Why Trust Is the Real Currency of a Successful Acquisition

October 21, 2026

Published in:

Business Strategy & Growth

Three men in casual clothes pose in front of a colorful mural. — The Podcast Consultant is in expansion mode: Manuel Weiss, CMO, and Karl Hughes, CEO, welcome Dr. Jeremy Weisz, founder of Rise25, who joins TPC as Sales Director. Photo courtesy The Podcast Consultant

After completing four business acquisitions over the past three years, I have gained first-hand knowledge of how building trust with the other owners is the No.1 factor that determines whether a merger or acquisition deal will work or not.

My company, The Podcast Consultant, recently acquired Rise25, a done-for-you B2B podcasting company founded in 2015 by Dr. Jeremy Weisz (EO Chicago) and John Corcoran (EO San Francisco).

I joined EO in 2022 to grow as an entrepreneur, never expecting it to lead to an acquisition opportunity. However, this experience showed me how the trust, shared values, and relationships we build in EO create opportunities that extend far beyond just networking.

Here’s the story behind the acquisition of Rise25, and how the connections we built through EO helped lay the groundwork for a deal that worked for everyone involved.

Building Trust

Laying the groundwork for a successful acquisition starts long before the letter of intent. The more you understand the other owners’ values, communication style, and goals before entering negotiations, the easier it will be to work through the inevitable complications of bringing two businesses together.

Because Jeremy, John, and I were all EO members, we had a strong basis for building trust. The three of us were able to quickly get to a place where we could share our most significant 5% experiences, and we had a shared business language thanks to EO.

"Trust isn't just whether you like someone. It's having enough information about how they operate to feel comfortable making high-stakes decisions together."

— Karl Hughes, EO Chicago

It was also helpful that both sides knew so many mutual connections, because we could ask EO peers for insights on whether we might work well together before we even signed a letter of intent. Knowing how a potential partner treats people, handles disagreements, and follows through on commitments tells you a lot that you won't learn from a financial statement or due diligence report.

Trust isn't just whether you like someone. It's having enough information about how they operate to feel comfortable making high-stakes decisions together. Trust doesn't guarantee that you will agree on every decision, but it helps you feel confident enough in each other's intentions to talk candidly when things get complicated.

The result? This deal was one of the smoothest and quickest we've ever done.

The Relationship Came Before the Deal

I met Jeremy in 2025 through a friend in EO Chicago. At that point, Rise25 was considering acquisitions of its own. As we talked owner-to-owner, we discovered that we had similar visions for what our companies could become.

Over time, those conversations turned towards a possible merger.

While there was a clear fit between the two businesses, there was no urgency to force a transaction. We kept talking and learned more about the way each company served its clients and discussed the roles we might each take in a blended company.

In early 2026, John became interested in starting a new AI consulting firm, which changed the nature of our ongoing discussions. Jeremy wanted to keep working on the combined business, but John was ready to pursue his next project.

It occurred to me that an acquisition might be a better structure for everyone involved.

The key to networking is keeping in touch. This acquisition is a good example of networking in action. We stayed in touch, learned about each other’s goals, and looked for opportunities to help one another well before a transaction was on the table. When timing started to line up, we had enough shared context to move relatively quickly on the opportunity.

That didn’t eliminate the work required to buy a business; there were still plenty of terms to discuss, clients to consider, teams to support, and a transition plan to create. But, having an established relationship built on trust made those discussions easier.

Why Rise25 and The Podcast Consultant Were a Good Fit

Trust opens the door, but it doesn't make two companies compatible. The businesses still have to make sense together. We needed to delineate how our services complemented each other, where clients' needs differed, and how combining the two operations would create a better experience.

"You never know which connection will eventually lead to an opportunity, so invest in building relationships before you need them."

— Karl Hughes, EO Chicago

Rise25 spent more than a decade helping B2B businesses use podcasts to build relationships with prospective clients, referral partners, and strategic partners. The company handles strategy, production, and distribution so hosts can spend their time in the conversations.

Jeremy has hosted Inspired Insider since 2011, so he has a long record of interviewing founders and operators. He clearly understands what it takes to build a successful business podcast.

Meanwhile, The Podcast Consultant serves a slightly different niche. Our strength is helping finance and investing podcasts grow an audience and build a strong brand. Our clients tend to need higher-touch production support, compliance input, and a clear “story” for how their show fits into a broader audience and brand marketing effort.

Both models use the same medium, podcasting, but fulfill different client needs. Honoring that, we decided to maintain both brands, while combining key teams, software, and processes to improve efficiency and client experience.

Our goal was to capture efficiencies without losing the strengths and relationships that made each business valuable in the first place.

Re-Working Our Roles

Jeremy joined our newly combined company as Director of Client Success. The title fits the work he has done for years: building partnerships, maintaining customer relationships, and using thoughtful conversations to create business opportunities.

In our kind of business, relationship-driven sales and client success are closely connected. The people who trust you enough to come on a show, introduce you to a partner, or renew a contract are responding to the quality of the relationship as much as the mechanics of the service.

Jeremy leads sales and strategic partnerships while staying close to the relationships that helped Rise25 become what it is.

That allows me to take a step back from the sales work I’d been doing as CEO and evolve my role. I’ll devote more of my time to the long-term vision, keeping teams aligned across the brands, and building relationships for future mergers or acquisitions that fit our operating model.

Clear responsibilities matter after an acquisition. We have to give clients and team members clarity around who is accountable for what. Delineating these specializations let each of us on the leadership team spend more time working in our “zone of genius”.

What’s Next?

The three-year goal is to build a consolidated group of B2B media production brands with shared teams and services supporting them. Rise25 was our second acquisition in 2026, and we have more in the pipeline for the year ahead.

Production, operations, client support, technology, and administrative work can often be handled more efficiently across multiple businesses, but having specialized brands and the Ideal Customer Profiles they focus on allows us to stand out in an admittedly crowded landscape.

Our first priority is to successfully integrate the Rise25 clients, bring the teams closer together where it’s useful, and preserve the parts of each business that clients value. I’m incredibly grateful to have a strong leadership team working with me to do it.

Acquisitions require financial analysis, negotiation, and careful planning. But the relationships you build before a deal make all that work easier. You never know which connection will eventually lead to an opportunity, so invest in building relationships before you need them. When the right opportunity comes along, trust makes all the difference between a difficult transaction and a successful partnership.

Contributed by Karl Hughes, an EO Chicago member who is the founder and CEO of The Podcast Consultant, which launches, produces, and helps grow business podcasts.