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In this episode of the IC-DISC podcast we’re talking to John H. Walker, a mergers & acquisitions attorney in Houston. In the past, John has done hundreds of transactions, on both the buy-side and the sell-side for a number of different public and private companies. But he really loves representing sellers who are selling to much larger, more sophisticated buyers, in which he is able to level the playing field. You will enjoy this wide ranging conversation. John has some great stories, client success stories, and examples of things that can go wrong. It was a really interesting conversation and I learned a lot about some things to be on the lookout for when you're considering selling your company. I hope you enjoy the episode. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Walker Law GUEST John Walker About John Special Guest: John H. Walker.

Today on the IC-DISC show we are talking to Bob Emery, founder of Metals Recycling Magazine. We have known each other for more than a decade. He's very active in the scrap metal business and has a great story about why he started Metals Recycling Magazine after a long tenure in the scrap trade industry. We talked about why he started it as his first entrepreneurial venture, concerns, and lessons learned, and what advice he'd give to his 25-year-old self. If you're in the scrap metal industry like many of our clients are, I recommend listening to it. And even if you're not, there are some good nuggets in there. I hope you enjoy the episode. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Metals Recycling Magazine GUEST Bob Emery About Bob Special Guest: Bob Emery.

On the podcast today we are joined by Michael Till, a senior partner at the CPA firm Mohle Adams. Mohle Adams has a unique background in that it is 75 years old but has only six partners and about 45 total people on the team. That is quite unusual compared to most CPA firms. However, this slow growth rate has been very deliberate and has helped them to be highly focused on accepting only clients who are the right fit for the firm to do an exceptional job for the client. We talk about Mike's background, the history of the firm, some clients success story examples, and different attitudes and mindsets that are unique in the CPA profession. He also talks about the types of companies he really likes to work with. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Mohle Adams GUEST Michael Till About Michael Special Guest: Michael Till.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Brian Schwam, National Managing Director of International Tax at WTP Advisors. WTP Advisors and Export Advisors are the two founding members of the IC-DISC Alliance, and in this episode, we talk about the work we do with CPA firms to support their clients who have, or would benefit from having, an IC-DISC. Removing any concern about 'losing' clients to a competitor. This collaborative approach is a great way for CPA firms to expand their client offerings due to the specialist nature of the Alliance work. The flexible engagement model also ensures firms remain in control of the client relationship. This was a really interesting conversation and highlights the partnership opportunities that allow everyone involved to focus on what they do best. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Engineered Tax Services GUEST Brian Schwam About Brian Special Guest: Brian Schwam.

My guest today is Heidi Henderson. She serves as the Executive Vice President for Engineered Tax Services and oversees the marketing and advertising efforts along with business development. Although ETS is based in Southern Florida, Heidi is actually located in Utah. Doing cost segregation work, mostly on real estate projects, we talk about some of the differentiators for Engineered Tax Services, what clients say about them, and what makes Heidi really proud about the firm. This was a great episode talking about her background - how she got into the real estate business and then how that translated to joining Engineered Tax Services about 12 years ago. We wrapped things up with Heidi sharing some lessons that she's learned through her career and advice that she would give to her 25-year-old self. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Engineered Tax Services GUEST Heidi Henderson About Heidi Special Guest: Heidi Henderson.

In today's episode, we meet Al Deaver, an intellectual property lawyer and Principal at the Houston-based law firm of McAughan Deaver. Al's undergraduate degree is actually in mechanical engineering and he then paired that with a law degree, making him incredibly proficient with the more technical aspects of intellectual property. In this episode we talked about some things for exporters to be aware of when dealing with trademarks, copyrights and patents. We also discussed getting patents granted in different markets as well as securing your IP right here in the USA. Our discussion is incredibly useful for anyone considering widening the reach of their products now or in the future. I hope you enjoy the episode. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About McAughan Deaver PLLC GUEST Al Deaver About Al Special Guest: Albert Deaver.

Today's guest is Laura Stees, a CPA, business strategist, and partner at Stees, Walker & Company LLP in San Diego, California. Laura has a really unique tax practice where she really focuses more on planning and implementation rather than compliance. Her firm does the compliance, but in her experience, it's the planning and maybe even more importantly, the implementation of the planning in which there's a big gap in the marketplace. And we had a really interesting conversation around the things her firm does that differentiate it from other firms and their hyper focus on planning and implementation. There are a lot of great takeaways here, and anyone with an interest in business will gain a lot from taking a listen. ​ LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Stees, Walker & Company LLP Firm GUEST Laura Stees About Laura Special Guest: Laura Stees.

