Walter Hidalgo Jr. built a chemical company from scratch in 2001, sold it at the perfect time in 2014 (right before oil crashed from $120 to under $20/barrel), and felt completely lost after the exit. After a detour into the restaurant business, he reunited with his 25-year-old son to relaunch the original brand and this time, they're doing it together.

In this episode, Walter opens up about the emotional reality of selling a business you built with your own hands, why cold calling strangers has always worked better for him than calling people he knows, and how his son keeps him from chasing every shiny opportunity that crosses his path.

Whether you're building your first company or thinking about your exit, this conversation is packed with hard-earned wisdom from a serial entrepreneur who's been through the full cycle build, sell, lose yourself, and start again.

Topics covered:

• How he spotted a business opportunity from a customer's truck bed
• Selling at the peak (luck vs. preparation)
• The identity crisis every founder faces after an exit
• Cold calling 101: "A little rejection never killed anybody"
• Father-son dynamics: visionary vs. integrator → Why you should stay in what you know after a liquidity event
• Advice for the next generation of deal makers

Guest: Walter Hidalgo Jr.: Founder, Enviro Chem

Host: Joshua Wilson

Co-host: Jude David, FA Mergers

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In this episode, we sit down with veteran banker and operator Brady Como for a masterclass on debt, risk, and long-term dealmaking.

With decades of experience spanning commercial banking, business liquidations, oilfield services, and real estate investing, Brady shares lessons most dealmakers only learn the hard way.

This conversation explores:

• Why banks are often the least greedy partner in a transaction
• The real difference between consumer debt and producer debt
• How underwriting teaches discipline in dealmaking
• Why experience collecting money matters more than lending it
• How purpose, patience, and people shape long-term success
• What separates producers from consumers in capital allocation
• Why retirement without purpose is a dangerous idea

This episode is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, operators, investors, and the next generation of dealmakers who want to understand how capital actually works in the real world.

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Prevost, a third generation banker who worked his way from shredding paper and serving as a teller to becoming CFO of a community bank.

Tim shares a rare inside look at how deals are evaluated from the banking side, why relationships still matter more than spreadsheets, and how judgment, timing, and trust influence lending, acquisitions, and long-term outcomes.

This conversation covers:

• What commercial bankers actually look for in deals
• How teller-line experience shapes better decision-making
• Why valuation starts with comparable sales, not gut feel
• The parallels between treasure hunting and dealmaking
• Moving from commercial banking into the CFO role
• How banks measure success beyond profit
• Why community banks move faster and think differently
• The importance of trust, follow-through, and doing the next right thing

This episode is for founders, dealmakers, operators, and finance professionals who want to understand how capital decisions are really made.