Entrepreneurship through acquisition has become one of the most talked-about paths into business ownership. But behind every closed deal is a much messier reality.

In this episode, CEO of GetOut Kyle Poll hosts a conversation with founders and operators who bought businesses across industries ranging from cleaning services to manufacturing to defense technology:

Blake Harber — CEO, Routine Holdings
Taylor Nielsen — CEO, Walton Trailers
Andrew Heer — CEO, Summit Mountain Cleaning
Caroline Chapelaine — CEO, Northstar Photonics

Together, they unpack what the acquisition process actually looked like — the deals that fell apart, the financing challenges, the operational surprises, and the pressure that comes with taking responsibility for a company and its people.

It's a conversation about ownership in the real world: uncertain, demanding, and ultimately transformative.

For anyone exploring ETA, this episode offers something more valuable than a playbook — it offers perspective.

You'll hear stories of:

A 50-year-old manufacturer run on sticky notes and memory
A defense-tech carveout forced to relocate under impossible timelines
A cleaning company one contract away from collapse
Customers, employees, and systems walking out the door after closing

More than anything, this is a conversation about resilience. About learning to lead under pressure. And about why business ownership — despite the difficulty — remains one of the most meaningful paths a person can choose.