Building Better Deals: Adam Markley on Supporting Searchers, Seller Dynamics, Post-Close Support, and the Importance of Site Visits | Ep. 55

About this episode

Jared Johnson interviews Adam Markley about his journey in business acquisitions and the importance of seller behavior and site visits.

Jared Johnson sits down with investor and operator Adam Markley to trace a winding path from nearly failing out of college to building and backing small businesses. Adam shares how a pivot into accounting and finance opened doors to hands-on work with small companies, a corporate run standing up deal-driven divisions, and ultimately his own acquisitions in the U.S. and U.K. He talks candidly about painful lessons (from paying loans out of pocket to a partner emptying accounts), why seller behavior is a leading indicator of post-close reality, and how his team now invests with a heavy emphasis on in-person site visits and back-office execution. Adam explains his four-pillar support model for new owners, common pitfalls in lender relationships, and where he thinks ETA is headed as underwriting tightens and off-market search professionalizes. Main Takeaways: Curiosity and repetition win: reviewing dozens of deals monthly builds judgment you cannot shortcut Seller character and the buyer–seller relationship are core drivers of post-close success Site visits late in diligence provide a critical gut check before funding and close The first 6–12 months are won by focusing on four…

People in this episode

Host: Jared Johnson

Guest: Adam Markley

Topics covered

• business acquisition
• seller dynamics
• post-close support
• site visits
• investor relationships
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• business deals
• seller behavior
• site visits
• post-close success
• investor fit
• entrepreneurship through acquisition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S., U.K.

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