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G&A: Post-Close Power Moves, AI as Infrastructure, and Strategic Integration + The Sosh = Shari Levitin

Integration isn’t optional. Neither is AI. Let’s build what holds.

AuthorAuthor

Gia Cilento & Ronald Skelton
May 20, 2025

The Signal – Gia Cilento

This issue continues our rhythm: fewer filler links, sharper strategy, and founder-first clarity.

If you’re building something that holds—especially through acquisitions, rollups, or AI transformation—then this week’s issue is for you.

Because when everyone’s trying to move faster, it pays to build with structure.
Let’s tune to what matters.

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This Week's Signal

by Gia Cilento

If you’re a founder or operator building through uncertainty, here’s what the signal is showing:

→ Growth that lasts isn’t the fastest—it’s the most structured, adaptable, and aligned

→ Integration—not just the acquisition—is where deals break or scale

→ AI is crossing the threshold from tool to infrastructure—and it’s already impacting small business valuations

This issue gives you clarity on:
How to grow without burning out
What to prioritize when the market shifts
Where AI is already shaping strategy, not just saving time

Let’s take a look.

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🧩 In the News

Last week, we flagged how private equity is repositioning AI from trend to infrastructure. This week, we’re seeing what that looks like on the ground—from Microsoft’s capital strategy to architecture-first approaches like Atos. The message is clear: AI isn’t a layer you bolt on. It’s the system you build from.

  • Growth: Hacking the Business Growth Imperative

    Patagonia’s founder reframes growth around stewardship, not extraction—asking: what if purpose is the new scale?
    Read more

  • Growth: How to Invest in the Growth of Your Business Despite an Uncertain Economy

    In challenging markets, opportunity lives in strategic restraint and resourceful pivots.
    Read more

  • Growth: Upskilling and Reskilling—A Smart Investment

    The human side of growth: how internal capability beats external dependency.
    Read more

  • AI: Data Management and AI Solutions

    You can’t scale AI without structured data. Here’s how smart firms are building the layer beneath the algorithm.
    Read more

  • AI: Expert Tips for Small Business Success in the AI Era

    From ChatGPT to Shopify, AI tools are reshaping how SMBs operate. But the signal isn’t the tool—it’s the intention.
    Read more

  • AI: Business Tech News—Microsoft Leans into AI ROI

    Big players are reframing the AI conversation around outcomes, not novelty.
    Read more

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🎧 In the Pods

Featuring Original Reviews by Ron Skelton
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: Shari Levitin

A seasoned sales leader who brings clarity and humanity to growth strategy. Harvard guest lecturer, Salesforce documentary feature, and founder of the Shari Levitin Group.
Follow her

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🏢 The Big Guys

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M&A Source Spring Conference & Deal Market
May 20 & 21 | Renaissance Orlando SeaWorld

In-room strategy. Buyer access. Real deal flow.
If you’re serious about acquisition work—this is the room to be in.

📅 SMB Acquisitions Entrepreneurs Bi-Monthly Networking - This month, we’re meeting Today, Tue, May 20, at 8 am PT.

Join a growing number of acquisitions entrepreneurs, seekers, and experts who get together twice a month, every 1st and 3rd Tuesday, to network, build teams, share ideas and resources, and help each other succeed. Join us and meet some new people actively searching - the first and Third Tuesday of each month. Check it out...
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If you are interested in what wineries were pouring at M&A West, please see the list below for links and be sure to visit them and mention how much you enjoyed their tasting at M&A West. Special thank you to Daniel Ha, DMH for procuring the wines for the conference. Check it out…_______________________________________________________________________________

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…_______________________________________________________________________________

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…
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Featuring: Financing, restructuring, and M&A thought leadership sessions, M&A Connects Networking and One-on-One Meetings and 24th Annual M&A Advisor Awards. Check it out…

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🚀 On the Horizon

Last week, we said we’d track how private equity is repositioning AI investments.
This week’s signal showed how that’s already reshaping the ground beneath founders—from Microsoft’s capital strategy to architecture-first plays like Atos.

Next week, we extend the thread:
How mid-market firms are shifting where they deploy capital, how they evaluate AI tools, and why operational clarity is becoming its own form of leverage.

The smartest founders aren’t just reacting to signal.
They’re building with it—week over week.

Subscribe. Forward this to a founder in your network. Or come back next week for more signal.

Watch for the private tier launching next month—access analysis, early tools, and strategic sessions.

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