Episodes
EP 32 | Inside Due Diligence: Maximize Deal Value & Mitigate Risks
In this episode of Merger She Wrote, Paloma Goggins, your host and the founder of Nocturnal Legal, is joined by paralegal Chesney Reeves to explain what due diligence is, how buyers review confidential information beyond the Letter of Intent, and how sellers can protect sensitive details by structuring disclosures in tranches tied to earnest deposits. The conversation covers how diligence is shared through cloud-based data rooms, why organizing contracts and records ahead of time prevents la…
EP 31 | Mastering Mergers: Employee Retention Tactics for Business Success
In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins and owner of Nocturnal Legal interviews business buyer David Hori about retaining employees during the M&A process and why people risk can make or break post-closing success. David explains that when leaders don’t communicate, employees fill the information gap with fear, so buyers and sellers should build transparency early and provide clear, positive framing around change and growth. Drawing on an integration where a 500-person c…
EP 30 | Asset Protection 101: Marrying Business with Estate Planning
In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins, owner of Nocturnal Legal, interviews asset-protection and estate-planning attorney Sherrie Prince about how entrepreneurs can align their business plans with their estate plans to “build a moat” around personal and company assets. Sherry explains that planning starts with the end goal—what retirement and an eventual exit look like—and should account for both external risks (like slip-and-fall claims that insurance may not fully cover)…
EP 29 | Ready to Sell? Your Business Valuation Says Otherwise
Paloma Goggins, host of Merger She Wrote and the owner of Nocturnal Legal, a business law firm serving buyers, sellers and business operators, interviews Wes Towers, a Melbourne-based digital agency owner, about getting a deep-dive business valuation and how it reshaped how he runs his company. Wes first became interested in sellable businesses after an early acquisition inquiry, but ultimately obtained a valuation due to a divorce separation; the results came in lower than expected and high…
EP 28 | Franchising Made Simple: How to Start, Grow & Sell Smart
In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins interviews franchise specialist Max Emma about what buyers and sellers should know before jumping into franchising. Max shares his path from immigrating to the U.S., building and losing a construction company in the recession, launching a nationwide bookkeeping firm, and ultimately franchising it—now described as the only bookkeeping franchise in the U.S.—plus creating a franchise brokerage to match candidates with hundreds of brands. …
EP 27 | The Burnout Discount: Why Tired Founders Get Lower Offers
Host Paloma Goggins of Nocturnal Legal interviews leadership coach and consultant Ryan Maniey about how owner dependency, stress, and burnout can block business growth and reduce exit value in mergers or sales. Using real-world scenarios, they discuss how founders get trapped in a “grit” mindset, why revenue is a lagging indicator of people, systems, and processes, and how overcapacity can drive quality issues, turnover, and deal risk during acquisition. Ryan shares ways to self-identify bur…
Ep 26 | How to Read Business Financials When Buying or Selling a Company
Welcome back to Merger She Wrote! In this episode, host Paloma Goggins, founder of Nocturnal Legal, is joined by financial and bookkeeping expert Steven Bialecki to break down the financial numbers that matter most when buying or selling a business.
Instead of focusing on dry financial definitions, this episode walks through real-world case studies that reveal how financial statements can make or break a deal.
First, we examine a local pastry shop sale where the owner treated…
EP 25 | The Hidden Insurance Costs of M&A with Richard Hearden
In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins sits down with risk management consultant Richard Hearden from Freestone Insurance Group to uncover the frequently overlooked insurance requirements that can complicate a business sale or acquisition.
When navigating mergers and acquisitions, many founders focus entirely on revenue and valuation while missing critical risk management steps. Through real world case studies, this episode explores why private equity buyers demand …
Ep 24 | How to Sell Your Business: What Really Happens After the Letter of Intent (LOI)
Thinking about selling your business—but unsure what actually happens after the Letter of Intent (LOI)? In this episode of Merger She Wrote, host Paloma Goggins, founder of Nocturnal Legal, walks you through the entire process from a seller’s perspective. This episode is especially valuable for first-time business sellers who want to avoid costly mistakes and unexpected delays. Selling a business isn’t just about agreeing on a price.
EP 23 | M&A Communication Strategy: How Honest Conversation Improves Deal Success
Why deals collapse isn’t a spreadsheet problem, it’s a people problem. This episode shows how a seller’s legacy goals and a buyer’s optimization plans create a hidden expectation gap that quietly destroys value. The fix isn’t faster paperwork but with clearer conversations. You’ll learn how to use a change roadmap during diligence, why earnouts force real cooperation, and what no data room ever reveals, like culture carriers and customer rituals. Hear the cautionary story of a seller w...
EP 22 | From Launch to Exit: How Planning Ahead Protects Your Business
How to build a niche staffing business, scale smart, and sell for millions. Diane Prince joins Paloma Goggins to share how she turned a side-room startup into a $28M exit. From choosing a defensible niche in title insurance to hiring aligned A-players and building scalable systems, she breaks down the moves that made her business irresistible to buyers. Diane also shares the messy realities: failed ventures, non-competes, lifestyle creep, and the myths of passive income and perfection. Learn…
EP 21 | Lessons from a Writer on Building and Exiting a Successful Community
How to build a sellable online business with community growth, membership retention, and solid KPIs. Carol Tice joins Paloma Goggins to share how a $25/month writing community became a business buyers wanted—even during the first COVID winter. She breaks down the steps that made it exit-ready: clean numbers, focused offerings, documented SOPs, and systems that didn’t rely on her daily. From managing churn and LTV to handling due diligence and avoiding fake buyers, Carol reveals the practical…
EP 20 | What Does Horsemanship Teach About Risk in Business Acquisitions?
