{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The SMB Deal Hunter Podcast","title":"He Raised $125M on LinkedIn to Buy Boring Businesses (it worked...)","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/3ff94e1a\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3464,"description":"Sam Silverman raised $125 million in investor capital almost entirely through LinkedIn cold outreach solo, no team, no fund behind him. He deployed that capital into a paving company roll-up with four acquisitions in 18 months, an accounting firm he built from scratch, and a private credit fund. He started as an SDR making $37,000 a year.❌ No finance degree❌ No Wall Street background❌ No inherited deal flow — 95% of his capital came from LinkedInIn this episode, Sam breaks down exactly how he went from cold messaging strangers on LinkedIn to managing a portfolio of boring businesses backed by $125 million in investor capital.Sign Up For Free to the SMB Deal Hunter Newsletter: https://join.smbdealhunter.xyzWork With Me to Help You Buy a Business: https://pro.smbdealhunter.xyz/🔥 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✅ How he raised his first $20-30 million entirely through LinkedIn cold outreach by targeting people in his own industry, and the peer-to-peer approach that made strangers trust him with six-figure checks✅ The specific LinkedIn Sales Navigator tactic he uses to find investors at the exact moment they can deploy capital — people who switched jobs in the last 90 days and can roll their 401k into a self-directed IRA✅ Why he chose paving over HVAC, landscaping, or any other blue-collar roll-up — and how one concrete acquisition would add $2 million EBITDA to the bottom line on day one✅ How he structures deals so sellers stay on and actually enjoy working post-acquisition, and why every new LOI in his pipeline came as a referral from a previous seller✅ The 1.5-2x equity step-up structure he recommends for first-time buyers who want to acquire a business with little or no capital of their own✅ Why he says go bigger on your first deal — and the specific risk he sees in buying anything under $1 million in EBITDA✅ Where to find investors if you have no track record, no credibility, and no network — and why he says industry conferences are the worst place to look","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Ip8VYvVHcoJHaY9Kig3G0657tlc8W7tE_65VKMhQgKc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83ZGJh/YTEwNmZhZTcyYWJk/OWU0OGM3MDM2Mzcy/MmUxNy5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}