Story Loans

A story-based podcast for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Listen to individual stories from folks who have gone through the SBA loan process to start, buy, or grow their business.

Insider Secrets for Selling Your Business with Joshua Sagman 03/17/2025

Insider Secrets for Selling Your Business with Joshua Sagman 💼 Thinking about selling your business? Before you do, you need to hear this. Joshua Sagman—business broker, industry disruptor, and author of Insider Secrets of Selling Your Business—joins Ray Drew to share the real playbook on maximizing value, avoiding common pitfalls, and navigating the wild world of business brokerage. In this episode, Josh and Ray break down: 🔥 The biggest mistakes sellers make (and how to avoid them) 💰 Why valuation isn’t just about the numbers 📉 How bad planning can cost you millions 🤝 Creative exit strategies you probably haven’t considered 🛑 Why 7 out of 10 businesses aren’t ready to be sold (and what to do about it) Josh left the largest brokerage in the country to start Business Exit Advisors and is on a mission to shake up the industry. Whether you’re a business owner, a buyer, or just here for the dead body exhibit deal (yes, that happened), this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. 👉 Learn more about Josh and his work at myexitplan.com 📢 Drop your biggest business exit questions in the comments, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode! /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/35725480

Building a 7-figure Karate Business From Scratch 09/11/2024

Building a 7-figure Karate Business From Scratch /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/33007267

SMB Acquisition Story: New Parents Chasing Their Dream of a More Free Life (feat. The Carpers) 06/29/2024

SMB Acquisition Story: New Parents Chasing Their Dream of a More Free Life (feat. The Carpers) On this very special episode of Story Loans, Ray travels to South Carolina to sit down with his borrowers, Angelina and Donnie Carper. This is an incredible story of resilience. Although Angelina had an extensive background in construction, her journey to own her own construction company challenged her own competence. From meeting on Bumble to navigating the intricacies of merging their professional and personal lives, the Carpers provide invaluable insights into the construction business and entrepreneurship. Angelina shares her deep-rooted passion for construction, starting from her early years running around job sites to eventually managing high-profile projects like hospital expansions and sanctuary renovations. Her story exemplifies the evolution from a laborer to an adept project manager and business owner. Meanwhile, Donnie explains the financial and strategic aspects of transitioning from the banking sector to co-owning a construction company, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of buying a business mid-pandemic. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/31941327

SMB Expert Series: The State of Franchising in 2024 feat. Adam Wasch 06/11/2024

SMB Expert Series: The State of Franchising in 2024 feat. Adam Wasch In this engaging episode of Story Loans' SMB Expert Series, host Ray welcomes Adam Wasch, founding partner of The Franchise Firm. Adam shares insights into the franchising realm, detailing the complexities and strategies involved in starting a franchise, franchising an existing concept, and the intricacies of mergers and acquisitions. Delve into the conversation where Adam sheds light on the emerging trends within the franchising industry and offers practical advice on identifying franchise opportunities, evaluating them, and negotiating franchise agreements. Franchising as a business model offers a unique opportunity for individuals looking to escape the shackles of corporate America. Adam explains the current state of the franchising industry, noting the rise in service-based franchises post-2020, factors to consider when evaluating an emerging versus established franchise, and the essential need for due diligence. He shares valuable tips on how businesses can be attractive for franchising and discusses the benefits of having a well-rounded franchise attorney to navigate the complexities of franchise agreements and compliance. With over a decade of industry experience, Adam provides listeners with invaluable knowledge on making informed decisions in franchising, ensuring success, and avoiding potential pitfalls. The Franchise Firm - Work with Franchise Leaders Check out Adam on X - @adamgwaschesq /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/31706352

SMB Expert Series: What You Need to Know about Buying a Business in 2024 feat. David C. Barnett 05/26/2024

SMB Expert Series: What You Need to Know about Buying a Business in 2024 feat. David C. Barnett David has a ton of information on his website: /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/31466957

SMB Expert Series: Tax Strategies for Business Acquisitions and Start-ups feat. Greg O’Brien 05/20/2024

