Acquiring Minds The Late 40s Pivot Into Business Buying
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Jan 29, 2026 Jerem Wren, entrepreneur and owner of Van Life Outfitters who left a long corporate brand-management career for acquisition entrepreneurship. He talks about mid-career risk decisions, searching for and valuing online businesses, surprising deal hiccups like earnings restatements, buying 70% and keeping founders on, rebuilding a crashed store, and planning a second acquisition.
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Content Built A Durable Moat
- Van Life's moat came from four years of content, trust, and education that led readers to ask where to buy products.
- That content-to-commerce trust differentiates it from Amazon commodity listings.
Deal Numbers Dropped But He Kept Going
- During diligence the sellers revised COGS and SDE dropped ~20%, scaring banks and buyers.
- Jerem persisted, treating the setback as a common "deal wants to die" moment rather than an automatic exit signal.
Use QofE To De‑Risk Valuation
- Tie valuation to a future QA/QOE when seller financials are uncertain to avoid overpaying for misstated earnings.
- Negotiate a pre-agreed multiple to align incentives through diligence.
