What happens to a thriving business when the owner is ready to retire but the family isn’t ready to take over? Malcolm Peace shares how he acquires Texas blue-collar and industrial businesses with a long-term focus on growth, employees, and legacy.

In this episode, Leonard and Malcolm discuss:

• Malcolm’s team guides retiring owners through legacy-focused business transitions
• The “top-down P&L” approach to identifying growth opportunities within a business
• Why operational excellence and team retention are at the heart of Malcolm’s buy-and-grow strategy
• How Tsetserra works differently from private equity or ESOPs when acquiring businesses
• Key lessons Malcolm has learned from stepping in as CEO during acquisitions

Key Takeaways:

• The idea that successful business transitions are not about starting over, but about honoring and building upon the existing foundation that made the company great.
• Malcolm reveals that while doubling revenue in two years is a bold target, the true art lies in tailoring strategies to the distinct financial realities of each business.
• Early and consistent trust-building with employees remains the bedrock of a smooth transition and future company growth.
• Many business owners delay succession planning too long, missing the opportunity to secure their legacy before options become limited.
• Rather than focusing solely on the highest offer, Malcolm’s perspective highlights how sellers often prioritize cultural preservation and legacy continuity over pure purchase price during negotiations.

“We want to create a business that has the ability to scale past what it's currently set up to do, and simultaneously, we want you to feel proud when you walk in five years later and see that the bulk, if not all, of the people are still there.” - Malcolm Peace

About Malcolm Peace: Malcolm Peace is making Texas feel smaller through his outstanding work with small to midsize businesses across the state. His company, Tsetserra Growth Partners, partners with well-established businesses whose owners are approaching retirement but want to ensure their companies continue to thrive. Malcolm and his team help rewrite the operating playbook while preserving the owner’s culture and implementing a strong succession plan. With a focus on operational excellence and deep experience, they aim to double the company’s revenue in just two years. The work is intensive, but Malcolm and his team equip each business with the tools needed to give the owner peace of mind that their legacy will continue to grow for years to come.

Connect with Malcolm Peace:

Website: https://tsetserra.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolmpeace/

Connect with Leonard Raskin:

Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal

Email: lraskin@raskinglobal.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

‘Never give up’ is more than a slogan for Dr. William Cowan. He joins Leonard Raskin to discuss buying a practice, owning productive real estate, planning for the next generation, and staying committed when business gets challenging.

In this episode, Leonard and Dr. William discuss:

• Career transitions from finance to chiropractic and establishing a practice
• Importance of financial literacy for business success
• Strategic benefits of purchasing an established dental practice
• Cost-saving advantages of co-owning real estate with a family doctor
• Expanding patient services with bilingual staff and referral partnerships

Key Takeaways:

• Strategic business decisions, like acquiring established practices and expanding services, can accelerate growth and enhance patient care.
• Financial literacy, even in healthcare fields, is essential for ensuring long-term stability and business success.
• Real estate ownership offers cost control, rental income potential, and wealth-building opportunities for practitioners.
• Family support and open communication about money foster financial awareness, work-life balance, and generational wealth.
• Success is driven by passion, early career starts, perseverance, and a commitment to helping others while securing financial well-being.

“I've always wanted to be a complete provider. I enjoy what I do; I love what I do. I like helping people. I mean, making money is great, but so is helping people.” - William Cowan

About William Cowan: Dr. William Cowan is a seasoned chiropractor with over 20 years of experience helping people move and feel their best. A graduate of the National College of Chiropractic and a Board-Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, Dr. Cowan combines deep expertise in physical rehabilitation with a passion for educating others. He’s lectured family practice residents on managing neck and back pain and served as President of the Delaware Board of Chiropractic. When he's not treating patients or speaking on best practices in pain management, he’s advocating for the profession as an active member of the American Chiropractic Association and the Delaware Chiropractic Society.

Connect with William Cowan:

Website: https://www.cowanchiro.com/

Email: askdrc@cowanchiro.com

Connect with Leonard Raskin:

Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal

Email: lraskin@raskinglobal.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Is your business growing, or just demanding more of you? Learn how to build the systems, accountability, and leadership that let a company run without its founder at the center.

In this episode, Leonard and Derek Fredrickson discuss:

• Founders as operational bottlenecks
• Building simple, founder-independent systems
• COO leadership and team accountability
• Choosing the right second-in-command
• Reclaiming time through delegation, client delivery, business development, and better meetings

Key Takeaways:

• Delegating tasks without delegating outcomes can leave the founder at the center of every decision.
• Simple, repeatable processes make it easier for a business to grow without relying on one person.
• Start testing independence in manageable steps: reclaim nights and weekends first, then work toward a short unplugged vacation.
• Clarify roles, expectations, and KPIs before deciding that a team member is the problem.
• Founders can reclaim time by systematizing client delivery, sharing business development, and auditing recurring meetings.