SMB Expert Series: Tax Strategies for Business Acquisitions and Start-ups feat. Greg O’Brien Let's talk about tax implications and strategies for small business acquisitions. Well, in this episode of my SMB Expert series, I talk with Greg O'Brien about just that. Greg O'Brien is the co-CEO and co-founder of Anomaly CPA, a firm specializing in accounting and financial services for startups, high-growth small businesses, and real estate investors. With a background that combines an accounting pedigree – he holds a master's degree in tax – and real-world experience from real estate development, Greg has positioned himself as a versatile expert in the entrepreneurial space. His partnership with John Malone, who brings a legal and operational perspective to the firm, has driven Anomaly CPA to success. Operating a fully remote team across the United States and abroad, Greg leverages his "new age model" of accounting to serve clients globally. I hope you find this podcast informative. For more on all things SBA, visit: or check out my . /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/31376942

SMB Expert Series: Operational Tips for Service-based Business Owners feat. Sasha Crabtrey 05/12/2024

SMB Expert Series: Operational Tips for Service-based Business Owners feat. Sasha Crabtrey Value Proposition. Communication. Scheduling. Alright. I'm trying something new. In this episode, I sit down with Sasha Crabtrey, president and founder of Remote COO. Sasha shares the intricacies of running a small to medium-sized business with efficiency and effectiveness. The is episode is packed with practical advice for entrepreneurs, emphasizing the evolution of remote work, time management, and best practices for scaling operations in a b2b service-based business. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/31247612

Applying for SBA 7a Acquisition Loans & Building an HVAC Empire feat. Nathan Lenahan | Ep. #12 03/16/2023

Applying for SBA 7a Acquisition Loans & Building an HVAC Empire feat. Nathan Lenahan | Ep. #12 Ray sits down with SMB owner/operator Nathan Lenahan to discuss his journey through 2 SBA 7a acquisition loans to acquire HVAC businesses. Tune in to hear the story of a true leader and operator building an HVAC empire in DFW with 3 friends/partners. Link to his LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/nathanlenahan Link to his twitter: @n8lenahan /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/26244645

Triple Threat Sam Rosati talks all things SMB | Ep. #11 02/27/2023

Triple Threat Sam Rosati talks all things SMB | Ep. #11 Sam Rosati joins us to share his SMB journey as a CPA, M&A Attorney, and Entrepreneur. Tune in to hear his story. Following his father’s footsteps in M&A Buying his first 2 SMBs 39 days apart SBA vs Conventional financing Getting searchers together in person at SMB Bootcamps The story behind SMB Law Group Investing in SMBs For more information about SMB Law and SMB Bootcamp: ➡️ SMBash: ➡️ Search Fund Bootcamp: /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/26068725

Russ Hadlock Invents a Viral Peloton Product then Buys an Autoglass Business | Ep. #10 02/14/2023

Russ Hadlock Invents a Viral Peloton Product then Buys an Autoglass Business | Ep. #10 In this episode of Story Loans, Ray sits down with Russ Hadlock, Owner of The Autoglass Clinic & Mobile Radio. Russ acquired this business in November 2022 with the help of an SBA 7a Loan. Russ’s career began in sales until one day he had a true “ah-ha moment” and invented a product for Peloton owners that immediately took off and generated $4.5mm in revenue within 18 months. He since exited that business and used his newly created wealth to acquire an already existing, profitable business. This is his story. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25919148

SBA Horror Story: Bryan Swartz’s Lender Quits Mid-acquisition | Ep. #9 01/30/2023

SBA Horror Story: Bryan Swartz’s Lender Quits Mid-acquisition | Ep. #9 Bryan Swartz joins Ray to share his experience of using an SBA 7a loan to acquire a midwest-based small business that cleans operating rooms. Spoiler alert: there were some major hiccups along the way including his lender changing banks, his underwriter quiet-quitting, and a lender restructuring the deal 90+ days in. Tune in to hear how Bryan overcame obstacle after obstacle and got the deal closed. Bryan can be reached via Twitter by email at . /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25772040

Running a Holding Company with 9 Figure Revenue feat. Michael Girdley | Ep. #8 01/17/2023

