Second Bite Podcast

Grayson Lafrenz is the Founder and CEO of Power Digital Marketing, a marketing company that helps empower brands to attract new customers and increase customer lifetime value. Having successfully brokered private equity deals, Grayson has received numerous recognitions, including the San Diego Union Tribune 2020 Leadership Award, and was a CEO of The Year Award Finalist. He is an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) and Young Presidents' Organization. In this episode… What is the most strategic process an entrepreneur can follow when considering a merger or acquisition? More importantly: how can this method ensure everyone wins? In this episode of the Second Bite Podcast, Todd Taskey interviews Grayson Lafrenz, the Founder and CEO of Power Digital Marketing, to learn all about the opportunities and pitfalls of private equity firms, mergers, and acquisitions. Grayson explains the value of employee satisfaction, common motivations between companies, and creating win-win situations for all parties involved.

Grayson Lafrenz is the Founder and CEO of Power Digital, a marketing company that helps empower brands to attract new customers and increase customer lifetime value. Having successfully brokered private equity deals, Grayson has received numerous recognitions, including the San Diego Union Tribune 2020 Leadership Award, and was a CEO of The Year Award Finalist. He is an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) and Young Presidents Organization. In this episode… Considering the ever-increasing competition in business, how can your company remain relevant and profitable? How can a strategic partnership with a private equity firm help your business grow? Founder and CEO of Power Digital, Grayson Lafrenz, explains why it is important to build a meaningful relationship with a private equity firm to help grow your business. With host, Todd Taskey, he shares the story of how he began his digital marketing company, his tips for identifying the characteristics of a great potential business partner, and the best way to scale your company.

Fred Chiang is the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Pivot CMO, a digital marketing agency specializing in growth and acquisition. With his strong marketing and software engineering expertise, he's accelerated the growth of Silicon Valley startups to scale through organic and paid acquisition strategies. Shawn Sheikh is a serial entrepreneur as well as the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Pivot CMO. At Pivot CMO, he advises several Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach startups with a focus on growth and customer acquisition. Shawn's expertise lies in growth, business and software development, and marketing. In this episode… Strategic business partnerships can help you take your company to new heights but are you equipped with the knowledge to find your perfect match for a business partnership? How will you determine which partner is right for you, and how do you get that partnership in place? Co-founders and Managing Partners at Pivot CMO, Fred Chiang and Shawn Sheikh, talk about what it takes to build an effective strategic business partnership while protecting your company in the process. With host, Todd Taskey, they share their insights on finding, developing, and maintaining an effective and collaborative relationship.

Jeremy Cornfeldt is the CEO at the US division of Brainlabs, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses succeed. He has substantial experience growing agencies as well as managing mergers and acquisitions. He believes that building relationships with brands will result in new and innovative business opportunities. In this episode… Acquisitions are an effective way to grow your business, but where do you find a good acquisition target? What do you need to check before taking over another company? CEO of Brainlabs, US, Jeremy Cornfeldt, discusses what to look for when evaluating a potential buyout. With Todd Taskey, he highlights the importance of company culture and management styles when it comes to acquisitions and shares valuable insights on how to get a favorable valuation. Learn more with this enlightening interview.

Michael Brown is the Co-founder of Teamshares, a company that buys small businesses from retiring owners. He is also a Partner at Coles Bay Group and the Director at All Type Electric. Previously, Michael was the Director of Corporate Advisory at Perella Weinberg Partners and a Research Associate of Aerospace and Defense at Morgan Stanley. In this episode… It's hard to part with a small business you've spent your whole life building. When it's time to retire, how can you be sure that your life's work is in good hands? Co-founder of Teamshares, Michael Brown, explains how he helps small business owners retire with peace of mind. With host Todd Taskey, Michael describes the process of giving ownership to the employees, the type of businesses that Teamshares partners with, and the best advice for exiting business owners.

Jim Schleckser is the CEO and Managing Partner at Inc. CEO Project, a business advisory group where accomplished CEOs tackle the most challenging issues. Jim has extensive leadership experience with organizations in both public and private environments across multiple industries. He has built, acquired, and led several companies, including international businesses with multiple operating business units. In this episode… Are you a CEO that would like to achieve profitable growth for your company while raising your own level of performance? Did you know that there are firms that build advanced advisory groups for CEOs? CEO and Managing Partner at Inc. CEO Project, Jim Schleckser, talks about successful CEOs. With Todd Taskey, he discusses how they coach their CEOs, the stumbling blocks involved when hiring a CEO, and ways to make a business more valuable. Tune in to learn how your outcome is determined by the people you spend the most time with and more.

Steven Pivnik is the Founder and CEO of AIP Advisory, where he helps business founders and CEOs achieve their full potential. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of Binary Tree, which powered enterprise migrations. During Steven's 27 years of leading the company, Binary Tree was recognized as one of Inc. 500's Fastest-Growing Companies, and later, one of Inc. 5000's Fastest-Growing Companies for 7 years in a row. In this episode… It's complicated enough just to sell your business. But how do you sell a business when you have multiple 7-figure license deals under your belt? Founder and CEO of AIP Advisory and former Founder and CEO of Binary Tree, Steven Pivnik, describes the process of selling Binary Tree after business deals with IBM, Microsoft, and Google. With host Todd Taskey, Steven shares how he built up Binary Tree during his time as CEO, why he decided to exit the company, and how he structured the transaction.

Jon Morris is the Chief Executive Officer of Ramsay Innovations, which provides world-class finance management for agencies. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive, a digital marketing agency. Jon sold Rise Interactive as one of the largest independent digital agencies in the world 16 years after starting it. He attributes his success to a financial infrastructure that provided insights for sound strategic planning. In this episode… Some founders sell their company only to find out later that they could have made a lot more money out of the transaction. How do you find somebody who will take care of your brainchild and give you a fair deal? CEO of Ramsay Innovations and former Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive, Jon Morris, shares how he found a great partner to sell his company to. With host Todd Taskey, Jon shares why he is completely happy with how the transaction turned out, how they structured the sale fairly, and why he decided to start Ramsay Innovations soon after his exit.

Ben Edson is the Founder and CEO of VariQ. VariQ is a premier provider of cybersecurity, software development, and cloud enablement services to over 20 federal, state, and local government departments and agencies. Ben earned a bachelor's degree in eBusiness from the University of Phoenix and an MBA/MSIS in Business and IT Security from John Hopkins University. In this episode… Is it possible to acquire a company and sell your business immediately afterward? How can you iron out all the financial details in time? Founder and CEO of VariQ, Ben Edson discusses his journey from buyer to seller. With host Todd Taskey, Ben shares how he built up VariQ, why he decided to sell the company, and how he made it a successful transaction.

Todd Taskey is an investment banker and M&A Advisor at Potomac Business Capital, a company focused on helping businesses with company evolution, exit planning, and M&A investing. Before joining Potomac, Todd was the Principal (Certified Financial Planner) at Solutions Planning Group, Inc. Todd is an Angel Investor for many companies including Zoomph, StreetShares, and LiveSafe. In this episode… What details matter most to buyers and sellers? What makes two companies a good fit for each other? Investment banker and M&A Advisor at Potomac Business Capital, Todd Taskey, discusses what you need to know for successful transactions from the last year of podcast guests. With Dr. Jeremy Weisz of Rise25, Todd discusses several transactions he helped coordinate, stories of incredible founders, and the nitty-gritty details that make a transaction profitable for both parties.