The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors
Exploring the art and science of deal-making with host Craig Castelli.
Episodes
41 episodes
John Celentani, CFP®, CPWA®: From Business Wealth to Personal Wealth
Wealth management is about more than investment performance. It is about knowing clients well enough to guide them through major financial and personal transitions. John Celentani, Managing Director of Private Wealth at Dearborn Partners, joins...
Mark Ryerson: The Art of Commercial Negotiation in M&A
Craig Castelli sits down with corporate M&A attorney Mark Ryerson of Dickinson Wright to discuss practical dealmaking, current market conditions, and preparing a business for sale. They explore why productive negotiations require business-f...
Denise Logan: The Hidden Psychology of Selling Your Business
Selling a business is more than a financial transaction. It is also a major emotional transition. Denise Logan, author of The Seller’s Journey, joins Craig Castelli to explain why owners sometimes delay, derail, or walk away from stron...
Scott Bushkie: Why Business Owners Wait Too Long to Sell
In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast, Craig Castelli talks with Scott Bushkie, founder of Cornerstone Business Services and Cornerstone International Alliance, about what business owners often misunderstand about selling their com...
Ryan Evans: Where the Puck Is Going in Wealth Management
Ryan Evans, Regional Director and Partner at Merit Financial Advisors, joins Craig Castelli to discuss building Blueprint from the ground up, scaling beyond the founders, and eventually partnering with Merit. Ryan shares lessons on hiring ahead...
Brian Colao: The New Rules for DSO Growth and Exit Planning
In this episode of The Close, Craig Castelli sits down with Brian Colao, member and director of Dykema’s Dental Service Organization Industry Group, to discuss the evolution of the DSO Conference, the current state of dental M&A, and what i...
Mike White: Why So Many Founders Still Undervalue Their Financials
Mike White, partner at CLA, joins Craig Castelli to discuss his entrepreneurial path from building and selling his own CPA firm to advising business owners through M&A. They cover quality of earnings, why clean financials matter before a sa...
Craig Checks In: Midyear M&A Report: What We're Seeing in 2026
In a special episode, Craig checks in to share a midyear update on lower middle market M&A activity in 2026. He breaks down mixed market signals, private equity’s continued focus on add-on acquisitions, and the sectors seeing strong investo...
David C. Strosnider: Executive Compensation and Governance in M&A
In this episode of The Close, Craig Castelli speaks with David Strosnider, partner at McDonald Hopkins, about the “second deal” happening inside many M&A transactions: management team agreements. David explains what executives should unders...
David Nissen: Selling Your Baby: The Reality of Letting Go in M&A
In this episode of The Close, Craig Castelli speaks with Dave Nissen, partner at Cherry Bekaert and former CEO of PKF Mueller. Dave shares how PFK Mueller grew from a small Elgin, Illinois accounting firm into a larger regional player, the role...
William J. Ching: Why the Best Deals Happen When Lawyers and Bankers Actually Talk
Craig Castelli sits down with Billy Ching, chair of the private equity practice at Nelson Mullins, to break down what actually drives successful deals. They cover why communication between bankers and lawyers can make or break outcomes, how pri...
Michael J. Murray, CFA, CFP®, CAIA: Personalized Counsel for High-End Wealth Management
Craig Castelli sits down with Michael Murray of Altair Advisors to break down how business owners should think about wealth, risk, and planning before a sale. They discuss why most entrepreneurs wait too long to prepare, how to structure deals ...
Ericka L. Adler: Regulatory and Transactional Healthcare Law
Ericka Adler, healthcare attorney at Roetzel & Andress, joins Craig Castelli to break down how private equity has reshaped healthcare M&A. They discuss the rise of PE buyers, what physicians often underestimate in the diligence process,...
Brendan Anderson: PE Dedicated to Scaling Small Businesses
Brendan Anderson, founder of ScaleCo, joins Craig Castelli to break down what it really takes to turn small, founder-led businesses into scalable growth companies. They discuss why people, not strategy, drive success, how infrastructure and dat...
Scott Becker: From Deal Advisor to Principal
In this episode Craig is joined by Scott Becker, founder of Becker's Healthcare, host of Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast...
Craig Checks In: Annual Private Equity Survey Insights
In this solo episode, Craig Castelli breaks down Caber Hill’s latest survey of private equity partners, reflecting on the 2025 M&A market and the factors that slowed deal activity. He explores shifts in deal volume, quality, and structure, ...
Chris Winterhalter: Hotel Renovation and Real Estate Investing
In this episode, Craig sits down with Chris Winterhalter, founder of Hotel Rehabs, to unpack his journey from post-crash real estate hustling to building one of the most innovative turnkey hotel renovation companies in the industry. Chris share...
Anthony Saber: Steady Growth Over a Long Period in Building Services
This episode of The Close features Anthony Saber, President of Saber Building Services, a Detroit-based company built from humble beginnings into a 450-person team. Anthony shares how lessons from his upbringing, early family responsibilities, ...
Mathew Pettit: Healthcare Services Investing
Matt Pettit, founder of Seven Hills Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm based in Nashville, shares his journey from working in middle market PE to starting his own firm. He and Craig discuss why he chose the entrepreneurial path o...
Lee Edwards: Growing The Greenery, Inc.
Join host Craig Castelli as he sits down with Lee Edwards, President and CEO of The Greenery, a thriving commercial landscaping company with branches across the Southeast. Lee shares his journey from joining his parents' business in his twentie...
David Ogurek: M&A Due Diligence and Analysis
In this episode, Craig sits down with Dave Ogurek, Director at Caber Hill Advisors and the firm's first full-time hire. Dave shares his journey from corporate finance roles at manufacturing and PepsiCo to due diligence work in the audiology spa...
Dr. Pete Smidt: Driving Big Growth at Smalltown Dental
In this episode of The Close, Craig interviews Dr. Pete Smidt, founder of Smalltown Dental, about his rapid expansion during COVID-19 when he grew from two to eight practices in just one year. Pete shares the challenges of managing multiple off...
Josh Gammon: Litigation Funding & IP Advisory
In this episode of The Close, Craig and Josh Gammon discuss the growing litigation funding market and how Wealth Docket, a litigation funding company that Josh co-founded, focuses on complex commercial and patent litigation for individual claim...
Craig Checks In: Thoughts on FanMail Questions from Listeners
In this solo episode of The Close, Craig Castelli tackles listener questions covering timely M&A topics. He discusses how the government shutdown impacts SBA financing and government contractor deals, explains reverse due diligence strategi...
Ted Hsu: Personal & Professional Preparation
Business owner Ted Hsu shares his journey from selling his company to finding new purpose in life after exit. He discusses the critical aspects of the sale process, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to all that is said and left uns...