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 the busines…
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...