The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

Episodi

• From Warby Parker to Diapers.com: David Bell on Consumer Brand Success 09.06.2026 29min

  In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with David Bell, former Wharton Professor of Marketing and early-stage investor in consumer companies including Diapers.com, Warby Parker, Harry’s and Jet.com. David shares what he looks for in standout consumer brands, why founder insight and capital discipline matter, and how businesses can build emotional and symbolic value around everyday products. David explains why great consumer companies often begin with a simple frus...
• Are law firms ripe for Private Equity investment 02.06.2026 53min

  In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Adil Taha, a private equity operator specialising in the UK legal sector. They explore why private equity has struggled to scale law firms, the challenges of buy-and-build strategies, and why many legal businesses are weaker than they appear financially. Adil shares lessons from rescuing and rebuilding Child & Child, explains why consumer legal services are attracting the most PE interest, and discusses how law firms differ from other professiona...
• Why Most PE-Backed Companies Are Invisible to AI Search 26.05.2026 26min

  In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Shiv Narayanan, CEO of How to SaaS, about how private equity firms can use marketing and AI as value creation levers. They discuss why many B2B companies underinvest in marketing, how AI is changing buyer behavior, and why brand authority and content are becoming critical for growth. Timestamps 00:03 – Introduction to Shiv Narayanan and How to SaaS01:55 – Common marketing mistakes in PE-backed businesses04:15 – Finding the right marketing strategy an...
• How to manage the priorities between the executive team and the investor 19.05.2026 30min

  In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Christina Haxton about the relationship between private equity firms and portfolio company leadership teams. They discuss how trust, communication, alignment, and culture impact execution during periods of rapid growth — and why many businesses struggle not because of strategy, but because of leadership friction and organizational disconnect. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Christina Haxton 01:27 – Co...
• The Hidden Mistakes Killing PE Value (And How to Fix Them) 12.05.2026 17min

  Episode Summary Paul Brennan, PE-backed CFO, shares lessons from exiting Lindsay Precast (sold to The Jordan Company), covering exit prep, value creation, and integration. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & Background CFO experience across PE, public, and family-owned businesses. 01:23 – Common PE Mistake Lack of clarity on why data requests matter → impacts alignment. 03:13 – Exit Preparation 👉 Prepare every quarter Update data room Review QoE Avoid last-mi...
• From Founder to Three Exits Building a Services Company and Selling to Private Equity 05.05.2026 24min

  In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Robert Irving, CEO of Buffalo Growth Partners. Robert shares his journey from building and selling a fire & life safety business to scaling within private equity and launching his own independent sponsor firm. ⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics 00:00 – Introduction Robert’s journey across founding, exiting, and re-entering private equity. 00:30 – Building & Selling a Business Grew to ~80 technicians and exited at 29 Joined a PE-...
• A different approach to Private Equity with Michael Arrieta 28.04.2026 18min

  Guest: Michael Arietta Host: Alex Rawlings 🕒 Key Timestamps 00:00 – Intro Overview of Garden City Equity’s long-term, people-first model. 00:40 – Biggest PE Mistake Short-term thinking (IRR focus) limits investment in transformational initiatives like ERP, CRM, and AI. 01:37 – Long-Term Hold Strategy 30-year horizon allows compounding value without forced exits. 03:05 – Holding Company Model All investors share ownership across all assets—better alignment and flexibility. 05:55 – Leverag...
• How to Drive Organic Growth in a Private Equity Backed Company 21.04.2026 36min

  Alex Rawlings speaks with Nigel Green on why private equity firms struggle with organic growth and how better hiring, faster execution, and customer focus can unlock value. ⏱️ Timestamps & Key Takeaways 00:00 – Introduction Nigel’s background and advisory focus 00:29 – Career Highlights Two successful exits before 30 Now advising PE-backed companies on growth 01:34 – Biggest PE Mistake Weak commercial operators Overvaluing experience vs. current fit...
• How to Double EBITDA in 3 Years The Multi-Unit Retail Playbook 14.04.2026 37min

  Alex Rawlings speaks with Jeff Helfgott, CEO of Boardroom Salon, about scaling PE-backed multi-unit businesses. They discuss talent strategy, retention, resilience, and how to turn operational fixes into sustainable growth. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & Jeff’s Background From barbershop beginnings to PE-backed CEO. 01:04 – Common PE Mistakes Overlooking talent strategy during diligence. 02:11 – Talent Assessment Evaluating teams based on current business needs. 05:58 – Hirin...
• The investing strategy in the franchising and multi-unit retail sector 07.04.2026 28min

  Mike Esposito shares his journey from a 30-year career at Goldman Sachs to co-founding Franchise Equity Partners, highlighting their differentiated approach to private equity through franchising and multi-unit retail investing. ⏱️ Key Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Career background and transition to PE 01:45 – Pitfalls of “me-too” PE strategies 03:13 – Leaving Goldman Sachs during COVID 04:41 – Advisory vs ownership mindset 05:36 – Why franchising & multi-unit retail 07:00...
• Mastery of the Psychology of Change & Transformation 31.03.2026 28min