How to buy a business smarter using M&A due diligence, negotiation strategy, and real-world deal discipline.
Chesney Reeves of Nocturnal Legal joins Paloma Goggins to connect horse trading lessons to buying companies. From vet checks to quality of earnings, “as is” sales to reps and warranties, she shows how the same rules apply in the barn and the boardroom.
You’ll learn how to set a real budget, write a clean LOI, manage risk with insurance, negotiate without deal fever, and…
EP 19 | What’s the Key to Scaling and Exiting a Business Successfully?
How to build a business that attracts investors, scales, and exits successfully.
Scott Schwab, entrepreneur and author, joins Paloma Goggins to share his journey from creating a business plan course to accrediting a new school and launching a transparent CBD brand. He explains how documenting processes, proving outcomes, and building trust early makes any startup more fundable and resilient.
Scott also dives into partnerships, governance, and exit strategies, plus practical lesson…
EP 18 | Smart Scaling Techniques for Growth and Exit Preparation
Deals make headlines, but operations drive real results. Olenka Cullinan, COO and operator, joins Paloma Goggins to show how founders move from constant firefighting to running a company that thrives without them. From reclaiming your calendar with “CEO time architecture” to building SOPs that anyone can use, Olenka shares practical strategies to scale efficiently, reduce burnout, and prepare for a high-value exit. Learn how to delegate effectively, hire the right players, optimize client po…
EP 17 | 5 Leadership Lessons from a Secret Service Career for Successful Business Transitions
Deals move fast but the smartest leaders prepare long before the signatures. Christina Beloud, a 25-year Secret Service veteran turned private security consultant, joins Paloma Goggins to share how readiness, communication, and boundaries keep business transitions calm under pressure. From motorcades to M&A, her rulebook stays the same: prevention beats reaction, and clarity beats speed. Christina breaks down how to build “ops plans” for your company, set healthy boundaries that earn…
EP 16 | The Role of IP Due Diligence in Successful Business Acquisitions
Deals fall apart quietly when intellectual property isn’t what it seems.
IP attorney and professor Michelle Gross joins Paloma Goggins to unpack how patent validity and ownership can make or break a deal. From missing assignments and lapsed fees to hostile inventor issues, she explains the red flags that derail valuations and delay closings.
Michelle also breaks down the trademark pitfalls most founders overlook, like stock-logo copyrights and unenforceable claims, plus how to run…
EP 15: De-Risking Business Sales: The Critical Role of Escrow in Every Transaction
Most deals don’t fail from one big mistake; they unravel through tiny cracks in trust and timing.
Monica May-Dunn, CEO of Arizona Escrow and Financial Corporation, joins Paloma Goggins to reveal what really happens between LOI and closing. From escrow strategy to funds flow and clean documentation, she shares the practical moves that keep deals alive and relationships strong.
With real stories (including a missing prize bull) and battle-tested insights, this episode shows how prec…
EP 14 | Buying a CPA Firm: Strategies for Accountants Who Want to Own
Buying a business isn’t passive income, it’s hard work, tough calls, and smart planning.
Jessica Golden, managing partner of Kramer & Golden Public Accounting Group, shares how she bought an accounting firm while living 2,500 miles away in Hawaii. From broker listings to SBA loans and last-minute financing hurdles, she reveals what the business-buying process really looks like behind the scenes.
You’ll hear how she evaluated deals, built a smooth seller partnership, and avoide…
EP 13 | From Zero Clients to 7 Figures: How to Build and Sell an Agency
From zero marketing experience to a successful agency exit in nine years, Kim Grennan tells the story.
What started as a bold offer of free work turned into a thriving agency with perfect client retention and rapid growth. Kim shares how hitting $1M revenue, hiring a GM, and stepping out of daily operations made her business irresistible to buyers and what she learned from failed deals along the way.
Tune in for practical insights on scaling smart and preparing your business for a…
EP 12 | How Effective Communication Shapes Great Leadership
Why do clear instructions still lead to team missteps? The issue isn’t what you say, it’s what they hear.
In this episode, communication expert Jenn Kaye joins Paloma Goggins to break down why even strong leaders struggle to get their message across.
From the surprising fact that 40% of communication gets lost in translation, to the identity gap where many professionals don’t even see themselves as leaders, Jenn reveals the hidden barriers that derail effective communication.
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EP 11 | Business Exit Strategy: What to Expect After the Sale
Why do so many business sales collapse at the last minute? It’s not the money, it’s the emotions. In this episode, “Seller Whisperer” Denise Logan, both a therapist and attorney, shares the hidden psychological traps that quietly kill deals. From fear-driven reactions like fight, flight, or freeze to the identity crisis that follows a sale, she reveals why selling a business is one of the most emotionally charged transitions an entrepreneur will ever face. Packed with powerful stories, pract…
EP 10 | Understanding the Real Risks of Private Equity Partnerships
Would you sell your family business if the money looked right, but something felt off?
Amber Finley of Bug Off Pest Control shares what happened when a surprise buyout offer landed in her inbox. What started as a dream deal quickly raised red flags and forced her family to choose between a fast payout and their long-term legacy.
Hit play to hear the red flags, tough calls, and lessons every founder should know before saying yes to a deal.
EP 9 | The Ultimate Guide to Attracting Growth Capital for Small Business Owners
Want investors to notice your business? Learn what it really takes to attract strategic capital. Diti Sangoi, founder of DV8 Ventures, pulls back the curtain on what venture capital and private equity firms look for and why a million-dollar business isn’t enough without the right strategy. In this candid conversation with Paloma Goggins, Didi shares hard-earned insights on building investor trust, structuring smarter deals, and knowing when to fundraise (and when not to).