Episode Summary:

Podcast: Action Academy | Millionaire Mentorship For Your Life & Business
Host: Brian Luebben
Episode: How An Air Force Vet Bought A $3.7M Construction Company w/ $485k In Take-Home Profit (Within 11 Months)
Date: December 23, 2025
Guest: Matt (Air Force Veteran, Business Acquirer)

Overview

This powerful episode spotlights the journey of Matt, a recent Action Academy member and Air Force veteran who, within 11 months of leaving active duty and joining the community, acquired a $3.7 million specialty construction company. His story demonstrates the achievable path from W2 employment to business ownership, emphasizing the importance of clarity, perseverance, and taking strategic action—even as a busy parent and spouse. The episode dives into the specifics of Matt's acquisition process: from buy-box creation, deal sourcing, funding, and due diligence, all the way to negotiating creative financing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Matt’s Background & Setting the Goal

• Military Transition – Matt had recently separated from active duty Air Force and entered the corporate world but found himself seeking something more fulfilling ([01:21]).
• Discovery of Business Acquisition – Found inspiration in the Action Academy community and set an ambitious goal: acquire a business in 12 months ([02:10]).
• Mindset on Goal Setting
  • Brian: “If you got so bogged down in the very beginning, I think that you probably would have logic’d yourself and thought yourself out of it… sometimes ignorance is bliss.” ([02:56])
  • Matt: “Once you start something and then you start uncovering the things you were ignorant to… it’s almost like: I’ve already come this far, I can overcome this.” ([03:30])

2. Deal Sourcing & Buy-Box Development

• Initial Approach – Spent significant time on BizBuySell, evolving from a narrow industry focus to a wider one based on financial goals and lifestyle ([05:43], [07:55]).
• Critical Buy-Box Criteria – Looking for a business that:
  • Would replace W2 income (mid-100k range)
  • Came with systems, processes, and strong management in place
  • Provided family flexibility and time freedom
• Common Pitfall – Warns against buying too small (“buying yourself another job”) and stresses importance of clarity around life goals before deal hunting ([09:21], [11:11]).
  • Matt: “You have to remember what [your goals] are so when those things inevitably come along, you don’t let them pull you off your goal.” ([11:11])

3. The Acquisition Journey

• Deal Specifics
  • Found a specialty construction business with $3.8M revenue, projected to grow to $4.7-$4.8M ([05:43]).
  • SDE (take-home profit): $485k, aligning perfectly with Matt’s buy-box.
  • Strong management in place: GM (25 years at the company) and Assistant GM (18 years) handling daily operations ([05:43]).
• Diligence & Negotiation
  • Deep analysis: Looked at over 250 deals, dedicated ~20 hours/week on top of W2 and family ([13:43]).
  • Importance of interviewing key employees before closing (“I would not have done the deal if I could not talk to them” – [24:59]).
• Memorable Moments
  • Brian: “Between 9 to 5 is where you make a living, and between 5 to 9 is where you make a life. And Tony Robbins said that. I really agree with it...” ([15:31])
  • Matt: “My advice… take an internal audit… If your goal is ultimately to build a better life for yourself and your family… you will be able to find the time. There’s only 24 hours in a day. But you’ll always find the time to do something you really want to do.” ([17:04])

4. Deal Structuring, Funding & Creative Financing

• Purchase Structure
  • Purchased via a stock (membership interest) sale instead of a traditional asset sale – primarily to preserve valuable existing contracts ([19:45], [23:16]).
  • Retained all business assets and liabilities to ensure seamless transition.
• Funding
  • Secured private debt financing from a small, trusted group (past business contacts), avoiding SBA ($0 equity handed out, 10-year note with favorable interest and interest-only payments at outset) ([26:54], [30:31]).
  • Matt: “I gave up no equity… Got generally pretty favorable terms on a hundred percent debt…” ([26:54])
• Seller Holdback
  • Structured a 6-month holdback on part of the purchase price to protect against undisclosed liabilities ([28:13]).
  • Negotiation: Seller wanted full payout at close; Matt pushed for a holdback, settling on incremental payments over 6 months ([29:15]).

