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- G&A: Here's The Hidden Advantage Owners Are Quietly Building + The Sosh = Eric Partaker
G&A: Here's The Hidden Advantage Owners Are Quietly Building + The Sosh = Eric Partaker
AI adoption, integration clarity, and deal-shaping infrastructure in a decelerating market. Let’s build what holds.
Gia Cilento & Ronald Skelton
June 03, 2025
Overview
Economic signals may be softening, but the owners who are building for long-term value aren’t slowing down. They’re getting sharper on systems, on integration, and on how AI is actually delivering leverage.
This week’s entries point toward a clear trend: the firms that win don’t just ride the wave; they reinforce the vessel. They’re foundational.
Across sectors, we’re seeing a real shift: away from headline-chasing growth plays and toward operationally sound, AI-augmented, integration-ready platforms.
If you’re aligning for an exit or just trying to future-proof what you’ve built, this week’s Signal will sharpen your view.
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This Week's Signal
by Gia Cilento
AI as Real-World Leverage, Not Just a Buzzword
Small Businesses Are Harnessing AI to Innovate and Compete
The AI adoption curve is flattening at the bottom—because small businesses are leading the charge. From food to finance, AI is being integrated into workflows in practical, value-generating ways.
This isn’t theory. It’s velocity. Read more here…
How AI Is Reshaping Small Business Marketing in 2025
Forget the buzzwords. This is about practical application. Smart business owners are now using AI to handle what used to require a full marketing team. That shift isn't a perk—it’s a competitive requirement. Read more here…
The Future Is Explainability – Why AI Must Earn Our Trust
The bar is rising. Buyers, regulators, and operators alike are now insisting on explainability, not just capability. Integration is no longer impressive unless it’s also responsible. Read more here…
Infrastructure Over Instinct: Growth Is Getting Disciplined
Cybersecurity Teams Generate an Average of $36M in Business Growth
Security is no longer a back-office function—it’s a growth enabler. This study shows how companies are monetizing cyber maturity, turning it into a lever for trust and deal velocity.
Decoding M&A Success: A CFO’s Framework for Value Creation
CFOs are pulling forward a more sober, structure-first lens. Valuations are sticking where infrastructure is sound, and fading where it’s not.
M&A: Keys to a Clean Integration
Integration is where value evaporates—or compounds. This one’s a must-read if you’re prepping to buy or sell in 2025.
Capital Is Shifting, And It's Choosing Structural Clarity
Antares Closes $1.2B Private Credit CV Led by Ares
Private credit flows are solidifying around firms that already have clean books and resilient models. LPs want visibility and control, not just yield.
Hayes Management to Acquire Streamline Health
The $23M all-cash acquisition shows a strong signal: consolidation is flowing toward clarity. Even small-scale deals are being structured with future integration in mind.
Business Roundup: Global M&A Activity
$2B worth of TICC consolidation in one move. The operational clarity and adjacent service expansion here mark a broader pattern: combinatory value over flashy growth.
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🧩 In the News
Midyear Economic Outlook: A Widespread Deceleration
Morgan Stanley’s outlook confirms what sharp operators already feel: demand is softening, and uncertainty is the default. That means systems, not scale, are what protect value in 2025.Change Management for Growth at Control Techniques
Old-school leadership, new-school execution. A strong example of how culture meets targets when the mandate is clear and held tightly.
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🎧 In the Pods
Featuring Original Reviews by Ron Skelton
How Oliver Wyman Builds Better Deals
Podcast Host: Kison Patel (M&A Science)
Guest: John Romeo, CEO of Oliver Wyman Forum
Why this matters: Strategic buyers are slowing down to do M&A right. Romeo breaks down how relationship-led sourcing and cultural alignment drive their long-view approach—one that searchers and seasoned acquirers alike would do well to mirror.
Watch Here | Read Ronald’s Review
Inside One of Australia’s Largest University Mergers
Podcast Host: Alex Usher (World of Higher Education)
Guest: David Lloyd, Co-Vice Chancellor of Adelaide University
Why this matters: This isn’t just about academia—it’s a blueprint for large-scale integration with precision. A compelling case study in alignment, leadership continuity, and post-merger clarity.
Watch Here | Read Ronald’s Review
M&A Blindspots: Selling Is About More Than Numbers
Guest: Kim Harris, former Managing Partner, Text & Form
Why this matters: Emotional readiness is part of strategic readiness. Harris shares the unseen dimensions of exit prep—from three failed deals to a final clean win.
Watch Here | Read Ronald’s Review
The Entrepreneur Awakens: From Tech to Ownership
Podcast Host: Will Smith (Acquiring Minds)
Guest: Ken Sio, Owner of Lights On Digital
Why this matters: A practical map for tech talent transitioning into business ownership. This is the real stuff—family, fit, and cash flow.
Watch Here | Read Ronald’s Review
Founders don’t always know what’s changing until someone sends them the signal. If this issue brought clarity—share it with someone who needs it.
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🧠The Sosh
Who to follow this week: Eric Partaker
Eric Partaker blends McKinsey clarity with behavioral science precision. A leadership coach, investor, and author of The 3 Alarms, he’s guided 100+ ventures while holding deep roots in peak performance psychology.
His advisory lens cuts through the noise. His frameworks unlock real traction. And his newsletter—Peak Performance Insights—offers what the hype merchants miss: grounded power.
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🏢 The Big Guys
FTC Withdraws Case Against Microsoft-Activision Merger
The $69B deal stands. The FTC stepped back. This could mark a shift in how major tech deals get challenged—and how regulators define "public interest" in the AI age.
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Featured Events
TODAY - SMB Acquisitions Entrepreneurs (buying / Selling of businesses) Networking - Twice a month on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST
WEDNESDAY - The Overlooked Leg of the Stool: Post-Exit Success - June 3, 1 PM ET
How to build beyond the liquidity moment and avoid the post-exit spiral. Check it out…
2025 Leadership In Dealmaking Summit - September 16 & 17, 2025 – New York, NY
Featuring: International M&A thought leadership sessions, M&A Connects Networking and One-on-One Meetings, 16th Annual International M&A Awards, and 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards. Check it out…
3rd Annual M&A Summit - 2025 - September 17, 2025 - JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
From broad perspectives on deal-making to insightful tips on exiting a business, attendees gained a wealth of knowledge. Want in? Don’t miss our 2025 Summit. Check it out…
2025 Future of Dealmaking Summit - November 18 & 19, 2025 – New York, NY
Featuring: Financing, restructuring, and M&A thought leadership sessions, M&A Connects Networking and One-on-One Meetings, and the 24 th Annual M&A Advisor Awards. Check it out…
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Until Next Week
Have something you’d like us to explore, discuss, or analyze? Reach out to:
Ronald Skelton on LinkedIn.
Gia Cilento on LinkedIn.
Subscribe. Share. Or forward to someone who already thinks like an owner.
Did someone forward this to you? Feel free to subscribe here.
Watch for the private tier launching next month—access analysis, early tools, and strategic sessions.
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What Comes Next
We’ll be keeping an eye out for how buyers are surfacing new diligence layers—especially in mid-market acquisitions—and how operators are preempting valuation risk with structural clarity.
This week’s main takeaway?
The playbook is shifting. And what’s priced in now is less about scale, and more about whether your foundation can truly hold long-term.