What do Grammy-winning songwriting credits, merchant cash advances for the Latino community, and a reverse merger into the OTC markets have in common? They're all part of Yoel Damas' story — and it's one you won't forget.

In this episode of The Deal Podcast, Joshua Wilson sits down with Yoel Damas — entertainment attorney, Grammy-credited songwriter, and now CEO of a publicly traded revenue-based finance company targeting underserved communities. Yoel breaks down how a chance conversation led him from the music business into the world of merchant cash advances, how he spotted a massive gap in capital access for Latino and minority-owned businesses, and how a random meeting about a vodka brand became the catalyst for a reverse merger into the OTC markets. He's now pursuing a NASDAQ uplisting, and he holds nothing back about what he'd do differently.

Topics Covered:

• How the music industry changed from radio gatekeepers to Spotify playlists
• Why artists lose money without proper paperwork — and how Yoel fixed that
• The story behind landing an Apple distribution deal in 2006* when 'it was impossible'
• How a colleague's tip led Yoel to invest in merchant cash advances
• Why Latinos and gig economy workers were underserved in revenue-based finance
• What a reverse merger actually looks like from the inside
• OTC shell companies — the pros, cons, and honest lessons learned
• The filed NASDAQ application and uplisting process*
• His father's decade in a Cuban political prison — and why that shapes everything
• What Yoel wishes he'd done differently before going public

*2006 (corrected post-recording).

*Update since recording: Audits for the 2023 and 2024 periods have been completed and publicly announced, and a confidential DRS S-1 has been filed.

🔗 Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/

Joshua Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadwilson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast

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What happens when a six-time X Games competitor realizes the athletes he idolizes are losing their homes, battling addiction, and going broke? Dan Brisse made a decision that changed his life — and now he's helping 750+ investors do the same through multifamily real estate.

Dan Brisse is the co-founder of Granite Towers Equity Group, a private equity firm specializing in multifamily value-add apartments. Before building a real estate portfolio, Dan spent 15 years as a professional snowboarder — competing in six X Games, winning multiple gold and silver medals, and gracing the covers of major action sports magazines. After watching his peers flame out financially, Dan taught himself to invest, built passive income streams, and transitioned into full-time real estate. In this episode, Dan shares the raw story of his journey from living on peanut butter sandwiches in Salt Lake City to running a PE firm with hundreds of investors.

Topics discussed:

• How parental support and belief shaped Dan's career trajectory
• The financial destruction Dan witnessed among elite athletes
• Discovering passive income and the books that changed everything
• Breaking down a real multifamily deal: acquisition to exit
• How Dan's wife becoming a real estate professional saved them $35K+ in taxes
• The depreciation strategy that took his tax bill from $52K to $17K
• What Granite Towers looks for in a perfect deal
• Fixed debt vs. bridge debt and why hold period matters
• Investor relations best practices: transparency over perfection
• Why you should never rush into a deal with the wrong partner
• Ray Dalio's Changing World Order and why inflation is the silent wealth killer
• The mindset shift from trading time for money to building passive income

🔗 Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/

Joshua Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadwilson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast

Powered By: FA Mergers https://www.famergers.com/

📩 Want to be a guest or have a topic suggestion? Reach out via LinkedIn or our website.

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What does nearly five decades of business law teach you about deals, people, and life? Veteran attorney Joe Giglio has spent 49 years in the trenches of business litigation, shareholder disputes, and M&A transactions — and the lessons he's learned go far beyond the courtroom.

In this episode, Joe sits down with Joshua Wilson and co-host Jude David to share the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of navigating high-stakes business conflicts, mediating shareholder disputes, and advising deal makers through some of the toughest decisions of their careers. From surviving Louisiana's oil and gas depression of the 1980s to building a thriving practice at Lisko and Lewis, Joe reveals how saying "yes" to unexpected opportunities — and knowing when to say "no" — shaped his entire career.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why the best lawyers listen more than they talk — and how that applies to deal making
• How Louisiana's 1980s oil crisis forced Joe into business law and transformed his career
• The single rule Joe follows in every client relationship and why it works
• Business divorce: navigating shareholder disputes when partners can't agree
• The Aesop's Fable analogy every deal maker needs to hear before going to court
• Texas Shootout provisions — how they work and when they backfire
• How to identify whether someone across the table is trustworthy or a "scorpion"
• Why your client is always smarter than you in their field
• The power of in-person meetings to save deals and build trust
• Mentorship, faith, family, and building a legacy that outlasts your career
• Joe's priority framework: faith, family, friends, community, and travel

Whether you're a business owner navigating a partnership dispute, an attorney looking to sharpen your deal-making instincts, or a future deal maker seeking wisdom from someone who's seen it all — this episode delivers.

🔗 Website: https://www.thedealpodcast.com/ Joshua Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadwilson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealpodcast Powered By: FA Mergers https://www.famergers.com/

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