Episode Details

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In this episode, Brian Hartman breaks down the year-one cash crunch that nearly killed his first acquisition (despite 96% revenue growth), why he turned down private equity offers ten times a day before saying yes to one that let him keep control, and the operator playbook he's now using to roll up tree care companies across three states.

◼️ How he grew his first tree care business from $2.6M to $5.1M in year one and almost went broke doing it

◼️ Why long-term contracts hurt operators (and how transactional pricing let him raise prices through 9% inflation)

◼️ The minority investment structure that let him keep control of his business while joining a fund

◼️ What he learned from a 73-year-old tree climber in Jacksonville that changed how he runs his entire fleet

◼️ The first 5 minutes of an owner conversation that tells him whether to walk away from a deal regardless of price

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