman Elliott

In this series of 15-minute podcasts on private equity and midmarket M&A, with a focus on Canada, a wide range of industry participants discuss the deal market trends that they’ve been seeing. The host and originator of the series is Mario Nigro, M&A partner at Stikeman Elliott in Toronto.

Weekly, 36 episodes

The Quiet Light Podcast

Learn the skills and methods you need to turn your online business into a powerful profit engine that you can sell when you want, for the price you designate, to the buyer you choose. Our hosts Joe Valley and Mark Daoust, along with leading M & A, ecommerce, SaaS, marketing, and content experts, will share their decades of experience to give you the tools you need to buy, scale, and exit an online business on your terms.

The Quiet Light Podcast is your best source for actionable insights from innovative and successful entrepreneurs who have built, bought, and sold online businesses. If you want to benefit from the most successful strategies and thought leadership to propel yourself toward your goals, look no further.

Notable review: “Wanted to give a big shout out to Joe Valley, Mark Daoust, and the rest of the team at Quiet Light Brokerage. As a buyer, I’m not a big fan of brokers in general but this team is phenomenal. They really focus on educating both sellers and buyers before even focusing on closing sales. I look forward to each and everyone of the podcasts. They are always so informative, actionable, and motivating.”

Weekly, 219 episodes

In the Trenches with Steve Divitkos

The only podcast dedicated exclusively to Entrepreneurs and CEOs running Small to Medium Sized Businesses (SMB).

Nobody knows what it’s like to be an Entrepreneur or CEO unless you’ve been one. Though many understand the rewards of company leadership, very few understand the arduous journey that’s required to get (and stay) there.

I share my own lessons as an Entrepreneur and CEO, and interview experts spanning Sales, Leadership, Mental Health, M&A, and Operations (among others) all with a single goal: To improve the personal and professional lives of Entrepreneurs and CEOs running SMBs.

Notable review: “Extremely thoughtful and insightful. I’ve listened to both of Steve’s podcasts on mental health as an entrepreneur and CEO. As an aspiring CEO/Entrepreneur I found the personal experiences he shared very thought provoking. Thanks for being so vulnerable!”

Bi-monthly, 33 episodes

Top M&A Entrepreneurs with Jon Stoddard

We acquire great companies. And we help other companies acquire great companies. We always offer fair, fast and friendly terms. We have learned how to acquire companies by doing it ourselves and by learning from the best. Every week, we talk to the "Top M&A Entrepreneurs" today to ask them about their process, where and how they source their deals, analyzing deals, valuation, and pricing, negotiating the deal, due diligence, transition planning and closing.

Weekly, 52 episodes

Business Buying Strategies from The Dealmaker's Academy with Jonathan Jay

The Business Buying Strategies Podcast comes from The Dealmaker's Academy, the world's leading training on buying and selling businesses - without risking your own money!

Each week we talk to leading experts, discuss business buying strategies, offer hints and tips and cover the essential skills you will need to buy and sell businesses effectively.

Notable review: “Dealing not only with Strategy but Tactics too I discovered this podcast to help me round out some of the action steps to Dan Pena’s QLA approach. Being in the US some of the names of legal instruments and references take a minute for me to translate but overall an excellent reference to the buying businesses. Keep up the excellent work, I’ll be buying a business this year.”

Weekly, 101 Episodes

Running Stuff, a Peterson Partners podcast

Successful entrepreneurs are wired differently. They are Changemakers. Running Stuff, a Peterson Partners podcast, aims to uncover the real story of what it’s like in the trenches to run and scale a business. Running Stuff combines the wisdom and success of Stanford University Professor, and former JetBlue Airways Chairman, Joel Peterson with some of today's brightest entrepreneurs to provide insight on how to “Run Stuff.”Join us for season one where we will discuss topics every entrepreneur should know but might be hesitant to ask including, how to start from scratch, how to go to market, how to hire the right people, and how to develop a differentiated brand.

Notable review: “Great resource for aspiring businesspeople Joel and his guests have such a breadth and depth of experience in every industry and vertical. Whether you’re an operator, investor, or just looking for self-development, this is a great resource.”

Monthly, 21 episodes

The How of Business - How to start, run & grow a small business with Henry Lopez

The HOW of Business is a weekly show for aspiring Entrepreneurs and existing Small Business Owners. If you are looking for actionable advice, tips and techniques on how to start, run and grow your small business, this is the podcast for you! In each episode we either discuss a business topic, or interview an existing business owner or business service provider. Our episodes are about 30 to 45 minutes in length, and are hosted by Henry Lopez who shares the knowledge and experience he has acquired over his corporate and entrepreneurial careers. We will release a new episode every week on Monday mornings.

Notable review: “Incredible podcast! Each episode is filled with comprehensive, step by step information relevant for entrepreneurs and small business owners everywhere! Henry is a skilled, experienced, and inspiring host! Highly recommend!”

Weekly, 421 episodes

Built to Sell Radio John Warrillow

Built to Sell Radio is a weekly podcast for business owners interested in selling a business. Each week, we ask an entrepreneur who has recently sold a business why they decided to sell their business, what they did right and what mistakes they made through the process of exiting their business. Built to Sell Radio is the ultimate insider's guide to approaching the most important financial transaction of your life.

Notable review: “I'm a small business owner with two businesses. I love listening to how others, particularly those who are running businesses that are bigger than mine, think. John has interviewed, it seems, biz owners from across the spectrum of types and sizes. What I like best is that John asks simple questions that we are all thinking of (How did it feel to tell your partners? Your employees? What was it like to sell you business, which was your baby? Did you ever have second thoughts later? What were the conversations with your spouse as you started thinking about this? What would you do differently. Honestly, this is my favorite podcast, and I do tend to listen to a lot of different ones, but these stories never get boring. Great job”

Weekly, 334 episodes

Scale Up With Nick Bradley

In this podcast, we will show you how to scale up your business and your life! So you can achieve greater freedom, wealth and impact, and live life on your terms.

