Boulay is proud to sponsor Search Party Video-Podcast, a new podcast series focused on elevating knowledge of the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) strategy.
Search Party features a rotating roster of expert guests who dive into the unique opportunities, market conditions, and best practices within the ETA ecosystem. We’re excited to join in on the conversation, with several members of Boulay’s Search Fund Team recently featured as guests.
In the eighth episode, “New CEO, You Probably Don’t Fully Understand Sales,” host David Snow is joined by ETA veterans Katie Walker (Plexus Capital), Mark Mullins (Street Smart Advisory Group), and Dustin Sellers (Next Coast Legacy) to discuss a common mistake of new business owners: failing to build a strong sales function in a leveraged environment.
Together, they explore why many first-time CEOs underestimate the need for a structured sales strategy and the dangers of relying on organic, word-of-mouth growth. They emphasize the importance of stress-testing sales assumptions and share how weak sales processes often go unnoticed until it’s too late. A common blind spot: most searchers come from top business schools but have little to no experience in direct sales.
For ETA operators, sales execution isn’t optional—it’s essential to meeting investor expectations and debt obligations. The panel breaks down a variety of strategies to overcome these challenges, from hiring the right salespeople to fostering accountability within the organization.
To learn more about how Boulay assists entrepreneurs throughout the search fund lifecycle and beyond, connect with us today.