Running a Holding Company with 9 Figure Revenue feat. Michael Girdley | Ep. #8 Michael Girdley is an entrepreneur who owns multiple businesses generating to the tune of 9 figures in combined revenue and over 600 employees within his Holding Company. During Covid he took to twitter where his valuable insight has built himself a massive following, and now he’s out with a 5-step complete holding company course for holdco owners, business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn Michael’s approach to running a HoldCo. To preorder the course, go to Use discount code presale15 for 15% off Michael is also co-host of the podcast Acquisitions Anonymous. Go check it out, and sign up for their newsletter at Follow Michael on Twitter @girdley /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25629999

A 16 month Search for a Business ENDED by his New Mother-in-Law feat. Robbie Rapson | Ep. #7 12/27/2022

A 16 month Search for a Business ENDED by his New Mother-in-Law feat. Robbie Rapson | Ep. #7 Ray sits down with Robbie Rapson, owner of Gold Coast Property Maintenance. Entrepreneurship is in Robbie's blood but his dreams did not come true without hard work and a little help from his mother-in-law. Tune in to hear his journey from being a young entrepreneur and son of 2 entrepreneurial parents in Scotland to successfully acquiring a landscaping business in South Florida. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25440471

Rich Benet Shares Valuable Advice about Buying a Small Business | Ep. #6 12/13/2022

Rich Benet Shares Valuable Advice about Buying a Small Business | Ep. #6 Ray sits down with Rich Benet, Owner of GoKlean Products to discuss his SMB journey. With 2 acquisitions under his belt, Rich has a lot of juicy stories to share. Tune in to hear about finding 67% customer concentration 3 days before closing, a 1 week delay in bank funding after signing the closing documents, employee turnover mid-transaction, breaches in confidentiality, and more. Follow Rich on Twitter /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25316874

Dealing w/ Paternity Leave, Broken Equipment, & Death of an Employee in Yr. 1 of SMB ownership feat. James Evans | Ep. #5 11/28/2022

Dealing w/ Paternity Leave, Broken Equipment, & Death of an Employee in Yr. 1 of SMB ownership feat. James Evans | Ep. #5 James Evans recently bought a landscaping business using a SBA 7a loan. Tune in to hear the story of James, a former “big 4” consultant, real estate investor, and now SMB operator. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25150785

Using an SBA 7a Loan to Buy a Fast-Growing Business feat. Reid Rupp | Ep. #4 11/15/2022

Using an SBA 7a Loan to Buy a Fast-Growing Business feat. Reid Rupp | Ep. #4 Reid Rupp set out to acquire a business in early 2022 and ended up sealing the deal on a construction business in Austin, Texas in July thanks to the help of the SBA 7a loan program. In this episode, Reid recounts his story, which is one of opportunity, challenges, and in the end: resilience. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/25011300

SBA Horror Story: Jake Wakely’s Quest to Build a Home Service Business Empire Through Acquisition | Ep. #3 11/01/2022

SBA Horror Story: Jake Wakely’s Quest to Build a Home Service Business Empire Through Acquisition | Ep. #3 Jake Wakely set out to buy a business with an SBA loan and was put through the wringer by his lender. At the last minute, the lender pulled out, and he was left to scramble. He still closed, but not with an SBA loan. He decided to give the SBA program another chance on his 2nd acquisition. You’ll never guess what happened next… /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/24862776

Zac Martin Built a Business Out in an E-Commerce Niche | Ep. 2 10/18/2022

Zac Martin Built a Business Out in an E-Commerce Niche | Ep. 2 Zac Martin recently closed on an SBA loan to acquire an existing business similar to the one he already owns. In this episode, Zac shares his journey as a small business owner after stumbling upon a niche within the e-commerce space. We also get into the financing aspect and break down the terms of his loans. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/24720015

Story Loans | Welcome! Episode #1 10/01/2022

Story Loans | Welcome! Episode #1 Ever wonder what the SBA loan process is like? Then you're in the right place. Here, Ray Drew, an SBA lender, will speak with entrepreneurs and small business owners about their experience: the good, the bad, and the ugly. /episode/index/show/ff741c5a-d3df-4b12-8d0e-b5679b26b61e/id/24550722

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