Second Bite Podcast

Hosted by Todd Taskey

Business

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Episodes

148

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

This is the Second Bite Podcast where we talk with top entrepreneurs and CEOs about creating valuable companies through creative transactions.

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60 recent

August 27, 202646 min

Why Sell a Fast-Growing Agency at Age 33? Ethan Kramer on the Bet That Paid Off

Ethan Kramer is a fractional operator and advisor for consumer brands. As a serial founder, he built and sold EK Creative, a social commerce agency that became an early TikTok Shop partner. Ethan now drives innovation in social commerce, combining paid media, affiliate marketing, live shopping, and emerging-platform strategies to help e-commerce brands achieve measurable growth. In this episode… Building and selling an agency can reshape how a founder thinks about growth, leadership, and what comes next. What does it take to turn an exit into an opportunity? Fractional operator and advisor Ethan Kramer discusses building, scaling, and selling EK Creative. With host Todd Taskey, Ethan shares what he looked for in an acquisition partner, lessons from integrating into a larger organization, and how AI and social commerce are shaping the next wave of agency growth.

July 23, 202621 min

PE Insight Series: Tuck-In Strategy

In the sixth installment of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey hosts eight private equity executives to discuss underwriting platform investments and the role of add-on acquisitions. In this episode… Private equity firms often talk about growth, but the real question is how much of that growth should come from the original platform versus future acquisitions. When underwriting a deal, how much should investors rely on what they can build organically? Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Coleman, Jamie Kennedy, Brian Schmidt, Bill Sommerschield, Chad Scripps, Lee Minkoff, and Larry Shagrin discuss underwriting platform investments. With host Todd Taskey, they explain the role of tuck-ins, the risks of poor integration, and why organic growth remains central to a successful investment thesis.

July 15, 20261 hr 1 min

The Future of Social Commerce Is Now

Jordan West is the President and Chief Visionary Officer of Social Commerce Club, a full-service TikTok Shop agency that builds and operates creator-driven revenue systems for enterprise e-commerce brands. As an e-commerce entrepreneur, he has founded and scaled multiple brands and now focuses on helping companies grow through TikTok Shop and creator-led marketing strategies. Parker Kump is the CEO of Social Commerce Club, where he builds systems and creator networks designed to help brands grow. He previously founded Tuff Media, a performance marketing agency that grew into a multimillion-dollar business serving major consumer brands before being acquired. In this episode… Deals often look clean on paper, but the real story emerges when growth, timing, and trust combine. In the middle of rapid expansion, a company has to balance opportunity with operational strain while making a high-stakes decision about its future. How do you know when it's the right moment to bring in a partner? Jordan West and Parker Kump of Social Commerce Club talk about the acquisition and scaling of a social commerce agency. With host Todd Taskey, Jordan and Parker explain how they evaluated multiple buyers and prioritized culture fit over price, how they managed due diligence while maintaining rapid growth, and how post-close integration unlocked shared services like finance and HR to accelerate scaling.

July 8, 202625 min

PE Insight Series: Deal Risks

In the fifth installment of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey chats with eight private equity executives about the common pitfalls that can cause promising deals to underperform. In this episode… Even the strongest deals can hide risks that only become clear after the ink is dry. When a company looks great on paper, how can investors uncover the people, culture, pricing, and market dynamics that could affect long-term performance? Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Coleman, Jamie Kennedy, Brian Schmidt, Bill Sommerschield, Chad Scripps, Lee Minkoff, and Larry Shagrin discuss lessons from deals that underperformed. With host Todd Taskey, they share how leadership gaps, cultural misalignment, pricing assumptions, customer churn, and market shifts can shape outcomes after a transaction.

June 18, 202625 min

PE Insight Series: AI Strategy

In the fourth installment of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey hosts eight private equity executives about evaluating AI's impact on service businesses. In this episode… AI is changing how investors evaluate service businesses, from margin potential to long-term defensibility. When a company's work can be accelerated, enhanced, or replaced by AI, what separates a strategic advantage from a serious risk? Lee Minkoff, Larry Shagrin, Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Coleman, Jamie Kennedy, Brian Schmidt, Bill Sommerschield, and Chad Scripps discuss how private equity firms evaluate AI's impact on new investments. With host Todd Taskey, they share how they assess proprietary data, workflow integration, customer relationships, margin expansion, and the risks facing companies that rely too heavily on repeatable processes.