5. Lessons, Risks, and Actionable Advice

• Evaluate Key Risks
  • Key man risk, key employee risk, and the need to meet pivotal staff before closing ([25:22]).
• Networking for Capital
  • Matt: “If this is my buy box, can I count on y’all to at least have a very interested conversation…?” ([32:19])
  • Brian: “Luck is the dust that’s kicked up from action. … If you hadn’t talked about it, if you hadn’t been in the room, they wouldn’t have known.” ([33:41])
  • Emphasis on sharing your goals and inviting collaboration: “Squeaky wheel gets the grease…” ([34:35])
• Mindset for Success
  • Clarity upfront on what you want from ownership is key to resisting distractions.
  • Support system: Action Academy helps by surrounding you with high-performing, like-minded peers ([36:54]).
• What’s Next for Matt
  • Full transition out of the W2 into focusing on growing the construction business.
  • Confident outlook, crediting employees and future growth pipeline ([35:18]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brian Luebben ([02:56]):
  “When it comes to setting your big goals and your big visions, it’s… to focus on the where instead of the how.”
• Matt ([03:30]):
  “You start taking the first step towards a goal… once you start something and then you start uncovering the things you were ignorant to… ‘I’ve already come this far, I can overcome this.’”
• Matt ([05:43]):
  “The big thing for me… was they have the systems, the processes, the people in place to really run the day to day… That was something I was looking towards really—an opportunity where I didn’t need to jump into the fire… I could really take time to learn and understand what is happening in the business while also being able to make strategic and larger decisions.”
• Brian ([15:31]):
  “Between 9 to 5 is where you make a living, and between 5 to 9 is where you make a life. Tony Robbins said that.”
• Matt ([17:04]):
  “You’ll always find the time to do something you really want to do.”
• Matt ([24:59]):
  “I would not have done the deal if I could not talk to [the key employees]… Without knowing that they were on board… the risk would have been way too high for me.”
• Brian ([33:41]):
  “Luck is the dust that’s kicked up from action… If you hadn’t talked about it, they wouldn’t have known.”
• Matt ([34:35]):
  “There are so many people out there… that want to help, that want to be a part… but they’ll never know how they can help you if you don’t tell them.”
• Matt ([36:54]):
  “When you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals, then your reality can change… there’s just something to be said about having conversations on a daily and weekly basis with individuals who are doing the things you want to be doing.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:21: Matt’s transition from Air Force to business and setting his goal
• 05:43: The business details, why he chose this particular company
• 09:21: His financial/numerical buy box requirements
• 11:11: Value of clarity on vision before jumping into acquisitions
• 13:43: Deal sourcing grind—250+ deals, 20 hours/week on top of job+family
• 17:04: Prioritization, family time, and the “I don’t have time” excuse
• 19:45: Negotiation details, importance of owner/employee interviews
• 23:16: Asset vs. stock sale—advantages and risks
• 26:54: Creative financing—private debt, 0% equity, interest-only start
• 28:13: Structure of seller holdback for risk management
• 32:19: How Matt “found” his investors—power of networking
• 33:41: “Luck is the dust that’s kicked up from action.”
• 35:18: What’s next for Matt and outlook on the business transition
• 36:54: Final advice for listeners on joining Action Academy
• 37:57: How to connect with Matt

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Action Over Analysis: Set your vision, then move. Don’t let a lack of experience or over-analysis paralyze you.
• Clarity is Power: Know what success looks like for you and let that shape every major decision.
• Network Out Loud: Opportunities and capital often come from sharing your journey and aspirations; don’t keep goals to yourself.
• Process, Not Heroics: Buy something good and make it great, rather than trying to turn around a failing business from scratch.
• Family & Freedom First: Build a business to serve your lifestyle, not one that takes it over.

For contact, Matt can be reached via email (details in episode links) due to minimal social media presence.

This episode is an inspiring, actionable resource for anyone ready to transition from employment to entrepreneurship, especially families and high-performers with limited time. Matt’s journey from zero to $485k profit in under a year proves the power of commitment, mentorship, and clear vision.