In today's episode of the IC-DISC Show, we have the pleasure of talking to Lucy Petry, an accomplished tax professional and attorney who recently received her LLM in taxation. She has also been a professor for accounting classes at the University of St. Thomas and law classes at the South Texas College of Law. In this show, we talk about a significant upcoming tax law change that will have substantial reporting requirements for every business owner with a legal entity, as well as the company's shareholders. Lucy also delved deeper into some other parts of the tax code that are helpful for individuals to be aware of, but the average person may not know. It's up right now at www.IC-DISCshow.com/034. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Petry Law Firm GUEST Lucy Petry About Lucy Special Guest: Lucy Petry.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're speaking with Brett Ekart, CEO of United Metals Recycling, a metals recycling and processing company based in Boise, Idaho, and host of the podcast A Scrap Life. Brett grew up in the recycling industry. He loves its potential, and this life-long engagement has given him a different perspective on the business. Instead of considering it a commodity business, he views it as a customer-service business. We discuss this idea and the strategies he's successfully used in the scrap and recycling industry, continuously leveraging any unique advantage to get ahead of his competition. This is a great show, and the ideas Brett shares can be applied by any entrepreneur in any industry. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About the IC-DISC Alliance About United Metals GUEST Brett Ekart About Brett Special Guest: Brett Ekart.

In today's IC-DISC Show, I am joined by Brian Schwam & Jim Fyhrie of WTP Advisors, for a special episode as we announce the formation of the IC-DISC Alliance. The Alliance is a collaboration between the premiere IC-DISC consulting firms in the country with the goal of being the most comprehensive IC-DISC resource available anywhere. The founding members of the Alliance are Export Advisors and WTP Advisors. In the show, we get a chance to explore the background of the Alliance and the advantages it brings to clients and their advisors. To learn more about the IC-DISC Alliance, visit https://ic-disc.com. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About the IC-DISC Alliance GUESTS Jim Fyhrie About Jim Brian Schwam About Brian Special Guests: Brian Schwam and Jim Fyhrie.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we have the pleasure of talking to Ben Lehrer, the founder and CEO of First Water, an advisory firm here in Houston. First Water connects teams with data to companies with capital through a concept Ben calls "Relational Finance" and in this episode, we talk about Ben's background, what inspired him to start First Water, the type of companies they help, and his book, "Relational Finance: The New Model to Accelerate Growth, Attract Capital, and Maximize the Value of Your Business." Ben's company is unique in the mergers and acquisitions world, and if you're an entrepreneur with an established business that's looking to grow organically or through acquisition, then this episode is for you. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About Export Advisors About First Water GUEST Ben Lehrer About Ben Special Guest: Ben Lehrer.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Chris Dooley, CEO of Dooley Tackaberry, a fourth-generation firm founded 97 years ago in Beaumont, Texas. The company is one of the most reliable suppliers of fire and safety products to oil, gas, and municipal markets, and we had a great conversation about what it's like to be the fourth generation of a family-run business. Chris has an amazing relationship with his employees, and he describes the company as being like an extended family that functions like a well-oiled machine. We further discuss how this relationship and the company's nimble approach to requests from small and Fortune 100 companies lead to deeper customer satisfaction and loyalty. This is a great show, with many examples of a company focusing on becoming a trusted partner. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About Export Advisors About Dooley Tackaberry GUEST Chris Dooley About Chris Special Guest: Chris Dooley.

