My #1 business book (must-read if you’re new to acquisitions)

My favorite business book of all time is Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel.

Here’s why:

Back in 2016, I had a six-figure job at JP Morgan.

The salary was cushy. And the position looked prestigious. I worked with some of the wealthiest people I’d ever met.

But in reality, I was miserable and had no purpose:

• I worked 60 hour weeks at a minimum

• I was stuck in an office with no daylight

• I came home tired every day

• I lived for the weekend, and dreaded Monday mornings

And worst of all, I was losing precious time with my family.

I barely saw my wife (not even over a cup of coffee in the morning). And though we didn’t have kids yet back then, we knew we wanted to start a family.

I could see the writing on the wall: if I chose to stay in this job for the long term, I’d be building a future where I’d be stuck, slaving away in an office, unable to be present for my kids during the most important years of their life.

If I didn’t take drastic action, I’d regret it forever.

So I started paying closer attention to how our wealthy clients were making money.

When I say our clients were “wealthy,” I mean ultra-rich. (Disgustingly so.)

But I noticed that most of them didn’t get there by climbing the corporate ladder. They got there by owning cash-flowing businesses.

I did some digging into how to buy a business... and that’s when I finally came across Buy Then Build.

It opened my eyes to a world I didn’t even know existed.

It showed me that there are millions of profitable small businesses out there, waiting to be acquired — not by private equity, not by billionaires, but by people like you and me.

And, I learned that I didn’t need to spend the next 30 years grinding it out in corporate, hoping to scrape by with promotions and bonuses.

I could buy a proven business, skip the guesswork of founding a startup… and start building wealth on my terms.

I went all-in on acquisition entrepreneurship from there.

Ultimately, this book was why:

• I was able to leave JP Morgan...

• I’ve been able to be 100% present for my family over the last five years, day in and day out, instead of watching life pass by from the sidelines

• I’m now spending my time building a life I actually want, instead of just collecting a paycheck

You can grab a copy here:

👉 Buy Then Build on Amazon

This isn’t an affiliate link. Just something I wish someone had handed me earlier.

Onward,

— Ben Kelly

P.S.

If you’re past the book-learning stage and ready to start looking at deals...

Fill out this quick survey and tell me your goals. If I come across something that fits, I’ll send it your way:

👉 I want to buy or invest into a business

Or, if you want to sell a business, tell me more about it below. I’ll help match you with qualified buyers:

👉 I want to sell my business