Insights

Why First-Time PE Acquisitions Fail
Podcast Host Brandon Wetzstein Podcast Host Brandon Wetzstein

Why First-Time PE Acquisitions Fail

In this episode of Herding Squirrels, Kit breaks down why roughly 80 percent of founder led companies acquired by private equity for the first time go off the rails, and the five specific failure points that cause it. If you're leading a team through a PE acquisition, a board transition, or any high stakes change, this conversation gives you the exact questions to ask and the timeline to ask them on.

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Why M&A Integrations Fail the People They Need Most
Podcast Host, Team Adaptability and Resilience Brandon Wetzstein Podcast Host, Team Adaptability and Resilience Brandon Wetzstein

Why M&A Integrations Fail the People They Need Most

Lucas Liu is the Managing Director at Risecore, a boutique consulting firm specializing in M&A integration, carve-outs, exit readiness, and AI strategy for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. In this episode of Herding Squirrels, Lucas breaks down why so many integrations fall apart at the people level and what leaders can actually do about it before the cracks appear. If you're navigating an acquisition, advising one, or leading a team through serious organizational change, this conversation is direct and practical.

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Resistance Is Data
Podcast Host, Team Adaptability and Resilience Brandon Wetzstein Podcast Host, Team Adaptability and Resilience Brandon Wetzstein

Resistance Is Data

Kamran Jahanshahi is the President and Founder of Peak Point Consulting, with 25 years of transformation leadership across Citibank, MetLife, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. In this episode of Herding Squirrels, Kamran breaks down what separates integrations that survive from ones that quietly fail, and why most organizations underinvest in the one part that determines the outcome: people. If you are leading a company through an acquisition or advising one that is, this conversation will sharpen how you think about operating models, leadership credibility, and why the resistance you are seeing is not a threat but a signal.

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