Ali, you may remember, has a hugely successful wealth management firm based in Houston, but he is back as a guest because he's just released his new book, The Business Owner's Dilemma looking at the 3 dilemmas we face as business owners. It's a great conversation talking about the book, why he wrote it, how he sees it as more of a ROLE (return on life experience) project rather than an ROI project, and why entrepreneurs are fundamentally different from non-entrepreneurs when it comes to wealth and legacy planning. One of the book's biggest takeaways is to achieve clarity and a path toward planning and capturing your life's work, so I highly recommend checking out Ali's book at www.alinasser.com. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About Export Advisors About The Business Owner's Dilemma GUEST Ali Nasser About Ali Special Guest: Ali Nasser.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Dave Manges, Founder and President of Reinsman Consulting, a specialty consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas, helping small and medium-size businesses navigate the complexities of the Employee Retention Credit and other COVID-19 stimulus programs. Dave has an interesting story. He was on a partnership track at a big four accounting firm, but when the various COVID relief packages came into effect, he saw an opportunity to focus on helping the small and medium market. His employer was focused on the higher-end, larger firm market, so Dave took the chance and launched his firm to support this group. He hasn't looked back since. He has a real passion for helping business owners, thriving on doing a great job for them, and this episode has some great insights into the tax credits and stimulus packages that are available and how his diverse background contributes to his ongoing success. If you are interested in exploring your situation with Dave, let me know and I'll connect you. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About Export Advisors About Reinsman Consulting GUEST Dave Manges About Dave Special Guest: Dave Manges.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Michael Kramer, President of ManageHub, a specialty consulting firm based in Chicago, who use the Malcolm Baldridge principles of total quality management to dramatically improve a company's quality and performance in a relatively short period of time. We had a great conversation about some of the client successes he's had, the history of Baldrige, and also what a tremendously underutilized, American-made system Baldrige is. Mike really has a passion for sharing this system high and wide to every US company, so if you've ever wanted to learn more about the benefit of exceptional quality and excellence in your own organization, this episode has a lot of great ideas and insights. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest About Export Advisors About ManageHub Baldridge 2020 Executive Guide GUEST Michael Kramer About Michael Special Guest: Michael Kramer.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with John McDonough, a Financed Insurance Specialist based in Houston. John works with ultra high-net-worth families and C-suite executives to create innovative insurance solutions, and this is a very interesting episode because we had the opportunity to talk about his services and the challenge of helping people understand these new ideas. He has a detailed understanding of the leverage that premium finance life insurance can provide to the ultra-wealthy for estate tax liquidity, and to companies for executive retention in the C-suite, and this really was one of the most interesting calls I've had in a long time. LINKS Show Notes Be a Guest GUEST John McDonough About John Special Guest: John McDonough.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we have a little different type of podcast. Rather than speaking with a guest, I'm going to do a short episode in which I answer the most common questions we've received this year about the future of the IC-DISC given the new administration. A change in administration always raises concerns, so I want to share some of the opportunities and challenges of using the program. Q&A shows always raise more questions, so if there are any points I didn't cover, please use the contact form to send me a message. LINKS Show Notes Transcript Be a Guest

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Paul Liberato, President of Billy Pugh, a pioneering offshore safety equipment company based in Corpus Christi, Texas. I've known Paul for some time but didn't know his entire story. This podcast was a great opportunity to understand some of what he's achieved since becoming President. For the last 32 years, some of their best product solutions have come from customers with real-life problems, and we had a really insightful conversation about this strong customer/supplier relationship and how that makes a company stronger. I enjoyed this episode and the chance to talk about the possibilities that come from learning from your customers. LINKS Show Notes Transcript Be a Guest GUEST Ron Baker About Paul Special Guest: Paul Liberato.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, we're talking with Ron Baker, founder of VeraSage Institute, a think tank dedicated to teaching value-based pricing, and host of the Soul of Enterprise podcast. This really was a bucket list interview for me. Ron's work has literally added millions of dollars of value to our business and our clients. He's an amazing thought leader, and if you're in an industry where billable hours are the prevailing idea, his insights into revolutionary pricing models can be a game-changer for your business. Even if you're not in a professional services business, his ideas on creating subscription services for all kinds of businesses are really interesting. So, we had a wide-ranging conversation. He had lots of great examples, and I'm sure you'll find something to make you think about your pricing in this episode. LINKS Show Notes Transcript Be a Guest GUEST Ron Baker About Ron Special Guest: Ron Baker.

Today on the IC-DISC Show, I'm talking with my good friend Randy Reimer, owner of Houston-based boutique CPA firm Reimer, McGuinness & Associates. We had a great, wide-ranging conversation about Randy's experience, including talking about some of the misconceptions people have about CPA firms and some of the mistakes entrepreneurs make when setting up their business. Randy has been the CPA for our firm and our family for many years, so it was especially exciting to be able to share some of his knowledge on the show.   Have you ever wanted your own podcast? I've created a 2-minute scorecard at YourPodcastScore.com that looks at eight indicators of how a podcast can amplify your message. If you've ever wondered if a podcast is right for you, take a look. LINKS Show Notes Transcript Be a Guest GUEST Randy Reimer About Randy Special Guest: Randy Reimer.