Ranked #1 business podcast in the U.K. on iTunes and Spotify, we will help you go from start-up to scale-up and beyond:

How to significantly grow your business; how to create commercial strategies that drive predictable revenue; how to leverage systems and processes to free you up from day-to-day operations; how to raise funding and investment; how to generate fast scale via business acquisitions; how to exit your business for life-changing money; ultimately, how to build your empire!

Notable review: "I was referred to this podcast after posting about a similar topic on Facebook. What an incredible podcast! A lot more than just straight business but I’m learning a ton and the guests are very interesting. The world of acquisitions, mergers and disposition of companies is fascinating to me. Plus, unlike some podcasts, the audio quality is on point too! Whether you are just passing time in the car or you are looking to really learn something, this podcast is a 5 out of 5.”

Bi-weekly, 243 episodes

The Deal Board Andy Cagnetta & Jessica Fialkovich

The Deal Board podcast is a place for small business owners and entrepreneurs to learn the best way sell a business or buy a business. Business Exit Experts, Andy Cagnetta and Jessica Fialkovich, lead discussions with expert business brokers, M&A professionals, and entrepreneurs that have sold a business or bought a business. Whether you are looking to learn how to sell a business, information on business valuation, or how to buy a business – The Deal Board gives you the behind the scenes of the entire mergers and acquisitions world.

Notable review: “Great info for buyers, sellers and brokers: These podcasts give real life examples of the numerous steps required to make a deal happen. Many sellers think a broker finds a buyer and their job is done. There is a lot of work needed to cross the finish line and brokers make it happen. These podcasts explain how, with clarity and are fun to listen to.”

Bi-monthly, 115 episodes

Martinka Consulting's Getting the Deal Done Podcast with John & Jessica Martinka

Informative insights and conversations with owners, CEOs, M&A dealmakers, and other professionals on lessons learned, tips, current business conditions, and more.

Notable review: “Excellent acquisitions and business podcast. John is well versed in M&A and I have learned a great deal from him.”

Weekly, 65 episodes

Creator Stories with Colin Keeley & Brent Sanders

Creator Stories is a podcast chronicling the journey of two guys buying and building wonderful internet companies.

Notable review: “Great podcast - simple & to the point. Great podcast that tackles the issue of micro acquisitions. Adds a lot of value and its simply nice to hear about topics that relate to micro acquisitions”

Monthly, 51 episodes

The Alternative Investor with Brad Johnson & Grayson Morris

The Alternative Investor is a show about investing money outside of the stock market (private equity, real estate, venture capital, etc.) where the returns are typically higher but the investment decisions are less straightforward. Join Grayson Morris and Brad Johnson as they discuss investing in alternative assets to help you make better decisions with your investment portfolio.

Notable review: “Binge worthy!!! I found this podcast late in the game. I’ve run through most of the episodes in the span of a week! I’m not sure why these guys aren’t creating new episodes (I’m sure I’ll find out in the last episode), but this is a great foundation for anyone interested in PE or real estate. Hugely enjoyable content!!!”

Bi-monthly, last updated June 2019, 50 episodes

Right in the Middle Market Stephanie Chambliss Gaffin and Mark Gaffin

Right in the Middle Market offers pragmatic perspectives on running, growing, and selling your business. We talk about the challenges, decisions, and most importantly the actions business owners can take to create long term value in their companies.

Weekly, last updated January 2021, 33 episodes

The Messy Marketplace by Permanent Equity

The marketplace for small to midsize businesses is messy. Having peeked behind the curtain at over 10,000 companies, this expanded audiobook-podcast aims to demystify the buyers, the process, and the inevitable emotional journey that is selling a company.

Notable review: “Thoughtful and useful. This resource is extremely well produced and thought out. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to multiple episodes. The book it's based on, The Messy Marketplace, is a valuable resource as well, though you could listen to this podcast and get the book annotated for you including story behind the chapters. Enjoy if you're in the market to buy or sell a business.”

Last update March 2020, 42 episodes

The Circle of Competence Podcast

The Circle of Competence Podcast focuses on the nexus between entrepreneurship and investing, and explores each guest's journey of buying, building, and operating businesses. From real estate to technology to small business investing and more, this podcast will be a wide-ranging exploration of what it takes to build a sustainable operation in today's competitive world.

Weekly, last update August 2021, 46 episodes

Big Time Small Business by Chenmark

The Big Time Small Business podcast shines a spotlight on the small businesses you see every day but don't hear enough about. I interview small business owners, operators, and founders to talk about the obstacles they have faced, the successes they have earned, and where their business is going to inspire and inform you in your own career.

Notable review: “Great interviews that force the entrepreneur on the hot seat to not only articulate the long-term vision, but to describe/vent about the day-to-day. It’s How I Built This but for business owners still on that grind.”

Bi-weekly, last update March 2019, 16 episodes

ValuationPodcast.com - A podcast about all things Business + Valuation with Melissa Gragg

Valuation Podcast .com - A video and audio podcast on all topics concerning business owners and valuations. Melissa Gragg is a business valuation expert in St. Louis and the host, she interviews CPAs, company valuation experts, testifying experts, marketing experts, divorce expert witnesses, estate planning experts, management consulting experts, strategic planning experts, business lawyers and covers business topics pertaining to company owners and attorneys.

Weekly, last updated December 2021, 58 episodes

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