On this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Joe Durnford, founder and CEO of J.D. Ford & Company, shares his 30-year journey building a middle-market M&A advisory firm that helps founders and family businesses create liquidity, raise capital, and navigate complex transactions. From leaving Deloitte to pioneer sell-side advisory, to turning down relocation for entrepreneurship, to weathering market crashes, 9/11, geopolitical shocks, and deals derailed at the last minute, Joe offers hard-earned lessons on resilience, negotiation, and staying lean in a success-fee business. Inducted into the M&A Advisor Hall of Fame, he reflects on mentorship, being the trusted advisor CEOs confide in, and why in dealmaking, preparation, speed, and relationships—not just process—ultimately get tough transactions across the finish line.

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