“You can't scale a business that's built on complexity. You can scale a business that's built on simplicity.” - Derek Fredrickson

About Derek Fredrickson: Derek Fredrickson is the CEO and founder of The COO Solution, a fractional COO firm that works hands-on with 7- and 8-figure founders and CEOs to build the operational foundation their businesses need to scale. With over 16 years as a Chief Operating Officer and second-in-command, he relocated his family to Paris over a decade ago, built The COO Solution from the ground up, and now leads a team of fractional COOs embedded inside growing businesses across industries. He also hosts The COO Solution Podcast.

Connect with Derek Fredrickson:

Website: https://thecoosolution.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekfredrickson/

Connect with Leonard Raskin:

Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal

Email: lraskin@raskinglobal.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

What does it take to reinvent yourself after a 40-year career? Brad Warren shares how he moved from business coaching to land banking and found a new calling in Red Cross service.

In this episode, Leonard and Brad Warren discuss:

• Goal-setting, planning, and maintaining focus in business
• Brad’s transition from business coaching to land banking
• Patience, long-term investing, and land ownership
• Retirement, volunteering, and finding meaningful ways to spend your time
• Brad’s work with the Red Cross and his perspective on purpose and fulfillment

Key Takeaways:

• Set specific goals, then create a written action plan to turn them into manageable steps.
• Stay focused and give a strategy enough time to produce results instead of constantly jumping to the next idea.
• Land banking requires patience and involves uncertainty, making it a long-term approach that may not suit every investor.
• Retirement can open the door to new interests, relationships, travel, and opportunities to serve others.
• Finding ways to make a difference and give back can contribute to a happier, more fulfilled life.

“You have to have patience... If most people don't, this is not an investment for everybody. This is money that you can set aside and not think about and not worry about, and just wait.” - Brad Warren

About Brad Warren: Brad was a national and international speaker, trainer, and business coach for over 40 years. He's spoken in front of 60,000+ people, coached 500+ business owners, was the 2014 Bay East Association of Realtors Affiliate of the Year, and is the author of Just Sold! The Real Estate Professional's Guide to Selling More in Less Time, and he’s spoken at the National Association of Realtors 2016 and 2017 Annual Conventions. Brad transitioned to a new career as a land banking specialist in 2018, helping patient investors build generational wealth by investing in land. Now retired, he volunteers with the American Red Cross as a speaker, teaching 4 different classes that the Red Cross offers. He also installs home fire alarms and does education on home fire safety with the Sound The Alarm program.

Connect with Brad Warren:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleykwarren/

Email: brad@bradwarren.com

Connect with Leonard Raskin:

Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal

Email: lraskin@raskinglobal.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

When investors want a 3–4X return in five years, vague goals won’t cut it. Andrew Bartlow explains how clarity, alignment, and the right systems help founder-led businesses navigate growth, complexity, and professionalization.

In this episode, Leonard and Andrew Bartlow discuss:

• Transition from reactive HR to business-focused people strategy
• Myth of “people are our most important asset” vs. real decision-making
• Growth, complexity, and the need for structure and systems
• Private equity, professionalizing founder/family-led businesses, and 3-4X value creation
• Clarity, alignment, and practical use of tools like AI in real work

Key Takeaways:

• Focusing people practices on helping the organization meet its goals is the most powerful contribution any function can make.
• Saying “people are our most important asset” often doesn’t match how decisions are made when trade-offs and missed targets appear.
• As organizations grow, complexity increases and demands more structure, systems, and formal communication, even when that feels uncomfortable to founders.
• In investor-backed environments, many leaders are in the biggest jobs of their lives and must learn what 3–4X growth really looks like and requires.
• Clarity and alignment on goals, roles, and trade-offs are the foundation for building effective processes, structures, and teams at any size.

“If you help the organization meet its goals, that's the highest and best thing that you can do in any function, whether it's sales, marketing, engineering, or HR.” - Andrew Bartlow

About Andrew Bartlow: Andrew Bartlow is a veteran HR executive, author, advisor, and educator with more than 30 years of experience helping high-growth companies scale their people and organizations. A former HR leader at PepsiCo and General Electric, he has led organizations through major growth, IPOs, M&A, and restructuring, including helping scale Invitation Homes from $500 million to $25 billion. He is the Founder and Faculty Member of People Leader Accelerator, an intensive development program for senior HR leaders at growth-stage companies, and serves as a private equity operating partner and venture advisor, executive coach, and strategic HR consultant. Andrew is also the co-author of *Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High-Growth Organizations* and has taught and mentored HR leaders through his work as a university faculty member, advisor, and mentor.

Connect with Andrew Bartlow:

Website: https://www.peopleleaderaccelerator.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartlow/

Connect with Leonard Raskin:

Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal

Email: lraskin@raskinglobal.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.