oday's guest was solidly mid-career when he bought a business.

Shaun Stimpson had worked for two decades in wealth management, an industry where you're exposed to a lot of successful, wealthy people (the clients).

One such client had made his money buying companies. Shaun explains how hearing that from the client over lunch one day changed the course of his career.

He spent the next five years studying how to do it himself.

Finally, in December 2022, he bought Mitten Fluidpower, an industrial distribution business.

He's grown that business and acquired two others, and today Shaun's portfolio does $38 million in revenue.

We cover a lot of details today, including how Shaun's ownership is structured with his partner and investors, as well as his thesis around industrial distribution. (He recalls being looked at like he had 10 heads when he talked about this category to other searchers at Harvard, where everybody was hoping to buy a SaaS business.)

But I think the biggest takeaway from Shaun's story is how acquisition entrepreneurship can be an incredible path even as a second career.

Shaun didn't even really contemplate it until age 39, then he spent 5 more years studying search. The search itself took 18 months. So he was in his mid-forties when he acquired his first business.

But once he was in the game, things accelerated — as they so often do. Zero to $38 million in under 3 years.

Inspiring stuff.

Here he is, Shaun Stimpson, CEO of Mitten Fluidpower, FLN-MAR Rubber & Plastics, and Frank Murken Products.

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