  Guest: Meg Pogue, Founder, Mission Squared Host: Alex Rawlings Meg Pogue joins Alex to discuss the psychology behind change in private equity-backed businesses. A former CEO who scaled her company from 2 to 95 employees, Meg now works with executive teams to navigate transformation, cultural friction, and the human dynamics of growth and acquisitions. The conversation explores why acquisitions and major transformations often trigger fear and resistance inside organizations. While executives a...
• Scaling a Home Services Business 24.03.2026 26min

  Guest: David Williams, CEO, Advantage Services Group (ASG) Host: Alex Rawlings David Williams joins Alex to share how he transitioned from consulting into entrepreneurship through acquisition — and scaled a home services platform to $100m+ in revenue in just five years. Since acquiring his first HVAC business in Oregon during COVID, David has completed 10 acquisitions, expanded into three states, and grown organically at ~20% annually. His focus? Building one fully integrated company — not a...
• Balance Sheet First Investing Like an Operator, Not Traditional PE 17.03.2026 21min

  In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Andrew Sachs, Founder of Mauloa, about why he believes the traditional private equity model is fundamentally flawed — and what a long-term alternative looks like. After starting his career at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, Andrew built Mauloa around a simple philosophy: no excessive leverage, no forced exits, and a focus on compounding cash flow over decades. Mauloa takes minority stakes (30–40%) in family and multi-generational businesses, avoids ...
• The lessons from Formula 1 to 22 acquisitions by a Private Equity-backed CTO 10.03.2026 22min

  In this episode, Alex sits down with Peter Rossi, a UK-based CTO with 25+ years in technology and 15 years in commercial leadership. From running trackside IT at McLaren to leading 22 acquisitions in a PE-backed group, Peter shares hard-earned lessons on growth, integration, and operating under pressure. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & career overview 00:28 – Life at McLaren & high-performance environments 01:23 – VC due diligence & scaling tech businesses 02:24 – Building...
• What Two PE Exits Taught James About Winning as a CFO 03.03.2026 28min

  In this episode, host Alex Rawlings welcomes James Carver, a seasoned CFO with two private equity-backed exits under his belt. James shares his unique journey from the trading desk to executive leadership, and unpacks valuable lessons from navigating complex M&A deals, ESOP sales, and private equity integrations. ⏱️ Episode Highlights 00:00 – Intro & Background James shares his career path from stock analysis to FP&A and investment banking before stepping into CFO roles. 05:22 – ...
• Learnings from a $1BN+ exit and 300 investments in Private Equity 24.02.2026 22min

  Episode Overview: In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Richard Fitzgerald of CapitalSpring, a private equity firm specializing in foodservice and multi-location consumer businesses. Richard shares insights into CapitalSpring’s differentiated, sector-focused approach, how they’ve scaled over 20 years, and the recent $1B+ exit to Bain Capital. He also unpacks their latest fundraising success in a tough market and the importance of specialization in today's crowded PE landscape. Timestamps...
• Building a Value Creation Machine & Scaling a Private Equity Firm 17.02.2026 23min

  🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Chris Sznewajs of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners about building a private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs and businesses owned by “unnatural owners.” Chris shares how Pacific Avenue identifies overlooked assets, drives value through operational focus, and recently expanded into Europe with a team-first approach. He dives into the lessons from building out their Paris office, the firm’s unique deal sourcing str...
• How private equity firm THL is winning with AI implementation 10.02.2026 32min

  In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Alex Sabel, Vice President at THL Partners, to explore how the firm is embracing AI across its operations and portfolio. Alex leads THL’s research function and AI strategy, bringing a data-driven, quant mindset to private equity. He shares how THL uses AI internally to improve investment workflows, how portfolio companies are deploying AI to drive product innovation and efficiency, and what he’s learned from both successes and failures. Whether you’...
• Emerging markets investing in the consumer & retail sector 03.02.2026 22min

  In this episode, Giovanni Zangani joins Alex Rawlings to share insights from operating in Vietnam’s emerging private equity landscape. As Managing Partner at Maestro Equity Partners, Giovanni discusses the firm’s hands-on approach to investing in consumer and F&B businesses, the challenges of deal execution in emerging markets, and why local understanding is critical to success. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro to Giovanni & Maestro Equity Vietnam-focused, growth equity firm backing bric...
• The 5 step playbook assessment on business leadership effectiveness 27.01.2026 47min

  In this episode, Sam and Taavo from CEO Advantage return to dive into the 5X CEO Assessment—a diagnostic tool developed from two years of research into top-performing private equity-backed CEOs who delivered 5x+ MOIC. The conversation explores how the 5X model—comprised of Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, and Energized Culture—is used not just as a conceptual framework, but as a practical tool to evaluate and upgrade leadership team performance. 🔑 K...