June 11, 202623 min

PE Insight Series: Founder Signals

In the third episode of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey interviews eight private equity executives about the behavioral signs that reveal a founder's commitment to post-close growth beyond financial rollover. In this episode… Rollover equity may align incentives, but it doesn't always reveal whether a founder is truly ready for the next chapter. What signals do private equity investors look for when deciding if a founder is genuinely committed to building long-term value? Chad Scripps, Lee Minkoff, Larry Shagrin, Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Coleman, Jamie Kennedy, Brian Schmidt, and Bill Sommerschield discuss founder commitment beyond financial rollover. With host Todd Taskey, they explain how founders signal real alignment, the importance of team exposure and succession planning, and how curiosity, candor, and growth planning shape investor confidence.

June 4, 202617 min

PE Insight Series: Investment Criteria

In the second episode of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey hosts eight private equity executives to discuss the non-negotiable attributes they look for in scalable platform investments. In this episode… Scaling a company after a platform investment takes more than capital and ambition. What do private equity investors consider non-negotiable before backing a business for rapid growth and exit? Bill Sommerschield, Chad Scripps, Lee Minkoff, Larry Shangrin, Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Colman, Jamie Kennedy, and Brian Schmidt discuss what makes a platform investment scalable. With host Todd Taskey, they talk about the importance of founder alignment, how strong teams and systems support growth, and the market traits that help drive successful exits.

May 28, 202622 min

PE Insight Series: Value Creation

In the first installment of the PE Insight Series, Todd Taskey hosts eight private equity executives to discuss how firms can create value and drive multiple expansion during the hold period. In this episode… Private equity value creation is rarely about one sweeping change. More often, it comes from a disciplined set of upgrades that make a company more scalable, predictable, differentiated, and attractive to the next buyer. Which changes matter most? Brian Schmidt, Bill Sommerschield, Chad Scripps, Lee Minkoff, Larry Shagrin, Thomas Cooperrider, Stuart Coleman, and Jamie Kennedy discuss multiple expansion. With host Todd Taskey, they share how professionalization, go-to-market improvements, enhanced data, recurring revenue, and strategic M&A drive value.

May 21, 202627 min

$10M Revenue Tripled in 3 Years

John Sharkey is the CEO of Spinnaker SCA, a leading supply chain services firm providing end-to-end supply chain strategy, planning, and execution consulting services. He is also the Global Supply Chain Practice Leader at Publicis Sapient, where he leads supply chain strategy, client success, team development, and financial performance. With over two decades of experience in large-scale supply chain transformation, John is a trusted advisor to organizations across retail, manufacturing, distribution, and high-tech industries. In this episode… Merging two companies is rarely as simple as matching complementary services on paper. What does it take to turn a complicated first transaction into a successful second bite? John Sharkey, CEO of Spinnaker SCA, shares how the company merged with SCApath, partnered with Black Lake Capital, and scaled through organic growth and acquisition. With host Todd Taskey, John explains how they chose the right PE partner, integrated teams and go-to-market strategy, and adapted leadership inside a larger global company.

April 23, 202629 min

They Bought Their Agency Client… Then Scaled It Into an Industry Standard

Chad Dudley, cj Advertising Chad Dudley is the CEO of cj Advertising, a full-service marketing agency for personal injury law firms. He is also the Founding Partner of Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers, a prominent personal injury law firm. With decades of experience in legal marketing, Chad has consulted with over 200 law firms across the US. In this episode… What does it take to grow a professional services business beyond its core offering? When the time comes, how do you know it's the right moment to sell? Chad Dudley, CEO of cj Advertising and Founding Partner of Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers, discusses scaling a law firm and marketing agency simultaneously. With host Todd Taskey, Chad shares how consulting led to acquiring cj Advertising, why a holistic growth approach transformed client results, and how trust and team alignment shaped a successful exit.